Page 15 of Tender Wild

“Mom, gotta go. See you soon.” He hung up before she could ask more questions.

Tension crept up his neck as he eased off the gas pedal. The engine sputtered then seemed to catch itself, only for it to cough like it had swallowed something unpleasant.

The car lurched again, harder this time, then jerked, losing speed despite Jared’s foot pushing the pedal to the floor. Beneath the grinding came a high-pitched whine that made his teeth ache.

Orange lights lit up the dashboard. Jared smacked the steering wheel. “Don’t you dare die on me again.”

Tires bumped over loose rocks as he eased onto the shoulder, then coasted to a stop. The engine made an ominous knocking sound, then fell silent, leaving only the soft tick of cooling metal.

“Come on, come on.” Jared turned the key again, getting nothing but a sad click in response. “Not here.”

Anywhere but here. He was still too close to Blackthorn, barely fifteen minutes out of town. If Xavier found out...

Beyond the windshield, the sun was on its final descent, shadows lengthening across the empty road. There weren’t any cars in sight, only trees, the fading sunlight, and miles of nothing in every direction.

“Fantastic.” He dropped his forehead against the wheel. “Now what?”

His phone buzzed again, Miguel’s name appearing on the screen.

“Hello?”

The man’s low chuckle filtered through the speaker. “Miss me yet, solecito?”

“My car misses working properly.” Jared went back to leaning his forehead against the steering wheel. “I’m stuck on Bishop Road.”

A pause, then, “Stay put. I’ll come get you.”

“No!” The word came out louder than intended. “I mean…I can call a tow truck. It’s fine.”

Even though I’m broke and have no way to pay for it.

“Bishop Road’s not safe, especially after dark.” Miguel’s tone left no room for argument. “I’m already on my way.”

Jared bit his lip, glancing nervously around. His cheetah clawed inside of him anxiously, sensing his growing unease.

The messes I get myself into.

Shadows slowly stretched across the road. Jared shifted in his seat, checking the time. Ten minutes since Miguel’s call. Ten minutes of sitting alone, surrounded by spooky shit, everything growing darker by the second. Memories of his last breakdown on this road rushed back. Hyenas pinning Suero, Kia, and him behind his car.

A twig snapped somewhere in the woods. Jared whipped around, scanning the tree line. Nothing but darkness and his vivid imagination stared back. He couldn’t see anything moving, but his cheetah stirred, hackles raised.

“Probably just an animal.” Still, he quickly rolled up his window. Just in case.

The interior of his car turned bright when his phone lit up. It was his mom again. Guilt twisted his stomach as he silenced it.

“Miguel, where are you?” he whispered, glancing at his phone again. The battery had dropped to twelve percent, the screen’s glow the only real light besides the faint stars shining overhead.

Jared drummed his fingers against his thigh, alternating between checking his phone and glancing nervously at the deepening darkness around him, his neck tingling with unease.

He heard another sound. It could’ve been rustling leaves or maybe footsteps. Leaning forward, he peered through the windshield at the tree branches silhouetted against the night sky.

Why was he looking up at the trees? Could hyenas climb them? Probably not, but his mind was running wild, picturing them crouched on branches, ready to pounce.

His gaze darted to the rearview mirror, searching for headlights, movement…anything. Bishop Road was empty in both directions. His cheetah clawed, urging him to flee.

“To where?” His gaze darted to the rearview mirror again, then back to the branches overhead as he rubbed the goose bumps rising on his arms.

Movement flickered between the trees, something pale, then it was gone. Oh, hell no! Heart thudding like crazy, he locked the doors with a quick jab at the buttons.

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