Page 9 of Sanctuary

“So do I,” Eric replied with a confident smile. “Now.”

“I think I like you.” Gemma laughed, not sure if it was the beer or just him possibly getting one over on Lance that made the laugh escape and her heart a little lighter.

“Good.” Eric grinned.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Gemma finally said. “Who are you and why are you at my sanctuary?”

Eric waited for a long minute before answering, his stare so intense that Gemma couldn’t look away if she wanted to. “I’m looking for someone.” He took his phone once again. “And we have information that he came through this way. When I heard about your place, my brothers and I wanted to see if he came through here.”

“Why are you looking for him?” Gemma had a feeling it wasn’t for a happy reunion from the way Eric’s eyes narrowed, his lips thinning into a frown at her question.

“He raped two members of my pack,” Eric growled. “No one comes in and rapes our women.”

Gemma’s heart sank at his words. She couldn’t imagine what those women went through and she prayed he found the person responsible. “I’m sorry,” Gemma replied, not knowing what else to say. She was seeing this man in a new light. The vehemence in his voice tuned her in to who this man really was. He was an alpha who took his responsibility of protection very seriously for anyone under his care. She felt a little tug, wishing that maybe… no, wishing got her nowhere. “I know you’ll find him and make him pay for what he’s done.”

“Yes, I will.” Eric glared at his phone. “I’ve got a photo of him, but it’s not real clear. His name is Foster Manning, but I seriously doubt he would use his real name since he knows he’s being hunted.”

“Let me see.” Inside of wishing for what would never be, she held out her hand, hoping she could help. She took the phone as she asked another question. “Are you the alpha of your pack?”

“Yes.” Eric nodded, then frowned. “For a human, you sure know a lot about my kind.”

“Yes, I do,” she answered without apology. Her eyes landed on the picture of the man he was searching for. He was right; the picture wasn’t very clear, but she knew she hadn’t seen him. “I’m sorry, but he doesn’t look familiar.” She was relieved that she hadn’t seen this man, knowing what she knew about him. But she was upset that she couldn’t help Eric.

Eric grunted, taking his phone back. “It was a long shot.”

“How long ago did this happen?” Gemma glanced over at Luna’s enclosure. She needed to go check on her, but that could wait for a second.

“Close to a week.” Eric frowned as he also followed Gemma’s gaze. “Her time is close. You do know that, don’t you?”

Biting her lip, Gemma nodded. “Yeah, I know.” With that, she stood and began clearing the table. She was surprised when she turned in her small kitchen and he stood with empty beer bottles. They were so close with only the bottles separating them. Slowly, Gemma looked up, her eyes landing on his lips and wondered briefly what they would feel like against hers.

Wow, she must be crazy. She’d only met this man today, and already she wanted to kiss him. Was she that hard up? Yes. The answer to that question was a definite yes.

“Sorry.” She took the bottles from him and dodged around him, needing to escape whatever in the hell was building between them.

Escaping the heat of the house, they stepped back outside. The night was muggy but felt much better than inside. Gemma leaned against the railing. “I really hope you find that man and make him pay for what he did.”

“I will on both counts.” Eric’s answer was spoken with such confidence that Gemma had no doubt the man he searched for was a dead man.

“Listen, you’re more than welcome to stay for as long as you need to,” Gemma added, not really knowing what else to say. She couldn’t beg him to stay like she surprisingly wanted to do. The thought shocked her a little.

“I plan on staying tonight to make sure trouble doesn’t come back for you.” He headed toward the steps. “If you need anything, I’ll be at my SUV.”

As Gemma watched him retreat, she had a sudden urge to run after him. Not wanting to be foolish, she restrained herself, and instead called out, “Thank you, Eric.” She watched as he stopped and glanced at her from over his shoulder. “For today. I never thanked you.”

“You’re welcome, Gemma,” he replied with a slight bow of his head and then disappeared into the growing darkness.

Gemma felt a twinge of sadness as she was left alone. She almost called him back, but stopped herself. She barely knew this man and yet, it felt like she had known him all her life. How could that be?

Chapter 7

Eric lay on the ground with his head on his bag, staring at the sky. This was his favorite time of night, quiet with no one around but the night animals looking for prey, and the stars. Except tonight, the alone part wasn’t sitting too well with him. His mind was full of Gemma Stone. The sooner he made her his, the better for them both.

He knew it was different with humans, but he could sense her attraction to him, and that was a start. For a shifter, once their mate was found, it was instant. He couldn’t really say it was love at first sight, but it was definitely an instant attraction that one could not deny.

He felt her before he heard her soft footsteps. He lay still, only moving his eyes in the direction he knew she was coming. Soon she was a silhouette, her head turning as if searching for something.

“Eric?” she whispered, moving closer to him. With the moon hidden behind a cloud, it was pitch-black. The undertones of worry in her voice had him sitting up.

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