“Are you sure about this?” His voice was weaker, the walking on uneven terrain too much for his injured body.
“No, but it’s all that I’ve got as far as ideas go.”
Cars kept passing us. No one was stopping. Out here on the road, we were visible to so many, and not a second passed that I wasn’t fighting the fear building inside me.
I didn’t know what the key was to getting picked up, but I had a feeling being attractive and scantily clad worked a lot better than our current state. We’d been on the road for a solid half an hour when a car came around the bend with loud music thumping. I stuck out my thumb.
Miraculously, it slowed down. Or maybe it wasn’t a miracle, maybe it was someone looking for us. We’d find out soon enough.
I positioned myself between the car and my mate.
“Where are you headed?” the driver asked, his music now turned down.
“Away.”
He looked us up and down. “You two breaking the law?”
“No. We were camping, and there was an accident. His leg got cut, and we’re not from around here. We can’t find our car.” The more I said, the more details I had to remember, and I was afraid he would pelt me with questions for details I didn’t have. The less I said the better.
“Oh, that sucks, man. I’m from the city too.” The doors clicked unlocked. “Get in. I’m only going to the next big town. I got family there, but you’re welcome to come.”
“That works for us.”
The car was small, my mate and I nearly filling the back seat. My mate’s scent filled the space. No other shifters could be detected, which was good. This was a human with human friends. It was safer that way, but not safe.
“What made you think you could go from city life to camping out here?”
“YouTube?” I said, and he laughed.
We exchanged pleasantries, but no names. They didn’t come up. I didn’t offer.
Something on the radio jarred a memory about a place where rogues were safe. I was told about it as a warning to stay away. Normally, that was exactly what I’d have done.
But I had a rogue in the car with me. If anyone needed sanctuary, it was him.
If they didn’t let me in, fine, but at least they could help him.
“You ever hear of Stoney River?” I asked.
“Ah, yeah, yeah. I heard they have good pie there.”
I didn’t even ask, just told him that I liked pie too.
“Why’d you ask?”
“My college roommate lives there, and since there’s no way we’re going back to finish our camping trip, I thought if it was close enough, maybe we’d go visit him until our vacation was over.”
My mate was sleeping by this time, which was exactly what he needed.
“I can’t get you that far, but you’ll be more than halfway there. Maybe your buddy can come get you.”
“Yeah, I bet he will,” I said. And if there was such a buddy, he probably would.
We didn’t speak again, and a short while later, he pulled into a convenience store gas station parking lot. “I’m only going a mile from here, and this is closer to getting you the next ride than where I’ll be.”
I woke my mate, and we climbed out of the car.
I thanked the driver, handing him twenty dollars and telling him it was to help with gas. At first, he went to reject it, but then he took it anyway. That was going to sting later, but the man had potentially saved our lives, and Ihadoffered.
