Chapter 141 Chapter 141
Blair stood on the curb where he could watch the six still in the van, keep an eye on the three in the store, and survey any movement around them in this tiny town. His cat wasn’t happy with this situation.
They’d been driving for two and a half hours. Priority had been a quick stop for gas and the game of bathroom tag. He rubbed his hand over the top of his hair. Only fate would put him in this situation. His cat had conveyed the emotion of what the fuck when he could smell again as they were driving. The blended scent of nine females had been more than even his cat knew what to do with.
Turning, he checked the other direction, then glanced in the store’s window. Kobie, Torrey, and he thought her name was Cortney were at the cash now. Daisie had woken from her nap about forty-five minutes ago and talked non-stop. He knew their names, approximate ages of everyone, their personal preference for food, flowers, and how bad cussing was—even if he was a boy, it was bad.
He glanced in the van at her. She was still chatting up a storm. How had they taken her through the bush and kept her quiet? He had no idea but hoped they were able to do it again. If his calculations were right, they had another hour of driving, and then they were going to be going cross-country on foot.
Cortney came out and gave him a quick look. “Prepare for the drama.” She whispered.
He frowned and watched her open the van door. “Annamarie, Nichelle, you get the bigger packs.” She tossed the backpacks in.
“What? Why? Oh my god. I’m a pack mule.” Annamarie whined.
Blair put his head down and rubbed his jaw so the smirk on his face wasn’t visible as Annamarie was still mumbling about having to carry a backpack instead of a smaller portable pack that you’d wear around your neck in cat form—to which Nichelle reveled in telling her she could carry when she could shift.
He looked up to check around them and noticed an older couple coming along the sidewalk. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kobie and Torrey come out of the store with the rest of their purchases. He gave Kobie a quick, exaggerated wide-eyed look, then glanced at the couple. A van and nine women were something anyone would notice seeing.
“Got everything, honey, we’ll be able to hit the trail now,” Kobie said, pausing beside him and smiling up at him like they were a couple.
Blair smiled, and it was real. She was sharp. That was a huge blessing in his mind.
“Brave man.”
He turned to look at the older gentlemen. “Wilderness survival.” He blurted out.
The man chuckled, “Hope you survive it.” His wife swatted him, then gave him a gentle nudge to keep walking.
As soon as they were gone, Blair stepped over to the van. “You get the protein bars and jerky?” He couldn’t think of anything else to help with the shifts they may have to do.
Kobie nodded, “yeah, juice pouches too. They take up less space.”
“I’m going to have a backache,” Annamarie complained.
Nichelle took the bag Torrey held out and looked at the other girl, “well at least you’ll be alive to feel your backache.”
Blair was really liking Nichelle’s attitude.
Annamarie’s expression changed to guilt, then sorrow. She nodded, without further comment.
Blair knew he shouldn’t give them false hope, but he couldn’t handle the emotions suddenly coming off them. They were suffocating him. He climbed into the driver’s side and turned around when everyone else was back in. “My friend has sent people from the Alliance to look for the rest of your clan.” It wasn’t a lie.
“Do you think they’ll find them?” Nichelle gave him a pleading look, her dark blue eyes asking him to lie if he had to.
“They’ll have answers for you by the time we get where we’re going.” He said and left it there. He knew they’d find them or find out what happened to them.
“Will they bring my daddy back?” Daisie asked in an excited voice.
He almost lost himself in her big eyes, before he could think of anything to say her mother interrupted.
“Let Blair focus on driving, okay, we’ll chat later.”
Daisie nodded. “Okay. I can’t wait to be in the trees again.”
Turning, Blair caught the look Kobie gave him. Yeah, he knew it was dumb to say anything to them that would give them too much hope. He inclined his head to her and turned away as he started the van. It would be late afternoon by the time they reached the point they were going on foot. He watched every car they went by as he left the small town. If they were lucky, they’d meet up with the other clan before dark—if they weren’t lucky, it was going to be a long, sleepless night of standing guard.
“Here’s your change.” Kobie held out the money. “I can’t believe I didn’t think to bring a bank card or anything.”
Blair motioned to the glove box. “It’s not mine, it was in the van when I picked it up, so it’s Alliance money. Put the envelope in my pack.” He watched as she took it out and put the change in it. “And I’m pretty sure shopping was the last thing on your mind when you got everyone out of there.”
She looked over at him, a sadness in her eyes.
He gave her an earnest look. “You did good.” He whispered.
She inhaled a deep breath and then nodded her head.
Blair turned back to the road. There had to be an emotional tidal wave inside her—but he couldn’t pick up on it at all. Her father, the Alpha, was out there somewhere, and she had no idea if he was alive or what. He glanced in the mirror and watched the fifteen-year-old, Kasia. She hadn’t uttered more than two words the whole time. Her mother, Torrey, had a haunted look in her eyes. He wondered if one of the men found dead had been her mate. He glanced to Kobie. He needed a moment alone to get more details. How he was managing that, he had no idea.
“Rest now,” Kobie said in a commanding tone. “We’re going to hit the ground running as soon as we’re in the bush.” That part was a bit softer.
“How long do you think it will take us to meet up with that clan on foot?” Franki asked.
Kobie looked over at Blair. He paused on her expression for a moment, surprised she was deferring to him to answer. Glancing at the road for a second, he looked back at her. “I can’t say for sure, I don’t know the terrain, but I’m hoping we’ll find them before nightfall.” No one made any further comment. Blair checked his phone. He’d hoped Devin or Gage would send him some sort of update by now.