Darkest Wolf by Rebecca Royce Page A

Really, he felt badly for the person who was going to come out and not find their vehicle where they’d left it. Unless he or she worked there, it was bad enough they had to be in the hospital in the first place.
    But he had to get a move on to Key Biscayne. The witches had to be dealt with before he returned with his witch to Maine. When Rex had phoned Tristan earlier, his brother, the alpha, had been clear on that point. Westervelt needed Elizabeth, and to not bring her there as fast as possible was akin to betrayal.
    His words had stung. It seemed every time Rex breathed, someone spoke of his betraying everyone around him.
    They just don’t understand you and you don’t do a good job of explaining yourself.
    Yeah … well … everyone else seems to get the benefit of the doubt except me.
    He pulled the car out of the parking lot, careful to avoid going too fast. What he really wanted to do was speed away as fast as he could without stopping until he reached Florida.
    Patience.
    He sighed. I know .
    Rex rubbed his eyes. He was tired. There was no question, but it would be days before he would be able to rest and it’s not like he really required much sleep. Wolves could go a long time without having to close their eyes for rest. These days it was more likely he was mentally exhausted than anything else.
    He glanced over at his sleeping mate. Yes, she defined fragility. She would need to be protected at all times, and unfortunately he was all too aware he was not the wolf for the job.
    Do you think she’s close enough to me? Or do I need to move her closer to protect her from the magic assault?
    His wolf looked back and forth between them. You need to adjust her .
    I’m not sure exactly how to. I need to drive this car .
    Adjust her so she’s on our lap .
    Rex knew his wolf was correct. He also suspected Elizabeth would hate to wake up with her head on his lap like they’d been doing something really raunchy in the car.
    Grinning at the thought, he tugged on her gently until he had her where he could protect her if there was a bump or a jolt in the car. The witches had already proven they could take down cars. This time, however, he had to hope the fact they didn’t know Elizabeth was on the move would protect them for a little while. Also, it might help they didn’t know in which direction he and Elizabeth travelled.
    Perhaps his holding her alone would make it impossible for them to magically detect her.
    His wolf snorted. Maybe .
    Rex couldn’t disagree. He was basically flailing around in the dark, looking for a way to get through this.
    Of course it doesn’t help you’re still on the outs with the alpha. We could have used him on our side .
    Yes. Rex gripped the wheel tightly with one hand as he followed signs for the turnpike south. He could basically straight shoot the car all the way to Florida if he stayed on that particular highway. Then when Elizabeth regained consciousness she could help him get to Key Biscayne.
    He couldn’t help but feel deflated after his phone conversation with Tristan. It had started out well. He’d told Tristan he’d found his mate and she was a witch.
    His older brother’s voice had brightened considerably at the news. They’d just had a massive battle Rex had missed and their sister had returned to them. Rex still couldn’t remember her. Their father’s plan to kill all the women had caused his mother to cast a spell hiding the unmated women from their father, consequentially making it so they couldn’t remember the missing females of their pack until they were confronted with them face-to-face.
    At least that was how it seemed. Maybe one day—poof—all the magical barriers keeping them from their women would fade and the pack would suddenly recall each and every one of them. He didn’t consider that especially likely. When he’d told Tristan he’d had to go to Florida before he could come home, well, his announcement hadn’t gone well.
    Try not to dwell on it.