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Back Unleashed Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Part One
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. Part Two
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. Part Three
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. Part Four
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. Part Five
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. Epilogue
  54. Acknowledgments
  55. About the Author
  56. Back Cover

A man exits from the closest cottage, and my heart immediately drops. He’s not wearing beige like the others, and at his feet is a black jaguar.

It’s Nathan.

32

I stumble backward until I bump into Tobias, and I grip his hand tightly. His palm is as clammy as mine is, and I think he’s trembling too.

“You think I didn’t realize you all were up to something?” Nathan asks, stalking closer with his jaguar baku at his side. “I knew there had to be a reason Tobias invited some pathetic level ones and twos to our Christmas party. I overheard a very interesting conversation between Mom and Tobias, then when you left this morning, I followed you all, and what do I find but you trying to kidnap the CEO of Moncha Corp?”

“Nathan, please,” I say. “You don’t know what Eric Smith is trying to do. He’s developed this update, and if we don’t get Monica out of here—”

“Let me stop you right there,” he says. “You think I don’t know about the update? I was Eric Smith’s personal intern this summer. I know even more about this than our parents. Dad might work on the team, but he thinks we’re tweaking baku code. So naïve. When Toby came to them about this, they had no idea what he was talking about.” He turns to Toby. “You should have come to me instead. But now, you’ve given our parents just another reason to be disappointed with you.’”

Tobias scowls, a sheen of sweat on his brow. “Nathan, leave us alone. We’re getting out of here. There’s three of us and one of you.”

In response, Aero lets out a piercing cry, spreading his wings. Oka snarls, gnashing his jaws.

And Jinx hisses, his back arched.

Nathan’s eyes light up at the sight of Jinx. “Really, Tobias, I expected better of you. You think I came here on my own? Mr. Smith is going to be so pleased.”

“I am indeed.” Eric steps out of the same cottage, following in Nathan’s footsteps. Wrapped around his neck is his red panda baku, his dark eyes flashing. Behind him is a security team, all with dangerous panther bakus at their feet.

Immediately I fear for Jinx, so I crouch down and scoop him up in my arms. He doesn’t resist.

>>Don’t let him take me, Lacey.

My heart pounds in my chest. He sounds scared. I won’t, I think, with all the ferocity I can muster. He won’t get anywhere near you.

With more confidence than I feel, I jut out my chin. “You can’t get away with your plan for the update now. Not when so many of us know the truth about what it does.”