She pushed against him, panic rising in her chest. The horror of his words stung her soul. She didn’t want to be a full vampire. She didn’t want to lose her human side, the side like her mother––the only person who had ever loved her. She definitely didn’t want to have his rape baby.

“Get off me, you monster,” she screamed before he caught her mouth in a kiss. She could feel his manhood hard against her stomach as he fumbled with her thin pajama pants. His hand sank between her legs, cupping her mound. She squealed and tried to get away, but he held her tight.

His finger pushed inside her as his tongue pushed into her mouth. “No,” she managed before he bit her lip with his fangs. She screamed, a loud piercing scream that reverberated through the house.

The sound of roaring shot through the room and suddenly, Domingo was on the floor, his neck broken. “Come on,” Ashton said, in a half growl as he shifted to human form in front of her. He grabbed her hand, and they ran through the basement and up a narrow staircase.

“He won’t be out long,” she said breathlessly.

“I know,” Ashton whispered, pushing open the door. They were outside on the ground floor on the side of the house. Isabella looked around in panic, expecting someone to jump on them any second. “Hurry,” Ashton said, leading her into the shadows. They ran along the wall until they neared the gate.

Ashton stopped and turned to her. “Jump on my back,” he said.

“What?” she whisper yelled before he hunched over and shifted into mountain lion form. He was huge, taller than Isabella. She recoiled instinctively before he cocked his head back. She climbed on his back and grabbed clumps of hide and flesh tightly in her hands. Ashton crouched, ready to pounce to the high wall. She leaned forward as he jumped and let out a little screech. Ashton landed on the wall and then dropped to the ground below.

He hurried through the forest and stopped near a pile of brush. She slid from his back and he shifted, standing before her in his magnificent human form. Isabella watched his back muscles work as he pulled the brush away, revealing his motorcycle. He gripped the handlebars and began to push it through the woods toward the road.

When they were clear of the lights of the house, they got on and turned on the motor. “Come on,” he said. She hurried to climb onto the back of bike and they sped away. A loud cry rang through the trees, coming from the mansion.

Isabella clung tighter to Ashton. How would she ever get away from them? Fear ran down her spine and sank in her stomach. She huddled closer to Ashton, smelling his skin, praying that he could save her from her horrible family.

They drove fast down the coast and pulled into town. She looked around in fright. This wasn’t far enough away. They needed to get out of town, out of the state, out of the country. He drove through a quaint neighborhood and drove into a garage, where he parked. They got off the bike and Ashton closed the garage door behind them.

“What are we doing here, Ashton? We need to leave town. They’ll find us here.”

“They won’t look right under their noses,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the door leading into the kitchen of the big house. A couple stood in the dining room, staring at Ashton and Isabella as they hurried by.

“Why are you naked, Ashton?” the man said. He looked so like Ashton she knew it was his brother. The black haired woman just stood there, gaping.

“Fleeing from vampires. No time to get new clothes.” Ashton pulled Isabella through the house and toward the stairwell.

“Wait,” the man said. “Who is that?”

Ashton stopped and sighed. “This is Isabella Amador. I’m saving her from her psycho father who intends to marry her off against her will,” he said as if it were obvious.

“You got in the middle of vampire business?” the man bellowed.

“Isabella, this is my brother, Ronan and his wife Makayla.”

“Nice to meet you,” said quietly. They were shifters. She could smell it. This was the last place she wanted to be. “Look, I just need to get out of town. It’s better if I leave.”

“Wait, wait. Your father can’t force you marry against your will,” Makayla said.

“Of course he can,” said Ronan. “He’s a vampire. THE vampire, right?”

“My father is Don Santiago Cortez Amador, High Lord of the Cascade coven. How did you know?”

“Because if there is dangerous stupid trouble, my brother will find it,” Roman said.

“I found him,” Isabella said. She was getting more nervous by the second. They should be half way to California by now. Fleeing for her life was the only way. “It was nice to meet you, but I really must go,” she said, trying to be polite. Her blood pulsed in her ears, leaving her nearly deaf.

“Let her go, Ashton,” Ronan said. “You have no business stopping her.”

“No. There is no way I’m leaving her to those people. Isabella, come with me,” Ashton said, pulling her up the stairs. She followed him, her ability to make decisions temporarily stifled by her growing fear. Her father had never threatened her like this before. He’d never laid a hand on her. He’d barely even recognized her existence most of her life. Now, when he wanted to use her for his own aims, he went full psycho control freak on her.

Ashton brought her to his bedroom and began rifling through is drawers. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, boots, and a leather jacket. “Here,” he said, offering her a heavy sweatshirt.

She pulled it over her head and followed him back downstairs where he stuffed a bag with food from the cabinets and fridge. “What are you doing?” his brother asked. Ashton didn’t answer as he opened a cookie jar and pulled out a wad of cash.

“Ashton, this is stupid,” Ronan told him. Ashton turned to his brother and growled.

“You’ve never believed in me, Ronan. For once in my life, I’m doing the right thing. I’m protecting this girl. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like an object to be pushed around on a chess table. She’s a person. She has rights. Just because she’s a vampire, doesn’t mean she should be treated like a slave.”

Ashton went to the door and opened it. “Just…take care of yourself, Ashton,” Ronan said. Ashton nodded at his brother and pulled Isabella into the garage.