Free Living Nightmare by Shannon K. Butcher Page A

half a foot taller than Nika was, at least in those boots, and she seemed to loom over Nika. “You don’t have a license. How do you even know how to drive?”
    “TV,” said Nika, rather than give Andra the truth. Madoc had seemed freaked-out by her method of learning things, so it was best if she kept that little tidbit to herself.
    Andra let out a short, frustrated sigh. “I get that you’re feeling better now, and I can’t tell you how glad I am that you are, but you cannot go running off like that without telling someone. You scared us.”
    Nika looked down the line of people. Paul was there, of course—all tall and handsome. He never left Andra’s side if he could help it. And Joseph was there, too. He looked more tired than normal, which was saying something. His shoulders sagged under the burden of leadership, and his hazel eyes were rimmed with fatigue.
    As the leader of the Theronai, it must have been his job to add to the scolding.
    There were also two men there she didn’t recognize. One had dark skin and eyes and a quiet stillness about him. He seemed to fade into the shadow of the other paler, thinner man. They both wore the luminescent bands around their throats and matching rings on their fingers that told her they were also Theronai—probably here to paw at her and see if she made their rings turn colors.
    Just the thought was enough to make her skin crawl. The blisters from the last group of men who wanted to see if she was “the one” had just finished healing. She wasn’t looking forward to another round of torture.
    All she wanted to do was get her bone to Tynan and make him tell her what she already knew: It didn’t belong to Tori. The fastest way to make that happen was to play along. Nika stared at her dirty shoes, hoping she looked contrite. “I’m sorry, Andra. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
    Andra sighed, releasing all her bluster. “I know you didn’t, baby. Let’s go get you cleaned up.”
    Nika cringed at her sister’s infantile endearment, but refused to make an issue out of it here in front of all these people. Andra had taken care of her for years. Getting out of the habit wasn’t something Nika could expect her to do overnight. Still, she had to make a stand so her sister wouldn’t trample all over her wishes with those hard-core boots of hers. “I don’t need any help showering or changing clothes.”
    “You look like you’re about to fall over.”
    “I’m fine. Please just let me be. I am an adult, you know.”
    Paul stepped up and put his thick arm around Andra’s waist. “She looks fine to me—just a bit dirty. We can check on her later, okay?”
    “Are you sure?” Andra asked Nika. “I don’t mind helping.”
    “I’m sure. I’ll get cleaned up, then meet you wherever you like for blister duty.”
    Joseph stiffened at that. Behind him, the strange men shared some kind of secret, silent macho-speak.
    Joseph scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Look, Nika, if you’re not up to meeting the men, I’ll make them wait until another day.”
    Nika shook her head. “I’d rather get it over with. Just give me an hour, okay?” She was sure that would be enough time to wash off the mud, get her bone to one of the Sanguinar, and be back before anyone knew what she was up to.
    “Fine,” said Andra, “but if you need me, call, okay? We’re going to finish up here with Joseph; then I’ll be back to the suite to help if you need it before we have to head back out.”
    Nika nodded. She really needed her own place, but now didn’t seem like the best time to bring it up. She’d won one battle, and that was as much as she could hope for in a day. Besides, if Andra was leaving again today, her meddling wouldn’t last long.
    Joseph, Paul, and Andra turned to go the opposite way, but one of the strangers held back, watching her. He had light hair that had been shaved down to his skin, with only a fraction of an inch of stubble showing. He was taller than his