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“Everly, I don't feel too good. Get Marcus,” she murmurs, her eyes fluttering before she jolts upright and scrambles for the toilet. She throws up before hugging the toilet bowl. “Ugh, I feel like shit; I think I may have that stomach bug,” Zoe whines. I touch her head; her skin seems even more swelteringly hot.
“No, I don't think you have a bug, Zoe. I think you're in heat!” I tell her. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I dial Marcus's number just as the lights start to flicker, a moment before the power suddenly goes out. Great. Just fucking great.
ChapterEighty
Valen
It’s pouring down as Marcus pulls up out front so I can pick Valarian up from school. I step out of the car straight into a puddle; the drains have gotten blocked, and the gutters are overflowing and spilling onto the sidewalk, rushing like a river and filling my shoe with water.
I growl, shaking my foot to get the water out before racing for the school's front door. Marcus waits in the car because he’s still on the phone with the scouts, checking if they’ve found anything about Emily's missing son, and the audio is going through the car's Bluetooth. My toes squelch in my shoes as I walk on the slippery floors to the grade school office.
On the way here, I called ahead, so the moment the secretary sees me step into the small office, she calls up to Valarian’s class to let the teacher know I’m here to collect him.
“He’ll be right down, Alpha,” the secretary tells me, and I nod to her, then begin wandering around the room, looking at the school awards hanging on the brown, brick walls. I shrug my coat off, which is drenched from the downpour, and drape it over one arm as I stroll.
“Scouts found nothing,” Marcus says, walking into the small school office. He shakes his head, spraying water everywhere, and I growl, wiping my face with the back of my hand when he gets some on me. He laughs, running his fingers through his wet hair.
“You tell them to head back? This storm looks like it’ll be a big one,” I ask him, and he nods before dialing a number into his phone. I watch as he holds the phone to his ear, his face lined with worry.
“Zoe’s not answering her phone; I’ve tried to call five times today,” he whines when I look at him questioningly. He hangs up when she doesn't answer and sends her a text instead. His lips purse in frustration, and I raise an eyebrow at him as he glares at his phone screen.
“She’s probably working,” I tell him, and he sighs.
“I know, but she feels funny through the bond. Goddess, I feel so hot!” he says, tugging at the collar of his shirt. “They have the heaters up way too high here,” he growls, looking around. He’s been complaining all day about the heat and spent most of it in just his button-up shirt, while I spent most of the damn day shivering; I only took my coat off because it’s drenched.
“Just go if you want. You don't have to come with me,” I tell him just as his phone starts ringing.
“Hmm. Everly,” he says, showing me the screen. I motion for him not to tell her we’re together by pressing a finger to my lips.
“I know, I know,” he whispers, walking off to take the call out in the hall. A few moments later, Valarian appears in the office with his teacher, his bag slung over his shoulder, and I reach down. After taking it from him and tossing the strap over one shoulder, I kneel before him.
“Here you go, Alpha, you just need to sign here,” she says, handing me a printed slip and a pen with his student information and photo. I reach up onto the desk and quickly sign it before grabbing Valarian and pulling his raincoat from his bag. Once it’s on him and buttoned up, I pick him up and get to my feet to leave.
“I forgot my umbrella, so we need to make a run for it,” I laugh, and he pouts, unhappy about getting wet. Just as I’m about to head for the door leading out to the hall, Marcus comes rushing in, the door narrowly missing us as he bursts through it. He looks frantic and tosses me his keys—I only just catch them before they fall on the floor.
“I gotta go! Zoe’s in heat!” he says,
“Uh, I can drive you home,” I call out to him, but he’s already shifting into his wolf, his shredded clothes trailing up the hall before he bursts through the doors leading out, hitting them in his wolf form so hard they smack against the walls.
“He’ll get wet,” Valarian says, watching him.
“It’ll be quicker, though. He won't be restricted to the roads. He’ll be fine,” I tell him, walking down the corridor. Valarian sighs, and I hoist him higher before draping my jacket over his head and pushing the door open. We make a run for the car out front, and I become drenched even worse, my white shirt turning see-through. Valen squeals and whines that he got drenched too, despite having the jacket covering him. I place him in his booster seat before jumping into the driver's seat.
Valarian's teeth are chattering, so I turn the heater on high at full blast to warm him up and try to dry my shirt a little. Pulling away from the curb, we head further into the city on the way to our destination when my phone starts ringing through the Bluetooth.
“Who is Love Muffin?” Valarian asks, looking at the screen, and I snicker. Everly will probably demand I delete that name from my contacts.
“Your mother,” I chuckle, and he scrunches up his face.
“Aren't you going to answer it?” Valarian asks, and I shake my head.
“Nope, I don't want your mother to know I kidnapped you from school early.”
“She’ll keep calling. And she probably already knows. My watch has a GPS tracker in it,” Valarian says just as the phone cuts out, only for it to ring again.
“It has a what?” I ask him while looking in the rearview mirror at him. He holds up his wrist to show me his black watch.
“Yep, it’s linked to her phone. She got it after I went looking for you when I ran away; said it’s so she can keep an eye on me,” he says with a shrug. “Where are we going anyway?” he asks, looking around.
