Chapter 2

University of California

Davis, California

Present Day

Standing in front of the mirror, Zenya took a deep breath, let it out and shook her hands. Just a few more hours and she'd be free. There was a lot to get through in that small space of time, but it had to be done. Once she'd entered the hallowed halls of UC Davis, she knew she would never return to Alaska. Never.

She'd played the long game for over eight years, and it was finally time for everything she'd been planning to come to fruition. A little smile touched her lips as she combed product through her hair. Lucian and her brother had no idea that the entire reason she'd chosen veterinary school was to get her away from Alaska for as long a period of time as was humanly possible. The eight year program gave her the perfect excuse.

Drying her hair and using the curling iron to get the look she wanted, she looked around her room. Most would have found it depressing that all of their worldly possessions were packed in boxes, all of which were labeled to go to Alaska.

She found it invigorating, though.

Lucian had arranged for a moving company to come to pick up the boxes and clean the apartment after she and her friends were gone. By tonight, it would be empty, and she would be on her way.

The apartment had been furnished when she and two of the other female vet students had rented it. They'd started out as strangers and become good friends. Well, as good friends as a white tiger-shifter could be with humans who knew nothing of shifters. Her two friends had been grateful for the assistance in closing down the apartment, as had their families—no fuss, no muss.

Her plans to elude Lucian and all of his plans had been in the works for the past two years. It had taken a while to find a member of the elusive Shadow Sisters, but Zenya had been determined and had been convinced obtaining their help was her best bet for getting away and living free. Part of the difficulty had lain in evading the two warriors Lucian had sent to discreetly keep her safe.

That had been an exercise in futility on his part. She had known about them from the very beginning.

There weren't a lot of white tiger-shifters at the university, and she'd spotted them by the second day of class. Lucian had changed them out over the years she'd been at the university, but she'd always spotted the new recruits, as she liked to think of them, within a matter of days. It was something of an odd dance to studiously avoid them and pretend she didn't know they were there.

She had never lied to Lucian or her brother Zaiden. She had said all along she did not want to return to Ice Storm Stronghold and the Baihu Clan. Lucian had been insistent and Zaiden compliant. Both had told her repeatedly she was Lucian's fated mate, and as such she would return and take her place as first lady of the clan. Where she had deceived them was in allowing them to think she saw no way out for herself and would put up little in the way of resistance to being returned home.

Putting the final touches on her makeup, Zenya got dressed, pulled on her graduation gown, and then pinned the mortarboard graduation cap to her hair. As she did so, she went over the day's events in her mind, making sure she hadn't left any loose ends. Her plans were in place and by this time tomorrow, she'd be well on her way to her new home and her new life. That alone made her anxious and excited, and she schooled herself not to let that show. As far as her big brother and Lucian were concerned, she was none too happy about, but was at least resigned, to her future.

They couldn't have been more wrong.

San Francisco Zoo

Two Years Ago

Zenya knew she had to keep moving if she was to outmaneuver Lucian's two watchdogs. She had identified both early the previous week and had made arrangements to meet with a member of the Shadow Sisters. She had planned a weekend getaway in San Francisco and had made sure her plans were well known. She'd spotted the two men both in the hotel lobby and in its famed circular restaurant. She'd led them on a merry chase using the cable cars, the electric tuk-tuks, cabs, and just brisk walking.

She was to meet a woman known only as Caye in the Leanne B. Roberts African Savanna section of the zoo. She'd been instructed to buy a ticket to the VIP tour, which was limited to just twelve guests. If she waited until the last minute to buy her ticket, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for Lucian's men to observe her meeting with Caye. Zenya had no idea who Caye was, what she looked like, or even if that was her real name, but Zenya had known her best chance in escaping the life that had been planned for her was to obtain the assistance of the Shadow Sisters.

So far, so good.Zenya was pretty sure she'd lost them when she'd grabbed the last tuk-tuk, but had made use of storefront windows and various other techniques she'd learned from romantic suspense novels and movies. She purchased a general admission ticket to the zoo and headed in the opposite direction of the Savanna exhibit. Going through the bird or monkey exhibits would most likely produce a noisy response—neither group of animals liked white tigers. Once she was sure she was in the clear, she made her way to the Savanna exhibit and purchased a VIP pass for the morning tour.

With only five minutes to spare, she snagged the last ticket and breathed a sigh of relief as the small group of twelve headed down the path.

"Not to worry," said a pretty woman, settling in beside her. "You did a great job losing them in the city. I don't think they even know you're here at the zoo, unless you used a credit card."

"Not a chance," said Zenya.

"So, what's the deal with Lucian Hendrix keeping such a close eye on you?"

"He believes me to be his fated mate."

"What do you believe, Zenya Hale?"

So, she knows my name, and who I am. "I don't much care what Lucian or my brother Zaiden believe. I have no interest in being Lucian's mate, first lady of the clan, or in ever seeing Alaska again."

"I understand," said Caye with a sympathy that sounded sincere. "But won't you miss the snow?"

"There are plenty of places that have snow that aren't Alaska. I hear Switzerland has excellent skiing."

Caye laughed. "It does indeed, but it's too fucking cold for my liking, although there are parts of the Rockies I rather like."

"Can you help me?"

"We would never have agreed to meet with you if we didn't think we could."

"What would you have done?" Zenya asked with genuine curiosity.

"Simple; we'd have shut down that contact point and you would never have heard from any of us ever again."

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"I do, but it's also necessary. For the Shadow Sisters to be able to do what we do for as long as we have done it, we've had to look at things realistically, which has meant, more than once, making a hard call."

That made sense to Zenya. "I can see where that would take its toll."

Caye nodded. "You realize that once you walk away, you can never look back. You can't contact anyone you knew up to the point you leave, except for those in the Shadow Sisters. We'll be there to support you and act as a safety net, but it's not like we're moving you into a Shadow Sisters' compound. For all intents and purposes, you'll be on your own."

"I understand."

"Even the two women you roomed with in college. They have to be dead to you."

"Will you fake my death?"

"I don't know at this point. I do like the fact that you've given us the time to plan for your extraction. How do you think Lucian will react to you just disappearing?"

"I think he'd move heaven and earth to find me."

"And to your death?"

"Given that he knows I don't want to come back—I've been pretty vocal about that…"

"That needs to end—not abruptly, but little by little you need to appear resigned to your fate. Sorry for the interruption."

Zenya was impressed. "I think it would take a lot to convince him or my brother I was dead and then they'd both be looking to avenge me. I fear that if they think I was kidnapped or killed there could be innocent blood shed."

"From what I know of your brother and his alpha, I think you're right. Best they just get angry at you and/or us for spiriting you away. If they found you, would they kill you or be inclined to kill those who helped you?"

"I've thought a lot about that. I don't think so. I think they'd be pissed and make no mistake, if they find me, they'll drag me back to Alaska kicking and screaming. I think the worst they would do if they found those who helped me is return them to their own people or assimilate them into the clan. ‘Assimilate.' That sounds so much nicer than forcing a pair bond or claiming a woman against her will."

"It does, doesn't it? Funny how they can make it seem almost benevolent."

"Sometimes when I think about my brother, it hurts to think that if it came down to it, he would back Lucian."

"Your brother is Lucian's beta; the bond between alpha and beta tends to be incredibly strong."

"I wish it were just that. Zaiden all but hero-worships Lucian, as do all of the males and most of the females in our clan. He has been all but deified for the way he killed my sire."

"Interesting that you refer to Zion as your sire and not father. Is that why you don't want to be with Lucian—because he killed your father?" asked Caye.

"Good god, no. As bad as Lucian is, my sire was far worse. And I call him my sire because to me to be a ‘father,' you have to actually care about your offspring. Zion never cared for anyone but himself."

Caye stopped and looked at Zenya. "I think you'll do fine. We'll be in touch. Don't despair if you don't hear from us for a while; we'll be getting things set up. New identity, new life. Just know that there will come a time that you have to commit to going forward, but you've got time to think about it."

"Caye, I've done nothing but think about it since the day I received my acceptance to the program at UC Davis. I want to do something with my life. Be useful, significant. Most of the first ladies of the clan of the white-tiger shifters that I know just sit around eating snacks and popping out babies. I have no interest in either."

"Good to know," laughed Caye. "It will probably be best if you keep yourself in good shape. We'll try and find some place remote so you can shift when you need to. But white tigers are rare, so the safety of a big city becomes more problematic."

At the end of the tour, they'd hugged and gone their separate ways. Watching the relief on the faces of Lucian's men when she returned was almost comical. She'd hid her smile behind a bridal magazine. No time like the present to make them think she might be considering surrendering to her fate.

University of California

Davis, California

Present Day

The small burner phone buzzed. The text read:

Everything is ready. Far stall by the window. Destroy this phone. We'll contact you in mesa And meet up with you further along the way. Good luck.

Zenya smiled as she painstakingly destroyed the little phone that had been her lifeline for the past two years. She grew almost giddy as she ground some parts in the garbage disposal. It felt as though she was finally going to get away. Finally be starting her own life. Finally defeating Lucian, Zaiden and the plans they had made. She would flush another small part down the toilet here in the apartment, one at the graduation ceremony site, and the last of it at the restaurant.

She had carefully selected what to wear under her graduation gown. She fully expected her brother to want to inspect her dress, so she had chosen wisely. The little black dress was form-fitting and appropriately sexy. Beneath it, she had on close-fitting, stretch nylon whitewater shorts. The bodice of the dress zipped off from the lower portion to give her a top that matched the shorts. She would ditch her heels for hiking boots, and the rest of what she needed would be in a day pack.

She felt an odd pang about leaving her brother behind, but he had made his choice, just as she had made hers. In her mind, he should have chosen her over his friend, but he hadn't and there was nothing she could do about that. Zenya wasn't sure where she was headed, but knew she had a job and a place to live somewhere she could disappear and live her life. The Shadow Sisters had set up bank accounts and a new identity, but Zenya planned to use cash as much as possible to set up her new life.

The last of the phone parts that could be flushed or sent through the garbage disposal had been taken care of when there was a knock on her door. She opened it and ushered her brother and several of Lucian's goons into the room.

"I'm almost ready," she tossed back over her shoulder as she went to the kitchen counter to grab her purse.

"It could have been anyone on the other side of that door. You should have checked," scolded Zaiden.

Zenya had to bite her lip from retorting, ‘It wouldn't have mattered. You've had thugs in place since early this morning.' But she didn't. Instead, she said, "You might be right, but I knew what time you'd be here, and you are always on time."

"It doesn't matter. Let me see what's in your purse."

Rolling her eyes, Zenya handed it to him. "You really are an ass, Zaiden." She walked past him and pushed through the guards, forcing Zaiden to run to catch up with her.

"You forget yourself, little sister. I am beta to the clan."

She turned to face him. "And I am to be first lady. Considering that Lucian has always made it clear he plans to rut with me several times a day, I'm not thinking he'll take kindly to you upsetting me."

Zaiden managed to look a little bit shamefaced and extended her purse to her. "Here, take your bag."

"You keep it. I'm sure I won't have any need for it this evening or in Alaska."

Helping her into the limo, he climbed in behind her. "It doesn't need to be like this, Zenya. You're my little sister, and I love you. You are Lucian's fated mate, and he cares for you. He wants you to be happy."

"If he wanted me to be happy, he would let me live my life as I see fit. But you and your precious alpha believe his wants and needs are secondary to none, so I am condemned to live the life the two of you want for me instead of the one I want for myself."

"Perhaps we know better."

"Just keep telling yourself that, Zaiden. Maybe someday you'll believe it."

"Lucian is our alpha. Any other woman would be proud to be his mate."

"In case you missed it, I'm not any other woman and never had any desire to be."

Zenya had a momentary pang as she observed the pain and conflict flash in Zaiden's eyes. They had been close as children—united in their dislike of their sire—and Zaiden had taken more than one beating intended for her. But that didn't mean she was going to sacrifice her life to give him or Lucian what they wanted. Perhaps if she had believed Lucian might kill or banish him, Zenya would have thought twice, but she didn't. Oh, Lucian would be pissed, but he'd be pissed at her, not his trusted friend and beta.

"With you at Lucian's side," said Zaiden taking her hand, "he will be an even greater alpha, and your offspring will secure the line and his dynasty. We all have our part to play in the greater good of the clan. You will be happy; Lucian will see to that. You will want for nothing."

"Nothing except my freedom."

"You will not be a slave," said Zaiden, hotly.

"Says the man who means to lock the yoke of servitude around my neck," she seethed, pulling her hand away from his and staring out the window. Her words might not be as circumspect as the Shadow Sisters had wanted, but Zenya knew her brother well enough to know that she would make him suspicious if she appeared too accepting and demure.