Heart of Stone (Part III)

III. Chapter 35 | Part 1 - Aubree

Exhaustion ransacked Aubree when the Luna of Lancaster Pack knocked on their door. She struggled to sleep most of the night, holding Crystal close with Whiskey at her back as flashes of pain struck her for half an hour and worry held her prisoner for another few hours after that. A lingering ache stretched across her shoulders, chest, and back, and she knew that Stone had sustained injuries that weren't going to be easy to heal.

But he was still alive. She was certain of that.

Her cell phone had no reception in the safe room, so she had to wait until later to call Stone and find out everything that happened last night.

She roused her parents, who were understandably confused as to where they were and seemed to barely take in their surroundings as they struggled up the stairs to the communal eating area. Aubree had them sit down at one of the many long cafeteria-style tables while she and Crystal went up to the serving station to pick up bowls of porridge for them all.

Dozens of eyes watched her every move as she returned to her parents with Crystal by her side. A high-collared shirt covered her mark and she couldn't wait to put on something more comfortable once her parents were on a plane and flying east.

Let their curious eyes feast on the truth.

Both of her parents looked terrible and clutched their heads as they hunched over their bowls of porridge, poking it with spoons and idly lifting it to their lips.

Guilt gnawed on Aubree, but she knew it was the only way to get them to spend the night.

Jackson, Leanne, Brooke, and her parents joined them when they were finishing up their breakfast—a task in itself with her parents griping and making faces at the porridge. Jackson congratulated them, shaking their hands with a charmer's smile on. He told them that they won the trip and they would have everything taken care of for them to leave later that day.

Aubree's mother appeared ready to faint, while her father stared in a stupor.

Brooke's mother chattered away with Sandra as the werewolves ushered them all up the stairs and out of the building and into their waiting cars to go to their house. Brooke's parents had answers to every little question Aubree's parents dared to ask about the trip as they arrived at the house.

A pot of coffee was put on and mugs were passed around.

Whenever the questions of "what happened last night?" or "what was that place we slept at?" popped up, Brooke's parents tactfully changed the topic or diverted their attention on something else. The morning flew by in a flurry of discussion.

Aubree was only able to get away and call Stone by slipping to the bathroom and locking herself in right before lunch.

The phone rang a couple of times before he answered, his voice heavy and deep.

"Good morning, Love."

"I miss you," she whispered.

A noise, half huff, half chuckle, greeted her ears, drawing a smile as she imagined him doing the same with half-lidded sleepy eyes. She squirmed on the lid of the toilet, feeling her stomach flutter like a teenager talking to her crush.

"I miss you too."

"What happened? I felt everything last night. Hardly slept."

With a reluctant sigh, Stone relayed the events of the night and that Gavin and Gwen tended to his silver-inflicted wounds.

Helplessness settled into Aubree's nerves. Everyone was fighting the hard fight and she was cowering underground hundreds of miles away.

But what could she do besides stay out of the way?