Page 17 of Clash of Kings

“Jolee, order up!” a man called from the kitchen window. When she went to retrieve the food, Anthony signaled to Noah for the check. After he paid, they all stood, and Jolee walked over to them.

“It was nice to meet you. Good luck with your meeting, whenever it is.” She held her hand out toward Anthony, and after shaking it, he stuck his hand in his pocket. Sebastian inclined his head to the female, then followed his cousins outside.

Once seated in the vehicle, Anthony dug in his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. He showed it to Bas. “Let’s get you two back to the hotel. Looks like I’ve got a date.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Bas asked as he buckled his seatbelt.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea. We need information on Dakota, and Jolee has it. Plus, she’s a shifter. Those females are wild between the sheets.”

Sebastian wouldn’t know since his previous partners had been human, but he hoped to soon find out.

Chapter 9

Dakota put severalhours between her and Panther before she stopped for the night. She would have gone farther, but her eyes were getting heavy. She chose a moderately priced hotel that advertised free breakfast. When the desk clerk asked for a credit card to cover incidentals, she momentarily panicked. “I want to pay cash.”

“I understand, but we still require a card on file, just in case. We won’t run it unless you make charges to the room.”

Dakota handed her card to the clerk after giving her name and address as well as her tag number. She paid for one night’s stay, returned her card to her wallet, and took the key card. The clerk wished her a good night, and Dakota returned the sentiment. When she got to her room, Dakota dropped her duffel bag and purse on the bed closest to the door, then toed off her boots. She really wanted a shower, but she wanted sleep more. She dug in her bag for a T-shirt to sleep in. Once she had changed, she took her toiletries to the bathroom and removed her makeup and brushed her teeth, staring at her reflection. Dakota felt different. Strange. Optimistic. A little bit free. A whole lotta nervous. After peeing, she washed and dried her hands. She left the bathroom light on but pulled the door almost all the way shut.

When she climbed under the covers, Dakota was still tired, but she was also wired from watching her rearview for so long after leaving Panther. By now, King would know she was gone. Even though she informed him she might not make it to the meeting, he would have gone back to The Depot afterward. That’s when he would find out she had left town because there was no way Vernon or Noah wouldn’t have told the Alpha the truth if he asked. King would notify her parents. Her mother would hopefully understand, but her dad would curse her name. Nix? He’d side with their father.

Dakota wasn’t aware of anyone in their pack having mad computer skills, so the odds of someone being able to track her down were in her favor. Still, she left her phone at home after writing down the important numbers. She stopped about an hour away from home to get the cheapest smart phone available so she wouldn’t be caught without one in case of emergency. Dakota had also researched whether someone besides her, the owner, had the ability to use the GPS on her car to track her. They couldn’t since the vehicle was in her name only. The only way King could do so would be to report the car stolen and have the police find it. She didn’t believe he would go to such lengths.

When she first considered leaving, Dakota investigated the cheapest accommodations available and found camping was the way to go. She planned on getting a tent until she saw there were inexpensive cabins without bathrooms. Dakota had no problem using the campground’s facilities. She didn’t mind paying a little more for a sturdy shelter in case of rain. She wasn’t a diva by any means, but being out of the elements and having a bed was better than sleeping on the ground. She could always sleep in her fur, but Dakota didn’t want to risk being caught shifting.

When deciding where to go, she considered heading to Utah, but that would be the first place her parents looked. Then she thought about heading to the coast. Dakota had been to the ocean when her family went on vacation. She loved the beach, but it wasn’t necessarily somewhere she wanted to live. When she opened a map, something told her to head south, so she chose a location near a national forest in Georgia. The photos of the area showed a river, lakes, and waterfalls surrounded by all kinds of trees. Dakota never felt more alive than when she was one with nature. There were plenty of towns surrounding the forest where she could hopefully find a job. Once she was established, she would find an apartment to rent if living at the campground didn’t pan out long term.

Dakota realized she was thinking of putting down roots instead of hiding out long enough for King to find a mate. Putting down roots was a stretch, but she didn’t want to use up all her savings, so she’d need to find a job for at least a while. Dakota hated burning bridges, but she’d do whatever was necessary to get through however long she stayed away from Panther, whether it was a couple months or a year.

Her Wolf grumbled. Dakota got it. They were pack animals. They thrived around others, not alone. Hopefully, King would choose a mate sooner rather than later, and they could go home. But she would deal with it one day at a time. Tomorrow would be there soon enough, and she wanted to be rested for the final leg of her drive. Dakota rolled to her side and closed her eyes.

Dakota knelt beside the creek and ran her fingers through the cool water. It had been too long since she swam there. Too long since she swam anywhere. The last time had been at a hotel when her family went on vacation to the beach. While she loved looking out over the ocean, Dakota didn’t venture too far away from the shore, having watched too many movies about sharks. Her skin tingled, signaling she wasn’t alone. Dakota stood, and when she turned, King was there, shirtless and barefoot. Dakota moved away from the water, ready to shift and run. King scowled at her, his fists clenched at his side. “I’m tired of waiting, Kody. You’re mine.”

“No, she isn’t,” a deep voice called behind her. When Dakota turned, Sebastian Stone was there, dressed in nothing but jeans, same as Kingston. Her Alpha was a couple inches taller and had more brawn than Sebastian, but she found the newcomer to be more enticing. Much more. Something about him called to her. She took a step toward the male, but King leapt between them.

“Stay out of this, Stone. I’m Kody’s Alpha, and she’s mine.”

“You might be her Alpha, but she can decide who she wants as a mate.” Sebastian’s hands were clawed, and his teeth elongated. Dakota studied them closely. Those weren’t wolf fangs.

King partially shifted, allowing his own claws to come out. He took a step back, reaching for Dakota, but she dodged his grip at the last second.

“As your Alpha, I demand you come to me.”

Dakota’s Wolf whimpered. Their Alpha had spoken. She fisted her hands, but her feet moved toward him against her wishes.

“No! Dakota, don’t do it,” Sebastian commanded, and Dakota froze. She was torn between the two males vying for her obedience. How was that possible? What kind of hold did Sebastian have over her that demanded she listen? No, it wasn’t a demand but more of a call to her soul.

With a deep growl, King shifted to his fur, then lunged for Sebastian, scraping his claws across the other male’s chest.

No! Not again. Dakota shifted and dove at the larger wolf, knocking him away from Sebastian. She rolled to her feet and turned to face her Alpha. King bared his fangs, saliva dripping from his maw. He stalked toward her, his eyes glowing amber. Dakota readied for a fight, but just as King launched at her, Dakota was grabbed and lifted into the air. King’s Wolf tossed his head back and howled as Dakota was flown up and away. Her Wolf snarled at the male below, safe in the arms of… What the fuck was Sebastian? Shifting back to her skin, Dakota’s arms flailed as if she, too, were trying to fly.

Dakota struck something soft as she flapped her arms, and she clamped on. Her eyes popped open, and in her hand was the extra pillow. Fuck. She wasn’t flying, and Sebastian Stone wasn’t a… She had no idea what he had been in her dream. Something with wings. Had that been him she dreamt about weeks ago? No, that wasn’t possible, because she hadn’t known he existed the last time she dreamed of someone with wings. Unless he was a dream walker. But they were a myth. Weren’t they?

So are wolf shifters, yet we’re real.

Dakota flopped back down and pushed her hair off her face. She understood why she dreamed King attacked Sebastian the same way Nix had attacked the teen all those years ago. What she didn’t get was dreaming about a creature with wings. As far as she knew, there were no beings who could fly.

Doesn’t mean there aren’t any. I’m still going with dragon.

---