Tempted Read Free

pasty-white skin.
    Shit. She was going into shock. “Now!”
    Her gaze darted to Max, but she didn’t move.
    Damn it. He lunged for her, picking her up and shoving her into the bathroom. Muttering about women who didn’t listen, he yanked the bed away from the wall to rest against the door. She wasn’t coming out, and nobody was going in. Of course, she’d head out the back window again. But the Kurjans didn’t know that.
    Pain ripped into his neck. A knife thrown—and thrown well. His fangs dropped low, and he hissed. He drew air through his nose, yanking the blade out of his jugular. Blood burned as it slid down his skin. He’d have to deal with these guys fast. Before he passed out.

Chapter 2
     
    S arah jumped out the window, running for the forest. She couldn’t go back for the truck—her only transportation. She’d seen a Kurjan. One of the monsters. They existed. She wasn’t crazy. She hoped she wasn’t crazy.
    Thunder ripped overhead. Rain soaked her in minutes as she ran between forbidding pine trees. An exposed root tripped her, and only raw terror kept her upright. Fleeing.
    Max had trapped her in the bathroom. So he could fight the other three Kurjans. She hoped he won. But no way would she wait around and see—and let either Max or the monsters take her.
    She kept running.
    So much for her plan to reach safety. She’d only made it to the center of Washington State, and was in a random forest. Did moss really grow on the north side of a tree? North was Canada. Maybe she could reach Canada.
    Minutes passed. She stopped, pressing her hands against her knees, sucking in air. She needed to keep moving.
    She hurried as long as she could, taking several breaks along the way and listening to the forest. Nobody followed her. The storm attacked the trees around her, their branches providing some cover. Soon, too tired to hustle, she began walking doggedly uphill through rough brush and wet trees, not even feeling the rain anymore. She’d gone from bone cold to numb. North. She was still going north—climbing a mountain.
    Two more hours passed and night fell like an ominous blanket. An earlier lightning strike had illuminated a forest service lookout tower up the mountain. It meant there had to be a town somewhere. Maybe on the other side of the mountain.
    Lightning crashed into the treetops. She shrieked, halting. Ozone filtered through the wet smell of pine. Shelter. She needed shelter. If she didn’t warm up, she wouldn’t be able to function at all. Taking a deep breath, she hustled the last mile to the tower. The worn wooden structure rose high into the air, no doubt providing an amazing view of the forest. She gazed up the steep flight of stairs. Towers had lightning rods, so she’d be safe inside to wait out the rest of the storm. At least, she’d read that somewhere.
    The rain-slicked steps tripped her several times, but she finally slipped over the top step and shoved open the door. Rain on the metal roof drowned out her sigh of relief. A lantern hung next to the door, and she twisted the knob to illuminate the small space.
    A cot sat against the far wall, and glassless windows lined all four sides, showcasing the fantastic greenery extending for miles and miles outside. Heavy eaves outside provided some protection from the whipping wind and rain. Laminated maps covered a table in the center of the room. Cabinets recessed into each wall. A phone and walkie-talkie set perched below the table ... but she had no one to call.
    Her legs shook from cold and fear as she staggered across the rough wooden floor and dropped onto the cot. Vibrations, images, and thoughts of people who’d sat there before bombarded her, and she shoved them away. She could handle her gift—she just needed to relax. Three deep breaths later, she tried to slow her racing pulse. She needed to warm up. Her shoulders shook so hard her teeth rattled.
    Someone knocked on the door.
    She leaped to her feet, sliding on the wood