Creed

Chapter Eight

Angel fidgeted with the paper wrapped around the sandwich and took a sip of the soda she’d bought. She glanced up at the wall in the small airport. Her flight took off in forty minutes. Every second that passed seemed as if were ten.

Someone coughed near her and she tucked her head. It would be ironic if she caught some virus after lying to her mother. Karma could be a bitch. She took another bite of the sandwich. It wasn’t bad, considering the vender worked from a refrigerated stand. She’d kill for a nice fast food joint or a good coffee shop, but they only boasted those in bigger airports.

I should have driven all the way to Anchorage.

She chewed on her lip, debating her choice all over again. She felt too emotional to drive that far and wanted out of Alaska as soon as possible. It’s why she’d stopped in the first place.

All she could think about was Creed. What is he doing? How is he feeling? Is he scared deep down inside to face his GarLycan lord? She was terrified for him. He’d said he’d take lashes. Does that mean what I think it does? Some asshole will whip him? She lost her appetite.

She stood and felt a moment of dizziness. It passed fast as she located a trashcan and dumped the remainder of her food. The airport really needed to kick up the air conditioning. She glanced around. At least eight other passengers were waiting to crowd into a small plane to be taken to a larger airport to make their co

She regretted wearing a sweater as she retook her seat, and tugged at the collar. She couldn’t even remove it since she hadn’t put on an undershirt in her haste to leave her parents’ house. Sweat tickled along her back from the plastic seat. She shifted her ass into a more comfortable position, her gaze lowering to the two backpacks at her feet. She hadn’t looked inside the one Creed had given her. She was afraid she’d totally lose it and start sobbing. Strangers didn’t want to see that.

She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to think of her next move. The co

GarLycans could only fly at night to avoid detection but they’d have to keep under the radar, literally. That would slow them down, since they had to avoid traveling by air over populated areas. She figured they wouldn’t be able to reach her in Seattle until the next evening sometime, probably near dawn.

She looked at the clock on the wall, calculating. She’d have plenty of time if her co

Large cities were where Vampires thrived. Rural areas were more to the liking of Lycans. She’d have to find a safe middle ground.

More sweat irritated her and she reached down, lifting the hem of her sweater and getting some air to her stomach when she fa

The desert. The thought popped into her head and she mulled it over. No one in her pack would want to live in some dinky town. Hot, flat, barren land with blasting temperatures and little to no outdoor water sources would put them off. Most humans didn’t even like those kinds of conditions, so it meant not many would live there. It would be a stupid choice for a Vampire if he wanted to eat.

Okay. Death Valley, here I come. She was pretty sure that was somewhere in California. She’d have to look it up but it gave her a place to head in her car. She’d figure the rest out later.

Creed filled her thoughts again and she fought the urge to cry. He should have decided to run with her. She understood why he hadn’t. He’d always been a straight shooter. He had a strong sense of honor. It was one of the many things she loved about him, but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel a little hurt that he’d picked doing the right thing over being with her. Ten years probably seemed like a drop in the bucket for his lifespan.

The prospect of spending the rest of her now-extended life with one man didn’t frighten her. Her human friends were leery of even living with men. She’d been raised with Lycans though. Mating was forever. She’d always envied anyone who’d found the person they loved and wanted to be with. Now it seemed unfair that she’d spend her honeymoon phase on the run while Creed had to spend it in prison.

The woman across from her used her book to fan herself.

Angel sat up a little straighter. She was done. She needed to fit in and not draw attention to herself, but the way she was fidgeting would. She bent forward and lifted her backpacks. There was a bathroom across the small airport. It would only take a few minutes to switch into a T-shirt.

It was empty when she entered, and she washed her face then stripped off the sweater. She shoved it in with her other clothes and pulled out a thin cotton top. Her shoulder showed a little but it wouldn’t matter. No human was going to even think she might have been bitten. They’d just assume it was a cut or scratch she’d bandaged. She used the bathroom and then exited.

The guy with short hair near the counter spun the moment she walked out and focused on her. She met his gaze and saw him staring back. His nostrils flared.

Shit. He wasn’t a Vampire. It was still bright outside. He had a stocky build, sporting a fishing T-shirt and jeans. Her gaze lowered down his body as she returned to her seat, storing her packs on the floor. It was easy to fuss with her bags, purposely avoiding looking at his face again. He wore slip-on shoes. Lycan. She was sure of it.

He wasn’t from her pack. He also wasn’t from any of the nearby ones. She didn’t recognize him. That was a bonus. Worst case, he got a whiff of her parents coming off her backpack and that she’d had sex with Creed. He wouldn’t dare approach her around other people to appease his curiosity if he’d never been around a GarLycan. She adjusted her hair over her shoulder to hide the bandage.

“Sir?” the woman behind the counter called out.

Angel looked up and watched the Lycan coming right at her. She swallowed hard and sat back, masking her features as she looked directly into his eyes. He didn’t stop until stood right in front of her.

“Come with me.”

“Excuse me?” She studied his face. It wasn’t good when she noticed that he seemed to have more hair on it than before. He cocked his head and sniffed at her again. The tip of one ear looked a little pointier than it should have. He was starting to shift, even if it was just a tiny bit.

“Now,” he hissed.

Panic rose fast when she looked at the hand he held out to her. His nail beds were thicker and the tips of them pointy. The crazy bastard seemed ready to shift in front of a room full of humans if he didn’t get control of himself. He would expose Lycans.

She ignored his hand and leaned forward, snatching her bags. “Okay, Mike. We can talk outside. You don’t have to make a scene.” She stressed the words, hoping it would clue him in.