“Why did you get in my car?”
Marelle shrugged.
“You can’t stay here. We have to take you home.”
“Please don’t.”
Claude’s nose twitched, and a black look crossed his face before he sat back. Gem caught it, and she gripped his arm.
Blue swept the girl’s hair away from her face. “It’s not up to me. You need to ask Viktor.”
She peered at Viktor and shook her head.
I reached out my hand. “Come stand next to me. My name’s Raven.”
Blue nodded, and the girl quickly walked around Christian and stood on my right side.
“I bet you’ve never seen anyone with eyes like mine,” I said, trying to distract her.
She looked at me, and her expression shifted. “Oh cool. Are those real?”
“Yep. No contacts. Pretty neat, huh?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Is there a reason you don’t want to go home? I bet your mom misses you.”
“I don’t have a mom.”
I rubbed her back consolingly. “I’m sorry, Marelle. I lost my mom too.”
“You did?”
I nodded. “My dad took care of me, and he’s a really good guy. I bet yours misses you.”
She looked down at her feet, one of them sweeping against the floor. “I don’t know who my dad is.”
Viktor shifted to face her. “How do you not know your parents in a pack?”
Marelle shrugged.
“Who takes care of you?” I asked.
“I take care of myself.”
Viktor sighed. “I am sorry for your parents. But your Packmaster is your protector, and we must return you to him.” He reached for her hand.
Marelle recoiled and clung to me. She was trembling, and just then, Claude’s chair flipped over.
“Son of a ghost,” Wyatt exclaimed. “Someone get him out of here.”
I couldn’t turn my head with her arms around my neck, but I knew that Claude had flipped his switch.
“We can’t take her back,” Niko said, not inviting any argument.
Viktor’s face told it all—he was in absolute agreement. Chitahs could pick up emotional scents, and when Claude flipped his switch at the girl’s fearful reaction, it was clear something sinister was going on in that pack. And Niko must have seen something in her light.
I gave the girl a gentle hug. “It’s okay.”
