Free Sarai's Fortune by Abigail Owen Page B

coordinate defenses, it should come to nothing.”
    “Why didn’t you tell my father this?” Tieryn was the Alpha’s daughter as well as the Kuharte.
    Sarai didn’t plan on answering that, so she remained silent. The truth was, she saw Paul McGraw ignoring the warning if he heard it directly, but Tieryn would persuade her father to heed the advice.
    “Okay.” Tieryn drawled the word, seeming to understand that the Seer would only reveal so much. “What about the healing?”
    “About the same time, you will meet a cougar shifter named Shane. Helping to heal him could save his life.”
    “Heal Shane. Got it.”
    “And your Fated—”
    “I don’t want to hear it.” Tieryn rushed to stop her just as Sarai had known she would. She was going to lead her Fated Mate on a merry chase.
    To the woman waiting on the other end of the phone line, she said, “That’s your choice, of course.”
    They ended the call. Sarai smiled to herself as she replaced the phone on its charger. She’d done what she could. The rest was up to them.

CHAPTER 13
    Sarai concentrated on precise, sharp movements with as much power as she could muster. She’d only been working out for ten minutes or so. She’d started the day similarly yesterday. She cooked breakfast, eating with the guys. She dragged George and Scott on more sightseeing trips. Today she’d decided to explore a small portion of Central Park. She didn’t try to lose them this time. When they’d got home, they’d hit the gym.
    George and Scott had decided to take advantage of the time and were on the matt sparring. George, though in his fifties, was definitely the better fighter. They were both big men. Sarai had realized the first night in the hotel when she’d met Zac’s men that all polar bear shifters must be large. Though none of them came close to Zac in height or stature.
    But George was a brute when it came to fighting. The sheer power in his punches was knocking Scott on his ass. Younger by a good twenty-five years, Scott was scrappy and fast, but he wasn’t fast enough.
    Sarai tuned them out to focus on her own drills.
    “How about you try that out on a man who moves and reacts.”
    Sarai spun on her heel to find Zac standing behind her. He was wearing running pants and a tight tank top, which meant she didn’t need to use her imagination to picture the muscles of his arms and chest. They were on display. Her own personal show. Sarai swallowed.
    Then she computed what he’d said. How was she going to get out of this? The truth was she couldn’t spar—her visions messed her up. But that was a secret she had no intention of sharing with three people.
    “Not really a good idea.”
    He stared at her for a long moment. Then he glanced over her shoulder at George and Scott who’d stopped to listen. “I’ve got this, fellas. Why don’t you go back up to the apartment?”
    There was no doubt in her mind that was a command, not a suggestion. Clearly the guys thought so too. She watched them leave the room with wide eyes.
    As the door closed behind them, Zac’s hands landed on her shoulders, turning her to face them. “Okay, kuluk. It’s just you and me now. What are you not saying?”
    Sarai had never felt this vulnerable in her life. Or this scared. This man got to her in a way no one else ever had. How was she supposed to resist that?
    “Why is this so important to you?”
    He moved his hands from her shoulders to frame her face, his fingers threading through the dark blond strands of her hair. “Keeping you safe is important to me. I need to know how much you can defend yourself if you have to. It will help me determine just what I need to prepare for. No surprises. Okay?”
    Sarai took a deep breath. He couldn’t have meant it that way. Just the thought of being important to this big, strong man connected with the frightened, lonely little girl who’d spent her life just trying to survive. But she couldn’t think that way. She had to leave him, and