“Yeah, went fine.” I give her a smile, but it does little to ease the worry on her face. “Babe,” I say gently. “We’ll be okay.”
I run a finger across her cheek, and she closes her eyes, seeking my touch.
It’s crazy that over a month has passed since I initially abducted her. Each day our love only grows. I keep waiting for the moment of our frenzied mating to end, to feel like I’ve had enough and don’t need to fuck her every minute of every day. But each time she gives me one of those sexy looks that I love so much, I only want her more.
That desperate feeling I have to love her, keep her, and possess her has made me fiercely determined to find a solution to our problem. I know I have to find a way to secure us fake aliases so we can settle down somewhere and gain employment. Until we do, our only source of funds is from my family.
“How much did you get?” she asks.
“Another three thousand. We’ll be good for a few more weeks.”
I hotwire the car and shift into drive before pulling back onto the road. A light drizzle falls on the windshield so I flip on the wipers as I automatically check for a tail even though it’s too soon for the SF to be here.
Brianna leans back in her seat and bites her lip.
I reach over and clasp her hand. She readily turns her palm over before gripping me tightly.
“We’ll make it work,” I say. “We can go south to where it’s warmer, then head west again. I’ll contact my source in California when we get there. With enough money, he can provide the documents we need to start a whole new life.”
“How much will those cost?”
I grind my teeth. I know if I tell her ten thousand each, she’s going to flip, so I say, “It’s not cheap, but we’ll get the money.”
She takes a deep breath, then nods. “Okay, so that’s what we’ll do. We’ll get aliases and start new.”
“See?” I try to cheer her up. “We’ll be fine.”
She nods but a frown still mars her features. “Yeah, we’ll be fine.” A moment later, she adds, “We have to be cause I can’t live without you.”
The desperation in her tone soothes and encourages me.
I have to protect her, and I know I will. The beast, who’s grown calmer every day in Brianna’s continued presence howls inside me. I can feel his agreeance, and even though I haven’t let him out since the old rogue attacked, he also knows that Brianna’s safety is our top priority right now.
We need to secure our future first, then he can enjoy weekend runs again.
I eye her as we speed down the dark highway. She’s leaned back against her headrest, her eyes closed. Love swells in my chest.
Brianna’s united my beast and me. She’s saved us. How she’s done that, I don’t know, but I do know that for the first time since leaving my pack over two years ago, I actually feel like a normal werewolf again.
Chapter 28 – Brianna
The end of October looms when Collin and I pull into a dusty travel station in central Utah. We have to withdraw money again, and the anxiety swirling in my stomach feels like a buzzing hornet’s nest.
“It’ll be okay.” Collin gives me a smile. He’s been reassuring me all evening, but I still detect the tightening of his jaw. As much as he always tries to be strong for me, I know he’s worried too.
“Just be quick. I’ll leave the car running.”
“You don’t want to come in and call Macy, Jill, or Kate?”
I bite my lip. I miss my friends, and Collin knows that, but after the last call I had with Kate…
“No. I don’t want to argue anymore. Since they know now that I’m not at my dad’s, they always have questions, and honestly, I don’t want to lie to them.”
He nods solemnly. He knows it’s the one subject that makes me question if I should have left my old life. When I decided to stay with Collin, I turned my back on the friends I love.
He leans across the seat and kisses me softly. “You’ll make up when you see them again. I’m sure of it.”
If I see them again.
He kisses me once more, this one long and lingering. As always, the feel of his lips calms my mind while making my pulse quicken. It’s crazy that