Page 35 of The Lycans: Vol Four

Although I’d never told him, it was painfully clear by how I reacted and how I was taking everything that being around strangers wasn’t going to be comfortable for me at this time.

I rested my head back on the seat and looked over at him. The lights from what he called the dashboard illuminated his stark features. He still had dark circles under his eyes, still had the sharp features on his face and the hollowed cheekbones as if he wasn’t eating enough. And I knew it was because of me.

I’d woken up more times than I cared to admit from the nightmares. I’d been trapped, held down, knives cutting into me, evil laughter filling my head as they hurt me over and over again. The dreams had been so real. So real that I’d woken up screaming and crying.

And the only thing that made it all bearable was Odhran, holding me, telling me everything would be okay.

I didn’t know how long we’d been driving—several hours at least—but I didn’t mind. I liked the quiet that this trip provided, the time I could be in my mate’s presence.

I was nervous for when we reached our destination, afraid of what I would find and how much things had changed. It had already been a shock to me as I’d seen all the technological advances.

So much change.

In my heart, I knew I wouldn’t find my parents alive and well and waiting for me. They’d been advanced in age before I’d been taken, and so much time had passed. It broke my heart, but I’d come to terms with it long ago that I’d never see them again.

I thought back to all I’d seen on our journey here. Houses that seemed to reach the sky were everywhere. The flashing lights were intense, and the cars were fast and noisy. I missed the isolation the forest afforded, the cottage shared with my family, which was probably no longer standing, but it had always made me feel content and safe.

Odhran slowed as we entered a small town, and I felt a little more at ease, as we were no longer surrounded by the hectic city life but more laid-back, old-school surroundings. Things felt a bit more familiar here, as if technology and modern times hadn’t touched the village.

There were cobblestone pathways, quaint storefronts with glowing lights hanging along the cropping of the roof. Patrons sat at little bistro tables as the sun started to set, mugs in front of them, smiles on their faces as if they had no idea the true horrors the world offered.

My stomach took that moment to growl, and I heard a soft laugh come from Odhran. I felt my face heat as I glanced over at him and smiled shyly.

“I was going tae ask my lass if she was hungry, but it looks like I donna have tae.”

He reached over and took my hand, bringing my fingers to his mouth and kissing each one of my knuckles.

He kept hold of my hand as he drove for a couple more minutes before pulling the behemoth vehicle onto a small road and coming to a stop in front of a tiny café.

There were lights hanging along the front window that reminded me of the bobbles my mother used to hang on the tree during the festive seasons. And the soft yellow glow that came from the inside illuminated the small courtyard that had a few café tables and some flowering trees sitting out front.

“We don’t have to stop if we’re close to your home.” I glanced over at him and saw he was looking down at where our hands were entwined.

He ran his thumb over the back of my knuckles, almost mesmerized by the sight. “We’re still a few hours from home.”

Home. I liked hearing him say that. He glanced up at me, and I could see so many emotions filtering across his face.

But the one that was most evident was hope. It made my own happiness grow, beating down the ugliness that tried to stay at the forefront of my emotions.

“And I wasn’t about tae let my girl go hungry.”

I felt my cheeks heat even more at the endearment. I couldn’t lie; I’d never tire of him calling me such sweet things. His girl.

He was out of the SUV and rounding the front of the vehicle before I even had my hand on the handle. He opened the door for me and held his palm out. I slipped mine into his much larger one, loving how his fingers engulfed mine.

We walked into the little café, and I marveled at how quaint it was, how it reminded me so much of days gone by. There wasn’t anything flashy or modern about it. It had the aesthetics of making me feel as if I were in my mother’s kitchen, watching her prepare meals for the family.

When I focused on the present once more, I listened to the deep rumble of Odhran’s voice as he spoke in Gaelic to the older woman who stood at a podium. She had age lines around her eyes and mouth, and a warmth in her eyes that told me she loved and had been loved heavily in all her years.

She led us to a table in the back, one that was isolated and private. And I knew without having to ask that Odhran specifically requested something just like this.

“I like this place. It feels… like how things used to be.” I didn’t know if he knew what I meant, but his smile and the way he reached across the table to take my hand in his told me maybe he did.

“I thought ye may like it. I saw it in passing years ago. I knew once ye were back in my life I wanted tae bring ye here,” he said in a deep voice.

And just like that, he had me blushing.

We stared into each other’s eyes, and for a second, I could envision that all the horrible things had never happened to us. I felt my shoulders relax, and just as I smiled back, a loud crash sounded behind me.

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