Declan had stood watching the sun rise over the ocean for a couple of hours as Judy remained sleeping on the couch. Her wound had healed, yet the shock had knocked the wind out of her sails. It wasn’t often a werewolf had to have a fang from a regular wolf pulled from deep within their shoulder.

Declan thought of his journey home. It was going to take him a little over two days to get back, and that was without searching for Dustin and being turned back into the alpha he was before. He heard a noise from inside the apartment and turned to see Judy sitting on the couch. She raised her arm and began rubbing her shoulder.

“It aches like a bitch, I think more of that’s from you and the tweezers,” she said, forcing a smile at Declan. He frowned back at her, even though he knew she was joking. “What time is it?”

Declan stooped and looked at the silver kitchen clock hanging on the far wall. “Just gone nine-thirty.”

Judy sat in silence, counting on her fingers. She was oblivious to the fact she was only wearing her bra and panties. Declan stood and admired the view as he began wondering what would’ve happened if things hadn’t been so critical.

Without looking, Judy spoke. She said plainly, “Declan, can you stop staring at my breasts? You’re burning into my skin!” Declan shuffled his feet and faced away from Judy as she finished her counting. “You had seventy-two hours, and what time did we step into the water, around two this morning?”

Declan turned back to face her and reply. His eyes were fixed on her breasts as they hung juicily in front of her. Declan faced the kitchen. “Yeah it was two,” he said. “And I know, I've lost a little over seven hours, so far.”

Judy walked to the other side of the kitchen counter, and Declan huffed as he saw her panties clinging to the soft folds of her womanhood. He closed his eyes and thought of the one thing that’d take his mind off it. Noelle, Noelle, Noelle, Noelle.

“You can get a flight, you can be home in a few hours,” Judy said, raising the glass of juice to her lips.

Declan spun to face the kitchen, his mind not interested in looking at Judy’s delectable half-naked body, anymore. His head shook. “No, no, no, no I don’t fly.” His hands started shaking.

Judy giggled to herself. An alpha that’s scared of flying? She walked back into the living room, and Declan kept his gaze on the white walls of the kitchen.

“You know how long it’ll take you to drive all that way, don’t you?” she asked.

Declan nodded to no one before he started to speak. “Yeah, close on thirty hours just to get there, and then I have to find Dustin. I should have time to spare before the sixty-five hours that it is now, is up. With rest, I could be back on Sunday morning. I can take back the pack from Gabriel.”

“Declan!” Judy said patting the couch beside her. Declan thought she was gonna make a move. “It’s okay, I have something fundamental to tell you.” Declan made his way to the couch and sat next to Judy. “Listen very carefully…” she whispered. “Sunday’s too late!” Declan sat rubbing his hands together as if it would help him to ask his next question.

“Why?”

Judy turned to face Declan and pushed her finger under his chin to keep his eyes from staring at her breasts. Declan grinned like a naughty kid who’d been caught stealing their first candy.

“While I was sleeping, Maria was reaching out to me. I was groggy, but I think she was saying Gabriel has the ritual on Saturday. Not only that, but the pack are becoming divided by your absence. Not that you could do much about preventing this from happening,” Judy said. “And there was another thing, it felt strange. I had the sense Noelle was listening, somehow. If that’s right, she’s gonna make her way back to Cripple Creek as well.”

Declan breathed in and tightened the muscles in his arms before exhaling deeply through pursed lips. “So, you're telling me I have to be home as early as possible, on Saturday?”

Judy nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you, and the earlier, the better. I have no way of knowing what this Noelle is thinking, but if it’s right what you say about Gabriel, then Noelle’s gonna land right in a pile of shit if she walks through those apartment doors,” Judy said, walking toward her bedroom. Declan paced back and forth. Judy’s head peered through the open door. “Do you want me to come with you?” she asked.

“I’d love you too, but your job here is much more important. I know how to handle Gabriel as long as I have time,” Declan replied. “I better get my shit together and get moving.”

Judy stepped from the bedroom in shorts and a crop top. Declan was safe to gaze, yet her body oozed sex appeal by the bucket load. “Have you got money?” Judy asked. Declan held up Maria's worn card.

“What happens if it gets declined or doesn’t work? You’ll be right in the shit again, won’t you? I’ll give you some to get you back home.” Judy opened a small wall safe behind a hideous painting that hung on her wall.

“A thousand,” Declan choked. “You can’t just give me a thousand.” Judy smiled and looked into his bewildered eyes. She saw at that moment, Declan was a simple man, he wasn’t obsessed with power or money, and he wanted to do things the right way. “I can, and I have, money grows on trees around here, hadn’t you heard?” Judy replied laughing. “You have everything. You have your poultice?” Declan patted his bag. “You know how to use it?” Declan patted his bag and nodded. “Tell me,” Judy pressed.

“Once I've found Dustin… if I find Dustin, I have to wipe this on his top and bottom teeth and get him to bite me again,” Declan said. “If it works as it’s supposed to, I'll be back bigger, stronger and faster as Marina explained to us. If it all goes wrong, I might be dessert at the ritual.”

Judy stared at Declan for a moment. “If it goes wrong, you do know you still have to take your place, even if you’re human,” she said. “Gabriel can’t run the pack like that, he has to go.” Declan thought about that, he’d never considered what he’d do if he weren’t a wolf.

“There’s no way I could be a match for him in human form,” Declan commented as he finished packing his things into his backpack and shoving the money into the pocket of his jeans.

“There’s one way; you know silver has an effect, and if it comes down to it, life or death, you or him —just hit him with something silver,” Judy said.

“You’re a werewolf, and you’re telling a human how to take down another werewolf. There’s something a little off somewhere, there.” Declan laughed throwing his backpack over his shoulder.

Declan began walking to the door as Judy halted him. “Wait up, you forgot your crappy phone. I’ve put my number in there,” she said. “This isn’t goodbye, it’s just bon voyage.”

Declan pointed to Judy as he stood in the doorway of her apartment. “One way or another, I don't think this’ll be the last we see of each other. And none of this would have been possible if it weren't for you. I’d still be leaning on that gurney.”

Judy smiled as she leaned forward to Declan and planted her plump lips on his. “Destiny always has a way of working itself out. Now go and fulfill yours.”

* * *

The sun was finally setting as Noelle stepped from the gas station store with her third coffee in hand. The old guy had told her the bus never really stopped there, and that she’d have to wave it down. Noelle had no choice but to stand to do jumping jacks, just to keep warm. Now, a thin layer of snow was building up, and even that was becoming harder to do. Running on the spot helped, and it kept the old man who was sitting in the warmth, very amused. He'd watched her for hours rather than sitting watching his half-broken TV, all afternoon.

Noelle was dying to pee, yet she didn’t want to miss the damned bus, and that would just be her luck. She’d be in the restroom, and the bus would whizz on by without her knowing.

Darkness started to fall as quickly as the temperature. Noelle looked up the road, and large headlights rounded the corner. As they neared, she could see the sign in the window. She waved her arms like a mad woman, and the bus pulled to the side of the highway. Noelle picked up her bag from by the fuel pump and waved toward the old guy in the store. He raised his frail hand and waved back with a toothless grin.

Noelle climbed on the bus. “Where are you going, Ma’am?” the driver asked. Noelle saw his jacket hung on the rear of his seat and thought how lucky he was to be in the warmth.

“D—D—D—Denver,” she stuttered through numb lips.

“I think you better sit and warm up first Ma,am. There's plenty of time for you to pay.”

“Th—Th—Th—Thanks,” Noelle said.

She picked up her bag and walked back up the aisle of the bus. It was almost empty, and the choice of seats was hers. She spotted the bathroom and relieved herself. When she got out she moved away from it. She didn’t want to sit too close, because the door always seemed to bang and keep you awake while you were sleeping. Noelle slid onto one of the seats and pushed the air vent. She held her fingers above her head as the warm air blew over her cold hands.

Noelle pulled the lever, and her seat reclined a little. The cold and standing had sapped her of her strength. Along with that, there wasn’t much to see from the windows. She rested her head back and almost immediately, she fell asleep. Her mind wandered, and she slipped into a dream, a deep dream of her and Declan…

Declan stepped from the water and walked toward her. She gasped as she saw his muscled torso drenched and glistening in the sun. Noelle wanted him, she wanted him so badly that she felt she was already wet before he'd even touched her.

Declan stood above her and offered her his hand, and Noelle reached up clutching at his fingers and standing to her feet. Declan flexed his muscles as he took hold of the top of Noelle’s t-shirt and tore it from her body. She made another gasp and bit her bottom lip with a sense of wanting.

Noelle watched as Declan willed his inner wolf from him and his fingers contorted into claws. Now, he lashed down the fabric of Noelle’s jogging pants and sent them cascading to the ground in shreds.

“Ah!” Noelle gasped.

Declan’s fingers morphed back to his human form, yet the color of his eyes still showed the beast that was deep inside of him. Noelle’s knees trembled with excitement as she fumbled with the clasp of her bra. Declan began stepping closer as she took steps back, and until she was pinned against the tree. Noelle looked into Declan’s eyes as he pulled the elastic of her lace panties. She felt the elastic give way under the force of his biceps.

Noelle made a vain effort to push Declan away from her, and her hands were placed on his hard chest. “No Declan, please don’t, don’t hurt me,” she said in a high voice. Roughly translated it meant, “Declan, take me now.”

Declan lifted Noelle’s hands over her head and pinned her against the tree, he tapped the inside of her foot for her to spread her legs. Noelle stood legs apart and her hands pinned to the tree. Declan kissed her softly on her neck and ran his tongue down to her breasts.

Warm erratic breaths flew from Noelle’s lungs and fell onto Declan’s neck. His hand cupped and massaged her, his fingers teased her budding peak. Declan’s head lowered, the tip of his tongue flirted with her still-blossoming nipples.

Noelle sighed with anticipation, and groans of passion fell on Declan’s ears. His hand lowered and ran across Noelle’s creamy-white skin. His hand ran over her thighs, his fingers drawing on her smooth skin.

“Mmm,” Noelle murmured as Declan let his fingers hover over her moist femininity.

Declan rubbed the tip of his finger into Noelle’s moist, needy place and tantalized her growing wetness. Her body let out a seductive sigh as her hips gyrated and pushed forward to accommodate Declan’s finger some more.

Noelle pushed her back away from the tree, and she was arched toward his exploring fingers as he slid a second finger inside her. Noelle stood on tip-toes and rocked her hips back and forth, just as Declan’s fingers increased their rhythm in response to Noelle’s body.

They pushed against each other in a perfect rhythm. Declan let go of Noelle’s wrists. She lowered her hands and held the elastic of Declan’s shorts, pulling them over his muscled buttocks. Noelle reached down and wrapped her hand around his warm shaft. She panted with wanting.

“Last stop Denver,” she heard. Her eyes opened. “Denver, last stop,” she heard again.

Noelle sat up from behind the seat. She could see the driver waiting for her. Crap, I was right in the middle of a fantastic dream. She approached the driver and paid him the fare.

“Where’s the Colorado Springs bus going from?” she asked.

“The other side of the terminal, there won’t be one until after six in the morning,” the driver explained. Noelle sighed; another four-hour wait, but at least she didn’t have to stand in the cold. The worst thing being, she never got to finish her dream.

Noelle stepped from the bus and looked at all the other passengers in the terminal, they all looked the same. Pulled down hats and jackets pulled up around their necks. No matter which direction they were going in, they all had one thing in common. They were cold.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans.”