Wolfsbane

Chapter 8 (Part 1)

I had drifted off to sleep sometime ago. I was peacefully sleeping, dreaming of nothing in particular, when I jolted awake all of the sudden. I looked around me to quickly survey the situation and make sure that we were safe. Everything was fine. I noticed that we weren't on the highway anymore. 

"How long was I out?" I voiced the first thought that came to my head. I shifted in my seat to get more comfortable, stretching my legs forward to help my aching joints. 

Hades glanced at me. "About six hours give or take. We are about two hours from where the Rouge was last sited. I figured we'd find a place to sleep and eat and then head out in the morning." 

As if on cue my stomach growled loudly. Hades grinned. "Sounds good to me. It seems I could stand to eat again," I mumbled.

"There's some snacks in my bag if you want. I picked them up when we had to refuel last. I wouldn't want to have to deal with a cranky Shadow again." I was too busy unbuckling my seat belt to pay attention to the playful insult he had thrown my way. The mention of food had me all but climbing into the back seat to rifle through his bag. Once I had found something I deemed satisfactory, I pulled myself back into the front seat and buckled myself in again. My stomach rumbled once again as I opened the bag of chips. I did my best to contain my hunger and eat slowly. I felt slightly self conscious in front of Hades. This man probably thought I was uncivilized enough as is. I didn't need to show off my skills of devouring food like a starved hyena. 

"I saw a sign a ways back that said there was a motel up this way. Want to stop there for the night?" He asked before saying the words that had me automatically agreeing. "We'll find a diner and get you properly fed after we check in." 

"That will be fine," I said. I shoved another handful of chips in my mouth, no longer able to control myself. "I probably need to change the bandaged on my neck anyways." 

"How are the bites healing?" Hades asked. 

"Shouldn't you know considering your lips were on it earlier?" I snipped. I cringed internally, chastising myself for breaking my 'don't talk about kissing Hades' rule. I couldn't avoid Hades, but I could avoid talking about anything that would make him act like he had at the diner. I promised myself that once we got back from hunting this Rouge that we would go our separate ways. What he had implied at the diner scared me half to death. The way her had looked at me, and the deeper meaning behind his words unsettled me in ways I couldn't explain. I could feel his emotions roll off him in waves, and I had no intention of ever understanding what those emotions meant for him and me. Hades was confused. That was the only thing I needed to know. After all, if we were mates, why wouldn't he have said something when we first met? Why wouldn't I feel it too? Maybe he just wanted his mate so badly that he had deluded himself into feeling a connection where there wasn't one. 

""Well, you pissed off my wolf. I'm not that great at controlling him, so you're going to have to take up a formal complaint with him." Hades mumbled that last part, but not quiet enough for me not to hear. 

"So instead of having a normal wolf that would just outright attack someone, when he gets pissed he attacks with a make out session?" I had to physically restrain myself from facepalming. I just could not seem to keep my big mouth shut. 

"No, usually he would kill someone, but he seems to like you about as much as I do." I ignored his sideways glance.

"Hm, lucky me." I replied dryly. 

Hades pulled the car into the motel parking lot. It was small and run down, but I had stayed in worse. As long as it had a bed and a working shower I was fine. I wasn't really in the be near Hades anymore after the conversation we just had. We made our way into the motel lobby to check in for the night. The attendant was a small pale boy with sandy hair down to his shoulders that sat behind a green counter that was probably made in the early sixties. He was young. If I had to guess, I would say he was right out of high school. The boy stood up and I worried he would slip through the wooden floor boards. His jeans were held up by a belt looped tightly around his waist. The poor kid needed to eat more. He looked unhealthy with the dark bags under his eyes and the way his face seemed so sunken in.