title: Hunter Claimed
author: Griffin, A.M.
description: When Hunter and Asha's worlds collide, neither is able to walk away from the other.
  Asha has a simple plan for her life--her hopefully soon-to-be immortal life. All she's ever wanted was to be so powerful that no one could ever hurt her again, and once she becomes a Vampire her dream will come true. Sure, being a Vampire's protégé isn't the easiest job a girl could have, but there are far tougher roads she could be walking, like following in her drug-addicted mother's footsteps.
  Hunter Arany hates Vampires, and with good reason. So when Dark Wolf Enterprises is forced to hire a group of the blood-suckers to find out who's been stealing company money, he's sure having them around will be a problem. He never figured it would the Vampires' human servant who causes him the most trouble--trouble of the love and life-mate kind.
  He's hoping to convince Asha a brighter future exists in his arms, but old dreams fade slowly and can become living nightmares--of the dying kind.
  "You almost got me killed," she announced.
  He turned away from one of the screens he watched to frown at her. "Huh?"
  "Stepping between me and Clarissa yesterday then leaving paw prints all over the property. I know it was you."
  He leaned back in his chair and watched her. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. And you shouldn't be upset that I stopped a mad Vampire from breaking the rest of your fingers."
  Ash narrowed her eyes. "You don't understand how Vampires work," she bit out.
  "I know plenty, which is why you shouldn't be anywhere near them. You're human."
  She lifted her chin. "I can handle myself."
  He glanced at her injured hand. "Right."
  She stabbed the air with her finger. "You think you know everything, but you don't. No one is making me stay with them. I'm with them because I want to--"
  "Be one of them."
  She could feel her temperature rising. "And what's so bad about that?"
  "Nothing if you enjoy feeding off blood."
  "It's a necessity."
  Hunter got up and crossed the short distance between them. He put a hand on the side of her head and tilted it to view her neck. "No bite marks." He sounded surprised.
  She pulled out of his grasp and stepped away until her back hit the door. "They don't bite me there." She knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as the words left her lips.
  He stepped up to her. Their bodies were almost touching. "Where do they bite you, Ash?" he asked in a low voice.
  She couldn't find the words to say anything. He smelled so good--outdoorsy and fresh. She breathed in deeper, filling her lungs with the scent of man.He lifted her hand and turned over her wrist. "Do they bite you here?"
  She didn't like to be touched. She hated it. But she welcomed his hands on her skin. She wanted him to touch her more. "S-sometimes."
  He ran his fingers up to the soft side of her elbow. Heat erupted on her skin in their wake. "How about here?"
  She shook her head and her messenger bag dropped from her hand. He went to her hip and she inhaled a sharp breath at the tingling sensation that he caused.He used his hand to travel down her hip and stopped at the juncture of her groin."Here?"
  "Y-yes."
  "You have to hand it to them," he said, his voice deep and raspy. "They know where the liquid is...sweetest."