Free Predator's Refuge by Rosanna Leo Page B

Immediately, his tiger ears went back and his nostrils flared. He smelled it too. He turned to her and a low growl of warning issued from his throat.
    Together, they crept toward a clearing from which the scent seemed to emanate. As they drew nearer, Anton nudged her aside with his nose so he could peer into the clearing first. Within seconds, he bounded into the clearing like a firefighter headed for a blaze. Marci watched as he shifted, and took note of his pale face. She followed him the last few steps into the clearing.
    April, the hare girl who’d won the race, lay in a pool of her own blood.
    Horrified, Marci shifted and ran to join Anton as he crouched by the girl’s head. She stifled a cry as she glimpsed the terrible bite marks near the girl’s carotid artery. Thank God, she was still breathing. As tears pooled in her eyes, she whispered, “Who could do this?”
    Anton picked up April’s limp body and looked at Marci, his face ripped apart by sympathy and some sort of deep-seated horror. “We’ll find out. Let’s get her back to my cabin and take care of her wounds. She’ll be okay with some attention. Luckily we got here before she bled out.” He cocked his head at her. “I’ll call the police once we’re inside.”
    She straightened, as much as she wanted to buckle. A young girl had been attacked on the grounds of the Ursa Lodge, while she was in charge. Swallowing bile, she fought the urge to vomit. She’d never stop feeling sick over this. However, her need to hurl did no good to April. The girl needed her to be strong now. “No. I’ll call them. It’s my job. Let’s go.”
    And without another thought for her need to mate, or their nudity, she ran with Anton back to his cabin. They quickly tended to the girl’s wounds, covering them in gauze. Anton rifled quickly through his drawers and pulled out clothes for both of them. Once dressed in gym clothes that were way too big for her, Marci called the security office for help. She then put on her best assistant manager face and called April’s parents to let them know of the savage attack.
    * * * *
    The next day, eyes bleary and still biting back the urge to throw up chunks, Marci did her best to man the front desk without looking like a crazy person. Charlotte brought her a third coffee before her cleaning rounds, and Marci practically gulped the hot liquid, scalding her tongue. She didn’t mind, hoping it would keep her mind off other things.
    Like the memory of a girl lying in a thickening puddle of blood.
    The only blessing was that April had somehow pulled through in the early morning. Aside from her parents, Marci and Anton had both been there. So had a couple of shape-shifter officers from the mainland police force.
    April hadn’t recalled much about the attack. She’d gone for a run late at night, still high from her race win and wanting to stretch her legs. As she’d gotten deeper into the forest, she’d had the sensation of being followed, but like so many victims, shrugged it off, thinking she was paranoid.
    Within seconds, something big and furry had pounced on her from behind, knocking her to the ground.
    They’d questioned her, hoping she’d at least remember what sort of animal it was, but she’d been vague. It had been big, that much she’d known, and she’d heard growling. But beyond that, she’d been so terrified, she hadn’t even been sure of fur color or body shape. Whatever the predator had been, it was one accustomed to attacking from behind, a devious powerhouse of an animal.
    Charlotte sipped from her own coffee cup, eyeing the wary employees working the desk with Marci. News of the attack had spread, and everyone was on guard. “Jeez,” Charlotte whispered. “I’ve never seen this place so morose.”
    Marci shook her head and she gripped her cup. “She’s just a kid. Why would someone do this?”
    “Maybe it was an accident. A real animal might have found its way to the island and decided to make April