Dire (The Dire Wolves Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  Fifteen minutes later I walked inside and glanced around for Mary Anne. She was seated in a booth chatting with an older couple sitting at the next table.

  “Hey.” I slid in across from her.

  “Hey. Did you get them on?”

  “Yes. It’s not my first time doing it.”

  “I know. I just felt bad leaving you out there like that.” She gazed out at the snowy parking lot.

  “Aww, thanks.” I noticed a cup of coffee. “How’d you know I wanted this?”

  “It’s late and we’ve got hours to drive. Whether you wanted the coffee is meaningless. You needed it.”

  I sipped the hot coffee, enjoying the warmth on the way down. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t you want to know what I ordered you to eat?”

  “I told you to surprise me, I’ll find out when it gets here.”

  “You didn’t mention your friend was so handsome.” The older woman smiled at Mary Anne.

  I grinned. “You were talking about me?”

  She shifted in her seat. “I was assuring this nice couple that I wasn’t out in this weather alone.”

  “Of course not. I mean girls can’t even travel themselves, can they?” I smirked.

  Mary Anne kicked me under the table.

  “Well, you two would make a lovely couple.” The woman smiled.

  “We would, wouldn’t we?” I didn’t know why I was messing with Mary Anne, but it was unbelievably fun. Her facial expressions were priceless. I even got another blush out of her.

  She shook her head. “Oh look, our food’s coming.”

  A waitress walked over with two large white plates. She placed mine in front of me.

  “Perfect.” I grabbed one fry from the heaping pile on the plate next to my turkey club.

  She blushed again. “Glad you like it.”

  She took a bite of her identical sandwich.

  “You assumed I liked the same thing as you?”

  “No, I remembered,” she mumbled before taking a sip of her coffee.

  “Remembered from?” I wracked my brain. Had we had a meal together before?

  “That’s what you ordered when you went out to eat with my family in high school.”

  “Uh…” Did she seriously remember what I ate that long ago?

  “I have a really good memory.” She stuffed a fry in her mouth.

  “Wow, I’m flattered you remember.”

  “Don’t be. I told you I just have a good memory.”

  “Whatever you say.” I forced back a smile. Good memory or not, she was into me. That thought made me happier than it should have.

  “I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Uh oh. I’d worry you were going to say you were pregnant, but we haven’t had sex.” Not yet. Fuck, I couldn’t think that way. She was off limits. Completely off limits. I shouldn’t have even been joking with her that way. It just sort of happened. She was bringing out that side in me.

  Both members of the older couple looked over. Mary Anne glared. “Very funny.”

  “Okay, what is it?

  “There are a couple of decent hotels around. Maybe we should see if we can find one with an open room.”

  “Mary Anne, I’m flattered you want to get me into a hotel room, but I’m kind of in the mood to get home.” Total bullshit. My pants were tight just thinking about her in a hotel room, but it would lead to trouble.

  She kicked me again, this time harder. “With all these sex jokes I’d think you were the one who wanted me.”

  “Who said I didn’t?” No use lying to the girl.

  Her face paled and she said nothing. Had I actually left her speechless? “We’ve got the chains and a truck. We’re good.”

  “Ok. I’m going to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” She slid out of the booth and walked away.

  “She’s a keeper.” The older man leaned over.

  “Yeah, thanks.” I had to get myself in check. What was going on with me? Maybe this is what happened when I went close to two months without getting any. It was my longest stretch of celibacy since I was sixteen, but I just hadn’t found anyone worth my time in a while. All the girls I attracted seemed desperate or something.

  “I mean it. Don’t be stupid. Girls like that are hard to find, and when you do find them you need to keep them.” He reached over and squeezed the hand of the woman I assumed was his wife.

  “Okay.” I wasn’t thinking about keeping her. I was more concerned with how I was going to keep my hands to myself for the next few hours.

  I went back to my sandwich. I polished it off before she even got back to the table. At least I could take care of that appetite. “My turn for the restroom.”

  A few minutes later, we were heading out the door and back to the truck.

  I opened her door. She looked at me funny before hopping in. Did she think I didn’t know how to be a gentleman? I’d never been rude to her before.

  “The turnpike’s closed up at forty-one because of an accident,” a trucker called over. “If you’re heading west I’d go back inside.”

  “Is twenty still open?” It wouldn’t be my first choice for a road, but it beat turning around.

  “Sure, but who would take that road in this weather?”

  “Me.” I got in the driver’s seat and backed out. At least we had chains on.

  Mary Anne looked over questioningly. “What was he telling you?”

  I debated how much to tell her as I drove back toward the turnpike. We only needed to go another fifteen miles or so before I could turn off and get us over to another road. I didn’t want to get her unnecessarily concerned, so I tried to play it off. “Oh, just that the turnpike’s closed about fifty miles up.”

  “What?’ She sat up stock straight. “Then why are we back on the turnpike? We need to find a hotel.”

  “No we don’t. It’s closed for an accident. We can take a highway on up and pass the part that’s closed.”

  “A highway? In this weather?”

  “Come on, we’ve got chains, and it’s only a few hundred miles.”

  “I’ll pay for the hotel. Really, I don’t mind.”

  “Mary Anne, chill out. I put the chains on. We’re fine.”

  She gripped her seat. “But what if other people aren’t? What if drivers without chains crash into us?”

  “Then we die.”

  “GAGE!”

  “Sorry. It’s going to be fine. Anyone without chains is going to steer clear of the smaller roads in this weather. Don’t worry.”

  She crossed arms and huffed. “You better be right.”

  “I’m always right. If you remembered what kind of sandwich I like, I’d think you’d have remembered that detail.”

  “I can only remember what actually happens.”

  I chuckled. “Ouch.”

  “All right, if we’re doing this I want your eyes on the road.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And no distractions.” She switched off the radio.

  “What if that was helping keep me awake?” Besides, my biggest distraction was the one reprimanding me.

  “Was it?”

  “No, but you’ll just have to keep me awake yourself.” I’d let her interpret the comment any way she wanted.

  “I can assure you, I’m not letting you fall asleep.”

  “Did you tell your parents we were leaving tonight?”

  “No. I didn’t have time. If I told them now they’d freak out. They’ve already left a message about waiting until Thursday to drive.”

  “Same with mine. I guess we’ll just surprise them tonight.”

  “Mine are still going to freak.”

  “Nah. They’ll be happy to see you.”

  “They just saw me last month.”

  “Wait. I thought you didn’t go home for Thanksgiving.” I’d offered to give her a lift then too.

  “I didn’t. We met up at my Grandmother’s in New York City. I took the train.”

 
; “Oh, ok.” I should have known. Her brother hadn’t been home either.

  We drove in silence for a while. The farther west we went, the fewer sets of headlights we saw. I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy ride, but at least I had company. Unbelievably distracting company.

  Chapter Five

  Mary Anne

  Snow fell from the sky in sheets, blanketing the road and trees. Gage drove slowly, and we seemed to have good traction, but it was impossible to relax. For his part, Gage didn’t seem bothered by the weather at all. He just sat there staring straight ahead.

  Guilt hit me. He was the one forced to drive, yet I wouldn’t even let him listen to music? “We can turn the radio on if you prefer. Want me to see if there are any good rock stations out this way?”

  “I don’t mind the quiet.” He glanced at me before quickly returning his eyes to the road.

  “I appreciate the ride. I probably should have said that in the beginning.” I hoped I wasn’t coming off as completely over dramatic.

  He laughed. “It’s not a problem, but thanks for the thank you. I don’t mind the weather, but it’s nice to have some company.”

  I loved his laugh. It was so deep and sexy. What about Gage wasn’t sexy? “Do you have any big plans while you’re home?”

  “Big plans? In Mayville?” He arched an eyebrow.

  “Ok. True enough, but if there’s anything going on you’d know about it.”

  “Joey is throwing a party tomorrow night. Want to come?”

  Joey would have never invited me himself, which meant I shouldn’t go. “Oh, that’s okay.”

  “You don’t want to go with me?” Sometimes it was hard to know whether Gage was teasing or not.

  “I don’t want to be the uninvited guest people make fun of.”

  “Make fun of? Who would make fun of you?”

  “Come on, Gage. We both know what your friends thought of me.”

  “What? You weren’t in my crowd, but that doesn’t mean they made fun of you.”

  “Cam did.” That guy had been the bane of my existence at one point.

  Gage grinned. “That’s because Cam liked you. He asked you out and you shot him down.”

  “What? To homecoming my sophomore year? That was a joke. A mean one.”

  “A joke? You thought that was a joke?”

  “Of course. A guy like him didn’t ask a girl like me to dances.” Nor did a guy like Gage.

  “It wasn’t a joke. You hurt his ego.”

  “Oh.” I wasn’t sure if Gage was telling the truth or not, but I didn’t care enough to push the subject. I remembered crying myself to sleep the night Cam asked me out in front of about twenty kids.

  “You should come tomorrow night. I promise I won’t ditch you or anything.”

  “Maybe.” I shrugged.

  “Maybe means no.” He looked over at me. “Say yes.”

  “Gage!”

  He looked forward just in time to hit the brakes. A second longer and we would have collided with the car in front of us.

  In a delayed reaction Gage put his hand in front of me as if to hold me back. “Fuck.” The car had no lights on and straddled the right lane and shoulder.

  “Agreed.” Any lighthearted conversation was over. This was no longer a leisurely drive.

  We sat there waiting for the car to move, but it didn’t. “It’s broken down. That’s why we didn’t see any lights.” Gage backed up and moved into the left lane to pass the stopped car. I tried to peer into the dark windows, but I didn’t see anything.

  “Okay, near accident over, can you just say yes to the party so we can move on?”

  “Why do you care?” His insistence had almost caused an accident.

  “Because I do. We go to the same college. We’re from the same town. We might as well be friends.”

  “And being friends means going to Joey’s party?”

  “Yes.” He smiled.

  I wasn’t sure if it was his plan, but returning to the party conversation helped calm my nerves. Nearly rear-ending that abandoned car had done a number on them.

  “We’re going to get off at the next exit.”

  “Why? I thought we didn’t have to get off for another forty miles?”

  “The turnpike isn’t plowed, so there’s no reason to stay on it and risk what just happened. We’re taking the back roads.”

  “Are you sure you know where you’re going?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve driven this way before.”

  He didn’t sound overly confident, but I couldn’t argue with the evidence. The snow was heavy on the turnpike, and there were likely plenty more abandoned cars up ahead. Still, I didn’t like the idea of getting stuck out on a back road somewhere. At least I wasn’t alone.

  Gage put on his blinker and made a slow turn off onto the ramp. The snow had drifted and half the lane was piled high with snow. “I’m going to need a drink when we get home tonight.”

  “Your parents let you drink at your house even though you’re not twenty-one?”

  He nodded, thankfully keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead as he drove us carefully onto the highway. “I’m twenty. That’s close enough.”

  “I wish mine felt that way.”

  “See, that’s another reason to come to the party tomorrow. Otherwise you’ll have to go sober.”

  “I don’t drink much at school anyway.”

  “What do you do?”

  “Meaning?”

  “You do party some, right?” He adjusted his hands on the wheel.

  “Of course. I was at a party last night.” A lame one, but a party nonetheless.

  “I should introduce you to some of my friends when we get back to Boston.”

  “Wow, first Joey’s party and now this? What is this ‘pity the poor loser’?”

  “Loser? Not exactly. I just don’t get why we never hang out with the same people. We’re not in high school anymore.”

  “Yeah, but there are still different crowds.”

  “Don’t you think I’d enjoy meeting your friends?”

  I laughed. “Oh yeah, you’d love that.”

  “What? I’ve seen you around campus. You have friends.”

  “Of course I have friends, but they’re not your type.”

  “My type? I have a type of friend? Does that also mean I have a type of girl?”

  “Of course.” Not me.

  “Okay, let me hear it.”

  “Your type?” I asked.

  “Yeah, this should be interesting.”

  “Attractive, cool.” I paused while trying to come up with more adjectives.

  “Very descriptive. You do realize that description covers you though.”

  What? Was Gage calling me attractive? “Whatever.” I tried to shrug it off.

  “You don’t think you’re cool? You have to realize you’re attractive.”

  “I don’t have to.” It’s not like I had horrible self-esteem, but I knew I was pretty average.

  He glanced over. “I hope that’s a joke. Do you realize how many girls would give everything to look like you?”

  “Like me? Not likely. It’s more like every guy would want to look like you…” And I’d just said that thought out loud.

  “Oh? You think I’m attractive then?”

  I sighed. No reason to deny it now. “Who doesn’t?”

  He chuckled. “And now the truth comes out.”

  “The truth?”

  “Yes. The truth. You got in this truck with plans to seduce me.”

  I laughed dryly. “Oh yeah, that’s it.” No, I only plotted that in my dreams.

  The snow came down harder, and Gage sat forward to see out the windshield. “Man, this isn’t good.”

  “No. No it isn’t.”

  We drove down the empty two-lane highway for another forty-five minutes without seeing a single car. Clearly no one else was crazy enough to be out in the storm.

  “We’re obviously going north, but where are we exactly? Clo
se to Albany yet?”

  “We’re still a little ways off from there.” He slowed down the truck. “Oh. But we’re good. At least we won’t hit traffic.”

  “Very funny.”

  “I knew these chains would come in handy. I almost took them out of the truck over Thanksgiving.”

  “It’s a good thing you didn’t.” I rested my head back. “I’d offer to do some of the driving, but…”

  “Yeah, you’re not driving my truck.”

  “Would you have said that even if I hadn’t brought up my accident?”

  “Yes. No one drives Bessy but me.”

  “Bessy? You named your truck Bessy?” I crossed my legs and turned toward him.

  “Is there something wrong with that name?”

  “No. It’s just surprising.” Gage didn’t seem like the type to name a vehicle. I figured he was more concerned with the horsepower.

  “See, you don’t know everything about me.”

  “I don’t know plenty about you.”

  “I know almost nothing about you.” He changed into fourth gear as we headed up the next hill. “Tell me about you.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Start with—” Something dark whizzed by the truck, and Gage hit the brakes hard. We spun out, the truck flying across the snowy terrain and down into a ditch, not stopping until we slammed head first into a tree. My heart was nearly beating out of my chest.

  “Are you okay?” Gage reached over the already deflating airbags toward me.

  Nothing hurt, but I was definitely shaken up. “I think so. What about you?” I looked out. Between the darkness and the snow I couldn’t make out how far we were from the road.

  He turned on the light. “Yeah, but what was that? It came out of nowhere.”

  “I don’t know. Some sort of animal.”

  “I’m going to look.” He opened his door, letting in a blast of cold air. I peered out the window as he walked around. Less than a minute he returned to the truck. “There’s nothing out there.”

  “At least nothing you could see.” I shivered.

  “Technically you’re right, but we have bigger problems than an animal.”

  “What?”

  He glanced out his window. “It’s going to take some work to get the truck back on the road. That is if the truck even starts. I don’t know what kind of damage we did.”