Page 10 of UNAwere

He casts me a confused glance, his eyes slightly wide, and I snort-laugh.

‘Just with how hard you’ve been grasping that steering wheel,’ I explain. ‘I’m pretty sure you could drive this car with one finger. It’s new, right? It would have lane assist and all those robotic features. Cars practically drive themselves these days.’

He doesn’t seem amused, turning his gaze back to the road.

I let out a breath.

‘So is Briggs your last name?’

‘Mm.’

‘What’s your first name?’

A car pulls out from a rest stop in front of us, and my heart lurches. I grip the passenger door as Briggs swerves out of the way just in time.

‘Fucking moron!’ he hisses, righting the car again.

My pulse is racing, and I take a big gulp of air. ‘You owe me a dollar.’

He directs his gaze to me, the rage still in his face. ‘What?’ he spits.

‘For swearing.’

His face softens slightly, but he turns back to the road, scowling. I take another deep breath and close my eyes.

This is gonna be a long trip.

It’s almost midnight by the time Briggs pulls into a motel.

We’ve left the highway and entered a small town by the name of Little Bend. The owner of the motel is definitely a Were, and she curls her top lip in a toothy smile when she sees us come through the doors.

‘After a room?’ she asks.

Briggs nods, and I look at him.

‘We’re not sharing a room, surely?’ I ask once he’s paid.

He lets out a grunt, and I follow him back outside and along the walkway. When we reach the door to our room, he opens it with the key and jerks his chin, signalling for me to go in. I do, clutching my overnight bag to my chest.

Inside is one bed, an armchair, and a TV sitting on a rickety wooden cabinet. Briggs closes and locks the door behind us.

‘You’re gonna…?’

‘I can’t let you out of my sight,’ he explains, the exasperation in his voice evident. It’s good to know he doesn’t want this just as much as I don’t. ‘Alpha’s orders.’

‘Oh… Cool.’ I guess it helps that I’m valuable to Warner. Which means he wants me safe, so I most likely will be.

‘Karvers are going to try everything they can to get to you, to stop this alliance.’ Briggs folds his arms across his chest and jerks his chin at the bed. ‘Sleep.’

I go about getting ready. By the time I’ve gone to the toilet and brushed my teeth, Briggs has secured the area. Climbing up on tables and checking light fixtures. Shaking and dismantling the phone and alarm clock to make sure they’re not bugged. I watch him peculiarly as he climbs off the TV cabinet, and the sound of it straining under his weight fills the silence. He sees me watching him and grunts under his breath.

‘Go to sleep,’ he tells me.

I salute him.

He checks that the door is dead-bolted before he goes into the bathroom to clean his teeth.

‘Your eyes are off me,’ I say sarcastically. ‘Ohhhh nooooo! There’s Karvers everywhere! They just miraculously appeared when you stopped watching me! Haaaaalp!’