A Wolf's Purpose

•Chapter 11• Neat Town

Jade turned her head and put her hand on Casper's knee. She gently shook him awake. "Cas," Sh said. The boy's eyes shot open. One of his hands immediately went to his gun. "Easy," she said soothingly. As soon as he realized that he wasn't in danger, he removed his hand from his weapon. "What?" He spoke up. "You gotta wake up." She tells him. He rubbed his eyes. He looked like a little kid waking up after a long trip with his parents. It was pretty adorable to watch. Casper always had these little childish traits. Jade thought it was cute. Louis found it suspicious. No grown man should act that way in his eyes. He needed to be harsher. The boy sat up and rested his arms on the two other seats in front of him. "Wow," He started. His eyes widened a little bit. "These houses look amazing." He added. The houses were smaller than you would expect.
But they looked really neat and clean. A lot nicer than most houses they have stayed at. They were a bit smaller than the average house in Hill City. But it was a nice little place. "And where are we staying?" Louis asks. He turned his head to look at Jade for a split second. "What about a house that isn't already taken by a nice family?" She suggested. Louis glared at her for her sarcasm. He rolled his eyes at her and focused back on the road. Jade looked around as they drove through the streets of Chesterfield. In the distance, there was a small football field where children played and their parents stood on the sidelines. A little further up stood a father. Three children happily ran his way. The eldest had scored a goal and the two younger kids were just happy to see him. They seemed so happy. She didn't have to take care of their father. Their father took care of them. Louis looked to his right again and saw Jade watching the little family. That look in her eyes tore him apart inside. He gently placed his hand on her leg. She turned to him. He gave her a loving look. She put her hand over his, giving it a gentle squeeze, and wrapped her fingers around his. 

Casper broke their silence and pointed his finger. "Watch out!" he yelled. Jade looked ahead through the window and saw a young woman walking in front of the car. Louis slammed on the brakes hard. Jade and Casper darted forward, Cas all the way. He bumped his head against the metal part of the chair in front of him. Fortunately, Louis just didn't hit the woman. She looked up startled. Louis got out and asked if she was okay. The woman stood trembling on her legs. Jade turned to Cas. He had a small cut on his forehead. "Cas, your blood," she said calmly. He lifted his hand and felt his forehead.
Jade turned back to the windshield. Louis stood with his hands on the woman's arms to reassure her. She narrowed her eyes at her. That woman looked familiar. "Stay here." She said to Cas, "I'll be right back." she assured him. She stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut. She made her way up to her uncle. "No, I should be apologizing. I wasn't paying attention." The woman said. Louis put on his charming smile and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You're okay. We're all okay." He tells her. "Cas isn't," Jade spoke up. The two adults turned to her. "He has a cut on his forehead." She added. "Oh my god," The woman gasped, "This is all my fault. I feel terrible." She rambled. "Didn't your parents ever teach you to look before you cross the street?" She snapped at her. Louis glared at her. "Jade." He spoke in a warning tone. He looked at the woman again.
"He's a tough kid. If it was critical he would've been screaming." He chuckled. The woman's worried expression turned into a calmer one. "Don't worry about him, Darling." He tells her. Jade rolled her eyes at her uncle. She tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes again. And she wasn't the only one who thought she recognized the other. The woman standing in front of them was looking at Louis strangely now too. "I'm sorry," She started, "Have we met before?" She asked him. Louis let out a chuckle. "I'm pretty sure I would remember a lady like yourself, Darling," he tells her. A smug smile was planted on his lips. The woman shook her head. "No," She said, "That. What you just said." She continued. 

Jade felt her heart pounding harder and harder with the second. There was a scar on the woman's neck. Her scarf had loosened slightly, revealing it. A scar that never faded. When she looked down at her hands, Jade also noticed a scar on her wrists. The same kind of scar. As if something had been jammed up her skin. Draining her. It hit her. "Uncle?" Jade spoke up.
Louis frowned at her. She never called him just uncle. She had a worried look in her eyes. Jade gently tapped her neck but Louis didn't understand the hint. "You're not her father?" The woman asked. Louis turned to the woman again. His eyes fell on her neck. The scar was visible to him too. Suddenly, he realized who was in front of him. He cleared his throat. "No, uh, I am taking them back to their father." He tells her, shrugging it off. He tried to play it cool. The woman leaned in a little. She folded her arms over her chest. "Do you live here?" She asks him, "I'm sure I have seen you before." She added. Louis nodded. "They do. I'm visiting a lot." He chuckled awkwardly. The woman looked at Jade. "You remind me of someone." She tells her. Jade gulped and stepped closer to her uncle. "Maybe you knew my mother," She smiled politely. She then looked up at her uncle. "We should probably get Cas back home. Dad can take care of him. He's better at fixing up wounds than we are." She joked awkwardly. The woman gave them a strange look.
Jade pulled her uncle along to the car. "Did you see the scar?" She whispered. "Oh, I saw it." He replied. The two stepped into the car. "Do you think she recognized me?" Louis asks her. "If she had, she would've freaked out." She answered, "Maybe you should've run her over with the car." She added. Louis let out a sigh. "It certainly would've made things easier. One down. One to go." Jade shrugged. Casper's head popped up beside them. "What are we talking about? Did we kill her?" He asks. Jade snapped her head toward him. "No, no, you need to stay back there." She ordered. "But did we kill her?" Casper repeated. "Back," Jade ordered sternly. She pressed him into the backseat by his shoulders. She then crawled into the back herself as well. "Head towards the cinema a few blocks away, then turn left. When you see a water fountain, let me know." Jade ordered. Louis hit the gas and drove away as fast as he could. 

Cas looked up at Jade. A flirtatious smile appeared on his lips. "How's it looking, doc?" He asks. Jade reached under the seat of Louis' seat and pulled out a first aid kit. "You hopefully won't need stitches." She tells him. She pulled out the supplies to clean the wound. Casper hissed in pain. "You're such a baby." She chuckled. "It stings." He replied.
Jade rolled her eyes playfully and gently cleaned the cut on his forehead. Louis looked at the two through the rearview mirror. Not that either of them noticed. He was keeping a close eye on them. Both of them. There was something about this all, that didn't feel right.