“Wanna answer my question?” His voice was deep, rumbling.
Goosebumps rose on her bare arms. And it was too damn warm for her to have a chill from the weather.
“And just what question was that?” She titled her head to the right.
“Who are you?” A pause. “What are you?”
She let her eyebrows furrow. She’d fooled Other before, she could do it again. “I’m really not sure I understand. I told you, I’m Assistant District Attorney—”
“You don’t smell human.”
Her breath left on a gasp. No, he hadn’t just said—
He stepped toward her, a fast move that brought their bodies too close. Jude leaned in, lowering his head over the curve of her throat. And inhaled.
“Stop!” She shoved him, hard, and watched with no small satisfaction as he stumbled back. Oh, yeah, big guy, I’m much, much stronger than I appear. He wasn’t the first one to learn that little lesson.
She almost bared her teeth at him. Almost.
After all, she wasn’t an animal. No matter what the whispers back home said.
“I don’t know just what you think you were doing,” she snapped, glaring at him as she narrowed her eyes. “But you’d better watch what you do and what you say around me.” Was the guy crazy? You don’t smell human. He couldn’t say things like that.
The words were too dangerous.
She reached into her purse. Dug out her card. “Call my office. My assistant will take care of any paperwork you’ve got.”
He stared at her a moment longer. Then, slowly, his tanned fingers rose. Long fingers, callused. Strong. He took the card, and his fingertips brushed over her hand.
Erin didn’t flinch and she was extremely proud of that fact.
“Good work, Donovan.” After giving him that grudging token of appreciation, she nodded and began to march back toward her car.
She’d taken all of five steps when she heard his whistle. Long, loud, and very appreciative.
Erin stilled.
I really don’t need this shit.
“I’ve got your scent.” Hard words. Scary words. Because she knew what they meant.
If Jude Donovan truly was a shifter, and every instinct she had screamed that he was, then having her scent, well, it meant he had her. He’d be able to follow her, to find her, almost anywhere.
A shifter. What were the odds she’d stumble onto him?
One of the little perks in the Other world—the world full of supernaturals and nightmares, the world that, rather unfortunately, was her life—was that like recognized like. Demons, because, yeah, those conniving bastards were real, could “see” others of their breed. They could look right past the magic glamour and peer into the darkness inside.
Witches felt the power pull from their brethren.
And shifters, well, they could smell each other—a distinct scent. One that carried the wisp of power and the scent of the beast.
Jude Donovan smelled of power. Of wild, strong man. Of savagery. No denying that scent.
As for the beast…she didn’t need the marks on Bobby’s face to know Donovan had claws.
Erin began to walk again. One determined step after another.
And even when she climbed into her car, she could feel his eyes on her. Watching and seeing too much.
Oh, damn.
Now, she’d have to be extra careful to stay on her guard and not let the hunter discover the secrets she kept so carefully hidden.
***
ETERNAL HUNTER is available now in mass market (and that means the ebook version is now priced lower, too!). So if you’re in the mood for some paranormal bounty hunting fun…here you go! 😉
Have a great weekend!!
