Page 76 of Raven

I slapped a finger to my lips, but he wasn't having it. He sprang up.

"Let me out of here. Take me with you. Come on, man."

I ignored him, flying past his cell towards freedom. The stairwell loomed ahead. I took the steps two, sometimes three at a time, lungs burning, muscles screaming. At the top, I hesitated. Beyond this door lay the main house—and who knew how many pack members itching for a fight.

"Come on, dude. Open the gate," the prisoner's urgent whisper chased me up the stairs.

I glanced back, torn. Leaving him felt wrong, but bringing him could slow me down, get us both caught.

"I could shout you know?" The man's voice carried up the stairs, desperation in his threat. "When you open that door. I could scream blue murder."

Shit. My heart raced even faster, if that was possible. I couldn't risk him raising the alarm. With a frustrated growl, I bounded back down the stairs, taking them three at a time.

"Alright, alright," I hissed, skidding to a stop in front of his cell. "But if you slow me down, I swear I'll knock you out myself."

My hands shook as I fumbled with the keys, trying to find the right one.

The man burst out of the cell like he'd been shot from a cannon. He was taller than me, all lean muscle and wild eyes. "Thanks, man. I owe you."

"Yeah, yeah. Just keep quiet and don't get us caught."

We crept back up the stairs, every creak of the steps a gunshot in the silence. At the top, I pressed my ear to the door, listening for any sign of movement beyond. Nothing. I braced my hands against the cold wood and closed my eyes, sending out my power like I had back at my mother's boudoir. I needed to search for sources of emotion, because even in a resting state, everyone was always feeling something. I picked out a couple of people awake. I had no idea what time it was, but by the state of what I could sense, it must have been the middle of the night. People were sleeping.

"Ready?" I whispered.

He nodded, face set with determination.

I eased the door open, praying it wouldn't squeak. The hallway beyond was empty, bathed in the soft glow of early morning light filtering through distant windows. We slipped out, hugging the walls, moving as silently as shadows. He followed me without question as I traced the route Rick had taken me. It didn't take too long. I only stopped to check if anyone was awake and close to us. There was not.

We made it to a large kitchen that held an unusually large dining table. The table was worn and well-used, and I imagined the pack sitting around this place talking. My panther ached for that, to belong, to be part of people—his people.

I shook off the feeling. No time for that now.

We crept across the kitchen to the door on the farside, our bare feet silent on the cold tile floor. I eased the door open, wincing at the faint creak of hinges. A blast of cool early morning air hit us, carrying the scent of grass and freedom.

We slipped out into the darkness, the massive house looming behind us. The lawn stretched out, a sea of shadows under the rising morning light.

"Which way?" my companion hissed.

I hesitated, trying to get my bearings. That's when the other guy spotted it.

"Look," he said, his voice rising with excitement. He pointed to our left, where the outline of a large structure stood apart from the main house. "Is that a garage?"

Before I could answer, he was off, sprinting across the lawn towards the building.

"Wait," I called in a harsh whisper, but he was already halfway there.

Cursing under my breath, I took off after him. My heart pounded in my chest, certain that at any moment, lights would flood the grounds and alarms would start blaring. But the early morning remained quiet, broken only by the sound of our feet on the grass.

The guy reached the garage first, yanking at the side door. It was locked.

"Shit," he muttered as I caught up. "Any chance those keys you nabbed might work on this?"

I shook my head, eyeing the lock, I gripped the padlock and with a quick, forceful twist, the metal groaned and then snapped with a satisfying crack. The broken lock fell to the ground with a dull thud.

My companion's eyes widened. "Holy shit, man. Remind me not to piss you off."

"Just get inside," I growled, pushing the door open.

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