Chapter 902 Chapter 902
Foster stood close enough that Jesse would know he was waiting to talk to him but not near enough that he’d be eavesdropping. Well, if he didn’t tap into his animal hearing, he wouldn’t be. It was hard not to because of the expression on Jesse’s face. He usually had that easy-going, nothing wrong in the world look, but right now, his brows were up, and whoever was on the other end of the call had said something that made his calm falter.
Jesse nodded, looked over at Foster, and nodded some more. His gut tightened. It was an automatic reflex whenever someone was talking and looked at him. He glanced around, no one else was near. That reaction had to be left over from his childhood. He hadn’t been the easiest child. Elders used to tell him they hoped he had a son who was just like him. Back then, he shrugged it off. Right now, his only thought was, oh shit. Then his mind took it further, and he pictured a child with Ena. With her energy and his knack for mischief, that was an unpleasant thought.
Blinking, he grinned at the ground. Children with Ena were about five thousand steps ahead of where they were currently.
“Foster.” He looked at Jesse, who was off the phone now.
“Uh, Ena is wondering if there’s any of the medical team nearby. She’s worried about Nyssa’s leg.”
Jesse nodded. “I noticed her faking it and trying not to limp. Madison is headed back over this way tomorrow. I’ll see if she can swing around here.”
“Cool. Thanks.” Foster debated turning and going back to get those sandwiches and cookies, pretending he didn’t need to know what Jesse had been discussing on the phone, but Jesse’s expression was filled with questions and apologies at the same time. He sighed. “What’s up?”
Jesse waved the hand with his phone still in it. “That was Devin. Walker and Nox took a tour to Iowa to check out the area that one of the rescues from Waylon’s said he was from.”
Foster nodded. “Piers. He was from there.”
“Yeah, him. The clan or what’s left of it was still there.” He motioned around them, “—It’s in way worse shape than this.”
“Really?” Foster shook his head. “That’s pretty hard.”
Jesse nodded. “Yeah, they’re thinking they’re going to move them over to Leslie’s clan until they assess the property. It sounds bad.”
Foster bit his tongue, hoping he wouldn’t be asked to go from here to Iowa all the way to New York.
“Walker wants to head to Wyoming and check on the clan that Mathias is from, but Devin wants him to head this way first.”
Foster nodded. “Maybe Kellen and his mate will head there.
Jesse pointed at him. “That’s a good idea. Devin wants you to head to South Dakota and see if the girls, Alyce, and Tisha’s clan are still there. They didn’t know an exact location, but they know the closest town and rough direction.”
Foster was trying to picture a map and where South Dakota was from Minnesota, but his Canadian-ness was strong, and he couldn’t remember the order the states were on the map. He looked over at Ena, she was laughing at something Betty said.
“Is that a problem?”
He looked back at his friend and boss.
“I know you and Ena are still sorting it out.” His eyes showed he was amused, but his mouth didn’t smile. “She could go with you.”
Foster pursed his lips together for a second. “Nah, she doesn’t want to take off right after becoming alpha.”
Jesse scoffed. “New male alphas have no problem with that.”
Foster grinned. “I think she’s got a better sense of community than Deacon.”
“I would say so.”
Foster glanced at Ena again. Seeing the state of the girls, she would want him to check on the rest of the clan. He gnawed on his lip. He wanted to check on them, too. He turned back to Jesse. “Can I head out tomorrow?”
Jesse nodded. “That’s fine. Whatever is going on there isn’t going to change in twelve hours.”
Foster sighed. “Yeah.”
“I’ll let Ena know what Madison says. I’m going to check on Leah. She wasn’t feeling well.”
Foster looked at the house they’d been staying in. “Is everything all right?”
Jesse was texting on his phone. “Yeah. She just gets headaches sometimes.”
Foster exhaled. “Ah. I hope she feels better. Tell Zain to send me all the information I need to find that clan.” He turned and headed toward Ena. Pulling out his phone, he brought up a map of the US. Not having any details on location wasn’t going to help him calculate. With any luck, it wouldn’t be at the bottom of the state.
“Foster?”
He looked up to see Ena coming toward him.
“What’s wrong?” She searched his face.
“Nothing.”
She gave him a look that clearly stated she didn’t believe him. “You have to leave, don’t you?”
The woman was a mind reader. “Walker found the clan that Piers was from, and it’s bad. They’re moving them to a clan in Ontario, just across from New York.”
She held his look, so he decided that talking faster would be better. “Devin wants me to go check on the clan that those two girls were from.”
“I can’t remember where that was.” She touched her forehead. “A lot has happened since then.”
“South Dakota. They only know the nearest town.”
She bit her lip. “They were in such bad shape. Do you think it’s from their life or what happened at Waylon’s?”
He almost blurted out that he’d seen worse but bit his tongue at the last second before the words left his mouth. “I don’t know. I hope the clan is still there and better off than the one Walker located.”
She hugged her waist. His animal was feeling anxious. “You need to go. They could need help, Foster. it’s just a few days.” She nodded. He was relieved she said it, but also, it sounded like a horribly long time. “When are you leaving?”
He wanted to say he wasn’t, that he’d changed his mind, but he knew he had to. “Tomorrow.” He offered a brief smile. “I’m not missing out on Heidi’s cookies or any other baking you’re hiding in Orson’s house.”
She smiled. “She’s going to have to open a bakery if she keeps going.”
“It will be hard, but I can try to help and eat as much as I can.” He smiled.
“You might have to.” She blew out a breath and dropped her arms away from her stomach. “What happens if you don’t find that clan?”
Foster glanced at Jesse. “The Alliance will send trackers to double-check. After that, I don’t know.”
“Those poor girls. They’ve been through enough. I hope their clan is all right.”
Foster knew the math for those missing in Canada, but he wasn’t about to share that. He moved close and put his arm around her shoulders. “I need cookies.” They started walking. “At some point, every inch of the US will be combed through to shake any clans out of hiding.” She stayed close, and he noticed how perfectly she fit under his arm. It was as if fate had measured each of them and decided the pieces fit together.
“Then our community will be stronger.” She nodded. “No more hiding and trying to be invisible.”
He noticed the others looked at them and ignored them. “I know at some point we worked and lived with the one-forms; I like to believe it will be that way again someday.”
“That’s a good way to think about it. You’re so positive.” She smiled at him.
“Not really. Wait until you meet my teammate, Webb. He’s always walking around humming. He sees good in everything.”
“That’s not a bad thing. I just can’t after what I’ve seen in my life.”
He pulled her closer and squeezed her before loosening his hold. “Do you think I could bribe someone to make some coffee? I want to help get as much done as I can before I leave.”
“Don’t ask for coffee. Everyone got a fancy, new brewer, and we’ll end up with a barrel full.” She stopped walking. “I’ll go make some. I know how you like it.”
“I knew I should have tipped you more.” He smiled, pulled her closer, and kissed her briefly. “Oh, Jesse’s going to see if Madison can swing this way to look at Nyssa’s leg.”
She looked relieved. “Thank you. You better hurry. There’s only one sandwich left.” With a grin, she walked away.
His appetite had left when he realized he had to leave. His animal was silent and still inside him. That was never a good sign. It was going to be hard enough to ignore his own thoughts when he left Ena here, if his coyote wasn’t cooperative, he didn’t know how he was going to do it.