My Wolf’s Bane(92)

If we were still alive.

He waved to Trevor and as we re-entered the hallway, he called out goodnight to his aunt. Handing me my purse, he ushered me out the door and to my car. Once he’d seen me safely inside — not without first scanning the area thoroughly — he started the Mustang and backed out of the spot.

“Should we go straight to the auto shop?” I asked, lowering the window to feel the wind.

“Yeah. Listen,” he cast me a quick glance, “if Daniel shows up, you have to remember not to do anything that’ll tell him you’re a shifter, no matter what.”

“He’ll fight dirty, Zack. You know he will. If he’s about to hurt you, I can’t sit there and do nothing.” I took in a deep breath and stared ahead. “You can’t ask that of me. You can’t expect me to stand by and...” I couldn’t finish it.

“Autumn, if they find out about you, it’s over.”

I wasn’t going to let Zack get hurt if I could help, but I let the subject drop. “Why are you so sure he’ll go to the shop?”

“He’s not going to follow us into a crowded place with witnesses. The garage is in an industrial area and deserted most of the weekend. There’s no better place to launch an attack. I think he knew that and did something to your car, so we’d have to go there.”

“We should’ve taken my other car or your Jeep.” Anything was better than falling in line with Daniel’s plan.

“He’d just do something to those cars too, if he hasn’t already.”

“Oh, my God, Zack.” I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. There seemed to be no way to avoid a confrontation with Daniel. “Why are we even leaving the house?”

“He’s determined to get what he wants. You think some walls and windows would stop him?”

I gripped the edge of my seat. “How about weapons?”

“There are plenty at the garage.”

“That Daniel can access also,” I added.

Zack shot me a smile. “But I know how to use the good ones.”

My eyes snapped to his. “You had all this figured out and you didn’t feel the need to tell me?”

“You would’ve gone crazy worrying.”

I didn’t reply. Zack’s protectiveness was getting annoying. But I was grateful I hadn’t had all that time to chew on it.

“Thought of all the ways this could go,” Zack said, switching lanes. “My house is the safest place for you, but Daniel would just wait it out. This is the way it needs to go down.”

Shades of red and orange painted the sky as shadows elongated. It would be dark in a matter of just minutes. “But why didn’t you insist we do this earlier? He’d be less likely to attack in broad daylight. Staying alive is a little more important than laundry and chores, don’t you think?”

“If he’s going to come, I’d rather be the one to orchestrate it, so we know when and where to expect him. This way, we can be prepared. Plus, it’s easier to hide a body in the dark.”

I shot him a glare. “What?”

“Just kidding. Sort of. Hey, we have to be prepared for anything.”

My stomach felt queasy and I pressed a hand to it. “It’s a bit of a stretch that Daniel would sabotage the car with all that in mind.” I hoped Zack was wrong.

“Maybe. I smelled Daniel’s scent on the hood when I checked to see where the noise was coming from.” He waited until we were several blocks from the shop before speaking again. “He’s been around the car again today, but I’m not sure when.”

“You smelled him?” My belly roiled.

“Yeah. All over the seats.” He turned to me. “He’s just messing with us.”

“Why didn’t I smell it?”

“While you were doing laundry earlier, I slipped outside and checked out the car. When I smelled him, I cleaned the seats.”

“Really, Zack? What else are you hiding?” Anger was good. It took my mind off my churning stomach.

He nodded toward my hand pressed against my abdomen. “Look at you. If we switched places, would you want to tell me?”

“That doesn’t make it right,” I mumbled. We were almost at the shop and staying focused on any topic would be difficult. I’d argue with him later.

“I was thinking about this three-way calling business.” Zack began slowing the Mustang way before the stop light. “If Daniel’s touching either one of us and we talk telepathically, he’ll hear us and know about you. We should be able to direct our thoughts. You know, he shouldn’t be able to hear us if we block him.”