Free Chasing Sam: Vegas Mates Book 1 by Krystal Shannan Page B

my eldest daughter and heir to the
Demakis seat on the noble council. Since I have no sons, I am the
last generation of Demakis. One of your family names will take its
place and start a new line. Please, raise your glasses to honor
this change.”
    Chase’s gaze locked with Sam’s father’s cold
stare. Holy crap! Nobody said anything about a damn council
seat.
    “Good luck, and may your wolves be your
strength. Whoever marks Samantha and returns with her from this
hunt will be her mate. No exceptions, no other rules. You are
hunting for keeps tonight.”
    With a shove from her mother, a forlorn
Samantha downed her purple concoction. A quick grimace spoke to the
liquid’s unpleasant taste. Peter raised his champagne flute and
drank. Chase and the others followed suit. The champagne was dry,
and the carbonation irritated the inside of his mouth.
    A server came around and retrieved all the
empty champagne flutes. Another appeared shortly with a tray of
four more glasses, filled with the same purple looking liquid Sam
had just downed. Chase took his from the young woman and held it up
to his nose. A faint hint of grape and the heavy scent of mint
assaulted his olfactory system. He pulled the flute back.
    Everyone’s attention had turned back to Sam.
Her mother was pulling the long white satin robe from her
shoulders. Tresses of long wavy blonde hair fell midway down her
bare back. Firm upturned breasts, just the right size for his
hands, were revealed next. His erection pressed uncomfortably
against the zipper in his pants. The robe slipped down completely
and pooled at her feet. Sam’s torso was toned and muscular. Her
round ass flexed appealingly as she stepped away from the satin
fabric.
    His wolf paced and growled at the sight of
her exquisite naked form, wanting to mark her right now and be done
with this whole ceremony. Chase shifted, uncomfortable with the
looks the other men were casting her way.
    A pulse went through him when Sam shifted
down into her wolf form. She was a sandy color with dark streaks
echoing the colors of fall running the length of her back and tail. So beautiful. I feel like I’m connected to her through something
already.
    “ That was the pulse of magic you felt
when she shifted. She’s already begun bonding with you, probably
without even realizing,” his wolf whispered.
    Sam bounded away from the patio and
disappeared into the spotty tree line. The Sierra Nevada Mountains
rose in the distance. Inky blue-black sky twinkled with stars and
the nearly full moon cast an eerie glow on the treetops.
    A howl carried from the forest, and Chase
steeled against his wolf’s desire to change instantly to follow.
Sam’s instincts had taken over, and she was calling for a mate. He
wasn’t the only one having difficulty with his wolf. The other
three men were also fidgeting excessively.
    “Please drink your inhibitor. It will not
activate until you shift.”
    Chase lifted the glass to his lips. The
overpowering scent of mint assailed his nostrils again. The purple
liquid was quite sour. He swallowed quickly and gave a grimace. The
same young server returned to take their glasses.
    “Please be seated.” Sam’s father directed
them to the chairs set around a large fire pit. “Sam receives an
hour head start.”
     
    ***
     
    Fucking tranquilizer! I can’t even see
straight.
    The ground below her seemed to be rocking
like the sailboat she’d ridden in over the summer with a few
girlfriends from school. Not a pleasant feeling at all. She’d
already fallen on her face twice, tripping over her own furry feet.
Sam glanced around, but in her hazy state she couldn’t focus on the
path.
    She wanted to head up the mountain so she
would have the advantage of higher ground and be able to see who
was approaching. But with her body being so out of whack from the
drugs, she couldn’t see. Everything was fuzzy and moving…and
rocking. Her stomach lurched and twisted while the bitter tang of
bile rose into