SWNOVELS Chapter 99
Chapter Nintey-Nine
ASHLEY
We're on the road toward Coldfoot before I'm fully awake. There's an old packhouse there. My parents built a new one deeper in our territory when we expanded, but the one in Coldfoot is a useful midpoint to rest on the journey from Brooks Range down to Denali, so we kept it. It's where we're supposed to meet Merilee and Eric's warriors.
He's been quiet all morning, his eyes fluttering constantly as he communicates with his pack.
There's nothing to distract me from wondering about it, because there's no one else around.
Any human with an ounce of common sense is at home right now, waiting for the plows.
The roads are treacherous from last night's storm, and there are still snow flurries every few minutes, but we press on. We don't have time to wait for the weather to clear.
Eric doesn't mention how we woke up-me, wrapped in his arms, every inch of his body pressed against me-so I don't bring it up.
Neither of us brings up the vampire cabin, either. It's all I can think about.
Cassian's face looms large in my mind, his dark eyes cold and bottomless. The memory of his undeniable power layers over the violence in that cabin.
I'm no stranger to blood and violence.
The path I've been these last years is littered with it. But vampires are different. They kill not just for survival, but for the pleasure of it. The hunt is a game as much as it is a necessity. And I'm willingly heading straight into his territory.
I'm bringing him my daughter.
Eric clears his throat, drawing my attention.
"It's not too late," he says. "We can turn back."
"And let my daughter die? Never," I spit, venom in every syllable.
He growls, his eyes flashing. "We can find another way to save her-one that doesn't involve making deals with ancient, evil, bloodsuckers."
"We're out of time."
Eric stops the car, right in the middle of the road. There isn't another car in sight, but it still makes me frantic. Every second we're still is a second that Merilee doesn't have to lose. "What are you doing?" I ask, desperate. "We can't turn back. You have to keep driving!"
"I'm not sure I believe that," he says. "Philipe had other options, but he chose Cassian, too. Why should I believe you when you say this is the only way?"
I'm about three seconds from getting out of the car and hitchhiking the rest of the way.
"Because when it comes to my daughter, I will always do the right thing. I swear. If you never believe another word I say, believe this: I wouldn't do this if there were another option."
He doesn't look convinced.
"Is this really the right thing? To let him turn her into a―a monster? Is that really better than letting her go?"
The burst of rage that rips through me at his suggestion is so potent I expect my claws to rip through. If I still had my wolf, Isis would have leapt forward and lunged straight for his throat, mate or not. "Yes. No question. I don't expect you to understand... Maybe you'll know what this feels like one day when "
I stop.
Eric lets out a bitter laugh and starts driving again.
"When I have children of my own, Ashley? Is that how that sentence ends?"
I sink own in my seat.
I consider telling him that I don't mind if he goes to someone else to meet those needs-for sex, affection, and yes, children-since he won't get them from me. But the words die in my throat.
Even if the idea of him with
someone else didn't set off sparks
of jealousy in my ribcage, Eric isn't the kind of wolf who would consider it. Having children with someone else would announce to his pack that his Luna had rejected his bed. His ego would never survive the blow.
Then again, he needs an heir. If he doesn't have one, then his legacy ends with him. I don't think he'd handle that any better.
"I won't force myself on you," he says, staring straight through the windshield.
His body is practically vibrating from anger. Stuck in the truck like this, it's impossible to ignore it.
But I believe him. He's not using that anger against me, or using it to punish me. He's just feeling it.
Huh.
Maybe we've got more in common than I thought.
"I know," I answer truthfully. "Let's focus on Merilee for now, and once she's safe, we can deal with...us."
He nods once.
I think that's it the end of the discussion-but he slows the car again.
"Why are you stopping again? We're miles away from the outpost!"
"And we need gas," he says evenly. "Stay in the car. This won't take long."
He gets out of the truck and I look around. Sure enough, he's stopped at the last fuel station before the final push to Coldfoot. It's our fast chance to fuel up before nearly fifty
miles of empty road. S
The station looks abandoned, but the pumps work.
There's a sign above them that lists the hours the convenience store at the back of the lot is open. Underneath there's a disclosure: We reserve the right to close for inclement weather.
Confident that Eric and I are alone
སོ།
out here, I get out of the truck to stretch my legs, which earns me a glare. He might miss my wolf more than I do. Her absence makes me immune to the full sway of his Alpha powers, and every time I defy an order, no matter how small, a vein pulses in his temple.
"Ashley, get back in the truck," he says through gritted teeth.
I walk away from him, face turned up to the pale grey sky.
He growls at me, but the sound is coming from the wrong direction. He should be behind me.
I look up just in time to see a light grey wolf charging at me. There are two others on his heels, their fur a darker shade.
On instinct, I crouch, ready to defend myself, sizing up where to strike to do the most damage.
A shadow passes over my head and when I look up, all I can see is black fur.
Eric's wolf collides with the light grey wolf in a flurry of snarls and growls. I stumble backward, dodging Eric's tail.
I look beyond the fight to see where the other two wolves are, and my eyes lock onto the one on the right. He stares right back, and my stomach drops.
It's Oliver.