Shaking it off, he let out a low growl and picked up the duffle between his teeth, trotting further into the woods with her on his heels. There was no sign of anyone following as they made their way through the dense trees that should lead back up to the motorway if his trajectory was right.
They picked up speed, running through the night toward safety, at least for her, hopefully for all of them. Olcan and Fergus would be furious if they knew what they were doing, but he was Alpha for now, and this was just a little blip on the radar. They’d get it all sorted and back to the issues at hand soon. Besides, it might end up being helpful if Duncan Maguire panned out.
The night air felt good against his fur as they picked up their pace, running faster, only slowing when some of the heavier undergrowth got in their way. They made good time, reaching the motorway in a little over forty minutes, giving them plenty of room to get dressed and head to the motel. Niall gave her the remnants of the bag and cash from his wallet.
“I’ve got to get back. Keep your head down until the bus gets here and make sure you are on the first one that arrives.”
“Of course. Thanks for getting me this far,” she said
Niall paused, turning back to her for a moment. He realized from her tone that she believed, despite their discussions, that she was being cut loose to fend for herself.
“I’m going to get you further. I’ll not leave this island without you being safe. I promise you that,” he told her, not fully understanding why he felt compelled to reassure her. He was even more confused by the realization that he meant every word.
He tore himself away and returned to the woods, quickly undressing and rolling his clothes together before shifting and heading back toward the bungalow. Thoughts of her alone at the bus stop rattled around his head, driving him on faster to get this done and get back to her.
CHAPTER SIX
Deidre
Deidre stood at the bus stop long enough to read the schedule. It was nearly an hour before the first bus ran, and if it held true to buses in the south, it would be late. It was going to look odd for her to be standing out here so long.
She glanced at the motel behind her and saw that the small diner attached was open. She grabbed her bag from the stop bench and made her way toward it, stepping inside for a cup of coffee and a croissant. It might be a while before she had another chance and she had time to kill.
She should be nervous, but she found she was more concerned with whether she would see Niall again. He had gotten inside of her head somehow; more than that, really. It was like she could feel him without ever having shared a kiss. It was like a craving that wouldn’t go away.
The day seemed to crawl by as the bus rolled into Belfast and she checked into the Europa, making her way to a room nicer than she’d ever stayed in and locking the door behind her. She dumped her bag out on the bed and went to take a shower, but opted for a bath instead, letting the water hug her like a warm liquid blanket as she closed her eyes and imagined him kissing her.
Afterward, she stood at the window, looking out over the city below. Belfast was cold and gray today. She had to remind herself that she was in a different country now. There was truly trivial difference in the north and the south of Ireland to the casual observer, but once you were across the southern Ireland border, you were in the United Kingdom. That provided some protection for her, but not enough.
Really, there was no border to cross, at least officially. The north and the south roamed freely, making the island available to anyone who wants to make the trip from one country to the other without any hassle.
Though the Maguires wouldn’t have the same contacts in the police services here as they did in the southern Gardai, there were still plenty of business associates who would gladly do their bidding for the right price.
A loud knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts. She was still in her towel and there was no reason for anyone to be visiting her. No way had the McNally brothers had time to lose the men after them and make it there. She eased toward the door, trying to decide if she should acknowledge that she was even present.
Much to her surprise, the door lock clicked and began to open, sending her fleeing into the bathroom for cover. She listened as footsteps padded around the room and then approached the bathroom. Looking around, she grabbed the only thing she could see to protect herself with: a heavy glass votive holder from the counter.