14. Isaac #2
But another part of me, the part that had never learned to ignore someone asking for help, had already made the decision for me. With a quiet sigh, I pulled the truck onto the shoulder.
The man hurried toward me. For reasons I couldn't explain, the hairs along the back of my neck stood up. Then he let out what sounded like a relieved laugh before hurrying toward my truck.
"Thank you!" he called. "Thank you for stopping."
I climbed out, shutting the driver's door behind me.
"No problem." I glanced toward the silver Toyota parked a few yards ahead. "What's going on?"
"I honestly don't know." The man ran a hand through his hair, breathing hard enough to suggest panic. "It just started smoking. One minute it was fine, the next..."
He gestured helplessly toward the car. "Do you know anything about engines?"
"A little,” I admitted.
Relief lit up his face almost too quickly. "Really?"
“I'm no mechanic,” I warned, already walking toward the Toyota. "I'll have a look. If it's something simple, maybe we can get you going again. If not, we'll call a tow truck."
"That would be amazing."
His gratitude felt a tad excessive, but I brushed away that thought. This guy was just in a pinch, that was all. He would've flagged down anyone driving by.
“I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't stopped,” he said.
"It isn't a problem."
“No, really.” He smiled broadly. "You've been incredibly kind."
Something about the way he looked at me made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
It wasn’t fear, I realised, but something like expectation. It was as though this guy was hoping someone would stop, someone specific.
My wolf stirred uneasily. Something's wrong. I glanced at the man again.
He looked perfectly ordinary. The guy was in his mid-thirties. He was of average height, wearing jeans, and a dark jacket despite the warm weather.
Heck, nothing about him screamed danger. Besides, the guy was human. Even if he tried something, he was no match for a dominant wolf shifter like me.
If he tried anything, I could easily deal with him or simply leave. I was letting Nico get into my head. After everything he'd uncovered, I was starting to see threats everywhere.
The thought almost made me smile.
"Well," I said, forcing myself to relax, "let's see what's going on."
"Thanks." He stepped backward. "I'll stay out of your way."
He pulled his phone from his pocket.
"I should probably call my boyfriend," he said with a sheepish laugh. "He worries."
I nodded distractedly. "Go ahead."
He wandered several paces away, phone pressed to his ear. Satisfied, I turned my attention to the car. The hood released with a metallic click.
I lifted it fully and secured the prop rod. Heat rolled out immediately. At first glance everything appeared normal. Then I leaned closer, and I deepened my frown. Something wasn't right.
One hose had been loosened deliberately. It wasn't simply worn or cracked. Another fitting looked as though someone had tampered with it using a tool.
The damage wasn't consistent with ordinary engine trouble. I crouched lower, and my heartbeat slowed. Someone had done this on purpose, but why?
My wolf growled, low and warning. The warning hit a fraction too late. A prickling sensation crawled across my shoulders, and every instinct screamed.
I spun around. The man stood less than three feet away. The phone was gone, and with both hands, he gripped a heavy steel wrench.
Our eyes met. His smile was gone. The helplessness I'd seen earlier had vanished, replaced by cold calculation.
“My orc king, my saviour,” he whispered.
He swung, and I threw up an arm on instinct. Too slow. Too slow. The wrench slammed into the side of my skull with a sickening crack.
White exploded across my vision, and the world lurched violently. My knees buckled, and a high-pitched ringing filled my ears. I staggered sideways, catching myself against the Toyota.
Pain radiated through my head in blinding waves.
"What the..." My words slurred together, and I tried reaching toward him.
I reached for the wrench, but he ripped it away before I could grab it.
"I'm sorry," he said almost conversationally.
Then he swung again, and the second blow landed harder.
Everything tilted. The trees, the road, even the sky seemed to shift around me. My legs stopped listening to me, and I hit the pavement on one knee.
Blood dripped into my eye, and I blinked furiously, trying to clear my vision. My wolf roared, telling me to fight. I was trying my best, but my body wouldn't obey.
The stranger stepped closer, and it alarmed me that there was no panic or hesitation on his face. The wrench rose once more.
“No, don’t,” I whispered, despite knowing it was futile.
The third strike drove every coherent thought from my head. The impact echoed through my skull. The ground seemed to leap upward, and I crashed onto my side.
Breathing suddenly felt impossible. My fingers scraped uselessly across rough asphalt. I needed to shift, needed claws and teeth. Power. A sharp sting pierced the side of my neck.
It was a tiny jab, almost insignificant compared to the agony in my head. My hand flew toward it. A syringe, I realised with mounting horror.
The plunger depressed. Ice spread beneath my skin, and my stomach dropped. This bastard was pumping something inside me. My wolf snarled in outrage.
The stranger yanked the syringe free. My limbs suddenly felt impossibly heavy. No, no, no. I forced myself onto one elbow.
The world rolled violently. Trees bent sideways, and the sky darkened around the edges. I couldn't focus, let alone think. The man crouched beside me, and his face blurred.
His voice drifted toward me through thick cotton. “I can’t believe that worked. I wasn’t sure I used the right dosage.”
I couldn't make out the rest. My vision narrowed further, then something caught the morning sun. A flash of gold around the guy’s neck, a thick gaudy chain. Recognition hit like lightning.
I tried to speak, but nothing came out beyond a strangled groan. The stranger smiled, and it was a sinister smile.
“Your glorious and savage majesty. We’re going to have such a good time,” he said.
Blackness pressed in from every side. The last thought that crossed my mind wasn't about the pain or the attack. It was Nico.
Then the darkness swallowed everything.