Free Primal Desires by Susan Sizemore

and going all day weren’t the Romany relatives she and Sofia had been exchanging e-mails about? This bunch had a kind of Aryan Nation vibe going for them. Several of them sported shaved heads and swastika tattoos, one of them on his forehead à la Charles Manson. Creepy.
    â€œYou’re not my family,” she said.
    â€œYou’re a werewolf just like us,” he snarled.
    â€œThat will do.”
    Cathy shifted her attention to the man who had spoken. She hadn’t seen him before, but she knew a pack alpha when she saw one. Instinct told her to avert her eyes and submit to his least whim, but she wasn’t about to give in to instinct.
    â€œThat’s right,” he said, stepping forward and looking deep into her eyes. “The moon doesn’t control you yet.”
    Cathy was furious at the heat that shot through her. “Who are you?” she demanded.
    â€œYour destiny.”
    She made a gagging sound.
    He laughed. “Call me Eric. I’ve been searching for you for a long time.”
    â€œAnd why is that?”
    â€œBecause we are meant to be together, Catherine, my love. I’m the reason you are what you are. It was because of me that you were turned.”
    Hatred seethed through her, along with complete disbelief. “The feral that turned me is dead.”
    Eric nodded. “He was a good friend and a loyal follower. His sacrifice is greatly appreciated.”
    This was sick and weird, and sent a chill through her. “Sacrifice?”
    Eric smiled at her gently, but the look in his eyes was possessive. “There’s so much you have to learn about our kind. It’s important to know that incest is taboo. We never mate with one that we have turned. I wanted you above all others, so a friend brought you into the pack.”
    Cathy’s free hand flew to her throat, to the spot where she could still feel hot breath and sharp teeth sinking into her flesh. She remembered bright gold eyes, soft fur, and a heavy body pinning her down. She’d thought the wolf was going to kill her, but what had happened had been infinitely worse.
    At least for a while.
    Mike Bleythin had rescued her, from the terror and from the moon madness. He’d given her a pack, and protection. She still couldn’t control the monthly transformation into a beast, but at least she no longer dreaded the change quite so much.
    She focused every bit of hatred she could summon on the smiling Eric. “You deliberately forced me to become a werewolf?” He nodded. “You bastard.”
    He shrugged. “We should have been mated a long time ago, but the natural-born Tracker interfered with my plans for you. Now we only need one more thing before we can abandon this stinking mortal world and return to the wild, where we belong.”
    Cathy had no intention of running off to live in the woods like an animal. She had to find out all she could, think of a plan. “What thing do you need?” she asked.
    â€œYour cousin Sofia, of course. Once she’s turned as well, we’ll have both of the Hunyara females bearing our offspring. You can’t imagine the strength that will bring to the pack.”
    She didn’t want to imagine it. She wanted to be sick. Even more than that, she wanted to rip out this smug asshole’s throat.

Chapter Thirteen
    W ho would have guessed Cathy had a secret life?” Sid commented as she peered over Eden’s shoulder at the computer screen. Eden had easily cracked the security on Cathy’s laptop and now they were sitting at her kitchen table going through her e-mail.
    â€œYou’re not referring to the secret life where she’s a werewolf, are you?” Eden responded.
    â€œThat secret life isn’t secret from us,” Sid pointed out. “But we didn’t know about Cathy’s having a family.”
    â€œWe all come from somewhere—with baggage,” Eden said.
    Sid nodded. “You speak truly, my