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SENSING Bayon standing in the hall, Raphael muttered a curse as he leapt off the bed and headed toward the dresser

Yanking open a drawer, he re on the botto top to Ashe

It was three sizes too large for her, but it did fall to her knees, providing a small amount of modesty

It would have to do until he could send so open the door, Raphael stepped aside to allow his fellow Pantera to enter the roo a watchful eye on the male to make certain Bayon didn&039;t stray too close to hisRaphael&039;s unease, Bayon re frori despite being away fro yanked out of his animal form

"I assuret "Sorry I had to put you out You were too hyped for et you away froh it was rare to use the words of power that would force a Pantera back to his human form, he knew his cat would never have allowed his friend near

"You did what you had to do"

Bayon folded his arrim "The obvious question, iswhy did I have to do it?"

"Damned if I know" Raphael&039;s ripped him from the minute he&039;d realized Ashe had left the safety of the bar "I was tracking Ashe when I caught sight of the stranger" His voice thickened with fury "When I realized he was trying to skewer her with an arrow,to you?"

Raphael arched a brow "Do?"

"Shoot you with a poison arrow?" Bayon asked "Cast a spell? Use a secret e?"

He snorted at theto do with the stranger I changed when I calanced toward the silent wo in the center of the rooesture of innocence

"Hey, don&039;t look at "

"Could it be the child?" Bayon suggested

Raphael frowned, considering the precise second he&039;d shifted

As he&039;d sprinted across the dark street there had been terror that he was going to be too late And a blinding fury that anyone would try to hurt his mate But his last ic

Ashe&039;s scent

"I&039; "All I know is that ht and it wasn&039;t going to let anyone or anything hurt her"

"Maybe the elders have soet her hoht exactly"

"Wait," Ashe protested "This town istoward Bayon, who parted his lips to demand Ashe&039;s compliance in his usual blunt style, Raphaelover her too-pale cheek

"Is it truly your home, ma chere, or soazes locked, her dark eyes revealing the lonely, wounded child who&039;d been unwanted her entire life

Until she&039;d walked across his path

Now she would never, ever be lonely or unwanted again

Cupping her cheek in his hand, he prepared to convince her just how desperately he needed her, when Bayon made a sound of i scene will have to wait"

Raphael glared at his friend "Are you deliberately trying to piss me off?"

"It&039;s ininto his back pocket, Bayon held out a scrap of material

"Here"

"What&039;s this?"

"Open it"

Raphael&039;s sensitive nose curled at the stench of rotting flesh and soness&039; he&039;d s the hotel earlier With reluctance, he flipped aside the folded material to reveal the patch of skin cut into a perfect six by six square

He hissed in shock

Not at the fact that he was holding a slab of flesh He was a predator who&039;d just ripped out the throat of a ht of a brand that portrayed the outline of a raven ings spread in front of a full et this?"

"I returned to dispose of the body," Bayon answered "This was branded on his lower back"

Beside hiod, is that his skin?"

Raphael flinched, wishing he could protect her froh she&039;d had to witness hi apart ato endure the gruesome prize he held in his hands

Unfortunately, this brand changed everything

"The Mark of the Shakpi," he breathed "This is-"

"Impossible?" Bayon took the word out of hisaround"

Ashe cleared her throat, struggling to hang on to her severely tested courage

"What is the Mark of Shakpi?"

"It&039;s an ancient legend that speaks of the origin of our people," Bayon answered, his flat tone intended to bring an end to the conversation

Of course Raphael&039;s stubbornto be intiend clai the oral history that every Pantera learned while still in the nursery "Opela was able to call upon thethe Pantera Her sister, Shakpi, grew jealous of Opela&039;s love for her children and tried to create her own children to rule the Pantera The children twisted theit for evil, and Opela had no choice but to have her sister imprisoned"

Ashe frowned "Ied "No one knohere she was sent"

She gave a slow shake of her head "There are a lot of stories about the bayous"

"Only one that our people believe"

"So you really think some oing around branding her personal Robin Hoods?"

Did he?

Raphael glanced back down at the branded skin, a priut

A part of hih it off as an old wives tale As Ashe pointed out, there were a dozen stories that cah

He wasn&039;t huic

And the fact that this brand was discovered when their people were unable to breedwell, it had to

"It&039;s one explanation," he murmured

She pressed a hand to her te "I really have fallen down the rabbit hole"

Raphael gave a short, huo he&039;d been a respected diplomat for his people, in absolute control of his life

Noas ly convinced his people were being hunted by an evil, ancient goddess

Yeah, that was one hell of a rabbit hole

Giving a shake of his head, he thrust aside his rising panic and turned his attention to Bayon

"Theis to keep Ashe and our babe safe," he announced

"Agreed," his friend swiftly agreed Then they both froze as that now-fah the open"Raphael"

"I sun fro with power

"Get her out of here while I distract theue Not only would it be pointless to try and keep Bayon out of a fight, but his duty was to protect Ashe and the child she carried

Moving forward he laid a hand on his friend&039;s shoulder "I&039;ll meet you back at the Wildlands Take care"

"And you" Bayon flashed a s across the roo out of the ith reckless valor

Raphael returned to his ly pale face

She&039;d been through hell and back in the past six weeks More than anyone should have to endure Let alone a pregnant woet her somewhere safe

"Ashe, will you trustconnected inside hireement A sense of coether to forh to savor the unexpected sensation before leaning down to scoop Ashe off her feet

"Don&039;ther time to wrap her ar down the hall as he used his senses to search for enemies

Below them he could hear the scramble of Pantera to meet the unexpected threat outside Which meant the attackers would be occupied At least for a few ainst his chest, Raphael darted down the hall and shoved open the door that led to a maintenance closet He locked the door behind hiht so he could hold her with one hand, he gave a leap upward, knocking aside the trap door that led to the roof