Wake a Sleeping Tiger

n’t enough to stop him,

her walk away. He’d know

ng. And when it happened

wild independence and p

The thought of the dan

an he could

d, his lips lowering to

stake straight to his bal

To back her against the w

r. He’d take her from be

er thighs as his tee

raking over the tender

ng, releasing, his tongue

shoulders, her head rest

hat left her throat one of

is senses, the reaction so

de him that he knew h

hing

hing

d pulled her to him, Cu

ed back

e taste of her skin, so s

ning his back on her, he

ught to get a g

d him. He’d never let hi

, before his wife’s pain

like another presence

orry.” What more cou

t, even t

bye, C

from the kitchen to the

her before pulling back, f

led back in fury, a snar

d his fist into the wall,

ing dr

at his knuckles, his fin

asn’t just the fist that

and was balled so tight

he flesh o

, forcing himself back

tter on t

mself, he ripped it to

ching them flutter wit

d be

mned way to show him h

ess dangerous operation

he should have done it a

ce. She was funny, insig

’d run

, though Chelsea wasn’t

better than that. And s

give her a day or two, l

n she’d

’t have be

’t allow

G

s just

tangled black hair and

a’s guts, formed a l

racing heart. Logic and t

to move into

r. Te

arnings of evil were pu

the child stu

ust a little bit closer.

calculate everything perf

ly one who died in this

lowed her to pick up ev

The sight of huge bite m

nightmares. If she survi

spilling more down the a

o

r fell to the child’s s

sed and swollen face. Sh

s definitely, possibly

out of there fast, the

right here. Come on,

ma

o doubt useless, but stil

ower of rock that hid he

die

self. If they saw her, t

Desert Runner she’d taken

f a nightmare she could

fears didn’t hold a

filled the night with

e little baby, keeping he

od seeping steadi

tures pushing the chil

onceive monsters such as t

il

on, Louisa, you’re al

eyes on the child, will

shadows, ready to scoop

his ni

night carried the hoar

hid. “Momma, help me.”

l with agony and threaten

ring her

e now, then she’d lose

no way to fun

he child only long enou

the little girl stum

ere keeping Louisa in

heir field of vision, the

t close enough to stop he

ahead of them unti

unner, but she knew he

edge on the ones being

ed their vehicles for sp

e Coyotes’ Runner would

a good h

ldn’t

, Chelsea gritted her te

littl

Come this way. I’

.” The little voice wa

time was r

carried ready, Chelsea

ll, silent. The body-wa

keep the little girl wa

y raced through the cold

do little to st

ps and laughter fillin

sea, her dazed eyes star

e darkness

isa was almost in plac

about thirty minutes aw

d for word of their daug

opposite direction; the

Rock had drawn

of information Chelsea

creatures closer to Pinon

t out. She was turning a

hen she’d hea

er knees and Chelsea fe

so c

he whispered, a breath

didn’t

et, jerky, uncoordinated

of th

sea

rapped the dark blanket

arms and ran the ten feet

ld jump into the Runner

. There was no time to sec

te sea

t

just

raining harness around

e sound of her gasping b

ea

e night as Chelsea slam

t forward. The deep tread

all but picked up and

y min

erves estate, and she w

gone out, refusing to w

ner was equipped with a

rom them for her

ras and radar were wor

those bastards we

ave never co

o circu

in backup when she fi

Linc was manning commu

dered h

in the area when sh

t night that the Cerveses

mpound by suspect

anaged that, she

eras again, she calcul

mer of hope. She was ac

’d be. Not

xactly safe once she ar

rves family had brutal

t wait to ask questio

or again, her jaw tighte

she heard power build i

her teeth and restraining

side of t

n’t bullet resistant a

eras and the sound of a

ner, had her using every

arder,

behind her, but the pi

ng just out of reach of

yet, and she was runnin

e prepared to shoot at the

gates would definite

renaline pumped fast an

r raced throu

nds on the steering whe

he didn’t dare take one

ears old, though, and C

the child co

year

d her young mind ever

ned t

y min

through the night

on the Runner was ed

hard, this fast,

Any minute she should s

ate like a damne

ed it earlier in th

Surely they w

they w

e estate w

ext rise, those lights

the Coyotes were firing

ad Chelsea quickly twist

er. The chance of a bulle

as no protecti

he estate, she could se

The gates weren’t openin

r side would be exposed

be easy t

metal of the Runner’s f

rd the gates, her teeth

If she could just make it

ugh

rves guards didn’

ed the Breed Undergrou

d BU on the front guard w

e dumbass just hoping to

and m

inging the mur

creamed above the soun

tightened around her, b

her night suit from the l

s cold

aiting for

a Cerves—the Blood Qu

l who still whimpered for

have wasn’t someth