The White Wolf (2020)

Chapter Thirteen

SYDNEY

The next morning she woke feeling like a train had hit her. After the incident in the bathroom, Jay's parents relocated her, or more so Jay and her, to a guest room down the hall. Jay tucked her into the guest bed and after having some silent conversation with his parents and a few others, never leaving her eyesight, everyone left and Jay explained what was going on.

He and his parents were sending some of their packmates to patrol the surrounding area and were starting their own kind of investigation into what Jay informed her was a white swan in the bathroom.

Despite not personally knowing Jay for long, Sydney could sense something was wrong, but her own cloud of fear was weighing her down too much to further scrutinize him.

In the end, the overhead light of the room was turned off, but Sydney insisted on the side table light being left on, and Jay sleeping in the same bed with her. With her tucked under the amazing hotel like sheets and comforter, Jay slept on top of all the bedding.

By the time all of the night's events had finished, it was three in the morning, and while Jay encouraged her to get some sleep so she could better decide what the plan was for tomorrow, she tossed and turned and only closed her eyes for no longer than ten minutes. Her eyes would flutter shut and she would lean closer to Jay, but then the visions of Elliot and the attack and the blood covered floor would come back and fear tore her from her rest.

Needless to say she was grateful when six-thirty rolled around and Jay finally let her get out of bed and start preparing to leave.

Now they drove down a dark road surrounded by woods. Her window was down and she was breathing in the fresh and humid morning air. The sight of the woods uneased her, but the speed at which Jay was driving his Hummer, along with it being him driving, one hand on the wheel and other rested on the center console, close to her, she felt the sight was bearable.

The sun was slowly rising, but the sky was patchy with clouds hindering all of it's brightness from illuminating the sky.

Jay slowed and pulled off the main road and towards a small coffee shop.

"What do you want, Star?"

Sydney leaned over the consol, and felt the warmth surrounding Jay as she read the adorably decorated chalk sign for the coffee stand.

"A white mocha, medium please. Oh and a lemon poppy seed muffin top," Sydney went to grab money before remembering it was all in her car back at school.

She surprised herself by having some resemblance of an appetite, and was grateful for it, knowing that later today she would feel the effects of the sleepless night and battering her body had been taking.

Jay greeted the barista good morning before reciting her request and ordering himself a vanilla chai latte and breakfast sandwich. They sat in comfortable silence waiting for their order, and once they had it, Jay thanked them and pulled back onto the main road, sandwich in hand.

Sydney sipped her warm beverage and signed.

"Better?" Jay asked with a mouthful of egg, bacon, and bread. She snorted, "Yes, thank you."

He took another bite of his sandwich before asking, "What's so funny?" They were coming up on a turn, and with his one hand full, he raised his knees up to hold the wheel straight while his free hand flipped on the turn signal and then returned his hand to the wheel in order to make the turn.

"I don't know what to make of you Jaycen Ward, little piggie who's also on the lacrosse team-"

"Captain of the lacrosse team Star, I thought you were a fact checking journalist!"