Page 24 of Hunted by Them (Primal Desires #1)

She covered her mouth and forehead. “Thank God you came along when you did. I didn’t know that the rangers patrolled all night.” She leaned forward, putting her hands on her knees. “Oh my God, what am I going to do. The police are never going to believe me,” she mumbled.

I touched her shoulder and waited until she locked eyes with me before I smirked.

“It’s okay, Sweet Daisy,” I growled like I had that night. My voice low and steady, the ranger badge heavy on my chest, but as her eyes grew wide, I knew that was no longer what she saw. “We’ll take care of him for you.”

Eyes wide, lips parted. “You…it’s you.”

I pulled the antler free of Connor’s shoulder and stared at the blood dripping off the tip in the moonlight.

Wiping it off on Conner’s jacket, I tucked it into my back pocket.

Pulling out my cuffs, I yanked his arms behind his back and locked the cuffs around his wrists.

He groaned weakly, but he wasn’t going anywhere.

“You’re safe.”

Her chest heaved, eyes darting from Connor’s crumpled form to me, then back.

“You’re…a ranger. You…you were at my car when I woke up.”

I didn’t say anything while she put all the pieces together on her own.

“Then, when I came back. We spoke, why didn’t I recognize your voice…I’m so pissed. Of course, you’re park rangers. You’re all rangers, right?”

I nodded

“Oh my god. You know the forest like the back of your hand, all the animals, and who was here and who was gone. Jesus…”

Sweet Daisy poked me in the chest and glared. It was fucking adorable. Staring at her furious face and messy hair, with bits of leaves tangled throughout, was turning me on.

“You broke into my apartment and…”

I wrapped my hand around her neck and pushed back until the large tree stopped our movement. I trapped her as I had while chasing her. Her breath hitched. I let out a growl as I nipped at her bottom lip.

“I remember exactly what I did.”

Sweet Daisy licked her lips, eyes blown with desire, but she was trying to pretend she wasn’t affected. I traced her jaw with my lips all the way to her ear. I soaked in the way she trembled. She wasn’t fighting me or trying to get away. There was no fear.

“I remember you asking me to stay. You even used the word, please,” I whispered.

“Are you going to kill me? Now that I’ve seen your face.”

I chuckled. Instead of answering right away, I kissed her hard. Sage opened her mouth, letting me taste her sweet flavor. The dark scents of the night were creeping into my system. The wolf howling in the distance only fed my need for her.

Breaking the kiss, I slowly shook my head.

“No, Sweet Daisy. I’m going to do what I should’ve done in the first place and claim you as mine forever.”

“What does that mean?”

I glanced around at the forest, and she followed my gaze. “This is your home now. It’s either us or death. We gave you the opportunity to move on, but here you are back in my grasp, and I can’t let you go now.”

“Why? Why me?”

“Because your soul calls to mine,” I stated, softly, and meant it.

We were the same coin, just opposite sides. She balanced us out in a way that I hadn’t seen coming but was determined to keep.

“Try to deny it. Say you don’t feel it, but I’ll know that you’re lying. I can see it in your eyes, as easily as staring into a mirror. We were always meant to be. I told you that you were mine. I fucking meant it.”

Sweet Daisy locked eyes with me, running her lip between her teeth.

“I can’t deny it. So…you’re the buck?”

The corner of my mouth tilted up. “Among other things. Name’s Ryder Ward.”

She shivered, her hands gripping my uniform shirt.

“You make me want to rip your clothes off and claim you right now,” I groaned.

She looked down at Connor, but didn’t say anything before she kissed me hard and rubbed her body against mine.

I was ready to pounce. The snap of a twig broke the kiss, and we turned toward the noise.

There, standing in the center of the clearing, bathed in moonlight, was the largest buck I’d ever seen.

We held still as he lifted his nose into the air, then snorted.

The steam from this nose rose into the night.

Connor coughed, and just like that, the buck turned and darted into the dark forest once more.

I glared at the man on the ground. Of course, he’d ruined the special moment.

“Grab your pack,” I said, and she quickly picked it up and swung it over her shoulder.

With a growl, I hauled Connor upright by the cuffs and directed him toward the trail. Each step was a battle not to crush his skull and be done with it.

Sage followed like a shadow, her boots crunching leaves, her hand lightly touching my back like she thought I might disappear. I was never leaving her again, and she was never leaving me. Call me possessive, I didn’t fucking care. Sage Harlow…my Sweet Daisy, was mine.

We stepped out of the bush and onto the main trail where I’d left the truck.

“What the hell are you going to do with me? Don’t you know who I am? My father will eat you alive.”

I looked at Sage. “Does he always talk this much?”

“Yes, he’s always annoying,” she sighed, crossing her arms.

“Bitch…” Connor spat.

I spun Connor around and pushed him up against the back of the truck, my knife to his throat.

“Call her that one more time and I’m going to carve your tongue out of your mouth and watch you choke on your blood.”

Connor was used to puffing his chest out and pounding it to get whatever he wanted. He liked to pretend that he was an alpha male. Out here…he was nothing.

“Do you understand?”

Connor nodded, fear in his eyes.

“Good.”

Then I punched him so hard that blood flew from his mouth and he collapsed, knocked out.

“No one talks to my Sweet Daisy like that.”

I dropped the tailgate and picked up the ignorant ass. Tossing him into the bed of the truck, I didn’t care that he was in a weird and uncomfortable position. He was nothing but trash. I slammed the gate shut.

Sage stood beside me, her face streaked with dirt, but her chin lifted like a queen. She looked at Connor, then at me.

“What happens now?”

I rested a hand on her shoulder, my mask and claws heavy in my mind.

“Now, Sweet Daisy…you let us handle him.”

Her lips parted, but she didn’t dispute it and gave a single nod.

The forest finally exhaled, letting me know the threat was contained.

The hunt hadn’t ended. No, it was far from over.

The fun had only just begun.