“Well, do you want to give him back his phone?”
He shook his head as he called over his shoulder. “We are not done borrowing it yet.”
Elizabeth stood in shock. She could have sworn Rex had been talking about something quite different when he’d first grabbed her hand. What had changed and why did it bother her?
The phone in her hand vibrated. She looked down. The area code was the same as the one she’d used when she called her mother. Someone was calling from Key Biscayne.
She took a deep breath to steel herself. There could be no doubt in her mind she knew who would be on the other end when she answered it.
“Hello?” she whispered, turning her back to the lobby. Rex was in there. She didn’t want to look at him.
“Liz. I hear you have abandoned my daughters. Tell me why I shouldn’t put your family to death—right now.”
A thousand retorts filled her mind. She’d love to be able to tell the woman she should leave her family be because it was the humane thing to do, because any witch worth two cents in the world would know they were to cause no harm. But Drea had shown herself to be amoral more times than Liz could count at this point.
“Because I am in possession of knowledge about the Westervelt Wolves. One of them thinks I am his mate. I can tell you things we have never known before.” She silently prayed it would be enough to get her family released. Despite Rex’s belief they could simply go in and remove Drea from power, Elizabeth knew it would never be so simple. He had no idea how her world worked.
“Which wolf?”
Elizabeth blinked at the question. Why did that make one bit of difference to Drea?
In this case, wasn’t one wolf going to be as good as another? Liz turned around to regard the lobby where she was sure a certain wolf-shifter currently harassed a man who had smoked too many cigarettes in his life and who didn’t know how to be polite to those less fortunate than himself. “Rex Kane.”
Silence met her words for a moment before Drea spoke again. “Well then, yes, I’ll take your trade. All of you for the … information … Randolph Kane, the youngest son of the royal family of the Westervelt Wolves, possesses. Yes, I think he’d do nicely. See you tomorrow.”
The sound of the dial tone made Elizabeth’s stomach lurch. This was what she’d needed, what she’d hoped would happen. However, the sound of dial tone made goosebumps appear on her skin. She bit down on her tongue to stop tears from coming out of her eyes. Rex would smell them, and there was no way she could let him know her plans—not until tomorrow.
Chapter Nine
For the tenth time, Rex looked around the small motel room and sighed. With every intention of giving Elizabeth the bed, he had some serious reservations about the cleanliness of the floor. Perhaps it would make more sense to sleep as a wolf.
Because my fur deserves the dirt more than your sensitive skin?
He laughed and looked up at the closed bathroom door. Elizabeth had retreated into the bathroom as soon as they’d entered the monstrosity calling itself a hotel room. She’d been in there a few minutes and he was starting to worry about her. Liz needed to eat. So did he but he could go a long while between feedings thanks to his wolf metabolism. She couldn’t. He clenched his fingers together, stopping himself from busting down her bathroom door to make sure she was fine. He was really starting to lose control of his instincts. Rex couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this close to the edge.
Mate. You’ll feel better.
I can’t just mate. She barely even likes me.
Not true.
Rex rolled his eyes. He did not need relationship advice from a canine.
Why not? You’re doing such a bang up job of handling things yourself?
Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Elizabeth stepped out into the room. He wished he’d thought to get her some clothes to wear and some toiletries while he’d been convincing the man who ran this place to give him food. “Feel better?” She smiled. “Sure.”
There was something off about her smell. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.
Truth was, he hadn’t slept long enough. Just a quick rejuvenating power nap to try to heal some of his wounds. His wolf had been anxious the whole time. Neither of them had particularly liked leaving Elizabeth unprotected. As soon as he’d been aware enough to realize the car had stopped, he’d forced himself back from the blackness of sleep to make sure she was fine.
Fortunately, nothing had happened while he’d been out of it. Now, however, his senses were still not up to par. That would take some more time, maybe a real night’s sleep, which, he suspected, he would not be getting any time soon. “Hungry?” He took a step toward her, wanting to feel the warmth from her body radiating toward him.