Hunted by Ellie Ferguson Read Free Book Online Page A

last night, my pulse had quickened and it had been all I could do to keep from reaching for him. It wasn’t exactly that I wanted to throw him down on the floor and make love to him--although I’m not sure I’d have objected if he’d suggested it. There had been a need, that was the only way to describe it, to touch him, to be in contact with him. The fact that my jaguar responded as well told me it was more than just physical attraction. If that had been all, it wouldn’t have bothered me on so many different levels, not all of them bad.
    For the record, I’m a fairly normal, healthy young woman. Even though I’ve been on the run for years and have done my best not to form attachments, I haven’t been celibate. I’ve been attracted to men before but never like this. Never had my jaguar responded to anyone on this level and that frightened me a little.
    Okay, it frightened me a lot.
    But it also helped me form a plan. Or the start of a plan. Hopefully one that would finally get Michael to leave me alone.
    If I managed to screw up enough courage to talk to Matt about it.
    One thing was sure. Nothing would be accomplished by staying hidden in the bedroom.
    Ten minutes later, freshly showered and wrapped in the robe Stefan had given me the day before, I made my way to the kitchen. Early as it was, there could be no mistaking the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Thank God. The world would look a whole lot better after I’d had at least a mug to kick-start my system.
    Sitting at the table, hands wrapped around a mug, looking about as perky as I felt was Sharon. Dressed in a faded pair of black sweat pants and tank top, hair mussed, there was no mistaking the fact she was as much a night owl as I was. Most of our kind were. Mornings were an anathema we had to live with but we didn’t have to like them.
    “Morning.” I moved to the cabinets and began opening them in search of a mug. Hell, I’d settle for a glass, even a bowl, anything that would hold coffee. Fortunately, I found a mug first.
    “Morning.” Sharon looked up, pushing back a lock of hair that had fallen across her brow. “You look better, tired but better.”
    “Thanks.” I slid onto the chair opposite her. “I didn’t expect to find you here this morning.” Smooth, Finn .  
    Fortunately, Sharon smiled. “Matt asked me to stay. He had an early meeting this morning and wanted to meet with Danny beforehand.”
    Concern flared. “Has something happened?”
    “No. He’s just covering all the bases. You’ll learn that my big brother takes his duties as alpha very seriously.” She studied me as she took a sip of coffee. Then she reached out, her right hand pushing the left sleeve of my robe up past my elbow. “Finn?”
    I didn’t need her to voice her unspoken question. Not when she laid her hand, palm up, next to mine. There on the inside of her forearm was the tattoo of a mountain lion. Most people seeing it would only see a beautiful tattoo, something that truly rated the title “body art”. But I saw the clan markings in the background. The totem and iconography marked her as a member of the Dallas pride and Texas clan. Every member of the clan would have a tattoo with similar markings. It might not be as large and it might not have the same animal, but the totem and iconography would be there, either on the forearm or bicep or shoulder.
    “I left the clan before I received my markings. My parents hadn’t had them done because they wanted me to have the freedom to decide if I wanted to stay with the clan when I reached my majority or go to another. After I ran away, there was no clan or even a pride I could claim.”
    Sharon’s hand closed over mine and sympathy was reflected in her eyes. “Damn it, Finn, you’ve been alone too long.”
    I swallowed hard against the sudden lump in my throat. Maybe she was right. But I’d had no choice. Young as I’d been, I’d known I had to get away from Michael. Even before that terrible day when