Page 55 of Blood Moon Heat

Sleeping beside him every night, wrapped in his arms, certainly helped as well.

I was well rested, well fed, and I just wanted to put what happened to me behind us. I wanted to show him I was strong enough to be his mate.

I closed my eyes and must have drifted off, because I woke to Pretender cursing viciously. The car was stopped on a dark, tree-lined road.

I sat up straighter. “What’s going on?”

“Fucked if I know. It just stopped.” His fingers curled around the steering wheel. “Fuck,” he bit out again.

“How far from the house are we?”

He glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “We’re on the property now, but it’s surrounded by close to a hundred acres of forestland.” He shoved the door open. “I’ll go get the car Nero keeps at the house.”

“I’m coming with you,” I said, because it was creepy out here.

“It’ll only take me fifteen minutes if I run. You’re not fast enough. Plus I’ll have to come back with the car for the bags anyway.” He got out.

“Hang on. I’d rather not stay here on my—”

He poked his head in the door. “You have nothing to be afraid of out here, Mina. The sooner I leave, the sooner I’ll be back.”

“No, but…”

He shut the door and took off before I could finish what I was saying, running so fast, he was a blur, and blending into the shadows moments later. He was right. I couldn’t run like that. I was fast, but nothing like him or Nero. Not yet.

The quiet darkness settled around me and nerves instantly swirled in my belly. I pulled out my phone and hit Nero’s number.

No reply.

He always answered.

I clutched the phone in my lap, startling when it chimed a moment later.

Nero: Sorry, still in a meeting. I’ll call you as soon as it’s over.

It was breezy outside and the trees swayed in a way that made it look like something was moving around out there. I studied the shadows. It’s just the trees, there’s nothing there.

Still, the antsy, nervous feeling grew.

Pretender would be back soon. He was fast. It wouldn’t take him long—

A sound, high-pitched and grating, filled the car. It was like—I spun around—something was scratching against the outside of it. A tree branch? No, I wasn’t close enough to any trees. I spun back when I caught something out of the corner of my eye, something dark. You’re seeing things. I quickly locked the doors.

Oh gods. I spun the other way. I saw it again, something dark rushed past, but this time it hit the car, making it jolt.

I shrieked.

My phone rang and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Nero’s name flashed in the darkness. I shoved myself low and quickly answered. “Nero, I’m scared. I—”

“Give me your word, Mina.”

I froze. “My word?”

He didn’t reply, just waited.

It was happening. Oh gods, it was finally happening. The car hadn’t broken down, Nero had planned it. “Pink,” I whispered for some reason.

“You have five seconds to get out of the car and run for the trees.”

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