Only that vase staggered and toppled beneath her clumsy grip. It fell, shattering into a hundred pieces. Her eyes squeezed shut. Oh, please, don’t be as expensive as I think you are. Another reason for Luke to be pissed at her.
She hopped over those broken chunks. Mina rushed to the foyer and her hand curled around the banister. Maybe she should run upstairs and search through the rooms up there for the Eye. Maybe she should search the whole house.
“Mina!”
That roar was louder—loud enough to reach her as she stood in the foyer.
Maybe I should cut my losses for the moment and get the hell out of here while I still can. She’d come up with another plan once she was safe. Once she was far out of Luke’s range.
She yanked open the front door. It was still dark outside, but she could see the faintest edge of red in the sky. The sun would rise soon. Luke had said his back-up was coming at dawn, so she didn’t have much time left.
She knew just one destination on that island—the dock. She knew how to get there and she wasn’t about to leave the well-lit path. Thick vegetation was on the island, and she feared the guard dogs might be lurking in there.
Besides, there was always the chance that Luke had been trying to trick her. The boat could still be docked. She could hop on it and get away. Easy.
Hopefully. Maybe.
She—
A sudden growl reached her. Low and rough, and sounding way, way too close.
Mina immediately froze.
The growl came again.
This is not my night.
Her head turned, just a few inches, and she found herself staring into a pair of green eyes. Glowing green eyes. Those eyes stared at her from the dark vegetation.
“G-good boy?” Mina stuttered, lifting a hand in what she hoped was a let’s-be-friends-doggy type of way.
But then the beast came from the dark and she saw that she wasn’t dealing with a dog. Her breath heaved out.
It’s a wolf. A giant, white wolf with massive fangs, saliva dripping from those fangs—and powerful muscles that were bunched and ready to attack.
“You’re not a guard dog,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Another rumble came…only this time, the sound was from behind her. Another wolf? Slowly, because she sure didn’t want to make any fast movements that might lead to an attack, her head turned to the left.
Golden eyes. Bright, predatory.
She tried to swallow her fear. It didn’t go down. It was hard for her to clearly see this threat—all she could discern were those golden eyes. Such a deep gold, with big, black pupils. “Nice wolf?”
The beast moved forward, a low, graceful movement. Power flowed from him and as he stalked closer to her, coming a bit into the light of the path, she saw that she wasn’t dealing with another wolf.
Instead, a massive black panther was coming toward her. His mouth opened and when she saw his mouthful of sharp teeth…
“Oh, shit.” Mina didn’t try to stay still any longer. If she remained frozen, they’d just both jump her. Rip her apart right then and there.
That’s what happens when you cross Luke Thorne.
She ran. As fast as she could. The panther gave a high, rumbling cry and the wolf snarled. She kept running. She could hear them behind her, the heavy pad of their paws and the scrape of their claws on the stone walkway.
She could almost feel their breath on her, but they weren’t attacking. Not yet. They’re playing with me.
The dock was up ahead. And the boat was gone.
They’re playing because they think I don’t have anywhere to go.
They were wrong.
Her feet pounded over the wood of the dock. She breathed fast, sucking in the air for energy.
“Mina!”
At the fierce cry, she staggered and looked back. Luke was there, standing about thirty feet away, his bare chest heaving and his hands clenched. He’d gotten out of his cell.
His guards were closing in.
There was about to be serious hell for her to pay.
As she stared at him—it just had to be a trick from the dim light—but she could have sworn she saw shadowy wings behind his body. Big and black, stretching out.
“Don’t, Mina!” Luke yelled at her. “Don’t you even think about—”
She whirled toward the churning waves. She’d already told him before. If she had a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea…
The sea would always win.
Mina jumped into the water, flying off the dock and sinking beneath those rough waves.
***
She’d jumped into the water. Water that was far too rough and vicious. Water that would pull her under and take her from him.
“No!” Luke bellowed. The wolf and panther were just fucking standing there, staring at the water. Not doing a thing to help him out.
Wolves couldn’t swim for shit, so the fact that Rayce didn’t jump in wasn’t exactly surprising but Julian? Cats could damn well swim.
He shoved them out of his way and started to leap into the waves after her.
The panther slammed into Luke, pushing him away from the edge of the dock.
“Get your paws off me!” Luke yelled. “What the hell kind of guards are you two? The woman is going to die!”