The Claimed Read Online Free

the local roller girl team hopped and danced along the sidelines, cheering for their favorite skaters as they looped around the flat oval delineated on the floor. Young couples, both hetero and gay, were out for a night of fun, as well as retired folk seeking inexpensive entertainment.
    Her friend Sammie was one of the skaters speeding around the oval, nimbly threading through the sea of fellow skaters. Her skills and athletic ability far surpassed those of the other women on the flat track, making her a very popular skater, judging from the cheers every time her name was mentioned as the commentator reported on the action.
    Victoria was equally impressed as Sammie elbowed her way past much larger opponents. When Sammie feinted around one, her friend seemed to become a blur of light that zipped past the hulking blocker to rack up points for the home team.
    Victoria closed her eyes to refocus, just to make sure she had really seen that almost inhuman blur, but by then Sammie had cleared the last obstacle, which brought an end to that jam.
    Gracefully Sammie skated over to where Victoria sat with Rafael, Jan, and Jan’s fiancé, Josh. When Jan hadn’t been busy bursting eardrums with screams in support of Sammie, she had been blathering about all the things she had to do now that she and Josh were engaged.
    Unfortunately, some of those things included having Victoria and Sammie try on dresses, help pick flowers, and do an assortment of other chores that had never occurred to Victoria. In Hunter circles, unions were accomplished with much more simplicity. However, it was difficult not to get caught up in the infectiousness of Jan’s almost manic planning. Even harder not to imagine what it might be like to be able to marry for love and not because of obligation.
    Luckily Sammie’s arrival on the floor directly below their row put a hold on Jan’s wedding talk. At least temporarily.
    “How’d I do?” her friend asked with a broad grin as she ripped off her brightly colored helmet and ruffled her short-cropped cocoa-colored hair. It was damp from her exertions and a slight sheen of sweat glowed on Sammie’s skin.
    “You were amazing,” Victoria answered with a playful lilt in her voice. In truth, Sammie always amazed her. There was a vibrant energy around her friend that was extraordinary for a human. Victoria had wondered often if there wasn’t some Hunter in her friend, given Sammie’s strength, intelligence, and athleticism. She hoped that intime she’d be able to confirm that and if so, include Sammie in the plans for her Hunter clan.
    “Truly interesting,” Rafael responded, clearly bemused by Sammie and her enthusiasm.
    His comment deepened the exercise-induced flush on her friend’s cheeks. “Thanks, Rafael. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
    The loud tweet of a whistle and the shout of her name ripped Sammie away from them and back to the skating oval. As she roller-skated away, her powerful legs propelling her into action, Victoria leaned over and whispered to Rafael. “See. Not all humans are puny and weak.”
    “Just most,” he mumbled beneath his breath as he scrutinized the individuals gathered around the convention hall, seemingly bemused by their activities.
    “So you wouldn’t be interested in a date with Sammie? I could arrange it, you know.”
    That seemed to pique his interest for a moment, until he asked, “You can command her as well?”
    Victoria elbowed her captain playfully. “Come on, Rafael. You know better, or has it been so long since you’ve mingled with humans that you’ve forgotten?”
    Hurt blossomed across his features and he dipped his head down, avoiding her gaze as she tried to decipher his expression. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
    “I am your captain, Victoria. You are my one and only responsibility and even though you may not always see me…”
    He was always there. That she found his protectiveness kind of stalkerish worried her that maybe she was becoming too