“You can pay for it.”
Patrick snorted. “No, I won’t.”
“So does that mean I’m getting my own room?”
“No. You’re staying with me.”
“Then I’m getting room service.”
Patrick quit arguing with Wade in favor of getting out of O’Hare and to the rental car location, because trying to win a fight with Wade over food was a losing battle. The sooner they got to the hotel, the quicker they could eat and sleep.
He followed the signs to baggage claim, peeling off toward the exit once they were past security. The second they stepped outside on the lower level, icy cold wind hit him in the face. Patrick winced, while Wade just hunched over his hot dog, eating faster, the jacket he was supposed to be wearing tied around his waist.
“It’s cold,” Wade muttered around a bite.
“Of course it’s cold. It’s still winter,” Patrick said.
“No, I mean, my hot dog is cold now.”
“Donotwarm it up with your fire breath.”
Wade rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
Patrick scanned the signs for the shuttle bus area, finding it a few seconds later and leading Wade over to it. They didn’t have to wait long for the bus to come, though the bundled-up driver did give Wade a stern look when they boarded.
“Don’t make a mess,” the driver said.
“I won’t,” Wade said around a mouthful of hot dog. “These are good. Not gonna waste them.”
Patrick made a face. “Chew with your mouth shut.”
Wade made a point of chewing with his mouth open wide for a few more bites before finding his manners again. Patrick sighed heavily. He could see how this trip was going to go, judging by Wade’s attitude.
The drive to the rental car facility didn’t take long. Patrick didn’t have to deal with the line at the desk due to the SOA’s membership with the rental car company. They followed the signs to Pick Up for the SUV Patrick had reserved. He opened the car door, finding the key in the ignition with the engine off.
Wade chucked their luggage and backpacks into the trunk once Patrick unlocked the doors. Then he climbed into the front seat and pulled out another hot dog while Patrick adjusted all the mirrors before starting the engine and turning on the heater. He took a minute to plug the downtown Marriott hotel address into his GPS app before texting Jono.
On the way to the hotel.
Jono’s response came less than thirty seconds later.Get some rest. Ring me in the morning.
They’d promised daily check-ins, and Patrick was going to try to keep to that. Considering the extra formalities governing his arrival in Chicago, Patrick knew he couldn’t afford to keep anything from Jono, not if it would put their already tenuous pack position in more trouble.
They got on the road. The ride to downtown Chicago wasn’t terrible, taking around forty minutes. Wade finished the last of his hot dogs fairly quick, then pulled out his phone and started playing a game on it. By the time they turned onto North Michigan Avenue, Patrick was ready to crawl into bed. It’d been a long Monday, and traveling with a teenager made him wistful of the days he used to travel alone.
When they finally pulled up in front of the Marriott, the doorman and a valet worker approached almost immediately.
“Valet parking?” the valet asked.
“Yeah,” Patrick replied.
Wade handled getting their luggage out of the SUV while Patrick agreed to the daily rate for off-site parking and took the valet ticket before handing over the car keys. Then he and Wade headed for the entrance to the hotel.
Warm air greeted them in a blast once they stepped inside, and Patrick sighed in relief as he looked around. The lobby reminded Patrick of a poor man’s Las Vegas casino, but the décor was less of a problem than the recognition that spiked through his magic.
Patrick sucked air through his teeth and didn’t get his shields tightened down in time to hide. He hadn’t expected to have to deal with werecreatures within an hour and a half of getting off the plane. Patrick watched as one of the front desk clerks’ heads snapped around, his attention zeroing in on them despite the handful of other people scattered around the lobby, seated on chairs and couches.
“Ohhh,” Wade said, drawing out the word. “Shit.”
