Read Online Stroke of Midnight by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lori Handeland, L. A. Banks, Amanda Ashley - Free Book Online Page A
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door in case the others came back.
"Mike," he said to the other twin. "Go grab Acheron and tell him I need a favor."
Pandora crawled into the bed beside Dante. Part of her was terrified to be so close to him in his animal state and yet the other part of her wanted only to comfort her mate.
She'd never been this close to a panther before. It was scary and yet not.
Somehow it seemed right to be here.
His black fur was so dark, it reminded her of midnight velvet. She carefully brushed the whiskers of his muzzle back, then sank her hand in the soft fur of his neck.
Even though she knew it was true, it was hard to believe this was the same gorgeous man who had made the tenderest love to her.
And he had risked his life to protect her.
Her heart swelled with joy and with something she thought might be the first stirrings of love. No one had ever protected her. Not like this.
Pandora placed her hand near one of the vicious bite wounds above Dante's shoulder. "Will he be okay?" she asked Romeo.
If she didn't know better, she'd swear she saw pride in his eyes as he watched her.
"He's had worse."
"Really?"
"Really."
Romeo reached out and took her left hand so that he could see Dante's ring. His grip tightened on her hand. "That belonged to our brother Donatello," he said quietly. "I've never known Dante to take it off."
"He put a spell on it so that I could come back to him any time I wanted to."
Romeo smiled at that. "You have no idea just what a completely unbelievable feat that was for him."
"No, I think I do know." It ranked right up there with her lying beside him right now when she was terrified of panthers. This wasn't something she would have done even a few hours ago—and now…
Now she accepted the fact that this was her eternal mate. And for the first time in her life, she was beginning to understand exactly what that really meant.
Someone knocked on the door.
Pandora jumped.
"Relax," Romeo said as he moved to answer it while Mike stood aside. "The bad guys don't knock."
Pandora frowned as Romeo let in Leo and the gorgeous Goth man she'd seen downstairs. Leo went to stand beside Mike while the Goth came toward the bed.
"Pandora," Romeo said, "meet Acheron Parthenopaeus."
Acheron inclined his head to her.
She gaped. "You're the ancient Dark-Hunter?"
Acheron gave her that same wicked grin he had given her earlier. "The one and only."
A weird ripple went through her. "You knew me downstairs when our gazes met, didn't you?"
He nodded.
"If you knew I was looking for you, why didn't you say something?"
His gaze went to Dante. "Because it wasn't time for you to meet me yet." He glanced to Romeo. "And it's not time for you to lose another brother."
Pandora watched as the wounds on Dante healed instantly.
Romeo smiled in relief. "What do we owe you for that, Ash?"
Acheron shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'll call the favor in at a later date."
Dante flashed into human form. He looked up at her with a tender expression that melted her.
"Ash," he said, without looking at the Dark-Hunter. "Could I trade another favor for you to watch my mate for me while my brothers and I take care of something?"
"Absolutely."
Dante placed one large, warm hand against her cheek, then chastely kissed the side of her face. He got up and gathered his brothers to him.
"We'll be back in a minute."
Before she could ask him where he was going, they vanished.
"What is he doing?" she asked Ash.
"Knowing Dante, I'm confident he's going to guarantee that your 'friends' never return to threaten you or anyone from your pack again."
It didn't take Dante long to find the rogue pack of Katagaria panthers. They were camped in a small, isolated commune just outside of Charleston.
Ironically, they even had a sign up declaring the area a wildlife preserve.
With his three brothers behind him, he walked through the wooded area until he found the first panther he'd fought. The panther was lying wounded with a human woman tending
"Mike," he said to the other twin. "Go grab Acheron and tell him I need a favor."
Pandora crawled into the bed beside Dante. Part of her was terrified to be so close to him in his animal state and yet the other part of her wanted only to comfort her mate.
She'd never been this close to a panther before. It was scary and yet not.
Somehow it seemed right to be here.
His black fur was so dark, it reminded her of midnight velvet. She carefully brushed the whiskers of his muzzle back, then sank her hand in the soft fur of his neck.
Even though she knew it was true, it was hard to believe this was the same gorgeous man who had made the tenderest love to her.
And he had risked his life to protect her.
Her heart swelled with joy and with something she thought might be the first stirrings of love. No one had ever protected her. Not like this.
Pandora placed her hand near one of the vicious bite wounds above Dante's shoulder. "Will he be okay?" she asked Romeo.
If she didn't know better, she'd swear she saw pride in his eyes as he watched her.
"He's had worse."
"Really?"
"Really."
Romeo reached out and took her left hand so that he could see Dante's ring. His grip tightened on her hand. "That belonged to our brother Donatello," he said quietly. "I've never known Dante to take it off."
"He put a spell on it so that I could come back to him any time I wanted to."
Romeo smiled at that. "You have no idea just what a completely unbelievable feat that was for him."
"No, I think I do know." It ranked right up there with her lying beside him right now when she was terrified of panthers. This wasn't something she would have done even a few hours ago—and now…
Now she accepted the fact that this was her eternal mate. And for the first time in her life, she was beginning to understand exactly what that really meant.
Someone knocked on the door.
Pandora jumped.
"Relax," Romeo said as he moved to answer it while Mike stood aside. "The bad guys don't knock."
Pandora frowned as Romeo let in Leo and the gorgeous Goth man she'd seen downstairs. Leo went to stand beside Mike while the Goth came toward the bed.
"Pandora," Romeo said, "meet Acheron Parthenopaeus."
Acheron inclined his head to her.
She gaped. "You're the ancient Dark-Hunter?"
Acheron gave her that same wicked grin he had given her earlier. "The one and only."
A weird ripple went through her. "You knew me downstairs when our gazes met, didn't you?"
He nodded.
"If you knew I was looking for you, why didn't you say something?"
His gaze went to Dante. "Because it wasn't time for you to meet me yet." He glanced to Romeo. "And it's not time for you to lose another brother."
Pandora watched as the wounds on Dante healed instantly.
Romeo smiled in relief. "What do we owe you for that, Ash?"
Acheron shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'll call the favor in at a later date."
Dante flashed into human form. He looked up at her with a tender expression that melted her.
"Ash," he said, without looking at the Dark-Hunter. "Could I trade another favor for you to watch my mate for me while my brothers and I take care of something?"
"Absolutely."
Dante placed one large, warm hand against her cheek, then chastely kissed the side of her face. He got up and gathered his brothers to him.
"We'll be back in a minute."
Before she could ask him where he was going, they vanished.
"What is he doing?" she asked Ash.
"Knowing Dante, I'm confident he's going to guarantee that your 'friends' never return to threaten you or anyone from your pack again."
It didn't take Dante long to find the rogue pack of Katagaria panthers. They were camped in a small, isolated commune just outside of Charleston.
Ironically, they even had a sign up declaring the area a wildlife preserve.
With his three brothers behind him, he walked through the wooded area until he found the first panther he'd fought. The panther was lying wounded with a human woman tending
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