wouldn’t sway me. She
needed sleep, and I need a few hours to try to forget what had
happened on the road.
She huffed, turned, and made as if she would
start walking down the road. She made it one step before I used my
speed to block her. We scowled at each other. Then she yawned
hugely and shook her head in an effort to stay awake.
“You are so tired, luv. Please. Sleep a few
hours,” I said.
Her gaze narrowed. “As if sleep is what you
really have in mind.”
My pulse leapt in panic. Did she know I’d
touched her? I quickly held up my guilty hands, praying she didn’t
know.
“Sleep. That is all. I can’t drive fast with
you sleeping. Too many things could happen. I might not be able to
catch you in time. If we keep going as we are, snow will cover the
roads before we reach the Compound.”
“Compound?”
“It’s where Gabby said to bring you. She
promised she would be there.”
She gave me an odd look. “No one is holding
her there?”
“Holding her there? No. She...visits.
Honestly, she doesn’t seem to like it very much.”
Probably because it was just a bunch of
overcrowded shoddy buildings. The only reason there were so many of
us was because the women had gotten crazy ideas about four walls
providing more safety than their own men. I wasn’t opposed to
walls. I was opposed to the number of people who were all trying to
fit in them.
Bethi studied the blacktop a moment before
aiming her cynical gaze at me once more.
“I don’t trust you. But...” She looked at the
motel. I could see longing in her expression as much as distaste.
“Fine. I’ll stay. Just not with you in the same room.”
“Agreed.”
I needed the time away from her as much as
she needed the sleep. Turning, I started for the office and grinned
at the sound of her following me. As soon as she slept, I planned
to do the same on the bench outside her door. I slept lightly
enough that I would hear her if she tried to leave without me.
The man behind the desk eyed Bethi as I
signed and paid for a room. I didn’t care for the judgmental look
in his eyes when he handed over the key either.
I held the door for her when we left and led
the way to the second room.
“I got kicked out of one hotel already. He’s
going to hear me for sure,” Bethi said as she eyed the distance to
the office.
“Maybe you won’t have bad dreams,” I said as
I unlocked the door. Stepping aside so she could enter, I ignored
her snort of disagreement.
She walked into the room then turned and held
out her hand expectantly. Did she honestly think I’d hand over the
key after she just told me she would likely have bad dreams? I’d
broken into several rooms already because of her. I wasn’t going to
do it again. Especially when the door was in sight of the office
and the suspicious clerk.
“I’ll sit on the bench outside and wake you
in a few hours.” I started to close the door.
“The key?” she said impatiently.
“I’ll hold onto it. Better I wake you when
you start getting too loud than the owner.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but I closed
the door on her words. Outside, I cocked my head to listen to the
sound of her steps retreat from the door. A moment later, the bed
spring creaked.
Exhaling in relief, I moved away from the
door and went to the bench. Before I could lay down, my stomach
growled. The scent of cooking meat drifting faintly in the air. The
town we were in wasn’t large but was sizeable enough to have at
least one restaurant to torment me. I hesitated on the bench,
trying to decide which I needed more. Food or sleep.
As compelling as it was to find something to
eat at the moment, I couldn’t bring myself to leave Bethi. Even if
she weren’t sleeping, she was defenseless against my kind. I also
wanted to be close in the event her dreams turned sour, like she
thought they would.
I leaned back and closed my eyes. However,
hunger made a compelling argument over my need for sleep. I
absently rubbed my stomach
needed sleep, and I need a few hours to try to forget what had
happened on the road.
She huffed, turned, and made as if she would
start walking down the road. She made it one step before I used my
speed to block her. We scowled at each other. Then she yawned
hugely and shook her head in an effort to stay awake.
“You are so tired, luv. Please. Sleep a few
hours,” I said.
Her gaze narrowed. “As if sleep is what you
really have in mind.”
My pulse leapt in panic. Did she know I’d
touched her? I quickly held up my guilty hands, praying she didn’t
know.
“Sleep. That is all. I can’t drive fast with
you sleeping. Too many things could happen. I might not be able to
catch you in time. If we keep going as we are, snow will cover the
roads before we reach the Compound.”
“Compound?”
“It’s where Gabby said to bring you. She
promised she would be there.”
She gave me an odd look. “No one is holding
her there?”
“Holding her there? No. She...visits.
Honestly, she doesn’t seem to like it very much.”
Probably because it was just a bunch of
overcrowded shoddy buildings. The only reason there were so many of
us was because the women had gotten crazy ideas about four walls
providing more safety than their own men. I wasn’t opposed to
walls. I was opposed to the number of people who were all trying to
fit in them.
Bethi studied the blacktop a moment before
aiming her cynical gaze at me once more.
“I don’t trust you. But...” She looked at the
motel. I could see longing in her expression as much as distaste.
“Fine. I’ll stay. Just not with you in the same room.”
“Agreed.”
I needed the time away from her as much as
she needed the sleep. Turning, I started for the office and grinned
at the sound of her following me. As soon as she slept, I planned
to do the same on the bench outside her door. I slept lightly
enough that I would hear her if she tried to leave without me.
The man behind the desk eyed Bethi as I
signed and paid for a room. I didn’t care for the judgmental look
in his eyes when he handed over the key either.
I held the door for her when we left and led
the way to the second room.
“I got kicked out of one hotel already. He’s
going to hear me for sure,” Bethi said as she eyed the distance to
the office.
“Maybe you won’t have bad dreams,” I said as
I unlocked the door. Stepping aside so she could enter, I ignored
her snort of disagreement.
She walked into the room then turned and held
out her hand expectantly. Did she honestly think I’d hand over the
key after she just told me she would likely have bad dreams? I’d
broken into several rooms already because of her. I wasn’t going to
do it again. Especially when the door was in sight of the office
and the suspicious clerk.
“I’ll sit on the bench outside and wake you
in a few hours.” I started to close the door.
“The key?” she said impatiently.
“I’ll hold onto it. Better I wake you when
you start getting too loud than the owner.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but I closed
the door on her words. Outside, I cocked my head to listen to the
sound of her steps retreat from the door. A moment later, the bed
spring creaked.
Exhaling in relief, I moved away from the
door and went to the bench. Before I could lay down, my stomach
growled. The scent of cooking meat drifting faintly in the air. The
town we were in wasn’t large but was sizeable enough to have at
least one restaurant to torment me. I hesitated on the bench,
trying to decide which I needed more. Food or sleep.
As compelling as it was to find something to
eat at the moment, I couldn’t bring myself to leave Bethi. Even if
she weren’t sleeping, she was defenseless against my kind. I also
wanted to be close in the event her dreams turned sour, like she
thought they would.
I leaned back and closed my eyes. However,
hunger made a compelling argument over my need for sleep. I
absently rubbed my stomach
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