Page 2 of The Last Wish (Lost Legacy #1)

CHAPTER

TWO

SHEENA

S team curls up from the engine in wispy spirals, an ominous sign I’m going nowhere fast.

This car has made it 200,643 miles, but it’s choosing now as the perfect time to give up?

Just my luck.

I squint at the setting sun as a chill settles low in my gut. Though I crossed into Colorado a while ago, I’m still a few miles outside of the town I’m heading for according to the map. I won't make it there before dark with this complication. That means I’ve got to roll the dice on two shitty options and cross my fingers that nothing goes wrong.

Who am I kidding? Something always goes wrong.

Now I’ve got to decide which choice is least likely to get me killed: sleeping out here in the open or walking into a strange place after dark with no set destination.

Looking again at the horizon, I’m a little disappointed when the town doesn’t magically materialize. A twist of my neck shows there are no promising options in the direction I came from either—only a whole lot of nothing. No cars have passed by since I’ve been stuck on the side of the road. Not that I would flag someone down for help anyway, but the lack of traffic is a good indicator that this place is incredibly remote.

The electric current snaps in my chest, refusing to be ignored.

It’s not painful, but it is distracting. At first, I thought it was the product of my fear and adrenaline, but it hasn’t stopped sizzling beneath the surface of my skin since I encountered those guys.

Did they do something to me?

Suspicion flares up, joining the frothy cocktail of feelings bubbling inside me. The combination turns my stomach. It reminds me of the one time I tried jungle juice at a house party in high school.

Shelving that useless memory, I eye the sun as it sinks lower in the sky, and then close my eyes to think. When I imagine hunkering down in the exposed car overnight, the wave of fear threatens to level me. That settles it, so I open my eyes and fall back on rule number three.

Keep it moving.

Shouldering my duffle, I pocket the keys to the car. She may have let me down today, but I can’t afford to hold that against her. Maybe I’ll come back and sell the old rust bucket for parts once I get settled. With that happy thought, my optimism tank is now running on fumes, so I head toward the town, ignoring the way cold tension spreads throughout me with each step I take away from the car.

After a mile or so, the rhythmic repetition of my walking lulls me into a sense of comfort. Since I left Wyoming, I’ve only managed a few quick naps to keep me going behind the wheel, and the exhaustion is catching up with me. I stifle a yawn and shift the bag to my opposite shoulder, kicking myself for packing so many cans.

As I watch the last few rays of the sun disappear one by one, I feel a prickle of awareness on the back of my neck. Alone, stranded on the side of the road, I’m now bathed in shadow and second-guessing my decision to hoof it in the dark.

Please let me actually be alone.

Peering at my surroundings, I notice nothing out of the ordinary. My other senses don’t seem to believe my eyes. They’re screaming at me to hide, but it’s not like I have a lot of options. There are no big rocks or trees near me, and my visibility is close to nonexistent now.

“Well, what do we have here?” A raspy voice breaks the silence, and my heart jumps into my mouth. Spinning, I’m stunned to find a grimy man just a few feet behind me.

Where the fuck did he come from?

“Pretty little thing like you shouldn't be on her own in the dark like this.” He spits on the ground. “I reckon that was your car broken down a few miles back.” He points back in the direction I came from, his hungry grin revealing one fake gold tooth and a host of real, stained ones.

The man takes a step toward me. I take a step back.

When his grin gets even wider, I brace for a fight. He may think stumbling across a stranded woman in the dark is his lucky day, but I’m determined to make him regret it.

I finger the knife I have tucked inside the waistband of my jeans and paste a brittle smile on my face. Maybe I can talk my way out of this.

“Car trouble,” I explain, doing my best to sell my lie by starting with the truth. “My cousin is on his way to pick me up, but I wanted to watch the sunset and stretch my legs instead of waiting in the car.” I giggle and shrug like I’m only just realizing this was a silly idea. “Thanks for checking on me, mister, but he'll be here any minute.”

The creep considers my bluff, his sharp eyes taking in my worn, faded outfit. As he looks me over, his smile fades. I grit my teeth; the message is coming through loud and clear. He’s done pretending, which means I am too. When he takes a deep sniff of the air, I could swear his eyes glow yellow in the gloom.

“Yeah, I think you're a liar. But even if you’re not, I’ll be done long before your cousin gets here.” He licks his lips, and I let some of the disgust I’m feeling show on my face. “Fuck, you smell like dinner. Surely I won’t get in trouble for just a little taste.” He crouches as he speaks, and I whip my knife out, dropping my duffle along with all pretense of politeness. I’ve never actually stabbed someone before, but I’m fully prepared to gut him if he comes closer.

At the sight of my knife, he hesitates, and then winks at me.

“I like it when they fight back.” The chilling words have barely left his mouth when he lunges, erasing the space between us faster than I would have thought humanly possible. Even though I’m prepared, he moves so quickly it throws off my aim. Instead of burying the knife in his chest, I slice him in the cheek instead.

The cut gushes blood, but it doesn’t stop him. He growls, enraged, and backhands me as I stumble to put more distance between us. I feel the blow down to my toes. Through sheer desperation, I manage to keep myself upright. It’s over for me if he gets me on the ground.

The disgusting son of a bitch circles me, wiping the blood from his face as he sends me another twisted smile. I’m horrified to realize I wasn’t imagining it earlier; his eyes are definitely glowing now. They’re the eerie yellow of things that go bump in the night. A few years ago, I might have panicked at the sight, but I’m a different person now. He’s not the first monster I’ve faced.

Stand your ground, Sheena.

When he charges again, I’m ready for it. Instead of guarding myself, I put all my focus into plunging the knife into his heart. I commit to the strike, putting all of my power behind it. As the blade nears his chest, he jerks to the side and throws my aim off again. The knife sinks into his shoulder with a sickening squish. Before I'm able to pull it out, he lurches away.

He stares down at the wound, and I see my chance to run. I only make it a few steps before I’m wrenched backwards by my hair. My scalp explodes with pain. He yanks my head up, a feral look blazing in his yellow eyes. Something sharp rips into the skin of my ribs, but I can’t look down to see what cut me while he’s holding my ponytail like a leash. With his face now just inches from mine, I watch in horror as his teeth warp and morph into jagged points.

He’s going to tear out my throat. I’m going to die here on the side of the road.

The realization enrages me. I haven’t spent this long on the run only to die at the hands of this piece of shit. With a final desperate surge of energy, I slam my head face first into his nose.

The move stuns me, my vision fading in and out like a strobe effect. That must be why I think there are headlights joining the black dots in my field of vision. Or maybe I’m just hallucinating because the last thing I see before I pass out is a lion charging toward me. My vision tunnels, and my legs collapse.

I'm out before I hit the ground.

GIDEON

We were almost too late.

Callum catches the waitress, and I turn my rage onto the partially shifted stranger. He’s a dead man walking. I shred through the vagrant coyote like wet tissue paper. He tries to fully shift, but his heartbeat is too slow, his body done for. When I sink my teeth into his throat and tear it out, I watch the life fade from his eyes with monstrous satisfaction.

It scares me a little.

Then I remember the fear I felt when we drove up and saw the tiny woman fighting for her life. The bastard was trying to get her on the ground. Her desperation to get away from this sicko may be the only reason she survived as long as she did.

No, I’m fresh out of regret for my actions.

Relaxing my jaw, I let the vermin's body drop from my mouth into the dirt. The ground is muddy now from blood that doesn’t all belong to him. That makes me want to kill him again.

I have to force myself to turn my back on the mangled corpse and pad back toward Callum. He’s holding the woman, cradling her gently to his chest like she might shatter.

Blood seeps through her t-shirt, and in my animal form, I can already spot bruises forming on her face. A whine escapes my mouth, primal rage threatening to take over. I wrench back control with pure force of will and shift back to my human form.

The change takes longer than it has in years. By the time I’m standing on two feet again, I’m trembling from the effort. Fuck. Fuck. I’m losing it. Ever since I saw her in that disgusting bar, I’ve been spiraling out of control. I pull the knife out of the asshole’s body, toss it in the SUV, and suck in a deep breath.

All I smell is blood . . . and her.

Callum transfers the woman to my arms without a word. Feeling her alive against me quiets some of my panic, which makes no logical sense. I don’t know her. I don’t even know what she is. She’s obviously not a human like she was pretending to be or a shifter like me. The only thing I know for sure is that she’s my fated mate. It’s ridiculous.

I’ve never said a damn word to her, but I know she’s my destiny.

When Callum and I walked into that bar, our intention was to ask if there had been any disappearances recently. It was the eighth town we’d stopped in, and we both felt like we were close to a solid lead. Neither of us expected her.

Man, I’ve fucked this entire investigation up.

Cal is too nice to call me on it, but I’m not supposed to scare off potential informants by growling at them or starting supernatural rumors. Too bad the mate bond didn’t seem too fussed about flying under the radar.

Callum is quiet now, but I know he’s thinking through what has to be done. Now that his arms are free, he drags the body away from the road and further into the dark. With no other option, I carry the woman to the SUV, noticing how small she is when I lay her gently across the back seat. Even covered in bruises and blood, she’s beautiful. She has pale skin and a dusting of freckles on her nose. Some of her dark brown hair is loose from the struggle. I brush one tangled strand back towards her ponytail, feeling a massive knot forming on her forehead.

What if the hair tie is pulling on her scalp?

That’s only going to make her head hurt worse. Gently, I work the band out of her hair and use it to pull my own messy curls back into a loose bun. Now I feel silly. Why the hell did I do that, and what the fuck am I going to say if she wakes up and sees it? ‘Yeah, sorry ma’am, I killed that guy, put you in my car, and then stole your rubber band.’ That’s going to go over great. Shit, I’m completely out of my depth here.

Where is Callum?

As if I summoned him with my thoughts, he appears, tossing the woman’s duffle bag into the back of the SUV and handing me a pack of wipes and a towel. I nod in thanks, glad to be given something to do besides spiral. Once I’ve mopped away the worst of the blood, I slip on the hoodie and sweatpants he has ready for me.

“You got rid of the coyote shifter?” I grunt. He nods.

“I left the body for the other animals to take care of. It will be gone before the sun’s up.” Callum glances at my hair, then the back seat. He hesitates, meeting my eyes in the glow of the overhead light.

“You got to her in time, Gideon. She's going to be okay now.” He lays his hand on my back, and I accept the simple comfort gladly, pulling him into a hug. It’s not something I do often, but I need my best friend right now.

Sucking in a breath, Callum’s familiar spicy scent mixes with the woman’s floral smell. Combined, they feel like home. I breathe in deeper. The air fills my lungs, and I gag. Another smell is ruining their scent. It’s gamey and sharp, mixed with the acrid stench of cigarettes.

The coyote wasn’t alone.

“He’s got backup,” I snarl, pulling back from the hug. Callum stiffens, and we both look out into the dark. Even with my eyesight, there’s nothing to see. This new enemy is smart enough to stay hidden.

Still, Callum doesn’t question my instinct. “Random or traffickers?” He whispers.

I shake my head. I can’t tell unless I shift back again. I’m reaching for my shirt to do just that when Callum grabs my arm.

“We don’t know what we’re up against.” He looks again at the back seat. “We need to get her out of here.”

I want to argue with him. My rage is back, along with the burning desire to finish this. Never in my life have I felt the urge to spill blood this intensely. I look at the back seat and all that fury fades. One mistake and she could be taken or killed.

I can’t risk that.

There’s no getting around this awkward situation. Since the woman hasn’t woken up in the last thirty seconds, we’re going to have to drive off without talking to her first.

“It feels weird to just take her, Callum,” I admit out loud. He runs his fingers through his hair, and I see a flash of the panic I’m feeling reflected in his eyes.

“She’s out cold. We can’t exactly ask her permission.”

He’s right, but I have a bad feeling about it. I may not be sold on having a mate bond with a complete stranger, but abducting her while she’s passed out... Even I know that’s a bad beginning.

“Shit.” That one word sums up the entire situation.

“Yeah, well, let’s just hope she prefers a temporary kidnapping to certain death.” Callum sounds as frustrated as I feel, but when he looks down at her, his tone softens. “We’ll explain. She’ll be fine, man. Hell, maybe she’s the lead we need to track those assholes down. From the looks of that busted RV, she’s used to running.”

When we tracked her to the vehicle using the directional pull in my freaking chest, we found the hunk of metal drenched in her scent. A glass jar full of wildflowers was the only sign anyone lived there at all. I don’t like thinking of her as a lead or my mate, but Callum is right... We’re out of options.

I sigh, sniffing the air again and hoping for better luck. I don’t get it. The stench is still there, stronger now. It’s definitely a predator.

Out of time.

“Okay, let’s go,” I say. We climb into the car without another word and peel out.

Even though we’re leaving one mess behind, I can’t help feeling like we’re driving straight towards another.

LYSANDER

I lick my lips , tasting salt from my sweat and a hint of nicotine. She’s so close. I can still feel the power of her blood from my hiding place. My hands twitch, and I pinch at the denim of my worn jeans to keep my bones from shifting. The bitch got lucky, escaping me again.

I grind my teeth and pull out another cigarette.

There’s no doubt I’ve enjoyed the hunt so far. Watching her taste a freedom she can’t enjoy gives me a rush like nothing else. She’s so weak, so scared. Yeah, watching her run is the only drug I need. Besides my smokes.

We’re waiting on the same thing, she and I—a fate she can’t outrun. She may dread the day I close in and toss her back in a cage where she belongs, but that won’t stop it from happening.

Her fear, my anticipation... That just makes it sweeter.

Still, even though the game’s been fun, it’s time to wrap it up. This latest fuck up complicates things, and I don’t have time for it. I need the money and the power now. Having my weapon fall into someone else’s hands isn’t part of my plan.

I almost ruined it all when those two assholes loaded her up. I recognized the enclave heirs. Shit, anyone would. Spoiled, pampered, and privileged. It’s about time they learned a lesson about taking what doesn’t belong to them and leaving nothing for the rest of us.

They’ve never felt the throbbing twist of hunger in their bellies, never had to fight for the scraps left behind. They deserve what’s coming to them, but the timing isn’t right.

As the taillights of the fancy SUV disappear into the dark, I follow the smell of blood away from the road. As I suspected, I find my scout torn to shreds. I’m not mad he’s dead. Those pricks just saved me time by killing that pathetic coyote for me. None of this would have happened if the fool had just followed my orders. Serves me right for trusting a dog to do a wolf’s job.

Standing over the corpse, I take another drag of my cigarette to clear my head.

I’ve been locked in on her scent for eight years. There’s nowhere on this planet she could go that I wouldn’t find her. The enclave sniffing around my business makes things complicated, but I like a challenge. I drop the glowing cherry on the scout’s shredded torso. It flickers a few times before the congealed blood snuffs the tiny flame out.

She can enjoy her freedom for now. It won’t be lasting much longer than that spark.