A red-light camera. Shit.
Well, the damage is done and there’s nothing I can do about it now. I’ll just have to hope Danny’s body goes undiscovered long enough for us to be well away from here by the time anyone realizes his truck is missing and starts looking into things like traffic cameras.
Wolfie raises his head at my muttered curse, and I run my hand over his back. “It’s fine. I just need to be more careful.” I chuckle to myself. “Or to get some sleep.”
Wolfie chuffs, nuzzling his face against my thigh, and I can’t help but feel immensely grateful for his steady, solid presence. I love Raquel like a sister, and she’s managed to hold herself together for the most part, but she’s not exactly a calming influence.
“As soon as we take care of getting rid of the hatchback, the next order of business is going to be that collar,” I say, keeping my attention on the road in front of me as I gently stroke one of Wolfie’s ears. “After that… well, I don’t know what we’re going to do. We obviously can’t stay in Vegas, and I don’t have any connections anywhere else, either in the shifter world or the human one. Neither does Raquel.”
Wolfie lets out a soft whine, and I glance down to find him staring up at me.
“I’m hoping that means you might know someplace we can go,” I say, half talking to myself. “Based on how Doyle talked about you, I don’t think you’re from Vegas. Do you have a pack? A safe place for us? I know Raquel’s human, but she’s my best friend, my family. I can’t leave her behind, so wherever we end up has to be safe for her too. If that’s not with other shifters then… I don’t know.” I blow out a breath and blink a few times to clear my dry eyes. “I’m babbling. Sorry. I really do need to sleep for a few hours.”
He nudges me with his nose and whines again.
I smile softly. “I wish communication wasn’t so one-way at the moment. I’d love to know what you’re thinking.”
Wolfie sighs, resting his head in my lap, and I return my full attention to driving, glancing in the rearview mirror every now and then to make sure Raquel is keeping up. Twenty minutes orso outside the city limits, I make a right turn onto a rutted gravel driveway, then follow it for nearly two miles until it dead-ends at the high fence surrounding the junkyard. I pull to a stop by the rusty intercom box just outside the gate and push the call button.
“Yeah?” asks a deep voice a few seconds later.
“Hey, Phil, it’s Neil.” I pause. “Cahill.”
There’s a long silence and then, “Maggie’s kid?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I know it’s been a while, but I’ve got a car here, and I’m hoping to get some cash for it.”
Phil doesn’t respond, but the light over the gate turns green and the gate begins to slide open. Not the warmest welcome for sure, but better than ignoring me and leaving me out here. He’s never been the most talkative guy, anyway.
Phil is what is officially called an “unaffiliated” alpha. Unofficially, that means he’s a lone wolf, not part of any pack and he doesn’t report to anyone. He keeps to himself for the most part, and he has no connection to Doyle or the Vegas pack.
Probably. Either way, we’re not going to be here long enough for him to call anyone in.I hope.
I put the truck in gear and drive past the gate, Raquel close behind. It’s been at least a couple years since I’ve been here, but the office is easy to find. I simply follow the path between the dilapidated vehicles until it reaches a fork. The single-story buildingis to the right, window AC unit chugging away and dripping condensation down the bland exterior.
Now that the sun’s fully up, the day’s heat hits me as I jump out of the truck onto the sandy ground. I eye the office door for a moment before gesturing for Wolfie to follow. Phil will immediately know what he is, but I can’t leave my mate in a hot truck—people who leave animals in hot cars deserve a special place in hell. Not even having the windows down would prevent the temperature inside the vehicle from quickly reaching deadly levels.
Raquel pulls in beside the truck, turns her car off, and gets out, moving to stand walk next to me as we approach the office. The door swings open before we get there and Phil stands in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.
As an alpha, Phil is a large man, and even in his mid-forties, his body is heavy with muscle. His shaggy brown hair is tied back in a messy ponytail and he’s wearing dusty coveralls. He gives me a once over, shrewd brown eyes pausing on my face before he moves his attention to my two companions. His brows rise as he takes in Wolfie standing at my side and shoot up like a rocket as his gaze slides to Raquel.
He glowers at me. “What are you playing at, kid? You trying to get me in trouble?”
“No, of course not,” I say quickly, angling myself slightly in front of Raquel. “It’s a long story, but she knows. And it’s fine.”
Phil’s brows jump high enough to nearly disappear into his hairline. “Sheknows? A human?” He ambles past the doorway and steps closer, looming over me, eyes flashing with irritation. “What the hell has gotten into you? I know Maggie raised you to be smarter than that.”
I hold my hands up by my chest and open my mouth, but Wolfie steps in front of me before I can speak, growling and flashing his teeth. The older shifter’s attention shifts to the wolf and he narrows his eyes, holding my mate’s gaze in an obvious display of dominance.
“Who the hell is this?” He snarls and shows his own teeth, signs of his wolf flickering in his eyes. “Back off, pup.”
Wolfie lowers his head, growl rising in volume as the hair on his back begins to rise. Not good. The last thing this situation needs is some kind of alpha shifter show down.
“Shhh,” I say to Wolfie, gently stroking his head. “He’s not trying to hurt me, right?” I aim the last word at Phil and he grunts, recrossing his arms over his chest. “Nobody’s challenging anybody’s dominance or whatever you alphas get all pissy about. The bond is just really new, and Wolfie here is a little overprotective.”
Phil chuckles, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Wolfie?”
“Like I said, it’s a long story, but this big guy here is my fated mate.” Phil sends another pointed look at Raquel, and I sigh. “She knows about that too. It’s cool.”
