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Chapter 2

Hawthorne
The three of them talked excitedly for most of the drive.

Sienna discussed camera angles. Evan planned the drone route. Adrian kept asking which stretch of highway would be best for filming the car against the sunset.

Sienna had even thought of a title for the short film.

“What about Before Graduation, We Escaped into the Wild?”

Evan laughed. “It sounds like the three of us are abandoning the pack and forming our own rogue wolf crew.”

Adrian laughed too. “Then you’d better make me look like a competent leader.”

The conversation flowed on without pause. No one asked what I thought.

I sat in the third row with my iPad on my lap.

The itinerary listed arrival times, gas stations, restaurants, dead zones, nearby pack territories requiring advance notice, and Airbnb hosts I still needed to contact.

I tried several times to join the conversation.

“Tonight’s house is in the mountains. The host said the final section of the road is narrow, so we should arrive before dark.”

No one answered.

Sienna was asking Evan to help adjust her camera settings. Adrian had turned his head to look at the pictures she had just taken.

At lunch, we stopped at a highway service plaza. I checked the reviews for the nearby restaurants and sent Adrian a link.

“This place has terrible hygiene ratings, and several people said they got sick after eating there. Let’s go to the restaurant next door.”

Sienna glanced at the sign. “But I want Mexican food. Maybe all those bad reviews just prove they didn’t pay for fake good ones.”

Evan laughed. “That logic is bizarre, but somehow I almost believe it.”

Adrian smiled too. “Then we’ll go with Sienna’s choice.”

I frowned. “But your stomach has always been sensitive.”

The smile faded from Adrian’s face.

“Nora, can you relax? We’re here to have fun, not carry out a pack assignment. It’s one meal. It isn’t as serious as you’re making it sound.”

They ordered greasy, heavily spiced food. Less than half an hour later, Adrian had turned pale and doubled over with one hand pressed to his stomach.

I handed him medicine and water. I had packed a first-aid kit and concentrated supplements formulated for an Alpha’s metabolism.

Adrian was already reaching for the pills when Sienna rested her chin on one hand and smiled at me.

“Nora, you really act like his mother. You haven’t even exchanged mate marks, and you’re already managing him like his Luna.”

Adrian’s hand paused. Then he laughed too.

“She’s always been like this. She’s been worrying over me since we were pups.”

Evan leaned back in his chair and added casually, “Isn’t that a good thing? Once you become Alpha, you won’t even need to hire a personal assistant.”

All three of them laughed.

I set the medicine on the table beside him.

“I brought it because I care about you. I don’t appreciate being laughed at for it.”

Adrian’s smile faded.

“We’re joking, Nora.”

“I heard you.”

He picked up the pills, then held out his hand.

“Give me the water too.”

I put the bottle beside the medicine and sat down to finish my lunch.

“You can open it.”

After lunch, the weather began to turn. Heavy fog crept down the mountainside and soon swallowed the road ahead.

I warned Adrian, “Slow down. There are several sharp turns ahead, and there aren’t any guardrails.”

Sienna continued adjusting her camera without looking up.

“Nora, if you’re scared, close your eyes and sleep. Stop talking before you distract him.”

Evan was checking the map. “Adrian has driven this road before. We’ll be fine.”

Adrian glanced at me through the rearview mirror with a smile.

“You heard them. Close your eyes and stop worrying.”

I tightened my grip on the seat belt and said nothing more.

As the fog thickened and the vehicle swung through one sharp curve after another, my sensory overload grew worse. Gasoline, leather, and Sienna’s perfume mixed into a scent so dense I could barely breathe. My stomach churned, and cold sweat gathered across my forehead.

I searched my bag for the tablets that helped calm overloaded senses. Only then did I remember placing the container in the glove compartment that morning so it would be within easy reach. Now Sienna’s camera equipment was blocking it.

I called Adrian’s name.

“Can we stop at the next rest area? I need to buy medicine.”

He gave a distracted hum of agreement, but the music in the car was loud.

Sienna suddenly leaned toward him with her camera.

“Look at this one. The fog, the mountain road, and the reflection in the window make it look like a movie. If we edit this properly, the trip could go viral.”

Adrian glanced sideways at the screen.

“Not bad, Director Sienna.”

Evan leaned over to look too. The three of them started laughing again.

I rested my head against the seat and closed my eyes. My stomach cramped with every turn.

No one asked whether I could keep going.
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