We Are the Wolves

[2] Catch Flights Not Feelings

"Be careful," Cassandra told me while hugging me tightly the next morning on our front porch. The sun was just starting to creep over the horizon but that didn't matter for good ole aunt duties. Apparently, Andrew and I couldn't leave without her wishing us well and repeating obvious instructions. I pulled away from her.

"There are literally no other people I can be safer with," I reminded with more hope than conviction in my voice. Suddenly with the roaring approach of a familiar truck, there was a ruckus being produced by someone beating on the side of the truck bed.

"Let's go, Lady Everton. Your chariot awaits!" Colin Bourne yelled from the street as he stood in the bed of Zander Ramon's red truck. As I glanced up, I was suddenly struck by the lost memory of Preston Russell from my second day in Tyriette. Back then, he was yawping from the back of Carlos "Rod" Duncan's rusted gold Chevy as if he was a normal reckless teenager and not a soon-to-be killer. I shook my head of the chilling memory because this wasn't like that. Zander was driving, not Rod. Colin was standing on the bed, not Preston. The truck was headed to the airport, not the diner in town. The only consistent thing was Ryder riding shotgun.

"Are you sure about that?" Cassandra asked in a grumble, not so convinced for good reason.

"We're going back to our hometown as a group of four werewolves, a half-vamp, and the daughter of a sheriff," Andrew cut-in as he suddenly appeared carrying his duffel bag, grabbing mine, and sharing a look with us. His brown eyes threatened to rim with gold as he looked between us and settled on Cassandra. "I think we'll be fine."

"It's still spring break...in Florida..." Cassandra muttered with nervousness. I didn't blame her. We grew up there seeing the spring breakers party and gallivant the Orlando area every year. Now, even though we were still high schoolers (aside from Colin), Ryder, Colin, Andrew, Trevor, Stella and I were also legally adults and wanted a bit of fun and escape from the tensions in Tyriette even if it meant skipping a Friday of classes to get there early. A spring vacation seemed to be the trend. Evan and Bailee were going to New York City tomorrow. Stormy was going to New Orleans tonight. Aaron opted out (to "hold down the fort") and will most likely claim he was "watching over the town" while the alphas and betas were absent...as if Zander couldn't handle it himself. I could guess what would happen: Vince would be high all week. Troy would be studying all week if not hanging out with Vince. Kelvan would be practicing for the spring theater show coming up. Brett would, as usual, spend all his time with Maya whenever she wasn't at track practice that I would be missing. Miles would be spending as much time with Rose without a threatening Evan around. Even Meena and her family of overzealous werewolves were supposed to be visiting two of her sisters up in Chicago. There was no reason for Aaron to stay in Tyriette other than to claim false responsibility.

"Morning," Ryder greeted to me or maybe Cassandra, now approaching the porch and taking my bag away from Andrew in order to carry it himself. Andrew decided not to pick the fight and continued walking away from the door. Ryder didn't even acknowledge him because he looked over at Cassandra and glanced around. "No Natalie to give me the take-care-of-my-daughter-or else speech?"

"I guess not," I said for her. My mom had been in and out of town since she committed herself to watch over Oliver, regardless that he was still deployed from October to January. At least she kept that promise. Her mothering skills had improved, especially with Andrew, but there was still a disconnect between us that I didn't totally understand nor want. And noticing how she conveniently (and rightfully) never showed up when anyone from Ryder's pack was around was getting more difficult. I couldn't blame her. Aside from her own training of her werewolf phasing, she wouldn't ever know how any of the Tyriette wolves would react to her as the murderer of Preston, their former Beta.