Heart of Stone (Part III)

III. Chapter 2 | Part 1 - Aubree

Stone was right. It was a lot harder to say goodbye to everyone than Aubree thought. Especially Gwen, who whimpered and whined like a puppy on the couch.

Stone struggled the most with leaving her side. He held her head in his arms, scratched her behind the ears, and brushed his fingers through her fur. No words were exchanged, but Aubree knew they must have been sharing a private mental conversation with the look on his face, and the way he buried his face in her fur.

Alistair had to tear him away and force him in the car with one hand around Stone's neck and the other planted firmly against his back and pushing him forward.

Gavin came with them and sat with his father in the backseat while Aubree sat in the front passenger seat and Alistair drove them to the airport.

Aubree hadn't seen Stone be intimate with Gavin before, and watching him hold his grown son against his shoulder warmed her heart. Gavin's eyes were closed as he rested next to Stone's heart, and Stone nuzzled his head, burying his face in his hair every now and then.

Alistair tried to distract her with light conversation, making playful jabs every now and then to get her attention so that Stone and Gavin could have some privacy in the backseat.

Aubree couldn't help but want to keep looking back at them and seeing them so close. It was adorable.

When they arrived at the airport, Alistair unloaded their luggage from the trunk while Aubree got a chance to say goodbye to Gavin. Alistair stole a quick bear-hug for a minute before letting her go.

"Have fun, babygirl," Alistair said. "Don't be gone too long. We'll get antsy without you."

She flashed him a smile before she and Stone headed into the building.

Once inside, Stone hesitated, looking back at them through the sliding glass doors as Alistair and Gavin climbed into the car and pulled away.

Aubree tugged on his hand to get him to turn away and move forward.

"Sorry," he murmured. "It's been a while since the last time I was separated from my pups and pack. I can't help but miss them and worry about them."

"They'll be fine," she said, trying to be the strong one, even though she knew exactly how he was feeling. She felt it too but knew it must be even harder on him. "We'll be back before you know it."

He wrapped an arm around her lower back and leaned down to press his forehead to hers. Sharing a few deep breaths, he pulled away, evidently stronger and more sure of himself now.

"I know. I'm going to try not to worry about them for the next few days, which will be critical in the hunt. The vampires were hit hard last night and it will take some time for them to regroup and become strong again. Now is the time to continue the attack to ensure they are wiped out for good."

"Except for Dan," she added.

He nodded. "Yes, except for him."

This brought a small smile to her face as she pulled back and entwined their fingers together. "Let's go check-in now."

He was silent as he let her lead him through the airport and its various checkpoints.

As they waited in line for their baggage to be checked, he confessed that he'd only been on a plane twice, in 1950 and 2000.

"Guinevere and I had to return to Europe to attend Council meetings. They take place every fifty years in Europe, but they change the location each time. It was Rome in 1950 and London in 2000," he said. "The advancements in air travel greatly improved during those fifty years."