Chapter 333 333
Sabine POV
As we checked out of the bed and breakfast, my gaze kept flicking to every reflective surface, every shadowed corner searching for any sign that Maurice was nearby.
After striking up a brief conversation with another guest, we managed to hitch a ride in the back of a pickup truck. It was a stroke of luck covering that much distance in a single day would have taken us far longer on foot.
And yet, dread curled low in my stomach.
I feared I’d lost Maurice.
Even in wolf form, keeping pace with a fast-moving vehicle would be nearly impossible. The thought of him pushing himself too hard of him getting hurt trying to follow us made my chest tighten.
We’d been travelling for several hours when the driver suddenly pulled over at a roadside diner. He announced bluntly that he was stopping for food. We could wait or we could move on.
Since he wasn’t charging us for petrol, we chose to join him. A break and hot food were too valuable to pass up.
We followed the balding, middle-aged man inside. He immediately peeled away from us, sliding onto a high stool at the counter and turning his back as he ordered, already distancing himself.
As soon as we entered, I felt eyes on us.
This wasn’t our usual crowd.
I quickly steered us toward a red leather booth tucked into the corner, away from the worst of the attention. We’d already drawn enough notice, and the cameras blood hell, the cameras were everywhere now. Every corner, every ceiling. Nowhere existed without surveillance anymore.
I pulled a folded map from my backpack and spread it across the table just as the waitress arrived. We skimmed the menus quickly, ordering the burger-and-soda specials the cheapest option before turning our attention back to the map.
It was pointless.
We couldn’t agree on a destination.
Didier and Caroline wanted to head toward the coast, desperate to leave the country. It would be easy for them they had identification.
I didn’t.
The moment my face was scanned, I’d flag as dead. Six years gone. A bureaucratic nightmare that would end with me detained, questioned, exposed.
Sailing off into the sunset on some boat was a fantasy I couldn’t afford. Still, I wouldn’t stop them if that was what they needed.
Gilles offered nothing. Every time I asked what he wanted, he simply shrugged and took another bite of his burger.
The truth settled heavily in my chest.
Maybe this was it.
As much as it hurt to admit, I might have to leave them behind. I was the weight dragging us all down. I couldn’t risk being caught by port officials under any circumstances.
That might mean parting ways at the very next town.
When the driver ordered a final coffee, we paid and stepped outside to wait for him. He’d made it clear he wouldn’t wait around for us.
I suspected he was already regretting offering us a ride. His eyes kept darting toward Gilles, no doubt sensing the strange, volatile energy that seemed to spike whenever Gilles was confined.
I was the first one out. The others lingered, taking advantage of the toilets before we got back on the road.
I didn’t.
The fear of having to walk to the next town outweighed my need for a bathroom break. I stayed by the truck, determined not to let the driver leave without us.
Facing the pickup, I studied my reflection in the tinted window. The morning shower had helped just a little bringing some life back into my face. But it did nothing to hide the dark shadows beneath my eyes. Six months of running had etched themselves into my skin.
Using the glass as a mirror, I twisted my hair into a bun, tugging a few blonde strands loose at the front.
I barely registered the sound of car doors slamming nearby. This was a roadside diner vehicles came and went constantly.
What I did register was the sudden, sickening sensation crawling up my spine.
That feeling.
The unmistakable awareness of being watched.
The hairs on the back of my neck prickled upright.
The reflection wasn’t clear enough to confirm anything but they couldn’t be here for me. I told myself that over and over, forcing my breath to steady.
Slowly, I walked around the pickup toward the rear of the diner, heading for the large bins.
They weren’t here for me.
They wouldn’t follow me back here.
They were just hungry men looking for food.
I was trying to calm my racing heart when they rounded the corner.
Four men.
Four brutal faces.
Four grins spreading in unison.
They were here for me.
I’d been found.
My body reacted before my mind could catch up pure instinct taking over. I bolted, feet pounding against the ground as survival surged through me.
I didn’t look back.
But I heard them.
Heard the scrape of boots, the sudden acceleration, the sound of pursuit as they gave chase.
And they were gaining.