By the time we start moving forward again, speed increasing for a long stretch, I could crumble in relief if I had the room. Now, I just start trying to replay my route here in my head, hoping to get a sense of how long to the nearest town so she can let me out.
While the fringe towns aren’t without their own prejudices and issues, I don’t have to fear being killed just for existing like I do in the cities. But the most important part?
It’s one step closer to my pride, and hopefully being able to shift back.
Five
Rin
Idon’t risk pulling over, not wanting to sabotage escape despite how desperately I want to get Ozzy out of that cramped hiding spot. But it’s just not worth it since there’s such a huge, open stretch of highway before we can even hope of making it to the nearest town. I have no illusions that my father is going to just take what we did lying down, though I scoff at the idea it’d be out of concern for me. No, he just wouldn’t want to lose face in front of his friends, let them think he allowed a shifter to make off with his daughter without seeking vengeance.
We’re going to need to switch cars as soon as we hit town, but how the heck am I supposed to cover our tracks? Even if I buy in cash, they’re going to want my license, or there will be some record somewhere of the sale. I don’t know how to hotwire a damn car, let alone know where to even start looking for the sort of people that wouldn’t ask questions.
I sigh in relief as the town comes into view, double checking the rearview mirror for the hundredth time. Security is far more lax leaving the city than it is to get in, mostly just keeping tabs on the shifters that enter. I didn’t even need to give my license or name, just come up with a bullshit excuse of my business leaving. Enough commute to work, trade, or shop with the neighboring towns that it isn’t unusual for humans to come and go.
Winding through until I find a parking lot outside of a grocery store, I finally pull over and slam it in park. I hurry up and shove the backseat out of the way and Ozzy is curled in on himself, so still I start to panic.
“Holy fuck; air. I didn’t think, oh gods, don’t be dead,” I babble, shakily searching for a pulse.
His eyes fly open and I brace my hands on my knees, exhaling a heavy breath as relief floods through me. He nearly knocks me over when jumping out of the compartment, paws on my shoulders and rubbing his face against my neck. I rest my cheek on his head, wrapping my arms around his middle in a gesture far more familiar than I’ve allowed myself to before now. But honestly, I’m just a jumbled mess of adrenaline and fear right now, knowing we aren’t out of the woods yet.
“Bear with me from here on out, alright? My knowledge is a bit limited outside of the city. You can be out in the open like this here, right?” He licks my neck and I take that as confirmation. “And no one is going to give you a hard time?” I don’t get another lick, so I frown, nodding to myself. “Noted. Okay, but weareheading the right way to get back to your,” I search for the right word, hoping I’m not accidentally being offensive, “pack?”
His golden irises light up in humor as he nods. I left my phone behind, and it really hits me just how dependent on it I am when I realize I can’t do a quick search for used car lots or directions. I glance in the trunk at everything I brought with, understanding Ozzy’s selectiveness now.
“We’re going to have to walk, aren’t we?” I realize with a sigh, looking at him for confirmation.
Buying a car would burn through far too much of the cash I managed to gather, only having access to what I’d already had hidden throughout my room. We didn’t have much time to plan once I decided I was going to run, and I didn’t want any red flags that would tip anyone off. Sure, I had several grand set aside for a rainy day, and I know that’s far more than most, but it has to last us indefinitely. If I burn through half on a car I’m just going to need to abandon anyway, who knows if we’ll starve to death before we get back to his home?
I crawl inside the back to awkwardly change into jeans and a t-shirt, digging for the running shoes I stowed, knowing I’d be leaving the party in dress flats. The backpack straps dig into my shoulders and I give one last, furtive glance at the vehicle before leaving it unlocked and the keys in the engine. Hopefully someone that really needs this stuff finds it, and if someone steals it, it will only serve to buy us more time, so money well spent in my book.
“We better get moving. The farther we can get under the cover of night, the better.”
By the time we’re on the other side of town and stepping onto the grass that borders the highway leading to the next town, my back is already screaming. I refuse to complain, not only because it wouldn’t do any good, but Osiris has things far worse than I do. Even though we encountered several people traipsing through the town at night, Ozzy on high alert and eyeing everyone suspiciously, only one actually started hurling obscenities.
As attuned as I am to his changes in demeanor, studying him daily for the better part of a month, I was surprised at his response. I’d have expected the person screaming at us would have drawn more of his ire than the quiet people, but instead, he just refused to look at the jackass. It’s like he closed off a part of himself to all of it, so accustomed to the treatment it was commonplace and nothing noteworthy. That, and engaging with irrational people only serves to fuel their rage, as I’m starting to discover myself.
It’s the quiet ones you need to watch out for, because you never know their intentions.
We walk until I’m pretty sure my feet are going to fall off, exhaustion settling heavily on my shoulders. I’m not used to pushing myself so much, and between the adrenaline blur of my shotgun wedding and walking all night, I’m ready to keel over. My brain starts dozing as I continue on autopilot, trying to trick my body intojust one more step.
Osiris yowls, like a baby roar that can only be so vicious because of his size, despite witnessing firsthand how deadly he can be. I promptly fall on my ass as he bites into my pantleg, jerking me out of the way as a car veers too close and sends us tumbling. I watch it drift slightly off of the road before swerving back, someone likely falling asleep at the wheel.
My heart hammers, but I’m far more awake now; near death just as effective as a splash of ice water to the face. “I’m never going to win at this rate,” I pant. I don’t wait for the response that I know isn’t coming, mentally filling in his half of the conversation so it’s not always dead silent between us.
“Of course you know what I mean, why must you always argue? It’s like you just enjoy hearing yourself talk.” I push to my feet with a groan. “The points we get for saving each other, obviously. Last I checked, mauling my husband’s face off spurred you into first place, and now you go and save me from getting hit by a car, too? Your pack is going to eat me on principle for being so useless.”
His chest vibrates with a warning growl and despite my exhaustion, I smile at his endearing response. We press on and when the next town comes into sight I nearly weep. The first motel we find I can’t even bring myself to turn my nose up at despite the dingy air clinging to it.
The man is crass and rude, but he also doesn’t seem to pay much attention to anything going on around him. It’s a relief, because I doubt that he would remember my face even if anyone came around asking.
“Make sure you bring the damn key to the desk when you leave,” he snarls, finally giving me a second glance. “Last thing I need are more bums to chase out of here. Stripped room eleven down to the damn studs last time some chick bailed with the key in the door.”
Maybe not as unobservant as I assumed.
Quickly snatching the key off of the counter, I head up to lucky number thirteen and bolt all three locks behind us. The fact that they gothatextra mile in this place, but clearly on nothing else, isn’t lost on me.
I share a nervous look with Ozzy as I dump my backpack on the ground. “Someone’s going to bust in here with an axe, aren’t they?” I wait a beat before rolling my eyes. “I do not watch too many movies. Really, must you pick fights over everything? I get you’re tired, but that’s no excuse for poor manners.”
