Free Red Hood: The Hunt by Erik Schubach Page A

must share yours.”
    I nodded then a thought hit me.  She had mentioned that once the Lycan curse was broken, then all the cursed would be set free.  Would that mean Prue would be free of the contagion?  Could we be a family again if I could ever find her?
    I snuggled my head into my jacket and looked at the timeless woman before me and retold the story of my family for the first time since the police questioned me before shunting me into the foster care system.  But for the first time, from the perspective of an adult, sharing my impressions and suspicions.  Sharing what drove me.  My thoughts on the Alpha, I believe I saw.  Then my thoughts and concerns about my sister, with the new fear pressing down on my chest now that I knew the Ferals and even non-ferals were being compelled by the Alpha to swarm the city each full moon, and the beta wolves were all powerless to resist.
    She shared that between that and the other night, she believed I was being targeted for some reason we just haven't figured out yet.  She hoped that this meeting between Slater Mining and the mayor would help her locate Marcus.  Since everything she had researched was that the apparent silver shortage was just screaming Marcus' involvement to her.
    We talked well into the afternoon and I didn't know when I drifted off.  The next thing I knew I was waking up feeling warm and comfortable.  I was curled into Maireni who slept beside me, she looked so innocent as she slept.  The heat from her was incredible and seeped into my body like a warm caress.  I inhaled deeply, there was a sweet musk, and pleasant animalistic scent to her that made my toes curl and want to purr against her.
    I looked up to her face and her eyes were halfway open now, studying me.  I blushed and moved away from her and sat up.  “I'm sorry, I get a little clingy when I sleep.”
    She didn't look entirely alert yet and there was something animalistic, predatory, in her eyes.  I froze as she leaned into my neck faster than I could follow, and she drew a deep breath through both her nose and mouth, more like she was tasting the air rather than smelling it.  Her hot breath on my neck as she exhaled with a guttural growl, made me shiver and gooseflesh travel down my neck.
    She pulled back suddenly and her eyes were dilated, she looked fully awake now.  Was she blushing?  She started donning her cloak and gathering her things into the silver netting.  She spoke away from me, “Sunset is a couple hours away, you need to eat before you go on Howler Duty.”
    I stood stiffly and she tucked her pack away near the base of the bridge foundation, still not meeting my eyes.  I found my mouth moving again before it consulted me. “Have 'breakfast' with me, Red?”
    She finally looked at me again and offered up her half smile.  “Ok, but then I have to get cleaned up.  It has been a couple days.”
    Again I spoke, “Just shower at my place.”  What the hell am I doing? Her eyes lowered and she gave a single nod.
    Then I tilted my head and asked her again, “Why do you camp outside.  I know you say to smell people approaching...”  I left it at that.
    She regarded me for a moment then shrugged and said, “It is hard to explain.  I belong more in their world...”  She left the word werewolves unspoken. “...more than the Clean Blood world.  I have urges, to hunt, to run free.  It is part of the curse that gives me the abilities of the wolves I suppose, I get some of their primal nature too.  Sometimes I feel I am more animal than human anymore.”  She curled her upper lip and smiled, purposefully showing her teeth that almost resembled fangs, as if to punctuate the admission.  She paused then said carefully, “I've never shared that with anyone, I don't know why I'm sharing it now.”
    I smiled.  “I'm glad you did.  Thank you.  I just ask too many questions, a dangerous habit of my occupation.”
    I followed her up the bank to the street.  She