Free Marked by Aline Hunter

did.
She should have been fearful or anxious at the sentiment. Instead she felt at
peace. She decided not to explore the feelings too deeply, taking the food he
offered to her. Soon enough she’d face the demons that plagued her. She’d
confront her grandparents and demand an explanation.
    Right now she’d accept the pampering he offered.
    It was always best to enjoy the small things in life.
    Especially if there was a chance something might come along
and pull the rug out from beneath you.

Chapter Four
     
    Rachel Gentry slammed the driver’s side door closed. Swiping
strands of hair away from her face, she marched toward The Wolf’s Den. Her best
friend had called forty-five minutes before in a panic, terrified of something
she’d done. Chloe had begged Rachel to tell her grandparents she was fine but
before Rachel could ask questions the call had ended.
    That shit didn’t fly.
    Chloe was always reliable—it was the primary reason they’d
always been close. Rachel was the one with the volatile lifestyle, taking
things as they came at her. Now, with the strange way her friend was acting,
she knew something was wrong. She was going to get some answers, even if Chloe
begged her to leave well enough alone. And she was going to start with the
tattoo parlor Chloe had become obsessed with in the last few weeks.
    She yanked the parlor door open and stepped inside. So
flipping what? A werewolf tattoo shop. What was so special about that? Chloe
had always been fascinated by the supernatural. Why? She had no idea. Humans
didn’t mingle with werewolves or vampires. It wasn’t safe. It wasn’t normal.
Rational people didn’t venture to Atrum Hill.
    Leave it to Chloe to start a new trend.
    Although she approached the counter with a confident stride,
a pang of fear rattled inside her chest. This wasn’t home—this was wolf
country. She was in the den of beasts. She shrugged the notion aside in an
instant, relying on anger and worry. Chloe needed her. If not, she never would
have contacted Rachel so early in the morning. She needed to find out where
Chloe was and make sure her friend was safe.
    “Damn it,” a deep, masculine voice yelled from the back.
“We’re not open. Come back during business hours.”
    Displaying more bravado than she felt, she screamed back,
“The open sign is on and the door wasn’t locked. I need to speak to a member of
management.”
    Curses rang from the back of the building and she heard a
chair scrape against the floor. She braced herself, pulse racing, her breath
coming out in stilted gasps. No one could make her do anything she didn’t want
to do. Mortal police were weaker than preternatural law enforcement but they
didn’t back down. Not when it came to their people. She relied on that fact,
even as her fight or flight instincts kicked in.
    Be strong.
    A figure appeared at the end of the hall and stomped in her
direction. She didn’t look away, lifting her head, keeping her shoulders
straight. She hadn’t traveled into his neck of the woods to be turned away. As
a female mechanic, she dealt with her fair share of dickheads. Men always
assumed she would be gullible or stupid, something she was quick to nip in the
bud. This asshole—even if he wasn’t entirely human—couldn’t bully her unless
she let him.
    “What the hell do you want?” he snapped, approaching fast.
“I told you that we’re not…”
    He stopped halfway down the hall, nostrils flaring. His dark
hair was clipped short, a few strands ruffled around his ears. His features
were more arresting than she could ever have imagined—full lips surrounded by a
slight covering of shadow, a nose in perfect proportion to his face and a
squared jaw with a steady tic that made him seem dangerous.
    His brown eyes turned gold, his irises striking in the dark.
    Trying to shake off his presence, she responded, “Chloe
Bryant sent me.”
    That seemed to reach him. He shook his head and took another
step. From her vantage point