Hunted Read Online Free PDF Page A

Dr. Stefan Kincade. Think of him as not only the clan’s doctor but our conscience as well. He’s my uncle and one of my closest advisors. I trust him with my life and promise you can trust him with yours."
    I looked from Matt to Stefan and back again. Matt’s meaning was clear. He would not reveal my identity to Stefan but he hoped I would. I had already taken a huge risk telling him who I was. Did I dare trust yet another stranger with my identity?
    Did I really have any choice? Our kind usually heals very quickly. But I could feel where my back still seeped blood from where the barbed projectiles of the taser had sunk into my flesh. Worse, they felt inflamed, as if something had tainted the barbs and was now preventing my system from healing. I would be foolish to turn down treatment from one who was familiar with shape-changer physiology.
    "Doctor, my name's Meg Finley." I waited for recognition to show on his face. Either he didn't recognize my name or he was a very good actor. No matter which, I felt better about telling him who I was. "My friends call me Finn."
    "Well, Finn, I'm pleased to meet you. I’d be very interested in knowing why a nice alpha female like you was being hunted and why you hadn't told Matt you were in town." There was no hint of censure in his voice, but I still felt as if I'd just had my knuckles rapped. "But that can wait until I’ve had a look at your injuries. I'm sure Matt has more than enough to keep him busy while we're gone."
    With that, he held out one hand and waited until I took it. Then he helped me to my feet. As we slowly walked out of the kitchen, he told Matt that he was going to take me into the guest room. We would be back when we were back. Until then, Matt might want to consider calling Gillespie and having him make sure security was in place not only here but at my place.
    Matt’s only response was to lift one eyebrow. I shrugged and rattled off the address for my apartment. Before he could ask, I dug in my pocket and then tossed him my keys. As I did, I remembered my backpack. I doubted it was still there but, if it was, I wanted it, if for no other reason than I’d like to have my cell phone and laptop back. When I asked if he could have someone look for it, Matt nodded and promised they’d do their best to find it.
    Five minutes later, I lay face down on a wide bed in a room off the kitchen. The fact I was completely nude and a stranger was poking and prodding didn’t matter. All I cared about was that he was, hopefully, going to make the pain go away. Since I’d started shifting when I was thirteen, I’d been injured more than most people would be in their entire lifetimes. It was part of our culture. You fought for your place in pack or pride. You hunted with the full moon and often the prey didn’t take kindly to becoming dinner. But I’d long ago learned that only the worst injuries took more than a few hours to heal enough to be almost forgotten, at least the pain of them. This constant neural firing I’d suffered since being hit by the taser, as well as the burning pain that seemed to be getting worse with each passing minute, was something new and something I could do without.
    Stefan’s bedside manner was gentle and reassuring. He spoke softly, explaining what he was going to do before he did it. In a lot of ways, he reminded me of how my father used to act around horses. He would talk to them, gentling them with voice and hands. I didn’t know the term then, but now I realize he was what folks might call a horse whisperer. Of course, he could do it with almost any animal--or shape-changer. It was a valuable skill for a clan leader.
    “This might hurt a bit,” Stefan warned just before he did something to one of the places where the probes had hit.
    Pain flared and nausea rose. Tears filled my eyes. I’d have cursed except I was afraid to open my mouth. Instead, my hands fisted on the sheet under me and I whimpered weakly.
    “Easy, child.” A