Page 77 of UNAwere

We’re silent as we walk back to the room. Silent as I open the door and allow him through. Silent as he steps into the bathroom and closes the door. Silent as I go to bed, still dripping wet, and lie amongst the covers.

Iplay the radio extra loud the next day.

And for once, Jude doesn’t seem to care.

I don’t think he’s been sleeping much. There are dark circles under his eyes, and he seems to be glaring at things more often. He doesn’t hear me when I suggest he pull over and take a break. After another hour, I see a sign on the side of the highway, telling us that a truck stop with coffee is in a few kilometres, and suggest again.

‘I’m fine,’ he murmurs. ‘We’ll stop for dinner in another three or so hours.’

‘That’s a while… And you look like you’re about to fall asleep.’

He shakes his head, rubbing a hand across his face.

‘I can drive?’ I offer.

‘No.’

I sigh. ‘Why not?’

‘Because that’s not how this works. I’m doing a job, Sybil. I’m getting paid.’

Sybil. I try not to screw up my nose at the fact we’ve gone to a first, full-name basis. But then I ignore the thought that I liked the way “Sybbie” sounded on his tongue. And I liked being called “Red”, despite its unoriginality.

‘Let me put on a podcast, then.’ I start playing with the screen on the dash and search for a cord to connect my phone to. I let out a short hiss when I can’t find one and open up the settings on my phone to connect with Bluetooth.

‘A podcast is the last thing I want to listen to,’ Jude grates.

‘Oh, right. You don’t like talk shows.’ I shake my head. ‘Podcasts are different. There are ones about space, physics, health, true crime. I really like the true crime ones. They’re gruesome, but really good. Ooh, and the paranormal ones!’ I flick through the list I have saved on my phone. ‘There’s also this really good one for Weres living in a blended society with humans.’

‘I don’t think you need to listen to that anymore,’ he murmurs.

I glance at him. ‘Huh… I guess I don’t.’

He side-eyes me. ‘Are you going to miss it? Being around humans?’

‘They’re… a lot less intense.’ I smile. ‘I feel like I have a lot more in common with them than I do my own kind.’

His lip curls slightly. ‘I don’t know if that’s something to celebrate, Sybbie.’

‘Maybe not. But when my parents died fighting for our alpha, I guess there was a sense of resentment. For Nolan. For being a Were, being pledged to someone who… doesn’t care whether you live or die for their cause.’

‘That’s what you’re doing now. For Alpha Warner.’

‘I’m not doing this for Alpha Warner,’ I murmur.

Jude rubs a hand across his beard and adjusts himself in his seat. He blinks slowly, and I stare at him, watching as he tries to wake himself back up.

‘I did this for Maeve, my sister,’ I say, thinking he might need me to keep talking to stay awake. ‘She was going to go – that’s who Nolan chose initially, and there was talk with Warner about him wanting the youngest because she’d have more possibility of carrying young.’

Jude snorts, and the tired look on his face is replaced by something close to disgust. ‘Warner wants children. He thinks he can continue the line of alphas through his blood, and not through challenges. Plus’—he glances at me, and something in his eyes sends that electricity surging down my spine again—‘a lot of male Weres only want one thing.’

‘A foosball table?’

He ignores my joke. ‘To breed.’

I press my lips and turn to stare back through the windshield. The hatchback we’re in is too small a space to be talking about breeding with Jude Briggs. I feel my face grow hot.

‘A foosball table is a lot cooler,’ I murmur.