Chapter 12

Willow

"My fear is that you won't feel 'normal' until about 9 tonight, but by then, we should be at another location." He said firmly. "I command that you have your free will. Whatever I want, you will only do if You want to." He said firmly. "Try to say my name now." He encouraged.

His eyes looked expectedly as he still held me he wanted me to try.

"Kaizer." I said feeling a little hope.

"That's Good but still not enough. For now, do you want to check out? Let's get some coffee from BuckStars, and get you a pumpkin spiced latte." He smiled. "There's no evidence of my meat eating in here, other than the smell." He commented so casually. "Oh shit." He said with concern."

"I'd like that I don't want to be here anymore." I said looking down.

"I know I hear you." He said coming closer. My heart Pounded, and my mind raced He called those people meat they meant nothing to any of them

"No, They weren't but You Are." He said firmly. "Fuck sorry I keep butting in, but you worry me. I don't want to hurt you, and to be honest, I don't think I could even if I did I swore to be your protector." He said gently, taking my hand.

"I know. Stop worrying for my sake." I said taking his hand

He really was my protector, that was for damn sureEspecially if my dreams had anything to say about it. The smell of iron was unmistakable, but it was really faint on the wind and fur was in the crappy pool

Now that I thought of it I Knew I could notice the difference between supernaturals and normal people Since we aren't' meant to know, I'd get plucked up by something if I was alone. I took his hand, and he said nothing but it did look like he approved of my train of thought.

That he didn't insert or correct himself meant I was right.

I walked with him, and we checked out of the room. The key and a $50 bill was left on the table as a tip. He got a full tank while I sat in the car. He paid cash inside instead of using his card He also had a new phone from somewhere and passed me one.

"Throw out your old phone." He said firmly.

I had no problem with it I hated the way he worded it, but I knew what he was up to. He erased our trail. He crushed the phone, before tossing it in the trash as we left. "With this new phone, no one should be able to track us." I said with a small smile. "And with this as the last known location on it, they should think you're headed south."

He used cash at BuckStars too.

"I was thinking. What state would You like to visit, because you're completely right." He asked. "Missoura is Out. My father runs all but one pack in that state, so's Jentucky; my grandfatheror Grandia, the King's palace. So's Tennessaw. the King of the Vampires lives there and he also has a high sense of honor.." He mumbled. "Arkansas is the Rogue State of the country, and that bleeds into Luisianuh, but to be fair that's the home of a council seat, so that's out"

"Damn let me look on my phone." I said quietly. He was at least being considerate and I would be too.

I looked around Grandia was out too so I figured anything bordering it would be bad. "What about South Dekotah?" I asked.

"To be honest there's nothing that I can think of there or North Dekotah. Hmm how long does it say?" He asked.

"It says it's 11 hours from here if we drive straight through I-35." I said seeing him smile.

"Good. It's 11:20am. We can live in the human town of Pierreh. I could buy a house. We can stop by Fast City and get our names changed by the Goblins and my funds on a different card." He mumbled. "I incinerated some things for the vampires, and they gave me about 40 grand. When a vampire drinks another vampire, they don't turn to dust sometimes." He said as if that was normal to have that much. Or that Vampires Drink Other Vampires.

"What did you incinerate?" I asked.

"They just killed him that way to be dramatic. but regardless, I shifted, roasting a vampire, some documents, old cards. I can tell you because I know you can't tell this to anyone else. They killed one of their own under the King's nose, but he doesn't know some of them were double dipping in the profits. Now just Lord Leopold is left, the one who hypnotized you, but he's clean.

"Then why go through the trouble of hiding it?" I asked.

"If the unicorns they appointed over the place found out, they would have Immediately told King Victor. He isn't a patient man. He'd have killed Leopold Well Before finding out that he was Rooting Out the corruption, rather than being Part of it." He said scratching his chin. "But regardless, about 2 thousand of it is in my wallet, the extra bag never left the trunk."

"I didn't even notice" I mumbled.

He shook his head. "You should practice being more observant. I may be your protector, but I won't be able to do that if you're already in a dragon's mouth." He grinned on seeing my horrified expression. "Gods it's fun teasing you."

I pouted. "Stop." I whined.

He whined like a dog would. "I'm a Wolf not a Dog." He said blinking with a puppy face he looked as innocent as an angel. "I'm not a puppy eitheror an *Angel*Why do you insult me so much?" He complained. "Bleh."

Ok to be fair, he Looked like an angel statue. "Sorry," I said sheepishly, but he smiled His amber eyes literally glittered

"Why thank you. I get it from my father You should see him. He's so stern looking sometimes I used to think I was in trouble for existing in the same room as him growing up." He chuckled.

"How's he really like though?" I asked.

"In private he likes jokes, especially Corny ones. Tell him a dad joke, and you'll probably get on his good side. That and steak. He likes beef more than people, but honestly take that with a grain of salt. The Crave affects my people. Once they taste even a DROP of human blood or flesh, even by accident, they will never truly deny it if given the opportunity."

I looked at my hands was he kidding or not?

"Unfortunately, this time I'm Not. Most won't be mindless or anything at the sight or smell of it but the beast inside them, their inner wolf will crave it." He warned.

"Do you have an inner beast too?" I asked. He was a werewolf of course he did too if they did.

"I Am the beast. I was born only the wolf like my siblings. What you see is basically flesh magic. It turns my paws to hands, and fur to skin. I am a monster pretending to be a man, but with the others, they are born in a man's flesh. They are Born human first, with the wolf inside does that make sense?" He asked. "It's like a coin. It has two sides, but it's still One coin, though the face you'll see is almost always the human side."

"It does." I said quietly. "If you come across wolves, will they follow your lead or anything?"

"No. I am a Rogue. I found out while protecting you that I'm wanted alive. There's a bounty on my head so even if I find a pack, and I defeat an Alpha in fair combat, I would still be a vagabond I'd be charged with another murder until my name is cleared I cannot ever enter my people's world again." He said stoically.

I don't understand how he was so ok with that and it was my fault. If I didn't listen to my friends, maybe I could have made it to the national park proper not an unmarked wolfpack.

"This time of year hosts many Rogues trying to find their mates. You'd still have been ripped apart I just wouldn't have been there to save you." He mumbled.

"So that's why it was closed" I murmured too.

He said nothing, but his eyes were black. I could only assume they changed when he was upset.

The music played in the silence a bit, and I felt like I created it. His clawed hand was on the wheel, while the other rested passively on his leg. I put my hand on his. I rubbed it, hearing him grunt.

"Thank you for the gesture, but remove your hands little mate." He said with a devilish smirk.

"What's up with that?" I asked innocently.

He gently put my hand on my own lap, and rubbed it lightly. It tingled. And I could feel my body get genuinely excited from such a simple gesture.

"Your touch is a little distracting" He said rolling down the windows a bit. "So's your scent." He said as his fangs got longer.

I looked at his hand on mine, and I saw why he moved My hand Off His leg he had a third one making a tent in his jeans it made me blush.

He cleared his throat. "How about you scroll through your phone." He suggested, and I happily obliged. "Oh and put on your seatbelt." He said with a grin.

"You better not speed." I warned. I can't lie I kind of wanted to see how fast this thing could go.

"No promises." He chuckled, accelerating to at least 120 in a few seconds!

"KAIZEN!" I yelled, happy I got my will back, but hating what he'd done to do it. He went so fast, that I instantly regretted it a bit.