Jackson’s quilt was folded up and sitting at the foot of his bed. He had both of his pillows sitting on top. His laptop was in the duffle bag in the trunk of his car. The moment they’d been waiting for was finally happening and Jackson’s heart was caught in his throat.
So many things could happen. So many different outcomes were possible. His dad could realize they were gone too soon and call the cops before they were a safer distance away. They could be pulled over and a cop could notice the collars missing. The car could break down. He hated that they didn’t live closer to the border. “Wren? Are you ready?” Jackson was and wasn’t at the same time.
Jackson held the tool to remove the collar in his hand. Wren nodded and tilted his chin up. Jackson attached the tool on either side of the hidden catch of the collar. Five seconds later, the red light turned green, and the collar opened without a problem.
Wren’s skin w
Jackson drove first. Wren sat in the front seat next to him. The rest were crammed in the backseat. Sue-Sue slept on Charlene’s lap. Margaret was in the middle. The new wolf sat next to Margaret. When Jackson glanced in the rearview mirror, he could see Margaret attempting to give him as much space as she could in the tight quarters. Kia was scrunched into the floorboards at Charlene’s feet. At first, Jackson could hear her as she moved around, but eventually she seemed to have found a comfortable enough position to get some sleep.Which was good because Jackson drove through the night. At the first gas station, Jackson purchased some cheap flannel scarves that hung by the register. All of the wolves had obvious tan lines on their neck. Any of them going inside was dangerous so Jackson tried to target only rest areas along the interstate, places where they could use the bathrooms without worrying over an employee noticing something off and reporting them.S
It was so cold.So. Fucking. Cold.They had six miles to walk in total. Five miles so they could avoid the checkpoint on the road and the final mile would get them to his grandparents van. They would be able to pick them up and take them the rest of the way.Charlene had the quilt wrapped around her and Sue-Sue, but Sue-Sue was still shivering. After the first mile, Charlene was lagging and shifting Sue-Sue around in her arms. Jackson knew she couldn’t carry her any longer.“Give her to me for a bit,” Jackson said. Charlene gave him a grateful look that was clear even in the dark night. Charlene shushed Sue-Sue and handed her over. She tucked the quilt in around her as best she could then stepped back with a shiver of her own.Jackson was warmer with her in his arms and the blanket covering her, but she got heavy fast. His duffle bag swung against his back with every step. He shifted her up and the blanket slipped. Sue-Sue sh
Grandma Rose had a holiday tree lit up in the front window when they pulled in. The multi-colored lights twinkled merrily behind the frosted glass. The house smelled like chicken noodle soup and cookies. She greeted Grandpa Frank with a kiss, then stepped back so everyone could traipse inside. Charlene was carrying Sue-Sue in her arms. The sky in the east was just beginning to brighten.“Cows need taken care of before I get to sleep,” Grandpa Frank told them as he headed straight out the back door. Jackson watched him go.“Kia.” Grandma’s voice warbled. “Oh, my sweet girl. You’ve gotten so big.”Jackson grinned at that. Kia was fairly short, but she was taller than Grandma.“Grandma!” Kia threw her arms around Grandma Rose. Her shoulders shook as she buried her face into Grandma’s shoulder. “Grandma, I’m free. I’m free.” Her voice broke on the last word and the entir
Jackson called Liam in the morning. He didn’t explain why he’d felt the need to get out as quick as he did, but Liam was completely understanding anyway. Of course there was a little cussing, a little irritation, but as soon as Jackson promised to meet him and Zain across the border after winter break so they could join the rest in Mendota, then everything was fine.Then things moved fast. He made a couple other calls and, before breakfast, had several meetings set up in the city for that afternoon and the next day. Kia wanted to come, but Jackson didn’t want to leave the new wolf at his grandparents without as many other wolves there as possible. He debated asking Wren to stay behind as well, but he wanted Wren with him in the city. He didn’t want to be separated from him so soon.He was meeting with the real estate agent to tour the hotel and then a lawyer. The next day he was meeting with Nathaniel again. Then the next day he was back with th
Jackson was oddly nervous as they got ready for the night. He’d spent almost every day since he’d purchased Wren right by Wren’s side. Why he’d be nervous for what they had already acknowledged made no sense.But he was. He found himself almost breathless as they pulled into the botanical gardens. They walked in, side by side, elbows brushing occasionally and sending a shock of awareness through Jackson every time. The lights had just opened so they beat the crowd and were some of the first in for the night. Jackson smiled up at Wren and ignored the way his heart sped up when Wren grinned back.He also ignored the way Wren’s eyes flicked down to his chest.They stepped out into a snowy, quite literal ‘Winter Wonderland,’ as the little sign proclaimed. Small twinkle lights blinked merrily at them from every tree and bush. They hung like diamonds from branches. Instrumental versions of holiday songs played softly from hidd
Wren stretched out in bed first. Jackson was talking on the phone with Kia. He stood highlighted from the window. Wren’s lips tingled as he thought back to the garden. It wasn’t his first kiss, not technically, and the thought hurt him more than it should.He wanted something like that to be a first kiss. Something that made his heart beat fast in excitement, not fear. Something that wasn’t rushed or painful. Jackson glanced at him and smiled when they made eye contact.“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jackson said into the phone and hung up on the call. “Hey, what are you thinking about?” His smile was easy on his lips. His eyes crinkled slightly at the corners. Wren’s chest warmed and heat coiled low in his groin at the memory of Jackson’s breath hitching. The memory of Jackson’s lips encouraging his own.“Earlier,” Wren said.Jackson hummed and approached the bed. He sat on the edge,
There was a cop car in his grandparents driveway when Jackson and Wren returned. They exchanged a glance. “What’s going on in there?” Jackson asked.Wren listened for a second then shook his head. “The cop’s a wolf. She said she’ll talk to you when we come in.”So they went in. A young woman in a police uniform sat at the kitchen table with a mug in front of her. Jackson squinted at her. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place her. Grandma Rose was humming to the radio playing as she plated up food. “What’s going on?” Jackson asked.The cop sipped from her mug. “My name is Officer Jenkins. There seems to be some runaway wolves on this property.”Wren’s hand shot up to his neck. Jackson stepped in front of him in an instinct to protect him. “There are no runaway wolves. Only free wolves who crossed the border without a collar. Mendota’s immigration la
Wren held Jackson’s hand as they drove back to the border. Not a mile went by that he didn’t pull it up to press a kiss to his knuckles. Jackson kept his grins to himself. Wren wasn’t this openly affectionate with kisses around others, but as soon as they were in the car, it was like kissing was the only thing on his mind.If they had time, Jackson would pull over somewhere, but they didn’t have time. The border crossing station was within view. Four cop cars sat across the border. “Can you hear them?” Jackson asked.“Yeah, but they’re not talking about anything. Just complaining that this was a waste of time,” Wren said.Jackson nodded and directed the car off the main road and down the dirt path his Grandpa had picked them up from. He pulled to a stop far enough away from the border station that it was out of sight and Wren could barely pick up sounds from them.They walked the path they’d walk