Claimed (The Cull Book 1) Read online

  The invited were usually people in desperate circumstances: the destitute, the terminally ill, and the desperate. Which category did the enticing woman belong? Whichever, she certainly looked happy and healthy now.

  She went up on the balls of her feet. Her breasts gave a slight bounce as she dropped back on her heels. Braden grinned. Very healthy.

  The woman put her hands on her hips and sauntered over. She looked Braden up and down while tugging the side of her lower lip into her mouth. Finally, after a moment’s assessment, she asked, “Are you okay? You look like you swallowed a bug.”

  Oh, man. She had a sweet, southern accent, but not so Deep South he’d need a dentist. Some of the newly culled were shy about their bodies, but not this beauty. She acted completely unaware of her nakedness. “I’m Braden,” he said.

  The charming brunette held out her hand. “Eve. Eve Taylor.” A pulse of energy washed into Braden as she shook his hand with friendly enthusiasm. “Nice to meet you, Branden.”

  Braden inwardly groaned. It was never a good sign when a woman couldn’t get your name right. “It’s Braden,” he said again.

  “All right,” Eve smiled. She hadn’t let go of his hand. “Braden.”

  “Eve!” a man shouted. Braden and Eve both looked. Tom Ellis, a first generation, stood outside the den where Eve had emerged. He was a broad man, built like a heavy weight boxer.

  Braden ground his teeth as an unnatural fury surfaced. His fingernails turned to claws and cut through his fisted palms. Had Tom and Eve shared a den? The thought made him sick to his stomach. Tom worked in law enforcement in the human world—no stranger to violence and death. Braden was a teacher. Ellis had a reputation for getting exactly what he wanted when he wanted it. What chance did Braden stand up against such a hardcore beast?

  “I guess I better go,” Eve said, looking over her shoulder to Tom.

  With surprising speed, Braden grabbed her wrist before she could leave. “Are you mated to him?” He punctuated his question with a growl. He should have sensed her as claimed or mated, but she didn’t feel tethered… to anyone.

  Eve narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “Ellis.” Braden could barely control his reaction. Fuck! He could feel Ellis’s glare almost burning his skin, but he couldn’t stop himself. He wanted Eve—wanted her to the point of stupidity. He had to know if he had any chance with the dark-haired beauty. “Tom Ellis. Is he your mate? Have you…”

  Eve yanked her arm away from Braden before he could say more. “Don’t be crude. Of course I haven’t--” She waved her hand dismissively. “He’s my sponsor.”

  The word “sponsor” took Braden aback. “As in AA?”

  She snorted. “You’re funny.”

  “Eve!” Ellis barked her name like an order.

  “Sorry,” she smiled apologetically. “I told Tom I’d go for a run.” Eve took Braden’s hand, her fingertips lightly dancing on his palms. “Maybe I’ll see you ‘round later.”

  She jogged backwards a few steps, her cheekbones widening as her nose and mouth began to protrude, and her eyes shifted from dark blue to the color of a clear sky. Within seconds her muscles began to ripple as a layer of fur sprouted smooth and thick over her entire body. In wolf form, she was a rich cream color with touches of brown, black, and white with the thickest concentration of brown around the crown of her head.

  She glanced at Braden once before taking off in a brisk lope into the woods. Ellis didn’t immediately follow. Instead, he approached Braden as soon as Eve was out of sight.

  Ellis was a tall man, at least six feet four inches—a good three inches taller than Braden. Even more intimidating, he was nearly twice as wide, all beefed up with workout muscle. No wonder, he looked astonished when Braden didn’t flinch.

  The big man pointed a finger at Braden’s chest. “Go near Eve again and I’ll take you out, Jackson.”

  Anger overrode Braden’s good sense. “She said you two aren’t mated.”

  Tom Ellis’s face turned ruddy and his mouth thinned. The veins on his necks bulged and twitched as he clenched his fists. “I plan to remedy that real soon.”

  A knot tightened in Braden’s chest over Ellis’s declaration—something so sinister in the way he’d said remedy. Before Braden could respond, Ellis turned on his heel, transformed into a large gray wolf, and raced into the dense woods. A half second later, Braden was out of his jeans and tracking after him.

  About the Author

  Award-winning author Reneé George has been a medic, a nurse, a website designer, a small press editor, an artist, and a teacher, but writing is her true passion. Reneé loves creating stories about sexy alpha men (BEST JOB EVER!). She and her family live in a small, mid-western town, sharing their home with two dogs and a very independent cat.

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  More Books by Renee George @ Amazon.com

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  Claimed

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  Dying for a White Christmas

  Gay Erotic Short Stories

  Cock&Tails Series

  The WallBanger #1

  The Hot Toddy #2

  The Gin Rickey #3

  Gay Erotic Multi-Author Collection

  Halloween Heat M/M (ebook)

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