19. Chapter Nineteen
~Kalo~
The car’s headlights illuminated the nighttime Montana countryside as we sped down the highway.
Once we left the forest where the Crimsontooth pack’s territory lay, the road stretched long and empty ahead, devoid of other vehicles and flanked by fields that vanished into shadow in the distance.
I sat in the passenger seat beside Leo, the quiet punctuated only by the rhythmic thrum of tires on asphalt and the occasional murmur of the engine.
The two wolves Vaughan had assigned as backup rode in the backseat, silent and alert. Their presence was reassuring in a way, though all of us knew the truth: if a reaper decided to act, muscle and claws wouldn’t make a difference.
When Vaughan had called us down to his office an hour earlier, he’d had a glass of whiskey in his hand, his expression tight around the eyes.
“I just heard from Brendan,” he explained. “He’s leaving town tomorrow and doesn’t know when he’ll be back. If we want his opinion, we’ll have to get it now, and I think it’s best that you and Kalo go in person.”
Leo frowned as he processed that. “Where is he going?”
“He didn’t say, but he won’t discuss anything sensitive over the phone. You never know who, or what, might be listening.”
“That sounds rather paranoid.”
At Vaughan’s side, Calista shrugged. “He understands things about the world that most people don’t even know exist. Paranoia comes with the territory.”
“Felix and I will stay here in case we’re needed,” Vaughan added. “But call if you need anything. I mean it.”
The sound of Leo clearing his throat cut through the memories, and I turned to see him staring straight out at the road ahead, his face illuminated in patches by the lights on the car’s digital dashboard. “You can sleep if you want. It’s still a bit of a drive.”
I shook my head. “That nap we had did me good. I feel… refreshed.”
His cheeks flushed as he glanced in the rearview mirror at the two men in the backseat, and I couldn’t stop the corners of my lips from curving.
The time we’d shared in my room today had certainly been revitalizing, in more ways than one.
The warm water, Leo’s careful hand, the look on his face when he let go…
Giving my head a shake, I sat up a little straighter.
It had been nice, certainly, but getting sentimental over it wouldn’t help.
As much as I appreciated Leo’s kindness, his protectiveness, and even his desire, the idea of tying myself permanently to him still unsettled me.
I’d spent millennia bound to others’ wants and needs, and I wasn’t ready to surrender the possibility of choosing my own path, no matter how tempting the alternative might be.
Leo, oblivious to the direction of my thoughts, gestured ahead with his chin. “Once we get closer to town, you’ll start seeing more farms. Cornfields, mostly, in this area. Further north, it’s more wheat, or maybe barley.”
My gaze drifted to the right, scanning the fields as Leo continued to list local crops, and my attention snagged on something in the distance.
At the edge of the headlights’ reach, a tall, cloaked figure stood perfectly still, watching as we passed.
My heart slammed against my ribs. “Leo!”
The car swerved as he instinctively reacted to the sharpness in my voice, tires briefly veering towards the shoulder before he corrected.
“What?” he demanded breathlessly. “What is it?”
My pulse roared in my ears. “I think I saw the reaper. In the field, to the right.”
Without hesitation, Leo flipped on the turn signal and executed a tight U-turn, gravel crunching beneath the tires on the highway’s shoulder as we came back the way we’d come. The guards in the back leaned forward, their shoulders squared as they scanned the darkness.
The figure was still there, and Leo’s breath hitched as we drew near.
“I can see it.”
“So do I,” one of the guards confirmed grimly, and Leo and I exchanged confused looks. Why would everyone be able to see it?
Leo rolled to a stop and leaned across me to grab a flashlight from the glove compartment. A powerful cone of light swept over the field, illuminating the figure… and a cluster of bright orange shapes at its feet.
Pumpkins.
“It’s a Halloween decoration,” Leo breathed, and as he raised the light again, I could see it too. The cloaked shape didn’t move because it was made of plastic, a fake grim reaper staked into the ground as part of a seasonal display.
Heat flooded my face, embarrassed that I’d been fooled and also a little ashamed of just how scared I’d been. “I’m sorry, I should have realized…”
Leo shook his head immediately. “Don’t apologize. I would have thought the same.”
The guards murmured their agreement as Leo turned the car around once more and eased back onto the road. Once again, he used the turn signal despite there being no one else on the rural highway.
For some reason, that made me smile in spite of everything else.
Conversation resumed, with Leo pointing out local landmarks as we drew closer to the town. Traffic increased, and we all fell into silence once again as we navigated the residential streets.
When we finally pulled up in front of Brendan’s modest house, its porch light glowing warmly, I stepped out onto the pavement and took a deep breath. My heart rate had finally returned to normal, but I didn’t take more than a step before it suddenly skipped another beat.
Further down the street, half-hidden between two parked cars, stood another hooded figure.
At least, I thought so?
The dim glow from the streetlights cast long shadows, and it was possible my mind was playing tricks on me.
I wasn’t ready to be wrong again, and besides, even if it was there, it wasn’t moving towards me. For whatever reason, it held back, simply watching and biding its time. We didn’t know how to approach it, or even if we could.
Hopefully, the man we’d come to see could give us some insight, but until then, it seemed smarter to keep my distance.
Turning my back on the shadowy figure, I followed Leo up the path towards the house.