by Lynn Hagen
“I smell fear. Talk to me, Dorian.”
Dorian fisted his hands in his lap, glancing at the man who was not only winning his heart, but who would either lead a rebellion, or die trying. How could he not respect someone like that?
“I’m scared,” he admitted.
“So am I.”
Dorian couldn’t believe the mighty Rick had admitted that. “Really?”
“I walked around for the past four years making sure I didn’t seem weak in anyone’s eyes. I fought for respect, made my pack the strongest, only rivaled by the leopards to our south. And now that I face what could amount to my death, I realize that my strength didn’t come from who I bested, but who I cared for, who I helped along the way. It should be the same way in this fight. I’m not only going to help nonhumans, but humans as well. They’ve shown me that not all are bad.”
“And I’ve been shown that not all changelings are bad.”
“Exactly,” Rick said and then reached over, squeezing Dorian’s hand before releasing it. “And I’m glad I have you by my side.”
“Didn’t I warn you about being so damn nice to me?” Dorian asked, hiding how he was truly feeling.
Rick chuckled. “That you did. Sit back and shut the fuck up. Better?”
“Much.” Dorian sat back, adjusting his position so he wouldn’t put so much pressure on his healing shoulder, and then closed his eyes. Hopefully, when he woke up, this would have all been a dream.
Rick yawned, blinking a few times as he drove down the long stretch of darkened highway. It didn’t help that his back window was still busted. The cool night air was tempting him to fall asleep. He knew he needed to stop for the night, but he also knew he couldn’t check into a motel under his name. Luckily, the last motel had taken double the amount the room was worth as long as Rick didn’t have to show ID.
He wasn’t so sure that would keep working. He needed a new identity for him and Dorian. The credit cards and bank cards he was carrying would no longer be useful for him. If the government was involved, Rick was sure they were tracking him.
As much as he hated to think it, he had to change vehicles, too. He could have Nate come pick up his Mustang and store it for him. It was riddled with bullet holes and sported a busted back windshield, but it wasn’t anything Rick couldn’t have fixed.
He also needed to get a throwaway phone.
Living on the run wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. There were many things he had to consider now that he never had to consider before.
Like Dorian’s safety.
The man was knocked out cold in the passenger’s seat. Dorian had woken up in pain, and Rick had pulled over, giving him one of the painkillers. He checked Dorian’s shoulder, made sure it was healing properly, and then the human had passed out.
That was four hours ago.
Rick spotted a gas station up ahead, lights still on, and decided to stop. He needed to get out and stretch. He also had to use the bathroom. Pulling in, Rick made sure the car was far enough away from the front door so no cameras could record him, and then got out. He locked the car up—even though the car had no back window—and hurried around back.
The men’s door was locked, so Rick moved further behind the building and took care of his business nature’s way. Once he was done, he walked back around front, checked to make sure Dorian was still asleep, and then walked into the store.
Dorian needed fluids. Rick grabbed three bottles of Gatorade and then headed toward the counter, trying to keep his head down and his face off camera. Overparanoid? Maybe, but he had no idea if his every move wasn’t being dogged by the Death Squad. Nate had managed to keep them occupied long enough for Rick to get away, but he wasn’t sure how good they were at tracking him down.
Two days in the motel had been nerve racking. Rick had stayed glued to the window most of the time, waiting, watching for the black SUV.
He went for his wallet and stopped. He couldn’t use his credit card here. Digging into his front pocket, Rick inwardly groaned when he realized he only had twenty-five dollars. He was going to have to call Nate for some cash.
“That it?” the cashier asked.
Rick nodded, handing the man the twenty. As he waited for his change, Rick glanced at the newspaper stand and nearly cursed. As casually as he could, Rick grabbed his change, and the Gatorade, and headed for the door, praying the cashier didn’t recognize Rick’s face from the photo of him and Dorian on the front page of the newspaper.
Chapter Fifteen
Nate paced the entrance to the Great Oak Forest. He knew he and Selene had been followed part of the way, but he had gotten rid of his tail before arriving here. He wasn’t sure who had been following him, but Nate knew that the Death Squad would be coming after him just as soon as they killed Rick.
The way the human had looked at Nate when he helped Rick escape had said as much. The promise in the man’s cold blue eyes told Nate that even if he wasn’t on the hit list, the human now had a personal ax to grind with Nate.
He had called Rick and found out about the anonymous call. It shocked him to the core that the government was behind all of this. It shouldn’t, but it did. Now more than ever the changelings had to stay off of the radar. If what Rick told him was true, then his life, along with all nonhumans’ lives, was about to forever change.
“How much longer are we going to wait?” Selene asked as she leaned against Nate’s battered Yukon. “He’s late.”
“He’ll be here,” Nate said, praying he was right. If he wasn’t, then they were being set up. It was to the point that he didn’t know who to trust. Rick’s life was in danger, and from what the alpha had told him, a war was starting. Nate had to be careful who he dealt with and who he trusted.
He stopped pacing and turned when he heard a car coming their way. The headlights had been doused, and the car was moving very slowly. The wheels crunched over gravel as it grew closer.
“Is that him?” Selene asked, her hand going to her gun she kept in a shoulder holster. “I can’t see into the tinted windows.”
“I’ll check it out. You stay here and watch my back.”
Selene gave him a grim nod. He was told to come alone, but Nate had argued that he wasn’t coming without Selene. She was an enforcer, under his command. If Nate needed someone who could get him out of a messy situation, the female werewolf was his top pick.
She had proven herself in the pack, hunting with stealthy patience and killing without a second thought or hesitation.
And Nate had fallen in love with her beauty and strength—although he hadn’t told her, and never would. Selene wasn’t the type to settle down, and Nate wasn’t the type to force anyone to mate him. Even though she could handle her own with the best of them, it still didn’t stop him from worrying about her safety.
As Nate approached the oncoming car, his eyes slid to the trees surrounding them. Being overly cautious was his way of life. He had a pack to protect and an alpha as well. It bruised his ego that he couldn’t get Rick out of this mess.
The car finally stopped. The back door opened.
Sasha stepped out, but didn’t close the door. It seemed Nate wasn’t the only one paranoid these days.
“Nathaniel,” Sasha said in his lazy cat voice, but Nate knew better. The alpha leopard was on edge. “I’m told by Remus that you wanted a meeting with me.”
Nate nodded. “Rick wants me to convey a message to you.” Nate wasn’t so sure telling the cat changeling what was going on was the smartest thing to do. But it wasn’t his call. Rick wanted as many allies as he could garner.
Sasha nodded, all pretense slipping away. “Convey the message then.” His voice had changed to all seriousness as Nate neared the car. He didn’t know who else was with Sasha, but he could smell other leopards.
“He doesn’t want an audience in on the conversation.”
Sasha looked into the car and then shut the door, walking toward the edge of the woods. “We are out of earshot.”
/> Nate told Sasha what Rick had told him about the impending war. He still couldn’t believe it himself. It was like a bad script out of a B-rated movie. It didn’t seem real. Sasha must have thought the same thing, because his eyes burned with disbelief.
“A Death Squad?” he asked. “Seriously?”
Nate nodded. “They tried to take Rick and Dorian out on Route 3, by the Mason County safe house.”
Sasha stood so still that he didn’t even look like he was breathing. It only reminded Nate that he was not only dealing with an alpha, but a very dangerous creature. Changelings didn’t make alpha status unless they were very lethal. “Are they okay?” he finally asked.
“I caused a diversion so they could get away, but Dorian was shot.”
“They shot the human?” Sasha asked, his tone becoming feral. It would have been an odd reaction for a changeling to have, but Nate had met Dorian and knew how Sasha felt. The man was feisty and had a spine of steel. Who wouldn’t respect that? It also helped that Dorian was handsome as hell. Sasha apparently thought so, too.
“Rick called me from the motel he was holed up in. He said Dorian was recovering, but hadn’t gained consciousness yet. That was yesterday, and he hasn’t called me back or returned my calls since.”
Nate knew Rick was leaving the state, but he left that information out. Rick didn’t want anyone besides Nate to know where he was. When the man found a place to rest, he would call.
“Consider me an ally. Tell Rick that if he needs anything from me, it’s his.”
“He thinks you might be on the extermination list as well since you are an alpha.”
Sasha hissed. “Let them try. I’ve come up against tougher enemies.”
Good to know, even though Nate wanted to ask what enemies could be tougher than the ones they all faced. “I’ll relay the message.”
“One more thing,” Sasha said as Nate turned to leave.
“Yeah?”
“Tell Rick that I may know who killed those boys down at the waterfront.”
Nate nodded. “I’ll tell him.” He walked back over to Selene, waving for her to get into the truck. He wouldn’t feel better until they were away from the forest. There were too many places for someone to hide. Although Nate hadn’t smelled anyone, it wasn’t impossible for someone to spy on them from the darkened copse of trees.
“Ramen noodles?” Dorian asked as Rick slid the small cup toward him.
“Until Nate brings me some cash, that’s all we can afford. Sorry it’s not a steak dinner.”
The term we hadn’t gone unnoticed, but Dorian left it alone. He was starving, and was grateful for any food right about now. “This is fine.” He wasn’t sure why he liked the fact that Rick had made it sound like they were a team. He should have taken the out Rick had given him, but Dorian knew he wasn’t going anywhere.
So why did having Rick so close make Dorian feel things he shouldn’t be feeling? Dorian ate as he stole glances at Rick. He was trying desperately to figure out why he was so attracted to the man. They had fooled around, but that did not mean they had feelings for one another.
A lot of people fooled around and went their separate ways. Only Dorian was stuck with Rick. But the emotion churning inside of him wasn’t one of detachment.
It should be.
Dorian didn’t want a mate, so he needed to stop looking at Rick with something close to adoration. Maybe being shot short-circuited his brain.
Rick took a seat at the picnic table. They had stopped at a rest stop along the highway, sleeping for the night in the cramped space of the Mustang. He hadn’t known where they were when he finally woke from the pain meds, but found Rick fast asleep beside him and knew they were safe for the moment.
What worried him was that someone might spot them. Rick told Dorian about them making front-page news.
Wasn’t Jayson going to love this? The man was going to burst with excitement as he showed Cherry that she was right in accusing Rick of being changeling. He could just hear the surprise when they saw Dorian’s picture right next to Rick’s.
He almost wished he was a fly on the wall when Jayson read the paper.
“Excuse me, sir.” Rick got up and walked over to an elderly man. Dorian wasn’t sure what Rick was up to until he saw the stranger smile and hand Rick his phone. Rick talked quickly into it and then hit a few buttons—more than needed to end the call. He handed the phone back to the gentlemen and then walked back over to Dorian.
“What was that all about?” Dorian asked. “What if he had recognized you from the paper?”
“I used his phone to call Nate so our location couldn’t be traced. When I was done, I erased the log.” Rick shrugged. “As far as being recognized, it was a chance I had to take in order to help us out.”
Dorian was impressed. “So now what?”
“We meet him at a truck stop five miles from here. It’ll take him some time to get here, but he’s bringing not only cash, but another car, a throwaway cell phone, and some clothes for both of us.” Rick grinned. “I had to guess at your size since you won’t let me in your pants.”
The play on words made Dorian laugh. Even when their very lives were in danger, and they had a government Death Squad out to kill them, Rick was still thinking about sex. “I hope you guessed right.”
“Let me into your pants and I’ll see if I was correct.”
Dorian shoved noodles into his mouth to stop himself from saying yes. They were sitting in broad daylight, people around them, and Rick was not only making him blush, but his cock was getting hard.
“Fine,” Rick said. “Have it your way.”
If Dorian had it his way, he would be giving Rick exactly what he was asking for. But he was not about to have sex in a public bathroom or in the backseat of the Mustang that was riddled with bullets and had a busted back window. Dorian groaned. He wasn’t about to have sex, period. Although he was glad Rick parked the car between two trucks to hide the evidence that they weren’t just normal travelers passing through.
“I think we’ve hung out here long enough,” Rick said as he stood. “I don’t want anyone to recognize us.”
Dorian finished the last of his food and then tossed the empty container into the trash can. That was when he noticed that Rick hadn’t eaten. “Where are your noodles?”
“In my head,” Rick teased.
“Seriously,” Dorian said, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.
Rick ignored him as he crossed the small area and walked between the trucks, getting into the car. But Dorian refused to budge on the matter as he followed Rick until he had an answer.
“Get in.”
“Tell me.”
Rick looked pissed. “I didn’t have enough cash. Now will you get in the fucking car?”
Dorian hurried. People were starting to look their way. As soon as he slid into the seat—which wasn’t as smoothly as he would have liked considering his shoulder was starting to throb again—he thought about what Rick had said. “So you went hungry so I could eat?”
“Drop it, Dorian.” Rick started the car and pulled away.
“I told you once already that I’m not changeling. If you want someone to obey your every word, get a dog.”
Rick slammed on the brakes, and Dorian flew forward. If Rick hadn’t reached out and stopped him, the dashboard could have done some serious damage. His shoulder began to throb painfully.
“You refused to leave, so we are in this together. You need to listen to me.”
“I will, when it matters. But blindly obeying your every command isn’t something I’m going to do. I do have a mind of my own, and I know how to use it.”
Rick grunted. “Put your damn seat belt on.”
As soon as Dorian clicked it into place, Rick pulled away. Dorian didn’t say another word.
After about a mile of silence, Rick spoke. “I don’t want you blindly obeying me.”
The hard shell of Rick was cracking. “Then stop taking my head off when I
don’t listen to you,” Dorian said in a calmer tone. “Even my dad talks to me with respect. I haven’t disrespected you, so why do you disrespect me?”
Rick looked stunned. “I have never disrespected you.”
“Talking to me like I’m worthless is disrespect, Rick.”
Rick opened his mouth and then closed it. He looked like he was mulling Dorian’s words over. That was more than Dorian expected. He remained quiet, giving Rick the room to think about how he talked to Dorian at times.
“I’ll try not to assert my dominance so much.”
Dorian smiled. “Thank you.”
He hadn’t won, not by a longshot, because Dorian knew Rick couldn’t help who he was. But at least now the man would think before he snapped at Dorian…maybe.
“We have company,” Rick said.
Dorian looked into the side mirror to see a state highway patrol car behind them. The lights were flashing. “Shit, do you think someone recognized us back there?”
“I’m not sure, but he isn’t using his siren. I’m not sure pulling over is the healthiest thing for us to do, though.”
“What if it’s just a routine stop? If we gun it out of here, we’ll let everyone know where we are.”
Dorian tensed when Rick slowed and then pulled over. His heart was beating so wildly that it made his shoulder pain intensify. He glanced at the glove box. If the cop tried to arrest them, Dorian was going for the gun. Rick had a rebellion to lead. Nothing and no one was going to stand in their way. Lives depended on them staying not only out of jail, but alive. If they were taken in and then handed over to the Death Squad, the fight would be lost before they had a chance to stop the government.
“Be calm,” Rick said from beside him. “Let me do all the talking.”
Rick rolled his window down when the cop walked up to the door. “Did I do something wrong?” he asked.
The cop bent at the waist, glancing inside, looking first at Rick and then Dorian. “Maybe.”
Dorian was getting a bad feeling about this. What cop said maybe? His stomach was tight with tension, his shoulder throbbed with pain, but Dorian remained relaxed on the outside.