Feral Escape (Catnip and Cauldrons 3)

She'd just been officially banished by her family.

Nine

Molly stared out the window. Mortification clouded her thoughts. Ivan had seen her parents condemn her and cast her out. What Zane said about mating with her sister angered and depressed her. More, she couldn't get to her sister now. Helplessness tugged at her. How could she have just left her little sister behind?

“Becca will be okay.” Ivan spoke without looking at her.

“For now.”

“Tell me about Zane.”

Molly let out a disgusted snort. “He's a perverted jerk.”

Ivan remained silent, giving her time to elaborate.

“I don't know where to begin. A few years ahead of me in school. Wealthy family. Perfect life. All the girls liked him. For some reason, he constantly asked me out or flirted with me. But something about him always seemed sleazy and sneaky to me. I mean even at that age, I found it weird that I attracted the interest of this older boy who could easily date anyone he wanted. I didn't find out until after my change that my parents had promised me to him.”

“That's not unusual for shifter parents to wait until after the change to tell their kids about their arranged mating.”

Molly blew a short breath out her lips, making a pfft sound. “It's frickin' creepy and barbaric.”

Ivan didn't disagree, but, out of the corner of her eye, she caught him nodding his head.

“The night of my twentieth birthday party, he offered to drive me home.” She paused, taking a deep breath, the memory of that awful night made her heart pound. “He tried to rape me.”

She flicked a glance at Ivan to see his reaction. His face remained stoic, but his big hands tightened on the steering wheel, knuckles going white.

She wiped her sweaty palms on her thighs. “I kicked and clawed until I got away. He'd found out I wasn't a virgin and threatened to tell my parents unless I slept with him too. It would have been a reason to invalidate the mating, so he thought he had me in a position where I couldn't say no. When I did, he tried to reason with me that since I'd already given it up to someone else, I might as well let him have his turn.” She shuddered in disgust. “When that didn't work, he just attacked.” Her hand automatically drifted to her throat as she remembered him choking off her air supply. “I barely fought him off.” His crazed voice telling her how much feisty girls turned him on echoed in her mind. She closed her eyes and tipped her chin down toward her chest, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself.

Once she locked down her emotions and could speak without crying, she continued. “I told my parents that he attacked me, but they didn't understand the problem. As my intended mate, I guess it was okay with them. They still expected me to go through with the mating and not kick up a fuss.”

She paused to collect her thoughts, years of shame burned her throat, but she forced the words out anyway. “You saw where I grew up? A mating to Zane would have elevated them in the community. I realized there was no way out. Since mating him was intolerable, when things blew up with Anita and her parents over Kipp, we took off together. It took a lot to dodge Zane and his friends who tried to track us down. We ended up splitting from Kipp for safety reasons. Then we met up with Deacon, Oscar, and Martha and stayed at the safe house. Kipp brought Onyx and Cole to help us cloak the house, and you know the rest.”

Ivan nodded. “Did Anita know what Zane did to you?”

“Not the whole story. She had her own issues with the man her parents picked for her to mate with.” Molly chose her words carefully, self-conscience about appearing catty. “We weren't always close growing up, but I thought we bonded over our shared experience. I guess not.”

“It doesn't look good for her, but we don't know for sure she had anything to do with your abduction.”

Molly turned that over in her head. “Then where is she?”

“Maybe we've been looking at this wrong. What if someone abducted her too? “

Guilt churned her stomach. “Shit. She's always such a bitch. I don't think anyone considered that.” What if they'd been busy blaming Anita and all this time, she was off stuck in some cave somewhere dying of thirst too? “We should go back,” she insisted.

“Hell no.”

“I should at least stop by her house.”

“No. Forget I said anything, most likely she is the one who gave you up.”

Molly couldn't forget though.

Ivan's cell phone rang, and he jerked his chin in the direction of his pocket, silently asking her to take it out and answer it. She slid her hand inside, taking a second to appreciate the warmth radiating from his body. A harsh contrast against her icy fingers. She slipped the phone out, saw Onyx's face on the screen and answered it.

“How did it go?”

“Horribly,” Molly answered.

Silence drifted over the line for a few seconds. “I'm sorry. We should have gone with you,” Onyx said so softly, that between the road noise and spotty cell phone connection, Molly almost didn't hear her.

“No, it's okay.” It had been painful enough having Ivan there to witness her humiliation. More people would have only made it worse.

“Cole and I need to head home. He has to prepare his classes, and I have to get ready to go back to school. Why don't you and Ivan come visit us for a few days?”

Molly considered the invitation. Going back to the safe house seemed pointless since it had been compromised. Going back to Ivan's lair would be intense, but uncertainty about where their relationship stood knotted her up inside.

“I'll discuss it with him and let you know,” she finally answered.

“Okay.”

The spoke a little longer before saying their goodbyes.

“What are you going to discuss with me?” With his excellent shifter hearing, it amused her that he even asked.

“Onyx and Cole want us to join them at his house.”

“We can do that if you want.”

“Maybe. Right now, I'm starving.”

“That, I can take care of. Looks like a nice greasy spoon coming up.” He pointed to a tiny diner ahead of them.

“That will do.”

They pulled in the parking lot and got out.

Getting out of the truck provided some relief for Ivan's aching back, it felt like they'd been driving for days instead of hours. The tenseness that had developed between them ever since leaving Cattail Hollow also made him uneasy. He needed to do something to take away the negative cloud that had settled over them after the scene back at her parents' house and their subsequent conversation. Some comfort food should help.

They slid into a booth near the back for privacy. Molly kept her gaze down, toying with her silverware. What she'd told him earlier both pissed him off and made him hurt for her. In his world, there was no excuse for harming a female. None. Nothing infuriated Ivan more than a male who used his strength and size to bully a woman into sex. Now he wished he'd beaten the shit out of Zane when he had the chance. To think her parents hadn't defended her or cared what had been done to their daughter. It amazed him she'd turned out with her spirit unbroken. Pride warmed him from the inside out that she chose to give herself to him after what she'd been through.

After studying the menu with rapt attention, she lifted her big, blue eyes, and his stomach tightened. Things were rapidly becoming serious here, and he didn't know how he felt about that. He'd warned Molly he wasn't mate material, but apparently his own heart had not gotten the memo.

He put his closed fist to his mouth and coughed. “Figure out what you want?”

“I think so.”

“So, do you want to go see Onyx and Cole?”

“Yeah, kinda. I miss them. We should be safe with there, right?”

“I'll make sure of it.”

“Okay. She said they could meet us like a half hour out, and we can follow them back.”

“Why not just give us the address and some directions?”

Molly looked out the window befor

e answering. “She said the GPS won't take us there. It would just be easier this way.”

Ivan thought that over. Magic, obviously.

“All right. We'll call her back when we're done.”

With that matter settled, Ivan looked over the menu one more time. Their waitress bustled over to their table with a bored look plastered across her face.

Without looking at either of them, she asked, “Whadaya want?”

Ivan gestured to Molly to go first.

“Tuna melt.”

“Slaw or fries?”

“Can I have both?”

“Costs extra.”

Molly cast a glance at Ivan, and he shrugged.

“That's fine. Can I have a few extra pickles too?”

The waitress nodded and scribbled something down.

“The pot roast.”

“Baked, mashed, or fries?”

“Mashed.”

“Drinks?”

“Water is fine.”

She nodded and walked away. Ivan tracked her to the kitchen, where she put their order in, before he swung his gaze back to Molly. “Extra pickles, huh?”

She smiled shyly and fiddled with the silverware some more.

“You doing okay after all of that?” They might as well get the awkwardness out of the way now.

“My parents or ordering from Waitress McScowley-face?”

Ivan chuckled softly. At least she still had her sense of humor.

“Your family.”

She let out a huff of air. “I wasn't abused or anything growing up. They provided me with food, clothes, a roof over my head, and an education. I know there are people less fortunate than me in the world. But I never felt loved.”

She said it in a straight matter-of-fact way, but Ivan's heart still clenched to hear her say that. Every child deserved to feel loved. Even though he'd never known his father, his mother had made damn sure he knew how much she loved him.

“You know Anita and I were sort of frenemies growing up? She would tease me for being chubby or poor, and, yeah, that sucked. But I was jealous because you couldn't be in her house for five minutes without realizing how much her parents loved and cared about her and her sister.”

She stopped and looked at the window, letting out a soft sigh. “I don't want to be one of those people I've read about who sit around endlessly analyzing their childhood. I just want to move on and be happy.”

“You deserve that.”

She pinned him with a sharp stare. “Why?”

“Why? I don't know, Molly. You want reasons why you deserve happiness?” He didn't pause for long. “You're brave. You're clever. You're loyal and sweet. Is that enough?”

“You don't think I'm pretty?” She pursed her lips in what he recognized as a teasing fake pout. But beneath that, he could tell she wanted to hear his answer.

Ivan pushed the hair out of her eyes. “I think you're beautiful, but those other things I like about you even more.”

His answer seemed to please her as she gave him the first genuine smile of the day.

Satisfaction radiated through Molly as she climbed back into Ivan's truck. With a full belly and a plan in mind, she was eager to see Onyx and Cole again. Visiting their small college town would be another new adventure.

As Ivan opened his door, a man only slightly taller than Ivan whose face lay in shadows from the hood of his sweatshirt, stepped up behind him, “Ivan, watch out!”

She flung her door open and raced to the other side.

“Stay back, kitten,” Ivan ordered as he faced the man.

“Aw, kitten, that's cute, brother,” the intruder said.

Confused, Molly looked to Ivan. “You have a brother?”

The stranger looked amused but didn't speak.

Ivan's mouth turned down in a look she interpreted as disgust. “No, Molly. This is an old friend of mine, Aspen. We were Enforcers together.”

Enforcers, the word shot fear through her heart. He might be here to kill Ivan and take her back to her family. Except he did nothing but stand there and observe them with a sarcastic curve to his lips.

“Relax girl. I'm off the job.” Then he dismissed her by focusing his stare on Ivan. “I'm glad I caught up to you.”

Ivan inclined his head toward his friend, silently giving him permission to continue, while at the same time using a quick hand signal to motion Molly over to him. She pressed herself against his side, and he wrapped his arm around her waist settling his hand on her hip.

“Why?”

“Look. I know you think I'm a shit for not leaving when you took off. I never had the problems with what we were doing like you did, but this time they've gone too far.”

“Who's gone too far? Speak plainly and fast Aspen, I don't have time for your bullshit riddles.”

Aspen's gaze slid to Molly, and regret crossed his features. “The orders have changed from capture to kill.”

Ivan sucked in a breath, his eyes going wide. Molly didn't understand. What orders? Who?

“They banished her. That's not enough?” Ivan bit out.

“No offense, brother, but I think her being with you might have been the clincher. I got the call maybe two hours ago.” He shook his head. “I'm out. I told Xander. Catching wayward felines and bringing them back to their mommy and daddy is one thing. Killing females for no good reason is another. I refused.”

“You've never gotten a kill order before?” Ivan's tone dripped with disbelief as he stared his friend down.

Aspen met the challenging look head-on. “No, not like this one. I figured I owed you a warning, but someone will take the job. They will be coming for her. And you,” Aspen added, almost sounding sad.

Understanding hit Molly hard. “You've been ordered to kill me?”

Sympathy shone in Aspen's green eyes. “Yes. I'm sorry.”

Why was he sorry? “Wait. My parents ordered this?” God she felt stupid for being so damn slow to catch up.

Ivan squeezed her tighter against him. “Everything will be okay, Molly,” he reassured.

Aspen took a few steps backward, flipping his hood back up. “Good luck you two, I need to head out. You know as well as I do that resigning from the Enforcers is like putting a target on your back.”

Yet another person who found himself in danger because of the choices she had made. “I'm sorry,” Molly said.

Aspen cocked his head to the side and regarded her before speaking. “You've got nothing to apologize for. Take care of this bonehead, okay?”

He took a step forward with his hand outstretched, and Ivan grasped it solidly. Aspen nodded at Molly, then spun around and took off into the night.

Head spinning from this new development, she turned to Ivan. “I can't believe they would really want me dead. That's insane. It's insane, right?”

Ivan placed his hands over her shoulders and pulled her in close. The fierceness in his gaze snapped her to attention. “Listen to me, Molly. I will battle any one of them who dares to come near you to the death. I have a lot of skills. Maybe I haven't kept up on all of my training since I left the Enforcers, but I still know how to fight. I won't let them hurt you.”

Good thing one of them had some fighting skills, because all the fight left her body in a painful rush. She sagged against him. His arms tightened around her for a minute, then he nudged her toward the truck. “Let's get moving kitten. It's good that we're headed to Cole's. We'll be magically protected there.”

We need all the help we can get. Ivan kept that thought to himself. He didn't want to scare Molly or upset her more than she already was. They'd really done it. Her parents had put a kill order out on her. He knew one still lingered out there on Onyx, but that had been done by clowder leaders, not her own parents.

He slipped his cell phone out of his pocket and handed it over. “Call Onyx back and get the directions.”

Giving her something to do would take her mind over what they'd just learned. This had been Ivan's fear in taking her

home. He should never have let her talk him into going back. There was no excuse. He knew full well what these people were capable of. Taking her back there had been reckless. A smarter man would have kept her in his bed.

Lost in his self-blame, he didn't hear her end the call.

“This is where they want to meet.” She punched the address into his GPS device and turned it toward him. “It's the parking lot behind an old church. They said it should be deserted by the time we arrive. It will take a few hours to get there.” She rattled off the route the GPS had generated, but he already had a pretty good idea of where they were going.

“Okay, I think I got it.”

He twisted the radio dial up, his lips curving into a smile as Molly sang along to a hit from last year. Even their taste in music matched. Dammit, despite their many differences, she was perfect for him. Even with everything she'd endured today, she still took joy in something as simple as a favorite song.

When the station faded out of range, he switched to talk radio and turned the volume down.

“Why don't you get some rest?”

She made a soft sound of agreement and settled into the seat next to him. After a while he heard her deep breathing and glanced over. Somehow she managed to be even more beautiful in sleep. He shook his head. She was turning him into a sap.

The miles blended into one another. He kept a sharp lookout to make sure no one followed them. No odd or suspicious cars stood out.

Once he found the church he circled the block twice before pulling in behind it. No other cars were in sight. He parked in the back corner, where he had a view of the entrance and a direct route to an exit. As he shut off the engine, Molly moaned in her sleep. He cracked his window, taking in the night air. Beside him, Molly stirred, lifting her hands into the air and stretching.

He couldn't help but be captivated by the sight of her long slender neck or the way the arch of her back pushed her soft, round breasts forward. The memory of her thrashing around under him consumed by her heat pounded through his veins. How long did he have before their friends arrived?