Free TerrIIItory by Susan A. Bliler Page A

all shifters knew it.”
    “You’d be surprised,” Kane scoffed.  “I once tried to make the pack memorize it.  It was going to be our pack mantra, our prayer.  Half of them couldn’t even tell you the title if you asked.”
    She laughed, but it caught in her throat when he gripped her hips and swung her until she sat atop a wooden fence rail.  Evander insinuated his large body between her legs, letting his hands settle just above her ass as he turned to study the quickly setting sun as it filtered through the pine trees.  He inhaled deeply and leaned forward, pressing his hard body into hers as he rested his head on her shoulder.  Unsure what else to do, Bethany lifted a hand to cup the back of his neck.  He growled suddenly, and she tensed before her ears picked up approaching footsteps.
    “What is it?”  Evander demanded without moving.
    “Tracks near the creek.”
    He straightened to scowl at Weston.  “Wolf?”
    “Human, but none of ours. Unless,” Weston turned to eye Bethany.  “Have you gone down to the river’s edge at all?”
    She opened her mouth to deny it, but Evander cut her off with a snarl.
    “You’d have scented her there!”
    Weston plowed a hand through his blond hair.  “That’s the problem.  There’s no scent.”
    Evander waved him off.  “Probably old tracks.”
    “They’re fresh, Kane.”
    Annoyed, Evander wanted to get back to holding Bethany while enjoying the sunset.  “It’s probably just some fisherman or hunter.  Who gives a shit?  If it’s a threat, they’ve come to the wrong territory.”  He turned back to Bethany but spoke to Weston.  “Leave us.”
    Weston huffed before walking away.
    Alone again, Evander smiled up at her.  “Where were we?”
    But Bethany’s attention was centered on Weston as he stalked back to the house.  “Shouldn’t you at least check on…”
    “They’re grown wolves, Beth.  They don’t need me to come running every time a tree falls in the woods.”  He grabbed both her hands, changing the subject.  “Let’s watch the sunset before it’s time to get you tucked in.”
    He pressed his head back to her shoulder, and she had to admit it felt really fucking right.  Still, the what-ifs wouldn’t relent.  “Evander, if tomorrow…”
    He didn’t let her finish.  “Tomorrow, Beth.  When you wake, you’ll have the truth.  Tomorrow.”

Chapter 13
    I am not his!  Oh God, no!  I’M NOT FUCKING HIS!  She wasn’t Evander’s mate!  It hadn’t worked.  Bethany eyed her arms and then kicked off her blankets to eye her legs even as a whimper of denial escaped her parted lips, and panic set in.  Why didn’t it work?  It should have worked if I were his…  But, I’m not.  I can’t be.  This proves it.
    Hysterical, she hiked up her night shirt to eye her abdomen.  Nothing!  Not a single wound had healed.  She sprang from the bed, but in her haste she’d failed to free her legs of the mess of sheets and fell to the floor with a loud thud.  Fuck!   That hurt!
    Her palms stung, and her hipbone ached where it bore the brunt of her weight.
    “Beth?”
    She heard Evander’s voice and panicked even more.  How could she face him?
    Heavy footfalls thundered up the stairs.  He must have heard the loud thump of her fall and was coming to check on her.
    Unsure what to do, she swiped the tears from her cheeks and raced for the bathroom.
    “Beth?”  Seconds later he was pounding on her door, just as she slammed the bathroom door and quickly locked it.  As if a lock would keep out her mate.  He’s not mine!  Another bought of fresh tears filled her eyes and she struggled to control her ragged breathing.  She was having a panic attack!
    “Beth?”  Evander entered her room, and she heard him growl before he crossed to the bathroom door and pounded on it.  “What’s wrong?  Let me in!”
    “No.  I’m…”  She’d been about to say ‘fine’ but that was clearly a lie.  Obviously, he’d