I would either be bonded and bred by the Stone pack, or I could flee.
The decision was easy.
Acting on it, not so much.
I tried to control my breaths as I crept down the hall toward the living room, gripping the wooden baseball bat so hard my fingers ached.
If I could make it to the back door without getting caught, I could dash across the yard, wade through the small creak, and make it to the thicket of trees on the other side.
After that, I had no idea, but I had to put as much distance between me and this house as possible.
My gaze flashed to the clock on the wall. The Stone pack would be arriving in half an hour, unless they were fashionably late. That was enough time for me to get a couple miles away if I hurried.
A floorboard creaked beneath my boot, and I froze.
I brought the bat only as a precaution; I didn’t want to use it.
I wanted to slip out without my father noticing and make a clean getaway, but I didn’t trust myself to be so lucky. I’d fight if I had to because I wouldn’t let him hand me over to a pack I didn’t know.
Mother never would have allowed it.
If I was going to bond into a pack, I planned to do it the right way. I wanted to meet alphas and court them and find someone who complemented me, not be forced into some shady deal against my will. Especially not so my father could make some quick money.
Fuck this plan and fuck him.
I paused at the end of the hall and peered into the living room. No sign of him. That was good and bad because it bought me a few more seconds before I’d have to use the weapon in my hands. But I didn’t know where the bastard had snuck off to.
Maybe he was in his bedroom, getting ready the way he had advised me to. Or maybe he was out front, waiting for the Stone pack to roll into our driveway.
My insides turned. Hopefully, the latter.
A noise came from the kitchen, dashing my hopes. Not only was he still in the house, but the back door was connected to the kitchen. I’d never get by him unseen.
“Damn it,” I mouthed, taking a steadying breath.
I could go out the front, but there were plenty of neighbors on our street. They would be witnesses, and if asked about my whereabouts, I was sure they’d all cave.
No, out the back was still my best option. It was my best chance of getting away without being seen.
It looked like the bat would come in handy after all.
Another step put me at the doorway between the living room and the kitchen, and I steeled my nerves. I leaned forward to peer around the frame and saw my father standing with his back to me. He was working at the counter, probably making an afternoon snack.
I readjusted my hold on the bat, stepping closer.
If he turned around, there was a good chance he’d put up a fight.
Even with a bat, I’d lose.
It would be best if I could knock him out before he saw me. At least, he wouldn’t know what—or who—hit him. Despite how fucked the situation was, and how much I wanted to hate him for selling me and my freedom, he was still my father.
I didn’t think I could handle the hurt or fear in his eyes if he watched the bat coming toward his face…
Another step, then another. Each one made my heart race faster, and I started to shake.
I could do this.
I could do this?—
