Finding Our Way (Werewolf Wars) (3 page)

She took a few bites and a sip of her drink, watching as the wolf finished off the first batch of fries and opened a burger. The silence was deafening between them. She shifted in her seat, watching as they passed a mile marker.

“Where are we?” Nora asked breaking the silence.

“We passed the Texas border just before we stopped for gas.”

“How long to Abilene?”

“A few hours still. You should try to get some rest after you’ve eaten,” Daniel said.

“I’m not tired. I don’t think I could sleep even if I wanted to,” she commented. “No offense, but I’m in a car with a man I don’t know on my way to Abilene. And I just found out my friend has been lying to me and turns into a wolf,” she rambled in one breath. “I thought that was only on full moons?” she questioned as an afterthought.

“We can transition to our wolf form as we please,” Daniel said around another mouthful of food.

“And you could do it right now?” Nora asked turning to him.

“Yeah, I don’t think I ought to while I’m driving, though.”

If his face hadn’t remained stoic, she might have thought he’d been attempting a joke. “And what about me, if I got bitten, would I become a werewolf?” she asked, curiously.

“No, you’d just bleed. Wolves are born, not made.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Nora sighed, picking at her fries. If by some chance Daniel turned into a rabid dog, she wouldn’t have to worry about being converted into one too. No, you’ll just bleed to death, she surmised. That’s even worse!

“You weren’t bitten,” Daniel said.

Nora nibbled at her burger. She needed to know more, now! He wasn’t evasive to her questioning, but he wasn’t friendly either. Though, she didn’t think he was rude. Perhaps he just has one of those standoffish personalities, she mused. There was only one way to find out. “So your whole family, they are wolves too? April’s family?”

“Yes.”

Nora let out a long breath. “I lived with April for years. How did I not know? I mean, she changes into a giant wolf. How could I miss that?” Really, how had she missed that? If April had kept that from her, was she keeping other things too? Nora shook her head not wanting to think about that. She loved April like a sister.

Daniel shrugged.

“Your family is in Abilene too?” Nora asked.

“My mom and sister. My brother Vincent is with your friend. And my half-brother Devon, he’s uh, one of the alpha’s there,” Daniel said, picking up his shake.

“Alpha? Does that mean he’s the leader then?” Nora inquired, relaxing into the cloth seat.

“Yeah. There are two alphas there. Devon has his pack and his cousin, Gene, runs the other. I belong to Gene’s pack.”

Nora chewed on a fry, processing what he’d just said. She wanted to ask why he didn’t belong to his brother’s pack, but didn’t want to be rude. Besides, she had a whole arsenal of questions. “Are there any other humans there? Or am I going to be the only one?” Nora bit her lip as she waited for his answer.

“Devon’s mate, Lark, is human, her sister, Sarah, lives there as well.”

Nora let out a long sigh. At least she wouldn’t be the only non-wolf there. “Mate?”

“Wife, lover, girlfriend, whatever you want to call it. Lark’s nice, you two should get along.”

“So you don’t mind having humans around?”

Daniel sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair.

“I’m sorry,” Nora apologized, taking a sip of her coke. “I talk a lot, and I’m kind of a control freak. Not knowing what is going on is killing me.”

Daniel took another bite of his hamburger, his eyes focused on the road. Nora frowned thinking he intended to ignore her, but after a long moment, he continued. “Humans aren’t supposed to know about us. Lark, Sarah, and yourself are rare exceptions. We go to great lengths to keep our kind out of the human world. You can imagine what they would do if they found out we existed. Our population is already on the brink of extinction.”

“So, no one minds that Lark and Sarah are there?”

“I can’t speak for all the guys there. Everyone views things differently. I don’t really know much about Sarah, but I have met Lark. Lark is a good person. She possesses alpha traits, and anyone would be a fool not to show her the respect she deserves,” Daniel said, nodding his head.

Nora focused her attention out the window. “You know I’d never left Mississippi until last night. Not exactly how I pictured my first venture into the world,” she smiled, looking off into the horizon. The sun was just coming up; it’s pink and yellow hues barely peeking over the trees. “Am I going to get to go back?”

Nora heard the seat creak as Daniel twisted in it. “I don’t know, Nora. You’re not a prisoner; you can leave if you want. However, there is a very real possibility that you are in danger.”

“I’m not going to tell anybody about your pack. No one would believe me anyway,” Nora laughed, blinking back tears.

“It’s not that. The pack we are at war with could come after you. They could hurt you,” Daniel explained.

“I don’t know anything.”

“It wouldn’t matter. They wouldn’t want you for that,” Daniel murmured, clearing his throat.

“Then what would they want me for?” Nora asked turning to face him. He flinched and Nora braced herself, not entirely sure she wanted an answer.

Daniel flexed his hands on the steering wheel, eyes staring intently at the road. “Our species is on the verge of extinction,” he repeated. “The amount of female wolves born each generation has declined substantially. The Gulf Pack is abducting young women to use for breeding.”

“What?” Nora whispered.

“Conception is rare between humans and wolves, but it does, and can happen. The werewolf gene is dominant,” Daniel explained.

“That’s...” Nora paused, shaking her head in disbelief. Her stomach twisted, knotting at the thought. “That’s disgusting.”

“My pack feels the same way. That’s why we’re at war with them.”

“That’s why April left Ole Miss, because of this war. They were coming after her,” Nora realized.

“Her pack fell last night. Most of the men are probably dead or wish they were. My brother and I along with a few of their men helped make sure the women and children escaped safely.”

“By pack you mean her family?” Nora asked hoarsely.

“I’m not sure if she was a native to the pack or a refugee from one of the packs that were taken in, but being a member of the pack is a family to us. So, yeah, she lost a lot of brother’s last night. The Gulf Packs will regroup and then they’ll be on their way to Texas.”

Nora swallowed watching as the tree line zipped past them. She used her thumb to dab at the corner of her eyes. April had lost members of her family last night. Her family was at war, and now Nora was a part of it. She shivered and drew in a shaky breath. What had she gotten herself into?

D
aniel pulled the car into a parking spot and shut off the ignition. He turned to look at the sleeping woman next to him. She looked peaceful in her sleep. Her red hair shone in the bright sunlight, and light freckles sprinkled across her cheeks—she was beautiful. Daniel averted his gaze, focusing on the tall trees at the rest stop instead.

Raising his hand, he hesitantly reached out and gave her a gentle shake. Her milky skin was smooth and soft. The touch, though, innocent, singed his fingers. Daniel gritted his teeth, lifting his hand.

“Nora,” he bit out, his voice coming out more gruff than he intended.

Nora stirred, sitting up. Her eyes blinked open, and she took a minute to look around as she stretched. “Where are we?”

“A rest stop. I wanted to grab a drink and a snack. We’ve got about an hour left,” Daniel said stifling a yawn. He opened the car door. His muscles tensed, body stiffening with his movements. He grumbled under his breath as he moved the throbbing limbs. He needed to transition again to help work out the kinks. Between the car accident and the fight, his body had taken a beating. He’d be home in an hour or so. Then he could fall into his bed and sleep.

“I’m going to run to the bathroom,” Nora yawned, motioning to the tiny building.

Daniel nodded. He looked around the abandoned rest stop, and out to the deserted road. Trees lined the property and inside the tree line looked secluded. He hobbled forward, his body aching with each step. Nora padded off toward the bathroom and he hoped it would take her a few minutes. If he were going to get back in the car, he would need to shift.

Daniel walked as fast as he could into the brush. Quickly he undressed, setting his clothes in a pile, before dropping onto his hands and knees. He inhaled and closed his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he focused on his wolf. White clouded his vision as his bones snapped. He flexed his fingers and bit his lip to stay conscious. After a long agonizing moment, his transition was complete. He stretched forward and then back, loosening the tender muscles.

He craned his neck as the bathroom door swung open and clanked shut. Shaking his coat, he closed his eyes again and transformed back. Daniel pushed himself to his feet, hurriedly pulling on his jeans.

Footsteps sloshed through the mud behind him, and he turned as he fastened the button.

“What are you doing?” Nora asked. Her eyes widened as she rushed forward. “Oh my god,” she hissed, her cool fingers brushing over his bare chest.

Daniel looked down at the greenish-yellow bruises that stretched across his side and abdomen.

“Is this because of me?” she asked.

Her digits grazed his ribs lightly, and his breath caught at her soothing touch.

Lust fluttered through him and he forced himself to take a step back. “I’m fine.” He bent down and picked up his shirt.

“I’m sorry.” She recoiled. “I didn’t mean to...are you okay? How did you heal so fast?”

Daniel grimaced as he pulled his shirt over his head. “What do you mean?”

“Your bruises look days old not hours,” Nora frowned.

“I shifted. It helps me heal faster,” Daniel shrugged.

“So you feel better?” Nora asked.

Daniel sighed as he sat on a log to pull his shoes and socks on. “Yeah. Another shift or two and I’ll be back to normal.”

“Well, that must be nice,” Nora snorted. She pointed to her head. “It’s going to take a few weeks for this puppy to heal. And I’m sure I’ll have a scar.”

“It could’ve been worse.”

“Thank you,” Nora said, abruptly.

Daniel frowned as he stood up.

“For helping me—taking care of me.” She touched the collar of her shirt indicating the dried blood. “You didn’t have to patch me up, or help me. I did kind of hit you with my car after all.”

“We both needed medical attention. It’s no big deal.” Daniel pushed past her, making his way to the vending machines. He still had some loose bills; at least he thought he did. He’d lost his wallet the night before. The wallet he had was a loner from the man whose pants he now wore. Opening the wallet he pulled out a five and two ones. “You want anything?”

“I’ll just get some change from my purse,” Nora stated, walking past him.

“I got it. You want a coke?” Daniel asked slipping a bill into the machine.

“Sure,” Nora smiled. “Perhaps a bag of Reese Pieces too.”

Daniel handed the items to her before getting his own soda, a bag of chips, and a candy bar.

“It must be nice to eat whatever you like. I have to watch what I eat,” Nora snorted, with a smile.

“You look healthy to me,” Daniel commented, tearing the candy bar wrapper open.

Nora’s brows rose up and she opened and shut her mouth, before shaking her head. Daniel thought back on his words and wondered if he offended her. It had been a compliment. Most the women he picked up were stick thin, drunk, and looked like they’d missed one too many meals. While Nora was thin, she was toned—she looked healthy.

“So is it a wolf thing then?” she asked. “Eating a lot?” she clarified.

“Transitioning makes us hungry. We burn a lot of calories and need to make up for it.”

“Wow, I wish I could eat whatever I wanted without worries,” Nora said, popping the top off her drink. She sashayed ahead of him and opened the driver’s door. “You’ve been driving all night. I’ll finish up.”

“You don’t know where you are going,” Daniel pointed out.

“My GPS is in the car, and if you’re not asleep, you can tell me.”

“All right,” he sighed truth be told, his eyes had been getting heavy the last few hours.

“Do you think April and the other’s are at your home now?” Nora asked, starting the car. She reached into her purse and grabbed a rectangular container. Nora popped the lid off and emptied a few pills into her hand. Lifting the medicine to her lips, she plopped it on her tongue and took a swig of her Coke. “Should we call them?” she asked when she was done.

“My phone was destroyed in the accident. Do you have any messages on yours?”

Nora picked up her iPhone from the cup holder. “No. I would have thought April would have called to check up.”

“Cell reception is in and out in this area. We’re in the middle of nowhere until we get to Abilene. We should be there in the next hour or so.”

“So what’s it like there?”

Daniel rested his head against the cushion. “It’s nice. The property is huge and stretches for several miles. The home is...it’s nice.”

“Why do you say it like that?” Nora asked.

“It’s not where I grew up, but it’s home now,” he replied after a long moment. Home was where your family was—even if they didn’t necessarily want you there.

“Where did you grow up?”

“Guymon, Oklahoma,” Daniel murmured, tapping his fingers on the center console.

“What brought you to Texas then? The war?” Nora asked, quietly.

Daniel closed his eyes. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

***

N
ora looked over at the sleeping man next to her. His head was slumped against the window. A low rhythmic whistle accompanied his breathing. He was rugged and manly. Daniel hadn’t been overly friendly to her, but he hadn’t been mean either. She had a feeling he kept everyone at arm’s length and it wasn’t just her. She liked him—maybe too much. He had been honest with her, and of course, he’d saved her. Not to mention, the wolf was somewhat good to look at.