I need to tread carefully. I want answers, but I also can’t risk antagonizing these guys. There’s bravery, which isn’t really part of my repertoire anyway, and then there’s doing what you have to do to survive. In my experience, the two rarely go hand in hand.
The mouthy one who claims his name is Callum grimaces, and the mountain of a man—Gideon—steps closer to me. Internally, I tense to run, letting my real fear show on my face. Maybe they aren’t the kind of men who hurt women. I haven’t met many of those, but surely they exist. Either way, it doesn’t change my plans. I won’t be taking the time to find out what kind of men they are, so it’s best if they underestimate me.
“It's complicated...” Callum trails off, hesitantly continuing when I glare. “We were following you. That’s true, but it’s not what you think.”
He has no idea what I think, but his excuses aren’t cutting it. Like he can sense that I’m not buying it, he rushes on. “You seemed freaked out at the bar. We wanted to make sure you were alright.”
Is he serious, right now?
It’s true that I was freaked out, but if he thinks that tiny detail is enough to explain two strangers following me hundreds of miles, he’s got another thing coming. This story has more holes than a goddamn colander.
Still, why deny kidnapping me after the fact? I’m here—wherever that is—armed only with a kitchen glass. Even at full strength, I’m no match for either of them in a fight, much less both. Maybe they don’t know what they’re doing, but it’s been my experience that kidnappers don’t go to the trouble of hiding their intentions at this stage.
I don’t have a rule that applies here. That makes my skin crawl.
Fuck it. I’m just going to go for it and test them.
I clear my throat.
“Look, I can't just stay quiet when my safety is on the line.” I sidestep cautiously towards what I hope is the front door. “Thanks for stepping in to help me.” I smile, feeling both of them tracking my every move. “I’ll be forever grateful that you stoppedthat... man.” I stumble over the word, but push past it, because this is the moment of truth. “Now, if you can point me toward the nearest town, I'll get out of your hair.”
I hold my breath, but I don’t have to wait long for a genuine reaction.
A growl erupts from the giant’s throat, draining whatever blood was left in my face. Something about the rush of fear combined with that noise sends my mind hurtling back to the moment on the side of the road. Similar animalistic sounds came from both my attacker and thelionthat rescued me.
Shaking my head, I replay the memory once, twice, four times, reaching the same impossible conclusion each time.How can that be real?I must have a serious head injury because there’s no way this man could be a lion. I know there are a lot of things that are difficult to explain in this world, but a fucking lion?
My back bumps against the wall, and I shudder. I didn’t even realize I was retreating. Now, I’m cornered by two dangerous—men? That term might not even apply to this situation.
Suddenly, I feel like part of the bad end of the food chain.
This is terrible.
But if they want to kill me, I’m going to kick, scream, and bite the entire time, no matter how much bigger their teeth happen to be.
The talkative one steps forward. He seems on edge, which is frankly ridiculous and a little offensive. It’s not like two strangers just followedhiminto the boonies and tossedhimin the back of their car.
“Okay, everyone, just take a breath and stay calm.” He glances nervously at the big guy before focusing back on me. “Ma'am—sorry, we don't even know your name, but Gideon feels he has a... connection with you.”
I tense against the wall. Did I imagine him hesitating before saying the word connection? It doesn’t matter. They’re clearly delusional.
Ignoring the mouthpiece, I turn my focus to the bigger threat, the muscle. The giant looks like he’s about to have a meltdown. He keeps tugging on his curls, while his irises are flashing from brown to an unnatural golden color. He’s clearly malfunctioning. Something tells me I don’t want to be anywhere near him if he fully loses it.
Sucking in a breath, I try to think. I need to be careful with this, but I’m tired of the lies. With my back literally against the wall, I have no choice but to push back.
“Stay away from me,” I warn, hating the slight panic in my voice. To my shock, both men listen, freezing where they are.
“We won’t hurt you.”
“You say that, but you... kidnapped me,” I hiss, clenching my hands to stop them from shaking. “You followed me hundreds of miles because he feels like we have a connection?” I point at the big guy, and then yank my hand back to my side when the other one grimaces. He opens his mouth, but it’s too late to stop now. I need answers.
“I need to know why I saw glowing yellow eyes in a man’s face and a lion running loose in Colorado.” Neither of them reacts to that insane sentence, and I feel a rush of relief that I’m not actually going crazy.
“Explain. Please.” I let the demand hang there as the tense silence builds. It drags on. One second. Two. Ten.
“You know about supernaturals.” The big guy speaks for the first time, and my whole body jolts. Is that a statement or a question? I can’t tell, but his voice is low and grumbly. It sends another shiver down my spine. My body buzzes to life. I’ve got to be in shock or suffering a mental break because I’m almost turned on right now.
Callum throws himself down into an armchair with a groan, covering his face with one hand. I lean against the wall, letting it support my weight while I grapple with how to respond.
