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Chapter Three
Skylar
I gripped Xander tighter around the waist as we sped out ofDead Man’s Alley.Even with the helmet covering my face and head, I could feel the wind whipping my hair. Each turn made me hold my breath a little. Who knew riding on the back of a motorcycle was so exhilarating and stressful?
After a few miles, some of my tension eased. I was getting more used to the motion of the bike and the feel of the wind. Plus, it didn’t hurt that my thighs were squeezed around Xander’s hips.
If we weren’t on our way to see the pack elder’s about destroying a dangerous item, I might enjoy the ride more.
We knew the only way to truly end the moonstone was with demon magic. Even Elias didn’t know the spells and steps involved. But there was hope. If we could find the ritual needed, we had a demon who could, in theory, complete the process and eliminate this stone.
As far as we knew, it was the only stone in existence. That meant there had to be record as to how the others were destroyed.
I just hoped we weren’t putting more people in danger by asking about this or taking the stone near them.
According to Xander, his grandfather and great uncle and aunt lived an hour outside the city on a plot of land they’d held for generations. They’d built several homes there for members of the pack to retire when they were ready to leave pack leadership.
While Xander had taken over after his father died, some members retired and passed on the role to their children. I knew what it was like to lose your father young. Like Xander, I had followed in my father’s footsteps, but it wasn’t the same way as he had. I’d taken on the same job, hunting supernaturals. Xander had become a leader of an entire pack.
As we zoomed away from the city, we turned onto a one lane road that seemed to stretch on forever. Houses and buildings grew more sparse the longer we drove until we’d go several minutes between structures. We passed fenced off lands with horses and a few large windmills. It was different here, slower.
I rarely left the city and I’d forgotten how much nature claimed. We passed a sign announcing the national forest and were suddenly surrounded on both sides by trees. Shadows from the thick forest dropped the temperature and I pulled my hands into my sleeves to try to warm my chilled fingers.
I’d found some clothes I could squeeze into at Shelly’s safehouse but she was a lot shorter than me. Thankfully, there were a few men’s clothes I was able to wear. The jeans were loose around my waist, held up by a bathrobe belt, but at least they were on. The simple gray sweatshirt had kept me warm enough for the first part of our ride, but in the shade of the trees, I was feeling the wind right through the fabric.
Thankfully, we turned onto a sunnier road and I began to thaw. Ahead, I saw some signs of civilization again. A barn and a few structures. I hoped that meant we were getting close.
We slowed down as we approached a large gate and Xander stopped the bike. He took off his helmet and looked back at me. “This is it.”
“Want me to get the gate?” I was already climbing off the bike.
“Latch is on the right.”
I unlatched the gate and opened it. Xander rode through and then I closed it behind him. We were on a dirt road, no sign of anyone living here. “How much land do they own?”
“A lot,” he said. “Get back on.”
I climbed on and we rode slowly down the dirt road. Dust kicked up in clouds around us, making it harder to see what we were driving through. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against Xander’s back.
Finally, we came to a stop. I lifted my head and as the dust settled, I could see three houses in front of us. They were set up like a suburban street, the houses all in a row with a small space between them.
In the distance, I could see a few more houses set in similar patterns. They varied in size and design. Some were more like little huts or cabins while others were two stories with a double garage. It was an eclectic mixture of buildings.
Xander helped me off and we removed our helmets, leaving them on the seats.
He took my hand. “Ready?”
“To meet your grandparents?” I asked. “Not even a little bit.”
He smiled. “They’ll love you.”
“I’m not worried about that,” I said. “I don’t want to tell them the bad news.”
His expression grew solemn. In addition to asking about the stone, we also had to share the bad news about Lola’s death.
My only comfort was that they’d work on her burial rituals. According to Xander, she could be buried in the family plot and have all the honors of their pack since we’d killed the vampire who fed on her.
The thought still sent a shiver down my spine. I’d been able to give her some sense of justice, but it wasn’t enough.
