Therian Prize(45)

What the hell? Jake and Natasha were circling each other and a gun lay on the deck just out of reach. This made no sense. Why would Natasha have shot at Jake?

Unless Jake hadn’t been the target. The thought sent icy shivers down Heather’s spine. Had her father tired of her rebellion or had one of his enemies found her first?

Blood oozed from one of Natasha’s nostrils, and her eyes glowed with yellow light. Her features fluctuated, as if the structure of her face was subtly morphing beneath her skin. If she was going to shift, why didn’t she just shift?

Jake leapt into the air and kicked Natasha’s jaw hard enough to jerk her head back. She grabbed his ankle half a second before her eyes rolled back in her head and she crumbled to the deck. Unfortunately her hold on Jake’s ankle forced him off balance and he went over sideways, landing hard on his hip and hand.

Another sentinel jumped to the deck and then another and another. They came from different directions, each looking lethal and enraged. Soon she was surrounded by angry cats.

“Stand down,” Jake called. “The situation is contained.”

Heather sank back down in the water, mortification heating her face.

“What the hell happened?” one of the first to arrive asked, but the question was echoed by the others’ expressions. He was tall and heavily tattooed with massive shoulders yet narrow hips. With his hair pulled back into a thick blond braid and aggression sparking in his pale-blue eyes, he looked ready for battle.

“I have no idea.” Jake raked his hair back from his face with one hand and motioned toward Natasha with the other. “Her bullet zinged past my head so I leapt out of the hot tub and—”

“She missed?” the same man asked, his disbelief obvious. “Natasha never misses.”

“It was as if something was controlling her. Her eyes glowed and her face kept…rolling under her skin.”

“If someone took control of her, you’re not safe here,” the blond concluded.

“I agree. Sweep the area. See if you can find any sign of an intruder. I’ll let you know once I’ve figured out where we’re going.”

“‘We’re’?” The guard glanced at Heather, not bothering to hide his hostility. “You’ll be safer if you send the wolf home.”

“I don’t care. She’s coming with me.”

“But she’s—”

Jake cut him off with a glower. “Move out.”

“Yes, sir,” the mouthy cat muttered then motioned for the others to follow him.

Heather was glad for Jake’s stubbornness but an unexpected pain tore through her heart. For a few blissful hours she’d allowed herself to imagine that cats were less bigoted than dogs.





Chapter Six




Jake adjusted his hands on the steering wheel of the Honda and did his best to relax the muscles in his neck and shoulders. Knowing the popular sedan would be less conspicuous than his Ferrari, he’d stopped by the tavern and switched vehicles with Enya. Heather had barely spoken since they left Aspen over two hours before. She’d packed her things without argument and didn’t ask where they were going.

“You okay?” He finally broke the silence as they approached the Eisenhower Tunnel.

“I remember the first time I went through this thing.” Her voice was soft and sad. “I must have been about five. Bruce said it was bad luck to take a breath while I was in a tunnel. It was a game we used to play. Hold your breath in tunnels. Lift your feet when you pass over railroad tracks. That sort of thing.”

Jake glanced at her but she was staring straight ahead. “How far did you make it?”

“Not far.” Her smile was nearly as sad as her tone. “I had no idea the crazy thing spanned the Great Divide.”

“He was your brother. It’s natural that you miss him.” Jake hadn’t known Bruce well. Still, if half of his reputation were true, he was one mean son of a bitch. It was hard to picture him teasing his kid sister.

She sighed and turned her head toward him. “Your guard was right. You’d be safer if you dumped me.”

“Which one of your father’s pack can take control of someone else?” He ventured another glance and found her studying him.

“I’ve never heard of a Therian wolf that can play puppet master.”

“Then what makes you think what happened with Natasha has anything to do with you?”

That seemed to calm her somewhat. Her expression relaxed and the sadness left her gaze. “Where did your people take Natasha?”

“Somewhere safe.” It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her with the location. He didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about. She had more than enough on her plate already. But her curious nature wouldn’t cooperate with his good intentions.