Free The Shifter's Choice by Jenna Kernan

leak like Burne’s until his skin was cold as death and he could not hold the blood he drank. And then he would die. They all ended that way. Being a vampire did not make one immortal. Despite the legends, vampires were mortal, even though they carried the blood of fairies in their veins.
    Hagan breathed deeply. “It still smells like dog in here.”
    “Wolves,” corrected Burne.
    “Yes.”
    “Where would you go, if you were trying to keep her from discovery?” Burne asked Hagan.
    “Outside our territory, if he knows what that territory is.”
    “Exactly. That’s why you haven’t found her. She’s not here to be found. Perhaps her mother told her that we do not like to cross water.
    “There are U.S. Marine bases throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific,” Burne continued.
    “We need to search each one. Start with the Pacific. Go island by island. Meanwhile, I will check with our colleagues in Europe and the Middle East.”
    Burne stared at his chaser. Hagan’s lips were the ruby red of a vampire just fed. His fangs had grown so long that they no longer fit in his mouth. They didn’t retract like a snake’s, nor were they hollow like straws. Their purpose was to tear through flesh and rip open major blood vessels so they could drink.
    Hagan stared at him through milky-white irises. They were already fading from their birth color. Burne smiled. It always started with the eyes. He knew Hagan’s vision was perfect, but this discoloration made him look like he was quite blind or quite dead. One look at him and the human flight crew would panic. He needed to get them across the ocean, a dozen preferably, without any of them being seen. Night was their usual disguise, though for this journey, that would not be possible. But it was worth any risk to find Brianna. Still, if they were discovered it would mean their lives, not from the humans, of course. But to expose themselves to humans was one of the great unpardonables. Some heads of state knew of them, took advantage of their services for a price. But being detected by such a large group as the passengers and a flight crew on a commercial airline would mean their death. Of course, if they were seen on the plane, it would be necessary to kill all witnesses.
    He thought of Brianna, with her waves of copper hair and eyes as green as a birch leaf. His loins tightened at the memory.
    “Return to our base and assemble a team. I will arrange transport.”
    “When do we depart?”
    “Forty-eight hours.”
    “And the humans will not see us?”
    “For their sakes, I hope not.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    He stared down at a photo of Brianna, taken from her apartment last April. Her face could be that of an angel, she was so lovely, her skin smooth and pink. Burne felt his heart pitch and his loins twitch. If he could catch her, he would keep her for himself.
    “I want this one,” he muttered.
    “Yes, sir.”
    Hagan’s reply was too quick and far too eager. Burne cast a sideways glance at Hagan and caught him ogling the image Burne held. His eyes narrowed on Hagan. The younger vampire forced a smile and the sharp tips of his fangs grazed his lower lip. It was possible that Hagan had similar ideas where Brianna was concerned.
    Perhaps it would be wiser to accompany this team and see to her capture personally.
    * * *
    The next day, Sonia waited for her ride. She was unhappily surprised when the captain pulled up and motioned her to get in. She saluted and climbed into the passenger seat. They rode through the base. Everything seemed so normal out here with marines drilling on the rifle range. She turned to watch men scaling the wall on the obstacle course, using the twin nylon ropes to reach the apex. But things weren’t normal. Johnny was a werewolf and the captain’s wife was a vampire.
    “Johnny tells me that you are teaching him a lot.”
    She turned back to the captain. “I’m trying my best, sir.”
    “He also asked me to tell you about what