The car hummed softly as it rolled through the unfamiliar city streets, its tinted windows muting the flashes of passing traffic and neon lights. Hugo sat with his arm resting along the back of the seat, his gaze shifting between the road ahead and the figure sleeping beside him. Lea's head had tilted toward the window, her hair falling forward to hide part of her face. Even in sleep she looked drained, her body slack against the seat after expelling so much of her mint-scented pheromone at the hotel.
He tightened the blanket over her shoulders. It still amazed him how she had thrown herself in front of strangers without hesitation, shielding the children from the beast's claws with that shimmering barrier of hers. She hadn't even glanced at him for reassurance before acting. It was just instinct. That same instinct had left her exhausted now, her breathing light and uneven.
