Page 9 of Finding His Way

Running from or fighting this man would be pointless. He was more than just a predatory man.

He was a shifter.

Before finding out one of her besties was one, she had no clue of this other world in which men and women could—and did—shift into animals as well as have their traits while in human form. It had taken her a while to come to grips with it, but Selena Rowe was one of her ride and dies, so it didn’t matter what the hell she was. Dianna loved her and would always defend and protect her best of her ability.

Since she’d learned about those inhabiting the world as shifters and had met her fair share, she’d begun to learn how they moved, looked, acted. While human, they were, quite simply,more. And this man had that. The power emanating from him. The coiled strength. But not a cat, her brain told her. His moves were a bit different than the feline shifters she knew.

Of course that took her mind down another road. One she didn’t need to head along this moment. Her one night stand with a feline shifter. Hot as fuck and man did he twist her inside out. She’d barely had the energy to crawl away from him in the morning he’d wrung her out so thoroughly. Jeremy Ruscino.

A full body tremble at his memory. The scruff on his face, tan skin, short black hair and incredible hands, tongue, dick. Fucking sucked, her body and hormones didn’t care in the slightest what her precarious situation was or where she was located. She thought of Jeremy and her body softened, grew slick. Needy.

The man slowed and cut his gaze over her, nostrils flaring wide.

Shit. Shifters and their goddamn sense of smell.

She held his gaze, not acting as if she knew he could scent her arousal. As far as she knew, he didn’t know, that she knew what he was. Definitely going to make escaping all that more difficult.

I’m not a fucking quitter. I’ll find a way out or die trying.

He crouched down. Dianna recognized the tactic. Putting him more on level with her. Almost making him appear human.

Man, did she know better.

This man was the furthest thing from human. Stone cold killer. Shifters, she’d come to learn, played by an entirely different set of rules that weaker humans had in place. Even the worst human paled in comparison to the darkness that some shifters could bring into the world. And that was saying something for her—a detective in Miami Florida—to say. She’d seen more than her share of heinous shit in her time wearing the badge. Hell, prior to that but especially once she’d put it on.

“Perhaps you know who I am?”

Smooth, cultured voice that sent not fully unpleasant shivers along her spine. Hair on the nape of her neck standing in warning, she shook her head.

“Been a bit occupied, what being held captive and all.” She took a deep breath, refusing to be intimidated even though, were she honest with herself, she acknowledged she should—and would—be shaking in her boots.

His eyes changed, glinting as if she watched a wild animal at night with light hitting their gaze. The only reason she didn’t piss herself was she’d been around shifters before and had seen them intimidate and try to intimidate before. Herself included.

Dianna wasn’t a shrinking violet nor did she let bullies get a leg up on her. She despised them, had since foster care.

“Am I supposed to guess your name?”

His smile screamed predator. She watched his canines elongate and again, knew he was expecting a response from her.

“No? Okay.”

She settled back against the wall and closed her eyes. After all, if she was going to die, why watch it coming.

“I am not used to you Americans being so cavalier with your lives. The ones I know would be whining and crying. Not to mention begging for their lives.”

She opened her eyes again. “Can’t imagine begging would sway you in the least.”

His grin, wide and open, showed her the charming side of shifters. The ones who could lure almost anyone in close enough. Although, to be fair, with shifters, close enough took on a whole new meaning.

“That is true. Although, I don’t mind the trying. I get sex this way.”

“Something else I see you have no trouble getting.”

He leaned a bit closer, bringing with him the scent of fresh snow and pine. “Are you flirting with me, Detective?”

She didn’t bother lying, fully conscientious they could scent lies. “No.”

“You don’t have a lot of friends, do you.”

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