The Soul's Mark: HUNTED Read Free

girls into giggling fools.  Despite her best efforts, she was not immune to his charm.  His leafy-green hair was dripping wet, and the drops beaded on his chest.  His vibrant green eyes twinkled with mischief.
    Eric plopped down beside her and sprawled out on the dampened lawn, stirring up the sweet scent of fresh-cut grass.  His grin spread even wider, and he chuckled.  “Better not stare at me like that, Millie.  Mitch could be watching.”  He said it jokingly, but there was something in his voice that sounded strained, and Amelia was sure there was a hint of longing that she forced herself to ignore.
    Things weren't easy between them.  Not since their little kiss.  The kiss still lingered in her mind, popping up occasionally.  His sweet and soft, moist lips.  His musky scent.  Stop it! Amelia scolded herself silently.  For the life of her, she couldn’t understand why the memory was still so vivid.  From what she had read and been told about the soulmate bond, she knew she shouldn’t even be able think about anyone other than Mitch, especially since he had bitten her, strengthening their link and claiming her as his mate.  But there was just something about Eric that made her tingle all over.
    Amelia swallowed hard and tried to tell herself it was okay to admire, because Eric was so oh-my-God hot, and she would have to be a complete freak not to notice.  As long as it didn't go any further than that, it was fine, right?  She gave herself a shake and then grinned at him.  “Didn’t you have a date?”
    Eric’s gentle gaze turned into a fierce glare.  “Don’t change the subject.  Where’s Mitch?”
    Amelia tried to glare back at him, but it was useless.  Eric always seemed to know when something was up with her, and it was hard to resist opening up to him.  He was exactly that kind of guy.  The kind of guy you just wanted to spill all your secrets to.  “Don’t know.  He just took off,” she huffed, annoyed that she sounded so whiny.
    “What?”  He looked genuinely surprised; his eyebrows lifted so high that it looked as if they were about to jump right off his face.  “You and Mitch have been getting along great since you got back from the lake.  He even moved into your room.  What’s up?”
    “I don’t know, Eric,” Amelia snapped and shifted her gaze back to the water.  She swished her feet violently, sending out waves of ripples.  The water sloshed up her legs, leaving puddles all the way up to her thighs.  “And he may have moved into my room, but he set up a cot.  He won’t touch me,” she said, glancing at him with a quick look.  She felt a hot and rosy blush creeping all the way up her neck, settling onto her cheeks.  She wasn’t sure why she had told him, but man it felt good to get rid of some of her frustration.
    The good feeling vanished far too fast.  Eric laughed and then coughed over it, trying to cover it up.  “Damn girl, you’re kidding me, right?”
    Amelia bristled.  “Seriously, Eric, I don’t want to talk about my lack of a sex life with you.  I don’t know why I even said it.”
    He tossed up his hands in surrender, and the laughter vanished.  “Whoa, sorry I asked.”
    Amelia flopped back onto the grass, keeping her feet in the water and groaned.  “What about you?  You had that hot date tonight.”
    “Yeah, I canceled it.”
    Amelia tilted her head towards him and raised a questioning brow.  “Why?”
    They locked eyes for an uncomfortable minute, and Amelia wished she understood the feelings she had for him.  It was a jumbled mess of emotions—not a single one made any sense.  She wondered if she had met Mitchell first, if he had been the one to greet her, would she even notice Eric now.  Probably .  There was just something between her and Eric.  A fierce spark.  And the weirdest part about it was that every now and then, she felt as strongly for Eric as she did for Mitchell—as if she was bonded to both.
    But