Raphael (The Immortal Youth Book 1) Read Free Page A

shirt and pulled it off in one graceful movement, revealing she was only wearing a tiny top that hugged her lithe frame and no underwear underneath.
    “Luisa.” She then turned, raised the top over her head and stretched her hand backward. “Purple bra, please.”
    With two shaking fingers, he picked the bra she had asked for and deposited it in her palm.
    “Thanks.” She yanked the labels off, then donned the bra and reached for the hooks in the back. “Some help?”
    “Sure.” Raphael had never seen a bra on a real girl and was afraid his hands would shake hard, making a fool out of himself. But, much to his surprise, he managed to match the hooks to their respective loops at the first try. He fervently hoped she hadn’t noticed he had held his breath the whole time.
    “So, you’re a Raphael.” She lowered her top back over the bra and turned to face him.
    “Don’t I look like one?” His eyes kept traveling down to the purple shadow now coloring her thin top.
    She nodded. “You’re the definition of a Raphael.” Leaning over the pile of clothes she had thrown on the bench, she selected one of the pants.
    “And how is that?” He couldn’t believe she would remove her pants before him, but she proceeded to do it a moment later.
    “Handsome, mysterious, kind, smart.” She shimmied down her jeans, revealing boys brief with an army of smiley faces on a red background, then kicked off her heavy boots.
    Her words hit him more than the sight of her naked skin. His knees giving up, he fell on the bench and stared at her speechless.
    “I’ve thought of you. All this time,” she said. “I wished I’d see you again.” She stood, looking down at him, in her top, briefs, and white cotton stockings that reached her knees.
    “Why did you run away that night?” He had looked for her. A few days later, he went back to the alley and searched every corner, hoping she would reappear out of thin air, like a dream.
    She shrugged. “I’m on the run too and not used to company. I thought splitting would give us both a better chance.”
    “What are you running from?”
    “The usual—”
    She was skin and bones like him and he had seen the faint lines on her wrists. Once werewolves went through their first change they healed fast, but still scarred when the cuts were repeated over a short period of time, or had happened before shifter puberty. He knew. His back could attest to that. “Abusive family?”
    “Something like that.”
    He nodded. “Me too.”
    The demon’s booted steps echoed too close, and with them the lighter clicking of the saleswoman’s heels.
    “I’m not going to the Renegade Youth Shelter.” She wore a pair of pants and another on top of that.
    He helped her layer up three jackets that fit thanks to the different sizes she had chosen. “Me neither.” Pocketing the remaining bras and panties for her, he propelled her out of the dressing room and almost into the Controller’s arms. Acting on pure instinct, Raphael drove his knee into the demon’s groin.
    The Controller’s eyes bulged as a strangled scream exited his mouth and he doubled over.
    Raphael couldn’t help but grimace in a sympathetic reaction. “Sorry.” He pushed the Coin girl aside, and holding Luisa by her elbow he ran out of the dressing rooms, away from the women sportswear floor, and down toward the ground floor and the exit. When he turned and looked over his shoulders, he saw the demon jumping the stairs three and four at a time. The alarms blared as he and Luisa flew through the exit.
    “Great Wolf!” Luisa’s new clothes had just cost them their freedom. He was never so sloppy as to leave the security tags on the items he borrowed from stores. Besides the Controller, at least four big guys wearing the security uniform started running after them.
    Raphael knew they wouldn’t be both able to escape. “Remember I love you.” He fished inside his messenger bag, looking for the ten euros he had saved for his