Read Online Hunted (Riley Cray) by A.J. Colby - Free Book Online Page A

light slanting in through the thin curtains. The first few golden tendrils of dawn crept across the other bed before landing on the man sleeping beside me, caressing his bare skin just as I had done the night before. His dark stubble shone red and gold where the sunlight touched him, revealing a small white scar on the underside of his chin.
    The jaunty tune rang out again, demanding attention, and promising nothing good at such an early hour. Finally stirring, Holbrook reached out, lifting the cell phone to his ear.
    “Agent Holbrook,” he answered, not at all sounding as though he had just been awoken from a dead sleep. It was a skill that I was instantly jealous of.
    Rather than listening to whoever was on the other end of the line I burrowed deeper into the curve of his arm, relishing the soft touch of his fingers trailing along my spine. I refused to let the outside world intrude on the small piece of normalcy I had managed to carve out for myself.
    Fate, it seemed, had other ideas.
    I was drifting on the edge of sleep when Holbrook tensed beside me, the sourness of anxiety overriding the sugary scent of his skin. His movements were stiff as he set the phone back on the bedside table with controlled gentleness.
    “Don’t say it,” I whispered.
    “Riley...”
    Dread settled as a cold weight in my stomach, my eyes warming with the threat of tears.
    “How many?”
    He didn’t answer at first, the tremors echoing through the mattress letting me know that he was wearily running a hand over his face.
    “How many?” I asked again.
    “Three,” he answered with a sigh, his voice tinged with remorse, and also something else I had hoped to never hear in his voice. Pity.
    Choking back the bitter anger that flared in my throat at the sound of it I said, “Tell me.” I barely recognized the roughness of my voice.
    “Riley...” The soul-deep weariness in his voice forced my eyes open.
    I sat up and angled my body to face him, giving little thought to my nakedness as the sheets piled in my lap. “Please Darius, I have to know.”
    Sighing, he sat up, scooting back to lean against the headboard, where sunlight angled across his bare chest. The tense muscles in his shoulders flexed as he ran a hand through his hair before slumping in resignation.
    “Three victims. A group of hunters in Rio Grande National Forest,” he said, watching me closely.
    Tears welled heavy and unbidden, stinging my eyes as I fought against the fear smothering the breath in my throat. Instead I focused on the anger that was blooming white hot in my chest.
    “There’s more. Riley, he–”
    “I need to get out,” I said, cutting him off.
    Throwing back the covers I rose from the bed to pace back forth in front of the TV. Loki watched me through slit eyes from his spot on the other bed, his violet eyes tracking my frantic footsteps.
    “I can’t stay here,” I muttered, more to myself than the room’s other occupants. Ignoring my lack of clothes I stalked towards the door.
    “Riley, wait,” he said, rising from the bed and quickly pulling on his Jockeys and jeans. “You can’t leave. It’s not safe.”
    “No, I need to get out. I can’t be here right now,” I panted as tremors rippled through my body. I could feel the wolf already rising, my anger and fear fueling her need to run free.
    “Don’t,” Holbrook pleaded, the sudden vulnerability in his voice making me pause with my hand on the door handle.
    Unable to meet his eyes I could only whisper, “I’m sorry.”
    Yanking the door open, I was momentarily blinded by the bright morning sun, and then I was running, the cold air rushing over me, whipping against my bare skin as the change came on, fast and full of ecstasy. I heard the sound of Holbrook’s bare feet slapping on the sidewalk as he tried to chase me, tried to draw me back to the safety of the room, but it was too late. The wolf was emerging, and she wasn’t going to be pushed down again.
    I was fully wolf when I hit