Consumed (Dark Protectors) Read Free Page A

of being with Jordan open—to recapture her ability to shift.
    “Yet that didn’t happen, did it?”
    “No.” Instead, she’d been gifted with the ability to feel the monsters roaming around them ... to get into their heads and find the beasts. Those who had once been shifters and now were werewolves. Damn the Kurjans for creating the biological weapon. Of course, the bug only affected shifters, with their twenty-eight chromosomal pairs, and vampire mates, who had twenty-seven pairs. No one knew about witches. They protected their own, and no witch had been infected. Yet. Katie sighed. “I’m good at this, Jordan.”
    His lip twisted. “Which is why you’re going under the king’s protection. To safety.”
    More danger was coming? Fear slammed into her abdomen. Had he found out about her special project? The one monster she couldn’t quite catch? “We’ve pretty much eradicated werewolves in the south. What new danger?”
    Regret twisted his lips. “I’m sorry, Katie—the three wolves on the Bane’s Council have decided to consolidate—they want to return to taking care of all werewolf threats without the outlying squads.”
    “They can’t do that.”
    “The Council has dealt with all werewolf threats for eons by itself, and it can do as it chooses. All outlying squads are being decommissioned by the end of next month.”
    Something flickered in Jordan’s eyes. Was he lying?
    “There are still too many threats.” Katie took a deep breath. “The Bane’s Council of three wolves can’t cover the entire world anymore. Also, while I can’t shift, I can still sense the werewolves.” So far a unique gift ... just for her.
    Jordan scrubbed a hand over his face. “I wish the scientists would figure out why Maggie is the only infected female shifter able to shift. The rest of you ...”
    Yeah. The rest of them stayed in human form all the time. Feline, canine, or multi ... no females could shift after being infected with the virus. Only Maggie. “I guess it’s better than the alternative.” All the infected males shifted into werewolves—true animals, created to hunt and kill.
    “The members of the Bane’s Council are killers—that’s what they do.” Jordan’s voice softened. “I’ll give you the night to pack, Katie. Tomorrow morning we leave.”
    She frowned. For ten years she’d hunted monsters. She’d fought. Yet, here he stood, not seeing her. Just seeing the child of the past. Just one more reason why it was never going to happen between them.
    “My job is here.” There was no hiding for Katie Smith. She’d made a good life, one with purpose, and if she couldn’t have Jordan, she’d keep what she’d created. Besides, the monster she couldn’t catch kept getting stronger ... bolder. She had to take him down during the coming full moon. “I already told Janie Kayrs I wouldn’t make it to her sixteenth birthday party next week.” Katie’s refusal had nothing to do with wanting to avoid seeing Jordan at the party. She’d tried to convince herself the decade apart had lessened her feelings for the lion leader. Silly cougar—she shouldn’t lie to herself.
    “Janie will be relieved you’ve changed your mind.” His face hardened into something unrecognizable. A tension emanated from him, a vibration of energy. A new energy. “I’ll have movers get your furnishings—Dage and I’ve decided Maggie will be based out of Oregon as well.”
    “I don’t work for either you or Dage.” The jury was out on whether she worked for the Bane’s Council, actually. The council’s three wolves had spent lifetimes hunting down infected humans who became werewolves. While the poor human souls only lived a few months, they wreaked serious damage during that time. The council members hunted and destroyed them.
    Once Virus-27 created infected shifters, werewolves became a different species—one that lived forever as monsters. The council had needed help, thus creating the outlying squads.