Page 76 of Rejecting his Mate

“Once everyone is showered, we’ll find somewhere to have breakfast and then hit the road again,”Cade says.

“Any idea where we’re heading?” I ask.

“I reached out to some friends. There’s a cabin about two days from here that we can use for the next week or so.”

“Good thing,” Sawyer tells him. “We’ll run out of money if we keep motel hopping.”

I didn’t even consider that. I hate that they’re shouldering everything. I should be able to contribute to my escape.

Jackson grunts and his eyes fly open as he lets out a strangled groan.

“Good dream?” Sawyer smirks.

“No,” Jackson mutters, but doesn’t elaborate, and no one pushes him for information.

“Come on. We need to get our asses out of here,” Cade says.

After each of us shower and change, we check out and drive into the nearest town.

It’s a quaint little mountain town, and I love it immediately. The main street is wide, with parking spaces on either side. There are flags outside a cafe and a bookstore, and I can sense the community spirit here.

“We eat and leave,” Cade says, coming around to my side of the car. “We’re already drawing attention.”

I look around and see he’s right. People are staring at us, and I understand why. The guys are huge, and I still look like I went ten rounds with a block of cement, even though the bruises are fading.

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” I say. My skin prickles with warning, and my wolf wants me to run. I wonder if the guys are getting the same vibe from their animals.

Cade takes my hand in his, and the five of us walk into the building. Sawyer holds the door for Cade and me while Jackson watches our backs.

I’m so on edge as we sit that when our server brings the menu, I can hardly focus on what it says. The words all bunch together, and my brain can’t compute them.

Jiggling my leg, I glance around the restaurant.

“Anyone else feeling on edge?” I ask.

“Don’t imagine they get many outsiders here,” Wyatt says, his eyes not leaving the menu.

I shrug, trying to get rid of the feeling. This feels like more than curiosity. My skin is tingling and my instincts are warning me something is coming.

“I think we should leave,” I tell Cade.

He stares at me, as if trying to understand what is wrong with me. I don’t blame him if he thinks I’m losingit because I’m pretty sure I am. Finally, he nods. “We’ll find somewhere to eat on the road.”

The relief I feel, knowing I’m being listened to, is indescribable. Dalton would never have taken my word that something was wrong. His arrogance would have made him believe himself capable of defending me from whatever was coming. Cade believes me and trusts my judgment. That means everything to me.

As we stand, I feel a strange sensation wash through me. It’s as if something is touching my mind, a gentle brush of fingers over my thoughts and feelings. It is so invasive it makes my skin crawl.

Stopping in my tracks, I try to figure out where it's coming from, but nobody is looking at us, not anymore.

As I peer through the window, I see a group of people standing on the other side of the street. They are dressed in combat pants and tight-fitting jackets. There is something about the way they are huddled together that makes my stomach clench.

I have only seen hunters in wolf form and my fragmented memories, but as I stare at them, I know exactly what they are.

They are here for me.

They don’t look like monsters capable of killing children, but I know what I saw. They came for me and my mom, intending to kill us. As far as I know, they got my mom and I have no idea how I survived.

“Fuck,” Cade hisses. I follow his line of sight. He has noticed the hunters too.

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