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But the quiet game is a stupid game, and I’m sick of it.
“I’m not kidding,” I say, straining at my zip ties, a little shocked when they stretch a bit. I’m either stronger than I thought or they’re using inferior materials. Either way, there’s a chance I can get my hands free, especially if I keep them distracted. “If you don’t pull over and take me to a restroom, I’m going to go all over your seat.”
“Me, too,” Diana says. “And I drank a lot of coffee this morning, so…”
“I actually don’t have to go,” Jacob says, loud enough that I feel safe tugging on my binding again.
The tie gives a little more on the left side.
I squish my hand into a narrow shape and start wiggling.
“But I get really car sick without road trip snacks,” Jacob continues. “If I don’t at least get a soda in me, I’m going to be sick. And I will absolutely lose my breakfast over as many of you cowardly fuckers as possible.”
“Oh, damn, me too.” Diana groans. “Just thinking about grape soda is enough to turn my stomach. If I keep thinking about it, we could have a serious situation on our hands. It could be coming out of both ends of me at once.”
Jacob grunts and says, “You have never been sexier to me than you are right now, princess. I love you. I hope you know that.”
“I do,” Diana says, emotion creeping into her voice as I force the fattest part of my hand through my cuff. It tears my skin on the way out, but a second later my hands are free.
Now I just have to decide the best thing to do with them…
Pulse racing, I shout as loudly as I can, “I really have to go. Pull over now! Pull over!”
My captor finally flinches beside me and shifts in her seat. I sense her leaning toward me and trust the animal instincts rising inside. Moving fast, I rip off my hood and give my wolf free reign.
For a moment, I’m not certain I’ll be able to shift. My fur ripples beneath my skin without bursting through, but then my right hand shrinks enough that the metal binding slips off.
A second later, I’m swimming in my human clothes in my much smaller wolf form, but my head is still free and clear.
I lunge at my captor, teeth bared.
For the first time in my life, I go right for another being’s throat. In scrapes in the woods with other young wolves growing up, we always aimed for the haunches or a leg or paw. Even when we hated each other, we all knew better than to risk causing too much damage.
Even in The Parallel you can’t murder people and get away with it—at least not as a child or a female wolf who hasn’t been sworn into Victor’s private army.
But now, I don’t second guess or hesitate.
I unhinge my jaw and then snap it closed around the woman’s throat. Her flexible fairy armor is well made and covers her from head to toe, but I can feel my teeth working between the enchanted strands. I’ve broken through enough for the first rush of blood to flood my mouth when I’m dragged away by the other guards.
I thrash in their arms, snarling and snapping until they drop me on the floor of the limo. My initial captor, blood soaking the front of her armor, reaches for me, but Diana kicks her in the head, sending her skull snapping back as she falls against the seat.
Somehow, Jacob and Diana have their hoods off, too, though they’re still bound.
But they’re clearly on board with the “let’s put these people out of commission” plan.
Jacob lashes out at the masked figure beside Diana, punching him in the head with both feet over her bent back, while I pounce on the man behind Jacob, digging my teeth into his thigh near the femoral artery.
It’s actually starting to seem like we might come out on top when the car comes to a sudden stop and the limo doors are wrenched open on both sides.
I smell woods—crisp air and fall leaves and fresh spring water—and then a voice straight out of my childhood shouts, “Willow, stop! They’re our friends!”
My jaw loosens in spite of myself.
I can’t help it. Even now, as a grown woman, my big sister’s voice apparently has an immediate effect on me.
I turn to see Kelley standing outside the open door on the right side of the car, dressed in a flowing purple linen gown with her dark hair loose and long around her shoulders. She looks more like an elf from a fantasy movie than the punk-loving, black-eyelinered girl I remember, but there’s no doubt it’s her.
My sister is alive and apparently sent a bunch of masked creeps to kidnap me.
