CHAPTER ONE
Daniel Borowski stared through the darkness at the sleek black Jaguar parked in front of an isolated home at the edge of the park. The bastard with Sarah sat sideways, his profile visible through the back window. Daniel had no trouble discerning Bradley Williams’ dark blond hair and blue eyes, even in the dark. Tiger-shifter eyesight was handy that way. He only saw the back of Sarah Chu’s head, but he knew it was her.
He’d know Sarah anywhere.
His lip curled as he watched the two. Bradley was the kind of slick, rich asshole who always set Daniel’s teeth on edge, but this man’s pretty boy exterior hid a murdering evil that sent Daniel’s instincts into overdrive. Especially when the bastard was sitting next to Sarah.
Daniel dug his fingers into the bark of a fallen tree in front of him, trying to rein in his anger.
“You’re sure you don’t need help?” Alexis Tarasova asked from beside him.
He kept his gaze on the car, swallowing a growl as Bradley touched Sarah’s cheek.
“I’ll be fine,” he answered in a tight murmur, hoping his mentor wouldn’t pick up on the rage he heard in his own voice. Alexis might have been retired for ten years, but she was still one of the best Trackers he’d ever known. He was a better Tracker for her training. Sometimes, though, her perception was inconvenient. Right now, he needed her to concentrate on her part of this situation, not his straining control. “It’ll take both of you to keep Joseph away.”
He glanced at her, taking in her focused stare. Beside her, her husband Victor Romanov waited so silently Daniel might have forgotten he was there, if he couldn’t sense him.
To the west, not far from their position in the trees surrounding the front of the house, Daniel also sensed Joseph Bennett in his tiger form, waiting for his chance at revenge against the man who’d killed his sister. Joseph was so full of rage he wasn’t thinking straight.
Neither was Sarah.
Daniel looked back to the car in time to see the bastard lean toward Sarah and say something close to her ear. Daniel snarled.
Alexis nudged his arm. “Victor can handle Joseph if you need me. The point is not to kill the human.”
“I haven’t forgotten why we’re here.”
“You sure? Because you’re stripping bark off that log.”
Daniel scowled down at his hand. His fingers were buried in the thick bark. Fuck. If he couldn’t calm his temper, he would ruin everything. He was a Tracker. He should be able to control himself.
For Sarah’s sake, he had to control himself.
“I’ll be fine. Just make sure Joseph doesn’t get anywhere near that man. You have a place to…hold him until he’s thinking straight again?”
Alexis signed something to her husband, who signed back. Daniel didn’t understand sign language so he waited for Alexis to finish.
“We’ll take him to Victor’s retreat near the Canadian border. That should be far enough from Philly to keep him out of trouble.”
Alexis narrowed her eyes and her mouth tightened. The reaction was telling.
“You don’t think he’ll calm down, do you?” Daniel asked, facing the car again.
“Would you if Williams had murdered your sister?”
“No.” He’d want to rip out the man’s throat and drink his blood. He was already itching to tear him to pieces, and that was just for touching Sarah. He could only imagine what Joseph felt.
Or Sarah for that matter. Su-jin had been her best friend. Sarah’s rage and need for revenge no doubt matched Joseph’s—strong enough for her to risk her own life.
Among their people, killing a human being, especially in tiger form, was an automatic death sentence. There had been a few exceptions over the years, but that was before forensic science had improved so significantly.
There would be no leniency for Joseph, even given the circumstances. Killing a human risked exposing them all to the human world. Their people were already on the brink of extinction and desperately struggling to survive. They couldn’t afford for the general human population to learn that tiger shapeshifters existed.
Sarah might not be put to death because she was a rare female tiger, but she would be caged for life if she went through with this. Daniel couldn’t allow that. He loved her too much to let her to throw her life away.
“He’s getting closer,” Daniel said, jerking his head in the direction of Joseph’s approach.
A soft growl carried through the dense woods, quiet enough only the tigers would be able to hear it. The enraged tiger knew they were there to stop him and he was warning them off.
Alexis glanced at Victor, then back at Daniel. “Good luck. Keep her safe.”
Daniel nodded and watched as she and Victor slipped into the darkness under the trees. As they disappeared, he glimpsed Victor begin to disrobe. He would shift into his tiger shape while Alexis stayed in human form. Between them, they’d be able to handle Joseph, no matter how angry the man was. At least Daniel hoped so. As a former Tracker, Alexis had handled worse. But Joseph was Victor’s best friend. They’d try not to hurt him.
Daniel focused on the car again. Joseph was their responsibility. He had to trust Alexis and Victor to do their part. His job right now was to get Sarah out of this, unharmed. And to avoid killing the bastard with her.
He pulled in a deep breath, letting the warm, humid summer air clear his head. The scent of beech, oak, fresh cut grass, and soil settled him. He waited and listened to the others as they closed with Joseph. Then he rose from his hiding spot beside the drive and approached the car on Sarah’s side. The gravel covered driveway barely crunched under his light footsteps.
He snatched open Sarah’s door before Williams realized Daniel was there. Sarah, on the other hand, glared up at him. He knew she’d felt him approach. Hell, she’d known he was in the trees.
For a split second, the dark power of her gaze stilled him. Even angry, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. Black straight hair hung over her shoulders. The car’s interior light threw shadows across her sharp features, highlighting high cheekbones and the beautiful tilt of her dark brown eyes. Without thought, his gaze dropped to her mouth—those full lips had always captivated him. Right now, they were pressed tight together, and her jaw was clenched.
He blinked and forced himself to remember why he was here.
***
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