Road Less Travelled Novels & Stories

Casual, but still nice, and Austin’s response after seeing me was to pull me in for another of his mind-blowing kisses, so I felt confident with what I was wearing. After a quick stop at the supermarket for wine, beer, and a few snack items, we headed into Portland. Austin drove to another sketchy area in North Portland and I was glad we were in his truck. “Where are we?” “Cully.” “Are all the businesses in bad areas of town?” “The ones we don’t want noticed are,” he revealed, and reached over to link his fingers with mine. “I got you, baby.” “I know,” I said quickly. “I’ve just never been here.”

I prayed to God to help me reach home safe Like an answer to a prayer, God is always faithful. Dear reader, I reached home safely. I paid the motorcycle fare and requested him to keep the change. The gentleman was so kind enough to wait for me open the gate and ensured I was in safe. I thanked him and wished him a safe journey. Since God had helped me through this night strugglr, I had to run for my life away from this possessive relationship . Minutes home, I kindly switched off my phone but couldn't sleep. I kept thinking of how rude, arrogant, inconsiderate he had been. Icould not imagine moving forward with the relationship.

We don’t take roads. Not the ones people name. Not the ones people patrol, pave, or pretend are safe. Elowen calls them primary routes, like the word itself makes them a liability. Like safety is something you can’t afford once you’ve been noticed. So we take the backbones of the land instead—service trails, old war cuts, dead stretches where the trees lean in too close and the sky feels heavy enough to press on your shoulders. Places that don’t welcome strangers.

Lena remained unconscious as the car crossed the state line. The journey unfolded without urgency. The driver maintained a steady pace, choosing secondary roads that curved through long stretches of darkness where traffic thinned and cameras became rare. These were the roads people used when they wanted to arrive somewhere without explanation. Night travel reduced questions. Fatigue dulled attention. By the time the hours began to blur together, the car had passed through places where fewer eyes lingered and fewer records were kept.

It lands heavier than protest would have. The drive takes me through low hills and thinning forest, the land gradually opening up into something quieter, less dramatic. No sharp cliffs. No narrow passes that funnel movement. The road is cracked in places but maintained, patches of fresh asphalt interrupting older damage. Someone has taken the time to fix what broke instead of letting it rot until collapse. I notice things like that now. I notice what gets tended when no one is watching. What people choose to repair quietly instead of waiting for permission or applause.

Valen said, his voice a low, rough murmur, a flicker of relief in his stoic eyes. "I gave my word," Lyra replied, her gaze sweeping over the small group. They were a solid, dependable unit, a far cry from the fawning sycophants of the court. "We ride as merchants from the eastern provinces," Valen said, his voice a low, pragmatic explanation. "We are seeking rare herbs and minerals for a 'wealthy client.' It is a plausible cover, and it gives us a reason to travel through the smaller, more remote villages." Lyra nodded, her mind already working, already planning. "We should avoid the main roads. They will be watched. There are old mountain passes, forgotten trails that only the hunters and s

A village name rendered in a font so small it feels apologetic for existing. Remote. That’s the first word that comes to mind. Remote means hard to reach. Remote means easy to disappear into. Remote means no one goes there by accident. I zoom in slowly. The roads appear reluctantly, thin lines that snake rather than connect. No highways. No rail lines cutting clean paths through terrain. Just narrow roads that seem to exist because someone once decided they had to.

Rosalin replied, flustered and confused, "What's going on?" "You said you only returned to the country because you missed me. Turns out, it's because you were caught being another person's mistress!" Rosalin's face instantly lost all its color. The truth she had hid for so many years was finally out in the open. Back then, when Rosalin returned to the country, she immediately went to Jonathan crying, saying that she could not get used to life abroad, that she missed him, and that she could not live without him. In reality, she was caught being another man's mistress, so she had no choice but to return to the country.

"Bryson, if it can get us to Alpha Falcon's pack more quickly, it might be worth the risk. Besides its always good to explore unknown places." " I don't want to trespass on anyone's territory." I uttered, still in contemplation if to go ahead with Shawn's plan or not. It would be quicker, but exploring a new territory can pose some risks. " I don't think the land is owned by anyone. I've never heard of this place. Besides we come to harm no one." Shawn pointed out and sold me on the idea after a few talks. We drove onto the less traveled road, the scenery around us changed. The road was smaller and the trees were much taller. So tall they casted shadows that stretched across the narrow road

The Porsche zoomed through the forest highway; She made sure to check no one was following, turning into the secluded road, not used by humans. The one-way path was bumpy with lots of rocks and pebbles; it was craggy and jagged in most places done purposefully to discourage any curious travelers. Only the known could traverse the road, to reach the packhouse.