Page 50 of The Beast's Betrayed Mate
The headlights lit up the approaching wolves, and Ella knew better than to mess with them. Instead of steering at them, she veered sharply to the right and got them moving away from the pack as fast as the wheels would carry them.
Olive turned around in her seat, looking through the rear window, watching those glowing eyes as they kept up with the speed of the car.
“We need a road!” she yelled.
“On it,” Ella said, turning a hard left, and finally, the sound of tires skidding on asphalt filled the car.
The men were all pulling clothes on, handed out by Michael from a duffle back in the back. Then the rear window suddenly smashed, the snapping jaws of a wolf following the sound as it clung to the back of the car.
“Jesus Christ!” Michael exclaimed. “This is a brand-new car! Have some respect!”
He crawled over the backrest, delivering a mighty punch to the wolf’s snout and, with a whine, the wolf disappeared from view.
The others were falling behind as the road allowed the car to roar into speeds they couldn’t keep up with.
Olive let out her held breath, falling back against her seat, one hand at her forehead.
“Wow,” she said.
Ella smiled. “I know, right? Michael didn’t want to let me drive. But then I took him to a Walmart and showed him what I could do.”
“No one likes a bragger, sweetheart,” Michael said.
“Oh,sweetheartis it?” Peter asked. “You do have a lot to tell, don’t you?”
“Let’s get to safety first,” Ella said. “Then we’ll talk.”
Olive gave Peter a look to behave, but there was a twinkle in his eye that told her he was only teasing. She smiled then.
They’d gotten out.
She brought the USB out and held it up, eliciting cheers of victory from everyone.
***
They drove for an hour. About ten minutes in, Peter’s hand had found hers. He didn’t seem to want to let go, even though she could imagine he wasn’t very comfortable since he was contorting himself to hold it. She hadn’t wanted to let go either.
She’d shifted in her seat so she could hang her arm over the backrest of the seat, giving him easier access.
She’d fallen asleep like that and woke up when they pulled into the driveway of a nice-looking house.
“This is my parents’ place,” Ella said. “We’re good here. At least for a bit.”
The garden was well-tended and lit with charming Victorian-style lamps. The house itself looked warm and inviting. Olive let Peter’s hand go to get out of the car. They shared a look once they joined each other in the driveway. Without her having to say anything, he wrapped an arm around her, letting her lean on him.
“Come on, let’s get you a bed,” Ella said. “We can talk in the morning.”
Olive nodded against Peter’s chest, making him chuckle. A sound that came from the center of his chest, from his heart. Or so her half-dreaming mind thought. She moved one hand up, placing it over the spot.
“You like me too,” she said.
“Yeah, I do,” Peter agreed, and she thought she felt his mouth place a kiss on the top of her head.
The house was asleep, and they entered gingerly. Ella showed them where their room was—it seemed the house had several guest rooms—and brought them fresh towels. Not that either of them had the energy to even contemplate having a shower. They asked forgiveness for the probability of them getting the bed sheets dirty. Ella stifled a laugh, shaking her head at them.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she whispered. “Sleep tight.”
They thanked her and slipped into the bedroom they’d been assigned. For a moment, Olive considered how neither of them had asked to sleep in separate rooms, both of them taking for granted that this was the setup the other wanted.
