by Bethany Shaw
“I’m going to run to the bathroom,” Nora yawned, motioning to the tiny building.
Daniel nodded. He looked around the abandoned rest stop, and out to the deserted road. Trees lined the property and inside the tree line looked secluded. He hobbled forward, his body aching with each step. Nora padded off toward the bathroom and he hoped it would take her a few minutes. If he were going to get back in the car, he would need to shift.
Daniel walked as fast as he could into the brush. Quickly he undressed, setting his clothes in a pile, before dropping onto his hands and knees. He inhaled and closed his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he focused on his wolf. White clouded his vision as his bones snapped. He flexed his fingers and bit his lip to stay conscious. After a long agonizing moment, his transition was complete. He stretched forward and then back, loosening the tender muscles.
He craned his neck as the bathroom door swung open and clanked shut. Shaking his coat, he closed his eyes again and transformed back. Daniel pushed himself to his feet, hurriedly pulling on his jeans.
Footsteps sloshed through the mud behind him, and he turned as he fastened the button.
“What are you doing?” Nora asked. Her eyes widened as she rushed forward. “Oh my god,” she hissed, her cool fingers brushing over his bare chest.
Daniel looked down at the greenish-yellow bruises that stretched across his side and abdomen.
“Is this because of me?” she asked.
Her digits grazed his ribs lightly, and his breath caught at her soothing touch.
Lust fluttered through him and he forced himself to take a step back. “I’m fine.” He bent down and picked up his shirt.
“I’m sorry.” She recoiled. “I didn’t mean to...are you okay? How did you heal so fast?”
Daniel grimaced as he pulled his shirt over his head. “What do you mean?”
“Your bruises look days old not hours,” Nora frowned.
“I shifted. It helps me heal faster,” Daniel shrugged.
“So you feel better?” Nora asked.
Daniel sighed as he sat on a log to pull his shoes and socks on. “Yeah. Another shift or two and I’ll be back to normal.”
“Well, that must be nice,” Nora snorted. She pointed to her head. “It’s going to take a few weeks for this puppy to heal. And I’m sure I’ll have a scar.”
“It could’ve been worse.”
“Thank you,” Nora said, abruptly.
Daniel frowned as he stood up.
“For helping me—taking care of me.” She touched the collar of her shirt indicating the dried blood. “You didn’t have to patch me up, or help me. I did kind of hit you with my car after all.”
“We both needed medical attention. It’s no big deal.” Daniel pushed past her, making his way to the vending machines. He still had some loose bills; at least he thought he did. He’d lost his wallet the night before. The wallet he had was a loner from the man whose pants he now wore. Opening the wallet he pulled out a five and two ones. “You want anything?”
“I’ll just get some change from my purse,” Nora stated, walking past him.
“I got it. You want a coke?” Daniel asked slipping a bill into the machine.
“Sure,” Nora smiled. “Perhaps a bag of Reese Pieces too.”
Daniel handed the items to her before getting his own soda, a bag of chips, and a candy bar.
“It must be nice to eat whatever you like. I have to watch what I eat,” Nora snorted, with a smile.
“You look healthy to me,” Daniel commented, tearing the candy bar wrapper open.
Nora’s brows rose up and she opened and shut her mouth, before shaking her head. Daniel thought back on his words and wondered if he offended her. It had been a compliment. Most the women he picked up were stick thin, drunk, and looked like they’d missed one too many meals. While Nora was thin, she was toned—she looked healthy.
“So is it a wolf thing then?” she asked. “Eating a lot?” she clarified.
“Transitioning makes us hungry. We burn a lot of calories and need to make up for it.”
“Wow, I wish I could eat whatever I wanted without worries,” Nora said, popping the top off her drink. She sashayed ahead of him and opened the driver’s door. “You’ve been driving all night. I’ll finish up.”
“You don’t know where you are going,” Daniel pointed out.
“My GPS is in the car, and if you’re not asleep, you can tell me.”
“All right,” he sighed truth be told, his eyes had been getting heavy the last few hours.
“Do you think April and the other’s are at your home now?” Nora asked, starting the car. She reached into her purse and grabbed a rectangular container. Nora popped the lid off and emptied a few pills into her hand. Lifting the medicine to her lips, she plopped it on her tongue and took a swig of her Coke. “Should we call them?” she asked when she was done.
“My phone was destroyed in the accident. Do you have any messages on yours?”
Nora picked up her iPhone from the cup holder. “No. I would have thought April would have called to check up.”
“Cell reception is in and out in this area. We’re in the middle of nowhere until we get to Abilene. We should be there in the next hour or so.”
“So what’s it like there?”
Daniel rested his head against the cushion. “It’s nice. The property is huge and stretches for several miles. The home is...it’s nice.”
“Why do you say it like that?” Nora asked.
“It’s not where I grew up, but it’s home now,” he replied after a long moment. Home was where your family was—even if they didn’t necessarily want you there.
“Where did you grow up?”
“Guymon, Oklahoma,” Daniel murmured, tapping his fingers on the center console.
“What brought you to Texas then? The war?” Nora asked, quietly.
Daniel closed his eyes. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
***
Nora looked over at the sleeping man next to her. His head was slumped against the window. A low rhythmic whistle accompanied his breathing. He was rugged and manly. Daniel hadn’t been overly friendly to her, but he hadn’t been mean either. She had a feeling he kept everyone at arm’s length and it wasn’t just her. She liked him—maybe too much. He had been honest with her, and of course, he’d saved her. Not to mention, the wolf was somewhat good to look at.
Daniel cleared his throat, his head lolling toward her. Nora averted her gaze, not wanting to be caught ogling him. Shifting her focus to the rearview mirror, she sighed as a car whipped around the corner and quickly approached them. Nora steered the vehicle toward the berm, giving them enough room to pass. The car pulled up behind hers. It was so close; she couldn’t even make out the license plate.
“Just go around,” she grumbled, easing off the gas.
“What’s wrong?” Daniel asked sitting up in his seat.
A crunch sounded and Nora was thrust forward, her seatbelt tightened like a vice around her. Nora screamed as Daniel’s hand shot out, grabbing the wheel to keep them from careening off the side of the road.
“Keep your foot on the gas,” he ordered.
“What?” Nora gasped turning to look out the back window. A shrill shriek pierced the air, and it took her a moment to realize it was coming from her. The bronze vehicle behind them rammed them again. Daniel’s firm grip on the wheel was the only thing keeping the car under control. “They’re going to run us off the road,” Nora squeaked as the car darted to the side and pulled up beside them.
Her hands flew to the wheel, entwining with Daniel’s. His muscles rippled beneath his hold as he fought to keep the car on the road. Nora thrust the pedal all the way down to the floorboard. The driver in the bronze car swerved nailing the side. Her Cavalier's tires screeched as her door crumpled in and the front end shot to the right.
Together, her and Daniel whipped the wheel to the left, but it was too late.
The car flew off the road, rolling down a small embankment. The uneven terrain caused the car to tilt as the bumps and divots in the ground jarred them. Her car dipped down into a deep rut on her side, and she was thrown into the window as the car came to an abrupt halt. A pop sounded, and something white puffed out at her. Nora shoved the air bag out of her face. The car was filled with a cloud of smoke, and she coughed as she blinked her eyes.
“Get out,” Daniel instructed, his seat belt already off and door open.
Nora nodded, unbuckling, her hand already on the door latch. Moving the handle, she shoved on the unmoving exit. “It’s not opening,” she sputtered.
Her heart hammered in her chest as she looked out her window. Three men were making their way through the ditch. She swallowed, desperately lifting the latch.
A warm hand wrapped around her middle and tugged her into a firm chest. The other hand reached into her cup holder, grabbing her white iPhone.
“I got you,” Daniels soothing voice answered.
Nora kicked her feet against the floorboards as Daniel helped to guide her from the car. No sooner had he set her on the ground, then he spun her around.
His callused palm tilted her chin, and his intense emerald eyes met hers. “I need you to run into the woods as fast as you can. Don’t look back. Call this number,” he paused, looking toward the approaching men. “Never mind, there isn’t time. Use Directory Assistance to find the number for The Cookie Jar in Abilene, ask for Lark, Emily, or Devon. Go, run, now,” he snapped, placing the phone in her palm. He twirled her around and gave her a hard shove toward the trees.
Nora looked back to protest, but stopped when she saw the three men approaching. Her muscles tensed and feet rooted into the soggy grass. Her fists clenched at her sides as her pulse thrummed in her ears. She should run, but Daniel was injured—because of her, she couldn’t leave him. He’d done nothing but help her, and it wouldn’t be right to leave him.
“Nora go,” Daniel ground out. His brows lifted studying her for a moment before he turned back to the approaching men. “Please, go. Call for help, Nora, that’s our best chance,” he urged.
Nora swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Her gaze drifted to the menacing men approaching. A gasp escaped her lips as she met their golden eyes. Her feet took a step back. Eyes blinking rapidly, she stifled a scream as one of the man’s jawbones elongated, his shoulder widened, and bones shifted unnaturally.
“Oh god,” she whispered, gaze fixated on the scene. She closed her eyes tight, then reopened them. Large canine teeth hung over the man’s lip and his nose had shrunken in.
A lump formed in her throat, making it hard to swallow. She covered her mouth with her palm as two of the men and Daniel came to blows. The third directed his focus on her.
Phone clutched tightly in her hand, she spun on her heel and sprinted into the tree line. Her breath came in tiny pants as she pushed forward over the uneven terrain. Tree limbs whipped against her skin and her feet slid on the slick, muddy terrain.
Leaves and branches crackled behind her, spurring her to move faster. Her phone vibrated in her hand, April’s melodic ringtone sang out through the woods.
“April,” she gasped into the phone.
“Nora. What’s wrong?”
“They ran us off the road,” she panted, looking over her shoulder. “He’s going to catch me, April,” she shrieked, panicked.
Nora squeezed the phone tighter, using her other hand to shove thick brush out of her way.
“Where are you?”
“I’m not sure exactly, but close to the ranch,” she huffed.
A branch caught her foot, propelling her forward onto her hands and knees. Her phone slipped from her grasp and tumbled out of her reach. Rough hands grabbed the hair at the nape of her neck. Nora flailed wildly as she was wrenched upwards.
An arm slung around her waist, and she was pulled into a firm chest.
“Enough,” a masculine voice ordered.
“Get off me,” she grunted, bucking against him.
Nora whimpered as something sharp dug into her side. “Enough,” he repeated.
Nora held her breath, afraid to move. Her side ached, and warmth slid down her middle. She’d been stabbed, she realized.
“That’s a good girl,” he whispered. “Cooperate or I’ll make it hurt more.”
Nora shivered as his breath tickled her ear. The hairs on her arm rose, and her stomach churned. Her attacker pulled back extracting the object from her side. A sob tore free from her throat and she pitched forward as darkness clouded her vision.
The man wrenched her back, her feet lifted off the ground as he carried her backwards. Nora focused on her breathing, and tried to ignore the throbbing in her side. She needed to find a way to escape.
A snarl sounded behind them, and the man turned dragging her with his movements. They made their way out of the trees. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the three wolves fighting.
A cold chill zipped down her spine as she took in the large brownish-red wolf. It’s muzzle was curled up, exposing large canines. The two wolves lunged at Daniel and they met midair and drug Daniel to the ground. Daniel yelped as he twisted through the mud, fighting to get to his feet.
Please get up! She thought.
Howls erupted in the distance, and the man behind her stiffened. He growled low in his throat, before spinning her around and throwing her over his shoulder. Nora gasped as the air whooshed out of her lungs. The man took off at a sprint, jarring her injured side against his collarbone with each step.
“Put me down,” Nora screamed, using every ounce of strength she had, she slammed her fists into the small of his back. The man grunted his grasp loosening. Nora pushed herself up, tucked her chin in, and dove down into a somersault. Her back met the soggy ground and she blinked up at the sun.
A black whirl leapt over her, and she rolled to her belly. It was another wolf. Her attacker screamed in agony as he was tackled to the ground by the werewolf. The wolf snapped his long jaw around the man’s throat. Blood spurted out and his shrieks quickly subsided as all the light left his eyes.
Nora slowly pushed herself to her hands and knees. The wolfs golden eyes met hers; it cocked it’s head to the side, then darted away.
Chapter Four
Daniel squirmed on his back as he tried to right himself. With a snarl, he swung his open clawed paw at one of the wolves. Blood poured out of his enemy's muzzle as his nails connected. He twisted his torso, but no sooner had he reached his feet than three other wolves lunged. Instantly recognizing their scent, he joined in as they made quick work of his attackers.
A loud, authoritative, bark sounded behind him and Daniel pulled back. He sat on his haunches as Gene approached in wolf form. Daniel’s eyes strayed from his alphas, his gaze finding Nora as she slowly climbed to her feet. Her hand went to her side, and Daniel gritted his teeth as he saw the crimson soaking through her top. His heart lurched, and he stood on the pads of his feet.
Daniel’s ears twitched as a car approached. All four wolves turned eyes on the road. A familiar Jeep pulled up, and Daniel trotted slowly over to Nora, unable to fight the urge to check on her.
Her face was pale, and her fingers trembled against her middle. Blood seeped through her digits. Nora’s amber eyes met his before turning to the Jeep. Devon and Lark climbed out, followed by a brunette woman who pushed past the pair and toward Nora.
“April,” Nora perked up, smiling.
April threw her arms around Nora, pulling her tight. “Are you okay?” April drew back, her hands going to her abdomen. “She’s hurt,” April called over her shoulder to Devon and Lark.
“I’ll be okay,” Nora assured as Devon and Lark rushed by Daniel to get to her.
Daniel sat on his haunches and watched.
“Let’s get her back to the ranch and we’ll get her cleaned up,” Devon said, after giving her a quick once over.
Nora took a few steps forward, before her knees gav
e out and she pitched forward. Daniel rushed forward—not that he could’ve helped in his current form anyway. Thankfully, Lark and April caught her before she collapsed all the way. The two women wrapped their arms around Nora and carried her over to the car. Devon ran ahead of them and opened the back door. He then pulled something from the trunk before returning to them.
Daniel met his brother’s eyes for a brief moment as he set a plastic sack filled with clothes on the ground. “Are you all right?” Devon asked with a glare. Daniel bowed his head, his injuries hurt, but he’d had worse. He’d survive. “Good! See if you can do something with her car. We don’t want to draw any attention to ourselves with the authorities by leaving it here,” he ordered. Devon nodded at Gene and the other alpha trotted to the Jeep and hopped into the back.
Daniel’s lips quivered pulling up at the sides as his brother turned and walked to the Jeep. His heart clenched and he wanted to hop into the back of the vehicle too. Nora was okay—she had to be. He knew he shouldn’t be concerned over her well-being, but he couldn’t help it.
***
Nora opened her eyes, blinking them rapidly against the harsh white light above her. The surface beneath her was cool and there was a steady beep somewhere behind her. Wiggling, she attempted to sit up.
“It’s okay,” a soft feminine voice said as gentle hands met her shoulders. “You’re safe.” A blonde head appeared above her and blue eyes stared down at her. “I’m Lark. We met very briefly earlier out in the field. Remember?”
“Yeah,” Nora whispered, hoarsely.
“You passed out. You’re back at the ranch. This is Devon.” Lark moved back and Nora lifted her head to see the sandy-haired man who worked over her stomach. “He’s a doctor here. You had a couple lacerations. He’s just putting some stitches in you.”
“What happened to Daniel? Is he okay?” Nora asked lifting a hand to her throbbing head.
“He was going to see if he could get your car back to the ranch,” Lark replied.
“He should be here too.” Nora found a strand of hair and wound it around her finger.
