Ice_Reaux - Laura Wright Page 0,7

his narrow backside and muscular thighs.

A part of her had always known he was a stunning creature. The male features that looked as if they’d been sculpted by the hands of an artist. The golden hair that brushed his wide shoulders. And the pale, pale eyes that glowed with the power of his cat.

But until this moment, she’d never allowed herself to savor the full impact of his savage beauty.

Dear Goddess, what was happening to her? She never felt all shivery when she was with Rage. Or any other male. So what was up with Ice?

Thankfully unaware of her weird reaction to his presence, Ice moved to stand at her side.

“You ready?” he demanded, smart enough not to suggest he take her bag. She appreciated good manners, but she was a Hunter. She could carry her own damned equipment.

“Yeah.” She headed toward the Jeep parked just down the road. “The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get back.”

With long strides, he was quickly walking at her side. “In a hurry?” he taunted in soft tones.

She glanced over her shoulder, her features softening as she recalled her last sight of Rage as he’d been standing guard over those Pantera who were sleeping in the communal center.

“We’re needed in the Wildlands,” she murmured.

She heard a low growl rumble in Ice’s chest. “You’re needed with me,” he snapped. “He’s with the person he needs at his side.”

Cammy flinched. Had he known she was thinking about Rage?

The suspicion was enough to stiffen her spine with humiliation.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said between gritted teeth, wrenching open the door of the vehicle and climbing into the passenger seat.

Only an idiot would think that Ice would let her drive.

A few seconds later Ice was settled behind the steering wheel, his hand reaching to start the engine. But instead of putting the vehicle in gear, he instead turned to study her with an unnerving intensity.

“Look, we’re going to have to work together, Cammy,” he said, his husky voice stroking over her like a caress. “Can you do that?”

Could she? In the enclosed space of the Jeep she could feel the zap of his intense energy racing over her skin. It was like standing in the center of an electric storm. And worse, her cat was continuing to try and reach out. As if it was longing to touch Ice’s animal.

It was only her stubborn pride that refused to admit she might be in over her head.

“I can if you can,” she found herself saying.

A slow, terrifyingly smug smile curved his lips.

“Which way?” he asked.

With an effort, Cammy forced herself to concentrate on the framed picture she held in her hands. She’d worry about Ice and her aggravating response to him later. For now, nothing mattered but tracking down Karen.

“North,” she murmured, focusing on the familiar sensation that tugged at her.

Without question, Ice put the vehicle in gear and turned onto the first road that headed north.

The thick darkness cloaked around them, but Ice didn’t turn on the headlights. Their cat eyes ensured they could see as well at night as during the day, and there was no point in attracting unwanted attention.

They traveled in silence, the Jeep churning through the muddy potholes. It wasn’t until they’d reached the paved road that led out of the wetlands that Ice glanced toward her with blatant curiosity. “How does your power work?”

Cammy didn’t mind the question. She’d never met another Pantera who had her unique gift, so it was understandable that someone who was working with her would want to know what to expect.

She far preferred that they just ask than to speculate behind her back.

“When I touch an object that’s emotionally connected to a person, I can sense where they are,” she said.

He returned his gaze to the road. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“Is it magic?”

Cammy shrugged. During her childhood there had been a rigorous effort to figure out where her gift came from. Now she refused any more testing. It didn’t matter where it came from, just that it worked when she needed it.

“No one really knows. I’ve been tested by the Healers, and even the elders, but no one has figured out the how or why,” she said.

He accepted the lack of explanation with a nod. “How close do you have to be to the person you’re searching for?”

“The farther they are away, the less accuracy I have,” she admitted. “I can tell the general direction, like a compass, but no specific address. As