by Laura Wright
Still struggling to get her arms free so she could no doubt punch him in the face, Ashe at last gave a hiss of frustration.
“Dammit, let me down.”
“Not until we’re safe.”
“Safe from what?”
He met her narrowed black eyes, knowing nothing he said was going to make her happy.
“I’m not sure.”
“You’re dragging me naked through town in the middle of the night and you’re not sure why?”
“That about sums it up.”
“Sums it up?” She kicked her feet in fury. “Take me back to the hotel.”
“Not a chance in hell.”
“I’ll scream. I—” She bit off her words as he reached the outskirts of town, jogging along the edge of the swamp before heading straight for The Cougar’s Den. “Why did you bring me here?”
He ignored her question, heading up the back stairs and slamming his fist against the steel door.
There was a tense wait as security checked him out on the monitors, then the door was finally shoved open to reveal a furious Bayon.
“What the hell are you doing?” the younger Pantera snarled, glaring at the female in Raphael’s arms.
Raphael stepped past his friend, entering the storage room of the bar.
“Make sure we weren’t followed,” he commanded.
For a moment Bayon bristled, as if he might demand an explanation. Then, muttering something about crazy cats in heat, he slipped out the door and melted into the shadows.
Tightening his hold on a still furious Ashe, Raphael crossed the storage room to kick the edge of the wooden shelves, watching the wall swing inward to reveal the secret chambers hidden behind the bar.
He halted in the communal room, where the Pantera visiting the area could gather in private.
It wasn’t fancy. Nothing more than two overstuffed sofas and a handful of padded chairs sturdy enough to endure the roughhousing that came with a race of people who were cats at heart.
It was, however, the only place they could talk in privacy.
The attached room was dedicated to high-tech security that kept watch on the fringes of the swamp, monitoring everything and everyone who entered the bayous, while the upper story was set aside for private bedrooms.
There was no way in hell he was going to take Ashe to another room that included a bed.
Not until he was convinced there was no threat.
Gingerly setting Ashe on her feet, Raphael stepped back, but not before she managed to take a swing, clipping him on the chin.
“How dare you kidnap me?” she snapped, covering her seething fear behind rage.
Rafael rubbed his chin. More to give her the satisfaction of believing she’d hurt him than in any true pain.
“I’m going to protect you and my child whether you want me to or not.”
She tugged the sheet until it was wrapped tightly over her breasts, her hair spilling over her bare ivory shoulders like a river of ebony.
“Protect me from what?”
“That’s my question,” Bayon interrupted, stepping into the room and folding his arms over his chest.
Instinctively, Raphael moved to stand protectively at Ashe’s side.
“Ashe, this is Bayon,” he said, his warning gaze never leaving Bayon’s grim expression.
“He’s a—”
She didn’t need to finish the question for Raphael to know what she was asking.
“Pantera. Yes.”
Bayon scowled. “Shit, you told her?”
Feeling Ashe shiver, Raphael wrapped an arm around her shoulder and tugged her close.
“She carries my child.”
Bayon hissed in shock as Ashe’s back was exposed, revealing the rapidly healing scratches.
“And your mark.” Bayon gave a disbelieving shake of his head. “Dammit, Raphael. What the hell is going on?”
“The question is open for debate.”
“Yeah, and until we can find out the truth, you shouldn’t have brought her here. She can’t be trusted.”
“I can’t be trusted? Is that a joke?” Ashe broke into the argument, her eyes flashing fire. “I didn’t emit some sort of lust odor to get an unsuspecting woman pregnant and then mess with her mind before kidnapping her.”
Bayon’s brows snapped together. “Why did you come here that first night?”
Ashe stiffened. “It’s none of your business.”
Bayon took a step forward. “Who sent you?”
“No one sent me.”
“Then why were you here?”
“I was paying my mother’s bar tab. She’s the town drunk,” Ashe snapped, seeming to realize that the stubborn Pantera wasn’t going to let it go. “Satisfied?”
“Not even close.”
Bayon reached out a hand and a red mist clouded Raphael’s mind. He didn’t truly believe his friend meant to harm Ashe, but it didn’t matter.
Between one beat of his heart and the next, he had Bayon pinned to the wall, his forearm pressed against the man’s throat.
“Don’t. Touch. Her,” he warned, the air prickling with the threat of violence. “She’s innocent.”
Bayon stilled, accepting that he’d pressed Raphael too far.
“You can’t be certain.”
“Yes. I can.”
“How?”
Raphael held his friend’s gaze, allowing him to see the truth in his eyes.
“Because she’s mine.”
Bayon scowled, but a hint of uncertainty flashed through leaf green eyes.
“That’s impossible.”
“We can argue about it later.” Raphael forced himself to lower his arm and step back. “For now I need your skills.”
Bayon cast a swift glance toward the tense Ashe before returning his attention to Raphael and offering a slow nod.
“For what?”
“I caught the scent of two men entering the hotel.”
Bayon blinked. “Is that the start of a bad joke?”
“They were armed.”
“Everyone in this godforsaken town carries a gun.”
Raphael shook his head. “Not enough to start World War III.”
“They could have been poachers,” Bayon pointed out with a shrug.
“They smelled…”
“What?”
“Wrong.”
Bayon held Raphael’s gaze as they both recalled the warning from Parish, the leader of the Hunter Faction, that there’d been reports of Pantera running across humans with scents that repelled their inner cats.
Parish had been certain they were attempting to spy on the Wildlands.
Now Bayon gave a sharp nod. “I’ll check them out.”
Waiting for his friend to shut the door behind his retreating form, Raphael moved to stand directly in front of Ashe.
He didn’t for a second believe her momentary silence and stoic expression were a sign of resignation. Unfortunately he had to make a call to the Wildlands to warn them to put extra guards on the borders.
“I need you to stay here,” he said, trying to console his raw nerves with the knowledge that there was no way she could escape even if she wanted to.
The locks were specifically designed to only respond to the touch of a Pantera. They wouldn’t budge for a human.
She frowned, clutching the sheet with a white-knuckled grip. “Where are you going?”
“To call…a friend.”
“And you expect me to wait here?” She glared at him with a seething fury. “Do you think a few bouts of hot sex have given me Stockholm syndrome?”
Lowering his head, he claimed her lips in a kiss of sheer frustration.
All he wanted to do was sweep her into his arms and carry her to his homeland where they could celebrate the new life they’d created.
Instead he was plagued with a growing fear that an unseen danger was lurking just out of sight.
“Just stay here and behave yourself.”
CHAPTER 5
&nbs
p; ASHE was still reeling as Raphael left through a narrow door on the far side of the room.
Of course, she’d been reeling since the doctor had called with the shocking news of her pregnancy.
That was one of the reason’s she’d gone to the hotel instead of trying to convince her mother to let her return home.
She’d needed a few hours to consider her options in private.
But instead of a few hours of peace, she’d been accosted by the man who’d impregnated her, discovered he was a creature she’d long believed to be a myth, seduced all over again and kidnapped.
She grimaced as she lifted her fingers to lips that still tingled from his touch.
Okay. Maybe it wasn’t entirely fair to claim he’d seduced her.
She’d all but begged him to ease the desire that had been on a slow simmer for the past six weeks.
And if she were honest, she’d admit that her treacherous body was ready and eager to repeat the performance.
Which was precisely why she needed to get the hell away from the disturbing man.
No…not man.
Pantera.
Beast.
Absently she reached over her shoulder to touch the scratches that had seemed to shock Bayon. They didn’t hurt. In fact, they tingled with a pleasure that was as disturbing as the implication that Raphael had deliberately marked her.
Yeah. She was in dire need of some space to clear her head.
Crossing to where they’d first entered the room, she placed a cautious hand on the silver doorknob.
She didn’t know what she’d expected.
Ringing alarms. A trap door opening to drop her into a pit of alligators. An electric shock.
Something to prevent her from leaving the private rooms.
But stepping into the back storage area, there was nothing to break the silence beyond the thundering beat of her heart.
Still, she remained on edge as she tiptoed to the outer door. It was quite possible a silent alarm had been activated. Or that there would be guards outside that she hadn’t noticed when she’d first arrived with Raphael.
And, of course, there was the mysterious danger that Raphael insisted was stalking him.
Until she was far enough away from the bizarre creatures she would have to take extra care.
Surprised yet again when the door opened easily, Ashe crouched low as she darted down the steep staircase, and headed directly toward the cars that lined the narrow street.
She shivered, feeling a strange chill of premonition. As if unseen eyes were following her every movement.
Damn. She needed to get back to the hotel.
She was going to get dressed, get her car keys and head out of this town as fast as possible.
After that…
Well, she’d worry about that once she was far, far away.
Pausing to tuck the sheet tighter around her body, Ashe sucked in a deep breath and gathered her shaken courage.
She’d endured a childhood of neglect interspersed with episodes of terrifying violence from a mother who’d never loved her. She’d been humiliated and bullied throughout school. She’d been forced to work as a secretary for a bastard who couldn’t keep his hands to himself, just to keep a roof over her head.
She had truly discovered the meaning behind ‘what didn’t kill you only makes you stronger’.”
Now she stiffened her spine and gave one last glare toward the shabby bar that glowed in the neon lights.
“Behave myself?” she muttered. “Not in this lifetime.”
Kicking the folds of the sheet away from her bare feet, she turned to gaze at the untamed edge of the swamp across the street. She had no genuine desire to wade through the muck, not to mention risking the endless dangers that haunted the bayous. But she couldn’t walk down the streets in a sheet without attracting unwanted attention, not even in this podunk town.
She would have to skirt the swamps until she was closer to the hotel.
The decision made, she dashed across the road, grimacing as the gravel dug into the soles of her feet. God almighty. Would this night ever end?
The thought had barely formed when a strange buzzing flew past her ear. She waved an impatient hand, assuming it was one of the humongous bugs that filled the night air.
Some grew to the size of small birds.
It wasn’t until there was an audible thwack in a cypress tree just behind her that she turned her head to stare at the arrow stuck in the trunk.
She stumbled to a baffled halt.
It wasn’t that unusual for the locals to hunt with bow and arrow.
Some preferred following in the traditions of their forefathers. Some preferred the challenge of hunting old-school. And some just didn’t have the money to buy a gun.
But who would be out hunting this time of night?
And why would they be so close to town?
Stupidly, it wasn’t until the second arrow clipped the top of her shoulder as it whizzed past that she accepted that she was the prey, not some hapless rabbit.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
She hadn’t thought Raphael’s buddies would actually try to kill her.
Unless it wasn’t his friends, but his supposed enemies?
But why would they shoot at her?
Not that the who, what or where mattered at the moment.
With a muffled cry she darted toward the nearest clump of bushes, kneeling down to peer through the thick branches.
It was too dark to see more than vague outlines of shapes. She thought she could see something running along the roof of the closed lumberyard, and…was that someone creeping between those trucks?
Oh god.
For a crazed second, panic threatened to overwhelm her.
She had no phone, no clothes, no weapons that could help protect her.
Worse, she didn’t know if a scream would bring help or more danger.
Then her hand unconsciously slid to her stomach, a protective burst of determination stiffening her spine.
Dammit, she wasn’t going to wait here like a sitting duck.
She had a child to protect, which meant she had to get away.
Wrapping the bottom of the sheet around her arm so it was above her knees, she scooted backward. If she could reach the actual bayou she had a chance of shaking the bastards.
She ignored the sound of approaching footsteps, and the strange smell that made her nose curl in disgust. Her only hope of survival was slipping away before her stalker could pinpoint her precise location.
Concentrating on backing away as silently as possible, Ashe froze when a low, enraged snarl reverberated through the air.
It was the sort of full-throated roar that caused a terrified hush to spread through the area.
A feral predator on the hunt.
Barely daring to breathe, Ashe listened as she heard a muttered curse from just beyond the bush and the sound of rustling, followed by the unmistakable click of a gun. Either the person wasn’t the same psycho Robin Hood who’d been flinging arrows in her direction, or he’d decided that approaching danger was worth pulling out the big guns.
Literally.
But, even as she prepared herself for the deafening blast of the gunshot, there was another snarl and a blood-chilling scream that she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt would haunt her dreams for nights to come.
Barely realizing she was moving, Ashe straightened to peer over the top of the bush. It wasn’t so much a desire to see what was happening. Hell, no. She had a hideous suspicion it was going to be awful. But she needed to make sure the stalker was too busy fighting off the rabid animal to notice her escape.
She needn’t have worried.
The man who’d been standing by the bush wasn’t going to be firing arrows at her or anyone else.
Paralyzed, Ashe’s gaze roamed over the man who was now sprawled on the ground, his throat ripped out and his face mangled. His dead eyes stared sightlessly at the star-studded sky, his arms flung wide with a gun in one h
and and his empty bow in the other.
She gagged, a hand pressed to her mouth as her stomach threatened to revolt against the grisly sight.
She’d never seen a dead man before.
Especially not one who had been mauled by a wild animal.
Then her shattered disbelief was distracted as a sleek form detached from the shadows, gliding toward her with an uncanny silence.
“No,” she breathed, taking in the sight of the large cat in stunned amazement.
The color of rich caramel, the fur was thick and glossy in the moonlight. The broad head had small rounded ears and large golden eyes that studied her with an unnerving intensity. His body was chiseled muscle with long legs and a tail that was tipped with black.
Any other time she would have found the animal a beautiful sight.
Lethal certainly, and due proper respect, but…beautiful.
This wasn’t any other time, however, and facing the deadly predator with his most recent kill mangled on the ground between them only ratcheted up her fear.
She held out her hand. Like that was going to help.
“Stay back.”
“Ashe?” She jerked at the sound of her name being called, turning to watch Bayon appear from behind the large cat. The male came to a sharp halt as the animal whirled to hiss at him in warning. “Holy shit.” His gaze focused on Ashe as she took a step toward him, giving a fierce shake of his head. “No, don’t move. He won’t hurt you.”
“How do you know?” she demanded, her voice as shaky as her nerves. “Is this your pet?”
“Pet?” A humorless smile twisted his lips. “No.”
“Then how do you know he’s not going to hurt me?”
“He’s trying to protect you.”
Her heart slammed against her chest as a disturbing suspicion began to form in the back of her mind.
“A wild animal is trying to protect me?” she tried to scoff. “Yeah right.”
Bayon held her wary gaze. “He may be wild, but he’s not entirely an animal.”
“Don’t.” She turned her attention toward the cat who had moved to stand directly between her and Bayon. It was one thing to be told of humans who could transform into pumas and another to see it in the flesh. Literally. “You can’t seriously expect me to believe that…that creature is Raphael?”