Therian Prize(51)

“Wonderful.” Heather crossed her arms over her chest and used anger to drive back her fear. “As if Therians and humans weren’t enough, now demons are after me too?”

“It’s just a possibility.” Erin’s smile was obviously meant to be encouraging but Heather wasn’t buying it.

“How do I fight off a demon?”

“I’m not an expert on evil spirits. I’ll have to do some more research.”

“If I take the formula and start collecting animal natures does all of this go away?”

Erin and Jake looked at each other, both clearly conflicted about what they should say.

This was the last straw. She would not be a helpless victim, regardless of the potential threat. The only way to protect herself was to unleash her Therian abilities. And if one animal nature would give her power, why not absorb two or three? “Set me up with Devon’s doctor.”

“You have an appointment at nine thirty tomorrow morning,” Jake informed. “I called while you two were talking.”

Erin crossed to Heather and took hold of both her hands. “Paul can give you everything you need to make an informed decision, so don’t make up your mind until you have all the facts. We can protect you until you decide what you want to do.”

“Now that we know it’s not just wolf hunters,” Jake interjected, “we’ll be a lot more careful.”

She nodded but found little comfort in the promise. She’d be a veritable prisoner until she was defined. Even if she decided against the formula, she couldn’t venture out until her latent abilities had been released.

“We’ve clearly upset you and that wasn’t my intention.” Erin squeezed Heather’s hands and then let go. “You’re among friends. We’ll help you through this and see you settled in a new life. You have my personal guarantee.”

Joy and sorrow twisted inside Heather. It was exhilarating to realize she wasn’t alone yet depressing as hell to admit the opportunity had come from cats. “Thank you.” She didn’t want to seem ungracious but she really wanted to sneak away somewhere and cry. “You’ve both been unbelievably generous.”

Erin gave her a quick hug and then departed.

“Are you hungry?” Jake asked before the silence could take over. “I whipped up a chicken stir-fry. The veggies were frozen, not fresh, but it was the best I could do with what was on hand.”

“Do you always do what Erin tells you to?”

He laughed. “Most people do. She’s too damn likable to disappoint.”

“Can likability be a form of compulsion? Maybe she’s really a Svengali.”

With another deep chuckle he motioned her from the room. “If she orders me to kill someone, you will stop me. Won’t you?”

“Of course.” She followed him down the narrow hallway and into the country kitchen at the back of the house. The appliances and cupboards were arranged in a wide U at one end. The eating area dominated the other. “What time is it?” Ruffled curtains framed the window above the sink but she could see nothing beyond the glass.

“Almost nine. You were sound asleep so I just kept driving.”

“We didn’t go to bed until dawn and woke up late in the afternoon. I am so disorientated.”

He laughed. “Don’t you work at a bar? This schedule is normal for me.”

“I try to avoid the Clubhouse when it’s in full swing, so I do my work before it opens.” He’d set the table for two, not three, she noticed as he pulled out one of the chairs for her.

“Is it as wild as I’ve heard?” He walked to the stove and picked up a large wok, jeans accenting his tight, round ass. There was nothing sexier than a gorgeous man who knew his way around the kitchen. Heather fought back a guilty smile. She’d thought Jake was sexy long before she knew he could cook.

Wait, he’d asked a question. She’d better answer quickly or he’d wonder what distracted her. And she wasn’t quite ready to admit that she’d been staring at his amazing ass. “The Clubhouse is a dive where wolves go to misbehave. Father insists it’s safer to provide for their needs rather than continually cleaning up their messes.”

“You don’t agree?”

“I think a lot of what goes on at the Clubhouse is unnecessary. Period. Even wolves can be taught how to behave.”

He set the wok down in the middle of the table then took the chair across from her. “What did you and Erin talk about?” He placed a generous mound of the stir-fry on each of their plates as he waited for her answer.

“Rebel stuff, mostly. She admitted that she’s the head troublemaker, but what drew you to the cause?” She picked up her fork and took a bite. Even with frozen vegetables, the dish tasted fresh and flavorful.