Free Shifter Untamed by Ambrielle Kirk Page A

Dane’s scent. Her muscles were sore from the numerous rounds of sex the previous night. Had this man woken her up to have sex again? Was this man that insatiable?
    “What is going on?” she asked, groggily, lifted herself from the bed.
    “Sssh,” Dane said. “I need you to throw this on.” He handed her one of her dresses. “We have to get out of here now. I sense danger. It’s time to leave.”
    “What?” She looked around at the window. The sun had barely risen. “You said we were leaving later today.”
    “Please. We don’t have time to talk right now. I’ll explain everything when we’re on safer grounds. Stay close to me.”
    Her heart began to beat nervously as she caught the hint of urgency in his voice. She said nothing else as she pulled the long sundress over her naked body. Dane grabbed a duffle bag from the closet, threw some items inside, including her purse, and reached for her.
    “This way,” he urged.
    As soon as they opened the door, smoke billowed into their faces. Her own senses kicked in as she heard the telltale signs of a house on fire.
    “Shit, Dane. What is going on? Tell me.”
    “The left end of the ranch is on fire. Stay low.” He pushed her out into the hallway and down the stairs. Once they were on the first level, he grabbed her hands and his rushed steps turned into a jog.
    Trina held her breath against the putrid smoke until they reached the sliding glass doors of the papers. They moment they hit the deck she breathed exhaled deeply.
    Crackled flames caught her attention and she snapped her head to the right to confirm Dane’s confirmation. The left side of the home was engulfed in flames and lit up the morning sky.
    “Oh my God. We need to call the fire department,” she said, following Dane done the patio steps.
    “No human authorities involved. They’d done enough damage already. There’s nothing of value in the home. The land is what I’m after.”
    Trina noticed his strained voice and turned to see his canines dropped in anger. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”
    “Yes and no. I want to get you out of here safely. I promise we’ll talk later.”
    His irises sparked brightly with specks of gold. It seemed as though his wolf half was taking over. He lifted his hand and brushed some hair away from her neck. He narrowed his gaze, stroking at the crevice near her throat. His lips fell open.
    “Trina, where did you get this?”
    “This way?”
    “This mark.”
    “What mark?”
    Dane’s eyes widened. “Impossible.”
    “What are you talking about?” She coughed when the wind pushed more of the smoke toward them.
    He took her hand again and rushed them further away from the burning home. Pausing near a tree, he took her chin gently and lifted her neck again.
    “Why the heck do you keep looking at my neck? Do I have a pimple?”
    “You’re wearing my mark, Trina. And I haven’t even bitten you.”
    “Bitten me?” This time she looked at him strangely. “Of course you haven’t bitten me. I would know. If you bite me, I will slap the hell out of you.”
    She slid her palm against the area he’d examined. “I don’t feel anything.”
    “It’s not that type of mark.” Dane turned and pointed to the nape of his neck. “Look at the back of my neck. What do you see?”
    She stepped closer to him, squinting against the first rays of sunshine. There was some type of birthmark near his hairline, similar to a tattoo, but the coloring was all wrong. It was imbedded, not inked, into the skin.
    “Two figure eight signs. Like an infinity symbol. They form an X.”
    He turned around and rubbed the area near her throat again. “This explains why I can’t get enough of you.”
    “I can see what you’re seeing, Dane. Do you mind telling me what you’re talking about?
    “Mated pairs carry the same mark. It only appears as the result of a union. You’re my intended, Trina.”
    “What…” She shook her head. The smoke must have gotten to