“All right.” Erin didn’t release Heather’s hand as she’d expected. Erin’s fingers remained firm and warm, like a miniature hug around Heather’s hand. “Let’s talk about you. What do you want out of life?”
Heather released a nervous laugh and pulled her hand away. “You sound like Jake.”
Erin’s smile was gentle yet uncompromising. “Actually Jake sounds like me. The Prime Council likes to blame the male rebels but I’m the real troublemaker. Now answer the question.”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been allowed to think about myself. It was always what would please my father and benefit his pack.”
“You think of it as ‘his’ pack.” She paused until the implication sank in. “Doesn’t that say it all?”
Frustration and regret weighed Heather down. She’d known there would be no turning back when she ran away from the contest, but her heritage was harder to let go than she’d expected. “What do you want from me?”
“Nothing. I want to help you adjust to the concept of freedom, to understand that you have choices you’ve never considered before. There’s an entire world out there waiting to be explored. You can shape the future into anything you want.”
Heather couldn’t help but snicker. It was obvious Erin believed every word. Unfortunately Heather was a bit too practical to swallow the fantasy. “Without my pack, I have no support system. I have no money, no connections, no way to make a living.”
“With or without your pack, you’re still Therian. You belong to a wider community.” Erin crossed her legs, her foot bobbing with suppressed energy. “Why do you say you have no way to make a living? What did you do before?”
“I did accounting and inventory for my father’s bar.”
“Those are marketable skills. And if you want a completely different vocation, you are certainly young enough to start over.”
Heaving a sigh, Heather pushed to her feet and walked to the window. Darkness had fallen while she slept so there wasn’t much to see. “Why do you care? You don’t even know me.”
“It’s my lot in life to mother everyone.” Erin chuckled and stood as well. “Ask anyone. I’m a horrible busybody.”
Turning around, Heather leaned back against the windowsill and looked closely at Erin. “Devon wants me to take the formula so I can host more than one animal nature. You’re her mother so you’re likely more concerned about her safety than she is. Have there really been no side effects?”
“It’s Devon’s personality to face any challenge head-on. She was given the formula against her will, so she’s making the most of a dangerous situation. As of right now, the only side effect has been an increased libido. Dr. Garran is following her closely in case that changes.”
“If you were me, what would you do?”
Erin shook her head. “I’m not you. This is your decision and yours alone. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. There are significant risks whenever we screw with nature. Still, the benefits could be immeasurable.”
“Are you finished with your girl talk?” Jake asked from the archway leading to the central hall. “I’m actually the one who asked you here.”
Erin smiled and motioned him into the room. “Tell me exactly what happened with Natasha and I’ll see if it fits with what I’ve learned.”
Jake strolled into the room, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. He looked far too lethal to be doing something so utterly domestic. “I’d spoken to her not half an hour before and she seemed perfectly fine.”
“Did you speak face-to-face or telepathically?”
“Face-to-face.”
“Go on.”
Jake stood near the couch but remained on his feet. His gaze shifted between Erin and Heather. “Her shot barely missed my head, so I jumped out of the hot tub. We fought, briefly. In fact I shouldn’t have been able to take her down as easily as I did. I could see literal flames flickering within her eyes and her features were shifting beneath her skin as if she were trying to transform.”
Erin nodded as if she’d been expecting the details. “I’ve never heard of a Therian doing what you described, but there were several entries in the journal that documented similar incidents.”
“If it wasn’t a Therian, what was it?” Heather asked, moving away from the window.
“A demon.”
“Why would a demon want me dead?”
“To leave Heather unprotected.” Erin looked at Heather as she went on. “Power, even the potential for great power, has been known to draw all sorts of entities.”