It was just past the stateline, as Kayla did a routine avoidance measure for a pothole, that one of the tires suddenly popped. She screamed almost immediately after, feeling the old Altima resist her commands and spin out of control. The car squealed in painful agony, the orange dirt of New Mexico rose up in a mushroom cloud around them. It spilled through the open windows and entered the panicked lungs of the Pelisian heir.
It was a very rude awakening for Damian.
He strained to lean over her, and gripped the spinning wheel for dear life.
"Get the emergency brake!" He shouted.
With only that goal in mind, Kayla frantically reached under his stomach and pulled it back. The car hit a new pitch in it's screams, ceased the uncontrolled spinning and came to a fast halt--one that tossed Damian into the dashboard and pushed Kayla into the steering wheel. She would've ended up with a broken nose, had it not been for Damian's arm, which absorbed the blunt force. When everything settled down, they found that they were only 20 feet away from the road, at a 90 degree angle against it.
They gasped and panted, trying to process what had just happened. Damian sat back into his seat, shaking with adrenaline. He tore himself out of the car to inspect the damage. Just as he guessed, the right front tire had popped. He glared into the car at Kayla, who was still in the process of recovering.
"What did you do!?" He accused.
She gasped. "This isn't my fault, I was doing everything I'm supposed to!"
"Oh, really?" He indicated to the ruined car trapped in the desert. "Then explain how we ended up here!"
She got out of the car. "I don't know!" She enunciated every word with a hammering of her hand. It only fueled him up more. "I drove around the pothole, I didn't even touch it! Then it just blew up!"
"Tires don't just 'blow up'."
"These ones do!" She crossed her arms.
He had a river of insults waiting to break through the dam of his mouth, but a sudden thought stopped him. The tires! After days of nonstop driving, they must've been worn to the bone, especially considering that he had never thought to check the condition of them when they left the used car warehouse. The limits for their usage had been reached, in fact, they should be lucky they'd made it this far on such a weak old car.
He scanned around the desert, this was bad. They couldn't stay out here, they were sitting ducks, but luckily, they had crashed not too far from a sign. The nearest town was only a few miles away, they'd have to walk to it.
He sighed deeply. "Actually, you might be right." He said quietly.
Her jaw dropped to the hot floor. "Did you just say that I'm right?"
"I said you might be."
She smiled smugly. "I can't believe it. I wish I could record this moment. You have to say it again so I can remember it."
"Say what again?"
"That I'm right!"
"I'm right?"
She groaned impatiently. "Stop being stupid!"
"Who's being stupid?"
"Are you serious right now?"
He cracked a charming smile, highly amused with himself. "What's wrong, Princess?" He teased. "Is the heat making you fussy?"
"Don't talk to me like I'm 5." She warned.
"Or what? You'll send me to the dungeon in this nice," He lifted his arms to desert, "arid palace of yours."
She narrowed her eyes at him coldly. Then, a devilish grin suddenly overcame it. "No. I'll feed you to my fire-breathing dragon."
YOU ARE READING
Shifters
Werewolf"Love me or hate me, both are in my favor..." Kayla was 9 days old when her father promised her to Damian, who was 18 months old when his father promised he'd be a suitable husband. The problem with this engagement: The natural right to find a mate...
