Shelving that useless memory, I eye the sun as it sinks lower in the sky, and then close my eyes to think. When I imagine hunkering down in the exposed car overnight, the wave of fear threatens to level me. That settles it, so I open my eyes and fall back on rule number three.
Keep it moving.
Shouldering my duffle, I pocket the keys to the car. She may have let me down today, but I can’t afford to hold that against her. Maybe I’ll come back and sell the old rust bucket for parts once I get settled. With that happy thought, my optimism tank is now running on fumes, so I head toward the town, ignoring the way cold tension spreads throughout me with each step I take away from the car.
After a mile or so, the rhythmic repetition of my walking lulls me into a sense of comfort. Since I left Wyoming, I’ve only managed a few quick naps to keep me going behind the wheel, and the exhaustion is catching up with me. I stifle a yawn andshift the bag to my opposite shoulder, kicking myself for packing so many cans.
As I watch the last few rays of the sun disappear one by one, I feel a prickle of awareness on the back of my neck. Alone, stranded on the side of the road, I’m now bathed in shadow and second-guessing my decision to hoof it in the dark.
Please let me actually be alone.
Peering at my surroundings, I notice nothing out of the ordinary. My other senses don’t seem to believe my eyes. They’re screaming at me to hide, but it’s not like I have a lot of options. There are no big rocks or trees near me, and my visibility is close to nonexistent now.
“Well, what do we have here?” A raspy voice breaks the silence, and my heart jumps into my mouth. Spinning, I’m stunned to find a grimy man just a few feet behind me.
Where the fuck did he come from?
“Pretty little thing like you shouldn't be on her own in the dark like this.” He spits on the ground. “I reckon that was your car broken down a few miles back.” He points back in the direction I came from, his hungry grin revealing one fake gold tooth and a host of real, stained ones.
The man takes a step toward me. I take a step back.
When his grin gets even wider, I brace for a fight. He may think stumbling across a stranded woman in the dark is his lucky day, but I’m determined to make him regret it.
I finger the knife I have tucked inside the waistband of my jeans and paste a brittle smile on my face. Maybe I can talk my way out of this.
“Car trouble,” I explain, doing my best to sell my lie by starting with the truth. “My cousin is on his way to pick me up, but I wanted to watch the sunset and stretch my legs instead of waiting in the car.” I giggle and shrug like I’m only just realizingthis was a silly idea. “Thanks for checking on me, mister, but he'll be here any minute.”
The creep considers my bluff, his sharp eyes taking in my worn, faded outfit. As he looks me over, his smile fades. I grit my teeth; the message is coming through loud and clear. He’s done pretending, which means I am too. When he takes a deep sniff of the air, I could swear his eyes glow yellow in the gloom.
“Yeah, I think you're a liar. But even if you’re not, I’ll be done long before your cousin gets here.” He licks his lips, and I let some of the disgust I’m feeling show on my face. “Fuck, you smell like dinner. Surely I won’t get in trouble for just a little taste.” He crouches as he speaks, and I whip my knife out, dropping my duffle along with all pretense of politeness. I’ve never actually stabbed someone before, but I’m fully prepared to gut him if he comes closer.
At the sight of my knife, he hesitates, and then winks at me.
“I like it when they fight back.” The chilling words have barely left his mouth when he lunges, erasing the space between us faster than I would have thought humanly possible. Even though I’m prepared, he moves so quickly it throws off my aim. Instead of burying the knife in his chest, I slice him in the cheek instead.
The cut gushes blood, but it doesn’t stop him. He growls, enraged, and backhands me as I stumble to put more distance between us. I feel the blow down to my toes. Through sheer desperation, I manage to keep myself upright. It’s over for me if he gets me on the ground.
The disgusting son of a bitch circles me, wiping the blood from his face as he sends me another twisted smile. I’m horrified to realize I wasn’t imagining it earlier; his eyes are definitely glowing now. They’re the eerie yellow of things that go bump in the night. A few years ago, I might have panicked at the sight,but I’m a different person now. He’s not the first monster I’ve faced.
Stand your ground, Sheena.
When he charges again, I’m ready for it. Instead of guarding myself, I put all my focus into plunging the knife into his heart. I commit to the strike, putting all of my power behind it. As the blade nears his chest, he jerks to the side and throws my aim off again. The knife sinks into his shoulder with a sickening squish. Before I'm able to pull it out, he lurches away.
He stares down at the wound, and I see my chance to run. I only make it a few steps before I’m wrenched backwards by my hair. My scalp explodes with pain. He yanks my head up, a feral look blazing in his yellow eyes. Something sharp rips into the skin of my ribs, but I can’t look down to see what cut me while he’s holding my ponytail like a leash. With his face now just inches from mine, I watch in horror as his teeth warp and morph into jagged points.
He’s going to tear out my throat. I’m going to die here on the side of the road.
The realization enrages me. I haven’t spent this long on the run only to die at the hands of this piece of shit. With a final desperate surge of energy, I slam my head face first into his nose.
The move stuns me, my vision fading in and out like a strobe effect. That must be why I think there are headlights joining the black dots in my field of vision. Or maybe I’m just hallucinating because the last thing I see before I pass out is a lion charging toward me. My vision tunnels, and my legs collapse.
I'm out before I hit the ground.
GIDEON
We were almost too late.
Callum catches the waitress, and I turn my rage onto the partially shifted stranger. He’s a dead man walking. I shred through the vagrant coyote like wet tissue paper. He tries to fully shift, but his heartbeat is too slow, his body done for. When I sink my teeth into his throat and tear it out, I watch the life fade from his eyes with monstrous satisfaction.
