Unleash the Night Read Online Free PDF Page A

night.”
    Wren didn’t argue. He did need some time out of his human form, especially given how volatile he felt right then. It was as if his body were electrified. Elevated. He’d never felt anything like this in his life.
    Without another word, he headed for the kitchen, which had a door that led to the building next door where the animal-weres made their home.
    Peltier House had long been a refuge for creatures like himself … creatures who had been thrown out of their clans for all manner of reasons. As Aimee so often said, they were all refugees and misfits.
    Wren was more so than most. He’d never had an animal clan that he belonged to. Neither tiger nor leopard would tolerate his mixed presence. He was a mutant hybrid who should never have been allowed to live.
    Here lately he could tell even the bears weren’t fond of him, either. They damned sure didn’t trust him. It was subtle. They would gather up their cubs whenever they climbed on him. Or they would do like tonight and isolate him anytime they suspected that he might be getting angry.
    That was why he’d valued Nick so much. Nick had treated Wren like he was normal.
    â€œWhat the hell?” Nick would say. “We’re all screwed up some way. At least you bathe and I don’t have to fight you for chicks. In my book, that makes you all right.”
    Nick had held a unique view of the world.
    Wren pulled his wet shirt off as he headed up the stairs. Marvin came bounding up behind him. He’d only climbed halfway up when a bad feeling went through him.
    The woman …
    She was in trouble.
    Wren mentally willed a black T-shirt on his body as he sensed imminent threat for her. Without a word to Marvin, he flashed himself out of the building, onto the street.

Chapter 2
    Marguerite slowed as she again felt the sensation of someone watching her from the shadows. She was heading down Chartres, toward Jackson Square, so that she could grab a taxi and get home before it got any later.
    Looking around, she half-expected to find Wren there.
    She didn’t. What she found was four scruffy-looking men who were eyeing her with an unfounded interest. They were keeping to the shadows as if they didn’t want her to identify them. Fear assaulted her. Their attention was just a bit too focused. A bit too intense and threatening as they made their way straight for her.
    She glanced about, looking for other people, but this time of night, there weren’t any around.
    Not even a tour group.…
    It’s okay. Stay in the light and keep heading forward. They won’t hurt you if you stay in plain sight.
    She sped up as she heard the sound of running feet. Just as she was sure they would run past her, one of the men grabbed her and slung her into a partially opened courtyard.
    Marguerite tried to push him away to run.
    He slapped her hard. “Give me your purse, bitch.”
    She was so scared, she couldn’t even think to pull it off her arm.
    The other men ran into the courtyard and slammed the gate shut. One of them grabbed her bag and tore her shirt in the process of ripping it off her shoulder.
    â€œHey,” he said to the other three. “Y’all want to have some fun with her?”
    Before they could answer, the one speaking went sprawling to the ground. Someone came out of the darkness and handed the purse back to her.
    Marguerite looked up at the newcomer and wanted to cry as she saw Wren there. No longer slumped, he stood at his full height … and it was commanding. Intense. There was a feral gleam in his eyes that wasn’t quite sane as he put himself between her and the others. He looked as if he could easily kill everyone there and not even wince.
    The men attacked.
    She staggered back and watched in awe as Wren fought them off with an incredible skill. One mugger came at him with a knife. He caught the man’s wrist and twisted it until it snapped and the knife fell from his