Sean made distressed sounds, frantically struggling against her paralyzing thrall. Walking toward the handsome blond, she gazed into his eyes as she licked the blood from her blade. His features revealed fear then disbelief and finally anguish. Where was her savage lover now?
“And you, my fine young stud, are going to come with me.” His eyes widened and he tried to shake his head. “There’s an unusual richness in your energy. I’m going to tie you to my bed and ride you hard and fast until I figure out what it is.”
She ignored his muffled screams as she wrapped her arms around him and unfurled her wings.
* * * * *
Jake drew his tiger to the surface as he waited for Heather to respond to his question. He had no doubt she’d told him the truth so far, but there was no telling how long her honesty would last. It was easy to picture a large group of Therian wolves gathered in the forest, beating each other to a bloody pulp for the right to claim a female. Of all Therian shifters, and there were many types, wolf packs were wildest and least interested in being civilized.
Still, the crux of the issue remained. Why had she chosen him as her protector? His interactions with wolves were few and far between. Silverthorne was one hundred thirty miles from Aspen. He stayed out of their way and, for the most part, they did the same.
“You passed the largest concentration of cougars in the state, an irritable jaguar and a raptor on your way to me,” he listed when she continued in silence, stubbornly avoiding his gaze.
She fiddled with the bathrobe’s belt then scooted to the edge of the chair. “I don’t know how it is when you shift, but logic doesn’t really play a part when I release my wolf. Everything is instinctual. I was running for my life. That’s all I knew. I did everything I could to elude the hunters and I ended up here.”
He knew what she meant. Perception was more elemental, more visceral, when he was in tiger form. Still, he wasn’t a mindless beast. Cause and effect were still present. He debated alternatives and made choices. Apparently she wasn’t ready to admit that she had intentionally headed to Aspen. And he might have believed her if it hadn’t been for Lexxie.
Lexxie was her best friend and he’d spent several hours with the lively she-wolf a couple of weeks ago. He’d asked a few questions about Heather and Lexxie had opened up like a fountain, sharing all sorts of inside information. If half of what Lexxie told him was true, Heather’s choice had not been random or driven by necessity. Heather was attracted to him. She just wasn’t ready to acknowledge the fact.
And he wasn’t cruel enough to push the issue while she was so shaken. “All right, so you’re here. What do you expect from me now?”
Obviously annoyed by the question, she stood and sent her damp curls over her shoulders with a toss of her head. “I don’t expect anything from you. I’m sorry I interrupted your night and I appreciate the shower. I’ll send your sister the money for an outfit and be on my way.”
“On your way where?” He stood and stalked toward her, not in the mood for theatrics. “Are hunters on your trail or not?”
Her jaw set and her gaze narrowed. Then she took a deep breath and admitted, “They are.”
“How many?”
“I’m not sure. The challenge was down to six, but…” Her chin quivered and tears filled her big blue eyes. She frantically blinked them back then released the tension in her jaw. Stubbornness alone was keeping her going. It wouldn’t be long until that control snapped. He’d seen it many times before. The longer someone fought to remain calm, the harder the emotions hit them.
“Were they still trailing you when you reached Aspen?”
She shook her head. “They were following my scent. It didn’t matter how fast I ran or how many times I circled back, they just kept coming.” She shuddered and slowly licked her lips but said nothing more.
“And then,” he prompted.
“And then I spotted a dump truck full of manure. I released the shift long enough to crawl into the bed but it started burning my skin, so I summoned the wolf again.”
Summoned the wolf? What an odd way to express it. He always “released” his tiger, because his tiger was always present, always wanting to be released. From where did she summon her wolf? He made a mental note of the anomaly so he could ask her about it when she wasn’t so upset.
She rubbed her arms and gazed past him. “I knew the truck was headed west, but that’s all I knew. The driver stopped for fuel in Glenwood Springs and I figured it was time to change directions.”
“So you headed here?”