Page 42 of Prey of the Lycan Queen (Unwanted #2)

Chapter Forty-One

A ferocious, violent wind howls past us, pelting the stolen truck with shards of icy rain as we speed along the desolate road toward Bloodtaric.

The taste of metallic bitterness on my tongue is the only reminder I need that I’m losing time.

My control is slipping. Leila and my father are huddled together in the back seat.

My father is no longer hallucinating, but he’s still unconscious.

James is silent beside me, a brooding figure swallowed by the darkness outside.

The wolves, their menacing white fur now blood-red, are contorted into the truck bed.

They bear a striking resemblance to bloodstained gargoyles perched atop a gothic cathedral.

The silence is deafening, punctuated by the rhythmic swoosh of the windshield wipers as they fight off the relentless downpour we have driven into.

It’s nearly lunchtime, and time is running out.

Once that full moon rises tomorrow, it’s only a matter of time before I drop dead.

We all know it. My deteriorating state is growing more evident.

My muscles tense as my vision warps dramatically.

I’m no stranger to the creeping darkness, but the hallucinations are new.

James’s face suddenly morphs into a grotesque monster, and I’m fighting him, clawing and snarling.

A blink later, and it’s Leila, her face a twisted mask of fear.

But each time, reality crashes back with a vengeance, leaving me disoriented and guilt-ridden.

My fingers ache from clenching the steering wheel so tightly. Leila looks around nervously, her eyes wide with panic. My father remains unresponsive, his chest rising and falling steadily in his sleep.

James’s voice is low and menacing as he speaks. “Not far now. The Kingdom...” His voice trails off, and I glance at him. “Regan?” he asks cautiously, but why does his voice sound so mocking?

I suddenly feel like I’m floating away from my body, and reality shifts strangely around me.

Everything feels off-kilter and surreal.

James’s face is shifting from its normal form into a monstrous one again.

His eyes are a deep red that fills me with terror.

I jerk away from him in fear before stopping myself.

It was only an illusion caused by my deteriorating condition, nothing more than a figment of my imagination. ..right?

“Regan!” James screams. I look at him. “What?” I snap, wondering why he is screaming. He snarls, grabs the steering wheel, and jerks the car back onto the road. I had veered into oncoming traffic. “That’s it, pull over before you get us killed,” he snarls.

The car swerves dangerously as I fight to regain control. Fur grows along my arms, and my conscious mind knows he’s my uncle, but instinct tells me he is one of them . A leech. A vampire that needs to be taken down. My basic instincts kick in as I fight to regain my senses.

The ominous scent of fear fills the air.

Leila’s shrill scream echoes around me, and my uncle’s angry growl joins the chaotic symphony.

I’m losing myself. I can’t tell if it’s day or night.

Am I surrounded by friends or foes? The ticking clock in my head grows louder with each passing moment.

I’m a bomb waiting to detonate and end us all.

“I’m fine,” I lie through gritted teeth. James’s skeptical gaze, illuminated by the occasional flicker of lightning outside, makes me feel like I’m under a microscope. But I can’t show any more weakness. Not now. Not when we’re so close to our destination.

The metallic tang of blood fills my mouth, my heart pounds violently, and there is a throbbing pain in my skull as the beast within me wars to take control. Each hallucination, each loss of control, pushes me closer to the edge.

The weight of our mission adds to the ever-growing mountain of responsibility. We need to reach Bloodtaric. We need to save our own. I glance back at Leila and my father in the rearview mirror. Leila stares back at me with wide eyes, and I see her white-knuckled grip hanging onto the door handle.

The wolves in the bed of the truck howl in unison, but the roaring wind swallows their voices. I square my shoulders and force myself to focus on the road ahead when a hand drops onto my shoulder. I look up to see Leila’s eyes peering back at me.

“Please, Regan, pull over. I can’t save my coven if I’m dead, and you can’t save Zirah if you are. Pull over and let James drive,” she says softly.

“Just a bit further,” I mumble, more to myself than anyone.

“Regan, please, your driving is scaring me,” Leila urges. Yet the more they talk to me, the more I think they’re trying to trick me. I can’t tell if I am hearing things or if they are actually talking to me.

I can make it. Not only that, but I have to. The fate of my kind depends on it. My brothers and my mate depend on it. I steel myself, turning my gaze back to the treacherous road ahead. “Please, Regan, listen to her,” James urges.

I glance in the mirror to see Gnash peering at me, his eyes holding far too much knowledge for a wolf. My eyes then go to my father, then Leila, who still looks petrified. Reluctantly, I pull the truck over, and James sighs loudly.

“Thank you,” he states, jumping out of the truck before I can change my mind. I slide across the seat.

“We’ll find them, Regan,” Leila murmurs, and I nod, but her thumping heartbeat and James’s wariness sets me on edge more. I shouldn’t be around them. I open my door. “Regan? What are you doing?”

I don’t bother answering. Instead, I jump into the truck bed with Gnash.

Immediately, the wolves press closer, and I exhale, letting them shield me from the harsh wind and rain with their bodies.

I bang my fist on the roof of the cab. “Go, you’re wasting time,” I tell James.

He starts the car, and I rest my head back on the window.