Read Therian Prize: 5 (Therian Heat) for Free Online Page B

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?”
    “It wasn’t a conscious decision.” She sounded almost believable but she was still avoiding his gaze. “I found a trailer that reeked of horses and climbed in. When it stopped, I got out and started running again. I ran until I couldn’t run anymore and woke up in your sister’s bathtub.”
    Heather must have been terrified and desperate, but he wasn’t that easy to find. Aspen was filled with pubs and bars, restaurants and lounges. At some point Toulouse Tavern had become a conscious destination. Why was she so reluctant to admit the fact?
    “Twenty-four hours. You can crash at my place and I might even feed you, but you’re not staying more than one day.” He doubted that he’d enforce the limit. Still, he wanted the option in case she remained this secretive.
    She nodded in agreement and her eyes grew watery again. “Thank you.”
    He picked up the overnight