The truck starts with a rumble of the engine as the car roars to life, with Hayden at the wheels and Rygan in the front seat while Elise is in the back passenger seat.
Hayden speeds through the dark road as the car is left in a tethered silence, and as much as Rygan would like to shift to his wolf rather than stay for hours in this uncomfortable contraption made by the humans, he wants to listen to Elise. Rygan's eyes move to the rearview mirror, his gaze following Elise, who is now fast asleep.
He watches the slow rise of her chest, from the curl of her long lashes to that familiar and natural pout on her lips when she is asleep. It still feels surreal that Elise is alive and he has a son with her, a son they made out of love-a love he took for granted and a love that is still alive.
He can't help but imagine tasting those pillowy sweet lips, or the moans she made when they made love, her insides clenching on his cock during her climax, and how he wants so badly to leave love bites on her skin.
His thoughts are short-lived when he hears a voice boom in his mind. "You will drill a hole in my mate's head if you continue watching her like that," Hayden's cold voice channels through his mind barrier.
Rygan grunts in distaste as his slanted eyes move to the driver's seat. He can see Hayden's hands curled firmly against the wheels, like he is holding himself back.
"So it's a crime to look now?" Rygan questions.
"It's a crime to do anything concerning her; the only reason you are on this mission is because you found out that you are Ethan's father, nothing else," Hayden says with a harsh whisper low enough to keep Elise asleep.
"Like you said, he is my son. I made a mistake, and I'm going to try and make up for it. I never said I was innocent. I was a fool being led on a string like a puppet, but now I want to be here for her."
"You are only here because of her wishes to find Ethan; after that, you have nothing else to be a pest of, and you will never see us again," he spat, making sure to cause a direct hit to Rygan's heart. "Right now, we have to focus on those monsters and catch them before they take him further into the human cities."
This time, Rygan only grunts and answers. This time Rygan breaks the silence as he sends, "When are you going to tell her you're not getting better, if not worse, I can practically smell the poison off you?" he asks Hayden.
"That's none of your business," Hayden mutters as the clouds darken the further they go until drops of rain on the windshield appear and rain begins to drizzle. They quickly reach a motel, the destination of their 'source.'
Elise wakes up the moment the car stops and gets Hayden's instruction to head upstairs to the room while he gets the rest of what they need.
Elise and Rygan make it upstairs, opening the room door. It is a small, dingy establishment by the edge of the town, so it isn't anywhere impressive, but it will do for shelter.
She takes off her soaked cloak, throwing it on the worn-out couch by the edge of the room. She sits down on one of the springy twin beds in the room while Rygan stands by the door, clearly still alert to who passes by the room.
"You don't have to be on guard; we have the floor to ourselves for now," she says quietly. Rygan turns, finally hearing her voice after hours on the road. "Even in the car, you seem iffy about the trip, but that's the only subtle way into the human lands," she says.
"I just don't trust them anymore, not after what they did to you," he says. Elise looks away from him; she doesn't want to remember that night.
Rygan clears his throat immediately, recognizing that she is uncomfortable thinking about what humans had done to her. "Um… Taz is more of an adventurous one; he's the one who has come into close contact with cars and met with humans for trade. While I watched from the sidelines," he explains.
Elise raises her eyebrows in surprise at his confession; she always knew from Rygan's brooding character that he was always the protector in the shadows. "It might not come as a surprise, but I don't know anything about their cars," he says with an easy smile.
Only that finally breaks an emotion out of Elise's face; a slight smirk appears, and to him, that is progress he would gladly accept. He still longs to see a smile on her face and to be near her, but for now, he can live with this.
That quiet moment is short-lived by the clank of keys as Hayden opens the door and comes into the room. He then heads to the table by the couch, throwing his cloak too on the armchair before he settles a duffle bag with the card maps and small devices he gathered from his spy.
"These are our identifications for the meantime that we are here; also, those phones only have our numbers on them, especially if they try to block out our telepathic powers just like they did to me; they are untraceable too," he says, handing them the phone and their card.
Elise gives a double take at her passport as she turns it to them, her face filled with annoyance. "Really, a brunette?" She says it with a deadpan expression.
"That's what the temporary dye in the bag is for, angel, and I also have to dye my hair black," Hayden says to Elise. She stops the dissatisfied grunt in her throat as she leans back into the headboard of the bed. But she knows there is no arguing this; she is doing all this for her son, and if they have to lay low, they will.
"From the surveillance, there is news that Dexton has close relations with the human hunt guild leader," he says quietly. "And they both have a grudge against you, Elise," Hayden says. "The boss says that you killed his son and he wants revenge for it; it won't be good if Dexton hands Ethan over," he says, and Elise's heart pounds.
Her hands begin to tremble, and Rygan has to physically stop himself from moving any further or even touching her when he has no right to.
Hayden does; his hands caress her cheeks, giving her that small assurance she needs. Her throat feels clogged, and her eyes glisten with tears.
"But for now he is safe; Kaide and Dexton are playing their cards right, but before they run out of options and hand Ethan over to the boss, we will take him back," he assures.
"I'm going to kill those monsters that put Ethan through this," Elise says, her cheeks watering with salty tears for her son's suffering.
One thing she is sure of is that she will save him, even if it costs her life.