Everlasting

Chapter 5

Wulfric

Arlo's snores and the soft clacking of Edmund's knitting needles made up the soundtrack of our drive. I was happy to handle all the driving so they would be free to amuse themselves however they saw fit. This was a trip for my liberation, after all. And I was itching to take action. Though the trip was taking far too long, being the person behind the wheel made me at least feel like I was doing something to make it go faster.

We went over a pothole I really should have been able to avoid, except that I kept getting distracted. That, and it was getting harder to stay focused on the seemingly-never ending highway. It was monotonous, and my mind was full of anxious thoughts. Arlo jolted awake with a low cry of surprise and one of Edmund's knitting needles went flying up into the air before he deftly caught it.

"What was that?" Arlo asked.

"Sorry, go back to sleep," I said.

He rolled his neck and stretched out his arms as much as he could in the limited space around him. "No, s'okay. I'll just wake up stiff and sore. Aging is a bitch, and sleeping in cars is for the young."

I snorted. Arlo was in his twenties. His early twenties. He didn't know true aging yet. Edmund bit his lip, adopting a fretful expression. "Wulf? I think we should stop for the night. We're only a couple of hours away from the magic shop, but they're already closed for the day. And there's an exit coming up with some decently-rated hotels."

"No hotels," I answered immediately. No way was I risking going out in public and meeting my soulmate just when I'd learned how to avoid them forever.

"I don't need a hotel," Arlo assured Edmund. And then I felt bad. He was only here to help me. This whole trip, this incredible opportunity I had, was only because of Arlo. And even without all that, I needed to take better care of Edith's grandson.

"Fine," I relented. "Pick a hotel."

"And you'll... what, hang out in the car all night?" Edmund asked skeptically.

I didn't think I was capable of sitting still. "Maybe I'll do some sightseeing." All this road was starting to get to me, anyway. I was too used to being surrounded by the lush greenery of forest life around my cabin. After almost a day spent staring at concrete, I was fairly sick of it. Yes... a break did sound good.

Edmund studied me, then smiled a bit. Of course he'd caught on to my change in mood. "I'll go with you. I'm not tired."

That was said almost as a joke. As vampires, we were incapable of sleeping. Our bodies simply didn't need it. "Sounds good."

Edmund rerouted our navigation to a hotel, and it was a mark of how exhausted he was that Arlo didn't try to talk us out of it. I shouldn't have pushed them this hard, especially Arlo. I'd hoped we could make it to the shop before closing today, but that was obviously too ambitious. I hadn't quite accounted for just how often Arlo would need to stop.

It was a good thing I was on my way to thwart the curse. I couldn't imagine having so many bodily needs. Stopping to eat and drink, stopping for the bathroom, stopping to walk around a bit to prevent blood clots. Stopping to sleep. It was all too much.

By the time I pulled into the parking lot not ten minutes later, Arlo was sagging against the door again. His eyelids fluttered as he fought sleep, and he brought his hand to his mouth to block a truly massive yawn. Guilt churned in my stomach again.

"I'll go in and book you a room," Edmund said.

"I can do it," Arlo protested.

"No, you stay here. I'll be right back."