B005EMAYWS EBOK Read Free Page A

known her?” Penny asked.
    Anton had forgotten all about the woman. He looked over at her, shocked to see her still sitting at the bar. Summer’s friend was not unattractive, but she seemed a little too overdone. Her short bleach-blond hair was worn in a wild array of sharp spikes. Her lips painted a deep red and covered with shiny gloss. Penny’s blue eyes were almost obscured by the dark shadow and liner she wore. Her black dress was much shorter than the dress Summer had been wearing.
    Anton had been so busy sizing the woman up that he had forgotten to answer her. She was staring at him as if he were the most bizarre person she’d ever met.
    “Since she was a child,” he finally answered.
    “So I take it you’re not an old flame?”
    “No.” Anton shook his head. “Why … does she have many of them?”
    Penny’s laughter reminded him of tinkling chimes. “Oh Summer has broken a few hearts.”
    “I don’t doubt that,” he smiled.
    Penny moved to the barstool that Summer had occupied. “So are you in the mood for some company?”
    She was coming on to him strong, and his male instincts didn’t miss it. Anton’s eyes roamed over the woman’s curvy body and immediately his thoughts went to how it felt to have Summer in his arms while they danced.
    “I’m fine,” he told her, looking away. He didn’t like where his thoughts were leading him at the moment.
    It had been a while since he’d enjoyed the feel of a woman’s body against his bare skin. Since Lex was no longer the leader of the Zen, he was now free to enjoy the company of a human female. But he’d done so only on rare occasions, and then only when he’d gone a very long time without indulging his needs.
    Some did it often, but Anton always felt a little as if he were taking advantage of them - taking from them without being able to give back. Though Lex’s mandate about mating with the human female had been eradicated, the Zen still could not marry or take a life mate.
    Tonight was one of those times when the longing to feel a woman’s flesh was nearly strong enough to override his morals. The problem was that when he thought of indulging his need, it was Summer’s face he saw.
    Again he slammed the door on the thought and changed the subject. “What was wrong with Summer tonight?” he asked Penny.
    Penny blushed. It was apparent that she’d completely forgotten about her friend. “I don’t know. She is acting odd.”
    Anton thought that Summer had acted more than just a little peculiar. She’d acted like she was frightened out of her wits.
    Something was wrong!
    * * *
    The bright and colorful lights that illuminated the exterior of the casino helped to light her way as she searched for her car in the crowded parking lot. There were hundreds of cars, but there wasn’t another soul in sight. The sound of her heels of her shoes tapping against the blacktop was loud - echoing through the silent jungle of automobiles. She couldn’t remember where she’d parked, but she knew it hadn’t been too far from the entrance.
    Out of the corner of her eye she caught the fleeting movement of shadow. She stopped in her tracks, waiting to catch another glimpse. Though she could not take the form of the wolf, she still had the wolf’s blood and she could sense danger.
    She was being hunted, but by who or what? No human could move that fast.
    A shiver ran down her spine, but she forced herself to move forward. Summer wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.
    Finally she spotted her small red sports car a few rows back from the building. She quickly walked in that direction. Her hands still shaking, she fumbled with the remote to unlock the doors. Once inside, Summer hit the lock button on the door before digging into her handbag for her mobile phone. Her hands were shaking so badly that she had trouble hitting the right buttons, but she finally managed to press the speed dial button for Sanders.
    “Doctor Saunders … this is Summer