Read Online Shadow's Awakening: The Shadow Warder Series, Book One (An Urban Fantasy Romance Series) by Molle McGregor - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Molle McGregor
Tags: paranormal romance
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clothes and ducked under the freezing spray. At least she had good water pressure. There wasn’t time for more than a quick rinse to wash the blood off both her body and the knife. A careful touch told her the cut on her neck had already stopped bleeding. Less than a minute later, she stepped out, brushing drops of water from her skin. She refused to look at herself in the small mirror. A fine trembling had taken over her limbs. Shock?
Hannah tried to force herself to concentrate on getting dressed. No time to process. No time to go into shock. If she was lucky, she’d have time later. For now she had to get dressed and get out of the house. Thinking about tasting fresh air calmed her enough to keep moving.
From her bag, she pulled her last pair of jeans, a ragged pair of underwear, and a navy t-shirt. Dragging the clothes over wet skin was a struggle, painful on her bruised body, but she didn’t have a towel. She wished for a bra. She hadn’t had a bra for months. Her hair was a tangled mess. Without a comb, she couldn’t do much. To get it out of the way, she wrapped it in her only elastic. Aware she was burning time, Hannah left the bathroom. The stranger looked her over, stopping at her bare feet.
“Shoes?” he asked. She shook her head. Another scowl. Stomping to the bedroom door, he shouted, “All clear?”
“Clear,” came the answer floating up the stairs.
“Stay behind me,” he said. He didn’t seem to mind that she still held Glenn’s knife in her hand. Clean, armed and on her way out of her prison, Hannah followed the stranger down the stairs to freedom.
“On our way.” Conner yelled down the stairs. He heard faint footsteps below.
“Move fast,” Kiernan yelled. “The house is starting to go up. Got the girl?”
Conner felt her behind him. She was cold, shaking a little. Her clothes weren’t heavy enough for the chilly house, but he knew the trembling had nothing to do with the temperature. She was going into shock. Not a surprise. They were lucky she was with it enough to handle the stairs.
“She’s right behind me. How is it down there?” Conner asked.
“Messy.”
One flight away from the first level, Conner could smell smoke and blood. He stopped on the second floor landing and turned to the Shadow. She backed up a step, wary. Despite her fear and shock, her body gave off the same warm vibration he’d felt when he’d entered her room. Sweet. Gentle. It brushed over his skin, distracting him. He wanted to touch her face, to soothe her, but she was so bruised he was afraid of causing her more pain. Conner wondered what she looked like when she was healed. From her bone structure and the strong green of her eyes, he guessed she would be heart-stopping.
“I know you don’t know me. But I need you to trust me a little,” he said. She raised her chin, inviting him to go on. “You don’t have shoes. It’s a mess down there and our car is a hike. I’m going to have to carry you.”
She made a noise in her throat that he couldn’t decipher. Yes? No way? Her grip tightened on the knife. That, Conner understood.
“You can keep the knife. As long as you don’t use it on me.” Narrowed green eyes. “I won’t give you a reason to use it. I promise.”
That appeared to satisfy her. She stepped closer, waiting. Conner didn’t hesitate. He scooped her into his arms, cradling her to his chest. Her damp hair brushed his chin. She was tall, yet her slender form fit his arms easily. After a moment of tension, she relaxed into him. She smelled of a warm spring day. Like sunshine and fresh grass. Again, he found himself fighting distraction.
The energy that had been a gentle vibration from across the room hummed with a soothing, seductive power. Conner tried to clear his head. She was severely injured. She needed protection. She did not need him going off half-cocked and wondering if her skin was this soft all over. Or how she managed to smell so good. And what the rest of her
Hannah tried to force herself to concentrate on getting dressed. No time to process. No time to go into shock. If she was lucky, she’d have time later. For now she had to get dressed and get out of the house. Thinking about tasting fresh air calmed her enough to keep moving.
From her bag, she pulled her last pair of jeans, a ragged pair of underwear, and a navy t-shirt. Dragging the clothes over wet skin was a struggle, painful on her bruised body, but she didn’t have a towel. She wished for a bra. She hadn’t had a bra for months. Her hair was a tangled mess. Without a comb, she couldn’t do much. To get it out of the way, she wrapped it in her only elastic. Aware she was burning time, Hannah left the bathroom. The stranger looked her over, stopping at her bare feet.
“Shoes?” he asked. She shook her head. Another scowl. Stomping to the bedroom door, he shouted, “All clear?”
“Clear,” came the answer floating up the stairs.
“Stay behind me,” he said. He didn’t seem to mind that she still held Glenn’s knife in her hand. Clean, armed and on her way out of her prison, Hannah followed the stranger down the stairs to freedom.
“On our way.” Conner yelled down the stairs. He heard faint footsteps below.
“Move fast,” Kiernan yelled. “The house is starting to go up. Got the girl?”
Conner felt her behind him. She was cold, shaking a little. Her clothes weren’t heavy enough for the chilly house, but he knew the trembling had nothing to do with the temperature. She was going into shock. Not a surprise. They were lucky she was with it enough to handle the stairs.
“She’s right behind me. How is it down there?” Conner asked.
“Messy.”
One flight away from the first level, Conner could smell smoke and blood. He stopped on the second floor landing and turned to the Shadow. She backed up a step, wary. Despite her fear and shock, her body gave off the same warm vibration he’d felt when he’d entered her room. Sweet. Gentle. It brushed over his skin, distracting him. He wanted to touch her face, to soothe her, but she was so bruised he was afraid of causing her more pain. Conner wondered what she looked like when she was healed. From her bone structure and the strong green of her eyes, he guessed she would be heart-stopping.
“I know you don’t know me. But I need you to trust me a little,” he said. She raised her chin, inviting him to go on. “You don’t have shoes. It’s a mess down there and our car is a hike. I’m going to have to carry you.”
She made a noise in her throat that he couldn’t decipher. Yes? No way? Her grip tightened on the knife. That, Conner understood.
“You can keep the knife. As long as you don’t use it on me.” Narrowed green eyes. “I won’t give you a reason to use it. I promise.”
That appeared to satisfy her. She stepped closer, waiting. Conner didn’t hesitate. He scooped her into his arms, cradling her to his chest. Her damp hair brushed his chin. She was tall, yet her slender form fit his arms easily. After a moment of tension, she relaxed into him. She smelled of a warm spring day. Like sunshine and fresh grass. Again, he found himself fighting distraction.
The energy that had been a gentle vibration from across the room hummed with a soothing, seductive power. Conner tried to clear his head. She was severely injured. She needed protection. She did not need him going off half-cocked and wondering if her skin was this soft all over. Or how she managed to smell so good. And what the rest of her
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