"The forest. I must say, they had good timing though if they had come five minutes earlier it would have been better. Something did seem familiar about them, but I can't think straight. I feel like my mind's going a million miles a second." She checked the review mirror and sighed in relief when no one was behind them.

"It's probably the adrenaline," Alison said. "Maybe we should stop somewhere. A hotel or something."

Sarina bit her lip. "I don't know. I have no idea how to do any of this. I just need to get Vane. He'll protect us, both of us, Ali. I promise."

Alison nodded, her gaze falling to the quickly passing scenery. "Oh, I almost forgot. I couldn't find out where he lives exactly. No one in my family knew and none of my friends did either. But they know of him, said he's a good Alpha who leads a strong pack."

Sarina smiled softly. "Thank you. Thank you for everything. If it weren’t for you, then I wouldn’t have gotten out of there. I'd be marrying that prick Prince Conlin on Saturday." She shivered in disgust at the thought. "Oh, and your fake coughing was pure awesomeness. Really, it hurt my throat just watching you hack away."

Alison laughed but it came out strained and hoarse. "Mine too, thanks."

Sarina snickered. "What do you say we go get my man?"

"Let's."

Chapter 20

"God, I can't believe we finally made it here." Sarina sighed and tried to roll the painful knot in her neck away. After making their way back to her father’s cabin, they hid Alison's car off the road in the tree line. Hopefully no one would notice it. Sarina knew that her father's men would be looking for her, and she knew they would look for her at Vane's, but the longer she held them off her trail, the better.

Sarina and Alison trekked through the forest. Sarina didn't honestly know which way he lived, but she found a large footprint facing north and decided to try that way. If she'd come sooner, then she might have still been able to track his scent. And he smelled so good, too, like new earth and sweaty man.

Some hours later, Alison groaned next to her. "Are we there yet? My legs feel like jello."

Sarina laughed at her friend, her first real, free laugh since the whole ordeal started. It felt good, like a light was turned on inside her. "I know mine do too. But, I think we're close. I can smell it."

Alison tipped her face to the side and sniffed at the air delicately as if she was afraid she might smell something bad. "Yeah, I suppose. I smell lykaens. I guess any lykaen not working for your father or Prince Asshole would be nice. Maybe they could spare some food, too. I'm starving."

Sarina's smile faltered at the reminder of the prince. "It wasn’t your fault, Ali. None of it.”

Alison nodded quickly and looked away. The prince had really done a number on her. Her face had been so swollen after the beating he gave her it looked like a baseball was sitting on her eye.

"It was never your fault. I never even saw it coming and it’s my job to watch for assholes like him. He was just that good, Alison. I just want you to know that I love you, Ali, and I'd listen to your most gruesome tales if it would alleviate the pain."

"I know." Alison gasped and pointed excitedly at something in the distance. "Lights! I see lights. Yes! It's civilization. Let's go!" She sprinted off towards the light and Sarina followed.

It didn't take long before they broke through the dewy tree line and stood beside a cabin. The cabin wasn't nearly as large as the one her father owned, but it was a sturdy two story that looked exactly like the kind of home Vane would have. Rustic, masculine, simple.

She stopped in her tracks, surprised at her line of thinking. I've never thought poorly against father, yet in the last week, I've wished more harmful things on him than I have anyone. A part of her felt a sharp pang of guilt at disobeying her father, but another, lighter side, surged with bright happiness.

"Let's see who lives here. If we're lucky, it's your man. Can you smell him?" Alison walked along the side of the house, jumping to try to peer into the windows. She cursed her short height.

Sarina closed her eyes and gently awakened her beast, when she opened her eyes, she could smell everything. She inhaled and brought in a variety of scents and odors, the fresh smell of grass and trees blended with the wood of the cabin. The beast inside her inhaled for her, scenting a female and several males, and there underneath those scents was earthy, delicious male.

"Vane!" Sarina sprinted around the house and up the stairs to the front door, her fist banging rapidly on the door. "Vane!” She didn’t care that she was screaming. "Vane it's me!" She heard movement in the house and her stomach tightened with anticipation, her breath fell in bursts.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal a beautiful woman with chin-length hair and bangs. Sarina's heart plummeted to the floor like a brick. She stumbled back in disbelief. Hurt like she’d never felt before ripped through her heart.

The woman started forward, her hand raised, but Alison saved her. "Don't touch her!" The woman glared at her but didn't move any further.

The woman ground her teeth before speaking in a voice so husky, so sexy it hurt to hear. "I'm Vera Kategan. Vane's sister." Like soothing aloe on a burn, her words alleviated her bloody heart piece by piece.

"Oh.” God she felt dumb.

The woman lips curled into a half smile. "Come on in. Sarina is it?" At Sarina's nod, she stepped aside and waved them in.

At Sarina's questioning gaze, Vera faltered for a moment. "Oh, right, Vane. Well, he's in jail right now. Don't worry though; he shouldn't be in there too long. The charges were all, well mostly, bogus anyways. The pack lawyer is taking care of it. He's supposed to call me with news of any changes. You girls look like a hot mess. Where'd you come from anyways?" She looked around as if searching for a car.

Sarina grimaced and took a seat in front of a brick fireplace. The fire wasn't lit, but there were logs in the hearth and it smelled nice and woodsy. "I escaped from my father. He was going to marry me off to Prince Asshole—I mean Prince Conlin—on Saturday. He wouldn't allow me to see Vane. Why is he in jail? What happened?"

The woman arched a shapely eyebrow. "Your own father was going to what? Trade you, sell you?"

Sarina nodded. “Sell me. This whole thing is so crazy. I've never seen my father like this. It's as though whatever string that held me to him has snapped.” A sudden thought hit her. She had seen him like this once before. When she was twelve. The only other time she’d seen that murderous look in his eyes, towards her mother.

Vera looked contemplative then her eyes widened. "Prince Conlin, isn't he that woman-abusing piece of shit?" Sarina nodded. "I would love to take a piece out of his skin. To think that he's survived pack law. I don't know how he does it really, even with his power. With all the girls he's supposedly beaten, even if only one of them is true it should be enough to carry out pack justice."

Sarina looked sharply at Vera and cleared her throat delicately. Then turned to find her friend's face flushed red.

"Alison?"

"No, it’s fine. I dated Conlin two years ago. I thought he was so handsome. He is really, that can't be denied. We got alone really well. He made me feel so beautiful. A little bit into our relationship, he started getting weird. When I tried to break up with him, he attacked me." She laughed but the sound was bitter and hoarse.