Read Online Winter Born by Sherrilyn Kenyon - Free Book Online Page B

filled her nostrils.
    Two more panthers appeared.
    How she wished she knew if they were friend or foe. All she could do was grip her axe and pray.
    The one panther she thought was Dante appeared to maim the one he was fighting by snapping the hind leg of his opponent. A baleful whine filled the air as the panther evaporated from the room.
    The victorious panther turned to another that was fighting with the two new panthers. With his powerful jaws, he grabbed it by the neck and slung it away from the two.
    He charged the downed panther, using his shoulder to drive it farther away from her and from the other two who snapped behind him.
    His enemy tried to claw at his head, but the panther ducked his head and bit into his opponent’s throat.
    The opponent became wild, thrashing before she heard something break. It went limp.
    Two more panthers vanished instantly.
    The remaining four turned on the one panther that had been left behind and cornered it. It roared fiercely, then poofed out as well.
    Terrified of what that meant, Pandora tensed as the four panthers turned to face her.
    She watched them, determined to fight to the bitter end as they stalked nearer.
    Three of them fell back while the fourth approached her.
    â€œDante?” she asked hesitantly, hoping it was him.
    He collapsed at her feet before he placed one large paw on her foot and licked her ankle.
    She sobbed in relief as she slid down the wall to pull his head into her lap.
    The other three flashed into Romeo, Leo, and Mike.
    â€œHow badly are you hurt?” Romeo asked the twins.
    They were a bit scuffed up, with bruises and bloodied lips and noses, but weren’t hurt nearly as badly as Dante had been.
    â€œWe’re okay, thanks to Dante.”
    Romeo approached her slowly.
    â€œHe’s unconscious,” she said quietly as she kept her hand on Dante’s ribs to make sure he was still breathing. “There were eight of them in the beginning. He fought them alone.”
    â€œDammit, Dante,” Romeo snarled as he picked the panther up in his arms. “Why didn’t you call us sooner?”
    â€œPut him in my bed,” Pandora said, moving to pull back the covers.
    â€œAre you sure?”
    She nodded.
    Romeo set him down, then ordered Leo to keep watch at the door in case the others came back.
    â€œMike,” 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.
    â€œHe’s had worse.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œReally.”
    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.”
    â€œHe 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.”
    â€œNo, I think I do know.” It