White Knight by Kelly Meade Page A

no. He probably didn’t know how to say yes. Leopold struck her as someone not used to making his own decisions. He did what his sisters told him to, because he had no practice in thinking for himself. She had to try a new tactic. Anything to make him open that damned door.
    “Leopold, are you happy here?”
    “I’m not happy when I’m alone.”
    “Neither am I. No loup is. We aren’t meant to be alone.”
    “I’m happiest when my sisters are here. It was best when Fiona and Victoria were alive.” His voice pitched higher, sadder. “I miss them.”
    “I know you do. My father died not long ago, and I miss him very much. I understand your sorrow. We can share it together if you come inside. You won’t be alone.”
    More silence. Shay bit back a scream of frustration. She was close to breaking him. So close to an agreement. She studied the door, hoping to make this easier on him. It no longer had a knob on her side, and it opened outward, into the hall, which kept the hinges on the other side. Out of her reach.
    The hinges. Of course!
    “Leopold, I think I know of a way to open the door without damaging it. You can put it back together before Desiree comes home.”
    “I can?” Hope colored his words so sweetly.
    “Yes. Can you feel the hinges on your side? The slim, rounded metal part the door swings on?”
    “Yes. Yes, I feel three of them.”
    Her beast whined with relief. “Okay good. Can you feel at the top of each one how a flat part is there? Like a nail head? That is a pin that is holding the hinge together.”
    “I think so. Yes.”
    “If you can find something strong and slender, you can push the pin up and out from below. The door will open easily then, and it won’t damage anything.” Shay wasn’t entirely certain of the damage thing, but Leopold wouldn’t know the difference. She would be long gone before the hybrids realized she’d tricked him.
    “Okay, but can you promise me something?”
    Her heart skipped. “What is it?”
    “Promise me you’ll stay in the room. Des and Ally will be really mad if they find out you got out. They want you here to take care of Chelsea.”
    She swallowed hard, sick at lying so blatantly to her own brother. Someone she needed to trust her. But more than him trusting her, she needed him safe. And she couldn’t make him and Chelsea safe until she was free. He’d never leave with her this way, and taking Chelsea was too dangerous. Shay was exhausted and raw and filthy, and the last thing she needed was someone reporting her to the human police.
    I am so sorry for this, brother.
    “I promise,” she said.
    “I’ll be back.”
    Shay hauled her aching bones back over to the bassinet. Chelsea had eaten less than an hour ago. The sisters knew how to heat a bottle. She suspected Leopold had some knowledge of it from his previous comment about caring for the baby.
    “I’ll come back for you, little one,” Shay whispered. “You’re coming home with me, I swear it.”
    Chelsea yawned, her tiny fists clutching the stuffed dog.
    Shay ignored the pang in her heart, the hatred of leaving such an innocent life behind. Her only consolation was knowing the hybrids loved the child as much as she did.
    She returned to the door, wishing she had something to wear besides the faded, stained dress she’d been given. Wishing she had shoes for who-knew-however long her journey toward help would be. But with freedom lurking so close, little mattered now except for achieving it. Her beast longed for it, demanded it, pacing like the caged animal it was and had been for weeks.
    Movement outside the door sent her pulse racing. She tried to relax so Leopold wasn’t immediately suspicious. She didn’t want to hurt him when she fled.
    Metal scraped. Creaked. A sliver of light appeared on the left side of the door. Then it listed to the side, still attached by whatever locks Desiree had installed, but with enough give for Leopold to slip inside the room. He was beaming, proud