Read Online Raphael | Parish by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright
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neck, Raphael moved toward the door, glancing down the hall as he used his senses to search for enemies.
Below them he could hear the scramble of Pantera to meet the unexpected threat outside. Which meant the attackers would be occupied. At least for a few minutes.
Holding Ashe tight against his chest, Raphael darted down the hall and shoved open the door that led to a maintenance closet. He locked the door behind him, then, tilting Ashe’s slight weight so he could hold her with one hand, he gave a leap upward, knocking aside the trap door that led to the roof.
He landed lightly on the flat surface, his finger touching Ashe’s lips as they parted to utter a small shriek.
In the street below he heard the sound of gunfire and a scream of pain followed by the unmistakable scent of blood that made his cat snarl with the need to be in the middle of the fight.
Raphael battled back the instinct to shift.
The only way to get Ashe to safety was to remain in his human form.
Staying low, he headed to the far side of the roof, halting at the edge to once again whisper in Ashe’s ear.
“I need you to hold on tight,” he commanded.
She gave a shaky nod, her dark eyes wide with fear. He paused long enough to brush a kiss over her lips, then with a strength only a Pantera could possess, he jumped off the roof and landed on a nearby branch.
Keeping a terrified Ashe cradled in one arm, and the other wrapped around the branch above him, Raphael crouched in the tree, listening intently to the battle that still raged in the street.
There had been no cry of alarm to reveal he’d been spotted.
So far, so good.
Cautiously, he weaved his way through the branches and easily vaulted to the neighboring tree. Ashe gasped, burying her face in his neck as he balanced on a narrow branch, waiting to make sure they remained unnoticed before repeating his stealthy performance until they reached the edge of the swamp.
Once there, he had no choice but to leap to the spongy ground.
His people were skilled at traveling through the trees undetected, but he wasn’t going to risk dropping his precious cargo.
Not now. Not ever.
Heading deeper into the swamps, Raphael kept his attention trained on the ever-changing landscape. In the bayous the very ground melted beneath his feet. There were no roads, no permanent pathways. Even the lily-clogged canals could be there one day and gone the next.
A perfect place for monsters to hide.
Thankfully he was the most dangerous monster around.
Or he had been until tonight.
He had only a faint buzzing sound of warning before he felt a pinprick of pain in the back of his neck.
What the fuck?
Carefully lowering Ashe to the thick underbrush, he reached up a hand to pluck the annoying barb out of his flesh.
A dart?
He studied the small weapon with a frown, wondering who the hell thought a full-grown Pantera could be hurt by a mere toy.
Then, a strange chill spread through his body, making him shiver, and worse, numbing his connection to his cat.
“Shit,” he breathed, realizing that the poison coursing through his body had made it impossible for him to shift.
“Raphael?” Ashe touched his arm, her expression troubled. “What is it?”
He dropped the dart, gripping her shoulders as he held her worried gaze with a fierce determination.
“Listen to me, ma chère , I need you to run as fast and far as you can.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not leaving you.”
“I can’t shift. My cat…” He gave a low snarl of frustration. “Dammit. Run. I’ll find you.” He swooped down to steal a kiss of raw promise. “I’ll always find you.”
She reached up to cup his face with shaking fingers. “What about you?”
“I can take care of myself,” he softly assured her. “But I need you to take care of our child. Do you understand?”
She bit her lip, giving a grudging nod. “Yes.”
“Trust me.” He gave her a firm push toward the tangle of swamp milkweed that would easily hide
Below them he could hear the scramble of Pantera to meet the unexpected threat outside. Which meant the attackers would be occupied. At least for a few minutes.
Holding Ashe tight against his chest, Raphael darted down the hall and shoved open the door that led to a maintenance closet. He locked the door behind him, then, tilting Ashe’s slight weight so he could hold her with one hand, he gave a leap upward, knocking aside the trap door that led to the roof.
He landed lightly on the flat surface, his finger touching Ashe’s lips as they parted to utter a small shriek.
In the street below he heard the sound of gunfire and a scream of pain followed by the unmistakable scent of blood that made his cat snarl with the need to be in the middle of the fight.
Raphael battled back the instinct to shift.
The only way to get Ashe to safety was to remain in his human form.
Staying low, he headed to the far side of the roof, halting at the edge to once again whisper in Ashe’s ear.
“I need you to hold on tight,” he commanded.
She gave a shaky nod, her dark eyes wide with fear. He paused long enough to brush a kiss over her lips, then with a strength only a Pantera could possess, he jumped off the roof and landed on a nearby branch.
Keeping a terrified Ashe cradled in one arm, and the other wrapped around the branch above him, Raphael crouched in the tree, listening intently to the battle that still raged in the street.
There had been no cry of alarm to reveal he’d been spotted.
So far, so good.
Cautiously, he weaved his way through the branches and easily vaulted to the neighboring tree. Ashe gasped, burying her face in his neck as he balanced on a narrow branch, waiting to make sure they remained unnoticed before repeating his stealthy performance until they reached the edge of the swamp.
Once there, he had no choice but to leap to the spongy ground.
His people were skilled at traveling through the trees undetected, but he wasn’t going to risk dropping his precious cargo.
Not now. Not ever.
Heading deeper into the swamps, Raphael kept his attention trained on the ever-changing landscape. In the bayous the very ground melted beneath his feet. There were no roads, no permanent pathways. Even the lily-clogged canals could be there one day and gone the next.
A perfect place for monsters to hide.
Thankfully he was the most dangerous monster around.
Or he had been until tonight.
He had only a faint buzzing sound of warning before he felt a pinprick of pain in the back of his neck.
What the fuck?
Carefully lowering Ashe to the thick underbrush, he reached up a hand to pluck the annoying barb out of his flesh.
A dart?
He studied the small weapon with a frown, wondering who the hell thought a full-grown Pantera could be hurt by a mere toy.
Then, a strange chill spread through his body, making him shiver, and worse, numbing his connection to his cat.
“Shit,” he breathed, realizing that the poison coursing through his body had made it impossible for him to shift.
“Raphael?” Ashe touched his arm, her expression troubled. “What is it?”
He dropped the dart, gripping her shoulders as he held her worried gaze with a fierce determination.
“Listen to me, ma chère , I need you to run as fast and far as you can.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not leaving you.”
“I can’t shift. My cat…” He gave a low snarl of frustration. “Dammit. Run. I’ll find you.” He swooped down to steal a kiss of raw promise. “I’ll always find you.”
She reached up to cup his face with shaking fingers. “What about you?”
“I can take care of myself,” he softly assured her. “But I need you to take care of our child. Do you understand?”
She bit her lip, giving a grudging nod. “Yes.”
“Trust me.” He gave her a firm push toward the tangle of swamp milkweed that would easily hide
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