Page 25 of Eternally Yours

Loren climbed into the passenger seat of the Audi, her face forlorn. The sorrow glazed over her eyes was a sucker punch to my soul. “Everything’s going to be okay. I’ll keep you safe. I promise,” I told her as I reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. But she pulled her hand away and crossed her arms, turning away from me.

Perhaps she sensed my own fear that despite my best intentions, I wasn’t sure if everything would be okay. She’d just feasted on one of the Order’s top lieutenants. More beasts were probably on the hunt. How could she trust I’d be able to keep her safe? All I’d done since meeting her was put her in more danger.

This whole night had turned all shades of screwed up. Letting her have her space, I turned from her, shifted the car into gear, and sped away from the blaring sirens. I knew heading back to my apartment would be a bad idea. If the Order had used the wolves to track her scent, they’d probably tracked it back to my place. I called Catherine and begged her for another favor. As always, she didn’t know how to say no.

She agreed to meet us at a rest stop on the New York State Thruway. I helped Loren get cleaned up in the restroom tucked behind the gas station as we waited for Cat to arrive. Sitting in my car, I shook my head as I watched her approach in her shiny new Maserati.

“This is hardly inconspicuous,” I said, as she rolled in next to us.

Stepping out of her car, her mile-high stiletto boots clicked on the pavement. “Next time you can call one of your other friends.” Cat cocked her head. “Oh, wait. I’m all you’ve got.”

It wasn’t a lie.

“Thank you,” I said. “I owe you.”

“Haven’t you been saying that for how many decades, now? You better hope I don’t come cashing in soon.” She leaned over my driver’s window. “Things aren’t looking so good back home. That little mess you left behind is causing quite the stir.”

“News travels fast.”

“Your father has spies everywhere, you know that. By now he knows you’re involved and that you’ve taken something that belongs to the Order.”

“Loren doesn’t belong to them.”

“Here,” she said, handing me the keys to the Maserati. “I expect you to return it with a full tank.”

I smirked. Handing her the keys to the newly dented Audi, I said, “Don’t scratch it.”

Her face scrunched in disgust. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in this piece of junk. Janus is driving me back.” She nodded toward an idling black Mercedes sedan.

Of course.

“Seriously, I can’t thank you enough.”

“Just get her to Vermont. And don’t get yourself killed or I’ll have to kick your ass.”

“Promise.”

Before leaving, she mentioned she’d left clean clothes and a cooler full of blood bags in the trunk. I flooded her with another million thank-yous. I had no idea what I’d do without her.

After settling into our new ride, I pulled us back onto the road and briefly eyed Loren in the passenger seat. She was sitting there, completely still, with the bag of clean clothes still on her lap, eyes locked on the darkness ahead of us.

My heart clenched at the sight of her so lost. I found myself at a loss for words, or anything to comfort her. That may have stung most of all.

For the first time since I’d left my coven, I wished I’d stayed. Maybe none of this would’ve happened to her if I’d just stayed and played the part of obedient-fucking-son. Instead, I’d rebelled and screwed up again. Now another human was paying the price for my mistakes.

I’d changed her life forever. No. I’d destroyed it. I wouldn’t be surprised if she hated me. Why shouldn’t she? I’d taken away everything she loved and handed her a life on the run. Because that’s what this was. Not only were we being hunted by the Order, but my father probably had a bounty on our heads as well.

Loren didn’t utter a single word as we drove for hours on the empty highway in the dead of night. The silence was unsettling, and after a while, I couldn’t bear it anymore. “You can change into those clean clothes. That’s why I gave them to you. So you’d be more comfortable.”

Slowly, her head turned toward me, a deep frown wrinkling her brows. “I... I’d like to shower first.”

She’d cleaned off most of the blood caked on her face and hands back at the rest stop, but there was something in her tone that suggested there was more to her words than simply taking a shower. She wasn’t looking to wash off more blood, but death itself.

“It’s going to be a long drive. At least be comfortable through it.”

She hesitated again.

“What is it?” I asked, wanting her to open up.

---