“Dad, what is he talking about? Who is this?” Allie had no idea who the sexy stranger was, but damn … her hormones went wild the second he barged his way into her parents’ house, spouting something about them being mates.
“I don’t know who he is or what he wants,” Alonzo said, never taking his eyes off Marc.
She could hear the lie in her father’s voice. So did her tiger.
“Something is up, but I don’t know what it is. Do you have any idea?”she asked her animal.
I have no idea what the hell is going on other than the fact that he is MINE!
It took all the strength Allie had not to shift right there and rub up against the sexy stranger, but she held her ground, not wanting to stir up any more ruckus.
“Who are you? How do you know me?” she tried to step closer to Marc, but Clinton pulled her back. “Let go, Clinton. I’m fine. I don’t know how, but I know he won’t hurt me.”
“No, I can’t allow it,” Clinton growled.
“Excuse me?” Allie turned to face Clinton. The look on his face suddenly changed from the caring, sweet man she knew to someone altogether different. Anger rolled off him in waves. His scent seemed wrong. She had always felt safe around Clinton until now.
Before Allie could even bat so much as an eyelash, Clinton tossed her over her shoulder and headed for the kitchen.
“Put me down, you asshole!” She punched at his back and kicked at his chest, trying to get him to loosen his grip around her waist, but it was useless. He had her in a tight hold and was not letting go.
“Allie!” the man named Marc shouted again. She lifted herself up to see the look on his face. It haunted her. Whoever he was, mate or not, he clearly cared for her, and it was evident by the events taking place. She punched at Clinton’s back again. Still, he refused to let go.
I can make him let go,her tiger offered.
“Do it. Do it now!”Allie said.“I don’t know what is going on here, but something isn’t right.”
Agreed.
Allie allowed her beast to take over without giving it a second thought. Her fangs elongated, and her hand shifted into a paw. While swiping at Clinton’s back, she buried her fangs into his shoulder and bit down as hard as she could.
“Ouch! What the fuck!” Clinton shouted, tossing her to the ground.
Allie quickly continued her shift as Clinton drew his booted foot up to her face. She swiped at his leg, drawing blood across his upper thigh.
“Stop!” Alonzo shouted just as Clinton started to shift. “We only want what’s best for you.”
And didn’t that statement from her father just piss her off? Allie let out a loud growl, warning them to stay away from her. She needed time to think. To clear her head and figure out what the hell was going on.
Rushing through the kitchen, she barreled through the back door, knocking three people she’d never met onto their asses. She didn’t have time to care or even to look back. Her instinct was telling her to get the fuck out of there, and for once, she was going to listen.
Her legs burned from the exertion. Allie didn’t think she’d ever run so hard and fast in her entire life.Staying at her parent’s home to figure things out simply wasn’t an option. Not when she knew that her father was lying through his teeth.
She should have known that something was up. She tried to play nice when it came to being chained to a freaking chair. But that ended the second Clinton had tossed her over his shoulder and tried to get her away from the stranger claiming to be her mate. None of it made a freaking lick of sense. Allie had so many questions that she didn’t even know where to start.
Why didn’t she remember the events up to that moment? If they had simply been looking for proof that someone had tried to compromise her, why couldn’t she remember anything before that moment at her parent’s house? Allie thought back, racking her brain about the last thing she remembered.
“I dismissed the kids for the day and gathered my things. From there, I got into my car and headed to my parents. The very next memory was of Helena standing in front of me. Then, I was chained to the chair, wondering what the fuck was going on. Something is missing,”she said to her tiger.
That’s an understatement!
Allie heard several branches snapping behind her. The sounds of low moans and chuffs sounded behind her. She picked up her speed, not wanting to have to deal with Clinton or her parents again. Sticking to the trees, Allie raced to the far edges of town and crossed through the winding creek toward her house.
The footfalls behind her picked up as she neared her house. Her heart raced, worried that Clinton would try to pull more shit with her and carry her off to wherever he had planned before she had ruined it for him.
Nope. She wasn’t doing that shit again. She may be a full-grown female tiger, but he was a male of the same species. Allie might be able to get in a few good hits, but his size alone gave him the advantage. And he could take her down easier than she cared to admit.
Just as she approached the last stretch to her house, her animal slammed on the brakes and spun around to face the approaching threat.