Chapter Thirteen
Driving was boring. Not at first, when he watched life pass by the windows but after, when it all started to look the same, like he’d seen it a hundred times before. With Byron, they rarely drove that far. Except to Glenoak. He didn’t mind that. He liked to see the other Omegas. He liked to play with their children. He liked to watch the children in their parents’ arms, safe and cared for.
This journey was different. He wasn’t looking forward to the destination. Just the thought of it made his stomach churn. The fear of being left alone again, of being abandoned. But Byron had promised. And so had Odin. Still, he wished he had more than just promises. If he’d gone into heat already, then he’d be Byron’s in more than just words.
They’d given him a tablet and earphones to entertain him while they drove but Jay’s attention constantly drifted. Byron and Odin didn’t seem much better. They kept starting a conversation, trailing off, then starting a new one. They were nervous, Jay realized. Just like him.
There was some debate between them the closer they got to their destination. About which roads to take, where to leave the car. Jay drowned it out with music, something with a beat that matched the fast pace of his heart.
When the car finally pulled off the road and rolled to a stop, Jay was more than ready to get out and stretch his legs. As he did, taking in the woods surrounding them, Byron and Odin were pulling bags from the trunk. There was a tent in there. He knew, because he’d helped pack it. Byron had said they might need to spend a few days and nights in the forest while they tried to jog Jay’s memory.
Jay wasn’t sure how jogging was supposed to help him remember. He didn’t know how jogging was supposed to be useful at all. He liked running, it made him feel better. And walking was useful to get from place to place. Jogging was stupid. Looked stupid, too. But if Byron thought it would help…
“Jay, can you give us a hand?” Odin asked. Jay took the backpack Odin held out and slipped it onto his shoulders. Byron and Odin were shouldering their own Packs as Odin locked the car.
“Come on,” Byron said, taking Jay’s arm. “I want to make it to the edge of the valley before dark so we can make camp.”
“Hopefully, we don’t meet any shifters out here. I suspect they wouldn’t appreciate our explanation.”
Byron had decided against informing the nearby Packs that they’d be there. He’d said, in this instance, it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Jay wasn’t sure what he meant exactly but felt better knowing no one knew they were there.
He stuck close to Byron as they walked, the Alpha leading and Odin walking behind them. They made sure to keep Jay between them and that simple action made Jay feel safer.
The sun had dipped low in the sky before they finally made the descent into the valley. They approached from the east and the path into the valley was steep. It would have been easier going as wolves but they couldn’t have dragged the backpacks with them.
Jay wasn’t sure why they needed so much stuff. If they’d shifted at the car, they’d could just have lived as wolves while they visited the forest. But Byron didn’t want that. He said they needed to be able to talk, they needed to see with human as well as shifter eyes.
“I can hear a stream nearby,” Odin said as the ground began to level off.
“So can I. Let’s head for it and camp nearby.”
The trees grew sparse, and here and there patches of grass opened up. Byron slowed down so Jay could walk by his side.
“Does any of this seem familiar?” the Alpha asked him.
“No.”
Byron’s mouth turned down at his answer.
Odin spoke from behind them and his words eased the concern on Byron’s face.
“But you spent most of your time as a wolf and a young one at that. As a human, you’re relying on your eyes and you probably never saw the forest from this perspective.”
Jay thought about what Odin had said. The forest might not look familiar because he’d spent so little time in human form and he’d only been a small child. Putting a hand on Byron’s shoulder, he closed his eyes as he walked, trying to force his body to rely on other senses.
His foot hit something, and he stumbled.
“Jay!” Byron grabbed him, keeping him upright. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to see if it sounds or smells familiar.”
The tension in Byron’s body eased but his smile was tinged with sadness.
“Your human nose and ears are a poor substitute for your wolf senses. It’s a good idea, but I’d rather you reached the campsite in one piece.”
Byron’s arm slipped across his shoulder as the Alpha urged him on through the forest. He kept his eyes open, watched as the shadows of the trees grew longer.
They found the stream and made camp nearby. Jay was eager to get the tents up, relishing the chance to stretch his muscles and distract his mind from the whispers of wind in the surrounding forest. It was a warm night, and they didn’t build a fire, opting to eat their food cold.
“Do you want to go for a run before we bed down for the night?” Byron asked as Jay set his plate down.
He nodded eagerly. His wolf itched beneath his skin, especially surrounded by so many different sounds and smells.
Odin stayed with the tents while he and Byron went exploring.
“Stay close,” he called to them as they left. Jay wasn’t sure if he meant close to camp or close to each other. There was no fear of the latter, he wasn’t letting Byron out of his sight.
Jay waited for Byron to move before following behind him, feeling the soft earth beneath his paws. It had rained the night before and the earth still held tight to the moisture.
Now that he was a wolf, the strangeness of the forest had fallen away. The scent on the wind was achingly familiar as were the cacophony of sounds that heralded the end of the day. Birds returning to their nests, mice and other small creatures waking and beginning their nightly search for food. An owl hooted loudly somewhere to their left, startling him, and he crouched close to the ground with a whine. A moment later Byron was at his side, his warm nose nuzzling Jay’s face and chasing away the fear.
They didn’t go far, only to the stream, following the flowing water a little way into the distance. The bright glow of the moon reflected in the water, its image distorted by the swell of the stream.
Byron lay down on the soft grass next to the bank and Jay settled beside him, their warm bodies pressed together. Byron’s nose pressed into his neck, his breath hot against Jay’s fur. He felt like they were back at home, in Byron’s wood, the house just visible through the trees.
The spell was broken by the owl hooting again, closer now. The sound wasn’t as startling the second time around but he still pressed closer to Byron, taking comfort from the Alpha’s presence.
Byron made a sound low in his throat and nudged Jay a few minutes later before getting up. Jay followed his lead, turning back towards their camp.
Odin was gone when they got there. They changed back, throwing on their clothes to protect against the chill of the night. Odin wandered back into view, phone in hand.
“We have signal about a hundred yards back up that hill if you need to make any calls.”
“Good idea,” Byron said, taking out his phone from the backpack and following Odin’s trail. Jay stayed with Odin, grinning when the other man rooted around in his pack and pulled out a bar of chocolate. He broke off a square and held it out to Jay. Jay took it eagerly, slipping the chocolate into his mouth. He hummed as it melted, enjoying the silky sweetness on his tongue.
“You’re doing great, Jay. It can’t be easy for you being back here.”
Jay gave Odin a small smile. Like Byron, the other Alpha used gestures just as much as words when he wanted to talk with Jay.
He was enjoying his second square of chocolate when Byron returned.
“Did you get through?” Odin asked.
“Yeah,” Byron said. “No news.”
Though he didn’t say it, Jay knew he was talking about Noah. The little boy was why they were here, in his dark forest.
Byron sat down heavily next to him, catching Jay’s chin between finger and thumb and kissing him softly.
“Hmm,” he said as he pulled back. “You’re very sweet. Who’s been feeding you chocolate again?”
Odin whistled innocently as Byron dived in for a second kiss, slipping his tongue into Jay’s mouth to taste him deeper.
Odin coughed. “I think I’ll bed down. You two should get some rest.”
He slipped into his tent, leaving them alone. Byron seemed in no hurry to follow suit, wrapping his arm around Jay, his fingers idly playing across the skin of Jay’s upper arm. Jay curled close and Byron’s second hand wrapped around him, holding him tightly.
No words passed between them as they sat there but Jay knew Byron heard everything he couldn’t say.