Chapter 4 - Cindy's
Amaia's POV
The downpour was indescribable, and I felt exhausted after hours of careful driving.
It seemed like the storm was going in the direction I was driving, and I couldn't outrun it.
I sighed in frustration.
It was no use to drive further in this kind of weather. I should find a place and wait it out; that was the only option I had now. Besides, I needed some desperate rest.
I slowly drove a bit further, searching for an information board for a nearby town.
By the time I found the board, I could barely keep my eyes open.
"Another fifty fcking miles before the next town?" I exclaimed in disbelief. "Who the fck stays this far out anyway?"
I stopped the truck next to the road and switched off the engine.
The silence that stretched inside the cab was intimidated by the pouring rain outside. The pouring rain made it difficult to think and relax.
I sighed hopelessly. I was starting to doubt my decision to go on this trip. I wasn't sure anymore if the excursion was such a wonderful idea. The waiting made me restless. The rain added to my anxiety.
Was I doing the right thing in finding my mate?
Would it be weird if I suddenly pitched by his pack unannounced and informed him that I was his mate?
Would he accept me? He certainly looked like he wanted me before I died. Would he still want me now that I am alive?
"Urg," I moaned, laying my head against the cold steering wheel. "Will I mess up our first meeting? What will I say to him?
Days like these, I wish I had a wolf to talk to. At least then, the days wouldn't be so lonely, and I could ask someone's opinion.
Feeling annoyed by my thoughts, I grabbed the blanket from the passenger seat and covered myself with it.
It was a bit chilly inside the cab now that the truck wasn't running. I was glad that I had packed some supplies and left them on the back seat for the trip. I wasn't sure how long I would be away.
Would someone miss me?
Would they go look for me?
In my previous life, I felt mostly invisible to everyone. Even after taking on the Luna role, I remained elusive.
I didn't know if it was because I didn't shift into my wolf or something else.
Whatever it was didn't make me very popular, and I was too timid to care. But now things were different—I noticed the curious eyes following me.
I dismissed my thoughts and used the car remote to lock all the doors. I made myself as comfortable as I could in my seat.
I lay back, closing my burning eyes. I was emotionally and physically spent, and it made it difficult to relax.
My mind kept on racing in different directions. I had so many unanswered questions.
Why did Darna murder my father?
Why did she need our pack?
Why not kill me years ago?
I sighed. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts drift off to my parents, whom I miss so much; however, my mind soon wandered to Roland and how handsome he was.
My heart pounded with pain as I recalled the sorrow in those deep blue eyes. He looked sad and upset about losing me.
The dream shifted and changed into a bloody horror scene. Darna pushed me off the edge of the roof, causing me to plummet to my demise.
A scream escaped my lips, which startled me awake. I sat up, disoriented. Movement caught my attention at the window, and I turned my head.
Another horrific scream escaped my lips when I saw a dark figure standing next to the truck, soaking wet.
"Stop screaming, dammit!" An annoyed deep voice filled my ears. "And roll down your window!"
"Wait, what?" I asked, wide-eyed. Is he crazy? It's the middle of the night, and I am a woman alone.
"You heard me," the man said, pressing a badge against the glass. "Or should I break the window?"
Startled at the man's behavior, I quickly rolled down the window just by an inch.
The man rolled his eyes at me and smiled, while his partner quickly approached us.
"May I help you?" I asked, stuttering like an idiot. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Yeah," the man said, still the same annoyance in his voice. "You are on private property and need to move."
This meant that I had stopped in someone else's territory without permission, and they wanted me to leave.
"Private property?" I asked, lifting my nose to take a whiff of the two men standing at my window. "I am miles away from the closest town, and I believe I have lost my way. With this weather, I don't know where I will end up..."
I might not have a wolf, but I could still distinguish between humans, wolves, pack members, and rogues. Everyone, including other creatures, had a distinctive smell.
A fresh but faint grassland scent confirmed that the two men were indeed wolves belonging to a pack.
My gaze moved over the first wolf's face. He had strong and handsome features, but a deep cut on the side of his face ruined some of them. He must be some kind of guard or warrior patrolling the area.
"This is Dark Howl Pack territory," the first one said.
I guess he assumed I was also a wolf, which explains the pack name. It did happen that some human roads crossed some parts of pack territories, and wolves, just like humans, did use those roads.
"You are trespassing..." the second wolf barked, anger crossing his eyes.
Yet I ignored his behavior and focused on the pack name instead. I was sure Dark Howl belonged to Alpha Lennox.
"Oh, I see," I said, rolling the window down a bit more. "Maybe you could help me. I am looking for Roland. It would be very kind of you if I could talk to him."
That took the two wolves by surprise. The first wolf knitted his eyebrows together and turned to face his partner. He seemed startled and worried by my request.
"That is Alpha for you," the second wolf growled. "And he doesn't meet with rogues. He kills them..."
"I am not a rogue," I defended myself. "I am..."
"What Beta Barrett is saying is that Alpha Lennox is not available currently," the first wolf cut in.
A smile tickled at the side of my lips—they just confirmed that they know who Roland is. I wonder why these two wolves were acting so aloof.
"Oh, well," I sighed, acting hopeless. "Can you at least point me in the direction of a nearby motel? I have been driving in this weather for hours, and I really need some rest before continuing on my journey."
The two wolves looked at me before the first one nodded.
"Follow us," he said, his annoyance gone. "We will take you to Cindy's."
I wasn't sure who or what Cindy was, but I nodded and started the truck.
Things were about to get intriguing...