“Son, you need a map, a compass, or some common sense,” Grandpa said.
Willow snorted with laughter, and Declan sent her a look. He wasn’t as amused as she was by the fact he’d been “son’d” by a man who was hundreds of years younger than him. Not only that, but he’d pretty much been called an idiot.
“If we’re not in Maine, then where are we?” Willow asked. It was probably best if she interacted with them instead of Declan; he looked a little too tempted to kill them.
“You’re in Vermont,” the dad answered. “Near the border of Canada.”
Willow didn’t know how far that meant they’d run, and she wasn’t about to ask. Instead, she gave them her best smile, and they all returned it.
Declan removed a lollipop and carefully opened it as Willow wrapped the men around her delicate finger. If the men were still walking, they’d probably be tripping over themselves to please her.
He shoved the lollipop in his mouth and didn’t bother to taste it before biting into the center. The acrid taste helped to jerk him out of his growing, murderous impulses, but he’d still like to eat them all.
“We’ve gotten a little turned around,” Willow said.
“I’d say so,” Grandpa said and spat some chew on the ground. “You’re not out here looking for a marijuana field or something like that, are you?”
“No, sir, nothing like that,” Willow said.
Declan chewed faster as all the men melted beneath her wide, innocent eyes and beguiling expression.
“We went for a hike with some friends and got separated from them,” Willow continued. “We were only supposed to be in the woods for a few hours, but it’s been days now.”
“You’re lucky,” the youngest man said. He looked to be in his early twenties. “You could have died out here.”
They all shot accusatory glances at Declan, but it was Willow who bristled over their words. She was quite capable of taking care of herself, and she didn’t need some man to protect her or lead her astray.
“It’s a good thing we found you then,” Willow said. She may not like their chauvinistic attitudes, but they were their ticket back to civilization, and she knew how to flatter their pride.
“It sure is,” the dad said. “Come on; we’ll take you to our hunting camp. We don’t have a phone, but there’s food and drinks. I’m sure you could use a little of both. I can take you to a phone afterward.”
“Thank you,” Willow said and nudged Declan when he didn’t speak.
“Yes, thank you,” Declan muttered.
* * *
Derrick followedthem as far as he could once they entered the field, but the sun kept him hiding in the shadows of the trees. He checked his phone, but there was no service. After another hundred feet, the two vamps disappeared with the humans.
Cursing, he slipped into the trees and ran as fast as he could in search of a town; there had to be something close by if they’d encountered humans. He’d gone only a mile before coming across a row of buildings. He ran along the back of them until he found the police station.
They’d been too far away for him to see the humans clearly, and the caps they wore obscured their hair color, but he’d find somewhere to call for backup and have any phones or cell towers in the area shut down. Then he’d use the humans of this town to help make sure they never made it out of here.
He hoped he wasn’t already too late.
Chapter Twenty-One
Willow tried notto look at all the deer heads staring at her, but she swore their black eyes followed her every move. Mixed in with the deer were some moose, coyote, and bear heads that were as unnerving. Stuffed birds and fish completed the assortment of dead things watching her.
And then there were the live things gathered around the bar, drinking beer, and staring at her and Declan. “You’d think they’ve never seen people before,” she muttered to Declan.
Standing stiffly beside her, he didn’t respond as a muscle in his jaw twitched, and a vein in his temple became more visible.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Then maybe you should act like it. You’re staring at them like they’re bugs you’re going to squish. It’s not exactly warming their hearts toward us, and they’rehelpingus.”
