Chapter 35

The window to the truck rolled down, but I could hardly see the face of the person inside because it was so dark and I was blinded by the headlights.

“You look a little worse for wear, little lady. Do you need some help?” A man’s voice rang out from the truck.

I nodded my head. “Y-y-yes.” My teeth were chattering against each other, making it difficult to speak.

The man leaned over and pushed the passenger door open. I shakily climbed into the truck, and I was instantly hit with a wave of heat. It stung against my cold extremities, but I didn’t mind. The heat was a welcomed change. I shut the truck door, and then the man rolled up the window.

“You look like you’ve been through hell. It’s a good thing I found you when I did,” the man said.

I forced a smile. I was grateful for his help, but I was too focused on trying to warm up. “I r-really appreciate it.” I placed my fingers in front of the air vent. As they started to thaw, sharp tingles spread throughout them.

“So where are you heading, young lady?” the man asked. He hadn’t started driving yet.

I looked over at him, studying his features for the first time. He seemed like a burly man with a little extra weight to him. His stubble was overgrown, and his facial hair was sitting somewhere between a beard and a five-o’clock shadow. He had to have been in at least his forties. He smiled at me when he noticed I was staring at him. His teeth were slightly crooked. It almost looked charming, but something about his smile seemed a little off. I shook it off, thinking I was just paranoid after everything that happened with Theron.

“I’m trying to get back to Ashville. H-how far away are we from there?” My body shivered uncontrollably. The heat felt nice, but I knew it would be a while before my body completely warmed up.

“Too far to get there tonight,” he responded. He finally put the car in drive and started moving forward. “We’ll have to stop somewhere to rest for tonight, and we can head over there in the morning.”

I nodded. I wished I could have made it back to the pack house that night, but I wasn’t about to push my luck. I was somewhere safe and warm for now. That would have to be enough until I could make it back to Mark. My heart started pounding, thinking about him. I wondered what he was doing and if he was looking for me. I just wanted to see him again.

“So what’s your name, young lady?” the man asked, breaking up the silence.

“A-Adira.” I rubbed my hands together, trying to completely thaw out my fingers. I was a little worried I had minor frostbite, but I didn’t think it happened that quickly.

“Greg. Nice to meet you.” He held out his hand to me. I grabbed it awkwardly, not finding a great angle to grab it from.

“Yeah, it’s nice to meet you too.” Part of me wished he would just stop talking to me for a while. I didn’t have the energy to make pleasantries with a stranger. I just wanted to close my eyes and rest for a bit. However, this man did save my life, so I figured I could at least talk to him for a little while.

“I was surprised to see such a beautiful woman out here on her own, especially wearing so little. How did you get into the situation you’re in, if you don’t mind me asking?” He glanced over at me, and we briefly made eye contact.

He seemed nice enough, but something about him made me feel on edge. I tried to tell myself I was just being paranoid, but I couldn’t figure out what the feeling was exactly. “It’s kind of a long story.” I awkwardly laughed. I didn’t really know what to tell him. I couldn’t exactly tell him that I was a supernatural being and was whisked away by a man who wanted to kill me because I was his older half-sister destined to take over the family’s power, and he wanted the power to myself.

“Good thing we have time. No need to be shy.” The man reached over and placed his hand on my knee.

I completely froze at his action. I wanted to tell him not to touch me, but I was afraid he would kick me for being rude. I told myself that he was just a friendly guy. “Ah, well, my friends threw me a birthday party, and things got a little out of hand. I ended up getting separated from everyone.”

“Sounds like a crazy party. How old did you turn? Eighteen?”

I shifted in my seat, moving closer to the window. I hoped that was enough of a sign that he would pull away. “Twenty-one, actually. The party didn’t go how I planned.” I scratched the back of my neck.

“I would hope not, since you ended up in the middle of nowhere, wearing so little.” Greg pulled his hand back and put it back on the steering wheel.

A weight lifted off my shoulders when he stopped touching me. I didn’t say anything else, and Greg seemed content with the conversation momentarily. I kept catching him glancing over at me, and I smiled politely back at him. I hoped wherever we stopped for the night wasn’t too far away. I wanted some space from Greg.

Finally, he pulled his truck off the main road. Up ahead I saw a blinking motel light. It seemed run down and small, but it was better than where I had been staying for the past couple of nights. Greg pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car. I instantly missed the heat, still feeling cold deep inside of me.

He turned towards me. “So I’m thinking we should get one room and share for the night.”

Something about his tone made me shift in my seat. “I think it’s best if we don’t share a room.” I looked out the window, not wanting to make eye contact.

“Are you planning on paying for a room, then? I didn’t see a wallet on you, unless you’re hiding it between your legs.” He leaned in closer to me.

He smelled of cigarettes and unwashed travelers, and it made me want to gag. He was right. I didn’t have any money on me, but I was not about to go into a room alone with this guy. “I don’t have any money. I will figure something out.” I reached for the door handle, but when I tried to open it, it was still locked. I looked back at Greg and a disgusting smile was plastered on his face.

“You don’t seem to have many options here. Let me tell you what’s going to happen here. I’m going to get us a room. Then you’re going to join me and thank me for all of my kindness.” He licked his lips and leaned in even closer.

I felt around on the door for the lock. “I think it’s best we part ways now. Thank you for the ride.”

Greg frowned and grabbed my chin. “You ungrateful little brat. I wasn’t asking.”

My fingers found the car lock, and I pressed it, hearing a click to my relief. Then I curled my fingers into a fist and swung forward, clocking Greg right in the chin. He let go of me and cried out in pain.

I quickly opened the door and slipped out. “I wasn’t asking either.” I slammed the car door shut and ran towards the light peeking out a window at the front of the building. It had to be the front office, and I hoped there would be someone there. I didn’t think the greasy man would try anything in front of another person.

I flew through the front door, and I heard a bell chime. I didn’t see anyone at the front desk. “Hello?”

“I’m coming!” a woman’s voice called out from the back.

I looked outside and saw Greg storming towards the office. My heart was racing. He was nothing compared to Theron, but his implications scared me in a completely different way. I looked back and saw an old lady shuffling towards the front desk. At the same time, Greg burst through the door.

“How can I help you?” the lady asked.

“I need a room for my girlfriend and me,” Greg instantly said, looking me up and down.

“I am not his girlfriend, and I will not be sharing a room with this man,” I said firmly, despite my hands shaking. I backed away from the man, putting as much space between us as possible in the small room.

The lady looked back and forth between Greg and myself. “We don’t have any rooms available. Sir, I think it’s time you leave.”

He looked at the woman in disbelief. He looked back at me and muttered under his breath, “You ungrateful bitch.” He turned and left the office, deliberately slamming the door behind him.

“Thank you,” I whispered. My hands were shaking, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or from Greg.

“You look like hell,” the lady said.

I snapped my head at her, shocked by her bluntness. “I feel like hell.”

She grabbed a tissue and offered it to me. “I’m Clara. Why don’t you come back to my office and tell me about it?”

I grabbed the tissue, not realizing I had even started crying. “Thank you. I’m Adira.”