Page 58 of Hunted

I had a headache, almost like the one I’m starting to get now.

The headache got worse the longer I strained to hear the neighbor.

My temples pound, and I wince but refuse to let go of that feeling. It’s almost like I can touch… something.

I just need to?—

Liquid drips onto my top lip.

Automatically, I lift my hand to swipe it away, and then I smell it.

Blood.

I wrench my eyes open, take in the blood on my hand and, for the longest time, I struggle to believe what I’m seeing.

My nose is bleeding, and I never have nosebleeds.

My head is pounding with the most intense headache I’ve ever had in my life when a man says, “I don’t know what you’re doing, but maybe you should stop.”

I tumble off the lounger and onto the grass as I twist to face the man standing feet away from me—far too close. I should have known he was there before now.

Fern and wild berries. His scent is undeniably shifter.

He takes a step closer, raising his hand. “Are you?—”

“Stay away!” I scramble to my feet as I back up. “Don’t touch me.”

The unfamiliar man with longish light brown hair and green eyes in blue jeans and a black sweater is young, maybe around my age, early to mid-twenties.

He retreats a half step, lowering his hand. “I won’t hurt you.”

I don’t believe him.

He’s a shifter, and the last time a male shifter stepped through that same gap in the trees at the bottom of the garden, it was Shane who’d come to Winter Lake to drag me back to a life I hadn’t wanted.

I still have the memory of Shane shoving me into his car and slamming the door shut before he even checked to make sure I had both legs in.

“Mack!” I bolt for the back door, ripping it open and practically falling inside as footsteps pound toward me.

Mack barely beats Bennett through the den doorway. His eyes skate over my face and body as if to check I’m okay.

His gaze lands on my bleeding nose, and his expression hardens. “What?—”

“Shifter,” I pant, swiping more blood from my dripping nose. “Bottom of the garden.”

Jeez, this is ridiculous. I literally took ten steps and I’m panting like I just ran a marathon.

Mack nudges me to one side. “Stay here, love.”

He charges out, closely followed by Bennett.

“Look, I didn’t mean to scare her, but I need your help.Please.”

I was not expecting that.

I was actually looking forward to the stairs if it meant I was safe, but that tone…

Now that I’m no longer terrified by the man who surprised me, I start paying attention to something I should have noticed before now.

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