there because she wouldn’t let anything else happen to Mikaela if she could help it.
Thankfully, her father hadn’t suspected Lillian was lying about being bitten. He was a large man, so if she stood a fighting chance with him, she’d have to shift and attack him in her feral form. But she’d have to wait until they got to a point where she could put Mikaela safely out of harm’s way.
She didn’t need her father killing Mikaela and running off.
They’d been hiking for hours, though, and they could still see the smoke in the distance. If that fire wasn’t contained, thousands of acres and years of work would be ruined. But more important to their immediate situation, they could be trapped in a burning forest.
It was now or never. Lillian had to do something before her father guided them even farther into the woods. She saw a rock embedded in the path and tripped. She went down on one knee and screamed, all the while carefully keeping Mikaela from sliding off her shoulder and falling.
Her dad grunted and turned around. Lillian struggled to stand and hopped on her foot. “I need a break.”
“Damn it, girl. We don’t have time for this.”
“Five minutes.” She shuffled over to the edge of the path, making sure her limps were exaggerated, and gently released Mikaela, propping her up against a tree. When she stood, she tried stretching, but made sure she didn’t favor her “sprained” ankle.
Lillian hobbled back toward her dad, but continued past him a ways, scouting the path, hoping it looked as though she was eager to get away with her father and not away from him. “So how much farther do we have?” she asked as she wiped the sweat from her brow and faced him.
“About three more miles.”
Shit. That’d take at least two hours with her carrying Mikaela. Lillian wasn’t sure if it’d be faster to go back the way they came once she got them away from her father or to continue on the path.
Then again, maybe there was someone waiting for them at the end of the trail. She couldn’t take that chance. She glanced at the orange glow of the forest below and knew she had only one choice.
They’d have to go back.
Which meant she really didn’t have any more time to waste.
“I need to pee,” she mumbled and headed toward the edge of the trail to seek out cover to take off her clothes.
“Hurry up. We gotta get a move on.”
“Okay.”
Once she was out of sight, she quickly shucked her clothes and shifted, amazed at how natural it felt for her to be like this now. It was a part of her, a part she hadn’t even known she was missing until she’d found it—found Jack. God, and he thought she’d betrayed him. Would he forgive her once he knew the truth, or would he still hate her for what her father had done to Mikaela? She hoped Mikaela woke up soon. She’d been out for about three hours now, and Lillian was worried what that’d mean for the baby.
Lillian sunk as close to the ground as she could and crawled to the edge of the forest. Her father was at the edge of the trail opposite her, taking a leak.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, knowing that she’d have to stop her father with any means necessary. It was him or them, a decision that was made the moment he’d kidnapped Mikaela and taken them both hostage.
She charged, but a sound to her right just before she hit her father caught her by surprise. She looked just in time to see another lion reach him first and feel another one knock her to the ground, stealing her breath.
“I’m going to kill you,” Jack raged as he rolled with her. She heard the other lion screaming in his head and knew it was Josh, but the growls he was making as he ripped her father’s throat out drowned out the oaths he was swearing.
“Stop! You have to help Mikaela!” Lillian struggled with Jack, but he was far too strong for her.
“That’s what we’re here to do. I can’t believe you’d actually betray me like this. And to think I actually
Thankfully, her father hadn’t suspected Lillian was lying about being bitten. He was a large man, so if she stood a fighting chance with him, she’d have to shift and attack him in her feral form. But she’d have to wait until they got to a point where she could put Mikaela safely out of harm’s way.
She didn’t need her father killing Mikaela and running off.
They’d been hiking for hours, though, and they could still see the smoke in the distance. If that fire wasn’t contained, thousands of acres and years of work would be ruined. But more important to their immediate situation, they could be trapped in a burning forest.
It was now or never. Lillian had to do something before her father guided them even farther into the woods. She saw a rock embedded in the path and tripped. She went down on one knee and screamed, all the while carefully keeping Mikaela from sliding off her shoulder and falling.
Her dad grunted and turned around. Lillian struggled to stand and hopped on her foot. “I need a break.”
“Damn it, girl. We don’t have time for this.”
“Five minutes.” She shuffled over to the edge of the path, making sure her limps were exaggerated, and gently released Mikaela, propping her up against a tree. When she stood, she tried stretching, but made sure she didn’t favor her “sprained” ankle.
Lillian hobbled back toward her dad, but continued past him a ways, scouting the path, hoping it looked as though she was eager to get away with her father and not away from him. “So how much farther do we have?” she asked as she wiped the sweat from her brow and faced him.
“About three more miles.”
Shit. That’d take at least two hours with her carrying Mikaela. Lillian wasn’t sure if it’d be faster to go back the way they came once she got them away from her father or to continue on the path.
Then again, maybe there was someone waiting for them at the end of the trail. She couldn’t take that chance. She glanced at the orange glow of the forest below and knew she had only one choice.
They’d have to go back.
Which meant she really didn’t have any more time to waste.
“I need to pee,” she mumbled and headed toward the edge of the trail to seek out cover to take off her clothes.
“Hurry up. We gotta get a move on.”
“Okay.”
Once she was out of sight, she quickly shucked her clothes and shifted, amazed at how natural it felt for her to be like this now. It was a part of her, a part she hadn’t even known she was missing until she’d found it—found Jack. God, and he thought she’d betrayed him. Would he forgive her once he knew the truth, or would he still hate her for what her father had done to Mikaela? She hoped Mikaela woke up soon. She’d been out for about three hours now, and Lillian was worried what that’d mean for the baby.
Lillian sunk as close to the ground as she could and crawled to the edge of the forest. Her father was at the edge of the trail opposite her, taking a leak.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, knowing that she’d have to stop her father with any means necessary. It was him or them, a decision that was made the moment he’d kidnapped Mikaela and taken them both hostage.
She charged, but a sound to her right just before she hit her father caught her by surprise. She looked just in time to see another lion reach him first and feel another one knock her to the ground, stealing her breath.
“I’m going to kill you,” Jack raged as he rolled with her. She heard the other lion screaming in his head and knew it was Josh, but the growls he was making as he ripped her father’s throat out drowned out the oaths he was swearing.
“Stop! You have to help Mikaela!” Lillian struggled with Jack, but he was far too strong for her.
“That’s what we’re here to do. I can’t believe you’d actually betray me like this. And to think I actually
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