Therian Prisoner(70)

“Dhane is much better this morning. The boys located a compound that released him from his transformation and he’s resting comfortably now.” Lenore always referred to her sons as “the boys” even though the youngest was twenty-six.

“Did they locate this compound among the things rescued from the mountain lab?”

“Yes, dear. Eli hacked into one of the laptops and the information has been invaluable. The boys have identified several unique formulas and the corresponding counteragents. They’re still trying to determine exactly what each formula does and so forth, but without the laptop the boys would have been dead in the water.”

“Eli is amazing. And I’m so relieved that Dhane will be okay.” She rubbed her forehead as memories of their escape scrolled through her mind. Ian and Payne had been minutes away when Dhane took out the guards, but Dhane hadn’t known that at the time. The young wolf had been brave and protective. She would always be grateful for his actions.

“How are you feeling? Have there been any residual effects from your injections?”

“Not really. I’m still pretty tired, but I think that’s just stress and not enough sleep.”

“Both are understandable after what you’ve been through.” Lenore hesitated and Devon heard her sigh before she asked, “Do you know which injection you were given? If you know, that will make things much easier.”

“It’s likely I was given them all. They referred to the last one as gen three. That’s also what they gave Dhane, or at least what I was told he was given.”

“I’ll let the boys know. Hopefully what they’ve learned will correspond with this new information.”

“Do I need the counteragent? My symptoms have basically subsided.”

“I’m not sure,” Lenore admitted. “I’ll have Alex call you. He’s spearheading the investigation.”

“There is one other thing he needs to be aware of. I’d like to be defined as soon as possible and I’m not comfortable attempting the transformation until we know for sure what those bastards put in me.”

“A wise precaution. I’ll see what Alex suggests.”

“Thank you, Dr. Garran.” Devon sighed. “We know more than we did two days ago, but we still have more questions than answers.”

“Try not to worry. Hopefully Alex will have answers for you soon. And let your family pamper you for a change. It would be therapeutic for both sides.”

“I will.” She really did need to clear the air with Kyle. Their argument might have given the backers an opportunity to strike, but her abduction wasn’t Kyle’s fault. “Please tell Alex and the others that I appreciate all their hard work.”

“I’ll make sure they know.”

She hung up the phone with another sigh and sank back into her seat. Dhane was on the mend and the Garran brothers were working hard to understand exactly what had been done to her. The rest of the donors could wait until tomorrow. She desperately needed some alone time.

After sending a text to Hailey to let her know Devon was going to be unavailable for a couple of hours, she picked up the journal and headed upstairs. She had a long awaited date with a bubble bath.





Chapter Eleven




Ian rolled his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck then climbed the stairs to Devon’s apartment. The entire day had been a study in futility. They’d focused their search on the silver-haired phantom and Ian still wasn’t sure the image was anything more than a flash from his memory.

The door was locked, as it should have been, so he knocked.

“Coming.” Though muffled, Devon’s voice was still intelligible. She pulled the door open and smiled. “I was just about to grab my phone and find out where you were.”

She’d pulled her dark hair back into a ponytail and her cheeks were deeply flushed. Her eyes gleamed like priceless emeralds, their almond shape giving her an exotic air despite her casual attire. Black yoga pants hung low on her hips, the wide waistband folded down to showcase her toned abdomen. She wore a clingy pink tank with tiny black skulls and crossbones.

His gaze gravitated to the faint outline of her nipples and his body stirred with appreciation. “Did you wear that to work?” He moved into the living room and she closed the door.

“You don’t like my outfit?” Her tone was tinged with playful challenge.

“I like it a little too much.”

“I cut out early and treated myself to a nice long bath.”

He pictured her in a bathtub, naked and rosy, ready to be touched and licked. “Sounds wonderful. I wish you’d have invited me.”