driving and weaving in and out of traffic before I realize I’ve completely terrified her.
I force myself to take a deep breath and eye her anxiously. “Are you okay?” I ask.
She nods and clasps her shaking hands together. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just—” She licks her dry lips. “He’s another werewolf, isn’t he?”
I nod once.
She drags a hand through her hair, and I clench the steering wheel tightly. All of my instincts are screaming at me to get her as far away from here as possible. My nostrils flare when I remember the push of his magic. He’s strong—as strong as me—which means he’s probably been a rogue even longer than I’ve been, which almost guarantees his wolf and human mind are completely psychotic.
In other words, we can’t stay anywhere near here.
“We’re leaving Washington.”
She opens one of the water bottles and takes a drink. “Okay,” she says, sounding worried but clearly not understanding how grave this situation is.
“We have to leave, Brianna. That guy was a rogue, and he’s shown interest in you. And the fact that I just whisked you away will only intrigue him further. He probably thinks I’ve found a rare prize that I’m savoring, or he’ll wonder why I haven’t already killed and eaten you. Either way, he’ll be doubly interested now.”
“So he knows you’re a rogue too?”
“Most likely. He had to have felt it in my power. Rogues are notoriously strong. It’s the only reason we survive as long as we do.”
She shudders, but it’s important that she understands what just happened.
“So we need to keep driving and leave him far behind.”
She nods firmly, and some of the tension leaves my shoulders. “Okay, then you’re right. We need to leave Washington.”
I sit back in my seat and tell myself that distance will keep her safe. Most rogues lose interest in a victim if the hunt becomes too time intensive, but some…
My nostrils flare, and unease roils my gut.
Some rogues revel in the challenge and won’t stop until they’ve found their prey.
∞ ∞ ∞
We stay on the move for three solid days, only stopping to camp at night. I can tell my mate doesn’t enjoy the monotonous sixteen-hour travel days, but I need to put distance between her and the rogue. Not to mention the entire western region is crawling with other wolves since the three American packs reside in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. That and the SF headquarters are there. Sometimes hiding in plain sight has worked to my advantage, but with a rogue now interested in her—I’m not taking any chances.
It isn’t until we cross the Mississippi river that I lessen my manic driving. Brianna seems to sense the change in me. Her mood brightens, and teasing once again laces her words.
We return to sightseeing and venturing to places she’s never traveled to, but it’s only when we begin our second week together that I truly breathe easier.
It’s been seven days since the incident in Seattle. I haven’t seen or detected the rogue since. We’re now two thousand miles away, and I’ve only scented the SF once. That run-in had been in passing when we’d driven through Missouri. The SF hadn’t been hunting me in that encounter—instead they were after a coven of witches practicing black magic—so we’d stolen away as quietly as we’d come, slipping right under their noses without them even knowing it.
The grassy Kentucky landscape surrounds us just outside Louisville. We’ve stopped for the night and have laid out a picnic dinner by a small creek outside the city. Brianna’s stretched out on the blanket and munches an apple while she studies a pamphlet she picked up at the last gas station.
“Have you ever watched a horse race?” she asks. She’s studying the colorful pages, flipping through the local attractions. Since we’re in Kentucky, race tracks are prolific.
“Actually, no I haven’t.”
“Do you want to?”
“Yeah, we can do that tomorrow.”
We haven’t staked the tent yet. We’ve been mostly camping at campgrounds, but since nobody’s been around this area all evening, I’m pretty sure we can sleep here even though it’s not legal. The car is hidden by a patch of dense trees, and our tent is green so it won’t be easily spotted by cars driving by on the narrow highway just around the bend. All in all, it’s a pleasant spot to spend the night.
“Looks like the track’s open in the morning.” She finishes her apple and props her head in her hand. It’s warm here, so she’s wearing shorts and