Her mind raced, her feet were rooted to the ground, the drunk New Orleans crowd just continued to party around them, and instead of wanting to knee him in the balls and run, she actually wanted to move closer, nuzzle her face against the steely wall of his chest.
His lips curved into a sexy smile, those small white scars calling out to her as he spoke. “I understand Raphael’s need for his human woman now.”
Raphael.
Human woman?
The words snaked through Julia’s brain, tugging at her rational thought, waking her fear center. Oh shit. Her pulse jumped in her throat and she swallowed. For the first time since she’d laid eyes on this man, she found her voice.
“Let me go,” she whispered.
The gold in his incredible eyes receded for a moment and black irises emerged.
Adrenaline pumping, she eased back from him. “Let me go,” she said again, far more firmly this time. Her heartbeat was so loud now she heard it in her ears. “I’ll scream. I’ll scream so goddamn loud the cops will be on you in a second.”
The man’s face fell. He looked completely taken aback by her words, maybe even offended. But he didn’t let her go. “There’s no reason to be afraid, Doctor Cabot.”
Julia’s insides went cold with terror. He knows who I am. How does he know who I am?
She started to struggle, panic causing her skin to prickle. “Why are you following me? What do you want?”
“I was sent to find you.”
Sent? “By who?” she demanded, trying to get her arm free, her knee, anything she could use.
“You need to calm down,” he urged softly, his arm tightening around her waist as, once again, he looked around, up at a few buildings, then into the crowd. “Your heart beats too fast.”
Who would send someone after her? She didn’t know anyone outside the hospital. She didn’t have family. She didn’t—
She stopped struggling and stared up at him, her mouth dry. “Is this Gary’s doing?” she said hoarsely as a group of drunk college girls stumbled past them. Oh god. That bastard. He’d told her he would hire a lawyer if she didn’t go away quietly—if she tried to stake a claim to the house or any of its contents. “Are you a private detective or something? Is he actually having me followed? Because that would be both incredibly shitty of him and unnecessary since I want nothing from him.”
“Gary?” The man’s nostrils flared. “Is this your male?”
“My male?” she repeated with an almost hysterical laugh. “Gary was my boyfriend until I found him in our bed, balls-deep in one of my nurses. Or didn’t he tell you that part?”
Dark brows lifted over those extraordinary eyes.
“You can tell that jackass that there’s no reason to follow me. I don’t want anything from him.” Her voice broke. Goddamit. She hated tears. They were worthless and made a person look weak. “Except my cat. I want my cat.”
That damn cat. She missed him like crazy.
A large hand moved slowly up her back and held her possessively between the shoulder blades. “You don’t wish to return to this Gary?” the man said with a slight snarl. “This male who betrayed you?”
“I’d rather eat my own hand.” She gritted her teeth. “And you can tell him as soon as I’m out of the hotel and living somewhere permanent, I’ll send someone to get Fangs.”
“Who is Fangs?” he asked.
“My cat.”
She saw a flicker of a grin on his dark, rugged face. “The female likes cats.”
Before Julia could say another word, the man pressed her closer to his chest and took off into the crowd. He moved so quickly that all she saw before she passed out was a blur of city lights, and all she felt were his arms around her and air rushing over her skin.
“What the hell where you thinking?” Raphael admonished.
Pacing near the bed in the medical ward, Parish glanced up and flashed his canines at yet another Diplomat. “I did what I was sent to do.”
“You were supposed to talk to her—”
“I did talk to her,” Parish cut in. He continued to pace. It bothered him to look at the woman, unconscious and pale behind the white sheet. He hadn’t meant for this to happen. He hadn’t known she would pass out from the burst of speed he’d used to get them out of the crowd and on their way to the Wildlands. “She has quit her job and has no family. She’s broken things off with a bastard male who fucked another female right in front of her.” He growled softly, his cat itching to spring free and hunt down this human called Gary. “Just like a human to go sniffing around when he has something beautiful and perfect in his bed.”
“Dammit, Parish.” Raphael’s green eyes flashed with irritation. “Gathering personal information was not the assignment. You were supposed to talk with her about Ashe and the child. You were supposed to explain our situation and our offer. Invite her to come here. Instead you snatched her off the street, rendering her unconscious in the process.”
“I am a Hunter. I do not ask. When you ask, you give your prey the opportunity to say no.”
Even as he said the words, Parish’s gaze cut to the woman on the bed. As much as he wanted to think of her as prey, as human—as nothing at all to him—there was something inside of him that had already connected to her. She was the most beautiful female he’d ever seen. Her smooth, pale skin called to him, as did her full pink mouth. She had to wake. She must. He needed to hear her voice again, see her eyes flash in anger and heat as he held her against him.
He turned from the bed with a frustrated snarl.
“This is your fault,” Raphael called to Bayon. The massive blond Hunter leaned against the doorframe, refusing to commit to entering either the medical room or the conversation. “Running off while one of our wildest takes on a human alone.”
Parish quick-flashed the Suit his puma, then drew it back inside before continuing to pace. He needed air, needed his clothes off and his fur on just for a few hours. But he couldn’t leave the woman.
Julia.
Just her name made his body stir.
“Parish was with Michel,” Bayon said. “The meet, greet and offer with the doctor was all set up. It should’ve gone smoothly.”
Raphael hissed. “Where the hell were you?”
“I had something to take care of.”
“That’s not an answer, Bayon.”
“It is the only answer I’m willing to give.”
“Something to take care of – more like someone, right?”
Bayon’s eyes narrowed. “Cage your cat before I have to.”
“You were off hunting tail instead of backing up your leader!” Raphael roared.
“Enough!” Parish growled, coming to stand between the warring shifters. He would not have Julia upset, awakening to a verbal brawl in a strange room. He turned on Raphael, prowling closer to the dark blond male. “You sent the leader of the Hunters to bring back the best female baby doctor in New Orleans.” He cocked his head. “And I did.”
Nostrils flared, Raphael seemed to be searching for patience. “She’s unconscious, Parish.”
The words twisted in Parish’s gut. He’d never thought about his reckless, instinctive ways before. Never felt so unsure of himself until now. “It’s only for a short time. She is well. Pulse, breathing, vital signs. Our doctors have said so.”
“If this gets out, if any of the Diplomats learn of this—”
“Handle it. Suit business is for you to figure out.”
“You’re right about that,” Raphael ground out. “Go. You’re done here.” He knocked his chin toward Bayon and the door. “I’ll make sure this doesn’t become a problem.”