Page 16 of Omega's Triplets

Maddy wasn’t sure exactly what they would do then, but she couldn’t imagine it would be anything good. They would hunt for her, that much was certain. And because they were not only wolves but a particularly dangerous pack, she knew they would be good hunters. It would be best if she was far away from here by the time they discovered she was missing.

Almost, she let her fear drive her animal self into being. Almost, she let herself shift. She could run faster as a wolf, make better time. But her scent as a wolf would make her easier to track. Besides, it had been years since she’d shifted—she’d never done it as an adult—and she wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from the experience.

And she needed to keep her wits about her.

All right, then. She would just have to escape as a human.

But how could she do that? Maddy had done her best to stay in decent shape during the years she’d been locked up. She’d done lunges, squats, and push-ups in her cage. And she’d been let out every day for a jog around the yard, to keep her in good physical condition for the auction. But that didn’t outfit her to perform well as a long-distance runner. If she was going to put miles between herself and her captors, she would need...

She would need a vehicle.

Immediately, she was moving. She knew exactly what she needed to do. Whether she could actually do it was another question, of course. Maddy had been only thirteen when she was kidnapped. She had never even driven a car, much less ridden a motorcycle.

But it was her best chance.

She found the Death Fangs’ bikes parked behind the barn. That was good. The entire building now stood between her and the auction. She couldn’t have asked for a better arrangement. She examined the bikes. They were probably all pretty good, she thought, although she didn’t know anything about motorcycles. She had seen the Death Fangs riding around in the yard back home sometimes, kicking up dust and laughing at each other. She had seen them through the slats of the truck on the way here, holding a tight formation on the highway. It didn’t look too hard.

She moved to the farthest one from the barn. Its keys dangled from the ignition. Maddy couldn’t help herself; she smirked a little. Stupid, overconfident Death Fangs. They’d let her waltz right out of the barn. They’d left their bikes unguarded. It never occurred to them, she supposed, that one of their timid little omegas would have the tenacity to orchestrate her own escape.

She swung one leg over the bike and settled herself on the seat. It wasn’t comfortable. The machine felt far too big for her. She felt for the kickstand and released it, and the bike nearly toppled over before she managed to catch it and right it.

Okay, so maybe the Death Fangs were right to think an omega couldn’t manage this.

But there was no going back now. Maddy was determined. It would be like riding a bike, she decided. Once she got going, it would be easy to balance. She just needed a little momentum to carry her.

She waited quietly, biding her time. She needed a sound to cover her exit.

And the noise she had been waiting for came: a burst of applause. Whistles and cheers and stomping feet. Maddy imagined the women who had been led out onto the stage looking out at that scene, at the men who were here to buy them, and her stomach lurched. She turned the key in the ignition.

The bike rumbled to life beneath her.

The power of it stunned her. It felt as if it were trying to buck her off. She clung to the handlebars tightly, knowing she needed to get moving quickly, before the applause died and someone at the auction registered the sound and came to investigate.

But how did you accelerate on a motorcycle? In a car, you would have stepped on a pedal, she knew, but there were no pedals here.

There was a lever on the left side of the handlebars that reminded Maddy of the brake she remembered on her childhood bike. Hesitantly, she squeezed it.

Nothing happened.

Okay. So that was probably the brake on this bike too. The question was, what made it go?

She examined the controls carefully. The accelerator would need to be something graduated, something you could increase pressure on as you wanted to speed up, not just a simple button. It would be a lever to pull or a dial to turn, or...

Or a handle to twist.

She gripped the right handle grip hard, somehow knowing before she conducted her experiment that she was right. Slowly, as gently as she could, she rotated it forward.

The bike tried to jump out from under her.

Maddy managed not to cry out in shock, but it was close. She released the handle and squeezed the brake. The bike idled.

Okay. Mystery solved, then.

She steeled herself, grabbed the handle, and twisted it forward again, even more gently than before. Her heart pounded.

The bike eased forward.

Maddy could hardly believe it.It’s going to work. I’m going to escape. I’m going to be free!

---