Page 20 of Racing the Storm

“Don’t forget your little pet, Doctor. Like I said, you’re entirely responsible for her care now.”

My eyes widened with horror as she took exhausted, stumbling steps toward me like she was being controlled. When she was close enough, Ivan reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, and I didn’t miss the disgusted look on his father’s face.

We left the room after that, and I realized monsters did exist in this world. I had known it peripherally before, but now I had looked into the face of the damned, and it had a weak smile and a thirst for pain.

Chapter

Eight

MIKAEL

We landed in the middle of nowhere, and it was shaky enough that it took me several moments to regain my bearings. Eduardo was kind enough to allow me time to put my stomach back where it belonged, and there was little judgment in his eyes as he watched me exit the plane.

He’d confessed we were landing on the coast of France, along the far west, which wasn’t anywhere near where I needed to be, but it was the best he could do. “Kasher has no control here,” Eduardo said as the plane taxied along the short stretch of tarmac, “but he likely has people watching air traffic. This is the best we can do, and your Alpha left you supplies.”

It was a car—a small, European thing that looked like it could tip on a stiff breeze. But it was something, at least, and I knew Kor had also prepared for after I managed to retrieve Danyal. I shook off my frustration, then shook Eduardo’s hand before crossing the distance to inspect what Kor left me.

I rummaged through the trunk and found a handful of supplies. They weren’t much—non-perishable food, a sleeping bag, some MREs, a first aid kit that was geared toward humans, and a few changes of socks which would be helpful if I found myself trekking through the woods somewhere.

Inside the car was a stack of Euro—more than I thought I could possibly need—a small GPS system, and a gun with enough bullets to take out a small human army if it came down to it. I was the sort of Wolf who preferred to fight with fangs and claws, but I was enough of an expert in weapons, and it was likely going to come down to a fire-fight between me and the compound where Danyal was being kept.

Not for the first time—and probably not for the last—I regretted my cowardice. If we’d bonded, I would have been able to sense him. If we’d bonded, he wouldn’t have left my side. These bastards wouldn’t have gotten close enough to grab him, and if they had, I would have found him long before he’d been carted halfway across the goddamn globe.

I breathed out, then half-considered calling Talia to see if she could give me an update on what she could feel, but I also knew it wouldn’t be much. With this much distance between them, she’d know nothing more than whether or not he was alive. I wanted to believe I had time to get him before Kasher could do anything permanent, but I didn’t trust myself. And I certainly didn’t trust the human.

I slammed the trunk and turned toward Eduardo. “Thanks for all your help.”

He nodded, but he didn’t turn away. Instead, he took a step closer to the car. “I’m thinking I should probably stay.”

My eyes widened in surprise, and a small part of me wondered if that was a threat—if this was a set-up. But there didn’t seem to be anything deceptive about this man, and something in my gut told me to trust him. “You said you couldn’t.”

“I know,” he replied with a small laugh. “But I’ve come to like you, güey. And I want to get you to your mate. I have some friends in Paris that are willing to help you, but it means you have to trust me.”

I blew out a puff of air, then I nodded. My instincts had been all over the map, but I knew Nadya wouldn’t have sent me off with him if he posed a danger to my mission. “All right. That shortens the drive, but if we have to stop and rest, we’ll be sleeping in the car.”

“I’ve slept a lot worse places than this,” he said, then gave the roof a pat before opening the door and sliding in.

There wasn’t a lot of cover where we were at—it was green, but open coast that left me feeling vulnerable. Nadya had been insistent about the anti-Wolf sentiment growing across Europe, so the last thing I wanted to do was be obvious. But having a human with me would have some perks, I realized. He could slip in and out of the cities, grabbing supplies when we needed them, and he wouldn’t have to explain himself.

We’d still be sleeping on the road, but it added a strange layer of protection I hadn’t realized he could offer.

I attached the little GPS unit to the radio, then hit the road with sunglasses perched high on my nose. It felt good to lean back and control the journey for this little while, and I found myself breathing a little easier, even with the weight of what was on the horizon.

“Can I ask you something?” I said a while into the drive.

He made a soft noise of assent, his head tipped back and eyes closed, though it was obvious he was awake.

“Did you fight in the war? I know Mexico wasn’t as involved as Canada and the US, and I know you said your family had a policy about not getting involved, but…did you take up arms against Wolves?”

He was quiet a long time. “No. I didn’t take up arms against either side. I regret that now.”

I was a little surprised by his answer. He’d been cagey on the flight, and after he met a lot of my questions with silence, I gave up and slept for most of the journey. We ate together, and he told me a little bit about growing up so far away from the big cities, and about his family’s ranch, but it was so little substance.

Now, with the way he stayed by my side, I had to wonder if it was personal.

“Is that why you’re still here?”

He hummed in thought, then opened his eyes and turned his head to look at me. In the sunlight, there was an almost preternatural glow to the mahogany irises, and I could almost see them glowing like a Wolf’s. “I’m here because the people I’ve gotten to know deserve better. This man you’re going to rescue, your mate? He shouldn’t be subjected to any of this. No one should.”

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