Page 61 of Haunted By the Shadow of Death

“Sentence?” I scoffed. “No one is killing me. She’ll keep me alive.” I wouldn’t be dead until she was done with me. I wasn’t sure what would be left of me at that point.

“No. We’ll figure something out,” he said, as dug in as ever.

I’d never met anyone more stubborn than me until him.

“There is no figuring this out. What happens when there’s another death? And another after that? I’ll be driven out or killed. Well, attempted to be killed.” Who knew how many people Death would kill if she perceived them as a threat? She wanted me and was going to use me whether I was on board with her plans or not. That was the problem. There was no way out of this. I was trapped.

He froze. “You really think that I’d let anyone threaten you?”

“What are you going to do? You’re their alpha, but a pack has its limits. Someone else will die. There’s no stopping her. She’s going to do this, and she’s going to use me.” I got to my feet, standing in front of him.

“You’re my mate. If you leave, I leave. There’s no negotiation.” His hands were on my shoulders, as if he thought I’d try to run now.

“Why do this to yourself and your pack? You need to let me leave.” It was hard enough to do it when I didn’t want to. Fighting for him to let me leave was sapping my strength to do it.

“I can’t. Don’t ask me why, but I can’t.” His whole body was tense, and I didn’t doubt that he’d fight me if I tried to leave.

Maybe it was his honor. Maybe he did care for me to some degree. No matter what the cause, it didn’t change anything.

“You know this isn’t going to work.”

“There’s someone in New Mexico we need to go see. It’s a long shot, but I think we should go there before any decisions are made.”

“Who is it?”

“Someone that might be able to help. Like I said, it’s a long shot, but we need to try it.”

Was he grasping? The longer this dragged on, the harder it was going to be to leave. I barely had the strength to do it now.

“I just—”

His hands shifted into my hair as his mouth came down on mine. I’d never been kissed with such a raw intensity that it stole my thoughts, my will to push him away.

“We wait,” he said.

“Okay.” I nodded, knowing he was using everything in his arsenal against me, but I was too weak to walk away. I didn’t want to walk away.

Chapter Twenty-Five

We rambled down a long dirt road, slowing the bike down as we approached our destination. The last rays of the sun gave just enough light over the landscape to make out an old warehouse looming about fifty feet away, surrounded by a couple of sheds and smaller buildings scattered around. The place didn’t have much sense of life, and it looked like its better times had been long before Death Day.

I’d barely gotten off the bike when a man walked out of one of the smaller buildings. He was old, with a rounded belly and a long white beard. He could’ve been a mall Santa if he didn’t have a rifle clutched in his hands.

“Kicks? That you?” he yelled from the distance.

“Dirkin,” Kicks said. He walked forward, giving the old guy a hug.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I wasn’t sure who was left, if anyone,” Dirkin said, his voice steeped in emotion, which was at odds with his rugged appearance.

“It’s so good to see you, Dirkin. I was afraid you were dead.” Kicks gave Dirkin another pat on the back while reaching for me with his other hand. “This is Piper. She’s my mate and also a guide.” He wrapped an arm around my waist.

Dirkin’s eyes narrowed, his nostrils flaring slightly. “She’s…”

“Human,” Kicks stated firmly.

Dirkin raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Not looking for a fight. Just surprised, is all. I didn’t know humans could be guides.”

“This one can,” Kicks said, scanning the area. “Where is everyone?”

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