Perfect Mate (A Werewolf BBW Shifter Romance #2)(11)

Damien...

The ringing of her phone brought her sharply out of her reverie. Turning off the water, she opened the shower door and pulled the towel off of the rack to dry her hand. The towel slipped from her grasp as she reached for her phone, landing on the bottom of the shower.

"Damn it," Julia swore, picking up the now-wet towel and slinging it over the side of the shower curtain rod. The phone rang loudly on the counter.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Julia said. She stepped out of the shower, water dripping from her dark red hair onto the floor. Wiping her hand dry on the crumpled up dress she'd taken off earlier, she answered the phone and held it an inch away from her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Julia?"

"Hi, Damien," Julia said. "Sorry it took so long to answer. I was just—"

"Julia, listen to me. You have to get out of there."

"What?" Julia felt lightheaded. "Damien?"

"Do you hear me? Kyle is dangerous. You have to get away from him."

"I—I can't," Julia said. "I mean, Granny Dee just left with the car. Should I run, or—"

"No, no." Damien hesitated for a second. "They're both still in the forest, right?"

"I think so," Julia said. Her eyes turned to the door, and she suddenly felt acutely vulnerable. She was nak*d, she had nothing to protect herself with. And no way to leave. "How do you know about Kyle? Is Katherine—"

"I'll tell you later. Right now you have to get somewhere safe."

"I can... I can lock the door."

"That won't stop him," Damien said. "You need to leave. Listen. There's a spare key in a magnetic case under our car. It's right next to the front right tire, just under the fender. Can you get to the car?"

"I think so," Julia said. Her heart was racing. She pulled the damp dress over her head, trying to dress herself as quickly as she could. "Where do I go?"

"North," Damien said. "Take the highway. They won't be able to chase you that quickly. I'm almost there, and I'll deal with Kyle. We can meet up afterward. Just get away."

Julia's body was hot with adrenaline, her breath coming fast. Deal with Kyle? That would mean another fight.

"Should you really do this? Can't we just run away from him?" Julia opened her bedroom door and listened. There were no sounds coming from the first floor. She tiptoed down the stairs and peered out the window. The sun was setting quickly, but she could still see the woods. Kyle and Katherine were nowhere to be found.

"I'm not going to let him escape," Damien said. "Be careful. Try not to make a lot of noise. You know what their hearing is like."

"I know," Julia whispered. She peered out of the front door, her heart pounding in her ears. "Okay, I'm going to go now."

"Call me when you're out and safe," Damien said. "Julia?"

"Yes?"

"I love you." His voice was kind and full of worry.

"I love you too," Julia said.

Opening the door as quietly as possible, she stepped out onto the porch. The old board at the end of the steps always creaked, and she was careful to step over it. She couldn't afford to be heard. If Damien was right, if Kyle was dangerous...

The view to the driveway from the woods was blocked for the most part by the house, and Julia stepped lightly but quickly as she walked down the path to where Kyle and Katherine had parked their car. Her heart was beating so loud that she thought they might hear it from where they were standing guard. She bent down next to the front right tire and reached her hand under the fender. Nothing there. She bit her lip and slid her hand along the underside of the fender. Finally her fingers bumped into something hard. She pulled out the small metal case with trembling hands. Going around to the driver's side of the car, she fumbled with the clasp. It didn't open. She bent her head over the case and dug her nail into the gap, pulling hard.

The case opened with a snap, and the key fell to the pavement with a loud clang. Julia scrambled to pick it up and unlocked the car door.

"Julia? Hey! Hey!" Kyle and Katherine emerged from behind the house. Julia jumped into the car. She shoved the key into the ignition. She locked the doors.

"HEY!"

Kyle began to run towards the car as Julia turned the key. The engine roared to life, and she shifted into drive. Kyle slammed his hand down on the trunk just as she pressed the gas pedal. He ran alongside the car as she accelerated. His hand knocked against the window once, hard, and then she careened around the corner, tires squealing, and left him behind her on the road.

In the rear view mirror, she saw Kyle running towards the woods, shifting into wolf form as he did. Katherine joined him a second later. They would try to cut her off. She sped up, heedless of the speedometer needle as it crept towards sixty miles per hour, then seventy on the small, two-lane highway. There was no way they could catch her, not at this speed. After a minute of driving, she began to let up on the gas, relief washing over her. She flicked on her headlights as darkness fell, the sky a dusky gray.

Julia pulled out her phone and dialed Damien's number.

"Julia? We're almost there."

"Kyle and Katherine already left," Julia said, her voice shaky and a bit more high-pitched than usual. She breathed deeply to calm herself down. It was over. She was safe. Then she had a sudden thought.