The Mates of Monsters

Chapter 6

A knock strikes my door before the sun has risen. I turn in bed and squeeze my pillow against my chest. The darkness outside of my windows tells me it's far too early to function. I hardly got enough sleep considering the emotional toll that's been dragging me through the mud for longer than I would like. I'm supposed to be long gone by now.

Another knock comes. This time he asks, "Are you awake?"

If I refuse to answer, will he think I'm dead? I turn back over and hike the covers up to my shoulders. After a minute of silence, the door slowly opens behind me. I bite my lip and close my eyes as I feel his gaze settle on me.

"Brigette," he says, "we have to go."

I hold my breath.

"I know you're awake."

My aching body shifts. "What? Did the bond tell you?"

"No. Your breathing." The Alpha's footsteps then trail back out the door as he says, "We're leaving in twenty minutes."

When I look over my shoulder, he's gone. So I slowly get out of bed and grab the few things I have in the room, feeling like a nuisance, a disappointment. I don't know what to say. It's like what happened last night didn't happen even though I know I've hurt him.

It was stupid to attempt what I did. He said it himself; I wouldn't get very far, but I suppose I had to try anyway. If I didn't try, I don't know if I would ever forgive myself.

I make my way downstairs with my bag slung on my shoulder, not bothering to change out of my pajamas. David is speaking to the man who brought me here the first night. I wait patiently until he looks to me. His eyes wash over me as he speaks, and for once I feel like he sees something different. Sure, I wasn't giving him much to work with before, but damage has been done and I'm scared his opinion of me has shifted from defiant to evil.

Maybe I shouldn't care how he sees me. I know that's easier said than done, though.

The man walks out the open front door. David tells me, "Come on."

Unlike the days before, I act obediently. I follow close behind him as he exits the house. We come upon two discrete, black SUVs. "We're driving?" I ask.

"It's easier this way—with your things," he says.

He opens the back door of the first car and peers back to me. With a nod, he tells me to get in, so I climb up and slide across the back seats to the other end. David gets in after me and closes the door. The familiar man is in the drivers seat. He glances back to David and with another nod, the engine starts. I don't bother looking over the town one last time as we drive through—one last, silent goodbye. Instead, I bring my knees up and hug them against my chest as my eyes aim downward. My body leans against the car door, feeling the machine subtly rumble against me.

There is a folder and a laptop tucked in the seat pocket in front of him, but he doesn't work. He stares out the window with his fist raised—his bent finger pressed against his lip as he thinks. My eyes run over his large bicep and trail down the side of his body. I hold my breath and bring my eyes back to my knees. If I made things easy, maybe he would be next to me right now. Maybe we would be chatting about our interests or habits or pet peeves. Maybe I would know more about him other than the fact that he's an Alpha.

It doesn't take long to leave town, the mountains, and to be consumed by long, flat, winding roads that cut through forest. My eyes rotate: scenery, driver, David, my lap, and repeat. Eventually, I bring my bag onto my lap and sift through for my phone. I see a message from my mother wishing me luck and another from Lindsey, again wishing me the best from both her and Timothy. I sigh and drop the device from my line of vision.