Animal Heat: A Paranormal Romance (The Animal Sagas) by Susan G. Charles Page B

spare, Lynda darted in the direction of the two. She reached the corner, raised the shotgun and yelled, “Stop or I’ll shoot, I swear it, I will.”
    That’s when she knew. What she had never thought to happen was taking place within her very own dwelling. A threat being made to keep her distance from her own flesh and blood gave her the shiv this is what you wanta? prers before her defense mechanism kicked in and her adrenaline co-signed her anger. She ignored the intruder’s orders and took a step forward demanding answers, and with a twinkle in his eye and the pointed chompers’ grit of a smile, Jonathan Anderson pressed a hairy hand with clawed fingertips around the neck of his lovely captive, backing out of the cabin and into the night.
    Lynda ran outside behind the pair. When had they gotten there? Where were they now? There was no sign of life outside the cabin other than the domestic animals. She hollered out for her sister through the black of night, and then ran in the direction she had thought they traveled but could not pick up on the scent of them anywhere. She rushed out into the green and entered the woods. She probably ran all night. In fact, she did run all that night. She ran crazy that night and until the sun had arisen the following morning, ’til the roosters crowed. That’s when she thought of Ben Wilder and his word to return if the beast was not captured. And she now knew who that beast was.
    *****
    Lynda sat on the front porch in the sandalwood rocking chair, pump in her lap, with a threatening demeanor written across her face. It’s been about 7 hours since her sister had been taken into the night by her abductor, and it wasn’t long before she stood up and begun to pace around the perimeter of the property before Ben Wilder made his grand entrance through the woods as he had done the previous day.
    No sooner than it took for her to recognize the charming nature of his voice, in her mind, she was willing to do anything to get her sister back. As her feet lead her in the direction of this mystery hunter who had popped out from the woods a second time within twenty four hours she had already made up her mind. Could it have been that this Ben Wilder was an accomplice of Jonathan Anderson? Now, in her mind it did seem very odd that he just so happened to arrive the same day as Jonathan appeared on the property wanting more from Sonya than she was willing to give.
    She stopped in her tracks.
    “Are you alright, fair lady?” Ben asked.
    Lynda raised her gun. “No, I’m not! Who are you and of what order are you from?”
    Ben put his hands in the air as if Lynda was an officer of the law. He was not frightened in the least of her. In fact, truth be known, he was more on the verge of cracking a smile before he saw the red in her eyes from a night of tears and fatigue and realized that this was not the impression he wanted to make.
    “I am of the Stronghearts… I am the Alpha of the Strongheart clan, and as I can tell… the animal has made its way back to your place of residence.”
    “Yeah, he did… and that beast just happens to be a man!”
    Ben’s eyes damn near popped out of his head. He asked, “And do you know this man?” still with his hands raised.
    “Do you know him? How do I know you’re not a part of his clan, or that he is one with yours?”
    “My fair lady, I promise you that he is not a part of my jurisdiction or branch. But I can help you to find your beloved sister if you would just be as kind as into point me in the direction this man ran. Do you know who this man is?”
    Lynda had thought for a second before responding. She tried to envision what deed this man, Ben Wilder, would want done in return for his assistance, what length would she travel to see her sister’s safe return back to their cabin, and for how long would they actually be safe from another intruder. Ben was clean and Jonathan was not. But then again, Jonathan Anderson was clean before his true self