Chapter 3

"Areyou sure this is a good idea?"

Even though I couldn't see her over the phone, I knew Mama was wringing her hands. This trip was kind of impulsive, but when Malcolm invited me to visit him and his crew, I saw it as a sign. Kinsley dumped me and Audrey was worried it'd affect my job. She wanted me to take time off anyway, to clear my head. I wasn't sure that was a good idea. My head was already pretty clear. It probably wasn't smart to mess with what little brain cells I had, but I didn't say that to her. She got cross with me when I said something about my intelligence. It wasn't offensive, it was just facts.

"You were the one encouraging me to reconnect with him," I pointed out, my phone on speaker mode sitting on my dresser as I packed my bag. I was going to drive my truck out there. Planes made my bear uncomfortable, and I didn"t fit well in the plane seats. Driving was better. And it wasn't that far. A day or two of driving. I liked driving. My driver's test was one of the only tests I ever passed on the first go.

"Reconnect, yes. Drive out into the middle of nowhere by yourself to see someone you haven't talked to in years, no. That doesn't feel safe."

I snorted, grabbing my phone so she could still hear me while I packed up my toothbrush and stuff.

"Not really worried about that, Mama. I got Bear. We watch each other's backs."

Her sigh was loud over the phone. "Yes, I suppose you do. I don't know one person who would look at your bear and ask for a fight. But Bear doesn't drive. Humans do. And that long on the road, you could get tired. Or someone could run you off the road. Or–"

"Mama."

I had to cut her off before she got too far into her head. Mama had anxiety. There was nothing wrong with that, she talked to people about it and managed it fine. It came with the territory after years of abuse while married to Pa. He was gone now, thankfully, and she was getting better, but sometimes she needed a reminder that the world wasn't gonna end.

"I'll be alright. I like drivin'. I got snacks and drinks, and Audrey suggested an audio book. Did you know there were books people read to you?" It stunned me when she mentioned it and I was excited to try it. I wasn't great at reading. I got the words jumbled a lot. But people always talked about the great books they read and the adventures the characters went on. I wanted to experience that.

"Yes, darlin'. I knew about those." She went quiet for a minute, but eventually, she caved. "Alright. If it makes you happy, then go visit your friend. Just promise you'll call me every night. I want to know you're okay and not dead in a ditch somewhere."

A smile pulled at my lips, but I fought it off. I didn't want her thinking I was making fun of her. It took a long time for her to be honest with me about her feelings.

"Every night, Mama. I promise. I gotta get going. I need to go to bed early if I wanna get on the road before traffic."

After several I love you"s and promises to be safe, she finally hung up, and I finished my packing. I was a little worried I'd be too excited to sleep, but I stripped off my clothes and climbed under the covers around nine. I checked a few times to make sure my alarm was set correctly. Got up more than once to check my bags were packed and by the door. Since I normally worked nights, I wasn't used to going to bed this early, but after a grunt from Bear to get us back into bed, I finally fell asleep.

The trip was amazing.Just me, the road in front of me, and a bunch of audiobooks to keep my attention. Audiobooks were going to be my new favorite thing. I was already making a plan for some good headphones so I could listen to them while I was exercising. Maybe on slow days, I could have one earbud in at work too. I was so enthralled, I ended up driving straight through, turning onto the marked trail into the forest just as the sun came up. I had to turn off the book after that point, since Malcolm said it was complicated and I had to follow his instructions carefully. I got turned around despite his instructions, but eventually I pulled into the trailer park where Malcolm lived.

Blackridge Haven.

I wasn't sure what a haven was, but the place looked nice. Seven trailers all faced the road between them, three on each side and one at the far end. There was a communal area in the middle, with a fire pit and a fancy-looking grill and a counter surrounding it. There were outdoor games, like horseshoes, and kids" toys scattered around. A concrete pad acted as a parking lot, and I pulled my truck up next to an open jeep at the end.

When I got out of the truck, I took in a lungful of fresh mountain air. It was so clear up here. No cars honking or low drone of the freeways. No concrete smell. Just green earth and blue skies. I loved it.

Since I wasn't sure which trailer belonged to Malcolm, I sent him a text to let him know I was here and dropped the tail of my truck to sit and wait. He wasn't expecting me until the evening, so I was prepared to wait a while, but a few minutes later, the door to the middle trailer on the left opened with a loud creak, and my old friend stepped out.

"Titus?"

A huge grin split across my face, and I hopped off my truck to greet him. He met me in the middle, pulling me into a back slapping hug.

"Good to see you," he murmured, giving me one last squeeze before releasing me. He studied me with a smirk, shaking his head. "Damn. And here I was, hoping I finally outgrew you."

I snorted. "Don't think that's possible. Mama said I'm twice her height now. Pretty sure she's makin' shit up, but–" I cut myself off with a grimace when a little boy darted out of the same trailer, clinging to Malcolm's leg. "I mean… stuff. Makin' stuff up."

Malcolm chuckled, dipping to scoop the little boy into his arms. "Titus, this is my son, Javi. Javi, this is Titus. An old friend."

Javi tipped his head curiously. "He don't look old."

I pointed at him with a grin. "I like him."

Malcolm laughed, clapping me on the shoulder. "Come on. Carmen's making breakfast. I'll introduce you to the crew once everyone is actually awake. You're early."

I shrugged, following him inside. "I like road trips. They're fun. Didn't feel like pullin' over."

Malcolm's home was small but well kept. The front door opened directly into the kitchen, where a pretty Hispanic woman was making breakfast. Mama told me to be polite, and I was supposed to introduce myself, but what came out of my mouth instead was, "Should she be doin' that while pregnant? Shouldn't she be restin'?"

She turned around with a bright smile, her hand smoothing over her rounded belly. "Don't give him any ideas. He'd keep me on bed rest the entire pregnancy if he thought he could get away with it."

She had a thick accent, but she didn't use any foreign words to confuse me, so it was fine. She spoke slow enough that I could follow along. She came to join us, offering me a hand to shake.

"I'm Carmen. Malcolm's mate, and Javi's mama. It's nice to meet you."

My eyes darted between her and the little boy. I noticed he was a bear shifter outside. I automatically assumed he got the bear from his mama since Malcolm was a gorilla. But she was human as can be.

"Uh…" I didn"t know if it would be rude to ask, but bears were naturally curious. And no one seemed to mind explaining it to me when they noticed me staring.

"Javi's not my blood," Malcolm shrugged. "Doesn't make him any less my kid."

"Papa paid for me," Javi crowed happily.

Malcolm's mouth dropped open, and Carmen whipped around to face her son. "Javier! You take that back!"

Javi looked confused, his brows drawn together tightly. "What? I heard you and papa talkin' about it. He said he paid off my real dad so he could keep me."

There were probably a lot of missing pieces to that conversation that a kid didn't fully understand or need to know. Still, it was funny. I liked hearing them bicker. Malcolm was my best friend growing up. He deserved a family like this one. Happy and healthy and well protected. It was what I wanted one day.

After I got to know his family a little, the noises from the rest of the crew drew us outside. Only a portion of the crew had to wake up that early, so I didn't get to meet everyone, but those I met were really welcoming. It felt a little weird to be around that many shifters. Blackridge Haven was a safe space where people could let their animals out freely. At least, I thought it was safe until I heard a woman crying near the parking area. My blood turned cold and I couldn't draw in a breath, and before I knew it, I was moving.