D O V E 

I was choking on my own fear; it was crashing down over me in waves as I approached my motel room. I slid the key from the pocket of my shorts, feeling rather pathetic. I cast a surveying look over my shoulder to the parking lot as my paranoia prompted me. A cloud of fluttering brown wings nearly smothered out the dim yellow light of the street lamp. Thankfully, there was a red neon vacancy sign that blinked in the office window that afforded me the extra light I needed to see clearly. There was only my truck and a dirty Nissan –I knew it belonged to the guy at the front desk. I had watched him get leave in it the first morning after I arrived.

There was a small respite as I turned and put the key in the door, giving it a twist. It opened a crack and I slipped inside. I rushed to close and lock it behind me, holding back the sickness that stirred in my knotted stomach. I moved to the large window and drew the curtains closed. I began to pace the length of the room. All the adrenaline pumping through me needed to be released. I had gone out tonight – purposefully, to hide my scent. I wanted to drown myself in all the bodies I could. It was the perfect mask for creatures who tracked their prey by smell.

Now, I needed to get control of my paranoia before it crippled me. I rubbed my itchy palms down the front of my shirt as beads of sweat slipped down between my shoulder blades. It had been six months since I had put Silas and his pack behind me. I had been on the run since then and I was getting damn tired of running. I took in a measured breath and closed my eyes, trying to get my racing heart and thoughts under control. The fear of him finding me felt worse at times than the what would happen if he actually did. It was possible that Silas wasn't even chasing after me. It was possible this was what he'd intended for me to feel. Maybe he wanted to drive me to the point where I was so scared that I came back to him on my own.

I exhaled heavily as I opened my eyes. I shuffled forward a couple of steps before I dropped down onto the lumpy mattress, running my fingers through my hair. I hated the brown color I had dyed it. It was dull and nothing like the golden blonde color I used to see when I looked in the mirror. The change had been a necessary evil, though. I'd done well to cover my tracks over the past couple of months; changing my looks, using fake names, and never staying in any one place for too long. One mistake could bring this all crashing down around me.

One mistake...I bit into my lip.

I had slipped up today in the bar.

I had used my real name.

Maybe it had been my subconscious desire to get caught, to put an end to all the fear and running. I let out another sigh before I slipped off my sneakers, crawling underneath the sheets as I settled myself into the bed. I was exhausted but that wasn't unusual. I was always tired these days. I coveted the few hours of actual sleep that I got at night. Most of the time I ended up lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling of whatever shit hole I was living in that week and replaying everything thing I had done or said that day. I had the constant urge to analyze everything I did to make sure I hadn't made any mistakes.

The moments when I found sleep I was tormented by Silas and the imagined possibilities of what he would do to me when he finally caught up with me. Beasts with dark fur and red eyes, chased me through the woods in my nightmares – devouring me whole as I choked on my own blood. Sometimes I was locked away in that house with no escape, while outside Silas and his pack stood, mocking me. Other times I saw myself collared and chained, paraded around like a house-trained pet.

I put my hand under the pillow; it was still there. The warm checkered wooden grip met my palm, like the firm handshake of an old friend. Six – six chances to stop him if he tried to come through the door. That gave me the peace of mind I needed. I did my best to banish the rest of the thoughts of him from my mind. I needed sleep – I'd been running on four hours for the past thirty-two. As thoughts, Silas slipped to the back of my mind the man I'd met in the bar tonight came to the forefront.

Rhys.

There had been something about him that had made me feel safe, despite his intimidating appearance and demeanor. I could picture him clearly in my mind; haunting green eyes, the slight crook in his nose, dark curls that fell to a dimpled chin, thin lips that seemed to be on the verge of a sneer or a smirk. He was a man of surprising height and bulk. It would be hard for anyone to not feel intimidated by him. When he had reached out for me, I had wanted to flinch away. It had taken everything inside of me to hold myself still and compliant. I had readied myself for a heavy-handed touch from his demeanor and been surprised by his gentleness.

I had felt myself warm up to him. It was as if I had been a rose in the desert, withering away and dying for water – then he had shown up and fed me what I'd been desperate for. I had been tempted to invite him into my bed. Thankfully, I had been so alarmed by his presence and my reaction to him that I hadn't found the courage to do anything of the sort. I shifted uncomfortably on the mattress. I kicked my legs, trying to untangle myself from the sheets as I tossed and turned for a few moments. I'd gone and gotten myself all hot and bothered, mostly bothered, thinking about my new friend from the bar.

I blew out a harsh breath.

"No more thinking, Dove. Only sleeping." I said aloud to myself. I wiggled around for a moment longer, pushing myself deeper into the mattress until I found a comfortable place to rest my body. I listened to the gentle whisper of cars passing by on the street, counting the time span between them. Eventually, I lulled myself into sleep, my mind turning back to the image of Rhys as I fell off into silent darkness.

I didn't know how long I had been out for but I woke up in a fog. The darkness in my room seemed darker. The stillness of the night seemed too still. Someone was in my room or at least that's what my senses screamed at me as I was pulled from the edge of sleep. Someone was in my room and they were watching me. The hairs on my arms stood on end.

I stiffened under the thin sheet. "I've got a gun."

There was a moment of heavy silence, but I still had the sensation of eyes on me. A deep rumbling chuckle flittered through the room. I stiffened at the sound.

"Do you now?" There was a twinge of amusement clinging to the question.

I hadn't been expecting to have someone answer me. A part of me had been hoping that it was dream induced paranoia. It wouldn't have been the first time. That was not the case, there was actually someone in the room with me.

Adrenaline began to pump through my body as my heart rate escalated. I didn't have time to live in disbelief – every second that passed with nonaction was another second of my freedom that I gave away. I popped up, fast. The revolver that had been under my pillow now pointed into the darkness in the direction of the mysterious voice.

"Guess you weren't lying." The deep voice sent a shiver of trepidation through me.

I tightened my grip on the revolver, trying to steady the tremble of my hand, "I know how to use it too." I shifted my body on the bed. I needed light. I needed to have a better view of the stranger who had broken into my room. The lamp on the bedside table was broken – the bulb had likely not been replaced in months. The only solution to my problem was the switch was near the door. I was going to have to take that risk. I gritted my teeth as I scooted toward the edge of the bed.

"I'd hope so with you waving it around like a drunk man trying to get his car key into a locked door. It would be a pity if you went and shot yourself. Rhys wouldn't be very happy." I froze at the mention of man from the bar as my mind spun with confusion.

"Rhys?" I questioned as the small room blasted with light and I squeezed my eyes shut in the shock of it. It took all of two seconds for me to remember that I was alone with a man who had broken into my room. My eyes fluttered open while I tried to rid myself of the sting of the light.

The blurry image of a man began to sharpen until I could make out the figure standing near the door. His hair was short and choppy, but long enough for him to rake his fingers through it. His blue eyes were full of mischief, hidden under long dark lashes. The sleeves of his dark zip-up hoodie pushed up to his elbows, revealing firm forearms covered in colorful ink. He was beautiful, but almost inhumanly so.

"Pretty, ain't I?" he asked, tilting his head to the side in a teasing manner. It was as if he had read my mind but I knew that wasn't possible. Even with all the things I had experienced. I knew there were limits or at least I hoped there were. It was more likely that I had shown my thoughts too clearly on my face. Either way, I couldn't wrap my mind around the casual nature with which he was treating the current situation.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my room? Which is beyond creepy." I pushed myself back on the bed, coming in contact with the cheap wooden headboard.

He took a step forward. I pulled back the hammer on the revolver; the cylinder rotated and made a satisfying click as it locked in place – gotcha. He stopped immediately and lifted his hands. "Calm down, there's no need for that."

"Isn't there?" I questioned with narrowed eyes.

"My name is Dace and I only came into your room because you were calling out in your sleep so loud that I thought you were being attacked. I wasn't trying to do anything."

I licked my lips. "And you want me to believe you were just passing by my room." I peeked at the stock alarm clock on the bedside table, "At four in the morning?" I met his gaze again. I noticed that the door behind him was still closed – completely untouched. He obviously had found another way in.

"No," he replied with a lazy expression. "I was sitting outside in the parking lot – keeping an eye on things like Rhys asked me too. I'm supposed to make sure you are looked after until you leave. I wouldn't have been doing my due diligence if I hadn't checked on you."

Rhys left an impression on me that had both enticed and terrified me. I wasn't saying much. I had no faith in my taste in men anymore, not after Silas. I took in a slow breath, holding Dace's gaze, "Well that's flattering of him to want to look out for me but this is a little much. I don't know him and he doesn't know me. I especially don't appreciate strange men breaking into my room no matter their alleged good intentions. Now, if you would please leave, Dace." I motioned the revolver to the door behind him.

Dace dropped his hands. "Okay – okay, I get it. Well, I'll be right outside if you need anything." He shot me a smile that did nothing to ease my discomfort as he turned and reached for the door.

"Wait, what?" I asked as he twisted the lock and pulled the door open. He cast a look over his shoulder at me with an eyebrow arching upwards. The metal bar of the piercing in his brow caught the light from a street lamp in the parking lot.

"Are you seriously going to wait outside my door like some kind of bouncer?" This was the most absurd situation to find myself in. I glanced at the phone and debated calling the cops, but If I called them I'd have to make a report. Reports meant paperwork and paperwork meant trails. Trails that Silas could follow if he snooped around. No, I was going to have to deal with this myself.

"Don't worry about it. You're not my type." He let out a soft chuckle though there was nothing apparently funny about what he'd said. "Just go to sleep."

He took a step out the door, only to pop his head back in. "Oh, and if you could keep this little misunderstanding between the two of us that would be great." He winked at me as he closed the door behind himself.

I sat stunned on my bed for a moment before I jumped up, rushing to the window. I found it gaping open. So, that's how he had gotten in – obviously, the locks on the window didn't work. I frowned. I would definitely need to switch my room tomorrow.

I turned my face to find Dace standing outside my door as he had promised, working a cigarette out of a pack. He turned his head as if he felt my eyes on him, giving a little wave. I quickly shut the window, heart hammering in my chest. How long had he been here? Why the hell had Rhys felt the need to put a protection detail on me like I was some high-profile citizen? And how did he know how to find me? This wasn't right, it bordered on stalking. It just wasn't normal behavior, not for most humans at least. More suspicions began to filter through my head until my thoughts were racing. Whispers of the possible truth floated through my mind but I batted them away, shivering despite the air in the room being warm.

I marched to the door and twisted the lock, even though I knew Dace could still get into my room. It made me feel safer. I flicked off the light switch and set myself down on the edge of my bed with my revolver pointed at the window – the point of entry. I wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight. First thing when the sun rose, I was going to hunt down Rhys and tell him exactly what I thought about his odd and unnecessary gesture of friendship and promptly tell him where he could shove it.