MoonlightDrifter
Page 10
A glance out the window showed the sun was setting, which mean the guards outside the cabin would be changing shifts. If she was going to run away, it was now or never. Aria slipped out of her clothes, shifted into her animal, and dug her way out of the room. Once she popped out on the other side, nose twitching, she froze and scanned the area, looking for signs of trouble. It looked like no one was paying attention to her. Fast as she could, she made a dash for it, leaving the pack behind her.
Aria didn’t stop until she reached a small settlement not far from the highway. She shifted back, grabbed some clothes off a line in someone’s backyard, and made her way to the road. She’d have to be careful, if her pack had realized she was missing, they would be searching for her. Watching from the tree line, she waited until she saw a car with out of state plates on the front. Texans were friendly, right?
Stepping up to the edge of the highway, she held out her thumb, hoping they would stop and give her a lift. Hitchhiking was dangerous, but it had to be safer than staying with her family. Anything had to be safer than that.
The car slowed and pulled over. The man behind the wheel appeared to be in his sixties and gave her a kindly smile. Aria pulled open the door and slid into the passenger’s seat.
“Thank you for stopping,” she said.
“Young thing like you shouldn’t be hitchhiking.” He noticed the bruises on her arms and frowned. “Are you in some sort of trouble?”
“My family can’t find me,” she confided. “I need to get as far from here as possible, as fast as possible.”
He nodded and put the car in gear. “Buckle up. I’m on my way to Chattanooga. You just tell me when you want to be let out.”
“Is Ashton Grove, Georgia on the way? I think it’s in the mountains.”
He smiled at her. “Well, if it isn’t, I’ll get you as close as I can. You just sit back and rest. We’ll have you somewhere safe soon.”
“Thank you.” Aria let her eyes drift closed, finally able to relax for the first time in a while. Not much longer and she’d be safe with Amber, the shifter she’d been talking to in Ashton Grove.
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“You’re awake, I see.”
She swallowed and stared at him in wonder, having never seen a man quite so beautiful. His black hair, layered to frame his face, fell to his shoulders. Eyes so blue they seemed ethereal watched her with concern. His nose was long and straight and led to full, kissable lips, ones she suddenly wanted to nibble. She felt as if a magnet were pulling her toward him as her body swayed in his direction.
Stubble along his square jaw gave him a bad boy look that she found to be oddly appealing. She wanted to run her fingers along that jaw and feel the rasp of his whiskers against her skin. She felt hypnotized, enthralled.
“Not talking?” he asked.
Her gaze returned to his. A mistake, for sure, as his stare robbed her of the ability to speak. For that matter, the man robbed her of all senses except the ones urging her to run her hands over his biceps and see if his mouth tasted as yummy as it looked. Her body flushed hot, her blood boiling in her veins, as desire blazed through her. Clenching her thighs together, she tried to stave off the needy ache growing within her.
Salena quickly looked away. She’d never reacted to men this way and wasn’t sure she liked feeling this powerless now. In another moment, she would have been rubbing against him like a cat in heat. She didn’t know what the hell was wrong with her, but she needed to figure it out and shut it off. The man was here inquiring about her health and she wanted to strip him naked and ride him like a cowgirl.
I’m often asked if I listen to music while I write, and the answer is YES! I like to loop single songs or entire CDs while I work. These are some of the songs I listened to while working on Moonlight Drifter (you’ll see I have rather eclectic taste):
Kokomo by The Beach Boys
Surf City (CD) by Jan and Dean
Timber by Pitbull and Kesha
Turn Down for What by DJ Snake and Lil Jon
Whistle by Flo Rida
Love the Way You Lie by Eminem
The Monster by Eminem
Red Red Wine by UB40
Let me Go by Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger
Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri
Redneck Crazy by Tyler Farr
Tippin’ Point by Dallas Smith
About the Author
Jessica lives in a world where warlocks, shapeshifters and fairies exist, and everyone deserves a happy ending -- from tragic vampires finally finding love after centuries of being alone, to super hunky womanizing werewolves finding their destined mate –- it’s all in a day’s work.
Unable to find a werewolf of her very own, she decided to marry someone who thinks he’s one -– minus howling at the full moon, fleas, and a rousing game of chase-the-mailman. Okay, so he sometimes howls at the full moon.
When she isn't writing, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, reading (mostly romance), or going to the beach. She’s especially fond of bookstores and Starbucks!