Wanted By The Cowboy Tiger (Heroes of Shifter Creek 3) Read Online Free PDF

it, but by handing Krista a death sentence, she had inflicted one upon herself. Their people would never tolerate it.
                  The choice was either to destroy Bridget now, or let them both die.
                  “I’m sorry,” Derek said to Bridget, his heart wrenching as her face fell. “Forgive me.”
                  Full of remorse, he changed, transforming into a tiger, his fur thick and mighty around his neck.
                  Realizing his intentions, Bridget turned as well. As a tigress, she was quick and agile, like an assassin, but she would be no match against his bulk.
                  They clashed in the air, beast against beast. Bridget swiped at him, and her claws dug across his back. It was painful, but not as painful as knowing he had to destroy his friend, as if their nights drinking around the campfire and long hours spent herding cattle meant nothing to him.
                  She prepared to swipe again, as he knew she would. Her claws were her best defense. When she pulled her front leg back, he jolted forward and grabbed the scruff of her neck with his teeth. All he had to do was clamp down....
                  To his surprise, Bridget transformed back into her human form and slipped out of his hold. She was pleased with herself, but it had nothing to do with evading death.
                  Krista was gone, her car nowhere to be seen. This had been Bridget’s plan all along – to distract him while Krista ran.
                  Relinquishing, Derek transformed back as well.
                  There was no point killing Bridget now. She would not let the others find out that Krista knew, for her own sake. She did not want Krista dead. She just wanted her gone.
    All of their lives were safe, but he had lost the love of his.
     
    ***
                 

 
    Chapter Five
                 
    Three Months Later
    Krista
                               
                  In her apartment in the city, Krista sat upon her bed, surrounded by stylish pillows that cascaded down around her, and looked at the artifact she held in her hand. It was a locket, but it held no photo inside. There had been one. A faded edge of one was trapped in the hinge, the photo itself likely torn out long ago.
                  “I have to go back,” Krista said out loud.
                  The mystery still taunted her, invading her waking and slumbering thoughts, but her reasons to go back to the desert valley far surpassed her desire to figure out what happened to the lost settlers. She placed a hand over her growing stomach, knowing that the baby who grew inside may possess a very special ability.
     
    ***
     
                 

Nothing about the desert had changed since Krista had left, running from the secret Bridget had revealed, running from the enemy that was also her lover. That was the beauty of the desert. It was a time stamp, reminding the modern to revere the past, even when the future was so uncertain.
                  Krista pulled into the ranch. It was unkempt, losing the wonder it had before. The horses were huddled into their stables, the feed in their coral trays growing mold. The statue of the mustang in the courtyard was tarnished. It felt… defeated.
                  Taking a deep breath, knowing her life would never be the same, Krista left her smart car, ready to reveal her own secret to Derek, a secret that would soon enter the world.
                  “Derek!” she called from the courtyard. “We need to talk!”
                  Derek did not answer her call, but someone did.
                  Bridget.
                  “What are you doing here?” the redhead snapped, emerging from the main building.
                  “That’s a