Winter Born Read Free

who caught his interest … even her own feminine senses reacted to him, but not so much that she couldn’t fight him.
    Even more frightening than his innate feral masculinity, his scent was Katagaria—the animal branch of their species—while she was Arcadian, the human branch.
    Letting go of her room card, she crouched to attack and was amazed that the animal inside her wasn’t leaping out to mate with him.
    â€œIt’s okay,” he said quickly. “I’ve got good news and bad news for you.”
    â€œAnd that is?”
    He held his hand up so that she could see the geometric mark on his palm. At least that explained why she could resist the urge to copulate with him. “I’m mated so you’re completely safe from me.”
    Pandora still wasn’t ready to trust him, but at least as a mated panther, he wouldn’t be able to have sex with her. Once a Were-Panther male was mated, he was impotent around any female other than his “wife.” “I take it that’s the good news?”
    He nodded.
    â€œAnd the bad?”
    â€œI’m here with three brothers who aren’t.”
    She started to bolt.
    â€œNo, no,” he said, reaching out to take her hand. He pulled back before he did. “Don’t be afraid of me. I really mean you no harm, okay? I have ten daughters myself and I understand your fear.”
    She still wasn’t ready to trust that he wouldn’t take her to his brothers for their enjoyment. That was what the ones seeking her would do and she had no intention of becoming a community toy for every unmated male in their pack. “What do you want?”
    â€œBelieve it or not, I’m going to help you.”
    She chose not to believe that. At least not yet. “Why would you do that?”
    â€œ Because of my daughters,” he said sincerely. “You’re just a baby and I don’t trust Leo or Mike not to hurt you. They wouldn’t do it on purpose, but they’re young too and not real good at holding back. No doubt they’d both pounce on you at once and who knows what they might inadvertently do.”
    And that was exactly what she was afraid of. “That’s only two brothers. What of the third?”
    â€œDante’s different. Honestly, you’d be lucky to find someone like him for your first. He’s a selfish bastard who doesn’t like to share much of anything with anyone and he’d make sure no one else touched you while you were with him.”
    But his brother was still an animal and she had no interest in taking a Katagari lover.
    â€œIs that supposed to comfort me?” she asked.
    He shook his head. “No, but don’t worry. Dante’s a lot older than they are and, lucky for you, he doesn’t want a mate. He plans to stay far away from you so I can keep him off you by simply telling him where you are.”
    Pandora calmed a degree. He was telling her the truth, she could sense it. One of the good things about being part animal was that she knew whenever someone was lying to her.
    â€œOkay,” she said slowly. “Thank you for your offer to help. I don’t want a Katagari to touch me.”
    His nostrils flared at that.
    She stiffened. “You said it yourself. You get carried away and you hurt us. My older sister was killed by a pack of Katagaria males who snapped her neck while attempting to mate with her when she was my age. I’m barely twenty-four. I don’t want to die. Not like that.”
    That seemed to calm him down. He bent over and retrieved her card from the floor. “Get me something with your scent on it so I can spread it around and keep Leo and Mike away from you.”
    Pandora nodded, then opened the door to her room. She went to her suitcase and pulled out the T-shirt she slept in.
    â€œDo you know Acheron Parthenopaeus?” she asked as she handed it to him.
    â€œYes, why?”
    â€œI was told to find him.