Hunting Evil by Carol Lynne Page A

gun still in her grip, Lauren tried to clear her vision and aim at the still roaring cougar.
    Lauren managed to fire. She barely missed Armand’s shifted shape. Before she could squeeze off her last dart, the animal pounced, pinning her to the rocky ground and knocking the gun from her hand.
    She tried to think fast. Would she be better off shifting or trying to reason with him? “Dad?”
    The cougar’s face came within an inch of hers and screamed again, nearly breaking her eardrums.
    “Please, talk to me?” she asked. Lauren felt the still-intact syringe taped to her arm. She just needed to distract him enough to ease off her shoulders.
    “You owe me that much, Daddy.” The words caused bile to rise in her throat as she said them.
    The cougar opened its mouth and took Lauren’s thin neck between its teeth. She tried not to breathe. She was afraid the slightest movement would cause one of the sharp fangs to penetrate an artery.
    Armand held her there for what seemed like hours. Lauren knew it was his way of establishing dominance. She also knew her time was running out. The longer he held her, the deeper his fangs bit into her tender skin.
    “Please,” she rasped.
    Armand bit even deeper. Lauren felt a sticky wetness running from the wound.
    For the second time in her life, Lauren thought she was going to die. The syringe pressed against her skin. If only she could get to it.
    As she prepared for the end, Armand was knocked sideways. Lauren felt his sharp teeth drag across her neck, inflicting even more damage.
    A split second later, she heard the shot. Without giving herself a chance to pass out, Lauren rolled. Pushing up her sleeve, she grabbed the syringe and ripped it from its protective restraint.
    Holding a hand to her neck, she tried to focus. The beast was trying to reach the tranquilizer dart buried in his side, snapping at it with his teeth.
    It’s now or never. Stumbling over as fast as she could, she plunged the syringe into the cougar’s neck. Armand let out a cry and swiped at her with his deadly claws.
    She felt the blow to her face as the impact threw her to the ground. Stunned, she lifted a hand to her cheek. After a quick feel of the torn flesh, she shifted, knowing she had nothing to lose.
    If she happened to survive the deep cuts on her neck, Lauren knew she’d be disfigured. In cougar form, she dragged herself over to Armand. Two doses of the tranquilizer had done the job. Although awake and fighting mad, his body wouldn’t cooperate.
    With barely enough strength to lift her head, Lauren wrapped Armand’s neck in her jaw. As she struggled to clamp down, her humanity rose to the surface.
    She warred with herself for several seconds. Would she be any better if she took his life like this? If she didn’t, how many more would die at his hands? As her teeth punctured the flesh under his fur, Lauren pulled back.
    Shifting back into human form, she looked at the only blood relative she had left. “Why?”
    The cougar’s eyes met hers, and for a brief moment, Lauren swore she saw remorse.
    She heard running feet coming up the side of the hill as the cougar under her shifted. Lauren looked down at her father, knowing she couldn’t kill him like this.
    Armand’s eyes flashed with anger. “You’re mine. You’ve always been mine.”
    Lauren closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. “I was your child, not your mate.” She was becoming increasingly weak and found it difficult to keep her eyes open.
    “Look at you. Even if you survive, no one will ever want you.” Armand choked out a laugh.
    “Wrong answer,” Vince said. He knelt at Lauren’s side and scooped her up into his arms. “I’ll always want you,” he said to her.
    Unable to hold up her head, Lauren moaned.
    She heard York’s deep voice talking to Vince.
    “Finish him,” Vince growled.
    “You can’t,” she mumbled. “Only me. He’ll heal himself.”
    “Shhh, rest. I’ll get you home.” Vince cradled her