Chasing the Omega Book 4

“Hold up!”

She halted in her tracks, pivoting slowly to face me, a patient smile gracing her lips as she waited for me to speak.

“Need a lift?” I asked, my voice wavering slightly.

I was aware that I might be stepping into dangerous territory, but I needed to confirm one thing: was she the girl I had attacked? Only she held the answer to that question.

She paused before responding, her hand slowly rising to her ear. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

A frown creased my forehead. She should have been able to hear me from this distance, given that wolves possess enhanced senses. This only deepened my suspicion: was this girl truly Anna King, or was I just seeing things?

But it couldn’t be her, could it? It had been a year since I attacked that wolf, and I was certain that I had killed the girl who now stood just a few steps away from me. Was she a specter?

I approached her, stopping a few steps short.

Clearing my throat, I tried again. “I was asking if you needed a ride into town.”

At this point, it felt like my mouth was operating independently of my brain. I should have just hopped on my bike when I had the chance and ridden as far away from this town as possible. That was the plan, to leave Small Town and never look back. There was nothing left here for me. Not anymore.

The only person who had kept me here was Alice, and perhaps the reason I was still standing here was because of her. A tiny part of me still hoped she would choose me, but after waiting every day for the past week for her to show up at the diner, I had come to the harsh realization that there was no hope for me.

“A ride?” She mulled over my question for a few seconds, then offered a small smile. “That’s a really kind offer, but I prefer to walk.”

Was she joking?

I took in her outfit: a rose-colored dress that ended just above her knees and white sandals. Then, I glanced around us, noting the few raindrops beginning to fall from the sky and the occasional gusts of wind blowing in our direction.

“You’d rather walk fifteen minutes in this chilly weather than ride on my bike?” I pointed toward the town.

She shivered, hugging her arms closer to her body. “It is pretty cold.”

I looked up at the gray sky that had been clear blue just moments ago and sighed. “Look, it’ll take less than five minutes for me to get you into town, and it’ll probably save you from the rain.”

She glanced back toward the town, then up at the sky and grimaced.

I gave her an amused look. “Still want to walk?”

She thought for a moment, then half shrugged. “You got me.”

I moved closer to her until I was standing right next to her. “I’m just looking out for you, that’s all. And before you ask, I’m not some creep.”

She looked surprised by that, then shook her head and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Why would you think that? I don’t think you’re a…creep at all.”

I looked at her skeptically. “No?”

“No, I don’t make assumptions about people. And I actually thought it was very gentlemanly of you to offer me a ride.”

“Really?” I asked.

She nodded in response.

“Well, in that case, after you.” I gestured with my hand for her to walk ahead of me, and as she moved toward my Harley, she turned her head to look at me and asked, “So, are you heading into town yourself?”

Was I heading into town? I shoved my hands into the pockets of my leather jacket and stared at the ground. “I’m not sure anymore.”

She stopped next to me, causing me to glance at her. “You don’t know where you’re going? Then, why are you here, if you don’t mind me asking?”

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration, my gaze lingering on the diner. “It’s a long story.”

She chuckled as she started walking again. “I can relate. I know all about long stories. They suck, don’t they?”

That stopped me in my tracks. Was she referring to what I thought she was? She couldn’t possibly be talking about what happened a year ago, could she? If she was, then she would’ve known who I was and what I had done to her.

I studied her carefully. Did she really not know who I was?

We soon arrived beside my pride and joy: a black Harley Davidson I received for my eighteenth birthday. I’ll always remember that day when I came home from school to find Mark waiting for me in his old pick-up truck. He had driven me for hours to this second-hand motor shop where they sold all kinds of different bikes, but there was one bike in particular I had my eye on: a Harley Davidson.

I must’ve looked around that store for hours, but I couldn’t find what I was looking for, and just when I thought I’d go home empty-handed, Mark spotted a rusty-looking bike lying underneath a big black quad bike. With Mark’s help, we moved the quad bike aside, and that’s when I saw the emblem of a Harley Davidson. To others it looked like a piece of junk, but to me it represented freedom and escape.

Mark had purchased the bike and placed it at the back of the truck. The moment we arrived home, I got straight to work. I spent days, maybe even months trying to make it look brand new, and it was worth every minute.

The girl ran her hand gently over the bike. “Is this yours?”

I looked at my bike with pride. “It sure is.”

She chuckled nervously. “I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve never been on the back of a motorcycle.”

I glanced at her to see her nervously biting her bottom lip. I chuckled, reached behind her and grabbed my helmet. “Don’t worry, you’re in safe hands.”

She offered a shy smile and looked down at the ground as I handed her the helmet. “I’m Max, by the way.”

She accepted the helmet and looked up at me, her bright green eyes meeting mine. “Nice to meet you, Max. I’m Anna. Anna King.”