Page 27 of Howling
“Who’s after you?” Dante doesn’t even hesitate to go for the hard questions.
Not intimidated by his domineering attitude, I lift my brow back in challenge. “A meal does not earn you my life story. Next question.”
His slate eyes narrow, his lips pursing slightly, but the stubborn glint says he’s not giving up that easily. “If you’re in danger, we can help.”
I nearly snort at the thought of them facing off against a team of Orion. They would be slaughtered in a heartbeat, and a twinge in my chest is so sharp that it steals my breath.
“You’re wasting both our time.” I look away from him, refusing to allow him to see my fear, and I glance at the other two. “I’ll give you five more questions. Make them count.”
“Where are you heading?” Foxy blurts out before the other two have a chance to open their yaps.
“I’m not sure yet,” I answer honestly, and I mentally sigh when a furrow appears between each and every one of their brows. I quickly interrupt before they can demand more information. “Four questions left.”
The guys are more cautious, maybe realizing that I’m serious, and a pang goes through me that I only have minutes left with them before I need to leave. They glance at eachother like they’re having a private conversation. Foxy nods grudgingly, Dante rolls his eyes, while Garth leans forward with a determined expression.
“Do you have anywhere you can go that will be safe?” A little growl rumbles in his chest, and I’m not sure if it’s the thought of me in danger or the thought of me leaving that upsets him most.
Forced to keep my secrets hidden my whole life, I excel at dodging questions and giving nonanswers. My wolf allows me to master every aspect of my body, preventing my eyes from dilating, my heart from skipping a beat, and my skin from perspiring.
Gramps put me through numerous interrogations, some of which lasted for days. I’ve even learned to deal with torture, starvation, and sensory deprivation. Then there are the magical torture, alpha bark, and other supernatural methods designed to break a shifter. More than once, I nearly cracked under the pressure, my mind threatening to shatter, but my secrets never tumbled from my lips.
It would be easier if I could lock the information away with magic, but spells can be broken.
It’s only sheer willpower that keeps me safe, and I can’t ever waver.
When you live with fae, you learn early how to deceive without actually lying.
The secret is to actually believe your lies.
As for the torture, pain is irrelevant.
I will endure anything to prevent my freedom from being taken away. I will not be used as a mindless slave for the lore’s desperate attempts to gain more power.
So I shrug at Garth’s question. “Is anyone ever truly safe?”
“That’s a no,” Dante mutters, clearly annoyed at my evasiveness.
I lean back, bringing up my arms and stretching them in preparation for another long night of driving. “Three questions left.”
“It’s late. The sun set over an hour ago. Will you at least think about staying the night?” Foxy asks, clearly not consulting the others, if their scowls are any indication. Before I can answer, he does his best to convince me. “You’ll be safe here. You can get a full night’s rest. No one will disturb you. You can start fresh in the morning with a hot breakfast.”
My automatic rejection sticks in my throat.
Staying would be a horrible idea, but the temptation is nearly impossible to resist.
My wolf loves the idea of spending more time with the men, desperate to bask in their attention for just a little bit longer. I don’t remember a time when no one expected anything from me.
It’s…nice.
I wait for the others to protest the invitation, but they don’t say anything, not even Dante. While Foxy looks eager, anxious even, as he shifts from one foot to the next, the other two have their expressions locked down tight.
It’s not smart to stay, definitely not safe, but the thought of leaving them is abhorrent.
Would it really be so bad to take what I want for once? What could it harm? Since leaving Kyperian, I’ve rarely stayed more than three days at any one location, and only when dealing with a difficult job.
The Orion haven’t caught up with me yet.
A time or two, I swear I felt their hot breath bathing the back of my neck, their fangs just short of clamping around my throat. Trusting my instincts, I immediately crawled into my car and left, never sticking around to find out whether I was right.
