Page 18 of Nightshades

“You are losing it tonight, Lula.” I blow out a breath mixed with disappointment and relief that no one is in my vehicle.

I’m ready to go home, take a hot shower, and go to sleep.

The ride home is quick since the town is so small. I follow the same main road, passing Demi’s Diner on the right. Jake wasn’t lying when he said they had the best food and coffee in town. I could see myself eating there three times a day.

I crank the speed of the windshield wipers, needing one more additional speed with how fast and hard this rain is falling. At this rate, I won’t be able to see the road at all.

The tall trees blend together in the night, appearing to be dark holes in the world instead of a forest. A bolt of lightning allows me to see the long road, and someone or something standing in the middle of it.

The closer I get, the more I realize he isn’t going to move. My eyes widen, unable to see what he looks like between how dark it is and the heavy flow of rain. I slam my fist on the horn, pressing the middle of my steering wheel in long beats to warn the guy to get out of the way.

I can’t brake. I’m going too fast, and the tires will slide against the pavement with how wet it is.

“Move! Muévete! Move out of the way!” I scream at him even though he can’t hear me.

I yank the steering wheel, swerving to the left. That familiar thrill buzzes my body, and the panic and fear sprinkle on top. The terrifying moment the car fishtails, I try to correct myself, turning the wheel left, then right as the metal box changes direction.

The tires hit the grass, continuing to skid. I fly over the ditch. I can’t see out the windshield. The rain is still slamming against the glass, blurring whatever is hopefully not in my way, but all motion has to end, right?

Marilyn Manson’s voice creeps through the speakers, life still moving on even if I’m seconds away from impact. The car becomes darker; the windows covered by a shadow. Metal creaks, the frame crunching, and I come to a sudden hard stop.

The momentum has my head smashing against the steering wheel, sending me into the darkness of sweet dreams.

I’m frustrated that I want to save thecreaturein the car that decided to swerve off the road instead of hitting me.

Humans.

I can’t believe I used to be one. She was going the speed limit—like a responsible adult—and taking too long to get home, so I decided to stop her. If she had risked my life, hit me, and driven away, none of this would have happened. I wouldn’t have to save her life from ceasing to exist.

That bothers me.

I don’t give a shit about anyone else. Why do I give a fuck about her? Even angry, I can’t stop myself from being curious. I lower her vehicle to the ground as gently as I can.

When she was in the alley and Lula was close enough for her scent to spread across my taste buds for me to taste, every beast gripped onto my skeleton like prison bars, shaking to be set free.

Mark her.

Claim her.

Fuck her.

Kill her.

Bring her back to life.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

It’s all that I could hear.

Curious, I drop to all fours and walk to the side of the car, where I smell her scent drowning the air I breathe in.

She’s bleeding.

Forgetting my own strength, I rip the driver’s side door from the hinges and throw the metal into the woods. The glass belonging to the window shatters when the door crashes into a nearby tree.

I stare at her unconscious form, tilting my head left to right as I examine this creature.

“You know what I find interesting about you, Little Dream?” I drag my claw across her face, leaving a slight scratch as I tuck her long, dark, wavy hair behind her ear.