Chapter 5.-3
She shook her head. “No, but you can trust him.”
“I like your father, Linda. I want him to have plausible deniability, which is also why you can’t come with me. I’ve got a plan. I’ll call your new phone in several days to check in.” I squeezed her hand.”
When I’m safe, I’ll come for you. We can start a new life.”
I couldn’t tell her the truth. Not the whole truth, anyway. I didn’t fully trust her. I needed to know that
I was safe first.
My bag was already packed. We shifted, a horribly difficult activity for me that took too many precious minutes, and slipped out of my father’s keep relatively unnoticed. After hearing the wolves howling in the west, we ran east.
The escape was easy because no one dared to think I could ever make it this far. We waded into the river and then split up with a final glance over our shoulders at each other. Maybe one day,
Linda and I could be family.
Once we were safe.
By the time I reached the hotel where I’d last seen Rhyson, the sun was starting to rise. I had no expectations that he would still be there, but I needed information about the Summerset clan, and the hotel was neutral territory. Once I could get a map, I planned to be on my way.
To my shock, Rhyson was standing in the parking lot. What was he doing here? The ball was weeks ago, and he wasn’t local. Had he stayed for me? Was he looking for me?
Hope bloomed in my chest. All I had to do was shift and show him who I was.
Seven Jeeps were lined up near him. He spoke to someone and then slipped into the passenger
side of one of the middle cars.
I’d lost my chance. They were leaving.
Taking a chance, I slipped behind the Jeeps and sniffed around. One of them was packed with things that smelled of him, so he probably wasn’t returning. Hoping that they were going to the same place, I snuck into the trunk and lay down quietly. A few minutes later, the trunk closed, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
The motor rumbled and the cars pulled out.
After traveling for several hours, I dozed off. I hadn’t slept in days, and I should have accounted for that in the plan. Dreams of my future soothed me. When Rhyson found me, I’d tell him why I’d
my father’s returned. He’d be pleased. We’d figure it out from there, but I would be safe from
12
Chapter 5-3
clutches.
Summerset. I would be Nyx of Summerset. That had a nice ring to it.
Clam
I woke up because rough hands grabbed the scruff of my wolf and hauled me out. I was thrown on the pavement. Immediately rolling over to expose my belly, I whimpered, partly from pain, and partly in submission.
My wolf rarely came out, and when she did, she was terrified of everything. I had so little control over her. Only the thoughts of freedom had gotten us this far, but now that she was scared, she was likely to bolt.
I was too close. I couldn’t let her run now. I couldn’t let her take over.
“Wait,” a familiar voice barked out. Rhyson walked into view and stared down at me. “She was in the luggage? We drove five hours with a stowaway in the trunk, and you didn’t even smell her? You’re fucking fired.”
Five hours? I hoped this was a pit stop. Five hours was still too close to my father.
The man immediately lowered his head and stepped away. Another man cleared his throat. “Don’t go anywhere. You’re not fired.”
“Excuse me? Who gives the orders around here, Duke?” Rhyson growled.
“You do, but I can smell her from here, and I’ll tell you exactly why he didn’t realize she was there. She smells like that damn shirt you refuse to wash.”
I whined. I didn’t know what they were talking about, but I hadn’t done all of this just to die because
of mistaken identity.
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