All Chapters of Chosen wolf : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

By the time I found the motel, I was beginning to regret not at least asking David to have someone drive me, especially since my feet hurt, my bag was heavy, and this town apparently believed sidewalks were an unnecessary luxury. I stepped around another pothole along the edge of the road, glaring at the motel sign ahead."Almost there." Nothing answered. I sighed. I really needed to stop doing that.The motel was a small, single-story building featuring faded blue doors and flower boxes beneath several of its windows. Near the entrance, a crooked sign announced vacancies, while a plastic flamingo stood guard over a nearby patch of struggling flowers.I stared at the flamingo. "Well, at least someone looks happy to be here." It remained offensively cheerful.Inside, the

Carol returned with my burger a few minutes later. "Well, look at this." She set the plate in front of me. "David Ashworth, I didn't realize you were having dinner with company tonight."David sighed. "Carol.""What?""Please don't." She looked at Phil. Phil grinned. Carol grinned back.I looked at David. "Am I missing something?""No," David said."Yes," Phil answered at the same time.David gave him a warning look, which Phil completely ignored.Carol shook her head. "Don't let these two scare you off, honey.""I'll try."

The next morning, I woke to the sound of someone slamming a car door outside my motel room, which made my eyes fly open. For one terrifying moment, I forgot where I was; I sat upright with my heart pounding as I searched the unfamiliar room. I took in the faded curtains, a little dresser, and an ugly painting of a sailboat, until I finally remembered: the motel..I wasn't home, so Father wasn't standing outside my bedroom door demanding to know why I hadn't come downstairs for breakfast; consequently, nobody was waiting to tell me what I was going to wear or where I was going.I was free.I repeated that last thought a few times, hoping it would eventually feel true, and then reached for the White Wolf. There was nothing, and the suddenness of that emptiness made me suck in a breath.

The truck hummed steadily beneath me as I followed the winding road farther into unfamiliar territory. I had to admit, David had a nice truck. The seats were comfortable, the heater worked, and I hadn't once needed to threaten the engine with bodily harm to keep it running. A definite improvement over my car.I glanced at the fuel gauge. Still plenty. I glanced at the clock. Not nearly enough. "Come on," I muttered, pressing a little harder on the accelerator. I was already a day late.A whole day.Rebecca's mother had been very specific about where I needed to go and when I needed to arrive. She'd marked the location on my map, circled the date, and made me repeat the directions until I could practically recite them in my sleep.Unfortunately, none of her instructions h

I left the farmhouse feeling even more defeated than when I'd arrived—which was impressive, considering I'd spent the entire drive imagining every possible disaster waiting for me. As it turns out, that disaster was simply a perfectly lovely house and a woman who had already decided what my future should look like. I walked toward David's truck, my footsteps crunching against the gravel. The afternoon sunlight felt too bright, the air too warm. I should have been grateful for everything around me. I was grateful. That was what made it worse. Rebecca and her mother had risked so much to help me. They'd hidden me, protected me, and provided money, documents, and a way to escape. Now they'd arranged an entire life for me: a house, a name, and a future. And I didn't want it. What kind of ungrateful person did that make me? I reached the truck and rested my hand against the door, while David's promise echoed through my