HENRY…
Headlights lit the inside of the car briefly before the other car passed us.
It hurt. All of it. Losing Mom and now Dad. Liam shook next to me. I kept my arm around him, trying my best to help him feel safe again. Aden had cried himself to sleep hours ago and currently leaned against me in oblivious peace. At least, it smelled like peace. I hoped the cub continued to have good dreams.
Liam’s scent remained far from peaceful. Worry, grief, and confusion melded together to create a toxic soup that I wanted to choke on with each inhale.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get anything to eat, Liam,” I said.
“I’m sorry they took Uncle Gregory,” he said.
“I know. Me, too. But we can’t stay sad about it for too long.”
He tipped his head up to look at me.
“Why not?”
“We have things to do. Being sad will distract us.”
“What do we have to do?” he asked.
“Get you back to Mimi safe and sound. I’m not going to lie; those bad guys are going to keep trying to find us. But Uncle Jim, Paul, and I are going to do everything we can to keep that from happening. You can help us by staying focused. What did Aunt Mary tell you about what you feel?”
“It all has a smell.”
“That’s right. And little kids, like you, usually smell happy. Sure, they sometimes smell angry or sad, but never for long. The bad guys looking for us are going to use their noses to try to find the saddest, most scared kids they can. So don’t be sad. Don’t be scared.”
Liam nodded and looked out the window. I hated having to tell him all that. Cubs weren’t supposed to worry about their scents or people using them to track. But, we needed to do everything we could to keep the cubs safe.
Slowly, Liam’s scent changed. It stayed far from happy, but the grief and worry eased up considerably. I caught Jim’s gaze in the mirror. He nodded at me and returned his focus to the road.
“Have you ever been on a vacation?” I asked Liam.
He shook his head.
“Me, neither. I think when we get to Emmitt and your sister, we’ll tell them we want a vacation. Where should we go?”
“The place where they make the mouse pancakes.”
His immediate answer surprised me.
“You mean Disney World?” I asked.
“Yep. I want to see that mouse.” He lowered his voice and looked up at me. “Uncle Jim isn’t so good at making that shape. Dad isn’t any better.”
Jim burst out laughing, and I grinned.
“Then, we need to go there.”
“Yep. Aden would like that, too. I think it would help his smell.”
“I think you’re right. What do you say, Paul?”
“I’m always up for mingling with some princesses,” he said.
He didn’t sound up for it. He sounded ready to fight. I knew my brother well enough, though, to know his issue wasn’t with a vacation.
Tell him to cut it out, I sent Jim.
He just wants blood. Like we all do.
I know. But, I just told a cub to hide his emotions. Paul needs to do the same, or he’ll be the princess when we finally get to Disney.
Jim snorted, but otherwise remained silent.
“Hey, Liam,” Paul said suddenly. “Do you think Henry could get in free if we dressed him up like Merida?”
Liam snorted.
“I’m disturbed that you know who Merida is,” I said.
“Nope. You should be more disturbed that you know who I was talking about,” Paul said.
Liam’s mood lightened further over the next few minutes with Paul and me quietly bantering about who would make the best princess.
“Gabby is telling me it’s clear, and this tank needs gas,” Jim interrupted. “I’m pulling into the next station.”
Any hint of humor left Liam’s expression, and I could tell by his scent he was struggling to keep his emotions positive. I understood his concern.
How clear? I sent Jim.
She said they are still in the same city. There are a few around here, but nothing close. Grey will keep me posted.
“A gas station is good. Paul made me hungry for some man-food with all his princess talk,” I said. Paul snorted, and Liam giggled from behind his hand.
“Perfect,” Jim said. “You two princesses can take the cubs to the bathroom and grab some road food. I’ll fill the car.”
Any update on Dad? I asked silently.
Winifred has been listening to the news. There were reports of the fight but so far there’s nothing being said about anyone having been captured. Your Dad’s still not answering, but I can feel him.
I almost wished Jim couldn’t feel him. That he wasn’t answering meant that someone had him and he didn’t want us to know who and try to get him. Whether human or Urbat, there was only one reason to keep Dad alive. Information. And he wouldn’t ever give any. No matter how they tried to pry it from him.
Jim found a quiet place in the middle of a country community. Pulling up to the vacant pumps, he winked back at Liam.
“Get me some Twinkies, okay?”
Liam grinned and nodded. Paul opened the door for him and stayed close while I woke Aden and took him inside. The clerk called out a friendly hello, only looking away from the TV mounted behind the counter for a moment.
I said hello in return and steered the boys toward the back. They went in together with a promise to be quick and wash with soap. I didn’t care about the soap, just the speed.
While Paul stood by the door to wait for them, I started loading up on some food items. Nothing looked good. I doubted anything would for a long time. But, I knew we all needed to eat. So I grabbed things at random and took them up to the counter just as the clerk’s show was interrupted with a breaking news update. The reporter talked about a werewolf and Urbat sighting north of us. The screen switched to show a parking lot of a familiar fast food place. Glass and blood smattered the blacktop. My chest ached at the sight and anger boiled in my veins.
“I still don’t believe that shit’s real,” the guy said, not looking away from the screen. “I mean, how could another race possibly exist without a hint of anyone knowing?”
“I don’t know,” I said calmly. “Where else would all those legends have come from?”
“True,” the guy said, turning toward me. “Paying for the gas, too?” he asked.
“Yep.” I pulled out my wallet. Mom and Dad had split money between all of us in case we were separated. Thanks to Michelle and her lawyer, there was plenty of it.
While I counted out bills, the reporter on the television went on to ask for help finding the van that fled from the attack. They believed the “family” of one of the “victims” fled in fear and stole another car. My pulse jumped, and I looked up at the TV. The screen showed a house with an open garage and an older woman with a picture of the car we now drove. The clerk looked up at the TV, following my gaze. He frowned and glanced out the window where Jim now filled the car, then he looked back to the TV.
“Shit,” he breathed softly.
Our eyes met.
“They killed my mom, took my dad, and are after the rest of us. I’m sorry about this.”
Using my speed, I grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face down onto the counter, knocking him out. I checked his pulse before letting him go. He slowly slid to the floor.
I just knocked out the clerk, I sent Jim.
I hope you had a good reason, he sent back.
The TV had a picture of our car and was asking for anyone with any information to call in.
Are there cameras inside?
I glanced at the wall behind the register, my stomach sinking.
Yes.
Hurry up.
Throwing the payment on the counter, I turned toward Paul. He released his hold on the door knob. Liam opened the door and frowned up at Paul.
“Sorry, bud,” he said, messing the cub’s hair. “You’re right. It wasn’t funny. Let’s get these Twinkies to the big guy.”
Neither boy seemed to notice the missing clerk as we walked out. Jim teased Aden about eating all the snack food as we got back into the car.
What now? I sent Jim. We’re clear of Urbat, but what about the humans?