Written in the Stars: Wolffe Peak Book 3 Page 10

  Truer words had never been spoken. He’d rather die than see any harm come to her. He hadn’t been there for her a week ago when Humans First had abducted her, but he sure as shit was here for her now. No way in hell would he let anyone lay a hand on her again.

  “Harley?”

  “Shh,” he crooned, holding her tight. “It’s almost over.”

  “What’s almost over?”

  He hadn’t the foggiest. He’d simply said the first thing that came to mind. Heat licked at his back, the sound of crackling flames growing closer. He wasn’t positive, but he was pretty sure the entire town was on fire.

  Outside the car, the sound of screams rose to his ears. He lifted his head and peered out the front window, his heart lurching into his throat at the sight of someone aflame, rolling around on the pavement.

  “Jesus,” he muttered.

  “Harley?”

  “Stay here!” He pushed up from the backseat.

  “Harley, wait—”

  “I mean it, Jasmine. Don’t move a fucking inch.” His wolf punctuated his words with a savage snarl.

  She stared up at him, eyes wild, her skin smudged with soot. “Don’t leave me.”

  His heart stuttered. Damn it. He wanted nothing more than to stay in the car with her, keep her safe from whatever the hell had happened out there. But there were innocent people outside, burning alive. He couldn’t sit still and do nothing.

  He cupped her face, his gut tightening when her eyes fluttered shut and she leaned into his touch. “Do not leave this car. I will be right back.”

  “What? No!”

  Before she could utter another complaint, Harley dove out into the chaotic street. So many injured. So many dead. The sight before him stole his breath. Flames licked at the sky and devoured buildings. It roared down the street, leaping over pavement and consuming the surrounding vegetation. And amidst it all, people ran to and fro.

  Harley leapt into action. He whipped off his shirt and threw it over the poor man rolling on the street in front of him, snuffing out the flames. The sound of his cries would haunt Harley forever. But he couldn’t stop to evaluate the man’s injuries. There were others who needed just as much help.

  He grabbed the next person, and the next, shoving them toward any safe haven he could find, herding them out of the town as it burned down around them. Somehow, they’d descended into hell, and as Harley picked up one injured person after another, he started to wonder if it would ever end.

  “Fulton!” Wells’s familiar voice shouted above the flames.

  Harley whirled around to find Wells and Carlisle covered head to toe in soot but uninjured. Both held a pair of injured women in their arms and were running toward him at breakneck speeds.

  Panting for breath, Carlisle reached him first, then turned and gestured toward the bridge. “We have another problem.”

  Harley turned toward the bridge, his jaw tightening at the sight of what he assumed was the jaguar clan running into town. Though they were in human form, their eyes were lit up like the Fourth of July. Anger blazed through Harley, as hot as the fires surrounding them. Had the clan started the fire? If so, he’d slaughter every single one of these godforsaken bastards. What the hell kind of alpha permitted an attack on civilians? All as a means of claiming one woman?

  He reached for his sidearm, eager to take a few of them down. But before he could take aim, the jaguars rushed onto the scene and began helping the injured.

  “What the hell?” Wells demanded.

  What the hell, indeed. Harley’s eyes narrowed. They moved as a singular unit, offering assistance to any in need. And in the middle of it all stood one specific individual, half-clad in cargo shorts and nothing else. His long, dark hair shone in the heat, his eyes aglow with his beast. One glance and Harley knew. This was the alpha. The strength and authority he commanded almost had Harley bowing, but he bit back that fun little urge and straightened his back.

  The only alpha who’d earned his respect was Wyatt, and Harley had no intention of changing that anytime soon. Especially when there was a possibility he’d have to kill this guy. He only hoped he was strong enough to win that particular battle.

  The alpha moved among his people, but his gaze was all for Harley. He could read the silent promise within, the one that assured Harley this wasn’t over.

  So, they hadn’t started the fire then. But who had? Humans First? Or was this a random event? That couldn’t be the case—too coincidental. It had to be Humans First. But why? What was the point behind this incursion?

  “You need to go,” Wells hissed under his breath.

  “What?”

  “You and Jasmine need to get the hell out of here. We’ll stay and handle all this. But that asshole is here for her. And he’s not going to give up. Go, we’ve got this!”

  Harley shook his head. “You’re joking, right?”

  “Go! He’s not interested in us. And we can stay behind and help these people. You can’t. Take Jasmine and get the fuck out of here. Get her home.”

  Harley stared at Wells, shocked by this sudden change of events. “I wouldn’t have thought you the altruistic sort.”

  “I have my moments.” He flashed Harley a forced grin and repositioned the woman in his arms. “You get her home, you get paid, you pay us.”

  Ah-ha. There was the truth behind it all. A merc, through and through.

  “Stop arguing with me.” Wells freed one hand and shoved Harley back, not that he budged an inch. “Get out of here. Now.”

  And on that final note, he and Carlisle broke into a jog, removing the two women from harm’s way before racing back into the town.

  Harley ran back to the vehicle, relieved to find Jasmine still tucked inside. She clutched the front seat in her hands, her expression fearful as she took in the developing scene. Harley dove into the driver seat and turned the engine, the entire time praying it started up. The smoke was growing steadily worse outside.

  After a few stall outs, the engine finally came to life with a loud rumble.

  “What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

  “We’re leaving.”

  “Leaving? We can’t leave! These people—”

  “Jasmine. The jaguars are here. We need to go now.”

  “Oh, God.” She glanced through the back window, the nearby flames illuminating her face. “They need us.”

  “Wells and Carlisle are staying behind.” He wasn’t sure what happened to Jones and Richards. He only hoped they’d survived. “But we need to go. The alpha is here for you. I’m not sure I can win against him.”

  She turned back to Harley, surprise parting her lips. “The alpha?”

  “Let’s go.”

  Nodding, Jasmine climbed into the front seat and buckled in. Harley punched down on the gas pedal and took off, careful to avoid the flames and the crowd of people running chaotically through the streets. He needed to get her the hell out of here. Wells was right. The jaguars were after her. The rest of the team would be fine so long as they didn’t get in the way.

  Right now, he and Jasmine had the advantage, as horrible a realization as that was. The alpha seemed to care enough to stay and assist the town instead of tracking Jasmine. The locals had become his number one concern in the heat of the moment, and Harley intended to make use of that.

  It wasn’t easy, what with the raging fire and the panicked people, but eventually, they found a way out. Once on the open road, Harley released a long breath and leaned back against the seat, his coiled muscles tense.

  “Do you think the others will be okay?” Jasmine whispered, still staring at San Quintín in the side-view mirror.

  Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, Harley reached toward Jasmine and wound their fingers together. He didn’t have an answer for her. The only thing he knew was they hadn’t seen the last of the alpha.

  11

  Jasmine slowly woke to the feel of a hand gently shaking her shoulder. She uttered a quiet grumble and attempted to roll o
ver only to be trapped by something strapped across her chest. Blinking open her eyes, she glanced down, the sight of the seatbelt snug against her sooty shirt a stark reminder of their situation.

  She could still feel the flames fanning her skin, taste the smoke and ash in the air. The fire had chased her into her dreams, even though they were far from San Quintín.

  “Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey,” Harley’s familiar voice crooned in the darkness.

  “What time is it?” she asked around a yawn.

  “Late. Or early. Depends on how you look at it.”

  She’d been hoping for an exact time, but whatever. A quick glance at the dashboard told her it was half-past midnight. Which meant they’d been on the road for going on seven hours. “Where are we?”

  “A bit outside Comitan.”

  Another yawn. “Do you need me to take over driving?”

  “No. We’re done for the night.”

  “Really? I thought you were hoping to reach San Cristobal?”

  Harley nodded and dropped his head back against the driver seat. The silvery moonlight cast a soft, ephemeral glow over his face, illuminating the dark bags under Harley’s eyes. He was exhausted, which wasn’t surprising considering their circumstances. She couldn’t recall a single moment he’d rested in the jungle. Since rescuing her, they’d been nonstop. Even when he’d given them some time to gather themselves, he’d been doing something. Burying bodies, scouting the nearby terrain, comforting or feeding her, but never resting.

  And after the attack on San Quintín, Harley refused to stop. He’d hit the gas pedal and hadn’t once let up, eager to put as much distance between them and the jaguars as possible. Jasmine had fought to stay awake, to keep him company, maintain conversation to help him stay alert, but after an hour, she’d crashed.

  In all fairness, she hadn’t managed a decent sleep since Humans First kidnapped her. And what few winks she’d grabbed in the jungle hadn’t done much to refill her tank or help her body heal. Not that Harley once complained. If anything, he seemed more concerned about her wellbeing than his own.

  Her heart fluttered with the realization. Everything so far had been about her health. He’d even let her sleep the entire drive, knowing she needed it, even though he was clearly fading.

  “We’re just outside Comitan. We’ll get some sleep, refuel in the morning, then continue the rest of the way,” Harley finally said, his words a tad slurred.

  Jasmine peered at the dashboard, noticing the flickering light above the gas gage. “We can refuel now and keep going. I can drive.”

  He shook his head, his eyes slowly closing. “All the gas stations are closed. We’ll need to wait until the morning.”

  “We could have refueled along the way.”

  “I have no idea how far the alpha’s reach is. For all I know, he’s already put out a bulletin on us. And if he has people all over his territory, like Wyatt does, they’d immediately call him. We need to fly under the radar if we’re going to get you home safely.”

  Jasmine considered his explanation. It made sense, if not a tad overprotective. Of course, they’d just escaped a town literally engulfed in flames. Clearly, someone was willing to go to dire extremes to get their hands on her. Maybe he wasn’t being so overprotective after all.

  “All right. So, what’s next?”

  He rolled out his neck and yawned. “I’m running on fumes myself, but I can smell trees and hear a waterfall nearby. I thought maybe we’d take some time to clean ourselves up. Then we can shift and sleep under the stars.”

  We’ll… what now? “We can’t sleep in the car?”

  Harley’s head rolled toward her, his agate eyes catching hers. “Have you ever tried sleeping in a car?”

  Of course not. She always traveled in style, compliments of her father. Five-star hotels, buffets, showers, the works. She’d once glamped in Australia, but that was hardly the same thing as sleeping in animal form on the cold, hard ground.

  “Well, for tall people like me, sleeping in a car is incredibly uncomfortable. Trust me, we’ll sleep better out in the woods. Plus, we really don’t want to be so visible on the road if the jaguars do track us here.”

  Fair enough. But sleeping in the dirt with the bugs was hardly what she’d call a pleasant accommodation. Although she did have to admit, her body did ache from being confined to the car all day. Stretching her legs sounded like a nice alternative to sliding into the cramped backseat.

  “You gonna be okay to shift?” she asked.

  Harley gave a tired laugh. “I’ll manage. In the morning, we’ll head into Comitan and call your father.”

  Jasmine’s heart leapt. She hadn’t spoken to him since the ransom demand. Just the thought of hearing his voice calmed her nerves.

  Harley popped open the driver's side door and slid out into the night. Jasmine did the same, reveling not only in the fresh air but also the ability to stretch out her knotted muscles. Maybe Harley was right. Her body certainly hadn’t enjoyed the last seven hours. Hell, she didn’t even feel rested.

  Once outside, Harley leaned his elbows against the roof of the car. “You don’t by chance have any identification on you, do you?”

  She couldn’t help but give a sarcastic laugh. “Where do you think I could possibly be keeping my driver’s license?”

  “Yeah. Just thought I’d check. We always intended to get you to the embassy in Mexico City. Guess we’ll follow through with the original plan.”

  “You don’t think the jaguars will anticipate that?”

  He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and nodded. “I suspect they will. But we honestly have no other option.”

  “What about Wells and Carlisle?” she asked. “Do you think they’re okay?”

  “They’re trained professionals,” he assured her. “They know what they’re doing.”

  “Sure, but against shifters?”

  She spotted a flash of concern in Harley’s eyes, but he blinked it away before she could comment. Instead of answering, he leaned into the backseat and pulled out a black rucksack. Jasmine hadn’t noticed it when hiding from the fire.

  “What’s in there?”

  “Clean clothes. Food. The usual.”

  “A phone?”

  He nodded. “My cell, but we won’t have any reception until we reach Comitan.”

  She lifted a brow.

  Harley shrugged. “Maybe I studied the coverage maps before we left. Handy to know those sorts of things.”

  She bit back a smile. Now that was the Harley she remembered. Always prepared, always knowledgeable about the strangest things—such as Mexican cell phone coverage. Right now, all she cared about was the promise of food. Her gut hadn’t stopped rumbling since they’d left San Quintín. She seemed almost insatiable now. Not that she’d had a chance to really fill her belly with anything more than cans of soup and jerky, but still. Every time she turned around, she seemed hungry. A side effect of becoming a shifter, perhaps? Her first semester at UC Denver, she’d taken a class on shifter anatomy. She’d learned their metabolisms burned hotter than humans, a means of maintaining the animal within. Likely what was happening to her now.

  Harley hiked the bag over his shoulder and gestured toward a new copse of trees. The thought of delving into the wilderness yet again didn’t appeal to Jasmine in the slightest. She was so sick of nature right now. But complaining wouldn’t accomplish anything, so she trailed after Harley without a word.

  Once they crossed the road, she heard the telltale sounds of a river. She had to admit, the thought of cleaning up definitely appealed to her. She hadn’t had a chance since the abduction and she wanted nothing more than to rid herself of the lingering filth and grime of the cabin and Luis.

  Harley led her through the river valley, following a path largely trampled.

  “Where are we?”

  “The sign back before we stopped said Velo de Novia. A national park, I guess. Seems to be a bit of a tourist destination, which might help us.”
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  “Help us how?”

  “Hide our scent. All I can smell is water and vegetation. And body odor. Too much to pick out one individual scent.”

  Well, that was something, at least.

  About ten minutes later, Harley strode through some trees to the sound of roaring water. They’d followed the river the entire way in but hadn’t seen anything quite like this. Across from them, pouring down over an outcropping of rocks, was a massive waterfall lit up beneath the pale moonlight. The water cascaded into a pool below, one devoid of anyone else.

  “Are we allowed to be here right now?” Jasmine whispered, afraid to speak any louder lest she alert someone to their presence.

  “Probably not.” Harley chuckled. “I think it’s technically closed to the public right now.”

  “It’s beautiful.” Even without the light of day, Jasmine could tell the water sparkled. Water she couldn’t wait to dive into.

  Harley lowered onto the riverbank and swung his bag around. He fished out a bag of trail mix and yet another bag of jerky. Without a word, he popped them open and started to eat while enjoying the view. Jasmine sat next to him, content to do the same.

  “Did you know we’d need all this?” she asked, gesturing toward the pack.

  He shook his head. “I didn’t know what to expect. So I packed as much food as I possibly could.”

  An accomplishment she was incredibly grateful for. After a week of being practically starved, she never wanted to experience that sensation again, the feel of her gut eating away at itself, then knitting itself back together thanks to her new shifter genetics. The bastards had fed her enough food to keep her alive, but never full, never content.

  They dug into the meal with gusto. There was so much Jasmine wanted to ask him, things she wanted to discuss, but she feared approaching any topic that revolved around them. Part of her wanted so desperately to ask why he’d taken her father’s bribe. He’d once told her that they were mates. When she hadn’t understood what that meant, he’d carefully explained everything.

  What she didn’t understand now was how he could leave her. If she was his soulmate, as he’d explained it, how could he just up and leave? Abandon her and everything they’d begun to build together? She’d never had the chance to ask him. And now that it was just the two of them together on this whirlwind adventure and she had the chance to ask, she feared his answer.