“I know you’re here for Nikita, but Quinn is my first priority.I asked Devon to call Bishop, and they’re going to follow up on whatever else he had to say.I understand if you want to help them find the girl.It’s probably better that you do.It’s going to be hard enough getting Quinn away from Dennis.I really don’t want to have to rescue Nikita as well.”

“From listening to Quinn talk about the RC pack, I don’t want Nikita anywhere near them.”Mercy gazed over Kyllian’s shoulder, and he let her have time to decide.When she looked back at him, she said, “I’m going to work with the Hounds to try and intercept her.If we do manage to get her before she reaches the pack, I’m not sure what’ll happen.She ran away for a reason.”

“I would suggest you take her to one of my sisters.Between the six of them, they have plenty of experience with angsty teens.”

“Won’t that be awkward?They don’t know Nikita, or me for that matter.”

“No.Our family specializes in helping those who need a safe place to land.Then again, if they get their hands on Nikita, I might never get her back.The girls – that’s what my mom calls my sisters – they love hard.”

Mercy puffed up.“Youmight never get her back?You’ve never met her.”

“No, but she’s Quinn’s daughter.Quinn is my mate; therefore, Nikita is mine as well.Yes, I’m getting ahead of myself, but when I said my sisters love hard?It isn’t only them.Once you have a Lazlo in your corner, that’s all there is to it.”

Mercy stared at Kyllian a beat, studying him.He let her take his measure.Not that her opinion mattered.Yes, she had some sway over Nikita, but in the long run, it would be Quinn and Kyllian who took care of the girl.It might take a while for Nikita to believe her mother had her best interest at heart, but he would make sure it happened.If he needed to enlist the girls help, he would.

“Look.Devon and his mate recently helped one of my brothers with a situation involving a child.They took the child and her mother in.Poppy is Devon’s mother.Please think about going to her for help.There’s nowhere you’ll be more protected than with my family.”

“If you think they won’t mind, I’ll take her there.”

“They won’t mind at all.Like I said, it’s what our family does.”Kyllian gestured to Jeremy and Brett.“Are you two going with Mercy?”

“Yes.Quinn is your priority, but Nikita is ours.She might be Quinn’s daughter, but she’s still part of our pack.”

She wouldn’t be for long if Kyllian had anything to say about it, but he kept that thought to himself.“Okay, let me call Devon and tell him the three of you are going to meet up with the Hounds.Jeremy, I’ll give him your number, and I’ll be on my way to find Quinn.”

After calling his nephew and getting everyone on the same page, Kyllian got into the rental and headed west.The RC pack’s land wasn’t too much farther, but Kyllian needed to find somewhere to park away from the watchful eyes of the wolves.He had no doubt the wolf Mercy and the others fought would have arrived home and alerted Dennis to what went down.The wolves already had an advantage with their numbers.Kyllian needed his Hounds at his back when he went in to get Quinn, but he could scout the area while Devon and the others searched for Nikita.

Devon had mapped out the route the Hounds took earlier, so Kyllian made sure to stay away from that area.He drove until he found a secluded road leading away from the river and parked.He put his cell phone and keys in a small pouch before stripping.He deposited his clothes on the front seat and locked the car.Kyllian then shifted to his Eagle, grabbing the pouch handle in his beak before taking flight.The land below was gorgeous, but it was the river that called to him.Each Hound had their own element, and his was water.Unable to resist, Kyllian flew lower until his talons dragged the surface.If he weren’t in a hurry to get to Quinn, he would let his Eagle snag a fish or two.After getting his fill of communing with his element, he angled back to the sky.

Staying well above the tree line, Kyllian continued on to where the bikers had said the pack land was hidden away, well off the main road.When he noticed small cabins nestled back in the woods, he knew he was in the right place.Kyllian continued until he caught sight of the Alpha’s residence.The cabins were nothing more than two room shacks while the main house was a sprawling, three-story lodge.Kyllian expected Dennis to have better accommodations, but this was ridiculous.It was apparent the Alpha cared more about himself than his pack.

Circling the area, Kyllian kept his Eagle eyes open for any sign of Quinn.He doubted Dennis would allow her to remain out in the open, but he searched anyway.Motorcycles were parked all around the property.Most of the cabins had at least one bike parked next to it.He cringed thinking of the wear and tear on the machines from sitting in the elements.Several men stood around an older model truck, the hood up with one male leaning over working on the engine.Quinn said all money earned from outside jobs went back into the pack, but it was clear where the money was focused, and it wasn’t on the individual members if that junker was any indication.

Kyllian hovered as the front door opened and Quinn walked out followed by a man with a gun.Fuck.If these dire wolves were such badasses, why did they need weapons?

You carry a gun.

Yes, he did, but only at Ryker’s insistence for their merc jobs.Kyllian kept his eyes trained on his mate as she was escorted to the same SUV she’d been in before.The wolf gestured to the back, and Quinn complied.The gunman slid into the backseat with her while another got in to drive.Where were they taking her?Kyllian followed from above as the vehicle left the compound.Instead of turning right out of the driveway, the driver went left.Kyllian could handle two wolves, but at least one of them was armed, and he couldn’t risk Quinn getting shot.Shifter or not, if a bullet hit a vital organ, it could be lights out.

A few miles farther down the road, they turned left once again.From the looks of the area, it appeared as though they were headed up.Where are you taking her?From somewhere below, a scream filled the air followed by growls and a single howl.Scanning the area below, Kyllian found the source of the disturbance.Without flying lower, he felt in his soul he’d found Nikita.

Kyllian was torn.Did he abandon his mate to whatever fate awaited her at the end of her drive and go after her daughter?Would she hate him if he continued following the car, then something happened to Nikita because he left her to fight on her own?He cursed, and it came out as a loud screech.

Go after the girl.

Nikita

Nikita crouched behinda tree, begging her Wolf to calm down.She needed to shift to heal the wounds from jumping out of a moving vehicle, but if she did, she was afraid the beast would take over completely.Nikita had always prided herself on being a good judge of character, so when the old man who offered her a ride turned out to be a creep, well, it wasn’t her finest moment.Neither had been running from home, but something weird was going on back in her pack.

She was different from everyone else in her pack.When Nikita took to her fur, she was larger than the other wolves her age.She also had different coloring.The best thing about her Wolf was she didn’t have to strip.Her clothes magically reappeared when she took to her skin again.She’d asked her dad about it, and he said it was because she was special.Blake sat Nikita down and told her the truth of her birth.How her birth mother had walked away from the pack two days after Nikita was born.In essence, had walked away from Nikita.

She didn’t believe him for one second, but Nikita was an excellent actress.She had witnessed pups being born.She had seen the joy in each mother’s eyes when they first held their baby.And she had felt the fierce protectiveness they displayed if anyone tried to get near the baby.Anyone other than the sire or the Alpha would be eviscerated, at least verbally.

It wasn’t until she was older and her best friend Tarryn told her the truth.Nikita’s biological mother had been distraught upon finding Nikita gone.So much so she killed the Alpha, Blake’s father.Learning the truth was the moment everything changed inside her mind.Tarryn swore Nikita to secrecy, but her whole life had been a lie.She went to the one person she thought would be on her side, realizing too late it was her own mother who killed her grandfather, and the pain in her Gran’s eyes was proof she blamed Quinn Shepherd for everything wrong in the world.

Then why did she tell you where your mother lived?

That was an excellent question.Nikita explained to Gran that she wanted to find out where she came from.To learn the truth of the dire wolves.Gran had willingly offered up the location of her mother’s old pack.She even went as far as giving Nikita money for bus fare and food, but she also made Nikita swear she wouldn’t divulge where the money came from.When Nikita thought about traveling to New Mexico, she had been excited.She’d never traveled farther than the Texas border with her parents and siblings.Now, here she was, stuck in a strange place with nothing but twelve dollars and some change to her name.

Tags: Faith Gibson Crime
Source: readsnovelonline.net