Therian Prize: 5 (Therian Heat) Read Online Free

uninvited guest. She was female, he quickly determined, young and naked . Had someone dumped her here? Sexual abuse was far too prevalent even in— Or was she Therian?
    Dreading what he expected to find, he eased his hand beneath her tangled hair and searched for the pulse on the side of her neck. “She’s alive.” He leaned in and inhaled deeply. “She’s Therian.”
    Enya rushed forward and handed him a blanket. “Is she wounded? Shot? What’s wrong with her?”
    Conventional wisdom dictated that he leave her as is and call an ambulance. But she wasn’t human so conventional wisdom didn’t apply. He looked her over, trying to discover the source of her unconsciousness, but there were no obvious wounds or visible clues.
    He brushed the hair back from her face and cursed under his breath. “This is Heather Fitzroy.” It didn’t matter how she’d ended up here, they were screwed.
    In an instant Enya’s concern evaporated. She tensed and folded her arms. “What’s a wolf doing in cat territory?” He understood her sudden chill. She had good reason to mistrust wolf-shifters but he didn’t share her resentment of all things wolf.
    “I’m not sure she knows where she is.” He draped the blanket over her naked body then lifted her into his arms. She felt tiny and chilled as he carried her toward the back door.
    “Wait. What are you doing?”
    “We can’t leave her out here.” Even knowing Enya’s history, he was shocked by her lack of compassion. Heather had nothing to do with what happened eight years ago.
    “Wrap her in the blanket and call her pack. I don’t want that in my house.”
    He tensed, annoyed by his sister’s stubbornness and concerned about the female in his arms. “She’s unconscious and desperate enough to try to hide behind a dumpster. Don’t you think we should find out why before we do anything else?”
    “Yeah, including bringing her inside.”
    He ignored her protestation and took his unmoving bundle inside the bar. Kelly stood at the far end of the storeroom, eyes wide and uncertain. “She’s alive, Kelly. You probably saved her life.” A faint smile curved her lips but she didn’t speak, so he turned toward the stairs.
    Enya caught his sleeve. “This is your bar, but that’s my home.”
    “I’ll take her to my house as soon as I get her stabilized. Now help me or get out of the way.” Heather was completely limp in his arms and the skin around her mouth was taking on a bluish cast. He’d thought the stench emanated from the dumpster but much of the unpleasantness lingered on her skin. “Where have you been?” he muttered as he started up the stairs.
    “Put her in the bathtub. She smells like a sewer.”
    He couldn’t argue with that. Besides, it was Enya’s furniture that would be soiled by Heather’s condition. He carried her into the hall bath and carefully placed her in the bathtub.
    Enya moved past him, folded the blanket back then turned on the water.
    What he suspected was cold water splashed across Heather’s feet and she moaned, shifting restlessly.
    “Come on, Heather,” Enya muttered. “You’re safe now. It’s all right to wake up.”
    He wasn’t sure if Enya had rediscovered her compassion or if she was simply anxious to be rid of her uninvited guest, but her tone was kind and her hands gentle as she took over Heather’s care.
    Jake watched Heather’s face, waiting for her eyes to open. Her head rolled from side to side and she kicked out weakly. Unfortunately her features remained blank, her eyes closed.
    “She needs energy and she really needs a bath. Go wait in the living room. I’ll see if I can wake her.”
    “Not a chance. She could turn feral or shift on you. I’ll stay back, but I stay here.”
    “Fine by me. I guess you’ve already seen her anyway.” She pulled the blanket off Heather and tossed it toward the hamper. “She’s going to require a prewash. Damn, this girl stinks.”
    Jake tried to keep his eyes on Heather’s