Free Unclaimed by Sara Humphreys

hers. “That was me, Doc. Your energy signature has been tangling with mine from the second my body touched yours, and you know what? I’m not a fan.”
    â€œWhat?” Tatiana’s eyes widened. She didn’t know whether to be insulted or relieved. Maybe she was a bit of both.
    â€œI can’t get you out of my head.” Dominic stepped back, giving them distance. “I’m Guardian of this property. It’s up to me to keep a clear head and a sharp mind. People depend on me to protect them.”
    â€œDominic, I—”
    â€œNo.” He held up one hand to stop her. “Let me finish.”
    â€œFine.” Tatiana folded her arms over her breasts and waited.
    â€œI’ll admit, before I met you I was worried as hell about not finding a mate and losing my powers, but now I’m not so sure.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “How the hell am I supposed to do my job if all I can do is think about you and keeping you safe? So, if you don’t want to mate with me, well, that’s just fine. You do your job, and I’ll do mine. When we’re done, we go our separate ways.” Dominic stuck his hand out to her. “Deal?”
    Tatiana looked at his outstretched hand and then to his serious, masculine face. “Deal,” she said quietly.
    They shook hands briefly, neither wanting to linger. As she followed him out of the room, one issue nagged at her.
    Tatiana got what she wanted. Her Amoveo mate agreed to let her off the hook and not follow through with the whole life-mate deal. She should be on top of the world and completely relieved… but just the opposite was true. Damn it.

Chapter 4
    A thick summer breeze whisked past Dominic as a flock of birds swooped overhead and landed in a tall pine tree. As he strode along the dirt road, he scanned the area for unusual energy patterns, but so far, all was well. When he reached the top of the hill, three log cabins came into view, one of which was his.
    Richard and Salinda built several cabins when the Purists began making trouble last year. They knew any hybrids they found might need a safe haven, and the Muldavi Ranch always provided exactly that. Dominic had been living here for two years, and a few months ago, Steven and William moved in with their mates.
    The place had turned into a full-on compound, and when he made the occasional trip into town, he didn’t miss the funny looks from people who were convinced Richard and Salinda ran a cult. Dominic scoffed under his breath at the ridiculous notion as he approached his destination.
    Steven and Courtney’s cabin was down the road to the left, across from his. When they’d first moved in, it took some getting used to because he’d enjoyed the solitude, but now, he’d gotten accustomed to them.
    Dominic sensed both of their energy signatures flowing from inside the cozy cabin and couldn’t help but smile. The two had been through hell in the last year, and while Steven bounced back quickly, Courtney seemed unsteady and ready to bolt. He’d asked Steven about it, but he brushed it off, blaming it on her pregnancy.
    Sweat trickled down his back, and even though he itched to shift into his tiger, he refrained. The ranch was over three hundred acres, and distances like that were easier to travel in his animal form. Ever since the Caedo attack, he and Eric had been sticking closer to the main part of the property. So as much as he wanted to, he didn’t. Tatiana and Matt would be coming by this way any minute to settle into their cabin, and the kid might freak out if he saw a Bengal tiger loping along the path.
    Their cabin.
    A low growl rumbled in his chest, and his eyes shifted harshly at the very thought of Tatiana sharing anything with another man. The image of her heart-shaped face drifted into his mind, and his body hardened at the memory of her softness. Dominic wanted her. There was no denying it.
    Dominic’s