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In the distance, the snowcapped mountains glowed like a beacon to her in the moonlight. Digging the paddle deep into the water, she created a rhythm to keep herself focused. Jayden concentrated on her counting and not the heavy weight that seemed to be an anchor wanting to drag her down.

She looked over her shoulder at the shore. Through the trees, she could see the glow of lights from the complex. She didn’t know if her heart felt heavy because she was leaving her parents and grandparents, or?—

Or because?—

Her mind shied away from the vision of Van and Peterson. Her new quest was of greater importance than her personal desires. A shuddering sigh slipped from her at the thought of their intense stares and the fire they created within her. She turned her focus to the mountains. She was too wild to be held captive. If there was a hidden kingdom, she would find it. That would be her destiny.

“This is for the best,” she murmured to reassure herself.

The lapping of the waves against the canoe and the wind pushing her out into the deeper waters of the lake toward the mountains seemed to agree with her. She took solace in the beauty surrounding her. A shadow passed over her and she looked up. Twenty feet above her, a barred owl soared past her, as if curious to see who else was awake in the middle of the night. Jayden smiled.

“Hello, friend. Are you here to help guide me?” she said, her voice laced with a wry amusement.

Turning in a tight circle, the owl gracefully landed on the bow of the canoe, surprising her. Jayden couldn’t help but stifle a delighted laugh as it rotated its head, fixing its focus on her before ruffling its feathers and resuming its forward-facing position. As she breathed deeply, she felt a weight being lifted from her heart, bringing her a glimmer of hope. Despite the uncertainty facing her, she found solace in the gentle breeze that whispered across the water and the comforting presence of her new feathery friend.

Chapter 11

“What do you mean she’s gone? What do we pay you for? You are supposed to keep the humans safe! How the hell did this happen?” Van growled.

“We did a count this morning. We kept coming up short. That’s when Beau noticed an older woman crying. When he asked her and the male what was wrong, they told him their daughter had taken off during the night,” Grayson explained.

Peterson walked in a tight circle, muttering curses under his breath and running his hands through his thick auburn hair. He dropped his hands and glared at Grayson and Beau, two of their best security team members. The men grimaced at the fierce, pointed expression on Peterson’s face.

“What the hell good is it having the best security if it doesn’t work?” Peterson snapped.

Beau lifted his hands. “Hey, man, we were focusing on keeping shifters out. We were never told that any of the humans might try to escape. I mean, this place is for their protection. It wasn’t meant to be a prison. We weren’t expecting any of them to want to go back to the wild. It’s fucking dangerous out there!”

Peterson took a menacing step forward, his eyes locked onto Beau’s. Van stepped between Beau and Peterson, feeling the tension thicken the air, while Grayson lounged back against the metal desk in the security office. Van knew there was no point in needlessly provoking a bison shifter. Beau, with his strong, silent, but imposing presence, was an integral part of their formidable security team. Those who dared to provoke the normally placid man did so at their own risk. The last thing he wanted was Peterson pissing the man off. He knew his friend would regret it later.

“You’re right, this isn’t a prison. The fault lies with Peterson and me. We knew Jayden was planning on leaving. We should have warned the team,” he said.

Grayson raised an eyebrow at the unexpected admission. Peterson shoved his hands into his pockets. Grayson’s eyes narrowed with suspicion before his eyes widened in disbelief.

“Holy Goddesses, you’ve imprinted on her,” Grayson hissed.

“Wow. Both of you? That’s… uh, pretty cool,” Beau quickly corrected when Peterson rounded on him again.

Van nodded while Peterson cursed again under his breath before he nodded as well. Grayson’s eyes widened even more. Van pursed his lips when Beau looked back and forth between himself and Peterson with an astonished expression before he released a low whistle.

Grayson straightened and released a low whistle as well. “Both of you? On a human? Wow! I totally didn’t see that coming,” Grayson confessed in a voice edged with wonder.

“Me neither,” Beau seconded.

Peterson growled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Grayson lifted his hands in surrender and chuckled. “Hell, if I know. I’m still shocked at Ty and Tracy’s relationships with humans. They seem… fragile. I’d be afraid of breaking one. I can’t imagine one being able to handle one, much less two, shifters. Damn. How does that even work? I mean, I know how it… but with a human?” He stopped and shook his head in wonderment.

“They’re stronger than you realize,” he responded.

Peterson released a strained laugh and nodded. “Yeah, just ask Brennan about that. She laid him out on the floor where he cried like a baby. Well, he wanted to cry. When I saw him, he was holding his bruised balls and contemplating murder.”

Van looked at Peterson and waved his hand. “Don’t forget that she drew a little blood from you, too.”

“How the hell did we miss all that? Damn. So, what’s the plan? Would you like me to ask Rigo if he can locate her? He can cover a lot of ground in a short time,” Grayson asked.

“Yes. She can’t have gotten that far. We know when she was last seen. In the meantime, Peterson and I will try to figure out how she escaped. If she could get out, then that means someone could get in,” he said.

Grayson grimaced. “Good point. I didn’t think of that. I’ll let the others on the team know what’s happened. Right now, it is just you two, Beau, and me. We thought it best to keep it quiet. The second word gets out that one has escaped, every damn shifter in the world will be hunting her.”