Into the Unknown

Agentle hand on my shoulder shakes me. "Rowe, it's time to wake up."

I burrow my head under my pillow. "Go away."

Owen chuckles and lifts one edge to peer in at me. "You need to pack if you're going to head out today."

With a groan, I roll over onto my back and squint at the window. "It's still dark out."

"You have a long drive if you want to get to Silver Hollow in two days." Owen straightens and tugs the blanket off, exposing my bare skin to the winter air. "Tris and Haut are already waiting downstairs."

Shivering, I curl into a ball and glare at him. "You're a heartless man, Owen Hartford."

He smacks my ass. "Get into the shower. I'll pack your bag."

"Ugh." I force myself upright and swing my legs off the side of the bed. "I'm suddenly regretting the urge to save this magical town from impending doom."

"You're such a good person." He bends to kiss my cheek before heading out of the room, taking the blanket with him to stop me from crawling back under it.

The diabolical man.

My body protests as I stand, the ache in my hips reminding me how I spent the night with Owen. I hobble to the bathroom, the wooden floor cold beneath my bare feet.

The bright lights above the vanity cast my face in stark relief. My dark, red hair sticks out in all directions, my curls tangled, and lack of sleep leaves my blue eyes bloodshot.

I turn on the faucet and splash my face, the shock of the icy water jolting me awake, and I let out a yelp. Turning the shower on to warm, I brush my teeth, then step under the hot spray.

Despite the desire to linger, I hurry to wash my hair, the image of Tris and Haut waiting for me downstairs making me feel guilty. It's better not to hold everyone up, or I'll have to hear about it for the next twelve hours while locked in the car with them.

When I finish, I find clothes sitting on the edge of the sink, and I barely dry off before tugging on the cream chemise, followed by my bunny sweatshirt. It envelops me in warmth, hitting me just above the knees. I wring my long hair in the towel, then pull on the socks and leggings.

Strapping my wand to my forearm beneath my sleeve, I head out into the hall.

Tris's voice carries up from below. "Hippity hop, Rowe, or you'll miss out on your breakfast burrito!"

My stomach, not yet awake, rejects the idea of food.

"Save mine for later." I hurry down the stairs, one hand on the banister for balance in my sock-covered feet.

My favorite unicorn sneakers, the worse for wear, wait at the bottom, and warmth fills me that my men are armoring me with my battle gear in preparation for this adventure. They may not like that I'm leaving, but they're making sure that I feel safe going.

Smiling, I sit on the step to slip on the shoes and squish the unicorns, even though they no longer light up.

"All ready?" Tris pads out of the kitchen, his sandy-blond hair somehow looking perfect despite the early hour. He sips from a pink to-go cup of coffee and offers me a sparkly purple one. "Hot chocolate for my sweet."

I stand and take the cup, sniffing at the small opening. "Only cocoa?"

"No caffeine." He tweaks a wet curl to make it bounce. "You can nap in the car."

Haut joins us, carrying a cooler in one hand. His dark brown locks are mussed, but his moss-green eyes are sharp as they sweep over me. "Ready?"

A thump comes from the top of the stairs, and I turn to see Owen coming down with a suitcase.

Haut frowns. "How much did you pack for her?"

"Two weeks of clothes." He stops next to me at the bottom. "Better safe than stuck with dirty socks."

"You're my hero." I glance around. "Where's Rosebud?"

"Gassing up the van." Haut peers out toward the driveway. "He should be back any minute."

As he speaks, tires crunch on the gravel outside and headlights shine through the window.

"Speak of the vampire." Tris bounces to the front door, the dog tag he wears jingling with evert step.

As he opens the door, cold air sweeps inside, and I pull my hood up to cover my wet hair, the bunny ears on top flopping forward to hang on either side of my face.

I tug the ties to cinch it tight around my face. "How are you both so chipper?"

Tris smirks at me over his shoulder. "Maybe you'd be more awake if you went to sleep at a reasonable hour instead of boinking all night."

"Worth it," I say into my hot chocolate, and Owen leans in to nuzzle me with a pleased rumble.

I wait for Tris and Haut to go out first before I step away from Owen. Despite spending the night in his arms, I'm going to miss him.

We walk outside to the first blush of dawn lightening the sky. Barron's van sits in the driveway, Ros hopping out from behind the wheel. We had asked to borrow it last night, since Barron won't be leaving town during the festival, and the giant Sheriff decal on the side of Haut's SUV draws too much attention.

Owen carries my suitcase to the back to load it while Ros sweeps me up into his arms.

He buries his nose in the crook of my neck and breathes in deep. "Keep yourself safe, baby."

I squeeze him tight. "I will."

"And no picking up new mates." His hands drop to my ass, and he lifts me onto my toes. "You're all full up."

"But…what if there's a super adorable cat shifter—" I cut off with a laugh as he starts carrying me back toward the house. "Okay, I promise! No matter how cuddly cat shifters are, I won't bring one home!"

"If she tries, I'll eat them." Haut settles the cooler in the back seat before climbing behind the wheel. "Come on, bad puppy, or we're not going to stop until bedtime."

Ros turns and, hands still on my ass, carries me to the front passenger side. "Dream about me every night, baby."

"Will do." I wrap one arm around his neck, juggling my cocoa in the other, and pull him down for a kiss. "No biting anyone while we're gone."

"What if I get hungry?" When I nip his lower lip, he chuckles. "I'm good for a bit, and there's a freezer of bagged blood if I get peckish."

Expression stern, I look over his shoulder at Owen. "No orgies!"

"I'll somehow resist." He crosses his heart. "Promise."

Ros deposits me in the passenger seat and buckles me in, the worn leather of the seat warm beneath my butt. "Keep your phone charged."

When I pat my pockets, I find them empty. "Wait, I left it…somewhere."

"On the kitchen island." Haut points to the glitter-covered case sitting on the center console, plugged into a car charger.

"And I have your wallet." Tris, now in one of the middle bucket seats, waves it in the air. "Lunch is on me."

I set my to-go cup in the cupholder. "You better take us someplace nice."

"We're only stopping for bathroom breaks and fast-food restaurants." Haut shifts into gear, and Ros gives me a last kiss before shutting my door.

As the van rolls forward, Tris leans between the seats. "How's it feel to drive a dad-mobile, Haut?"

"You'll be taking a turn driving, too." He shoves Tris back. "Buckle your seatbelt."

"Why?" A click comes from the back seat. "We're going to stop right away at the sheriff's office to pick up Levi."

We drive down toward town, the headlights catching an early morning fog that will burn off long after we're gone. Shivering, I tuck my hands inside my sleeves.

Haut reaches out to crank up the heater and angles the vents toward me. "You should have dried your hair after you showered."

"I was trying to hurry."

Tris leans forward once more, his seatbelt straining to keep him safe. "Can I be in charge of the music?"

I perk up. "Oh, musicals. We can sing along."

"Absolutely not." Haut turns on the radio and classical opera fills the car.

My hands cover my ears. "What is this?"

Tris howls from the back seat, a perfect wolf protest even though he lost his ability to shift.

"That's Barron's preference." Haut scrolls through the channels until country twangs from the speakers. "This is more like it."

"Boo." I reach for the dial.

Haut smacks my knuckles. "Driver picks the station."

"I'm taking the next turn driving," Tris and I say at the same time, then high-five.

"That won't be for a while." Haut glances at us. "You both went to the bathroom before we left, right?"

"Umm…"

His glower fixes on me. "You're going at the station when we pick up Levi."

I curl my legs up on the seat. "But I don't need to go!"

"You'll try anyway."

We reach the bottom of the driveway, and gravel gives way to smooth pavement. Despite the early hour, pedestrians dart back and forth across the street, and a line forms outside Nesse's Diner.

Haut pulls into the small parking lot at the sheriff's station and cuts the engine. "Come on. Everyone is going to the bathroom. We're not stopping for at least two hours."

"Yes, Dad," Tris and I chorus.

Haut lets out a sigh. "This is going to be a long road trip, isn't it?"

Tris unbuckles his seatbelt and grabs the back of Haut's seat to whisper in his ear, "Only if you fight it."

Laughing, I hop out of the van and scurry into the station.

"Hey, Rowe," Deputy Arden calls out, waving us over to his desk. "Aspen's already waiting with Levi in Haut's office."

I skid to a stop and do a double take. "Excuse me?"

"Aspen and Levi. In the sheriff's office." He points toward the back hall.

My voice rises with alarm. "Why is Aspen here?"

Summoned by my words, Aspen appears with Levi towering at his back. "Right on time. We're ready to go."

Horrified, I stare at the travel case Aspen carries. "No."

"Yes," he says, face totally serious. "I've decided to join you guys on your little adventure."

"Well, you're not invited!" My arms cross over my chest. "We don't need a babysitter, thank you very much."

Tris comes in behind me, takes in the scene, and crosses his arms, too. "What's going on?"

"Aspen thinks he's coming with us," I tell him.

"What?" Tris shakes his head. "No, this is our vacation!"

"Adventure," I correct.

"Our adventure!" Tris amends. "There are no teachers on adventures."

"You are both still in training. I have an actual education in magical barriers." Aspen strides forward with confidence and delivers the killing blow. "Haut and I spoke about it last night, and he agrees."

Tris and I spin to glare at Haut, who hovers in the doorway. "Traitor!"

He shrugs. "Aspen will help speed things up so we can get home faster."

"But…what about our coven?" I turn back to our mentor. "They need you."

"Actually, they need Mel." He tugs one of the bunny ears attached to my hood. "I came to Hartford Cove to be your teacher, and if that means going on a road trip, so be it."

"Fine." I throw up my hands in defeat. "You can come. Just know that some sexy wolf shifter will be wooing Mel while we're gone."

"If Mel can be wooed away in a week, then it's not meant to be." Aspen steps past me and out the door. "I'm pretty confident that won't happen, though."

I chase after him. "I call shotgun!"

Tris follows. "I'm in the middle row!"

Levi eyes the van. "If no one objects, I'll take the third row so I can stretch my legs out between the center seats."

Once again, I'm thankful we borrowed Barron's dad mobile. I hadn't even considered how cramped a person of Levi's height would be in Haut's SUV. Tall people problems boggle my mind.

Aspen takes a small backpack from Levi and loads their bags into the back with our luggage while we climb back into the van.

Haut peers back at Levi from the driver's seat. "Did you get your stuff from your rental room?"

"All cleared out last night." Levi sets his cowboy hat on the bench beside him. "The proprietor had no issue finding someone to fill my place, too, so thank you."

"Do you want coffee or cocoa?" Tris pops open the cooler. "We also have bacon breakfast burritos and granola bars."

"Granola and hot chocolate sounds mighty fine." Levi accepts the items from Tris. "Much appreciated."

When Aspen joins us, he takes a burrito and coffee.

"Everyone settled?" Haut waits for our round of affirmatives before backing out of the parking lot and driving onto the street.

The colorful, festival banners flap in the autumn breeze, and I sip my cocoa as I watch the buildings give way to the woods.

A pang of regret goes through me knowing that I'll miss most of the celebration, but there will always be next year, and all the years after. What we're doing is more important than playing games and eating yummy food.

Tris peers out the side window. "Say goodbye to Hartford Cove."

As the small town vanishes from view, I can't help but wonder what awaits us in Silver Hollow. It's not the first time I've set off from home not knowing what the end of my journey would hold, and it probably won't be the last.

The knowledge fills me with a mix of excitement and dread.

What if we fail? What if we can't figure out what's poisoning the barrier? What if the Silver Hollow coven refuses to speak to me about the werewolf amulets?

Haut's hand covers my thigh. "Are you okay?"

"No." I lace our fingers together. "I forgot to use the bathroom, and I need to pee."

Haut's curses mingle with Tris's howls of laughter as we turn onto the highway, leaving home for the unknown.