He slowly turned his head and looked over his shoulder at her. She didn’t give any indication that she knew him, but when he saw a startled look in her eyes, it made him grin.
“Tak, this is my sister. Hope, meet Tak. He’s leaving.”
Tak shifted in his seat. He sure as hell wasn’t about to admit to Lakota that he’d seen his sister naked. There were certain lines you didn’t cross with a man, and even though they needed to have a conversation and settle their dispute, Tak played dumb. “You didn’t tell me you had a sister. In fact, you didn’t tell me a lot of things.”
Lakota rose to his feet, and Tak could sense his annoyance. “That’s something we’re going to have to discuss another time. We really have to leave. It’s a long drive, and people are expecting us.”
Hope stood motionless, like a deer in the headlights. “You two have a good trip. Unless there’s something important you want to talk about, I’m going to bed.” As if lightning had struck her in the backside, she took off down the hallway like an arrow.
Tak couldn’t believe his ears. Did she just wish her brother a good trip? The apartment didn’t appear big enough to house any other Shifters. “You’re leaving her here alone?”
Without answering, Lakota disappeared down the hall to speak with his sister.
Melody grabbed the untouched beer from between Tak’s legs. “You probably shouldn’t drink and drive. This isn’t the country, and you might end up hitting a pedestrian. Lakota doesn’t think sometimes.” She headed into the kitchen behind him, and Tak listened to the sound of wasted beer gurgling down the sink drain.
He rubbed his eyes, exhausted after a long day on the open road. There was no way he could drive all the way home at this late hour. Tak needed to find a motel and get some shut-eye before his wolf grew any more restless at the idea of Lakota leaving his sister behind. Hope wasn’t his concern, and for all he knew, she had a mate who would be home at any moment.
Tak stood up and approached the scenic windows. They had a nice view from the fifth floor. “Are there any Breed motels around here?”
Melody dropped the empty bottle in the trash, unaware that Tak hadn’t touched a single drop. “Um, I’m sure there are. Usually they’re alongside the highway. I bet if you head back the way you came, you’ll hit a few. I don’t know anything about the rates around here.”
A door closed in the hall.
“What are you two talking about?” Lakota asked.
Tak watched his reflection in the glass. “I’ve been driving all day, and I’m beat. I thought it would just be a day trip. I didn’t bring much cash with me, so I need a cheap place to stay for the night.”
Lakota scratched his jaw. “Let me see… The cheapest Breed motel I know of around here is a couple of miles north.” He pulled open a drawer and scribbled something on a small piece of paper. “The owner doesn’t care if you shift, but you’ll pay for any damages, so it’s better if you don’t.”
Melody switched off the kitchen light. “And how exactly would you knowthat, husband?”
“A friend told me, wife.”
Tak chuckled to himself. He’d been around enough mated couples to know that these two were life mates—souls destined to be together.
Lakota ripped off the paper and extended his arm. “Here. Follow these directions.”
Tak turned and glanced at the paper. “I remember seeing this place.” He tucked the paper in his pants pocket and looked between them. “I guess I’ll be on my way.”
Lakota shook his head, eyes downcast. “I want to make this right between us, for better or worse. But you have a shitty sense of timing. Call me in a week. Maybe I’ll save you the drive and come up there instead.”
Tak arched an eyebrow. “You might get skinned alive. I have a few packmates who didn’t appreciate you skipping town so quickly.”
Lakota held his hands out. “I can’t make it right with the whole tribe, and my bet is you’re talking about Kaota. Your people took me under their wing, and I’ll always appreciate it. But you and I had a friendship, and now it’s fucked up.”
Tak flicked his eyes over to Melody, who was staring at the clock on the microwave. “I don’t want to hold you and your woman up. I’m guessing you have a long drive, so I’ll be on my way. Apologies for the intrusion.”
As he neared the door, Lakota called out, “Tak!”
He half turned, not making eye contact.
Lakota heaved a sigh, and Tak guessed there were a whole bunch of words that he wanted to say but wouldn’t. “Have a safe drive.”
Chapter 6
The next morning, I woke up early and prepared for the long day ahead. Hopefully I wouldn’t fall apart working alone on our busiest day of the week. At around ten, Melody called to tell me the whole story about the hair-dye fiasco. Since Lakota had fallen asleep beside her in the passenger seat, she spoke freely about his fear that his beloved uncles would have a field day cracking jokes about his purple hands.
Men were silly about such things.
