Nikita Lazlo.Yep, it had a good ring to it.Was eighteen too old to be adopted?She hoped not.She wanted to belong to a family who had her back.Who didn’t demand a mated wolf seduce a young woman just to have a dire offspring.Now that Nikita was aware of how she came to be, she wanted nothing to do with Blake.If she never saw her sire again, it would be too soon.
Getting out of this vehicle would also be too soon.Nikita didn’t do well being still for long periods of time.She sat up in the seat and took in their surroundings.She’d never been to Texas other than the stop on the bus.Something was wrong.Nikita knew it down to her soul when the signs on the interstate pointed north instead of east.Nikita sat back and observed the adults in the vehicle.Brett, who was sitting next to Nikita, had his arms crossed over his chest.Jeremy was driving, but his hands were gripping the steering wheel tight enough to turn his knuckles white.And Mercy?Mercy had never been the most stable female, and now she was giving off some eerie vibes.Nikita long ago learned to trust her Wolf, and it was telling her to get as far away from Mercy as possible.
“I thought we were going to Texas to stay with Kyllian’s sister?”If Nikita hadn’t been watching Jeremy’s face in the rearview mirror, she would have missed the way his eyes shifted sideways to his sister.Brett stiffened beside Nikita but didn’t comment.
Mercy shrugged without looking back.“I don’t know those people, and I’m not trusting your safety to strangers.”
“I trust them.Kyllian and his family put their lives on the line for me.He saved me.”It was Mercy’s turn to stiffen, but Nikita kept talking.“If we aren’t going to Texas, where are we going?Because I don’t want to go back to the pack.”
“I’m sorry, but the Alpha gave me an order.You know I can’t ignore it.”
Nikita sent Tarryn a quick text, praying Kyllian’s fellow Gryphon was monitoring the messages.It’s how they found Nikita in the first place.
Nikita:Mercy is taking me back to the pack.Said Blake demanded it.
Tarryn:I’m sorry.I know things are shitty right now, but hey.You only have a couple more months until graduation, then you can get out of there.My parents already said you could come here.
Nikita:Tell them thanks.I guess I’ll figure something out then.
Tarryn:Keep me posted.
Nikita needed a plan.If Bishop was keeping tabs on her whereabouts, he could get word to Kyllian.She needed to stall to give him time to catch up.“I’m hungry, and I gotta pee.”
Mercy turned and glared at her.“We just ate.And you’re not a child, you can hold it.”
Nikita crossed her arms over her chest, mirroring Brett.She chewed her lip as she wondered what awaited her back home.Blake would be furious and probably ground her.Bethany would use her disappointed look, the one she reserved for Carrie.Her grandmother would...Her grandmother was the one who gave her the money to go looking for Quinn, so hopefully she wouldn’t be upset with Nikita.Unless Blake used his Prime Alpha voice, Nikita wouldn’t admit his mom gave her the money.
About an hour later, Mercy told Jeremy, “Take the next exit.According to the internet, there’s a mall there, and we can get what we need.”
Nikita didn’t know what they needed other than food, but a mall was good.Lots of places to hide if she could get away from them.Jeremy followed Mercy’s directions and parked in the lot outside the food court entrance.Once inside, the four of them ordered burgers and sat amid the myriad of shoppers and families.As she ate her food, Nikita searched the area.It was set up much the same as the mall close to home with smaller stores just past the food court and the larger stores on each corner of the building.This one was two levels as well.It was now or never.
“I still need to pee.I’ll be right back,” she said, standing.
Mercy held out her hand.“Leave your phone here.Brett, go with her.”
Shit.She didn’t need to give Mercy any reason to doubt she was going anywhere other than the restroom.“Sure.Here you go.”She slid the phone across the table.Mercy couldn’t get in it without Nikita to unlock it.Putting on her best fake smile, she said, “We’ll be right back.”
Nikita set up a quick pace.When she continued past the entrance to the restroom, Brett grabbed her hand.“The restroom is right there.”
Nikita gave him a sheepish grin, leaning in whispering.“I know, but I’m on my period.I don’t have any tampons, so I need to see if there’s a small market of some sort.”As she suspected, Brett flinched.Why men were so grossed out by a natural bodily function, she didn’t know, but she used it to her advantage.She took him on a circuit of the ground floor, crossing through the middle of the concourse, and hopping on the escalator.When they were almost at the top, Nikita kicked Brett in the chest, sending him crashing into shoppers behind him.She took off running and darted into one of the larger stores.She continued to the opposite side where she exited into the mall and entered the first clothing store for teens.
Seeing someone close to her age texting, she ducked behind the clothes rack.“Hey, can I borrow your phone?There’s some creep following me, and I need to call my dad.”
“Yeah, sure.”The girl handed her phone over, and Nikita prayed Kyllian had found his phone.She had memorized the number even though it was stored in her phone.
After several rings, the best voice in the world answered, “Hello?”
“Kyllian, help.”Nikita peered around the clothes, keeping an eye on the door.
“Trouble, is that you?”
“Yes.I don’t know what’s going on, but Mercy has lost her fricking mind.They all have.”
“Where are you?”
“The mall in Tulsa.I’m borrowing someone’s phone.Mercy took mine.”
“How did you get away?”