It scares me a little.
Then I remember the fear I felt when we drove up and saw the tiny woman fighting for her life. The bastard was trying to get her on the ground. Her desperation to get away from this sicko may be the only reason she survived as long as she did.
No, I’m fresh out of regret for my actions.
Relaxing my jaw, I let the vermin's body drop from my mouth into the dirt. The ground is muddy now from blood that doesn’t all belong to him. That makes me want to kill him again.
I have to force myself to turn my back on the mangled corpse and pad back toward Callum. He’s holding the woman, cradling her gently to his chest like she might shatter.
Blood seeps through her t-shirt, and in my animal form, I can already spot bruises forming on her face. A whine escapes my mouth, primal rage threatening to take over. I wrench back control with pure force of will and shift back to my human form.
The change takes longer than it has in years. By the time I’m standing on two feet again, I’m trembling from the effort. Fuck.Fuck.I’m losing it. Ever since I saw her in that disgusting bar, I’ve been spiraling out of control. I pull the knife out of the asshole’s body, toss it in the SUV, and suck in a deep breath.
All I smell is blood . . . and her.
Callum transfers the woman to my arms without a word. Feeling her alive against me quiets some of my panic, which makes no logical sense. I don’t know her. I don’t even know what she is. She’s obviously not a human like she was pretending to be or a shifter like me. The only thing I know for sure is that she’s my fated mate. It’s ridiculous.
I’ve never said a damn word to her, but I know she’s my destiny.
When Callum and I walked into that bar, our intention was to ask if there had been any disappearances recently. It was the eighth town we’d stopped in, and we both felt like we were close to a solid lead. Neither of us expected her.
Man, I’ve fucked this entire investigation up.
Cal is too nice to call me on it, but I’m not supposed to scare off potential informants by growling at them or starting supernatural rumors. Too bad the mate bond didn’t seem too fussed about flying under the radar.
Callum is quiet now, but I know he’s thinking through what has to be done. Now that his arms are free, he drags the body away from the road and further into the dark. With no other option, I carry the woman to the SUV, noticing how small she is when I lay her gently across the back seat. Even covered in bruises and blood, she’s beautiful. She has pale skin and a dusting of freckles on her nose. Some of her dark brown hair is loose from the struggle. I brush one tangled strand back towards her ponytail, feeling a massive knot forming on her forehead.
What if the hair tie is pulling on her scalp?
That’s only going to make her head hurt worse. Gently, I work the band out of her hair and use it to pull my own messy curls back into a loose bun. Now I feel silly. Why the hell did I do that, and what the fuck am I going to say if she wakes up and sees it? ‘Yeah, sorry ma’am, I killed that guy, put you in my car, andthen stole your rubber band.’ That’s going to go over great. Shit, I’m completely out of my depth here.
Where is Callum?
As if I summoned him with my thoughts, he appears, tossing the woman’s duffle bag into the back of the SUV and handing me a pack of wipes and a towel. I nod in thanks, glad to be given something to do besides spiral. Once I’ve mopped away the worst of the blood, I slip on the hoodie and sweatpants he has ready for me.
“You got rid of the coyote shifter?” I grunt. He nods.
“I left the body for the other animals to take care of. It will be gone before the sun’s up.” Callum glances at my hair, then the back seat. He hesitates, meeting my eyes in the glow of the overhead light.
“You got to her in time, Gideon. She's going to be okay now.” He lays his hand on my back, and I accept the simple comfort gladly, pulling him into a hug. It’s not something I do often, but I need my best friend right now.
Sucking in a breath, Callum’s familiar spicy scent mixes with the woman’s floral smell. Combined, they feel like home. I breathe in deeper. The air fills my lungs, and I gag. Another smell is ruining their scent. It’s gamey and sharp, mixed with the acrid stench of cigarettes.
The coyote wasn’t alone.
“He’s got backup,” I snarl, pulling back from the hug. Callum stiffens, and we both look out into the dark. Even with my eyesight, there’s nothing to see. This new enemy is smart enough to stay hidden.
Still, Callum doesn’t question my instinct. “Random or traffickers?” He whispers.
I shake my head. I can’t tell unless I shift back again. I’m reaching for my shirt to do just that when Callum grabs my arm.
“We don’t know what we’re up against.” He looks again at the back seat. “We need to get her out of here.”
I want to argue with him. My rage is back, along with the burning desire to finish this. Never in my life have I felt the urge to spill blood this intensely. I look at the back seat and all that fury fades. One mistake and she could be taken or killed.
I can’t risk that.
There’s no getting around this awkward situation. Since the woman hasn’t woken up in the last thirty seconds, we’re going to have to drive off without talking to her first.
