A lost Puppy

5 days of traveling. I did everything that Corbin taught me to do to throw them off my scent if they happen to send trackers after me. I took 3 different buses, stopped at 19 different bus stations. I took subways and lost myself in the crowd. I spent most nights on buses, except for the third night. I spent that night at a cheap little motel for a shower and a good night sleep on a proper bed. It was scary and exhausting yet exhilarating. The taste of freedom is heady.

The fifth day, I finally arrive at the bus station and give my cousin, Caleb whom I haven't seen in six years a call. It's just after 4, Friday evening.

"Caleb would love to have you there," I clearly remember Corbin said to me before I climbed into the bowel of the Greyhound bus. The person standing before me now doesn't look like someone who "would love to have me" anywhere. If anything, he looks pissed off. Scary too, with tattoos, corded muscles and piercings...and tall. What is he? 6'3"? 6'4"? I don't remember him being this tall six years ago. My 5'8" frame feels like a waif next to him.

"What are you? 6'4" or something?" My god, my filter is truly broken! I slap a hand on my mouth as soon as those words come flying out.

Caleb doesn't answer me. He just harrumphs and mumbles something under his breath. I'll take it. At this point, I'm thankful that he doesn't intend to kill me...yet. Maybe. With my broken brain to mouth filter, who knows what's going to happen in the near future.

Corbin informed me before I got on the bus that Caleb managed to secure me a place at the school but the dorm is full. That means I will have to stay with Caleb for the time being. I plan to pay rent. I have to find a job right away.

Caleb hauls my luggage into the back of an old red Jeep Wrangler, then he wrenches the door of the driver's side open and hops in without waiting or saying anything to me. He starts the engine, and I clamber into the passenger side of his Jeep before he leaves without me. He just might, right? He looks tempted enough to do it.

He starts pulling out even before I can close the door properly. He drives in silence and I watch our surroundings then I watch him. I've never seen anyone quite like Caleb back in our pack. He has the same dark brown hair as Corbin but while Corbin's hair is an unruly mop of curls, Caleb's is cut short on the sides but long-ish at the top. He has a full tattoo sleeve that looks like an eagle and a dragon or something snaking up one arm and disappears into his dark blue wife beater shirt. He has pierced ears, a barbell on one eyebrow, a lip ring on the left of his full bottom lip.

Caleb actually looks a lot like an older and scarier version of Corbin with dark eyes, dark hair, and almost the same facial features. I think that helps me feel a bit more comfortable around him. He glances at me and his scowl deepens when he sees me studying him. I quickly flash him a big smile. That doesn't help any.

My god, he's like a bear with a sore head! Is he always like this? My mouth is itching to say something but I don't. I'm mighty proud of myself when I manage to keep quiet for a whole 10 minutes.

I gaze around at our surroundings again. This place, open space, palm trees, houses and buildings with stuccoed walls, certainly looks different from where we came from.

"Wow! This is very different from Philidelphia, huh? We're definitely not in the Night Shade Pack territory anymore," I comment. Of course, I can't keep my mouth shut indefinitely.

He keeps his eyes on the road and continues as if he didn't hear me. The only indication that he heard me is the hardening of his eyes.

"Sooo...you heard anything from Corbin? He's okay, right?" I just have to ask him. So many times during those five days of traveling I was tempted to give Corbin a call to find out if he and Wes were okay but he warned me before I got on the bus not to call him. He didn't want anybody to suspect anything and find out where I'm heading. So I didn't, but I'm worried about them. I don't know what I'd do if the pack found out and they got into a big trouble for helping me escaped.

Caleb doesn't say anything for a full minute that I thought he's not going to answer me when he finally says, "He's fine. Nobody knows."

We turn into a small quiet street, lined with old brick houses. One house looks the same as the other. Some look neglected while some others look reasonably well-kept. I don't think we're in a bad area but we're not in the affluent part of the city either. We stop in front of a single story house. The small front yard has a tiny flowerbed overgrown with weeds but the grass has recently been cut. There are a motorbike and a bicycle parked close to the front door.

Caleb carries my luggage inside and I follow him like a lost puppy.