Into the Light by Tami Lund Read Free Book Online

soon as you are regenerated or whatever the hell you call it, we need to get out of here.”
    Olivia could feel her body soaking up the magical energy of the sun. It was akin to a dried-out sponge soaking in water. Unfortunately, it was a much longer process for her to feel saturated again. Especially given the weak sunlight she had to work with.
    “I need a few hours,” she said. That would hardly be sufficient, but she did not want to waste any more time than she had to. She needed to escape from these shifters and get back to Cici.
    “Food would speed along the process,” she thought to add. Might as well see how hospitable they were willing to be.
    Tanner looked as if he was struggling with some sort of internal decision, but then he pursed his lips and turned and strode from the room. Olivia found herself staring at an ass that made her appreciate the jeans he wore far more than the standard cotton or wool pants that the men of the coterie generally wore.
    As soon as he pulled the door closed, Olivia pushed into a seated position. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and then sat there for a moment, soaking up a little more sunshine. She was not even remotely regenerated, but she was smart enough to seize an opportunity when one presented itself.
    She was tugging at the windowsill when Tanner walked back into the room. In the blink of an eye, he was across the room, pulling her away from the window. Magic flared between them when he touched her. She was so surprised, she did not even resist as he led her back to the bed and none-too-gently pushed her down onto it. She looked down at her arm, where his hand had been wrapped a moment ago.
    “Must be something between shifters and lightbearers,” he said, as if he knew what she was thinking.
    But she hadn’t felt that strange flare of magic when any of the other shifters touched her. She decided to keep that bit of information to herself, until she understood precisely what it meant.
    “What the hell were you doing?” Tanner demanded, anger flashing in his eyes.
    “Trying to escape,” Olivia said defiantly.
    He narrowed eyes that were so pale, they appeared translucent. “How many times do I have to tell you—I’m not the enemy here.” He jabbed his finger at the window. “We’re on the side of a mountain. The only civilization for miles is a pack of shifters. Quentin’s shifters. And just so you’re clear, I doubt very much that I’d be able to rescue you from my father a second time.”
    He shook his head, clearly disgusted. Olivia’s hackles rose. She stood up and smoothed the front of her wrinkled and torn dress. Normally, she would use a burst of magic to set it to rights, but at the moment, she had precious little magic to spare. Tanner shifted his stance so that he stood between her and the door.
    “Food,” she said, waving at the plate he’d set on the dresser when he entered the room. “I am hungry.”
    He let her walk over to the dresser. She could feel his eyes on her, watching her, studying her. Like a predator . She flushed when she realized that the idea of being Tanner’s prey was more enticing than it was frightening. What in the name of the fates was wrong with her?
    The meal was heavy on meat and utterly lacking in vegetables, but Olivia decided that was okay because the protein would give her added strength.
    “What is your intention?” she asked as she ate.
    “To get you the hell away from here, as soon as possible. Besides the fact that they want to kill you, I don’t like putting Freddy and Lisa in danger either. If Quentin figures out they’ve been hiding us, they’ll be punished.”
    Olivia was fascinated by the look of guilt that swept across his face. She hadn’t quite expected to see that sort of emotion in a shifter. Even this one.
    “Lisa is Freddy’s mate?” she guessed, recalling, only vaguely, that a woman’s voice had instructed another to get her into the SUV , when she’d collapsed on the back