blood 03 - blood chosen by Tamara Rose Blodgett Read Free Book Online Page B

one to the other of them.
    “Karl Truman walked onto land owned by the Southeastern Pack and the decision...”
    “Bad decision,” Adi interjected.
    “Perhaps...” Lawrence agreed as his eyes slid from Adi's and back to rest on Cynthia. He continued, “At any rate, the decision was made to turn Truman.”
    “Why?” Cynthia mourned, her palm sweeping Truman. “He was human before... living his life. Werewolves are nothing but a pack of sadistic manipulators with fur.” She turned to Adi. “There's some exceptions.”
    Adi huffed, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, no offense or anything.”
    “David of the Southeastern didn't realize the wound would not be a killing one. He thought he was defending his den from an astute interloper.”
    Cynthia looked at him. “So...” she began slowly, tapping her bottom lip with her damaged nail, “David, the wolf-whatever, was just gonna do his ass—a cop,” she gave him narrow accusatory eyes, “then, he surprised everyone by turning.”
    There were embarrassed looks between Alan and Lawrence but surprisingly, it was Truman who spoke, “I'm glad they did it. For the first time... I feel right in my own skin.”
    Cynthia threw up her hands. “When ya have it!” Her eyes were fierce when she met Truman's. “Now you have to follow their weird pack law and crap. This entire supernatural thing blows.” Cynthia ignored Adi snickering in the background.
    “I think we're way off task here,” Slash interrupted, having quietly turned into his human form. Cynthia was glad to see him, scarred scary face or not, ginormous presence or not: when things had gotten hot as they went to Julia, he'd protected her. “Alan and myself are on loan from the Southeastern for the express task of guarding Cynthia. And now, part of that might loop to Adrianna's protection as well.”
    Adi grunted in displeasure.
    “Because of Laurent?” Truman said, making the same intuitive leap of logic as a Were that he would've made as a cop. In his heart, he was still a digger. A digger of clues, one of truths as well. God, he'd kill to have a cig. Of course, that could all change... he'd only had hours to acclimate to what he was. It was weird how natural he felt now. Like his other, human form had been a costume and this was his real self.
    “Yes,” Slash replied. His eyes moved to Cynthia. “Tell us,” he commanded of her, “and leave nothing out.”
    Her eyes swept to Truman, then Adi... then finally they landed on Slash.
    Cynthia told him. How Tony had brazenly taken both women from the semi-safety of the Region One Singer compound, then their luck had allowed them to slip out from underneath him—literally. Jacqueline had tried to cripple Adi, Cynthia had healed her... then while the two enemies had gone after each other, they'd escaped the noose entirely.
    There was a weighty silence that Slash broke, “Sloppy,” he remarked. This was his area: strategy. Jacqueline might have been accustomed to sitting behind her gilded desk, as leader of Region Two, and merrily delegating her nefarious deeds to her underlings. But when faced with an unpredictable Were of criminal motivation... she had met her match. As vile as Tony was, he was a welcome distraction at just the time they'd needed it.
    “What?” Cynthia asked. “Are you kidding me? That's all you have to say...? Gawd!”
    Slash's lips twitched. Willful thing. “I missed you being taken, that fault will always remain with me. However,” he paused and she looked back at him, the scar bisecting the ink of his brow as he cocked it, “I was charged with your protection and was almost upon your position when I picked it up elsewhere... with them.” It was a speech for Slash, though Cynthia didn't know how truly reticent he was.
    Cynthia crossed her arms as Adi came to stand beside her. “Cyn... normally, I love an alpha male ball bust...” Cyn's brows rose and Adi nodded her head. “Truly... however, these guys... I can vouch for them.” Her