Lunar

Chapter 08

I was lucky enough to make to the end of the day without having to spend another agonizing moment near Kellan. However, to make up for my streak of good luck, Henry decided to be twice as annoying as usual and Lilly hitched a ride with Alec and is on the way back to their Pack House.

Henry was too busy eating his second afternoon snack to drive so he kindly allowed me to drive my own car for once. We had to run a couple of errands before heading back to our pack and were finally on our last one.

"Here, you sit here and I'll just run in the store, it'll take me less than ten minutes; can you handle yourself for that long?" I ask Henry, already unbuckling my seatbelt and grabbing my wallet.

"Boss!" He exclaims, then lowers his voice and leans in closer to me, "I'm the pack gamma, I can handle myself for at least fifteen minutes!"

The saddest part about his declaration is that I think he's being completely serious.

"Okay, well, we'll test that fifteen-minute-theory some other day, yeah? Let's just leave it at ten for today."

Locking the doors as I got out, I begin to make my way to the store, turning around to give a small salute to Henry, him giving me an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Laughing and shaking my head, I grab a basket and make my way to the few aisles I need to go down to grab a few of the things we need for dinner.

After paying, I head over to the Customer Service desk and place an order in bulk for a restock on some of our diner supplies. The people are used to either me or Lilly coming to place these large and specific orders but they still always give us an odd look. We just tell them that our parents own a small service station down some road that we made up.

As soon as I get into the car, Henry taps something on his phone and turns the screen to me where I see 11 min 14 sec written in the middle of his screen.

"Eleven minutes," He tells me, "You were worried about ten minutes being too long and you took eleven! I told you I could handle myself."

Raising my eyebrows at him, I still give him an encouraging nod and large smile, "Good job, pal! How about I pull through that drive-thru ice cream place and we'll get you a cone?" I joked.

Yet, Henry, of course, did not pick up on the playful tone in my voice, "Hell yeah I do! Can I get fudge drizzled on it, please?" He asked, dragging out the vowels in the last word, "I know you don't like your car to be messy but I promise I won't spill a drop!"

I tried to contain my laughter but I honestly couldn't hold it in anymore. The poor guy was so excited that I didn't have the heart to tell him that I was just joking, so I just held out my pinky to make him swear to the promise he just made.

"Off we go," I announce and he pumped his fists in the air.

****

By the time we began to pull in the driveway, Henry had already eaten his entire fudge-drizzled-triple-scoop cone and had been complaining for at least five minutes about how he should have taken me up on my offer when I asked if he wanted two.

The thing I love most about Henry was that this is his natural state of being. He's always been very easily excitable, easy to please, and just an overall happy-go-lucky kind of guy. Yet, at the same time, he is honestly one of the most intelligent people I know, he says he just doesn't like to put all of his cards on the table at once, though.

Henry's cologne was strong but it still wasn't bold enough to mask the scent I dread yet adore at the same time.

Vanilla and Cedar.