Free Hunted Love Box Set: Big Game, Bounty, Captured by Aden Lowe Page A

was hard to ignore, but Jakob refused to acknowledge him. The slightest attention would encourage him to break again and could leave his pack mates in serious trouble, or let the quarry escape. He would get his share of scratches and treats with the others.
    Ajax came up out of a shallow gully and they were suddenly in the middle of the dogs. The cougar sat comfortably out of reach in a dead tree, but he was still pissed, hissing and growling.
    Jakob pulled his rifles, dismounted and smacked Ajax on the ass to send him out of harm's way. He slung the .30-.06 across his back to stay out of the way and shouldered the tranq gun.
    Deep breath.
    Hold. Aim.
    Fire.
    The cougar snarled and tried to turn to get at the stinging wound in his hip where the dart was already working its magic. Jakob called the dogs back and clipped their lines on so they wouldn't tear into the lion when he fell from the tree.
    Kate and the other horses arrived as he finished securing the tracking collar and activating it. By the time he got the dogs out of the way and mounted up, the cougar was starting to come around.
    "Take the horses back down where we camped last night? I'm going to harass him a little so he gets the idea he'd rather move on. I'll meet you back down there."
    Kate agreed and started the horses back down the trail as the cat was struggling to his feet. Jakob hissed the dogs up and had them at full bay when the cat took his first step after waking. Suddenly recognizing the danger, the cougar took off like a shot, hounds and Ajax hot on his heels.
     
     

Chapter Twelve
     
    Jakob still hadn't returned, so Kate returned to the creek to wash her face and neck. The heat of the day still sat heavily at ground level, and the cool water felt good. On impulse, she unbuttoned her shirt and ran the washcloth over her chest and stomach, making the evening far more comfortable in a matter of seconds. An actual bath wasn't the most practical of things on the trail, but she would still love one. Maybe she could manage it after he fell asleep, since she wasn't likely to sleep anyway. In the meantime, she could wash her feet.
    About the time she got her boots and socks off, Jakob and the dogs returned. He spoke softly to the dogs, probably praising them for a job well done, as he bedded them down. Tack creaked and jingled and a moment later, a horse grunted hard as a heavy body thumped to the ground. More thumping and grunting as Ajax apparently rolled to scratch his itchy back.
    Stones and gravel littered the way back to the campfire and required Kate to gingerly pick her way barefooted, but it was so worth the trouble. Cooler and with the trail dirt washed off a bit, she might even sleep.
    Jakob worked on something over by one of the packs as she came into the glow of the firelight. He glanced up at her and froze as something wild and predatory flashed in his eyes. "Kate, I'm a man of my word, but I have some limits. Unless you've changed your mind, you might want to cover up a little."
    Damn! She'd been so preoccupied with mooning over him, she'd left her shirt open. Face erupting in flaming humiliation, she whirled to put her back to him. A sharp rock dug into the sole of her good foot and forced her to hop a little to try and regain her balance. Yet another stone completed the trifecta of mortification by letting her foot slide off its damp surface and dumping her on her ass.
    "Kate!" Jakob was suddenly at her side, running his hands over her to check for injury. Seeming satisfied, he lifted her in his arms and strode over to the fire and deposited her on her bedroll. "Good God, woman!" he thundered. "What are you thinking, strolling around here barefoot? I should spank your ass."
    How dare he scold her like a child? "The day you think you're man enough, give it a try." Oh, God. Had she really said that aloud?
    The wicked gleam in his eyes said she most certainly had, and that he was about to take up the challenge. "Why, thank you, baby. I believe