Evelyn
Ryland drives us to a motel since we have no idea where to go. We know I can’t go back, so that doesn’t leave many options. The motel is one of those you find on the highway, in the middle of nowhere, that looks like something a serial killer has used to stalk their victims.
The man behind the counter looks like he doesn’t get much human interaction; he is awkward and makes me feel uncomfortable. Even after we are inside, I check the locks and the windows; Ryland shakes his head at my paranoia.
“What are you doing?” he asks, as I check the door again.
“Checking the door. He gave me the creeps,” I tell him, and Ryland shakes his head again, chuckling.
“You’re in a motel room with a Lycan, but that puny human gives you the creeps?” he scoffs.
“You don’t scare me. You’re mine; I trust you not to murder me in my sleep and stuff me as a house ornament,” I tell him, looking out the window.
“You need to stop watching Bates Motel,” Ryland says, pulling me away from the window.
“Do you think Orion and Thaddeus are okay?”
“We would feel it if they weren’t stop worrying. Come, let’s shower, then get some sleep,” he offers.
“You shower; I will watch to make sure no one comes in,” I tell him.
I have watched too many horror movies, and know shit always goes down when you’re showering.
“Evelyn, I promise, anyone who comes in won’t be leaving alive. Come. Have a shower with me,” he says, as he grabs the bag and unzips it. Rylands pulls out some clothes for me, placing them on the bed. “I need to get clothes tomorrow. All he packed is one set of clothes for you; the rest is cash,” Ryland says, shaking his head.
He starts stripping off his clothes as he walks into the bathroom, but I just watch. “Evelyn, shower,” he sings out, and I look toward the door, then follow him in and lock the bathroom door as well.
I know it’s irrational, but I have an irrational fear of motels, and spiders, so I know I am not going to be getting much sleep if we continue to stay in motels. I actually miss home; I would rather be with Thaddeus. At least I know he is psychotic. People tend to hide their true intentions well. Thaddeus doesn’t care if you don’t like him; you know what you’re going to get with him. Well, most of the time, but he can be sweet. A little bipolar, but sweet when he wants to be.
Ryland rips me into the shower as soon as I strip my clothes off. While washing my hair, I hear a knock on the door. My heart is beating rapidly. Ryland groans and steps out, not even grabbing a towel, just walks out and answers the door. I hear nothing but silence until the door unexpectedly swings open, and I hide behind the shower curtain.
“Why are you hiding?” Orion asks, pulling the curtain back, and I jump on him, wrapping my arms around him.
“Where is Thaddeus?” I ask, looking to see if he is in the room.
When I don’t see him, I pull back. Orion shakes his head. “I don’t know, we had an argument, and he took off. When he didn’t return after a few hours; I came looking for you,” he says.
I don’t remember him calling, or Ryland telling him where we are. “How did you find us?” I ask, confused.
Orion smiles and presses a kiss to my mark. He sucks on it, and I moan loudly as sparks run straight to the apex of my thighs. “Your mark pulls us in your general direction; that’s how Ryland found you when you left. We can feel direction, just not the exact place, and as long as you’re conscious, we can find you no matter where you go,” he says.
Ryland steps past, and I move over, letting him in. Orion can’t fit in the shower because it is too small, so he sits on the sink and watches us.
“Don’t suppose you brought any clothes?” Ryland asks him as he steps out, wrapping a towel around his waist.
Orion nods and walks out to grab a bag. He tosses some loose-fitting pants to Ryland, and I grab my sweatpants and shirt. Drying myself, I slip them on.
“Where do you think he went?” I ask Orion.
“Don’t know. Evelyn, this isn’t the first time he has gone off the radar. He can mask himself, so we can’t feel him. Last time we didn’t find him until he came looking for us, which was about three months.”
“Three months?” I gasp. I can’t imagine being without them for more than a couple of days, no matter how much I deny it. The mate bond is in full swing; it is like losing a piece of yourself without them.
“He will come back, but for now, we just need to think of what to do next,” Orion says.
“What did you do last time?” I ask.
“Well, I went to mom and dad’s,” Orion says.
“And I went searching for him,” Ryland adds.
“So, you two didn’t see each other either?” I ask, and they both nod.
“No, but we still communicated.”
“Why didn’t you look for him with Ryland?” I ask curiously.
Orion doesn’t answer, but Ryland does. “Because Thaddeus was in a dark place. He enjoyed hurting us. Orion couldn’t take it and tried to leave.”
“Hurting you?” I furrow my eyebrows at his words.
“Yeah, you think what he did to you is bad? He locked Orion up for two years in a cell under the house and drained him of his blood, so he was weak.”
His answer just led me to more questions. “Why?”
“Because I left him. I didn’t want to be a part of his effort to destroy the world,” Orion answers.
“Amara and Bianca got him out; finally made Thaddeus see what he was doing was wrong.”
“Why didn’t you?” I ask, wondering how he could let his mate suffer at the hands of his other mate.
“Because he scared me, and I wasn’t a good person, Evelyn. I enjoyed being with Thaddeus, doing what he was doing.” His answer floors me; I am gobsmacked. He enjoyed killing people with Thaddeus.
“So, what changed?” I ask, wondering when he suddenly stopped going along with everything Thaddeus did.
“I met you,” he answers, and I look at Orion who just shrugs.
“But you aren’t like them?” I ask Orion.
“No. I like humans, Evelyn; like their humanity; like their simple minds and energy. I have never agreed with Ryland and Thaddeus’ ways.”
“Then why did you stay?” I press the matter more.
“The mate bond. You can’t escape it. Three months without him is torture, kills your soul, and you become a shell of yourself without them,” he says.
His answer scares me. What if he doesn’t come back? Will I become like Orion and Ryland, a vacant shell of a person?
“We should get some sleep. We might go to mom and dad’s tomorrow; at least you might be more comfortable there with Amara and Imogen,” Ryland says. I agree; I don’t know how I will handle going from motel to motel.