"Is sothing wrong?" Asher asks, and I shake my head imdiately, swiping the notification away.
He shouldn't be able to see it, but I'd rather avoid situations where I have to outright lie to him.
"Nothing, just an annoying notification. I'm looking now."
I pull up the map on my phone, pinching and zooming while everyone bustles around . Lily zips around gathering toys for Pip, Finn searches for his missing shoe, and Maddox's already standing by the door with Pip, who's got her hands filled with carrot sticks.
It takes under three minutes to find exactly what we need. I zoom in on the blue dot marking our salvation.
"There's another Walmart about one hundred seventy-four miles away," I announce, turning my phone to show Asher. "They've got a massive parking lot, and it's right off the highway. No rivers in sight, so hopefully no flooding, either."
Asher stares at the screen with a frown. "Another Walmart? Why is it always Walmart?"
I shrug. "Echo says they're the best choice for overnight parking. They don't hassle RVs. Well, most of the ti."
He grunts. "She would know best, I guess."
"She's lived in that camper for god knows how long. So yeah." I zoom in further, showing him the satellite view. "I was going to look for a truck stop with hookups, but this is better because we need to get cat supplies, too."
"Good call."
His approval sends a flutter through my chest. Being useful is such a nice feeling.
"Evan, pull up the directions." Asher hands his phone to the other man without skipping a beat.
He takes it, his expression unreadable. "Sure thing."
The next ten minutes are a flurry of activity—securing the cabinets we opened, tucking away loose items from play, and washing the dishes we'd used. It's now our third ti doing this, and we've found a bit of a rhythm to our chaos.
Everyone knows what to do, and it makes a big difference. Well, that and we didn't exactly camp out like we were expecting to stay here.
"Who's riding with who?" Maddox asks. "Sa as last ti?"
Asher looks to , allowing to make the call. It's a small thing, but it doesn't escape my notice.
"Sa as before, except—" I glance at the hall, where the cat's still locked in the bathroom. "I'll take the cat with us. Bailey can go with Asher and Maddox in the truck."
He nods. "That works. Lily, Finn, Pip are still with you, then?"
"I want the dog!" Finn protests, his bottom lip jutting out.
"Not this ti," I say, my tone firm enough to prevent further argunt. "The cat stays with us, and Bailey will stay in the truck."
With the cat loose, who knows what havoc it might cause. Having an adult pair of hands to wrangle it is better than leaving it up to Maddox while Asher has to focus on towing while he drives.
Evan pulls a small black rectangle from his pocket, handing it to Asher. "Got these on my way back. Old school, but they work. Better than using the phone during the drive."
He turns the walkie talkie over in his hands. "Smart."
"They've got about a two-mile range," he explains. "Better than nothing if our phones die in the storm."
Though there's no guarantee the walkie talkies won't, either…
Asher clears his throat. "Everyone ready?"
A chorus of "yes" and "yeah" fills the camper. I do one final sweep, making sure we haven't forgotten anything essential, then scoop up the soaking wet cat out of the bathroom, where it's hidden itself behind the toilet.
* * *
The walkie-talkie crackles to life. "We're pulling out now," Asher's voice cos through, slightly distorted, but easy to understand. "Stay close."
Evan grabs it and says, "Copy that."
Is it wrong of to feel like they're two boys playing with toys?
"You look better," he comnts, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Better than what?"
"Better than you did earlier. You looked pretty pale, but there's so color in your cheeks now."
I press my hands against my cheeks in surprise. "Oh. I guess I was just a little tired."
"Hmm."
The white cat shifts in my lap, kneading its paws against my thighs before settling into a tight, if still oversized, ball. Its fur feels impossibly soft under my fingers. I stroke along its spine, and a rumbling purr vibrates against my legs.
"You're a strange little thing, aren't you?" I whisper.
The cat's ears twitch but it doesn't open its eyes.
I can't shake the feeling that it's not just a cat, just like I'm positive Bailey's not just a dog.
I glance over my shoulder after ten minutes have passed, surprised by the quiet from the back. The kids are all zonked out, their little bodies surrendering to the exhaustion of the day. Lily and Finn have their heads tilted toward each other, both leaning against Pip's car seat. Pip's head has drooped forward, her mouth slightly open, a tiny puddle of drool collecting on her shirt.
I smile and pull out my phone, snapping a quick picture of the peaceful scene. After the chaos, this mont feels precious.
Evan catches my movent and glances in the rearview mirror. "Hopefully they stay asleep until we get there."
"That would be good." I tuck my phone away and rest my head against the window. "It's a nice change of pace from the rest of this hellish day."
We drive in silence for another few miles, and suddenly Evan clears his throat.
"So... you and the Lycan King, huh?"
My whole body tenses. I keep my eyes fixed on the road ahead. "What about it?"
"Nothing." His fingers tighten on the steering wheel. "Just surprising. I thought you loved Xander."
My lips press tightly together. "No. I stopped loving Xander when he stopped loving ."
"Ah."
He goes silent again, and this ti I'm annoyed enough to break it. "Why? Is there sothing wrong with Asher? Because he's way better than Xander."
"No, of course not. It's just…" He hesitates. "He's the fucking Lycan King, Violet. And you're… you."
I have plenty of insecurities over this relationship, but they're mine to have. Not anyone else's. "What the hell is that supposed to an? Is it because I'm not wolf enough for him?"
"That's not what I said. He glances at , but I refuse to look at him. "If anything, it's the other way around."
That pulls up short. I twist in my seat to face him. "What do you an?"
He sighs, his shoulders slumping. "Look, I've known you for years, Violet. You're kind. You look after people. You pretend not to notice when the pack treats you like shit, just so you don't cause trouble. And Asher is..." He shakes his head. "He's not a kind person, Violet."
"You don't know him well enough to say that!"
"Do you?" he counters. "We've known him the sa amount of ti. He killed Alpha. He killed our people. I just don't think it's good for you to stay with him. You need soone better for you."
"Like you?" I scoff. "Like Xander? Neither of you are good options for , Evan."
He rubs at his eyebrow, glancing at again before looking back at the road. "I'm not saying you should choose us. I'm just saying I'm worried about you. That's all. If you need help, I'll help you. And if you don't… I'll stay back. I just didn't want to see you being played with. That's all."
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