Luke's Dream (15 page)

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 mirrors 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.”

I smiled and watched her leave. She walked
out the door and turned right. I glanced at the timer on the
machine. Thirty-five minutes. She should be back by the time the
load finished washing.

* * * *

Moving the clothes from the washer to the
dryer, I watched the door. She wasn’t back. As soon as the dryer
started, I went outside and looked up the street to the right. I
could see the restaurant several blocks down.

The door to the restaurant opened. I caught a
glimpse of Bethi’s dark hair before a truck pulled up to the road
from a side street, blocking my view. When the truck left, the dark
head was entering a drug store two buildings down from the
restaurant.

I went inside and checked the time on the
dryer—fifteen more minutes—then went back to watching the door.
Minutes ticked by slowly, and when the dryer buzzed, I could no
longer ignore the growing sense of dread I felt.

Taking the still warm clothes into my arms, I
went to the bike. Her scent lingered on the sidewalk, a sweet,
sharp flavor that called to me.

After stuffing our things into the saddle
bags, I followed her trail. Before I reached the restaurant, it
just vanished. Frowning, I kept going. At the restaurant door, I
inhaled. There was no trace of Bethi’s scent. Whoever I saw leaving
the restaurant, it hadn’t been Bethi.

Swearing, I jogged back to where her scent
had stopped. It mingled with exhaust. Snarling in frustration, I
jogged to the bike and started it. Bethi had hitched a ride. I was
sure of it. But why?

I pulled away from the curb and followed the
exhaust trail out of town, heading north. After this stunt, she’d
be lucky if I didn’t…I swore again. I wouldn’t do a thing to her. I
just wanted her back.

“You better be safe,” I said, opening the
throttle.

I
lost her scent but picked it up again at a gas station. From there,
Bethi had taken off on foot. Déjà vu gripped me as I eyed the road
ahead. She really needed to stop doing this. I eased the bike
forward, determined to find her.

Driving slowly, I followed her trail along a
country road. With each mile, her scent grew stronger, and I knew I
was finally getting close.

I’d managed about seven miles when I caught a
scent that made my hackles raise. Pulling off the road, I killed
the engine and inhaled deeply. I got off the bike and continued to
test the air. Bethi had walked the right shoulder. Three mutts had
come from the woods on the left.

I paced forward, letting the scents lead me.
All four of them had entered the woods to the right.

Stepping off the shoulder, between the trunks
of barren trees, I looked for signs of their passing. Paws had
churned up fallen leaves and left a few prints in the damp earth.
In several more places, I found indents left by Bethi’s shoes. They
were spaced a considerable distance apart. She’d been running hard.
Her fear still lingered in the air. Claw marks scored the bark of
the tree to my right, and a greater sense of unease filled me.
Unmated males didn’t purposely frighten available females.
Especially compatible human females. My canines lengthened as did
my stride.

She had better be safe.

I tried not to think of what might have
happened as I silently ran between the trees. Her scent grew
stronger and more terrified in places she’d fallen or touched trees
or branches. She had to be close.

Not a moment later, a faint sound reached me,
and I slowed to pinpoint it. Ahead, in the direction of her trail.
A man’s voice. I picked up speed.

As I ran, the indistinct words soon became
clear.

“Mercy is for the weak.”

Bethi’s voice rang in the air. “No. Mercy is
for anyone with a big enough vocabulary to—”

Any relief I’d felt hearing her voice died at
the sound of something hitting the ground. Fear for her safety
pierced me. My heart raced as I caught sight of movement through
the trunks and bramble.

Three mutts crouched, barely holding the
change between forms. Beyond them, I watched Bethi stand and face
them. Red stained the front of her shirt. No, I thought in denial
as I crept forward. They wouldn’t…

I inhaled, and the scent of her blood enraged
me. My vision changed slightly as I allowed my control to slip a
little further. They would pay for hurting her, and I would need my
claws and teeth to collect my due.