“I don’t believe that’s expressly against the rules.” Jared grinned back at her. “But I should probably tell you that by doing that you’ll learn nothing. Doing the work is what teaches you.”
Cassie rolled her eyes at his perfect suck-up answer that no teacher was around to hear.
“Fine, Mr. Perfect. But at least help me with the paper,” Cassie complained. “It is kind of your fault that I’m behind.”
Since he didn’t outright agree to her skimming on learning, she was going to have to guilt him into helping.
“My fault? Hey. That’s not fair. I’d say it’s just about as much your fault as mine. You were the one that decided to run away.”
Cassie pouted. That was actually true. It was just easier to blame it all on him.
Jared stared at her. She saw in his mind that he was going to reach up and touch her cheek, but his hands remained at his sides.
“But if you need some help, I have tonight’s shift until tomorrow night,” Jared replied.
“Three shifts in a row?”
Nate and Jared had divided the day into three eight-hour shifts that they kept watch over Cassie. Both of them were paranoid that the disappearances weren’t random and were going to happen again. If they couldn’t make it, they either got the other one to cover, or sent someone they trusted to watch over her.
“Nate has stuff with Mikel to take care of, so I offered to take the extra time instead of someone else. I know that it bothers you to be followed around. I figured I’d give you a couple more days, and you and Whitney would bolt again like last time. This way at least I can keep an eye on you.”
Eight years apart and yet he knew her so well. Cassie was beginning to feel as trapped as she had when she’d run away a week ago to Triclan City. It was a short adventure out of town, but well needed after Nate pretty much put her on lock-down. It had been fun to get away, and Cassie kind of wished for that again. It was there that they found out Whitney’s father wasn’t really her father. Not that they could check now that he was missing along with her mother.
Cassie peered up at Jared. That was what they needed; they needed to go back to the seer. Cassie was supposed to be able to see the future herself, but had only done that less than a handful of times in her life. She was much better at seeing the past or the present. But they had met a lady there. She had much more control, and that was who they needed to see.
“You’re going to have to tell me what you’re thinking, but it’s time for me to make my exit,” Jared told her, bending down and kissing her forehead before vanishing along with the other wendigo hanging out in the hallway not too far behind.
Cassie shook her head and picked up her bag. He was always composed at school. He acted like none of the whispering bothered him, and really it didn’t seem to, but he understood that it bothered her. Kissing, even just on the forehead, was way out of character. Cassie turned around to walk to Whitney’s locker and saw why. Down the hallway, Nate stood with a couple of his friends. Jared could hold things back to make it easier for Cassie, but the opportunity to bug Nate was something he couldn’t resist. Cassie blocked out both Jared and Nate’s thoughts. She’d grown very good at that since they’d been around constantly for the past week. She didn’t need to hear the rant that would be going along with the scowl on Nate’s face.
Cassie walked past the students still lingering in the hallway to make it to Whitney’s locker at the same time as Nate. His face said he was still angry.
“Heading home?” Nate asked.
“Yep,” Cassie replied as Whitney silently filled her bag.
Whitney was growing more and more quiet as the week progressed. Whitney worried was making Cassie more worried. Whitney wasn’t the silent type. She always had something going on in her head … heck, more than one something all the time. Silence wasn’t good.
“My dad wants me to stop by his place, so Owen is going to go with you guys until I’m done,” Nate told them.
Cassie nodded. She understood even if she didn’t want Owen around. She was still angry with him for siding with the coven when the wendigo took her. He had helped kidnap Cassie and Nate to let them bind her to him without her permission.
Cassie looped her arm through her friend’s. Whitney glanced up, but then looked down again. She didn’t even catch the look in Cassie’s eyes. Cassie had a plan. She was sure the guys wouldn’t be happy with it, but it was a plan. At least it would be enough to keep Whitney from falling deeper into depression, and possibly it would be doing something. So far no one could tell them a single thing. This was a way to look for answers. They needed to go on a road trip, and this time, Cassie would be taking Whitney.
“Turn right here,” Cassie told Whitney as they drove outside of town.
Owen was silent in the backseat, but he was doing his best to make sure the girls knew he wasn’t happy.
“I think that’s his driveway,” Cassie added, pointing to the right side of the car and the dirt path heading in that direction.
It didn’t look like much of a driveway, but it was right next to the beautiful cedar tree she had seen the only time Jared had taken her back to his place. He had done so earlier in the week to show her how to get there. It wasn’t like she’d been awake, or they came by roads any of the other times she was there.
Whitney turned the car hard, making Owen slide in his seat since he didn’t have a belt on. She slammed on the brakes once they passed the tree. The cedar both anchored the property line and held back the illusion of the forest. In front of the car, Ryder stood, not afraid of being hit.
“Does he want me to run him over?” Whitney asked.
It wasn’t the first time he had stood in front of their car and at least this time she actually stopped. She hadn’t run him over yet. Cassie was pretty sure it wouldn’t be that easy to actually do. Ryder wasn’t quite as strong as his twin brother, Jared, but he was close.
Ryder opened the back door and looked at Owen.
“Sorry, cousin, but you have to stay here. We don’t exactly allow your kind into the main property,” Ryder told Owen.
Owen didn’t move.
“I don’t take orders from your kind. Nate told me not to leave her alone, and unless he tells me otherwise, I’m going anywhere she goes.” Owen glared up at Ryder. Cassie thought it looked comical. Owen was rather tall and normally loomed over people, but sitting in the car he had to glare up. It was sort of funny. But she wasn’t speaking to him, and couldn’t tell him that.
At first, Cassie was shocked to find out they were cousins, but now she saw it. Ryder and Owen had the same eyes. The spell that made her forget Ryder and Jared made her unable to see that before it was broken.
‘Nate, I’m at Jared’s place. Ryder won’t let Owen follow us. Can you tell him to stay in the car?’ Cassie asked across the bond.
‘Not unless Jared’s right there,’ Nate replied back.
He wasn’t too happy with Cassie’s plan. If the seer told Whitney she wasn’t the daughter of her father, then the seer could possibly tell them where the missing people were. Cassie explained her idea to Whitney, and they agreed it was best to leave right away. Nate didn’t like it one bit, but he couldn’t give her a reason not to go. There was nothing wrong with wanting to ask unless there were more secrets being hidden. Cassie had a feeling that was more the case.
Jared walked down the pathway to the car.
‘I can see him.’ Cassie quickly sent the image of Jared to Nate.
‘Owen will wait in the car, but that doesn’t mean you have to go through with this. You could wait until next week. I can take you myself then,’ Nate replied across the bond. He seemed jealous and worried at the same time.
Cassie shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. She had a feeling that was really the reason for his sulking. Nate didn’t like that he couldn’t go with them. His father had him doing something and wouldn’t give him permission to go, which meant Cassie was going to spend the weekend with J
ared, Owen, and Whitney, and not Nate.
‘We’ve waited all week for you guys to find something. No, we aren’t going to wait longer. You can’t imagine how much this is hurting Whitney. I want my friend back to her old self, and I want her family back. Mrs. Mallory has been like a mother to me for the past few years. We need to find her,’ Cassie replied as she stepped out of the car.
Cassie didn’t look back at Owen as she walked forward to Jared. He held out his hand, and she took it. The connection made everything he was sensing clearer. His clan was all around, watching them. She didn’t know, but it had been like that the whole time she was there before. Girls were scarce in the wendigo world, but bonds were even scarcer. Some of the people once had a bond themselves before becoming wendigo, and could remember what it felt like.
“Your father is fine with you leaving with us?” Cassie asked. She kind of sprung her plans on both him and Nate. While Nate disagreed, Jared was completely in from the first words.
Cassie waved to Whitney to come along with them. Whitney hesitated but came with her, taking her other hand. Cassie could feel her nervous energy. She had already teased several times about not being eaten by the wendigo, but Cassie had a feeling she wasn’t completely joking.
“Yeah. He thinks it’s a great time to spread our diplomatic wings, as he put it,” Jared replied.
‘And it’s fine to leave him alone? Are you sure it’s safe?’ Cassie silently asked the real question on her mind.
There was currently peace between the skinwalkers and wendigo, but it was very fragile, hinging on the bond Cassie formed between Jared and Nate. The wendigo couldn’t hurt Nate without hurting Jared, and vice versa.
‘It should be. I have a feeling Nate can’t come because Mikel doesn’t trust my father. I don’t blame him. I don’t trust him either, but I do see that he wants this to be a diplomatic thing. We’ve never made ties to any other clan. By going to Triclan City, it’s like we’re declaring the wendigo as part of the night human clans, and not just on the outside looking in like it has always been. My dad is very excited about us doing this. Well, excited about me going to Triclan City and meeting with the Winter family. Everything else he really doesn’t care about,’ Jared replied as they walked. Now that sounded more like the hardened wendigo leader Cassie knew.
“I’d give you the full tour, but I have a feeling you guys want to go sooner than later,” Jared said to Whitney as he peered past Cassie.
“Sooner is right,” Whitney replied, playing at being brave.
Jared opened the door to his house and led the way down the hallway to his room. Cassie froze as she saw someone waiting at Jared’s door. Her cousin Jack was standing there, waiting.
“Hey, Jared. I heard you were heading on a little trip,” Jack said casually.
Jared reached past Jack and opened the door to his room. Cassie pulled Whitney to the door, but she was stopped at the barrier.
“Sorry about that,” Cassie told her friend, reaching down the break the spell she had put on the room over a week ago to keep her, Nate, and Jared safe within the walls of his room.
Jared got there at the same time and stopped her.
“I’d rather we keep those intact. You can alter them later on another visit to let her in, just don’t break them completely,” Jared told her. “I don’t want you to have to reset everything each time you come to visit.”
“Or when you move in permanently,” Jack added from the hallway beside Whitney.
Whitney did her best to hide her shock. The thought of Cassie leaving never occurred to her, but then again, Whitney didn’t understand the bond very much either.
“I just have to run upstairs to your room,” Jared said as he left through the doorway leading up to Cassie’s bedroom, which was above his.
“Your room?” Whitney asked. Cassie had told her about mostly everything, but might have left out the whole bedroom within a bedroom part since it was odd.
Jack laughed at Whitney’s reply.
“Yes, the wendigo are that strange,” Jack told Whitney. “They take the whole mate stuff very seriously.”
“And you don’t?” Whitney replied, eyeing Jack over. He wasn’t a wendigo, but he did live with them.
“No way,” Jack replied. “I plan to do things the good old-fashioned way. Pick the girl up from her house and return her there. I’m not a caveman like these jerks. I’m just your normal, everyday guy.”
“That does magic,” Whitney added.
They talked more. Jack was being nice, with not an ounce of scary showing through. It reminded her of when she had first met him. She didn’t once suspect there was anything evil in him. Now that she had seen more, she knew otherwise. He had been trying to trap Nate and skin his animal from him, which wasn't something you would do unless you were evil. However, his complete shift in character made her question if she had seen that all right. Things were far from black and white around the wendigo compound.
“Got it,” Jared said as he appeared at the doorway only moments after he had gone up.
Whitney and Jack continued talking. He wanted to know where they were taking Jared, and she wanted to know what it was like with the wendigo, who seemed to have more males than females doing magic. It was strange for Cassie to see her friend interested in someone else. She hadn’t even had a crush the whole time Cassie knew her. It was because she was a female skinwalker and couldn’t ever have a male skinwalker as a mate, but it was still strange to see her with Jack.
‘I know Jack has never seen a female shifter before,’ Jared told Cassie.
‘And Whitney hasn’t seen a male that can do magic,’ Cassie replied as Jared came and stood beside her before taking her hand. Whitney and Jack were saying good-bye.
‘Well, let her know that we have tons of those running around here. She doesn’t need to fall for the one that my father has already pegged as his next in line for head warlock,’ Jared explained. ‘Unless you want her as family and around all the time. It might make it easier when you decide to pick me.’
Jared winked at Cassie, and she rolled her eyes. It was getting old, all the fighting over who was the best pick. Nate and Jared had spent all week explaining to her why they were a better choice, but neither of them ever told her why she would get to make a choice. She was bonded to both of them. As far as she knew, bonds were for life. That wasn’t just going to go away because she chose one.
“Don’t you hate it when they do that?” Jack asked Whitney.
“I think it’s kind of cute,” Whitney replied. They both were staring at Jared and Cassie who were caught up in their silent conversation.
Her cheeks turned red as her friend called it cute. She wasn’t trying to be cute. It kind of felt natural now to talk in their heads almost as often as out loud. It was easier than a cell phone, and now that she could shut them out, she really didn’t mind. It wasn’t like she didn’t already get inside people’s heads all the time anyway when she saw their pasts. Once she learned how to keep them from seeing all her thoughts, it would be just like having a cell phone. She’d be able to turn it on and off.
With his bags in hand, Jared pulled Cassie past her cousin, and she grabbed her friend’s hand on the way to pull her with them. Whitney almost seemed disappointed to be done talking, and Cassie didn’t need to look into Jack’s eyes to see it was the same. Cassie wanted to groan and tell her friend to leave her cousin out of everything since he was basically evil, but she was happy to see a bit of the old Whitney back around.
Owen didn’t look too happy when they finally made it to the car. He was pacing beside it and treading a line into the dirt not too far from the doors. Ryder was leaning against a tree and looking smug at Owen’s anger. He was saying something as they approached but instantly shut up. He jumped up and nodded to Jared.
“I’ll take care of Dad while you’re gone,” Ryder offered with a slight grin.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Jared replied.
“Go have
fun. I promise the place will be just the same when you return.” Ryder was still grinning.
“Stay out of trouble,” Jared ordered him. Ryder’s grin faded away.
“Can you just loosen up for one day? Have a bit of fun like the rest of us?” Ryder began to walk away.
Jared shook his head.
“That was an order,” he said after his twin. Ryder raised a hand and waved to him without turning around as he continued to walk back to the house.
“Will he really stay out of trouble?” Cassie asked as Jared threw his bags in the back of the car.
“Doesn’t have a choice now that I ordered him. Only my father can tell him otherwise, and my dad wants me to do this for the clan, so I doubt he’ll do that.”
Whitney opened the driver’s door, and Owen moved to sit in the backseat behind her. Whitney reached out and stopped him.
“You have shotgun,” she told him. Cassie smiled at her friend.
Cassie wasn’t talking to Owen because she was still mad at him. In reality, she was mad for many reasons, but either way, an all-day road trip sitting beside him wasn’t going to go over well. As mad as she was at him, he was twice that at Jared. It was best not to put Owen in the back with anyone. He was Whitney’s problem as Cassie saw it.
Whitney pulled out of the wendigo compound and started them on their second road trip in less than two weeks. Cassie watched her friend as she drove. There was a small spark of the old Whitney starting to shine through. They had some hope now. Maybe they could get answers. Cassie had to hope they would because all they were running into at home were dead ends.
Cassie woke as Whitney parked the car. She hadn’t intended to fall asleep, but the last few weeks had been draining. She was the only one who had slept, but then again, she was the only day human in the car. The other three didn’t need to sleep as much as she did.
Jared smiled as Cassie pushed off his lap. She hadn’t gone to sleep that way. She was leaning on his shoulder the last time she remembered, yet somehow ended up with his legs as her pillow. It was pretty comfortable, but she was never going to admit that.