“Lars, grab her bags and let’s get inside before the snow starts,” Sofia said.
“It’s really nice here.” Ginger looked around at her surroundings for the first time. She’d been so focused on her drive that she somehow missed out on the natural beauty which surrounded them.
Gone were the gleaming high-rises which stretched to the sky. So was the ever-present noise of traffic. She always thought the crowded streets and bustling sidewalks made her feel alive, like the city was a living breathing thing and she was a vital part of it.
But this place left her with a feeling that was completely unexpected. Freedom. With each breath of crisp wilderness air, she purified her soul and recharged her depleted energy. And her wolf relished in it.
“No wonder you like it here so much,” Ginger said.
“I do love it here. I never thought I would be happy to be away from Crescent Bay, but I am. I mean, home is still nice, don’t get me wrong. But here.” Sofia spun around with her arms wide open. “Here, is wonderful. Majikal almost. We don’t have to hide who we are. Ever. Humans are few and far between. Occasionally, we’ll see a few in town but that’s about it.”
“Seriously?” Ginger wasn’t sure what to make of that. Crescent Bay was a lovely city surrounded by mountains on one side and water on the other. The landscape was attractive to both humans and shifters, but the human to shifter ratio was easily a hundred to one. And with plenty of humans as friends, it wasn’t a big deal—on the surface. But keeping a huge part of one’s identity a secret was tiring. She could easily see why the sense of freedom Sofia felt with the Black Paw pack had more to do than just living in the untamed wilderness of their territory.
“You two should go for a run later and check out the area.” Lars suggested, lifting Ginger’s bags from the back of the Jeep.
“My wolf would love that, but I need to unwind a bit from driving.” Ginger said as she stepped inside the house.
Her wolf was ready to take control and run free for the first time in what felt like forever. Ginger couldn’t blame the animal. They had been stuck inside for far too long. She couldn’t remember the last time she had truly let her animal run free.
“I’m sorry,”she said to her wolf.
“I’ll think about forgiving you if you let me run our asses off later,”her wolf replied.
“Sure, but the key word is later.”
It wasn’t just her animal who was excited to get out and see the area. For once, Ginger was just as excited as the animal. Though she had no idea why. Yeah, it was great to see her BFF, and even better to get out of her apartment for a bit. There was something more to it. Something about the way she felt at Black Paw that she couldn’t put her finger on.
It almost felt as if she were meant to be here at this very moment in time.
“So, I’ve got the spare bedroom all set up for you. I even put fresh towels in the attached bathroom. If I forgot something, or if you need anything at all, make sure you let me know. I can’t believe you’re actually here.”
“Are you even listening to her?”her wolf asked.
“Are you okay?” Sofia asked.
“Sorry. Thank you. For everything. For all of this. I think the long drive must have done a number on my head.” Ginger rubbed her temples, acting as if that had something to do with her sudden inability to pay attention.
She pulled Sofia into another hug. “I’m really glad to be here too. I’ve missed the hell out of you.”
“I’ve missed you too, so fucking much. I love it here, but I hate being so far away from you. Now that you’re here, it really feels like home.”
“Awe. Trust me when I say that Crescent Bay hasn’t been quite the same without you.” Ginger offered her friend a comforting smile.
In reality, it was worse than she let on. In fact, nothing had been the same since Sofia had moved. Ginger realized she’d been fooling herself into believing she was okay with missing her best friend. She could only take solace that for the next two weeks, she could shed her loneliness and bathe in the companionship of her best friend and fellow wolves.
“Let me show you where your room is. That way you can get settled and unpack. Hell, you can even shower if you want or take a nap before dinner. I know that I always need some time to myself to recharge after a road trip.”
Ginger didn’t want to worry her friend by telling her that she’d barely slept the night before. Her nerves were fried, but not just about the trip. Something had been bugging her. It was almost as if she had alarm bells sounding in her damn head or something.
Was it a warning of immediate danger? A vague premonition that she was close to a pivotal moment. But what? None of it made a damn bit of sense.
Both Ginger and her wolf had felt it, and neither one of them could figure out what the hell was going on.
After tossing and turning for a few hours, Ginger had decided to forgo sleep and finish up the things she needed to get done before she left on her two-week getaway. And now she was paying the price.
“I guess I am a little tired from the drive. A short nap sounds perfect.”
“A nap? Seriously? An exhilarating run would do us both a world of good.”her wolf snarled.
