Chapter 313

| was serious last night when | asked Eli to mark me rather than let some stranger mark me. Better the devil you know, right? At least | hope so. | may not believe in the mate bond, but | have a better chance with someone who might actually care about me than with someone who only wants me for the strength | can bring to their pack, someone who will treat me like a commodity and a breeding machine.

| know I’m a Guardian, and I’m supposed to be this strong wolf that all the Alphas want, but I’m terrified. | don’t know how to fight.

Up until a couple weeks. ago, | thought | was a human. A human that was doing everything | could just to survive, much less learn how to fight or defend myself.

So, as much as | hate this feeling of dependence, I’m thankful that Eli is here with me. He makes me feel safe, or at least safer than | would feel if ! was running alone. | wasn’t expecting to get any sleep last night, but after laying on his chest, smelling his intoxicating scent and listening to the steady beat of his heart, | fell into a deep sleep. When | woke, | had slept more soundly than | can remember sleeping in years. If | hadn’t woken up practically on top of him, it would have been great. As it was, | could tell he was not immune to our close proximity. His hard length had been pressing against my thigh.

| listen as Eli talks to Alpha Rik on the phone. | can hear another male voice in the background but can’t decipher what he is saying. It sounds like the red wolves. know we are on the run and since they have territory in Texas and Louisiana, we need to divert from our course quickly and head north again. | listen as they talk through our trek north to Oklahoma, then turning east and working our way to North Georgia.

| miss the question that is asked, but Eli turns to look at me. “No, we're not at that point yet.” He says and | can guess the question. Can’t he just mark me? Then there would be no need for this running.

Part of me is ready to agree, but then | remember my father, and | would rather run forever than live like that again.

| turn and look out the window at the miles and miles of flat nothingness. | hear Eli disconnect the phone. “We have a plan. I’m not sure how good it is. If the red wolves are watching the bus stations, we're screwed. At the next station, if it looks safe, we're taking off in our wolf form. | need to get a map so we can skirt the pack territories, but it may be safest.

| just nod. “I’m sorry you're being dragged into this. | know this would be easier +15 BONOS if | would just let you mark me.”

He puts is fingers against my lips. “You have your reasons to not trust the mater bond. | can respect that, and | can wait. As long as it doesn’t mean that you end up mated to someone else.”

I turn to look back outside. We sit in silence for a while.

“That car should have passed us a long time ago.’ Maia says in my head.

| look and there is a car keeping pace with the bus. She’s right, it seems like it’s going very slow considering we're in the middle of nowhere.

“Eli. Maia says this car is keeping pace with the bus. Do you think it’s the red wolves?”

He leans past me, looking out the window. | hear him curse under his breath before he grabs his phone and hits speed dial.

“They're following the bus.” He says as soon as Alpha Rik picks up.

“How far are you from the bus station?” The voice asks but it doesn’t sound like Alpha Rik.

“Thirty minutes. We’re just coming up on the town.”

“Give the phone to Grace.”

Eli looks at me, then hands me the phone.

“Hello?”

“Grace, this is Alpha Liam. Do you recognize my name?”

“| know you've been talking to Eli.”

“But you don’t remember who | am?” “No. Should |?”