Escaping Dominance (Heart of a Wolf Series - Trina's Tale)

by MaryLynn Bast

  Amber frowned. “What makes you ask that?”

  “Common wolves can’t change their appearance at random.” Trina leaned forward and looked at her and shook her head. “I can’t believe it. It actually worked.”

  “I didn’t think it was going to at first.”

  Trina nodded. “Thank you for helping, again.”

  Amber looked left, then right and up, checking the side and rearview mirrors. She took her time, but finally her eyes met Trina’s. She just nodded, her lips pressed together. Then her eyes turned back to the road.

  131

  ESCAPING DOMINANCE

  CHAPTER nine

  The ride the rest of the way to Las Vegas was non-eventful. Amber continued to watch her mirrors just in case Dean escaped the state troopers or the rest of the pack showed up.

  Trina’s eyes were wide with excitement when they sped down the highway, taking in the lights of downtown Vegas brightening the evening sky. Turning in her seat, seeing the same excitement on Toby’s face made her smile even bigger. “Isn’t it pretty?”

  Toby nodded, leaning up, trying to sit tall so he could look around and not miss anything.

  At the last station they had stopped at for gas, Amber and Trina had removed the top again wanting to experience seeing the tall casinos for the first time.

  “Have you been here before?” Trina was like a kid in a candy store.

  “Not downtown. I’ve driven by on the interstate but never stopped.”

  From where Trina sat, Amber looked like she was enjoying the sights too. Driving past the strip, they took the Two Fifteen and headed towards Henderson. Trina started getting a little nervous. Silly she knew, since she had taken off into the unknown when leaving Dean the first night. Then, she was still in the mountains and in the forest. This time, being in a larger city meant a lot more people. No mountains, no miles and miles of pine trees. Her way of hunting had to change.

  Peering at Amber she asked, “How do you stay on the run and hunt in the different areas? Places unfamiliar to you?”

  Amber took a very long moment to answer. “You have to learn your surroundings.” She didn’t glance at Trina; her body language became more guarded, closed off.

  Trina’s brows twitched together. She worked to keep the questioning frown from her face. Amber was hiding something but she didn’t get a chance to question it because they pulled into an apartment complex. “This is the shelter?”

  Amber nodded. “They have to try to fit into the surroundings I guess.” She shrugged, looking away anxiously.

  “Thank you again for helping me out. I really do appreciate it.” Trina understood Amber better after spending the past couple of days with her. “If you come back this way, look me up, if you want to.”

  Amber nodded with a small smile. Helping unload their bags out of the back of the jeep, she ran her hands through her hair, not quite shuffling her feet, but inching towards the driver’s seat without being too obvious.

  Trina smiled at her nervousness and hurried forward, wrapping her arms around her waist in a quick hug.

  Amber’s arms lifted out, she looked down at the top of her head and then patted her on the back. “Hope everything works out for you. Take care of your mom, Toby.”

  His chest puffed up like he had been given a big job and was proud of himself. “I will.”

  Trina smiled and put her arms across his shoulders. Together they watched Amber climb into the driver’s seat and drive away.

  Turning to face the entrance, and hopefully their new life, Trina grabbed their stuff and headed into the main office.

  ****

  Fitting into city life was not has hard as Trina thought it would be. Somehow, Charlotte from the office at the apartment complex slash shelter had gotten her the paperwork needed for Toby’s birth certificate. He was enrolled in school and loving it, and found other kids to play with. He made a good friend, Caleb, who was also from the complex. They hung out at Caleb’s place when she went to work and Caleb stayed with Toby while his mother went to work. In other words, they traded babysitting duties. Trina met all kinds of people from the shelter, different members, men and women, who sought refuge at the shelter and had a story like her, some even worse.

  The city bus stop was conveniently located right outside the complex’s parking area and Trina rode one to work each day. A clan member owned the casino up the road and had a deal to allow the people from the shelter to work there. Trina began working as a waitress but hated the job. One day she’d had enough. It was time for her to do what she wanted to do, not what other people wanted. Gathering her courage she walked into the floor managers office and closed the door.

  Baily was sitting behind the desk and glanced up with her brow arched, staring at Trina. “You have something on your mind?”

  “Yeah, I want to be a dealer.”

  “Do you now?”

  She’d watched them plenty of times and had a good understanding. “Yes, I do.”

  The woman looked her up and down with a critical eye. “You would bring people to the table.” Turning away, she picked up the phone.

  Trina was shocked it went so easily, but kept her face vacant of expression. Her karate classes were paying off and making her more assertive, her confidence was building as well.

  The door opened and Sebastian walked in. His coal black hair shining in the overhead light hung down to his shoulders in controlled waves. His soft bedroom blue eyes raked across her face, he stared into her eyes a moment before they descended and took in the swell of her breast poking out of the top of her outfit.

  Trina felt the heat rising to her face. The look he gave her was all male and hot! She’d had men look at her before, but never like that and she wanted to turn and run. But that was the old her. The new her smiled and turned back towards the desk when Baily spoke.

  “Starting now, Trina is going to shadow you for the next couple of days.”

  “Sounds like fun.” Sebastian turned and swept his hand towards the door, bowing slightly. “After you, my lady.”

  Trina grinned. “Thanks for the opportunity.”

  “Don’t let me down.” Baily picked up her pen and went back to writing.

  Trina bowed her head slightly, but kept her eyes on his face. Her shoulders squared, she preceded him through the door.

  With her confidence soaring, Trina worked with Sebastian, enjoyed his flirting and even flirted back. She wasn’t ready to try the dating scene yet, so she concentrated on working and saving money when possible.

  She worried that Dean or someone from the pack would show up, but she didn’t let it control her life. The night before the full moon Trina felt restless. Her senses on high alert, she scanned the parking garage. There were security cameras everywhere but a few of them weren’t working properly. She usually avoided those areas, but with the casino busy, she was forced to park in that area. Hurrying from her car, she checked her surroundings as she rushed into the elevator.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Trina signed in and went to her station. The uneasiness didn’t leave her right away. Keeping an eye out for anything strange, she went to her table and relieved Ashley for her break.

  Hopping from table to table allowed her to scan the casino floor more freely. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, Trina began to relax and enjoy the games with her customers.

  At the end of her shift, Trina walked down the hall heading towards the parking garage when Sebastian called her name, then ran to catch up with her. Turning, she waited with a smile on her face. He was just too dreamy good looking for his own good. For her own good. Yet she welcomed his company for the evening. The next night she would have to take off for a day or two. She would go out into Spring Mountain Recreation Area to hunt the first night, allowing her wolf’s bloodlust to be satiated, and then she would return home and back to work.

  “You want to go catch a movie and dinner?” Sebastian walked alongside her.

  He was tall, she judged him to be si
x inches taller than her. His shoulders were broad and he had a narrow waist. He worked out, but he wasn’t overly muscular. For a human he was strong, and since Trina’s genetics made her just as strong she didn’t feel intimidated around a man for the first time since Dean. Shaking her head, she cleared her thoughts.

  Sebastian stopped in his tracks when he saw her shake her head. “Then how about dinner and a movie?”

  Trina’s mouth dropped slightly and her eyes grew wide when she realized he mistook her actions. “I didn’t mean no, but I don’t know. I uh...”

  “Come on Trina, just as friends.”

  She considered her options. Toby was spending the next two nights with his friend. She didn’t have anything to do after work and she hadn’t gone out with anyone other than Dean. She was taking control of her life. One night out to the movies didn’t constitute a commitment and he was not wolf. She was not sleeping with him. The corner of her mouth lifted. “Sure. Let’s go.”

  Happiness lit his features and even his steps appeared to be lighter. Holding the door open for her, he motioned for Trina to go through with a bow.

  She liked that about him. He was always a gentleman and always held doors for women at the casinos. He treated them, her, differently than any other man she had ever met.

  Laughing and talking, Sebastian walked her to her car. Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she stiffened. She felt as if someone were watching her, but glancing around the parking garage, she came up empty, no one was there. Giving herself a mental shake, she told herself to calm down. The jitters of going out on a real date getting to her, she thought back to the feelings before coming to work. She was becoming paranoid and smiled at the thought of Amber. She was definitely becoming more aware of her surroundings and taking control of her situation.

  Sebastian opened her car door for her.

  Trina glanced in the backseat before climbing in.

  “I’m parked on level two.”

  Sebastian looked nervous and she wanted to laugh, but refrained. She was nervous too. “Hop in. I’ll take you to your car and follow you to where ever we are going for dinner.”

  Running around the back of the car, he climbed into the passenger seat.

  While following him to dinner the feeling of being watched still had Trina’s insides in knots, but she did her best to ignore it. Once at the theater, they sat in the back. With a clear view of everyone coming and going, she was finally able to relax and enjoy the movie as the feelings subsided.

  Sebastian had chosen a light hearted romantic comedy which had them both laughing. Their hands brushing one another, she smiled when they wrestled inside the bag of popcorn for the prime kernels of butter coated popcorn they both wanted.

  Trina enjoyed the evening and didn’t want it to end. She considered inviting him back to her place for a drink, but decided against that. This didn’t matter, because when they walked out of the theater, Sebastian holding her hand, Trina stopped and stared.

  Dean leaned against the fender of her car. His arms crossed over his chest, eyes trained on Sebastian.

  He must have felt her tense because Sebastian pulled her to a stop, moving her behind him slightly. “Can I help you?” He walked up to Dean.

  Trina’s mind raced. With his strength, Dean would tear Sebastian apart. She touched his arm. “It’s okay.”

  Sebastian looked down at her, then over to Dean. His eyes squinted slightly. “I don’t get the feeling that you’re okay.” He shook his head, clearly staying between her and Dean.

  Dean laughed and stood, dropping his arms to his side.

  He was taller and larger, yet Sebastian didn’t let his size intimidate him. “Can I help you?” he repeated.

  “Nah.” Dean shook his head with a snicker, turned and walked away.

  That completely threw Trina for a loop. She hadn’t expected him to simply leave. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him get into a grey truck parked at the end of the parking lot.

  Dean gave her an evil grin and wiggled his fingers at her in a wave when he drove slowly by, staring at her menacingly, on his way to the exit.

  Trina stood with her hands hanging loosely by her side. She realized her body appeared to be relaxed while her insides raged. Her wolf beat against her, wanting to get out, to attack the man who had abused her for so long.

  “Trina?” Sebastian looked at her, worry on his face. “Who was that?”

  Inhaling slowly, Trina leaned against the car then jumped up on the fender. “That’s my son’s father.”

  “Your son?” He frowned. “You never told me you had a son.”

  “Yeah, I keep my life private for that very reason.” She wasn’t sure if his stare was accusing or if he felt betrayed. He was human, she couldn’t tell him everything. “I don’t date because of Dean. I don’t introduce my son to anyone other than close friends.”

  “I thought I was your friend. You never told me you were married.” Sebastian’s feelings were hurt.

  “We never married.” Trina looked around at the people getting into their cars and pulling out of the lot. “It’s really a long story. I really like you a lot and didn’t want you to get mixed up in any of this. I only agreed to dinner and movie because you said as friends.”

  Sebastian leaned against the car. His hip settled alongside her thigh. “I offer friendship, but I will be honest with you, I would like more.”

  “Thank you for being honest. Right now, until I can keep him out of my life, I’m not sure I can offer any more than friendship.” Trina felt a lump form in her throat. She really did like Sebastian, but she couldn’t allow herself to be sucked into so easily. She had to think of Toby now, not just her own emotions.

  “Then friends it is. If you want me to kick his ass, just say the word. He’s big. I’ll have to go get a few friends to help me out. But I’m sure we could pull it off.”

  Trina laughed. “Yeah, a small army.” With a smile on her face, she touched his shoulder and he looked back at her with a grin. “Promise me, whatever happens, you’ll let me handle it.”

  “I won’t stand by and let him abuse you.” He continued looking at her over his shoulder. “Yeah, I can tell, he looks like a classic dick.”

  “He can be, promise me Sebastian, you won’t go after him.” Trina was really worried he would get hurt.

  Nodding, he agreed.

  “Thank you for dinner and the movie. I had fun.”

  “Yeah, me too, up until the end anyway. Kind of killed the romance.”

  Trina grinned. “Friends, remember?”

  “Yeah, yeah.” He turned around and quickly kissed her on the cheek. Grabbing her by the hips, he pulled her from the car. “Will you be okay going home alone?”

  Trina grinned and shook her head. “I’m not inviting you over.”

  “I’m not trying to get invited over. I just want to know that you are safe. You can come to my place.” At her warning look he lifted his hands away from her. “I’ll take the couch.”

  She shook her head. In the past she would have taken him up on his offer for protection, not any more. “That’s very sweet of you, but I assure you, I will be okay.”

  Sebastian cocked his head slowly, his lips compressed. “If you say so, I don’t want to get a call from you tomorrow telling me you’re dead.”

  Trina laughed and back handed him in the arm. “Good night Sebastian and thank you for being a good friend.” She leaned up on the tips of her toes and kissed him on the cheek before turning and getting into her car. She waved when he stood staring at her and pulled out of the parking spot.

  Inside she was twisted. She was enjoying spending time with Sebastian but she didn’t want to jump into another relationship. She knew Dean had done a number on her and she would never allow herself to be in that kind of situation again.

  Dean was back and now she had to deal with him. She wasn’t going to rely on anyone else to help her out. She would take care of him. Like Amber had said when teachin
g her to defend herself, Dean would attack to hurt her. Her best bet was to attack first.

  Watching the mirror, she noticed the grey truck fall in behind her a couple car lengths back. From what she could see, there was a passenger in the truck with him this time. Trina had to think quickly. He would never expect her to be on the offensive. Checking to make sure her gym bag was still in the back seat, a thought hit her and she stepped on the gas.

  There was no real secluded area other than going out into the desert and Trina didn’t want to go out of town. Pulling into the park, she grabbed her pack out of the back seat and pulled out the two sticks she had been practicing with. Her Karate instructor had been impressed with her ability to pick up the skills so quickly. Her werewolf genetics helped and in less than six months she was already getting ready to test for her black belt.

  She knew the techniques, but if he ever got his hands on her for real he could easily overpower her. Although there were ways to get out of every hold, she just had to remember her training and not allow him to grab her. Her mind made up, she was no longer going to run away.

  He could scent her no matter where she went in the park so she walked calmly to the middle of the grassy area and dropped the gym back, tucking the sticks into the waist of her jeans. She stood and waited for him to show up.

  Dean pulled into the parking lot and sat in the truck for a moment.

  Trina knew he was trying to intimidate her and it wasn’t going to work anymore. She was ready for this and stood with her hands hanging loosely at her sides. Her legs shoulder width apart, she waited.

  Opening the door, he slid out of the truck and walked towards her. His eyes flashed yellow and he grinned. “You afraid I’m going to hurt your little boy toy so you send him home to momma?”

  Any other time Trina would have been bowing her head to him. At his approach this time she stood tall, shifting her stance to be able to move quickly if he lunged; hoping he would. She smiled. “He’s just a friend. I still prefer my girlfriend.”

  That was affective in getting a response from him. His lip lifted in a slight snarl. “Don’t push me, bitch.”