AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 4
At first, I wasn’t sure where to send her. We couldn’t go back home. That would be the first place he’d look. I groaned inwardly with frustration, remembering that my truck was still there. Our only way out of town was parked in my driveway, never mind the bag of clothes I packed. Or my cellphone. Or my wallet and money. The list went on and on.
We should go back to him and hear what he has to say.My wolf was eager to know more about the attractive male. I knew I was going to have difficulty convincing her to shift back with him on her mind, but being in human form would give us the best chance of escape. I could hide our scent with soap or cleaning solution as a human. I couldn’t do the same as a wolf.
Maybe Patrick’s house? The thought had its appeal. He had extra clothes for me, and he might even let me take his truck if I let him have mine.
My wolf ducked and turned toward the other side of town where Patrick lived, careful to avoid busy roads and houses. Jeremy and Neil might be out looking for her too, and Iwasn’t willing to risk running into one of them.
Keeping a steady pace allowed her to get to Patrick’s place without taking any breaks. It also helped that the summer heat was winding down in favor of a cooler fall breeze.
Her ears flicked apprehensively as she approached the apartment complex, listening for anything that might be out of place. The male probably didn’t know where Patrick lived, but that wouldn’t prevent our alpha from stopping by.
Sure enough, Jeremy’s voice alerted her of his presence before she could see him. My wolf ducked next to a trash can, and I prayed that the smell of old food was enough to mask her scent. He slammed Patrick’s apartment door, grumbling to his beta as they walked to his truck.
“I know she’s around here somewhere. She doesn’t have a way out of town, and she knows Patrick would offer to help her leave,” he grumbled darkly.
Neil shrugged. “If she leaves, wouldn’t that bring balance back to the pack?”
Screw you, Neil. To him, I was just a problem to be solved. Thankfully, my alpha disagreed, and his chest rumbled with a warning to his second in command.
“She is a member of this pack, beta. It’s my responsibility to not only maintain order but also ensure that she is happy and safe. Her true mate would provide both of those things for her. Just letting her wander out there alone is not an option.”
Despite his foolishness, I felt my heart melt a little toward my alpha. He wasn’t a cruel leader; he just wanted what was best for me in his own screwed-up way. Years of unbridled patriarchal thinking were probably to blame.
My wolf waited behind the trash cans longer than necessary, just to make sure that they were really gone. Slowly, she stood, and I begged her to shift. She tried once more to talk me into going back to the hotel, but I wouldn’t budge. With an exaggerated sigh, she complied, and her fur disappeared once more.
Fully aware of my nudity, I crept to Patrick’s back door and tapped lightly on the glass. He was there in an instant, eyes wide as he took in my body and settled his gaze back on my face. He slid the door open, guiding me into his kitchen.
“Are you okay? Goddess, Mare, I am so sorry I couldn’t stop him from taking you. I figured if you got away, you’d probably come back here.” He turned me around a few times, checking again for any injuries to my body.
I nudged him away softly. “He wouldn’t hurt me…at least, I don’t think he would. But I was lucky to get away. I’m not sure if I’d be able to give him the slip again.”
I walked briskly back to his room and started pulling my clothes out of the drawers to take with me. He nodded curtly and went to the bathroom to gather more of my things. He returned with a gym bag and a mesh beach tote full of my shampoo, lotion, and makeup.
I pulled on one of my oversized sweaters and stepped into a pair of leggings, thankful to be covered again.
“They’re coming back, you know,” Patrick warned as he watched me dress. “They left to go search a few other places, but they’ll be back in an hour or two.”
I nodded, expecting as much. As exhausted as I was after the long run and as much as I wanted to curl up and kiss every inch of Patrick’s body, I knew that there was no time.
“My keys and wallet are at home, along with my truck. Can I borrow yours?”
Patrick held up his keys and a roll of bills, tossing them to me one at a time. “I figured you’d need some help in that department.”
He grabbed both bags and led me to the front door, pausing to look around before motioning for me to follow him. He placed the bags in the backseat and ducked inside the door to kiss me, both of us lingering longer than we should.
My nostrils flared when the scent hit me: my mate was close. He had either trailed me, or Jeremy told him where I might be. Patrick sensed him, too. He pulled back, slamming the door between us, and shouted at me to leave.
His truck was a much newer model than mine and it turned over easily. I shifted into gear, barreling out of the parking lot and onto the main road. I had to swerve at the last minute to miss the grey wolf who threw himself into my path. I had no desire to harm him, and if I did, I was sure my wolf would never forgive me.
I kept driving late into the night, only stopping once for gas and to use the restroom. Thanks to the gas station energy drink and the adrenaline coursing through my veins, my eyes stayed open and alert. Anytime a fancy black car crossed my path, I panicked, thinking it might be him.
Him. It was almost comical that I didn’t know his name or anything about him. I had no idea what pack he was from or what he wanted with me besides probably someone to warm his bed.
We would know more if you hadn’t forced us to run, my wolf complained.
I couldn’t argue with that logic, but she assumed the very best about our mate and ignored all the major red flags. My thoughts drifted to Ella, hoping that she was alright and that she wasn’t worried or upset with me. We might have our differences, but as much as I hated to admit it, I still wanted her approval.
