Forbidden by Cathy Clamp Page B

we’ve had the best trackers in town looking for those kids. Four separate Ascension champions have searched a dozen miles in every direction. What can we do that they couldn’t?” Ray looked as frustrated as Alek felt.
    He felt himself shrug. “I don’t know, Ray. I just—”
    â€œAlek! Hey, bro!”
    Alek turned and saw her. He couldn’t seem to tear himself away from the startling blue eyes walking toward him. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. She smiled under her crown of bandages and his heart began to race. A surge of adrenaline that made it hard to stand still. But he didn’t want to scare her, so he just smiled and said, “Hey.”
    The blonde’s smile broadened until little crinkles appeared at the corner of her eyes. “Hey yourself.”
    â€œYou doin’ okay?” He couldn’t help himself—he ran his fingers along the white gauze that wrapped her head. “Those were pretty bad punctures,” he said, frowning. “They’re starting to bleed through. You need to see Marilyn.”
    Was it his imagination or did she lean into his touch a little? All he knew was that her eyes were firmly on his, making his heart beat even faster. Surely she must be able to see his pulse trying to jump out of his neck.
    â€œWe were just headed there.”
    His fingers lingered for a moment on the silky strands of her hair. He inhaled deeply, drawing in the scents of soft fur, musk, and flowery perfume. In the background, he heard someone speaking, as though far away. “Oh, the swelling? It should go down in a day or two. Thanks for asking. No, no. It’s okay, I don’t need any help. Alek? Hello!”
    Oh. Good point. “That’s right, we haven’t officially met. I’m Alek. Alek Siska.” He lowered his hand to take hers, marveling at the coolness of her fingers. As his other senses returned, he noticed the woman was wearing just a short-sleeved T-shirt and form-fitting black jeans. And what a form they fit. Goose bumps rose on her arm, making the nearly invisible hairs stand on end. A swift glance told him she had no jacket. “Are you cold?”
    She shook her head, then sent shivers through him when she twined her fingers with his. “I’m a wolf. It’s a great temperature. I’m Claire Sanchez. Nice to meet you, Alek. And thank you; I probably wouldn’t be alive if not for you.”
    â€œClaire. That’s a nice name.” Didn’t he already know that? It felt like he’d heard it before. Claire . Solid and real. A blush came to her cheeks along with a small, almost shy smile.
    A low chuckle sounded in the distance, followed by, “Don’t bother, Dani. He can’t hear you. Can’t take his eyes off her. C’mon, I’ll give you a lift to the station to get your purse and bags.”
    The voices faded, and then there was just the sound of her breathing and the pounding of his heart. Heart. That was the shape of her face. It didn’t seem like a wolf’s face but her scent confirmed her nature: some sort of sweet, musky wolf. “I’m just glad I was there. You had me worried for a while. I thought you might have given up. Gray?”
    She squeezed his fingers and gave a quick shake of her head. “Red, from Texas. I almost had. Given up, that is. But you were persistent.” She paused and shrugged one shoulder. “I like that. Persistence.”
    â€œAlways.” He couldn’t help but smile again but at the edge of his vision, he noticed the spot of red on her head was bigger. Now he smelled the blood and urgency pushed him to look up and around for the quickest route. “We need to get you to Marilyn to take a look at that. The bleeding’s getting worse.” She reached up and touched the red spot. She winced and he felt a moment of panic speed his heart as he turned her toward the medical clinic. “C’mon,