Page 25 of Faerie Marked

The suspicion rose higher to choke me. Aseductiveserial killer would be just my luck.

The guy had asked me a question, and I shook my head, not hearing him. “What?”

“I asked where you’re headed,” he repeated.

I kept the window up although it offered little protection if Mr. Gorgeous wanted to punch his way through it. He had the muscle to do it. “I wanted to get to a motel. I think there’s one just down the road but the old girl decided to give out on me. She just won’t start.”

“How long have you been out here?”

Should I tell him the truth? “Long enough,” I answered vaguely.

“Well, let me give you a lift,” the guy offered. He glanced ahead at the dark road leading forward. “I’m headed there anyway. Might as well help a damsel in distress.”

“I’m no man’s damsel.” Thein distresspart, on the other hand…

I knew better than to get into a random person’s car. If I had to wolf out and eat him, then I could, but it was a last resort for a no-win situation. Even if he was handsome as sin. Even if part of me did draw toward him wanting to be touched.

I trusted my instincts and I didn’t get a bad feeling from him so…good thing? That in itself gave me pause.

“Look, you can wait here for someone else if you want. I doubt you’ll get a better offer than this, and I can promise you you’ll arrive at your motel in the same state I found you.” He held his hands out in front of him to show me his sincerity. “I’m not gong to hurt you. I promise.”

I debated it for approximately four seconds before agreeing. I didn’t want to sit on the side of the road any longer. “Um, sure,” I said. “Thank you. I appreciate the help.”

“Are you moving?” He pointed to the luggage in the back.

I shrugged. “Maybe. Going far enough from home I needed to pack my bags.” Yeah, sorry guy. You might be good-looking but I wasn’t going to tell you everything.

I stepped out of the car and stood next to him. He looked younger up close, his face unlined and putting him much closer to my age—or at least what I could see of his face in the darkness looked young. He stood about eight inches taller, the gap between us enough he had to look down at me.

Then his face broke into a smile. My brain turned to mush.

Hubba hubba.

“You look like you’re school-age,” he said in an echo of my inner sentiment. “Are you taking classes somewhere? Anacademy, perhaps?”

My head snapped up, chest tightening as alarm bells clanged. There was no way he could possibly know. “What do you mean?”

His eyes didn’t leave my face. “It was an honest question.”

At least he didn’t try to call me any pet names. Score one for the handsome stranger.

His nose, cheeks, and brow were sculpted and sharp, jaw strong and lips plump. The dark green shirt he wore was plain and tight enough to stretch across a broad chest, echoing the color of his eyes. The light gold of his hair reflected the moonlight and through the strands I saw the delicate point of his arched ears.

Oh my.

He didn’t bother to hide them from me. My heart beat so fast I thought I would lose my dinner. “You’re Fae.” Yes, it made sense. No human looked supernaturally beautiful or could draw me to him so easily.

I tried not to consider what this meant. And definitely tried not to look too hard at him.

The gold-haired boy cracked another smile, wider this time. “I wondered when you’d figure it out. You’re Fae, too. I noticed the moment you opened the window, sensing a little zip of magic when I looked at you. Which makes my question about the academy a little easier to handle, right? Makes me seem a little less like a jerk?”

I inched closer to the car, letting the metal of the door cool my suddenly overheated skin. He’d sensed the Fae in me immediately. What did it mean for me? Would he be able to sense the shifter part easily, too? I’d need to be careful going forward. But the motel was close. I could make it through a short ride.

“My name is Tavi,” I supplied, holding out a hand for him to take.

“Michael. But you can call me Mike.” He took my hand in a firm shake that thankfully did not move worlds. Although it held potential. “Let’s get your things out of the car and deliver you to the motel. It’s not safe for you out here.”

I huffed a laugh. “I like to think I can take care of myself.”

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