Chapter 5

Mora

My heart’s beating just a little too fast for comfort as the huge SUV pulls out of the gate for the pack’s grounds and onto the main highway. My eyes are still watery from Dad’s last hug, his whispered promise that I’d be fine, and to just give it a chance echoing in my brain.

“It’s okay,” Sammy says quietly as he leans up from the backseat to where I’m in the middle row bucket seat that’s leaned back slightly. “I’ve got you. I’m right here,” he adds, easing another pillow in between me and the interior side. “If you need anything, I’m here.”

I nod, keeping my eyes away from the front seat where that cold giant is sitting. His seat is pushed back so far, the back of it almost touches the front of the other seat next to me, another reason why Sammy’s in the third row rather than right next to me.

The last time I got a glimpse of Cole, he still had that scowl on his face that appeared when I tensed as he began to slip in next to me earlier. The thought of him being anywhere near me is terrifying. I couldn’t begin to imagine riding in a car with him within arm’s reach. I mean, he still is in a way, but at least it’s a little hindered by the middle console. He can’t get angry and just reach across and smack me this way.

Last thing I want is to go anywhere with him. I want to run as far from him as I can. That bullshit about some mate pull that even humans can feel is insane. Absolutely insane. The only thing I feel when looking at him is terror.

“If you need anything, to stop for a bathroom break, food, something else to drink,” the giant says glancing towards us, his eyes narrowing seeing Sammy’s hand on my shoulder. “Let me know and we’ll stop immediately. There are air conditioning controllers on the console if you get chilled, you can turn the speed of what’s blowing on you down yourself.”

I nod, avoiding his gaze once more and settle further into the seat and pillows Sammy stuffed in around me. Granted, I feel a dozen times better than I have in the last three months, but my body is still not close to how I felt before the attack. I guess that’s because of the giant but I’m not giving him credit for that with what he tried to do to Dad and the boys. Not to mention making me come with him, not giving me a choice.

Sammy squeezes my shoulder again before he sits back, and my gaze turns to the window, watching the tree tops slide past us.

The car is silent as it takes me further away from Mom, Dad, and the rest of my brothers. The driver only gave me a hello of greeting when I was forced to come out to it. It was nearly seven-thirty by then and I’d hoped that it meant he’d changed his mind when he didn’t come back right away.

Hoped that he’d thought about it more and decided a human mate wasn’t even close to being what he wanted or needed and left without me. Which would give me the chance to convince Mom and Dad to let me leave this place. Even with Alpha Thomas and his sons dead, Dana as well from the sound of it, it didn’t mean it was safe for me to stay here.

Their friends would simply make my life worse. Blame me for this somehow—especially if they ever learnt that Cole was supposedly my mate. The attempted abuse would likely grow worse each passing day if I didn’t get out of here—but I’d wanted to do it on my own, with or without my parents and brothers. Not with a man that thinks he owns me.

So when the clock slid around to seven and he wasn’t back, I’d started to breathe easier. Until he walked back through the door with Dad, the look on his face when he saw me was pure possession and it made me want to run even more from what was to come once he had me in his house, under his rule.

Now, the moon’s entirely out, moving higher in the sky.

The stars are about all I can see, and I glance towards the front of the car. The clock shows it’s eleven twenty-three and I let out a soft sigh, easing myself to sit a bit differently in the seat.

“We should reach Jackson in about thirty minutes. We’ll stop to gas up there,” the giant states and I avoid looking up at him still. “You must be hungry. We can get food and find somewhere so you can rest for the night.”

“I’m not hungry or tired,” I reply returning my gaze to the stars ignoring his huff of annoyance.

We pull into a gas station first and I let Sammy help me out, going to the bathroom then straight back to the car to avoid the giant and his attempts to talk to me. I don’t care what he says, and who knows, maybe he’ll get tired of it and leave Sammy and I somewhere rather than force me to go all the way into his mountains with him.

“What do you want to eat?” Sammy asks, standing in the doorway next to me after I slip into my seat.

“Nothing,” I admit pulling a frown from him. “There’s no way I’m going to stomach food anywhere near him.”

A low growl makes me shiver slightly and Sammy squeezes my hand gently before shutting the door. I glance out it, seeing him and the giant talking, the dark look on his face showing yet again why I don’t want to be in this damn car.

A couple minutes later, Sammy slips in around me, settling into the back again, before making sure my seatbelt is buckled. He’s no more in his spot than the front doors open, Cole and the driver getting in, and I shut my eyes as I rest my head on a pillow to ignore the giant.

A growling grumble sounds from him, but I don’t care. If I didn’t know he’d force me right back into this car, I’d get out and walk away from him right now. I won’t risk him releasing the savagery inside him on me though, and I try to simply breathe as the car pulls out onto the street.

The smell of french fries hits hard as the car slows once more and my eyes peek open, spotting the McDonald’s menu board growing larger.

The back window next to me rolls down when we reach the speaker, and a hint of a smile settles onto my lips when Sammy starts ordering for us. His question of whether they have ice cream makes my stomach growl a bit, and I don’t argue overly when the food is handed over to us. We pull around the corner and park, and Sammy takes out my fries, dipping one into the ice cream teasing me with it.

“Come on, I know you can’t resist an icy fry,” he says, and I give in, taking the bite before using the rest of them to scoop up the McFlurry. He tries to hand over the double cheeseburger he got for me, and I shake my head no. “Mora, you need to eat more.”

“I’m full.”

“I ordered it with no pickles the way you like, Sis. Just try, for me?” he adds but I can’t stomach another bite and shake my head no again. “Mora…”

“If I eat anything else I’m likely to be sick,” I warn, and he thankfully gives up for now, letting me settle back into the seat to gaze at the night sky once more.

There’s no conversation once we get back onto the road until about two a.m. when Cole offers to stop for the night again.

“We’re good,” Sammy says, his voice only half-awake. “She’ll sleep when she’s ready.”

It’s almost four before we stop again for gas, and I slip into the bathroom once more while Sammy grabs more drinks for us. He settles me back into the car, handing over the hot chocolate he got for me, settling the blanket up around me more.

“I’m right here, Sis. I’ve got you but you need to sleep, I don’t want you getting sick again,” Sammy adds, and I let the warm comfort of the drink relax me. My eyes grow heavy until I can’t keep them open, and I fade into sleep finally, with his hand resting on my shoulder.