check.”
“Let’s get going.” Alex strode around the
front of the Jeep.”
“Right.”
They climbed in and Alex drove them into
town, but Sarah couldn’t shake the feeling they’d run out of time.
Apprehension settled into her gut as they pulled into the grocery
lot. Plenty of people seemed to be out and about despite the
darkness of the day. She’d grown up in the Irish wet, but this
seemed unnatural to her, and she held Liam tight to her side as
they shopped.
Alex seemed to sense her urgency and filled
the little cart with the minimum of questions. Sarah hadn’t thought
much of what she wanted to eat, not when the uncertainty of having
a next meal loomed over them. Liam had grown watchful and he held
her hand tight, his expression a mask of wariness.
“It’ll be all right, Liam love,” she
whispered.
“You don’t believe that, do you, Mama?” His
blue eyes showed fear and resignation, and she refused to let it
settle there.
“What I believe is this time will be
different.” She tried to infuse her voice with as much confidence
as she could, giving him a frank smile. “Alex is with us.
Remember?”
Liam studied her face for a long time. “Do
you love him, Mama? More than Da?”
Sweet Goddess, how do I answer that? Any answer she gave would change something, and she wasn’t sure she
could afford the shift.
“Your da is gone, and no amount of love on
my part will change that.” She took a deep breath. “But you and I
are alive, and any friends we make while here won’t change your
da’s place in our hearts. Even if we find new loved ones. Do you
understand?”
Liam nodded. “I understand, Mama. But do you
love Alex?”
Sarah opened her mouth, but Alex chose that
moment to return to them and she swallowed her response.
“Okay, I think I got everything we’ll need
for the next few days.” Alex paused as they just gaped at him,
their silence extending. “Everything okay? You look a little
stunned.”
“Not at all. We’re right as rain.” If
rain fell upwards and watered the clouds. “We should be getting
back.”
Alex cocked his head. “I can smell the lie
from here. You’ve been jumpy since we left the diner. You want to
tell me what’s really going on?”
Silence enveloped them, broken only by the
tinny, piped-in music over the store’s PA system. Sarah struggled
against the natural resistance to saying anything. She’d held
herself apart for so long she’d forgotten the comfort of a
comrade-in-arms. Alex had agreed to protect and shelter her and
Liam. Any hint of demon-kind should be shared.
But talk of love can wait.
“I haven’t seen or smelled anything, but
something set off my senses at the diner.” He raised his eyebrows
and she held up her hand, needing a little distance. “You can tell
me I’m just jumping at shadows, Mr. MacLaren, but those instincts
have kept us alive this long and there’s too much at stake to throw
caution to the wind.”
Alex gripped her shoulders gently and met
her gaze. “The name is Alex, and I don’t doubt your senses at all,
Sarah. Something didn’t smell right to me when we left the truck
stop, either. I kinda hoped I was jumping at shadows.” He
squeezed briefly before letting go. “Let’s get back into the car
and head home. We’ll figure out our next move there.”
She nodded and took Liam’s hand as they made
their purchases. Sarah watched the parking lot through the windows,
searching for anyone who seemed out of place. What would the
creature look like this time? She hadn’t seen it in Manitou, but it
had taken on the likeness of her dead mate once and she’d almost
fallen into its grasp. Liam had saved her that time.
Alex hustled them into the Jeep with their
groceries and they drove toward his house. The tension in the cab
stretched her nerves to the breaking point and she didn’t breathe
much until they approached the river. The sky still hung heavy with
thick, ominous clouds, but no rain fell.
The warm
“Let’s get going.” Alex strode around the
front of the Jeep.”
“Right.”
They climbed in and Alex drove them into
town, but Sarah couldn’t shake the feeling they’d run out of time.
Apprehension settled into her gut as they pulled into the grocery
lot. Plenty of people seemed to be out and about despite the
darkness of the day. She’d grown up in the Irish wet, but this
seemed unnatural to her, and she held Liam tight to her side as
they shopped.
Alex seemed to sense her urgency and filled
the little cart with the minimum of questions. Sarah hadn’t thought
much of what she wanted to eat, not when the uncertainty of having
a next meal loomed over them. Liam had grown watchful and he held
her hand tight, his expression a mask of wariness.
“It’ll be all right, Liam love,” she
whispered.
“You don’t believe that, do you, Mama?” His
blue eyes showed fear and resignation, and she refused to let it
settle there.
“What I believe is this time will be
different.” She tried to infuse her voice with as much confidence
as she could, giving him a frank smile. “Alex is with us.
Remember?”
Liam studied her face for a long time. “Do
you love him, Mama? More than Da?”
Sweet Goddess, how do I answer that? Any answer she gave would change something, and she wasn’t sure she
could afford the shift.
“Your da is gone, and no amount of love on
my part will change that.” She took a deep breath. “But you and I
are alive, and any friends we make while here won’t change your
da’s place in our hearts. Even if we find new loved ones. Do you
understand?”
Liam nodded. “I understand, Mama. But do you
love Alex?”
Sarah opened her mouth, but Alex chose that
moment to return to them and she swallowed her response.
“Okay, I think I got everything we’ll need
for the next few days.” Alex paused as they just gaped at him,
their silence extending. “Everything okay? You look a little
stunned.”
“Not at all. We’re right as rain.” If
rain fell upwards and watered the clouds. “We should be getting
back.”
Alex cocked his head. “I can smell the lie
from here. You’ve been jumpy since we left the diner. You want to
tell me what’s really going on?”
Silence enveloped them, broken only by the
tinny, piped-in music over the store’s PA system. Sarah struggled
against the natural resistance to saying anything. She’d held
herself apart for so long she’d forgotten the comfort of a
comrade-in-arms. Alex had agreed to protect and shelter her and
Liam. Any hint of demon-kind should be shared.
But talk of love can wait.
“I haven’t seen or smelled anything, but
something set off my senses at the diner.” He raised his eyebrows
and she held up her hand, needing a little distance. “You can tell
me I’m just jumping at shadows, Mr. MacLaren, but those instincts
have kept us alive this long and there’s too much at stake to throw
caution to the wind.”
Alex gripped her shoulders gently and met
her gaze. “The name is Alex, and I don’t doubt your senses at all,
Sarah. Something didn’t smell right to me when we left the truck
stop, either. I kinda hoped I was jumping at shadows.” He
squeezed briefly before letting go. “Let’s get back into the car
and head home. We’ll figure out our next move there.”
She nodded and took Liam’s hand as they made
their purchases. Sarah watched the parking lot through the windows,
searching for anyone who seemed out of place. What would the
creature look like this time? She hadn’t seen it in Manitou, but it
had taken on the likeness of her dead mate once and she’d almost
fallen into its grasp. Liam had saved her that time.
Alex hustled them into the Jeep with their
groceries and they drove toward his house. The tension in the cab
stretched her nerves to the breaking point and she didn’t breathe
much until they approached the river. The sky still hung heavy with
thick, ominous clouds, but no rain fell.
The warm
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