Chapter Thirteen

Travis

Terrick and I weren’t best friends by the time Sheldon and I said goodbye to our friends and family the next morning, but we understood each other better. All it took was him admitting he’d take a grenade to the face if it would save Salta from being ostracized alone and it wouldn’t change even if she grew up to be a super villain.

I hadn’t fully decided where I’d whisk Sheldon off to. I had a few options. Trista and I had bought several flats across Europe when we visited back in the days we were still spending our trustfunds. Eventually, we’d have access to them, but for now we still had what was ours.

“Are you using the London flat?” I asked Trista over our twin link.

It was the one I’d stayed at while working but wasn’t sure she hadn’t taken over it while I was away in Heartville. One day, she and I would have to talk things out, but now wasn’t the damn time for that.

“Why?” Trista snapped back at me.

“Frost damn it! Just answer the question.”

“No,” Trista said.

I opened my mouth to let Sheldon know the plan but stopped short. Trista wasn’t done. Words danced on the tip of her proverbial tongue.

“But I can be there if that’s where you want to talk,” she added a second later.

“Trista, I don’t want to talk right now. You’ve got to give me some space,” I said, doing my best to keep the bite out of my voice.

“For your matingmoon?” she asked, hope tickling her words.

“For my sanity,” I sighed.

“It was just a joke, Trav,” she said quickly before I started ignoring her again. “I apologized. I found out where Terrick was from, so he didn’t get dragged into Frost’s Pit! What happened to actions speak louder than words?”

“You alright?” Sheldon asked and I missed the last part of Trista’s monologue.

“Yeah. Trista is at it again.”

“I know she’s not --- er, great, but are you going to ignore her forever?” Sheldon asked.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Long enough to figure out where my arrow’s going to land, at least.”

Sheldon nodded and fastened his seatbelt.

“Do you think I should talk to her?” I asked, ignoring how she kept rambling on over our twin link.

“That’s up to you,” Sheldon said, sliding his hand onto my knee. “I only asked, because if you’re ignoring her or going no contact, I want you to be conscious of it and not just do it because you don’t feel like dealing with her right now.”

“I’m conscious of it.”

“You know she can’t take it back, right?” Sheldon asked.

“You sound like she hired you for a lawyer,” I laughed as the tires hit the highway.

“No, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I know about what happened, though,” he shrugged. “You and Terrick worked things out the best you could. I would’ve told him that, too, if he asked me.”

“Which part?”

“The part where you couldn’t take it back. You can’t go back in time and not record the video,” Sheldon said.

“Can we talk about this another time?” I asked.

“Of course,” Sheldon nodded, his scent relaxing as he let the subject drop.

“Now only if Trista would let it go that easily,” my wolf chimed into my thoughts.

“Trav?” Trista tried again, sounding more deflated.

“Can this wait until after I’ve claimed my mate?” I asked her over our twin link.

“Okay. Congratulations by the way. I bet the dads are over the moon.”

“I haven’t even talked to them yet. They know, of course. They know everything. Where are you?”

“Getting drunk in water shifter territory way down south,” she laughed.

“Anyone interesting?”

“Not too interesting,” she sighed. “Friendly enough, though.”

“Don’t get hurt. Don’t get heartbroken. Don’t get kidnapped by the mermaid mafia.”

“Ha, ha, ha.”

I waited another few minutes for her to say anything else, but she’d fallen quiet finally.

“London,” I told Sheldon. “Trista and I have a flat there, but she’s down in water shifter territory. Probably Puerto Rico or Costa Rica or somewhere. She didn’t say exactly.”

“So, can I text your brother and let him know that’s where to send the drone with our stuff. Does he have the address?”

“No, he doesn’t,” I laughed, realizing how much our family didn’t know about us. “I’ll tell you so you can text it to him, though. Are you sure you don’t want to fly over? I can afford the tickets.”

“So can I, but if the old fangs wanted me to fly, they’d have given me wings. They gave dragons, harpies, and others wings. They were meant to fly. Me? I have none. You? Zilch.”

“I’ve flown before,” I chuckled.

“And you’ve lived to tell the tale. I’m not taking any more chances, though.”

“Bossy,” I smirked.

“Protective,” he countered, mischief dancing in his eyes, “and if you say that’s your job as the alpha, I will dirty talk all the way to the airport, but I won’t even give you a hand job until we’re in London.”

“But if I don’t, you’ll give me a hand job at the airport?” I arched a brow.

“Maybe. I might even let you give me one,” he teased and squeezed my knee.