Page 35 of Bosse
Could it be both of those reasons and the fact that in the short time they’d interacted, he felt drawn to her in a way he couldn’t explain?
He was losing his mind and had to stop being foolish.
They’d only spoken to each other for a short time since midnight. What had gotten into him? Maybe it was simply loneliness and years of not having anyone who cared if he lived or died. She’d stopped talking.
Had he made her uncomfortable?
She wanted him to go without her. He should do the one thing she’d asked of him.
His damned feet refused to get moving. He was burning time he and Titan needed, but his stomach churned with the possibility of Krol punishing her for this.
Her words came out in a rush. “We’ve used maybe forty minutes now. You need every second to elude capture! When I escape, I will also find my way to North America and see you there. Follow me.”
His heart floated like a happy balloon. Shedidwant to see him. Then he realized what she’d said.
She had the cage door open and stepped out.
Bosse whispered, “North America?” It wasn’t as if he’d been tutored in geography when wolf shifters in his pack were not allowed to leave their compound without permission, but he knew of this country an ocean away. “You want me to gothere?”
Nodding, she waved him forward. “Yes. The United States, specifically. Humans know of shifters there. You have to find a pack, or you get sent to a sanctuary camp of some sort.”
“If I survive this, I will not be locked up anywhere again.” Bosse didn’t have to consult Titan about fighting to the death if someone tried to restrain them again.
She made a sympathetic sound of understanding and then looked around at the silent basement area before explaining, “I gained some directions from listening to a shifter who delivers fresh fish to the kitchen. He likes to chat with the young females. When you climb out of the tunnel, you’ll be facing the direction you must go, which is west. You’ll have to take a southern turn once you’re out of the mountains and look for Venice, Italy, which has a shipping port on the Adriatic Sea. And don’t take the risk of staying nearby to watch for me after you escape. I will not use the same route as you. My plans could change as quickly as yours have. Once I’m able, I’ll go to a small town in an area called Mississippi.”
He would find her again now that he knew her home was in Mississippi. How hard could it be to find her?
Not finished giving him directions, she said, “Don’t look for me any sooner than a month from now. I may return by then, but it could be later. I must be careful and ensure Krol’s people do not follow me.”
He ground his back teeth at the idea of her trying to outrun Krol.
While he was thrilled at the idea of living free, his heart twisted painfully at leaving her unprotected. She proved to be as stubborn as she was courageous.
He would heed her advice, hurry to North America, and find a safe place to wait.
Those unusual eyes met his with unspoken words.
He wished for more time to get to know her and understand the woman behind these actions. Hell, he hadn’t spoken this much with anyone in two years and hadn’t realized how much he missed having even a friend.
She shook herself from her stupor and noticed her hands clutching his shirt. Pulling her hands away, she backed up to the steel bar door, cleared her throat, and ordered, “No more talking. Go.” Then she turned and slipped out of the cage he thought would be his last home.
He muttered, “Stop worrying. I’m fast.” Stupid words when his feet dragged as he followed her past Beast’s cage and still sleeping guards.
Taking the lead, he ran up the stairs ahead of her and paused to scope out the area before taking the last step. He’d never seen any of this castle beyond the basement containing captured shifters.
She tugged on his shirt and hissed, “Are you listening?”
What a temper. Would she be a fireball in bed?
He started to slap himself. There would be no bedding this woman, not by a monster. Turning to her, he said, “I’m listening.”
“Let me pass.”
He gave her room to pass and stepped up beside her into the great hall.
The only guards were far away at the end of the hall next to the front doors.
Pointing, she quickly explained how to locate access inside the kitchen to another basement area where he’d find the tunnel. “Try to bar the entrance behind you if possible once you enter the tunnel.”
