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family, well, most of the men, are shifters. We have the ability to take on the wolf form you saw the other night. For as long as we’ve existed, we’ve been hunted. We’ve evolved over time and so have our enemies, gaining power, growing in numbers. Eight years ago, there was a massacre of my people. They captured my father and we thought they’d killed him. But it turned out they’d been experimenting, learning how to weaken us, learning our secrets. My father would not have talked so easily and when I saw his body after they were through, I understood why he had. I killed the men who’d done that to him, but it was too late. They took a handful of us; they knew which of us were the most powerful, most useful to them, my brothers among them. All dead now, I’m sure. The rest of the men, they burned alive. My son was not quite two.” His tone was different during the last part.
    Kayla’s mouth fell open and tears formed in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said, reaching out to touch his arm, but drawing back and dropping her gaze to her lap.
    He began again, his voice a little tighter. “The women were luckier, I suppose. Spared the pain of a fiery death. They slit their throats after raping them. My wife among them.”
    “Oh, my God.” Kayla’s eyes remained wide.
    “I only escaped the massacre because they’d captured me a few days before. If I’d been there, maybe I’d have been able to help them fight. Maybe it would have made a difference. It was a stupid mistake on my part—I’d broken off from the pack during a hunt. Pure vanity. It had been a trap. My captors brought me to the village to taunt me afterwards. To show me it was hopeless. All that was left of it by then were dying fires and the stench of flesh. When I saw my father, my wife, the pile of ash of which my son was a part, I went crazy.” He made a sound almost like laughter, but not quite. “They didn’t expect that. They thought I’d cower, bow my head, and let them have their way. When I shifted, I was larger and more ferocious than I’d ever been before. It was almost as though I’d taken on the traits of my dead brothers. I killed them, and then I hunted their families. I swore I wouldn’t stop until every last one of them was dead, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to hurt the women, the children. That was when I went into hiding. A coward, I know.”
    “You’re not a coward, you’re human.”
    He turned to her, his gaze fierce. “Don’t ever make that mistake. I’m not human. Far from it. You’d be smart to remember that.”
    After hearing those words, she remained quiet as a few more miles went by. When they came to a gas station, Elijah pulled in. It was old, straight out of the 60s.
    “I can get you something to eat here. What would you like?” he asked.
    “Coffee. A sandwich. It doesn’t matter.” Although she was hungry, she didn’t feel like eating after hearing his terrible story.
    He parked in front of the pump and killed the engine. “Stay in the car, Kayla. Understand?”
    She nodded. “Yes.”
    He locked the door once he climbed out and after filling the tank, went inside to pay. Kayla pushed the unlock button on the door and it responded. She looked inside the little shop at Elijah’s back while he paid the clerk. She remained in her seat and watched him walk back toward her. He climbed in and handed her a Styrofoam cup of bad coffee. She took it, her stomach growling gratefully, even though it smelled burnt. He put some candy bars on her lap as well as a bag of crackers.
    “Sorry, no sandwiches,” he said, sipping his own coffee as he turned the car onto the road.
    “That’s ok,” she said, unwrapping a Mars bar and biting into it. Chocolate had never tasted so good.
     
    * * *
     
    Elijah had heard the lock click when he’d been inside. He’d wanted to test her, knowing she’d be easy to catch, but glad she’d stayed where he’d told her to.
    They drove the next half hour