Free Fated Ties: A Werewolf Paranormal Romance Novel (The Twisted Destiny Saga Book 3) by Franca Storm Page B

tricks.”
    “ His tricks? You learned from him?”
    “Yup. He’s a mean poker player.”
    She chuckled. “I think I’m learning.”
    “Really?” he challenged. “Then call it.”
    “Fine.”
    And she proceeded to do just that. Josh stared in wonder.
    She jumped to her feet and pumped her fists in the air, making a whoop, whoop sound of celebration.
    “All right. I’ll give you that. You are getting better.”
    “You know what I can beat your ass at? Every time?”
    He climbed to his feet and brushed down his jeans and shook out his leather jacket. “What?”
    “Racing.”
    “Bike? Car?”
    “Bike, of course. As soon as we get back to the human realm, we’ll do it. You game?”
    “Always. But I have to warn you, I’m better than Ry.”
    She cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”
    “Yeah, you wanna back down now?” he teased.
    “Never.”
    He laughed. “Oh, by the way, now that you’re stronger, you should call him out next time the pack fools around arm wrestling.”
    “I can’t do that to him.”
    “He’ll like it,” Josh assured her as he knelt back down on the floor and started shuffling the cards for another round.
    Cora scoffed. “I’m sure.”
    “He likes feisty women. It’ll get him hard.”
    “It worries me that you know that,” she said as she joined him on the floor.
    “Hey! He’s normally very vocal about that stuff.” He watched her face flush and he added, “Not since he’s been with you, though. He plays that close to his chest. I guess, cuz he loves you and all that shit.”
    Cora started to laugh, but then the voice she’d assumed she’d imagined earlier ripped through her head. It was a lot louder this time.
    Cora! Please…help…me. My…sweet! I’m sorry…I hurt…you! I need…you!
    “David?” she gasped aloud.
    Please! I beg you! Help!
    “David?” Josh queried, stopping short and eyeing her.
    “Yeah,” she murmured, getting to her feet. “Something’s wrong.”
    “He contacted you? How is that possible? He’s not your mate. He doesn’t have a telepathic link to you.”
    “I…it wasn’t the same. Not really telepathy. It was more like a call that only I can hear.”
    “Well, ignore it. Fuck him. He’s in the human realm now.”
    Cora shook her head. “No…he’s… here ,” she said, her gaze locking with his. She closed her eyes and concentrated, focusing on David’s call, trying to ascertain his location. His call was so pained, so intense, that it was easy to latch onto. Got it!
    “Fuck, he’s in the basement,” she said, bolting for the door.
    “The basement? I didn’t even know there was a basement,” Josh said as he followed after her.
    They made their way down the stairs to the main floor. Glancing around, neither of them saw any sort of basement access anywhere nearby.
    “Maybe it’s through here—round the other side,” Cora said, heading down the corridor.
    “Wait!” Josh called after her, stopping short as something unsavory assaulted his wolf senses.
    She hurried back to him. “What? What is it?”
    He sniffed the air. “Blood.”
    “You can sense blood? I thought only vampires could do that?”
    “No, wolves can sense anything , anything that has a scent. And what I’m sensing now, it’s not just blood, it’s—” He stopped talking when he saw the look in her eyes.
    “It’s what?” she pressed.
    “Uh…never mind.” He looked away and started to follow the scent instead. “Underneath the stairs,” he told her.
    She stepped forward. And that was when she saw it: a floor tile that, on a quick glance, looked like nothing more. But, as she peered closer, she saw the tiny lever there. She reached for it and pulled hard. It moved aside with ease to reveal a concrete staircase beneath.
    “Josh, yes! Here it is!” she exclaimed.
    He threw out his arm, before she could take her first step. “Let me go first, just in case.”
    She huffed, not liking his protective gesture. But she let him brush past her and go on