Page 72 of License to Kill

“If you don’t view either of those as downsides, you’ll probably miss work on Monday. We’ll make a good excuse for you. It can be part of the accident you two were in. I’ll even have Mason call your boss, as even Normals have difficulty giving Mason a hard time.”

“Okay. What’s the plan?”

“Hide and Go Seek, as played by Fenerec. In this variant, we have hostages. In this case, you and your mate. We’ll lock you up somewhere, and we’ll spend the next few days yanking our Alpha’s chains until they figure out where you’re at. And as we’re playing by Fenerec rules, we’ll move you around so you’re harder to find. It’ll be fun.”

“Please don’t,” Jake begged.

“Okay. I don’t have a travel bag.” That had been one of the first things I’d removed from my life. If it was a bag I might have used as one, I got rid of it to eliminate any reminders of the woman I’d once been.

“We’ll take care of everything you need.”

“Do we have to play as hostages, or can we help with the moving around and hiding?”

“We tend to make the rules up as we go,” Ned confessed.

“If we’re going, we have maybe ten minutes to clear out,” Mason warned, letting me go and giving my shoulder a pat before retreating towards the kitchen. “I’ll grab your dinner for the road, Jake.”

Jake growled, then he sighed. “This is a terrible idea.”

Gary hopped off Jake’s back, snagged him by the collar, and once the other Fenerec moved, hauled him to his feet. “We don’t care. Shut up and come along quietly, or I’ll tie you up. I’ve been looking for an excuse to do just that for years. Go ahead. Make my day.”

Sighing, Jake hung his head and slumped his shoulders. “This is not how I wanted my night to go.”

Since everyone else seemed to be ribbing Jake, I decided to join in. “If I can deal with it, you can deal with it. Don’t be such a whiner.”

If looks could kill, I’d be a smoldering pile of ash on the floor. “Now you’re just being spiteful, Karma.”

“Poor baby.”

It never ceased to amaze me how fast Fenerec could move when motivated, and within five minutes of deciding to make a run for it, they cleared out of the house, leaving it as though a tornado had torn through it. A team of five had cleaned the kitchen, loading and starting the dishwasher before turning their attention to the living room.

I wondered how Jake’s parents would react to the shredded couch and smashed coffee table. I viewed the busted television as a necessary sacrifice, helpfully ridding the world of a monstrous relic I could replace with something a lot bigger and with a flat screen.

“You should start a maid service.” I crossed my arms over my chest while I waited for the last of them to dart out the front door. “You have obviously missed your calling.”

Gary had Jake in a neck lock, dragging him towards one of the FBI-marked SUVs parked on the grass. “Mason, grab his vixen and let’s get out of here.”

Before anyone could grab me, I followed Gary. When Jake put up a fight getting into the vehicle, I helped shove my unwilling husband inside. “You’re being a child about this.”

“This is not funny, Karma.”

“It’s hilarious. Get in before we’re caught.” I shoved with all my strength, which did absolutely nothing to force the Fenerec inside. “Come on, Jake. Don’t be a mule about this.”

“Will you sit on my lap if I cooperate?”

I glared at him.

Gary smacked his hand to the top of Jake’s head and pushed him into the SUV. “No, she won’t, but only because she will be wearing her seatbelt properly. Our first stop is my house, and my basement guest bedroom has a twin bed. Do the math.”

That got him into the SUV, and I wrinkled my nose, sliding into the vehicle beside him. “That’s pathetic, Jake. Can you even fit on a twin? Your feet are going to dangle off the end of the bed.”

“Wise men don’t say a word in this situation,” the pack’s Second advised before closing the door and circling the car. We were among the last to leave the house, leaving the lawn a disaster of tire tracks. Later, I’d have to ask how they managed to scatter so well, the vehicles splitting up at the nearest intersections and dispersing as though there’d never been a crowd present in the first place.

“Why are you all ganging up on me?”

“Opportunity. The tiny terror in the back with you might decide she’s really had enough of our shit. After seeing what she did to your couch, I really don’t want her to use me as a chew toy.”

I scowled. “You wolves are freaks with all the biting you do. I only bite when provoked.”