CHAPTER SIX
The rest of the drive continues mostly in silence. While Jeremy listens to a breakfast show on the radio and then switches over to a local rock station when the show ends, I lose myself in memories of the past as I stare out of the window.
After Jeremy paid for our breakfast and we left the diner, I sat in a tense silence waiting for him to ask why I dropped my coffee.
While I know I could get away with saying it slipped out of my hand, I have no excuse if he asks why it happened right after he said I was maternal.
But Jeremy surprises me by not pushing, which makes me think that he knows I'll lie if he asks me, or I'll refuse to talk about it.
Whatever the reason, when he doesn't demand any answers, I can't help but feel relieved.
Right up until we reach Dawley in the early afternoon, and he pulls up in front of a house I never, ever wanted to see again.
He turns the engine off, and although I can feel his eyes on me, I don't move.
"Savannah?"
I stare up at the three-story white-wood house with a wraparound front porch because it's better than taking in the Dawley National Forest that sits alongside it.
"Yeah."
"Something wrong?"
Why can't I stop staring up at the house? And why of all the homes in Dawley does the one we're staying in have to be this one? Surely, there are a million other homes available to rent.
"No," I murmur, distracted.
"I can smell your fear."
I tear my gaze away from the house and turn to face him.
He has his keys in his hands, and his door is open as if he were about to get out but noticed I hadn't moved.
The smile I'm so used to seeing in his whiskey-colored eyes is notably missing. He looks serious, and I know it's because he's right, I've filled the truck with the scent of my fear.
Since I have no idea what to say, I say nothing.
"You're not speaking," he says, his eyes never leaving mine.
Although Jeremy looks far too sober to crack some stupid comment about me being a model, the thought of telling him about my fear isn't an option.
I couldn't speak even if I wanted to because I'm trapped in the past.
The wolf with the terrifying eyes-Abel, Talis said his name was-is dead. I saw his body with my own eyes after we buried the bodies of the Merrick pack.
Those that didn't run, that is.
But even knowing that he's gone, the memory of him, the terror of seeing him staring at me from the Dawley National Forest, refuses to loosen its grip on me.
"Savannah?" For the first time, I'm hearing the concern in Jeremy's voice, as his eyes focus on me with an intensity I don't want.
It takes serious effort to bury my fear and force an airy smile on my face as I turn away. "I thought you were going to kiss me, that's all."
Without waiting for a response, I shove my truck door open and step out.
"Still thinking about me kissing you?"
I can't stop myself from jumping when Jeremy appears beside me at the window of the master bedroom, and the room he's told us we're sleeping in.
It's the room Dayne and Talis stayed in before, and even though the elegantly furnished room has been deep cleaned after we left it, my shifter nose still catches their scent.
I blink at him in confusion as I struggle to work out what he's talking about, and when he raises his eyebrow, I realize what he means. The scent of my fear is back.
"Uh, yeah."
He stares at me a long moment, then he shifts his gaze to the window. "You see something?" he asks, his eyes searching the forest.
"No. Are we going out to eat, or doing a grocery run?" I cross over to my suitcase, which Jeremy has carried from the bed and left on top of the bed.
Something in his eyes tells me he didn't miss my retreat. "Not fussed. You want to eat out?"
Once I've unzipped my suitcase and pulled out a handful of books, I scan the room for a bookcase since I know a house this fancy must have one. "I don't mind."
Bingo.
Spotting a half-filled shelf in the corner of the room, I grab another handful of books and head for it. I might just have enough room to squeeze them all on.
"I'm surprised you're not kicking up a fuss about us sharing a room."
When I turn to Jeremy and find him leaning against the window, his eyes tracking my progress, I shrug. "Would it make a difference?"
"I thought you had some plan to get out of this."
I return to the suitcase for more books. "If I did, I certainly wouldn't tell you what it is, now would I?"
"Whatever it is, you might as well drop it. It's a waste of your time thinking you can escape."
A smile forms at his words, and I grab the last of my books. "Escape. Interesting word. Does that mean you have me trapped?"
Since I didn't hear him move, when hands grip my hips and turn to press my back against the wall, I jerk my eyes to his face in surprise.
"Something like that," he murmurs, leaning so close that I wonder if he isn't about to kiss me. And like an idiot, I do nothing but stand there, waiting for him to do it. "And Savannah?"
His eyes are on my mouth. I can feel the heat of his gaze, and my lips tingle with awareness. "Mmmm."
He bends even closer, and my eyes go to his lips. "You can't lie worth a damn. So next time, don't."
My eyes snap up to his, and as if that was what he was waiting for, he drops his hands from my hips and turns to walk away.
I panic at the thought of him leaving me alone in this house. "Where are you going?" My question comes out sharper than I intended.
Jeremy pauses and turns to me. "I need to make some calls. You need me?"
To hold my hand while I unpack? No thanks.
I force a casual shrug. "No. Just wondered how long before we go…" My voice trails off at the hardness in his eyes.
"What did I just say?" In a moment he's all alpha, expecting instant obedience.
I gather he's picked up on my lie.
"I don't know. I wasn't listening. Was it important?" I arch an eyebrow as I wait to see how he's going to react.
"Get unpacked," he says, turning away. "We'll go out to eat in an hour."
The moment I hear his footsteps descending the stairs, I sink to the edge of the bed and drop my face into my shaking hands.
How the hell am I supposed to deal with being back here? And with us sharing a room, how long before Jeremy clocks in on that something is wrong and forces me to talk about it?
Alphas aren't exactly known for their patience.
And just what exactly am I supposed to tell him when the nightmares start back up again?