Hay Creek

Chapter 20

"I'm nervous," I admitted, fastening my seatbelt. Kai chuckled as he started the engine. "You don't need to be. If anything, he should be honored to meet you." He flashed a cocky smile, making me shake my head and smile back as I stared straight ahead. Today, I would finally meet Gabriel. I felt like new doors were about to open, and I was curious about what he would say.

"How did you find out where he is?" I asked Kai, breaking the silence.

"I did a bit of digging," he replied. "Remember when my father gave me that address book? It has the names, packs, and residences of every Alpha. It probably needs an update, but surprisingly, Gabriel was still listed. I figured, why not look him up? I just hope he's still at that address."

"That's good to know," I said, feeling a little more at ease.

"Do you have the letter with you?" he asked. I nodded and pulled it from my jacket pocket, unfolding it to glance at the words again. "Do you think they already know I exist? Or how to find me?"

Kai hummed thoughtfully. "It's a possibility."

"The hunters found me," I shrugged, turning to meet his gaze. "They didn't hesitate to shoot. They took every chance they got." Kai fell silent, his focus locked on the road. I could sense his frustration over what had happened, and I knew he wasn't completely sure who was behind it... at least not yet. Changing the subject seemed like the best option.

"So, are you forming an alliance with Roman?" I asked. Quinn had mentioned he was at the Alpha house recently for an alliance with Kai, and I wanted to hear it from him directly.

"The only alliance I have is with the Red River Pack. What I have with Roman is just a temporary partnership," he clarified. "Temporary? What are you working on?"

"Not what, but who," he corrected me. "I'm trying to track down the hunters who followed one of his wolves into my territory. If I find out who they are, I can trace them back to their pack and figure out who their leader is."

"What if they belong to Lorna's group?" I asked, my stomach tightening.

"Then we go after her," he replied, his tone serious. "I don't care who's behind this—I'll take them all down."

Kai.

After driving for nearly an hour, I pulled over to the side of the road. We took a thirty-minute break, and Avery had fallen asleep shortly after our last conversation. I gently shook her awake, and her eyes fluttered open. "Come on, sleeping beauty. Let's take a break."

We stepped out of the car, and I locked the doors behind us. Extending my hand toward her, she took it without hesitation. "Let's go for a walk." She nodded, and together we ventured into the woods. We walked in silence until Avery suddenly stopped, prompting me to halt as well. "Can I see you...?" she asked, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"Aren't you seeing me right now?" I joked, already knowing what she wanted.

"Oh, come on. You know what I mean. I want to see your other self—your wolf." Before I shifted, I felt the need to understand her motivation. "Why do you want to see him?" I asked.

She shrugged, her gaze thoughtful. "Just because."

"Because what?" I pressed.

"Because—" I interrupted her.

"I'm sure it's not just because you want to see the real me."

"Because I had a dream," she finally admitted.

I frowned, taken aback. "What was your dream about?"

"You," she replied simply.

"Me?" I asked, intrigued.