Shifters

Chapter 32

Damian straightened up. He quickly let his claws retreat.

"Yes." He answered.

The tow truck driver nodded awkwardly. "You want someone to tow it?"

"That would be nice."

The driver turned his head sideways. "Alright, hop on, I'll give you a ride to town."

Damian and Kayla exchanged wary glances before approaching the truck. When they'd settled themselves in, the driver turned up the air conditioner concerned that they were in the beginning stages of heat exhaustion. He hooked the old Altima to the car, it melted behind the truck shamefully.

The town was small and intimate. The mechanic at the yard was too eager to have work to do, he referred the lobains to an old woman's breakfast and board house. She was delighted to have them stay, and for a decent price too. It was run solely by the sweet old woman, she had in her employment a cook, and two maids who were each very fond of her and did much more than their job descriptions.

They were told it would be at least a day before the car was ready, maybe more, but nothing over three days. By now, Kayla and Damian had been away from home for an entire week! The Pelisian hoped her parents had received the encoded letter, so they'd know she was okay. She missed them. After dinner, they each made their way to their own separate bedrooms on the second floor. It felt like it had been ages since they had their own privacy. They nodded goodnight and disappeared inside them.

Kayla had already showered, and borrowed some clothes from the innkeeper. She needed new ones. Maybe tomorrow she'd be able to make a quick stop at a store in town to buy clean clothes to finish the journey. The room was very cute, much more homey than most hotels, with an old TV that generated static snow, large drapes over the window, and a huge comforter that cradled her as she laid down on the queen sized bed. The closet was full of extra blankets and pillows. The walls were painted warmly. Everything about the room was inviting, with a vintage charm to it. However, she still felt distant.

For hours, she tossed and turned over the soft bed. It held on to her in a tight hug, attempting to comfort her, but it only managed to make her feel suffocated. She grabbed all the extra pillows out of the closet and littered them around her, they helped for a few minutes. Then the terrifying loneliness consumed her again. Outside the window, she listened to the sounds of a quiet town, thinking of the people out there, the people she feared. She should be able to protect herself easily, and yet, she couldn't. It was almost like she was disabled. Damian could handle himself, if he'd been the one kidnapped he would've gotten home fine, all by himself. Probably sooner too, since Kayla had an itching suspicion that she was slowing them down. Same for Raul, he would've been fine on his own, but because Kayla couldn't take care of herself, he'd been beaten to death fighting her fight. Her chest tightened painfully and she took in a shaky breath.

She hated how helpless she was, but worst of all, she hated how clueless she'd been. She would've never realized how disabled she really was had it not been for this, and now she was forced to look at her reflection with true clarity. She would've died days ago had it not been for Raul and Damian. She couldn't protect her own pack. What kind of leader would she be? Being an heir felt like a curse to her.

The shadows in the cute room seemed to stretch over her, into thin claws, slowly creeping around her. It felt odd to sleep alone, she'd only shared a space with Damian for a few days, but now, with a wall between them, she felt isolated beyond belief. She wondered if he felt the same way too. Probably not. He can defend himself, he'd be alright no matter what.

When she felt like she couldn't take the suffocation anymore, she jumped out of the bed. The door opened silently, like a ghost, and she tip toed down the stairs and into the living room. The same loneliness consumed her, but it didn't feel as harsh as when she'd been in the bedroom. She propped herself onto the sofa and looked at the antique decorations hanging on the walls. This house gave the same elderly tenderness as the old woman who ran it.