Luke's Dream

by Melissa Haag

  “Can I ask why we can’t talk about us?”

  I held out my hand for the ketchup. “It makes me uncomfortable,” I said, putting a normal amount of ketchup on my burger and setting the bottle out of her reach.

  “Not getting into details, but what part makes you uncomfortable?”

  “All of it.”

  I took a large bite of my burger. The flavor of the meat wasn’t right. I reached for the salt as Bethi suddenly reached for something too.

  The back of my hand brushed the full curve of her breast. I jerked back, unable to breathe as I remembered what had happened on the bike. The remembered feel of her in my palm increased the temperature in the room by at least fifty degrees. I quickly looked down as my vision started to change.

  Bethi huffed beside me.

  “It’s a boob,” she said. “I have two of them. They don’t do much. They just sit there. They definitely don’t bite so stop acting like they’re going to come after you. Grow up.”

  Talking about them just made it worse. Things I didn’t want to think about kept creeping into my head. Ideas took hold and wouldn’t let go. And all of them included her, me, and another hotel room.

  “Please stop talking about them,” I said desperately.

  She leaned forward and spoke softly. “You know, sometimes it helps to name the things you fear. Let’s call the right one Everest”—I swallowed hard—“and the left one Fuji. Two mountainous ranges waiting to be....”

  I bolted from my seat and cleared the door before she finished. My hands shook and sweat coated my brow.

  The cool air was welcome relief as I paced back and forth in front of the restaurant’s windows. I glanced at her and quickly looked away. She’d started something without meaning to. I knew it wasn’t right to think the things I was thinking. She was still too young. Too afraid. Too running away from anything right now to deal with what would happen if I gave into her and let her Claim me.

  Holding her every time she’d slept had been a mistake. It had shown me how good we felt together and just made it harder to keep resisting her. And then kissing her…I groaned as I remembered the taste of her lips. Using the word “a pull” to describe what I felt when I looked at her didn’t accurately explain the sensation. It was like the need one would feel underwater, starving for air. I needed to inhale her. Resisting hurt. It starved my body of what it was missing. Claiming would give me the connection, the assurance she was mine. But, what would it take from her? Choice. Freedom. Innocence. I couldn’t do that. Yet. I cared too much not to wait.

  When I glanced at her again, she had finished her food and was watching me. With a smirk, she reached over to my plate, lifted a fry, and ate it. Some of the tension in me eased in the face of her antics.

  Then, she reached for my burger. I knew she couldn’t still be hungry. She wanted me back inside. Although I knew it was safer to stay outside, that I hadn’t fully calmed, I couldn’t resist her invitation. She bit into my food.

  I was through the door before she finished setting the burger back on my plate.

  When I reached the table, I stopped. She stared up at me, her amusement a siren’s song.

  “Well? Did you lose your appetite or not?” she asked.

  Exhaling slowly, I forced myself into the seat opposite her and pulled my plate toward me. I ate what remained of the burger. The taste of her flavored the food and drove me crazy.

  “Tell you what,” she said. “I’ll let you have two closed subjects between us. Two topics we’ll keep completely off limits. Three is ridiculous.”

  I closed my eyes and finished swallowing. I should have known she wouldn’t let up.

  “So which one are we going to talk about...our plan to reach the Compound, the reason you won’t let me Claim you, or my boobs? You choose.”

  There was no choice.

  Taking a drink, I considered the journey that laid before us. I still held out hope that only a few unmated males had learned about Bethi’s existence. Yet, I knew better. When it came to unclaimed women, word spread fast. That was how I’d known Gabby hadn’t Claimed Clay and that his time was up with her. That meant, because of the two I didn’t kill, getting to the Compound would only become more difficult. Word would spread.

  “They will be waiting for us on all three roads. We could try to leave the bike and take to the woods, but I think they will have scouts ready for that as well. And we’d be slower on foot. Our best bet is to anticipate them and break through before they know when to expect us.”

  “So the longer we take to get there...”

  “The more likely they are to be ready for us.”

  She remained quiet for a moment.

  “Any word from that Elder?” she asked.

  “He asked for an update, but I kept it vague. He’s not pushing for anything more. He did offer his assistance if we needed anything further,” I said, making Joshua sound more endearing than I now considered him. When we reached the Compound, I didn’t want to add to her fears by creating doubt about the Elders.

  “Okay then, wolf-man. Let’s get going.” She waved the waitress over for the bill, and I quickly finished the burger.

  Bethi glared at the waitress while I paid, then perked up as we walked out the door. Her jealousy was heartwarming.

  “Tired?” I asked before we reached the bike.

  “No,” she lied.

  I turned to look at her. “We can’t go far with you tired.”

  “And if we take too long to get there, it will only be worse.”

  “I could call Gabby and let her know.” Her opposition of the Introductions had been well-known. I felt she’d do everything in her power to stop the challenging males trying to intercept us.

  “No, we don’t know who is betraying us.”

  “You think she would?” I settled on the bike and turned to study Bethi.

  “No, she wouldn’t. At least, not purposely. But, who does she believe she can trust? She could say something to the wrong person. If we stay on our own, we might actually make it to the gates of the Compound.” She sat behind me and held up the strap. “I’ll do my best to stay awake.”

  Ten

  She hung in for another three hours. When she started leaning her face into the wind to stay awake, I pulled into the first hotel I found.

  “I can keep going,” she said when we pulled into the parking lot.

  I killed the engine and turned to look at her. Her hair was a tangled knot on the top of her head.

  “As adorable as the head in the wind thing is, you’ll get hurt if you keep it up.”

  She snorted and got off the back.

  “Wind in the face won’t hurt me. Furry things with claws will.” Her stomach growled as we walked to the hotel. “And maybe starvation.”

  “Hunger is good. You need more food.”

  “Are you saying I’m too skinny?”

  The defensive tone had me quickly shaking my head.

  “Better not be.”

  I held the door for her, and she continued to give me a disgruntled look as I procured a room for the night. This time, when we walked the hall to find our room, she touched everything, passed our door to walk to the end of the hall, and touched the opposite side as well.

  “Doesn’t hurt to be safe,” she said with a shrug.

  I couldn’t disagree. Turning, I unlocked our door and held it for her.

  “So, about food…” she said, entering.

  “I’ll go get us something decent. You might want to stay and shower.”

  “Now you’re telling me I stink?”

  “No, you have a little bug smear on your forehead.”

  “I do not,” she said, walking into the bathroom. “Ew!”

  I grinned. “I’ll be back with food. Can you hold out for thirty minutes?”

  “Get some really good food, and I’ll hold out for an hour,” she said as the bathroom door closed.

  Still smiling, I left the room and ran my hands along the walls, too.<
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  * * * *

  When I returned, the halls were pleasantly free of muffled screams. Carrying a bag of food in one hand, I slid the card into the lock and pushed the door open. The empty bed and the sound of the shower had me grinning. I hadn’t thought she’d actually hold out. Inside the bathroom, I could hear her moving.

  I knocked on the door. “Food’s here.”

  Moving to the table, I took the containers out. The food wasn’t fancy, just more burgers and fries. I’d even asked for a ridiculous number of ketchup packets for Bethi. I ate my first burger as I waited for her to finish up. When the water continued to run, I went to knock on the door again, thinking that she hadn’t heard.

  “Bethi?”

  No answer. I knocked louder.

  “Bethi?”

  I pounded on the door and was just reaching for the knob when I heard the movement stop.

  “She’s trying to kill me.”

  I didn’t think. The softly spoken words had me setting my shoulder to the door and forcing it open. The lock tore through wood with a crack. I yanked the shower curtain aside, ready to pull off whoever was trying to hurt Bethi.

  Instead, Bethi stared up at me in shock. Alone. Naked. My eyes swept the length of her, noting the blue tint to her skin.

  “What the hell?” she screeched. She tried grabbing for the curtain to cover herself, especially her legs and arms.

  I released the material and reached to turn off the frigid water.

  “You fell asleep again, didn’t you?” I asked softly.

  “Of course I did! I always fall asleep. Now, get out!”

  I didn’t want to leave her shivering in the bottom of the tub, but the tear-filled look she gave me had me retreating.

  “Be out in two minutes or I’m coming back in,” I said, closing the door behind me.

  “If you come back in, you better be naked too,” she shouted through the closed door.

  Sighing, I stared at the door and absently rubbed the back of my neck. Her beauty robbed me of thought. I closed my eyes and recalled the details of her small, perfect form and pale skin. Trying not to dwell on her curves, I focused on the memory of the pink, raised marks on her arms and legs she’d tried to hide. The scars weren’t that old. The angles and placement indicated they were self-inflicted.

  My chest ached with the hurt I felt for her. Not just that she’d cut herself, but the shame she held for the scars she now carried. Why had she done that to herself? Was it the dreams or something else? I didn’t want to make assumptions; yet, based on her reaction to me seeing them, I couldn’t ask her either.

  The sound of a towel dropping to the bathroom floor drew me from my thoughts. Turning from the door, I closed the containers of food and put them in the mini refrigerator. She needed to warm up and sleep more than she needed the food.

  When she finally opened the bathroom door, I was already laying on the bed. She didn’t look up as she crept out dressed once more in her Tinker Bell bottoms and a long-sleeved top. Hesitating a few steps from the door, she reached up to nervously run her fingers through her hair. Her gaze, which she’d kept averted, landed on me for less than a second before she moved to read the hotel’s TV guide.

  “Either we get where we’re going tomorrow, or we need to find a laundromat. Everything’s dirty,” she said.

  I didn’t know how to help ease her anxiousness over what I’d seen, so I kept quiet. It seemed the right thing to do when she sighed and turned to look at me. Her gaze held confusion along with the usual fear.

  “Come on,” I said, waving her over. “Get some sleep.”

  She slowly approached the bed then laid on top the covers, well on her side. Not letting her keep her distance, I reached out and pulled her to my side. She squeaked a little but didn’t protest. With her head resting on my chest, I ran my hand down her arm, trying to dispel the chill still gripping her. Now that I knew what was under the material, it was easy to feel each scar.

  She scrunched her eyes closed, and I inhaled her shame once more.

  “Don’t,” I said. “Not with me. I’m not here to judge you. I’m here to keep you safe. Always. Even from yourself.”

  Pieces of her wet hair trailed over my shoulder as I hugged her close. She settled against me, and a shaky exhale escaped her a moment before her pulse slowed. Then, she slept.

  * * * *

  “Bethi,” I said softly.

  She moved her head, rubbing her face against my chest.

  “We need to go, luv.”

  Her hand moved, patting its way up to my face where she then dropped her hand down as if I were an alarm clock.

  I grunted, grabbed her hand, and brought it to my lips.

  “Five more minutes,” I compromised, with a soft laugh. The five hours of sleep she had gotten probably didn’t feel like much. But I hoped it was enough to keep her awake so we could push through to the Compound.

  When I tried to wake her the second time, she responded more reasonably.

  “I will cut you if you make me get out of bed,” she said, without opening her eyes.

  I grinned down at her. “There’s food.”

  “You win,” she said, lifting her head. Her hair had dried with a slight wave to it.

  Reaching up, I gently tugged the strands. She glanced down at me, her blue eyes free of fear for a change.

  “What do you like better?” I asked. “Rainy days, sun rises, or kites?”

  She arched a brow at me. “Apparently, weird guys.” She rolled out of bed and stretched. “Now where’s my food?”

  “Fridge.”

  I watched her shuffle over and grab the two containers out. She opened one and eyed the half pound burger.

  “Might as well use the shower,” she said. “This will take me a few minutes.”

  Leaving her to eat, I took a quick shower and planned the route in my head. If we kept going north, we’d be at the Compound tonight. As much as I looked forward to getting Bethi somewhere safe, I also dreaded the potential separation. Even if Bethi showed interest in me and the Elders acknowledged it, I suspected they might keep us separate due to her age. I worried about her dreams and hoped that being at the Compound would help ease her mind so she didn’t have them.

  After I toweled off and dressed, I found Bethi packed and ready to leave. Both containers still sat on the tables. A few fries were missing.

  I glanced at her and she shrugged. “Didn’t taste good.”

  Not willing to let the money spent go to waste, I quickly ate the rest and tossed the containers in the trash bin.

  We left the room keys on the nightstand, as instructed per the check-out envelope slid under our door, and left via the exit at the end of the hall.

  “We should reach the Compound by nightfall,” I said, moving toward the bike.

  The breeze shifted and I caught a familiar scent. Werewolf.

  Grabbing Bethi’s hand, I pulled her to the bike and threw the strap over her head as soon as she climbed on behind me. The bike roared to life underneath us. Just as I started to pull away, Bethi tensed. In the mirrors, I saw why and twisted the throttle. The back tire squealed on the pavement and the acrid order of burned tire filled the air.

  The two men who had stepped from the office, shifted, but didn’t pursue us as we sped away. I kept an eye on them as distance shrank them in the mirror.

  “They’re not following,” Bethi said.

  I nodded. They didn’t need to follow us because they thought they knew where we were headed. Opening the throttle, I merged south onto the interstate.

  There were other routes I could take to get to the Compound. Hopefully, by going south, they would think I’d changed my mind. Instead, I meant to circle around.

  Bethi leaned forward and rested her forehead on my back. She was tense and understandably upset.

  We drove south for several hours then got off at an exit heading east. It was well past midday when her pulse and breathing changed. Both were too rapid. I checked the mir
rors and scented the air as we drove through yet another town, but didn’t see or smell anything out of the ordinary. When I felt her move around behind me, I wondered if she was just getting restless with the ride.

  “Ready to stop?” I asked, turning my head.

  “Yes.” She nodded her head at a laundromat.

  Since we weren’t in a rush anymore, I pulled in and cut the engine. As soon as I loosened the bag, Bethi slid off, taking the bag with her. She seemed fidgety. Not exactly nervous, more like anxious to do something.

  I watched her closely as we walked into the building. Dryers whirred softly in the background as a few washers sloshed water.

  “Can you get change for one load?” she asked.

  The steady normal question didn’t match the way her hands shook.

  “Sure.”

  While I used the machine to exchange dollars for quarters, she put our clothes into a washer. She glanced at me when I brought the quarters to her. Guilt flashed in her eyes before she turned to purchase powdered detergent from another machine. Moving to the nearby hard plastic chairs, I sat and wondered why she might be feeling guilty. And how was it in her eyes, but not her scent?

  She added the detergent and coins to the washer. I didn’t miss the slow, deep breath she took as she closed the lid. Her pulse slowed considerably. It usually did that when she was fighting the urge to sleep. Was she trying to hide the fact that she was tired?

  When she turned to me, she held out her hand.

  “I saw a fast food place a few blocks away. I’ll get us something.”

  I frowned. “I’ll go with you.”

  “No way. We’ll lose our stuff. It’s two blocks away, and we’re in the middle of town.” She arched a brow and patted the bag slung over her shoulder. “I have protection and can carry everything with this. Two burgers?”

  She looked sincere and her pulse remained steady. I didn’t like separating, even though I doubted any of our followers would have tracked us this far. She wiggled her fingers, beckoning for food money.

  “Three,” I said, reaching into my wallet and handing her a twenty.

  She plucked it from my fingers with a grin. “Three’s probably a good idea. You may not have fries by the time I walk back.”