“Laura—” I coughed, wincing as fresh agony stabbed my skull, making me blind for a second. “It’s okay. He’s fine—”
“He’s killing you!”
“No, he’s—” I gasped as nausea splashed up my throat. In my hazy sight, she flung herself toward the kitchen. Toward the silver thing glinting there. The dagger that Lucien had given me.
Absolute horror tore through my middle.
“Laura, don’t—!”
She snatched it up and came running.
“STOP!” My voice broke, but she didn’t listen.
Launching herself at the bed, she slashed as Whisper snapped his jaws, roaring loud enough to shake the pavilion’s foundations.
She whimpered in terror but lunged again.
The blade flashed, catching his shoulder with a brutal slice.
Whisperhowled.
“NO!” My scream ripped my throat as I threw myself from the bed, clutched my pounding head, and tried to get between them. Whisper staggered back, legs getting tangled in my covers, hackles high, blood coating his midnight fur.
Laura brandished the knife again, her face drawn but determined. “Stay the hell away from her!”
Rushing her, I tried to shut down my pain. “He wasn’t hurting me!”
“His teeth were moments away from sinking into your neck!”
“He washelping!”
Her mouth hung open, her eyes bugging. “Helping? Have you lost your mind?”
“H-He’s my friend.” Snatching the dagger from her hand, I clutched it tight. “I know what it looks like but he’s gentle. I promise.”
Backing up, her eyes locked on Whisper as the bleeding panther jumped off the bed and snarled. Spittle dripped from his fangs as he prepared to pounce.
Shit.
Spinning around, I flung my arms wide, doing my best to block Laura from his view. “She didn’t mean to hurt you. She was just worried about me, that’s all.”
Whisper flattened himself, his tail flicking. Any second, he’d spring onto the girl who was slowly becoming a friend and I wouldn’t be able to stop him slaughtering her right in front of me.
So, I did the only thing I could.
Tossing away the knife, not caring it went skittering across the floor, I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around his stiff, growl-vibrating neck. “Please don’t hurt her.” I didn’t know if he understood English, but I begged anyway. “Please?”
My headache thundered and my heart skipped, but I flatly forbade myself from passing out. If I did, Laura would die.
Whisper’s snarl quietened a little as I pressed my face to his huge solid cheek. “You’re okay. I’ll fix this. It’s just a crazy misunderstanding.”
He sat up from his pounce, knocking me aside. Studying me, he stopped snarling. For a moment, I swore I saw betrayal in his stare before he glanced at his bleeding shoulder.
With a dramatic hiss at Laura, he broke into a run.
In a streak of black, the panther raced out of my pavilion, leaving behind a few crimson droplets on the floor.
Oh, God.
