Long Run

~ 19 ~

Coming back to Miami I have a connection flight in Houston. I am seating in Gate 14 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, my flight is delayed by one hour apparently there is a bad thunderstorm in Maimi.

I take a deep breath, back to reality, back to school. I have to thank Balthazar the next time I see him. It was great advice for me to visit my family. I feel so recharged.

Simon spend all three nights with me. I slept in his arms and he in mine. I did not even notice that I am smiling. Throughout the night when I cuddled close to him, I felt how hard he was but he and I ignored it. We needed to, I am not ready to be his mate.

I know Simon was confused about no one smelling me on him, him on me, or my Dad not smelling him in my room at night. I learned that if we want something so badly we ignore the whys. I will tell him everything after I move back home. He will understand. I know he will.

Then Dephne pops into my mind, I know that smile I had on my face is long gone. I hear Devon growling. She is still not talking to me but even she can not hold herself. When I spend my Saturday with Olivia and Nora they were able to catch me up on all the pack's gossip and drama.

"Everyone is talking about Alpha Simon and Daphne's relationship behind closed doors. The whole pack can see the change in their relationship. The sparks that they once had are gone. Remember when Alpha Simon always had his arm around Daphne, when he left sweet kisses on her forehead while holding her close to him? Now they only hold hands, no more smiling at each other, and Alpha started calling her by her name. No more sweetheart, my love, babe." I recall Nora's words.

I know this is selfish but hearing this makes me happy. I want Simon to myself, I don't want him to be in a relationship when I am away. He belongs to me as I do to him. I can just manifest for his relationship to end. I stop myself, I am scaring myself, this is not who I am. I always believed in freedom of choice. But I am now deceiving Simon by not telling him I am his mate.

All of a sudden I get overwhelmed with thoughts of wrong and right. My mind is messing with me. I need Devon back. She kept me sane. Simon wanted to talk to her but I told him it was okay. I know why she is mad at me. Maybe she is right.

I need to stop thinking... I need to get a vanilla chai latte and read my textbook from tomorrow's class.

I get up and try to find a Starbucks or any other coffee shop. I pass a cute cafe called Vida Taqueria. It has tables outside the cafe, tables inside, and also a bar area. This is what I need, I need to people-watch for a little to clear my mind.

I go in and go directly to the bar and have a seat.

"Hi," a friendly barman with a beautiful smile greets me.

"Hi," I smile back.

"What can I start you with."

"Just a vanilla chai latte for me," I tell him.

"You sure? I can get you a menu. My friend is at the grill station today. He makes the best burgers, you sure you don't want one?"

"I am sure. Thank you." I reply politely.

As the barman walks away from me to make my latte I take the opportunity to look around the cafe. The lights are dim, classic music is playing softly in the background. Couples seating at tables and businessmen are on their laptops and phones typing away. I turn my head to the other side of the cafe and look around.

The same scenery as the other side except someone is staring at me. I ignore their stare and look around more. The barman brings me my latte I pay for it and take the first sip.

So good.

I turn back to the side I was just looking at. That person is still staring at me. I frown my eyebrows at them. I don't want to be rude but I can play the same game I will just do the same. I study her, she is an older Caucasian woman in her 80s. She has a slim figure and is probably tall when she stands up, her hair is thick and cut into a perfect bob. Still at this age, she is beautiful. Her hair in the front turned grey but the back is still jet black. She is well dressed like she is going to Hampton's party.

All of a sudden she closes her laptop and walks up to me and has a seat next to me.

"Hello dear" she greets me in a kind tone.

"Hello," I reply to her.

"I never meet your kind before. It's a great honor." she extends her hand for a handshake.

I am a little confused, how does she know I am a werewolf? Is she also a wolf? I sniff the air. All I can smell is an expansive perfume coming from her.

"So who gave you that hair your Mom or your Dad or both?" she asks me with a smile.

What!!

What is she talking about?!?

"My mom... My mom had the same hair as me." I reply to her confused.

She is taken aback by my confusion and says. "My name is Nikol Dumont. I come from a long line of genetic providers. I practiced genetic medicine here at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston for thirty years. Your hair is a genetic mutation. Your hair is very rare. This gene is dominant and always passed down to the twins. Is your brother traveling with you I would love to meet him."

What the hell is she talking about? Did she just escape a memory center for senile senior citizens?

"I don't have a brother. I am an only child." I tell her.

"Are you sure, your mother's birth was a single birth and not multiples?" She asks in disbelief.

I shake my head. "I think my father would have told me if I was a twin even if something would have happened to him."I cannot believe I am having this conversation with a stranger. "And one more thing my hair is not as rare as you say it is. I know people with the same white hair as mine."

She looks at me with a smile and says. "That's good you have other people with the same hair as yours around you. They will guide you right. It was an honor to meet you Dragon Keeper." She bows her head and leaves.

I turn around to look for her but she is gone. How come a woman wearing high heels can move so fast? I take a sip of my latte. It's cold.

I sigh. What just happened? I finish my barely warm latte and head back to Gate 14. I get on the airplane, the encounter I just had with Nikol I can not get it out of my mind. My hair is not rear, my mom's hair was white. I live amongst wolfs of course no one has white hair like me, but Balthazar family has white hair. It is probably not as common as red hair but I bet there are a lot more of us.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the Fasten Seat Belt sign. If you haven't already done so, please stow your carry-on luggage underneath the seat in front of you or an overhead bin. Please take your seat and fasten your seat belt. And also make sure your seat back and folding trays are in their full upright position."

I quickly opened my carry-on to grab my culinary textbook then I notice Simon's book Treasures of the World I grab it without thinking. I guess that is what I am reading.