Page 11 of Pledge Of A Bobcat

He didn’t say anything to that, but he didn’t need to. I could see the thoughts swirling through his mind while he drove. He was fascinated by Aunt Maribel, which I understood. I’d been fascinated by her my whole life.

“She was right about the storm missing us for the most part last night,” he said.

“I’m glad.”

“Me, too.” He cracked his window, allowing cool air to float into the cab.

It felt damp, cool, and seemed to cling to everything—like a warning. Suddenly, the raven shifter popped into my head.

Xander.

The thought of him being possessed by the evil spirit of someone chilled me to my core.

What if something went wrong with the ritual? What if Aunt Maribel couldn’t clear the spirit from this guy? What if he couldn’t be stopped?

The rain started up again. Heavy drops pelted against the windshield as Ellis drove. He switched his windshield wipers on as visibility became poor and my stomach flipped.

“I guess we spoke too soon,” he said. “Man, it’s really coming down.”

“Can you pull over?” I asked, my voice shaky as panic tightened my chest.

Ellis glanced at me, and without a word, pulled his truck to the side of the road, parking under a canopy of trees that did little to shield us from the sudden downpour.

“You okay?” he asked gently, turning to face me. His voice was so calm, so steady, but all I could focus on was the sound of the rain pounding against the truck.

Instantly, I was back in my old SUV.

It was pouring out. James was driving us home while singing along with the song on the radio. There was a jolt to the SUV and a loud noise—and then we were airborne.

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, forcing the memories from my mind.

“I hate driving in the rain,” I admitted, my heart still hammering wildly inside my chest.

“We can sit here until it stops,” he said, rolling his window up and turning on the defrost.

There was something so patient and caring about the way he’d said it, but it was the compassion and concern I spotted in his eyes that really made me feel at ease.

“My husband,” I said, wanting to explain myself. Not because I felt like I needed to, or that I owed it to him, but because I genuinely wanted to. “He died in a car accident a little over a year ago. It was raining like this and the roads were slick while he was driving us home from a date night. Everything was fine until someone hydroplaned next to us, losing control, and hit our SUV. We slammed into the guardrail so hard that we flipped right over it. I broke my arm, but James didn’t make it.”

Ellis stayed silent, but I could still feel his gaze on me. I didn’t have to look at him to know his eyes would be filled with empathy, not pity. It made it easier to keep talking.

“Ever since then, driving in the rain freaks me out,” I admitted. “That was part of the problem the other night. I couldn’t get my flat tire off because I was freaked out about the storm. I didn’t want to be on the road with Serenity in the car. Honestly, I didn’t want to be on the road at all.”

I dropped my gaze to my hands, feeling the weight of everything I’d said hanging suspended in the air of the cab.

“I’m so sorry, Rachel,” Ellis said, his voice filled with genuine compassion. “I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you. How hard it must still be.”

I glanced at him, surprised by how much his words comforted me. He wasn’t just saying what he thought I needed to hear; he truly meant his words. I could feel it.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I don’t talk about it much, but in moments like this, when the rain is so heavy, it feels like it was yesterday.”

“It must have been hard taking care of Serenity all on your own, too.”

“Sort of, I had Aunt Maribel to help. We moved in with her right after the accident. I couldn’t lift Serenity until my arm healed, and honestly, I wasn’t in the best emotional place or frame of mind for a while either.”

“Which is to be expected.”

“Aunt Maribel was a saint. She was my lifeline.” I smiled. “If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know how I would have made it through.”

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