Prowl the Night Read Online Free Page B

wheel to pat his lean belly, and Ciri had to wonder if food had always been plentiful for the non-shifter.
    Guilt slithered through her once more. She was railing against being taken from her home, when this man may not have had enough to eat. At least she had always had an opulent Pride roof over her head and enough food to sustain an army within easy reach. She swallowed and focused on something besides herself. “What were you doing there?”
    Ben pointed to a leather case in the backseat. “Taking pictures. That’s what I do.”
    â€œYou’re a photographer?” That piqued her interest, drew her attention from her own troubles. As a graphic designer, Ciri was always intrigued by what other artists did with their work.
    â€œPhotojournalist, specifically.” He gave her a glance that said he knew she was avoiding the topic of her stalker. “The shots I took are for a local newspaper. I’m heading out of town in a few weeks for a story in Bali.”
    â€œWho’s that for?”
    His broad shoulders shrugged, and she had to remind herself that he was a half-decade younger than her. He had turned twenty a month before—and Ciri only knew that much because she’d wandered into the kitchen when Isabel was making a cake for the occasion—but he seemed . . . older. The young man had ancient eyes. “A travel magazine. They want a big glossy spread.”
    â€œYou also take pictures for Andrea’s clothing line, don’t you?” Ciri had spent an entertaining evening with the fashion designer when she’d come to Tokyo for a fashion show. That Andrea was the Pride leader’s sister and was mated to Tomas’s cousin played into the political closeness of the two Prides. When he was younger, Antonio Cruz had served as Second in South America the way Tomas served as Second in North America now. Ciri didn’t pretend to understand the political intricacies and undertones that went along with leadership and heirs and Seconds. She was learning because she had to, but it wasn’t natural for her like it was for her mate. It made her head spin, and seemed much too dangerous a game to play.
    â€œYeah, I shoot for Andrea occasionally. I take the jobs that pay.” Ben made a sharp left turn and pulled up to the mansion’s front gate. “Here we are.”
    Seeing the Pride’s stronghold sent an enormous surge of relief coursing through her. She wanted to sink into that sense of safety, but could she really count on it here? She clenched her trembling fingers, took a breath, and fought the panic that had never abated since she’d come to San Francisco. Since she’d lost her husband’s attention—his love—leaving her alone.
    She glanced at Ben. “Thank you for helping me and thank you for the ride.”
    â€œNot a problem.” He reached out the car window and typed in a code on the keypad, then set his palm against a scanner. Several video cameras swiveled around to zero in on the vehicle. After a moment, the gate swung wide to admit them. “I hope you’re going to tell Antonio about what happened today. He’ll need to know for security reasons.”
    â€œOkay, thank you. Good-bye.” She didn’t wait to finish the pleasantries with Ben, though she knew she was being rude again. Fumbling for the door handle, she shot out of the Jeep the second it rocked to a halt.
    As wide as the distance seemed to be between her mate and her, she still wanted the protection of Tomas’s arms around her right now. She wanted to feel not so isolated, she wanted . . . what they’d had before politics had interfered in their marriage.
    She ran for the door of the sprawling mansion. The Pride’s ever-competent butler, Eva, swung the door open just as Ciri reached it. “Thank you.”
    She tossed the comment over her shoulder at the other woman as she hurried by, making a beeline straight for