  DRAKE POV
  &quot;Drake, you stupid fuck,&quot; I mutter to myself as Nikki disappears around a bend in the trail, heading back towards that massive Russian psycho. Why did I let her leave?! After so many years of searching, I finally find her, and then I let her go off to…somehow get rid of a crazy dude who s obsessed with her?! What the hell was I thinking?!
  I wasn t. It s hard to think straight when she s close. And that kiss….
  Stop it, Drake. Focus. I start jogging along the trail in the same direction she did. Maybe I can catch her before—
  &quot;Oi, Drake! Hold up!&quot; a familiar female voice I can t quite place calls behind me. I turn to see Angel and Effie loping down the hill from the performing arts center toward me.
  Right. Nikki said they were coming. But when and how did she contact them? So many things don t make sense.
  &quot;She s not here,&quot; I begin. They 

  A/N: Content warning. Chapter contains some violence and mention of sexual assault/rape.
  SASHA POV
  When the swirling light and energy fade, I m standing in the middle of what looks to be an abandoned warehouse. It s mostly dark; witches  lights, likely courtesy of Anselm s fae retainers, bob here and there near the ceiling, and light from street-lamps outside slips through odd cracks in the walls and ceiling. Of course, the darkness will pose no problem to either Anselm or me, with our feline eyes.
  The space where my fae escort and I are standing is clear and open, no doubt meant to be where Anselm and I fight. Around it, though, the warehouse is home to piles of boxes, rows of metal shelving, and decrepit equipment. Dust and cobwebs abound; no human has been here for quite some time.
  &quot;Here we are,&quot; my escort announces, and some sort of glamour falls away.
  &quot;Ari

  RIKA POV
  &quot;Shit shit shit shit shit,&quot; I repeat under my breath as my phone starts beeping and flashing: EMERGENCY ALERT FROM SASHA SUKOSHKU.
  &quot;What s going on?&quot; Zoe demands as I press a couple buttons on my tablet, activating the remote microphones in Sasha s jewelry. Zoe grabs my phone to get Sasha s location from the alert software, punches it into the SUV s GPS, and shifts into drive.
  With the rumble of our motor comes an even deeper rumbling from my tablet, a rumbling that s forming words in Russian, followed by Sasha s voice, also speaking Russian and using the contemptuous tone she reserves for our Commanding Officer.
  &quot;What s he saying? What s his problem?&quot; Drake s voice demands, a sentiment I echo.
  &quot;Anselm s there. Why the fuck is Anselm there? What are we going to do?&quot; Zoe exclaims, vocalizing my own thoughts.
  &quot;Hang on. Let

DRAKE POV
  &quot;Drake, you stupid fuck,&quot; I mutter to myself as Nikki disappears around a bend in the trail, heading back towards that massive Russian psycho. Why did I let her leave?! After so many years of searching, I finally find her, and then I let her go off to…somehow get rid of a crazy dude who s obsessed with her?! What the hell was I thinking?!
  I wasn t. It s hard to think straight when she s close. And that kiss….
  Stop it, Drake. Focus. I start jogging along the trail in the same direction she did. Maybe I can catch her before—
  &quot;Oi, Drake! Hold up!&quot; a familiar female voice I can t quite place calls behind me. I turn to see Angel and Effie loping down the hill from the performing arts center toward me.
  Right. Nikki said they were coming. But when and how did she contact them? So many things don t make sense.
  &quot;She s not here,&quot; I begin. They must ve come for her, despite what she said. &quot;She left. This big Russian dude—&quot;
  &qu

Chapter 33 Pack of Lies