seen those cats running around at night. Just haven’t been able to see them turning into the creatures.” Her dad started pacing.
“Because they don’t exist. Dad, this is—” A low moan came from the other room, cutting her off.
“What the hell was that?”
He stopped and smiled. “Something better than pictures. I caught me one of them. Put up a nasty little fight, too.”
Shit, shit, shit. Which one had he managed to overtake? No wonder he was injured, and the sound from the other room sounded like a painful one. God, please don’t let it be Jack. She needed to find out who was in the living room and figure a way out of here before her dad did something really crazy, like skin whoever was in there and sell the hide.
“You can’t be serious. You can’t just kidnap someone,” she screeched.
He laughed maniacally, and whatever blood was in her face drained in an instant. Her father’s cheese had totally slipped off his cracker.
“Oh, I didn’t. You did. Why do you think the gate has been unlocked so many times? I snuck into the house on your first day and got a key made to the gate between our properties. I decided I needed a fall guy, and you’re it, sweetheart. I’ve tampered with the gate, and if that wasn’t enough, I left a ransom note to clear up any suspicions. Signed by you.”
“What is wrong with you?” she yelled and ran for the living room. Lillian didn’t have time to devise a great escape plan. She’d just have to garner some willpower to help her with the man her father had been able to drag back here.
She skidded to a halt when she saw a pair of green eyes glazed over, staring at her, and who they belonged to. The body was bloody and limp. She’d have fallen to her knees and sobbed if her legs worked. “No,” she breathed. Please, God, no.
“Yes, Lillian. This is much better, don’t you think? Mr. Lyons wanted proof that these people could shift into animals, and not only did I manage to trap me one, but just image how much money he’ll give me now that I got me one who is carrying one of the spawns.”
“Mikaela.”
Chapter Nine
Something was wrong. Lilly hadn’t returned after her midday disappearing act, and the last time she’d done this, she’d run from him. Back home. Jack had tried radioing her, but she wouldn’t answer. She was either ignoring him or she was out of range, which meant she had left. Both options just pissed him off. Why would she just run away from him after what they’d shared last night?
There was something wrong, all right—Jack was a fool.
He’d thought after the night they’d shared that Lilly would actually open up to him a little more, maybe try to consider sharing a life with him. He didn’t expect her to marry him tomorrow and just live happily ever after, but he sure as hell hadn’t expected her to just cut and run either. He wanted to storm after her, drag her back here, and tie her to his bed until she accepted him as her mate. But he wouldn’t keep running after her. At some point, she’d have to come to him. He knew that the possibility of that happening was very slim, and his heart ached at the thought of his mate not being around, but he had his pride.
A roar pierced his ears, and he stiffened. “Josh,” he mumbled. At the same time, static flared on his radio.
“Jack, come in,” Rob said.
He lifted the handheld device up to his mouth. “Yeah?”
“We need you in the office. Now, man. Hurry.”
He didn’t sign off. He hopped on his wheeler and sped to the main house. He threw it in park and bolted up the stairs and into the house. The scents of his family were the strongest in the office area, so he quickly made his way there. When he pushed open the door, the smell of blood assaulted him and his nose wrinkled as he scanned the room. Josh was breathing hard, a look that could be described only as a combination of overwhelming grief and uncontrollable rage marring his expression.
“What’s going
“Because they don’t exist. Dad, this is—” A low moan came from the other room, cutting her off.
“What the hell was that?”
He stopped and smiled. “Something better than pictures. I caught me one of them. Put up a nasty little fight, too.”
Shit, shit, shit. Which one had he managed to overtake? No wonder he was injured, and the sound from the other room sounded like a painful one. God, please don’t let it be Jack. She needed to find out who was in the living room and figure a way out of here before her dad did something really crazy, like skin whoever was in there and sell the hide.
“You can’t be serious. You can’t just kidnap someone,” she screeched.
He laughed maniacally, and whatever blood was in her face drained in an instant. Her father’s cheese had totally slipped off his cracker.
“Oh, I didn’t. You did. Why do you think the gate has been unlocked so many times? I snuck into the house on your first day and got a key made to the gate between our properties. I decided I needed a fall guy, and you’re it, sweetheart. I’ve tampered with the gate, and if that wasn’t enough, I left a ransom note to clear up any suspicions. Signed by you.”
“What is wrong with you?” she yelled and ran for the living room. Lillian didn’t have time to devise a great escape plan. She’d just have to garner some willpower to help her with the man her father had been able to drag back here.
She skidded to a halt when she saw a pair of green eyes glazed over, staring at her, and who they belonged to. The body was bloody and limp. She’d have fallen to her knees and sobbed if her legs worked. “No,” she breathed. Please, God, no.
“Yes, Lillian. This is much better, don’t you think? Mr. Lyons wanted proof that these people could shift into animals, and not only did I manage to trap me one, but just image how much money he’ll give me now that I got me one who is carrying one of the spawns.”
“Mikaela.”
Chapter Nine
Something was wrong. Lilly hadn’t returned after her midday disappearing act, and the last time she’d done this, she’d run from him. Back home. Jack had tried radioing her, but she wouldn’t answer. She was either ignoring him or she was out of range, which meant she had left. Both options just pissed him off. Why would she just run away from him after what they’d shared last night?
There was something wrong, all right—Jack was a fool.
He’d thought after the night they’d shared that Lilly would actually open up to him a little more, maybe try to consider sharing a life with him. He didn’t expect her to marry him tomorrow and just live happily ever after, but he sure as hell hadn’t expected her to just cut and run either. He wanted to storm after her, drag her back here, and tie her to his bed until she accepted him as her mate. But he wouldn’t keep running after her. At some point, she’d have to come to him. He knew that the possibility of that happening was very slim, and his heart ached at the thought of his mate not being around, but he had his pride.
A roar pierced his ears, and he stiffened. “Josh,” he mumbled. At the same time, static flared on his radio.
“Jack, come in,” Rob said.
He lifted the handheld device up to his mouth. “Yeah?”
“We need you in the office. Now, man. Hurry.”
He didn’t sign off. He hopped on his wheeler and sped to the main house. He threw it in park and bolted up the stairs and into the house. The scents of his family were the strongest in the office area, so he quickly made his way there. When he pushed open the door, the smell of blood assaulted him and his nose wrinkled as he scanned the room. Josh was breathing hard, a look that could be described only as a combination of overwhelming grief and uncontrollable rage marring his expression.
“What’s going
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