I nod. “I’ve planned on doing just that. However...“ Guilt seeps through me when I look at Dario and Charlie. “This is your vacation, too. I can’t… I don’t want to ruin it.“
“We have been on the road for over a month now,” Dario says. “You are not ruining anything. I don’t mind returning home a bit early.”
“I am with Dario. It would be something else if we’d just started our vacation, but we have been travelling for a while and are only cutting the trip two weeks short. I am looking forward to being back at home.”
Dario smiles warmly. “Me too.”
“Really?” I ask. “You are not just saying this, are you?”
“We mean it,” Dario reassures me.
“So, the new plan is to take Gwen and her friends with us,” Charlie says. “That is if she agrees to it.”
“Let’s say that she does, then we’ll need a second car,” Dario says. “I will look up some options.” He hasn’t even finished his sentence and already takes out his phone, starting his research. He is the best brother in the world, and he is really good at this kind of thing. I have never seen him as anything else besides mytwin and best friend, but the way he deals with problems and can immediately jump into planning and organizing could take him far. I know he thinks he isn’t alpha enough to be considered for a higher rank, but who cares when he is good at so many other things? He would be a pretty good advisor.
“What are we going to do about the shifters both of you spotted?” Charlie asks into the silence.
“We should look for them,” I say. “I don’t feel comfortable with them here.”
“It could be a coincidence,” Charlie says.
Dario looks up from his phone. “Itcouldbe,” he says.
“But you doubt it?” Charlie pushes.
Dario looks at me. “What do you think?”
“Gwen said she feels like someone is watching her, and that’s enough for me to be concerned.”
“I get that,” Charlie says. “Better safe than sorry.”
“When is Gwen expecting us?” Dario asks.
I glance at my watch. “In about an hour. Do you think we should get going? I promised Gwen we would bring some snacks.”
I know it doesn’t take an hour to grab something to eat and go to her place, but I am getting anxious to see her again. Fortunately, Dario and Charlie humor me and don’t raise any objections; they don’t even point out that a one-hour time window is plenty to get other things done.
We pick a box of donuts and Pop-Tarts, hoping that the little girl Gwen cares for will like them, and then choose more savory options for us. Gazing at the bags, it dawns on me that we might have gone overboard. “Well...“ I decide on optimism. “At least we are not going to be hungry.”
“We could feed all our siblings with this,” Dario says. “And their mates.”
“Now you are exaggerating,” I grin. “Dad and Liam could eat that alone when they are hungry.”
Charlie laughs. “Whatever, let’s just hope Gwen has a fridge.”
“At least we bought nothing that’s going to expire too soon,” Dario adds.
He and Charlie discuss this for a bit longer, but I ignore them. My focus is solely on my mate now, something in my chest pulling me towards her stronger than ten minutes before. Why? Is it because I am about to meet her?
Hurry to our mate,Kiran growls.
I almost drop the bag I am carrying.Is she in danger?
I don’t know, but something feels off.
Picking up my pace, I almost run to Gwen’s place. Dario and Charlie follow me, asking me questions, but my mind is too filled with anxiety to answer them. I can’t focus on anything else but Gwen.
There is her place!The small cottage she is currently house-sitting, with the red fence and the red door, comes into view.
