Chapter Seven
Jude was half-asleep as his head rested on Neo’s shoulder. He didn’t need to worry about staying close as Neo had a protective arm around him and was holding him tight. Once out of Los Gatos they’d hitched a lift on a semi carrying grain and they’d now been heading inland for several hours.
The driver was a burly guy with a sullen expression. Jude wondered why he’d bothered to give them a ride. It wasn’t as if he’d wanted conversation. His words had been few and far between and he’d grunted when they’d expressed gratitude.
Jude got the feeling Neo didn’t like him. Neo had placed himself between Jude and the driver, and his body language suggested he was either alert, on edge, or both.
Which meant Jude could relax a little and look out at the dark landscape. Hills had switched to forest, giant Redwoods that had grown majestically for centuries. There was no habitation for miles at a time. The odd log cabin set back from the road on a long driveway but other than that, only dense forest. The towns were small and quiet, the truck mainly taking circular routes around them.
“Fuel,” the driver muttered, pulling into an isolated garage on the upward gradient of a large hill. There was only one pump and a dim light came from the night payment kiosk. The worker appeared to be sleeping with his head on his hands.
“Sure,” Neo said.
Jude lifted his head as the truck came to a stop. He yawned and stretched out his spine, rotated his neck.
“You okay?” Neo asked, linking his fingers and stretching them in front of himself until they cracked.
“Yeah. All good.”
The driver turned off the engine and opened the door. The warm night air slid in along with the smell of gasoline. He jumped out and slammed the door.
The silence was deafening.
“Cheery guy, huh,” Jude said.
“I don’t like him. But we haven’t got much farther to go. We’ll stick with him another couple of miles then get him to drop us off.”
“And after that?”
“It’s a hike through the woods.” Neo swept his lips over Jude’s.
“Really. At night?”
“I told you. Live a little. Life is all about the adventure, the journey, not the destination.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I need to think of that a bit more.”
“I won’t let you forget, not now that you’re mine.” Neo reached for the door and shoved it open. “I need a piss.”
Jude opened his mouth to speak. To question Neo’s ownership over him. But Neo slipped from view and shut the door, and again silence wrapped around him.
Not that he minded Neo’s possessiveness. It suited Jude. He’d always wished Carl had been a bit more possessive instead of ambivalent as to where Jude had been or who he’d been with. Jude had thought on more than one occasion if he’d two-timed Carl, he wouldn’t have minded in the slightest. In fact, it would have just given him permission to do the same.
He glanced to the right and spotted Neo walking to the row of trees lining the forecourt. Jude could do with relieving himself, too, but Neo had said they only had another few miles to go so he’d wait.
The driver paid for his fuel then walked back to the cab. He opened the door and climbed in. When he sat heavily his chair creaked. He glanced at Jude and his eyes widened slightly. “Where’s your buddy, pretty boy?”
Jude frowned. “Gone for a piss.”
“Left you all alone, huh?”
A knot of nerves wound in Jude’s belly. He didn’t like the way this man was looking at him, all slack-mouthed, red-cheeked and with a glint of menace in his eyes.
Jude shuffled away from him and wished Neo would hurry up.
But the driver reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Where you going?”
“Ow! Get off.” Jude yanked his arm but to no avail.
The driver’s fat beefy fingers had a firm grip.
“Let go of me.”
“Nah, perhaps I’ll make the most of you. Fuck you myself.” He started the engine with his free hand. “Haven’t had such a cute twink in a while.”
Nausea rolled in Jude’s belly as adrenaline spurted into his system. This man was a creep of the highest order. It was time to get the hell out of his cab.
He tried to peel the fingers wrapped around his wrist, but the cab lurched forward.
“Your buddy might be a big hunk, but he can’t out run a truck.” The driver chuckled and used his free hand to ram up the gears.
“Fucking hell, get off me. Let me go.” Jude squirmed on the seat then whacked the driver over his shoulder.
He turned to him. “Stop that, you’ll make it worse for yourself.”
“Let me go.” Jude aimed a punch his way but missed.
Suddenly, the cab door to Jude’s right flew open. He was aware of Neo’s presence before he saw him.
Then Neo was over him, his bulk hurtling toward the driver. He landed a hefty punch on his jaw.
The driver yelped and released Jude.
“Get outta here,” Neo said, scrabbling over Jude.
Jude shuffled to the open door. They were moving, the grass a blur. But they weren’t going fast.
The truck accelerated.
“Jump!” Neo yelled. “Quick.”
Jude didn’t need telling twice. He wanted as far away from the nasty driver as possible. Summoning courage, he leaped to the grassy bank. His bones seemed to crumple as he hit it, and his neck jarred, but he knew quickly that he was all in one piece. He shuffled to his ass and pushed his hair from his face. The red taillights of the truck were slipping into the distance.
It was going faster.
Suddenly it veered to the right, heading for a ditch.
“Shit!” Jude pushed to his feet. Neo was still on the huge vehicle.
But as the truck nose-dived, a huge black dog soared from the cab. It landed easily then sprang into a run, heading Jude’s way.
“Oh, thank God,” Jude muttered, knotting his fingers together.
The truck hit a tree. A loud hiss erupted from the radiator and a plume of steam shot into the night air. The back section jack-knifed and there was a screech of rubber on tarmac.
Neo was running toward him, but as he ran he elongated, stood, his dog legs became arms and human legs and his face returned to the one Jude had become so fond of kissing.
“Hey, you all right?” Neo asked, halting in front of him.
“Yeah, fine. You?”
“Apart from wanting to go back there and finish that driver off, yeah, I’m okay.” He slammed his fist into his palm. “He shouldn’t be allowed to walk away from this. Asshole.”
“Asshole, yep, but not worth you going down for murder.” Jude glanced at the gas station. The guy working there would have likely heard the screech of tires and be calling the cops. “So, come on, let’s get out of here.”
Neo appeared rooted to the spot. “He had wicked plans for you.”
“Yeah, thank God you turned up.”
Neo reached out, catching Jude’s face in his hands. “I would never let someone hurt you. Be in no doubt of that.”
“I believe you.” And he did, he really did.
“I would kill them.”
“Come on. Enough.” Jude suppressed a shudder at the thought of what could have happened. “Let’s go.”
Neo tipped his chin and sniffed. “Yeah, you’re right. We need to get the hell off this road.” He reached for Jude’s hand. “It won’t take long to get there.”
Jude allowed himself to be tugged into the darkness of the woods. The ground was soft and mulchy and it was hard to see. But Neo seemed to be able to navigate with ease and stormed ahead.
After ten minutes of walking, the wail of sirens could be heard in the distance. The two men didn’t slow. Just kept on going. Jude tried not to think about the driver and his truck. If Neo hadn’t managed to get into the cab when it had been moving, he would be in a very different situation now. It made his skin crawl to think the driver had been biding his time to get Jude alone then make off with him.
“There’s a stream ahead,” Neo said. “We can drink from there.”
Jude huffed. “You might be in the habit of drinking from streams and puddles, but personally, a nice chilled beer would do about now.”
“Ah, you’ll have to wait for the cabin, then. There should be beer in the cooler.”
“You live in a cabin?”
“What did you expect, a kennel?”
“No...it’s just—”
“This is the forest. Cabins are what the pack uses.”
“The pack?” Jude’s mind spun. “So, there’s more than one of you?”
“Well, no, there’s only one of me. Or so my father always says.” Neo chuckled as they reached a clearing. The moon gave life to the sway of grass and spread itself over the orange-hued pathway that wound past several huge boulders.
“So your father, he is also a shifter?”
“Most of my family are, and beyond.”
“And how many is that?” Jude hardly dared ask. All this time he’d thought shifters were fictional, yet now he’d learned in one night, that not only were they very real, very sexy, there were many of them living in the same country as he was.
“There’s about fifty of us out here. I prefer to live alone, though, away from the pack.”
“Why?”
Neo stopped at a small stream and crouched. He cupped his hands and scooped water into his mouth. He drank noisily.
“Why do you prefer to be alone?” Jude asked again as he squatted next to him.
“I guess...” Neo paused. The moonlight seemed to caress his masculine features and catch in his facial hair. His eyes were narrowed and his pupils large. “I’d rather be alone if I can’t be with a mate.”
“A mate?”
“Yes, one special person. Dogs are pack animals, they like to be together, and when I’m shifted that’s fine. But as a human, I like my own company or that of only one other.” He gestured to the stream. “You should drink. It’s good. Plus, we still have about another hour of walking.”
Jude studied him for a moment. “Mmm, okay.” He took a drink. The water was surprisingly cool and refreshing. Once he’d taken his fill, he wiped his hand over his mouth. “So, have there been many mates in your life?”
“No.” Neo stood, tugging Jude with him. “No one until now.”
“Now?”
“You.” He huffed. “Don’t you get it?”
“No, I really don’t.”
“My kind, we mate for life. We meet someone, person or shifter, and that’s it. The connection is instant, or at least within hours. And then that’s it, forever.”
“You mean you want me forever?”
“If I can’t have you, I don’t know how I will go on.” He pulled Jude into a tight embrace. “You’re it. You’ve ruined me for all others.”
“You mean... I’m your mate?”
“My mate, my lover, the other half of my soul.” Jude burst out laughing. It was part utter joy and part shock.
“You don’t believe me?” Neo frowned.
“Sure, it’s just...”
“It doesn’t happen as fast for humans, right?”
“Right.” Neo smiled. “I appreciate that, and I can wait until you feel the same as I do.”
Jude let his smile drop and ran his fingers over Neo’s prickly jawline. He already had strong feelings for this wild, fascinating man. But was it soul-mate love? He wasn’t sure, not yet, but he had a good idea that it would turn into more. He just had to give it time and let Neo restore his faith in men.
“What are you thinking?” Neo asked.
“I’m thinking that I like the sound of being your mate.”
“You do?”
“Hell yeah. What’s not to like?” He pushed forward and kissed Neo. He tasted of the fresh water and his chin was scratchy. As the kiss deepened, Neo held Jude tighter, squeezing him close. Jude allowed himself to get lost in the wonderful moment. Standing in the dead of night, in the forest, kissing a seriously sexy shifter who wanted to be his mate. He hadn’t known it was a dream, a fantasy, but now that it was happening, it was everything he’d ever wanted, and it had all come true.