Chapter Six

“Let me out!” I screamed, but he kept driving. I had to do something—if I could just reach out...

“That won’t work,” he said, as if reading my thoughts. He stared at me through the rearview mirror, a smirk playing on his lips.

I thought back to what that waitress had said: ‘When Wraith wants you… he gets you.’

I swallowed hard.

“What do you want from me?”

“What do I want from you?” he echoed with a laugh. “I just saved you from your own stupidity. So, you were really going to walk into that place and take over three-fourths of Callister’s wealth? Do you honestly think his family would just let you have it?”

“I – I… How do you know about that?”

“I have my sources.”

“I wasn’t going there to claim anything; I just wanted to sort out whatever mix-up…”

He chuckled, I couldn’t help but find it oddly attractive. “There’s no mix-up, honey. It was clearly stated. You are the one he intended.”

I tried to shake off the term “honey”—he was just a stranger, one I should be desperately trying to escape from.

“But how could that even be possible?”

“You tell me. If I’m going to protect you, I need to know the truth. Who is Callister to you?”

“Haven’t you been listening to anything I’ve been saying?”

“Of course, but those could be lies.”

“And why would I lie?”  

“I wouldn’t know.”

“I’m not lying. I don’t know this man. I live alone with my…” I had been about to say mother, but then I remembered what I’d come home to. “I live alone,” I corrected.

“Your ring. You no longer have it on.”

“What?”

“Your engagement ring—I saw it on you the last time we met. You said something about a wedding.”

He couldn’t have possibly heard that; he had been sitting a good distance away from my table. But of course, Lexa, the waitress, must have told him. That was the only explanation.

I opened my mouth to speak but thought better of it. I still remembered how scared Lexa had been when she approached me, there had to be a reason for that. The less he knew about me, the better.

“If you aren’t part of the Callister family, why are you here? Why are you ‘helping’ me? What does all this have to do with you?”

“That’s a lot of questions. But since you’re so curious… My pack and the Callisters are rivals. I’m helping you because you’re my mate, and that’s what mates do. And as for my connection to all this... let’s just say I fired the bullet that ended Falcone Callister’s life. So yeah, I’m involved.”

For a full minute, I waited for him to tell me it was all some sick joke, but he didn’t. He just kept driving. He was giving me time to take all of it in.

I stared at the sicko, finally letting my fear take hold. And I had every reason to be afraid. I was in the same car with a murderer.

“Stop the car,” I whispered, but he kept driving. “Stop the goddamn car!” I screamed, and he came to an abrupt stop, causing me to slam my head into the seat in front of me.

“I’m only trying to protect you,” he said, his lips thinned in a scowl.

“Let me go, now!”

“Fine.” He said, and to my surprise, he unlocked the door. “Run back to your own death.”

I stepped out of the car, and he drove off into the night. Surprised he let me go, I ran as fast as my feet could carry me. I didn’t look back, didn’t stop — I just kept moving.

.

My car was still parked where I had left it.

I didn’t believe anything Wraith had said, but still, I’d be stupid to go back there. So, I took a cab home instead.

On the way, I couldn’t stop thinking about the terms he had used: ‘Pack’ and ‘Mate.’

But then again, he must be a lunatic, and that was all the explanation I needed.

I let out a breath of relief when we arrived at Old Holt, the building in which I lived.

“Alright, we are here. That would be $16.50,” the driver said, and I reached for my purse when I realized I didn’t have it on me.

I must have dropped it when Wraith dragged me into his car.

“Shit,” I muttered. “Uhmm… I don’t have any money on me, but if you could just wait here…”

“No worries. I’ll waive that,” he said. “You seem a bit shaken, though. Are you alright?”

“Yeah… I just—I’m fine. Thank you so much for this.”

He nodded, and the moment I shut the door, he was on his way.

It seemed Lady Luck had decided I had suffered enough.

I walked into my apartment. The lights were off.

I didn’t remember turning them off.

I reached for the switch and turned the lights on. My apartment was exactly as I left it—a mess.

I never thought the day would come when I’d be glad to be back here, but I guess today was that day.

I heard the footsteps a moment too late. Something hard slammed against the back of my head, and everything went black.