Claimed (The Cull Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

eyes widened and the edges of his mouth softened. He
caressed her cheek, his fingers tracing the edge of her ear. “Then watch him
live.”
    “What?” His words startled her. She’d spent four years
fighting cancer. Four years of coming to terms with death. She’d left nothing
unsaid between her and Sam. His life would go on without her.
    “Watch him live.” His mouth moved over her lips, brushing
them with a light kiss. “You’re so focused on him dying. You forget he’s only
twenty-one years old, Anna. He still has years ahead of him. Years of falling
in love, getting married, having a career, buying a home, having children—all
these wonderful things will happen for Sam, and you, well, you won’t be around
because you’re too afraid it will hurt when old age finally takes him.”
    Anna gasped as a sob broke from her chest. She couldn’t stop
the tears streaming down her cheeks. Was Conor right? How many times had she
wished she could be around to witness Sam become a man? Conor was offering her
exactly what she needed. Time. Could she make this choice? The choice to live?
    “Yes.” The word, full of emotion, bypassed her brain as it
tumbled from her lips. “Yes, I want you to change me. Make me a part of this
cull,” she said clearly, so they would both know she meant it.

 
    The Challenge
    Conor’s stomach flipped and his palms began to sweat. He’d
longed to hear her say “yes.” Prayed she would say “yes.” But never in his
existence had he really believed she would. Anna Davis was the most stubborn
woman he’d ever had the pleasure of knowing. Her curvaceous figure and ample
breasts might have been what he first noticed about Anna, but her conviction to
her ideals had been the reason he’d fallen in love with her.
    He’d kept his expectations low, having been resolved to the
idea he would probably have to go on without her in this world. But she’d said
“yes.”
    “Are you sure?” Mentally, he kicked himself in the ass for
not just sinking his teeth into her, but he didn’t want Anna to feel coerced.
He wanted to make sure she was certain. “If you say yes again, I won’t give you
another option.”
    His gut clamped into a contracted ball as he waited for her
to respond.
    She leaned back far enough for him to see her large brown
eyes blink once. Her lips parted in a soft sigh. “Yes, Conor Evans. Yes.”
    Conor had never been a sappy or sentimental man, but he
wanted to roar his joy loud enough to shake the trees. Instead, he pulled Anna
close again. “Oh Anna, my Anna. My love,” he murmured, his cheek pressed to
hers. “I’ve waited so long.”
    “Will it hurt?” Her lips brushed his jaw. “I want this,
Conor. Mostly, I want you. But I’m scared.”
    “I’ll make it as quick and painless as I can. The pain
fades.” He kissed her neck, nipping lightly as she tensed in his grasp. He
would have to partially shift in order for the bite to be effective. It was one
of the reasons they usually gave the chosen a sedative before proceeding. The
actual change took twenty-four to forty-eight hours to complete, and the
transformed human felt a burn as the lycanosapian’s bite and blood destroyed
and rebuilt their DNA structure.
    “You should let me give you something to help you sleep
through the process. It will make things easier.”
    Anna’s mouth quirked into a simple smile. “Aren’t you the
one who accused me of always taking the easy route? No, Conor. If I’m going to
do this, I’m doing it with my eyes wide open. No sleeping through a minute of
my life. Not anymore.”
    Looking deep into her eyes, he tried to pour all the love
and pride he felt into his gaze. He gently kissed her, pulling her into an
embrace. “I’ve dreamed of this moment, Anna. I’ve dreamed of you so long. I
can’t believe you’re finally in my arms.”
    She climbed his chest, taking his mouth in a fierce kiss of
possession. Where their skin touched heat blossomed. When her fingers