Read Online Therian Prize: 5 (Therian Heat) by Cyndi Friberg - Free Book Online
Authors: Cyndi Friberg
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start again in a few hours.”
Nate jerked his arm out of Braden’s grasp and took a step back. “She could be three states away by the time you wake up and her trail will be completely cold.”
“You said she hadn’t been defined. So how the hell did she shift?” Braden fired back.
The blond seemed interested in the answer but he’d eased back a few steps, taking him out of Nate’s reach.
“She did this once before.” Nate dismissed the issue with a wave of his hand. “It doesn’t mean she’s been defined.”
“Then what really happened the night Carlos died? You told everyone he turned feral after he defined her. If he never defined her, what made him attack?”
“I don’t know,” Nate snarled. “None of this helps you find her.”
“I want a mate defined with my own blood. If that ship sailed, I’m not interested in finding her.”
“There’s a seat on the Alpha Council for the man who claims her. Pass the word. I want this settled today,” Nate snapped, clearly agitated by the other man’s objections.
“You don’t have that authority! Alphas are chosen by their packs and only alphas can sit on the council.” Braden sounded as angry as Nate. And Lexxie wasn’t sure who to root for.
“I’m network Prime. I can do whatever the hell I want. If the rules don’t allow for what I have in mind, I’ll change the goddamn rules! If you don’t have the balls for this sort of thing, then withdraw.” Nate snarled again, the sound even more animalistic. “There are plenty of others willing to prove themselves.”
“There are others willing to use your daughter to secure honors they haven’t earned.”
They were toe-to-toe, shouting at each other. The blond man crept toward the vehicles. Apparently he’d lost interest in the conversation and the other two didn’t care enough to stop him.
For a long moment Nate and Braden just glared at each other. Lexxie thought the argument was over then Braden asked, “What’s this really about? Why are you so desperate to have Heather mated?”
Braden was right. Pride and anger explained Nate’s initial reaction, but offering to rewrite the network charter made him appear desperate and unstable.
Nate turned his head and looked at her. Guess he hadn’t forgotten her after all. Again she thought he wouldn’t answer. But a tense moment passed and then he turned back to Braden and explained, “Tonight gave people the wrong impression. I’m not trying to get rid of Heather. I’m trying to protect her.”
“Protect her from what?” Braden sounded skeptical and Lexxie was right there with him. How did offering Heather to the winner of a challenge protect her from anything?
“She’s in danger and the only thing that will make her safe again is if she’s securely bound to a Therian male.”
“That didn’t answer my question.” Braden crossed his arms over his chest, looking every bit as stubborn as Nate. It wasn’t surprising that Braden couldn’t be browbeaten by Nate. Braden’s pack was larger than Nate’s, though not nearly as affluent. Still, many thought Braden would make a better network Prime. Whispers had circulated for years hinting that Braden would challenge Nate, but to Lexxie’s knowledge the challenge hadn’t been issued yet. “Why is she in danger?”
Nate waved away the question. “The only person who needs to understand the details is her mate. Go find her and I’ll tell you everything.”
“Tell me everything and I’ll decide if she’s worth finding.”
“Hunt or don’t.” Nate shrugged but his eyes gleamed in the moonlight. “It’s your choice, but the details are for her mate.”
Without revealing if he would continue hunting or not, Braden walked to one of the remaining SUVs and climbed in. Nate watched him leave, gaze narrowed and hostile, then he shook his head and stalked over to where Lexxie stood.
“You know Heather better than anyone. What are the hunters missing? Where’d she
Nate jerked his arm out of Braden’s grasp and took a step back. “She could be three states away by the time you wake up and her trail will be completely cold.”
“You said she hadn’t been defined. So how the hell did she shift?” Braden fired back.
The blond seemed interested in the answer but he’d eased back a few steps, taking him out of Nate’s reach.
“She did this once before.” Nate dismissed the issue with a wave of his hand. “It doesn’t mean she’s been defined.”
“Then what really happened the night Carlos died? You told everyone he turned feral after he defined her. If he never defined her, what made him attack?”
“I don’t know,” Nate snarled. “None of this helps you find her.”
“I want a mate defined with my own blood. If that ship sailed, I’m not interested in finding her.”
“There’s a seat on the Alpha Council for the man who claims her. Pass the word. I want this settled today,” Nate snapped, clearly agitated by the other man’s objections.
“You don’t have that authority! Alphas are chosen by their packs and only alphas can sit on the council.” Braden sounded as angry as Nate. And Lexxie wasn’t sure who to root for.
“I’m network Prime. I can do whatever the hell I want. If the rules don’t allow for what I have in mind, I’ll change the goddamn rules! If you don’t have the balls for this sort of thing, then withdraw.” Nate snarled again, the sound even more animalistic. “There are plenty of others willing to prove themselves.”
“There are others willing to use your daughter to secure honors they haven’t earned.”
They were toe-to-toe, shouting at each other. The blond man crept toward the vehicles. Apparently he’d lost interest in the conversation and the other two didn’t care enough to stop him.
For a long moment Nate and Braden just glared at each other. Lexxie thought the argument was over then Braden asked, “What’s this really about? Why are you so desperate to have Heather mated?”
Braden was right. Pride and anger explained Nate’s initial reaction, but offering to rewrite the network charter made him appear desperate and unstable.
Nate turned his head and looked at her. Guess he hadn’t forgotten her after all. Again she thought he wouldn’t answer. But a tense moment passed and then he turned back to Braden and explained, “Tonight gave people the wrong impression. I’m not trying to get rid of Heather. I’m trying to protect her.”
“Protect her from what?” Braden sounded skeptical and Lexxie was right there with him. How did offering Heather to the winner of a challenge protect her from anything?
“She’s in danger and the only thing that will make her safe again is if she’s securely bound to a Therian male.”
“That didn’t answer my question.” Braden crossed his arms over his chest, looking every bit as stubborn as Nate. It wasn’t surprising that Braden couldn’t be browbeaten by Nate. Braden’s pack was larger than Nate’s, though not nearly as affluent. Still, many thought Braden would make a better network Prime. Whispers had circulated for years hinting that Braden would challenge Nate, but to Lexxie’s knowledge the challenge hadn’t been issued yet. “Why is she in danger?”
Nate waved away the question. “The only person who needs to understand the details is her mate. Go find her and I’ll tell you everything.”
“Tell me everything and I’ll decide if she’s worth finding.”
“Hunt or don’t.” Nate shrugged but his eyes gleamed in the moonlight. “It’s your choice, but the details are for her mate.”
Without revealing if he would continue hunting or not, Braden walked to one of the remaining SUVs and climbed in. Nate watched him leave, gaze narrowed and hostile, then he shook his head and stalked over to where Lexxie stood.
“You know Heather better than anyone. What are the hunters missing? Where’d she
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