Apollo's Wolves

Chapter Seven -- Amari

"I'm going to die!" I groan as my stomach churns. "Oh my gods, I'm going to die! Please let me go!"

"Leo, she keeps begging to be put down. Please set down. I think we've put enough distance between us now that we'll be safe," Calypso says, placing her hand on my back.

"I'm going to die!" My eyes are squeezed closed and my head is spinning as their air rushes past me. "I'm going to die!"

"I'm going to land, Amari," Leo tells me. "Just hold on for a few more minutes."

"I'm going to die!" I reply. "I'm going to die!" I feel the machine starting to descend and my hands grip the railing so tight that I'm sure my knuckles are white.

"We've almost landed," Calypso says. "Just hang on for a few more seconds."

A few seconds later, there's a thud that signals that we're on the ground. My eyes fly open and I leap off the platform and hit the ground running, making it over to a bush before losing everything I had eaten earlier this morning. "Ground! Sweet ground!"

"Man, you're majorly scared of heights," Leo mutters, handing me a water bottle, which I gratefully accept.

"I'ma werewolf. I belong on the ground," I reply after gargling.

"Makes sense," Calypso says. "Leo, where are we?"

Taking in a deep breath to clear my head. "Salt Lake City, Utah," I reply automatically when the familiar scent hits my nose.

"How did you know that?" Leo asks in surprise.

"All I can smell is salt. I used to live here with my foster parents before we moved to New York. I can never forget the smell of salt," I answer. "Haven't you guys been here before?"

They shake their heads. "No, we haven't had a chance to yet," he explains.

I smile at them. "Until my stomach settles, we're not going anywhere far, so why don't I show you around town?" I ask.

They look at each other and smile. "Sure! That would be cool!" Calypso answers. "Thanks."

"No problem. Oh, and we're going to find somewhere to eat. I'm starving," I murmur when my stomach growls.

"Well, you did just puke everything out," Leo says. "I've got some cash that we can go get something to eat."

I smile at them. "Great! Let's go! There's a great burger place nearby that I know you'd love!" I stand up and brush my knees off and wipe the sweat off my brow. "Man, its hot!"

"Want me to braid your hair?" Calypso asks. It's then that I realize that she's finished braiding her caramel brown hair into a beautiful side braid.

I nod eagerly. "Yeah! I'd love that, thanks!" I say enthusiastically.

"No problem," she replies, coming to stand behind me.

As she braids my hair, Leo pulls his longish, dark brown hair back into a man bun. I study his appearance, noting that his hands, though slender and non-calloused, are big and useful looking. His skin is tan and his muscles are toned, showing that he works hard to take care of his body. There's a little bit of tattoo peeking out from under his sleeve. He's pretty tall and slender too, but that just makes his muscles stand out even more. Now, he's wearing cargo pants so I can't tell how muscular his legs are, but if his arms and torso are any indication, his legs must be nicely toned. Leo smirks at me. "Can't take your eyes off me, huh?" He asks.

I blink. "What? No, I was just lost in thought," I tell him.

He droops, but inflates back up quickly. "That's what they all say," Leo says proudly.