  &quot;Alora, I believe that might be our escort. This is Route 10.&quot; Doc nudges me lightly, snapping me out of my long weird daydream in which I bludgeoned Carmen to death with Colton s running shoes, before handing them back to him and walking off into the sunset with a flip of my finger, and I sit upright startled to reality. Heart missing a beat and full-on nerves smacking me in the stomach. 
  There s a convoy of headlights heading our way in the now pitch-dark, long road, stretching ahead, dazzling us slightly as they approach, along what seems to be a long empty highway lined with dense trees on either side of us. I hadn t even noticed the change in terrain when we got off the dirt track and got onto an actual road. My insides tighten, tense, and painfully pray it is who it is.
  I lift the veil and link him, in case we re not where they are yet, and this is someone I should 

  He is all in wolf mode in his head and acting like a male hitting the haze. Possessively close, practically bearing down on me as the femme he clearly wants to bone. It s a little unnerving that he is being so weird, but I get it—I left him. I knew where I was and was in control of my being gone, so I never had that frantic pain of loss. I always knew where he was, and how to reach him, and could have if I needed, and wanted to, but he had none of that. 
  He just had silence. No idea where in the world I went and not knowing if I was okay, so I guess it s why he seems a little stirred up and wolf crazy. His bond instinct to protect me must have made him insane these past few weeks, and until now, I never really thought of it. How that must have made him feel and the powerless nature of it. Especially if he could feel my fear, my panic, my sadness, in everything I have been through. Hi

  &quot;I need a location so Colton can help us.&quot; I sound odd, strained, and my voice is husky and hoarse, hinting at tears I m refusing to shed. I can t deny this is awful, but we need his help. 
  &quot;Oh, goodness, that was quick, and it worked. Clever girl. Yes, location, of course, we re fifteen miles or so from the Hackuuh mountain base, north of Rennington. We head south for a good forty miles from here and we end up meeting Route 10 to Normansville. Is that accurate enough?&quot; He scratches his head and goes back to grabbing the steering wheel with both hands before peering back out into the darkness, illuminated only by our headlights. I shrug at him and turn away to focus on the link.
  Colton, we re fifteen miles or so from the Hackuuh mountain base, north of Rennington. He has us heading south; he says we re forty miles from getting to Route 10 to Normansville. Does t

&quot;Alora, I believe that might be our escort. This is Route 10.&quot; Doc nudges me lightly, snapping me out of my long weird daydream in which I bludgeoned Carmen to death with Colton s running shoes, before handing them back to him and walking off into the sunset with a flip of my finger, and I sit upright startled to reality. Heart missing a beat and full-on nerves smacking me in the stomach. 
  There s a convoy of headlights heading our way in the now pitch-dark, long road, stretching ahead, dazzling us slightly as they approach, along what seems to be a long empty highway lined with dense trees on either side of us. I hadn t even noticed the change in terrain when we got off the dirt track and got onto an actual road. My insides tighten, tense, and painfully pray it is who it is.
  I lift the veil and link him, in case we re not where they are yet, and this is someone I should worry about. I don t see any other vehicles on the road. 
  Colton, please tell me that s you, the 

chapter 49