Lorcan & Evette

Chapter Eight

She didn't look up again until the car stopped, pulling up in a hotel carpark for the night in a little town not too far from the motorway. When he crawled out of her Volkswagen Beetle, she made no effort to get out and follow him. He'd made that impossible with those zip ties binding her to the chair. He headed to the boot of her car first and grabbed her duffel bag, leaving the herbs behind. Only then did he reach around to retrieve her. He slashed through the ties with his claws, refusing to look as she flexed out her aching wrists.

For that, Lorcan refused to feel guilt, even though the spirit of his wolf whined at the wrongness of it all.

Red wrists were better than the alternative: namely the witch sending them off the road and killing herself in the process.

"Get up."

"It's nice to see chivalry didn't die." As she wobbled to a shaky stand, he slung the duffel bag over his shoulder. With his other arm, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his side. She found the feeling wasn't unpleasant. Unfortunately.

"What are you doing?"

"Selling an image."

He forced himself to enjoy it less.

They both understood that the humans couldn't be dragged into their affairs. It was World. The humans must never know.

"What image?"

She caught on when they made through the double glass doors. A TV dangled from the ceiling with security footage displayed across the screen. On it, she saw that they looked like a couple.

Lorcan was smiling. It was evidently fake, but it looked real. Strangely enough, when she saw it on the screen like that, the two of them together looked right.

There was no way she was that desperate.

He strolled with her up to the desk, his claws digging into her side.

Behind it, a bored looking man stared up at them.

"Hello and welcome to the roadside hotel deluxe. What can I do for you today?" His tone was laced with exhaustion. Still, Lorcan's smile didn't drop.

"Oh, we're just passing through. My wife and I-" She forced a pained smile at the acknowledgement. "-have been on the road all day and were looking for somewhere to crash. Isn't that right baby?"

She hummed, her tone bitter. "I just love him so much."

Lorcan kissed her forehead. The spot where his lips met her skin simmered with heat. For Lorcan, there were sparks.

"I love you more baby."

Someday, he might say those words to her and they'd be true. He had his doubts she'd ever say them again to him. He was, after all, what he was. And she was, after all, what she was.

The man was looking at them in disgust. It would work as well as any other plan. He'd want to get rid of them sooner.

"Oh I assure you, I love you the most."

In her mind, she substituted the word love for hate.

"That's impossible baby. My heart only beats for you." After she forced a playful giggle, he cleared his throat, turning back to the guy behind the desk. "My wife and I are honeymooning. Road trip and what have you. We know it's a little last minute, but we could really use a room. We only need one." Her stomach lurched. "Do you have anything spare?"

One room.

Oh God. She was going to have to share with him. She wouldn't be surprised if he found another bar to chain her down to for the night, her being his witch pet and all.