12. Raul

12

RAUL

I gazed up at the road to Shandaken and located her house, it was set between two, spruce trees. Her closest neighbor was well over two hundred yards away, and there were no trees near or around his house. Once she had turned out her light, I could go to bed, knowing that she was safe and sound.

Had my Alpha or another member of the pack discovered anything about her, I would have heard them coming. Shifters are anything but subtle. They don't mind making noise. The thrill of the hunt excited them too much to keep quiet. In essence, it would be like a herd of horses, galloping up the mountainside. I'd hear their frenetic yips and barks long before they got close. Hell, they would be audible throughout Dawson.

I continued my routine every night. On Saturday, under a cloudy sky, I walked out into my front yard to take up my watch. My gaze returned to the spot where had saved my life not too long ago, while my sharp hearing was focused, listening for any of the tell-tale noises.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught two pairs of headlights tearing though the darkness of the main road an instant before I heard the engines. In a heartbeat, the one in front had come to a halt outside Monica's home and the other one came to a fast stop behind it. Worry washed over me. I was too far away to see the make and model of the vehicles. God only knew who they were. Perhaps her ex was back in his black Camry and had decided to bring a friend along to back him up. Another assault on her person?

Shift. Protect.

My gut instincts demanded. It couldn't bear the thought of my doctor being cornered by anybody, no matter who they were. However, it was almost 7:30 pm, much too early for me to use the wolf. People were still driving out of and coming into Shandaken. Pushing the urge down I opted for the next best thing.

Leaping off my porch I raced to get the keys to my silver Heritage Classic.

It had the speed to get me up the hill and if this was not a threat it would avoid any further awkwardness between me and Monica. I grabbed the keys from the kitchen table and ran at full speed to the motorcycle. I swung my leg over the saddle as I turned the key in the ignition. I put the motorcycle into gear and released the clutch, causing it to jerk forward. Its thunderheaders roared across the valley as I turned it around and raced it off of my property.

I twisted on the throttle as the winding road up the hill came into view. Twelve, hairpin bends, each fraught with danger for the ignorant and unsuspecting, but not for me. I knew every inch of this road. Exactly which parts of the asphalt would retain water, and which would freeze. Even a tiny layer of ice could throw me off my bike and into the dirt.

The Classic's exhausts growling in the night, and I glanced down at the speedometer. I was doing seventy-two miles an hour and the needle was going slowly up as I navigated the tight turns. As I exited the last hairpin bend, I opened it up all the way, letting the machine loose as I emerged onto the main road in a rumbling blast of speed.

I didn't have far left to go. A quarter of a mile later, I was racing up to the cars that had parked at her house. One was a white Grand Cherokee and the other was a small, red BMW. They were both neatly parked parallel to the sidewalk. These are not the kind of vehicles I would expect an enemy to be driving.

My fear and concerns evaporated as a familiar, beautiful scent filled my nostrils. Strawberry. Along with Monica's sweet caramel, there was also a strong scent of cinnamon.

Halting the bike and putting my feet on the ground, I gazed out at the road, and then back to Monica's front door. Damn it… That woman didn't know it, but she affected me in ways no one else could. I knew, now, that she was safe and sound, but I didn't have the slightest clue what to do. Stay and interrupt a night in with her friends? Or leave and try to forget about her for good?

"Raul! Raul!"

I whipped my head back in the direction of her front door to see that Monica had come outside. She was holding her hands over her ears as she walked over to me.

"Sorry," I told her, switching off the engine.

"God, what a racket!" She protested. "Doesn't it bother you?"

"On the contrary. It's one of the things I love about bikes," I maintained, though my ears were still buzzing from the roaring rumble. I nodded towards the parked cars. "I see you've got company."

"Ahem…" Someone cleared her throat. Looking past Monica, which was entirely more difficult than it had any right to be, I recognized her redheaded friend who was standing under the doorframe. "Hi, Raul. Nice bike. I didn't know you were into motorcycles."

"Hey, Stacy," I uttered in a lower voice, feeling disgruntled by the interruption.

"Come in," Monica urged, jerking my attention back to her and offering me the temptation that her smiling face provided. "Come, have a drink with me and the girls."

"Nah…" I shook my head, forcing the negative out despite wanting nothing more, except to be alone with her. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Stupid. Why did I say that? Her eyes widened only slightly but the corners of her lips curled into a grin that made me want to kiss her. Again. Desire was overriding all common sense. I needed to get out of this, get away from her, but my mouth continued running itself as if it had a mind of its own. "It's, uh, been days since the last time I saw you."

"Stacy, get me my coat, please," she requested, looking at her friend over her shoulder.

"You won't need it," I replied, my eyes on the red button of the ignition. No. I cannot take her on a ride. I cannot have her near me. I cannot be here. "I'm out of here."

"Yes, I will," Monica disagreed, as Stacy came back out with a thick, brown coat in her grasp. "I'm going to do something I've never done before. For your information, I am terrified of motorcycles."

"What…?" I froze, watching as she swung her left leg over the saddle but did nothing to stop her.

This is bad. Really bad. Stop it. Now.

"Let's go for a ride," she said as she leaned forward. "Just you and me."

Once more my tongue betrayed my will. I knew this was wrong. The exact stupidest thing I could do. The most rebellious. The most dangerous. But then, I've always been a rebel and there is no stopping the effect she had on me.

"You got it," I accepted, and I couldn't stop the smile that got so wide it hurt. I started the bike, and the powerful engine fired into life as her arms encircled my stomach. The desperation and strength of her grip were a good indication of how much she feared this. I didn't say anything, already committed to her terrible idea. I liked how she disregarded her fears for the chance to be alone with me. If nothing else, it showed what she wanted was a few minutes away from her everyday routine. I'd take her on a ride through the countryside, where she and I could have a quiet word with one another… Alone.

And maybe… No! A word. That's it. This is too dangerous for anything else.