Синтия Иден: Eternal Hunter

Erin grabbed his hand when he tried to push past her, and she kissed her new life good-bye. “It was a shifter.”

Antonio exhaled. “Damn woman.”

Jude’s skin felt warm beneath her fingertips. His eyes bored into hers, and she watched his pupils flare.

Dangerous.

She pulled her hand back and smoothed her fingers over the soft cotton of her pants. “It was a shifter, and, how convenient —there’s a shifter standing right in front of me.” Towering over her. Surrounding her with his heat and scent.

“I didn’t kill him—”

“Jude wouldn’t—”

Their words twisted and blurred in her mind. She waited for the denials to finish, then raised a brow. “You said you could prove your innocence.”

His eyes narrowed, but Jude nodded. “Good,” she muttered. “’Cause you’ll have to do that.” And she believed he could. After that whole alibi business was taken care of, it would be time to get down to business.

“Call Night Watch,” Jude said. “You can verify my whereabouts in less than two minutes.”

She’d do that, but first…“Are you up for another case, hunter?” She knew just how hard it was to catch a shifter, especially one who hungered for the sweet thrill of human prey.

“You trying to hire me?”

Yeah, she was. She knew that Jude Donovan would be her best bet for catching this killer. The cops wouldn’t be able to track a shifter.

It takes a beast to catch a beast .

Oh, the games the Other played.

“The DA gonna be up for this?” Antonio asked, inching closer.

Erin didn’t glance his way. “He’ll go for it.” She’d make absolutely certain he did. “But will you ?” she asked Jude.

His hard face was unreadable. Jeez but the man was big . She topped out at just under six feet, but he towered over her by several inches.

Just what kind of beast did Jude carry? Shifters — the beings that most said carried two souls.

The soul of a man.

The soul of an animal.

Most shifters were pretty harmless. They could transform into foxes, birds, or snakes.

Others were more dangerous. Bears, panthers, wolves.

Wolves . Some believed — with good reason — that those were the most dangerous of the shifters. Fierce, bloodthirsty, and, just for fun, every now and then…psychotic.

“I’ll hunt for you.” His gaze never left her face. “For a price.”

“The city will pay you.” She’d talk to the mayor and the DA. She wasn’t planning a big reveal about the Other world with them; at least, not unless she wasn’t given a choice. But Gus and Clark were smart guys. They’d wise up real fast to the benefits of having this case handled as quietly and quickly as possible.

If Jude could contain the guy, they’d be more than willing to pay his price. A price she expected to be very high.

Jude shook his head. “Not talking about the city.”

Antonio stopped his inching closer routine.

Her heart slammed into her ribs but she kept her voice quiet and silky when she asked, “Then just who are you talking about?”

A slow smile. One that whispered across his face, lifted his upper lip and had her thighs clenching.

“You, sweetheart. You. ”

Erin gulped. Dammit — that scar on his top lip— sexy . She could see the hunger in his eyes. The man’s hunger and the beast’s.

And she felt the hot rise of her own need.

Not going to happen. She took a moment to let her heart rate ease back to normal. This wasn’t the first time she’d had a strong physical reaction to a shifter.

Okay, a really sexy shifter.

And it wouldn’t be her last. She couldn’t stop the rush of sensual awareness, but Erin controlled the wild instincts inside. She always had. “The city will pay you,” she said again and let the ice chill her words. “And pay you well.” Because hunting a killer like the one who’d slaughtered Bobby wouldn’t be easy.

He snorted. “They’d better.” Jude didn’t look away from her. “But, sweetheart, you’ll pay, too.”

The words were a definite threat.

Shifters always thought they were the baddest assholes on earth.

Because some of them were.

The local news carried the Burrows story that night at ten. A bright, perky blonde appeared at the top of the hour announcing, “Bobby Burrows, the suspect in the so-called Slasher Crimes, was found dead in his holding cell today. Police aren’t releasing any information on this case yet, although sources say foul play is suspected…”

What?

He stared at the screen and felt the rage boil in his blood.

Foul play was suspected? Fuck, yes, he’d carved up that bastard.

And he’d done it for her .

The image on the screen flickered and a close-up shot of the mayor and the DA appeared. The DA was running his fat mouth about the security at the station.

Blah. Blah. Blah

The camera angle altered, just a bit, and his prey appeared.

So perfect.

Erin stood a bit behind the mayor. Looking all calm and lovely in her button-down shirt and pants. Controlled and elegant.

Such a beautiful lie.

He knew who she was, what she was, down deep, past the skin.

She was just like him. She liked the blood, the screams, the pleas for mercy.

He knew all about the real Erin. Flawed, broken, and wild for death.

Just like him.

He hoped that she’d liked her little present. Hoped she enjoyed all of the presents he would give to her. Soon.

He rose and went to the TV. He touched the spot just over her image.

Sweet, sweet Erin.

“No more running, love, you’re mine.”

She should have known escape wasn’t possible.

She should have known .

She went to him. When the press conference was over, when the freak-out in the mayor’s office had finally subsided, Erin went straight to Jude.

She knew where he lived. She’d gotten that information from Night Watch when she called to verify his alibi.

Jude’s lair was at the edge of the city, skirting the swamps. More of a cabin than a house, and one that didn’t look overly inviting.

Raising her hand, Erin banged on the door. So, sure, it was close to midnight. And, okay, granted, the swamp looked dark and dangerous and the call of the crickets and who-the-hell knew what else had her ears ringing.

The mayor had sent her to Jude. The DA had sent her.

And she’d come because she needed to see him.

The door opened with a creak. Jude stared down at her, stubble on his cheeks, his blond hair tousled and his eyes hooded.

No shirt. His chest was bare and too close. The man had serious muscles. Damn. His jeans hung low on his body, wrapping around his hips and clinging to his strong, hard thighs.

Hunter .

“Took you long enough,” he said, voice so deep it was nearly a growl.

Light surrounded him and spilled onto the porch. She shifted, her high heels scraping over the old wood. “Didn’t realize you were waiting for me.”

Lie . She’d known that he wanted to talk to her, alone , just as she’d wanted to talk to him.

Erin had to find out what he knew about her — and how he knew it. So I won’t slip up and make the same mistake with someone else next time . “Do I get to come inside or do I have to stay out here all night?”

His mouth hitched into a half-smile. Erin inhaled.

Then Jude stepped back, motioning for her to enter.

The fingers of her right hand tightened around her purse strap and she walked forward, hesitating for only the briefest of seconds when she caught sight of the deep gouges along the doorframe.