I can’t hide her much longer, and someone out there already knows.
Chapter 2 - Caleb
The jeep engine rumbles quietly as the Briarwood forest races by us, and that distinct scent of salt and pine carries with the low breeze. Without hesitation, it strikes me right in the chest, flooding me with an onslaught of memories I kept stored away the whole time I was gone.
The island still smells the same, just as I hoped it would.
Even though I’ve been away for several years, it still feels like home. Feels like it, too.
“You sure this is the one-of-a-kind birthplace you talked about?” Dominic asks, glancing at me from the back seat while the wind tousles his loose curls. He leans back in his seat casually while we keep the top down.
Before I can say anything from behind the wheel, Zane scoffs and glances at him in the rearview mirror. “Coming from the mainlander. You just don’t have the Willow taste yet.”
“‘Island taste’ doesn’t evoke an appealing mental image,” he murmurs before returning his gaze to the road just up ahead.
“Don’t knock it until you try it,” I return with a small grin, bracing my hands against the wheel as the familiar warmth of nostalgia grips me.
Dominic sighs. “I just figured the future Alphas got something more… civilized out here.”
Zane snorts. “Says the guy who ate expired MREs as a midnight snack.”
“It tasted better than the smell of swampy wolf shit.”
“Watch it,” he mutters. “You’re the only one not from the island… and we’re guests here for now. Get your complaints out of your system before you piss off the locals.”
I give Dominic a pointed look in the mirror. “And don’t mention anything about shifters around the humans.”
“Right, right,” he mumbles, putting his hands up in surrender. “The locals don’t know anything about the supernatural goings-on. No need to remind me.”
“Apparently, you do need reminding,” Zane murmurs, always teetering on the edge of irritation regardless of the circumstances.
As Dominic tries to rebuke the claims, I tune out the details of their back and forth, but I chuckle at how easily we fall into that usual situation.
With a glance in my side mirror, I catch as Luke and Hunter follow behind in another vehicle, both relaxed while they take in the views around us.
I’ve known the four of them since I enlisted, and after training, we landed ourselves in the same squad. We carried out missions together, and as our service came to an end, we decided to travel to spread our wings a bit. For the first few days, we crossed on the ferry and hit Coldreach and Pine Ridge, visiting Hunter and Luke’s stomping grounds before finally reaching Briarwood.
After days of being on the road, it’s a relief to see the familiar sights and all the parts I’ve missed.
I was born and raised on the island, and while I had to leave it for my own sake, it feels incredible to be back.
“Feeling sentimental?” Dominic asks after a moment, breaking my stupor once again. “You look like you could cry.”
I throw him a flat look through the mirror. “Cry? I’m just glad to not be sharing a bunk with you.”
He smirks at me, amused at the thought. “Right. Let me guess, there’s something in your eyes too?”
“Shut up.”
Zane ignores Dominic’s chuckle and glances over at me. “How long has it been since you were last home?”
“Four years.”
Their stares both intensify on me, clearly in disbelief.
“The entire duration of your service?” Dominic asks, sounding like I had just said the most outrageous thing. “You never even took leave?”
“Of course not. I didn’t have to,” I say, but even to my own ears, it isn’t a sound reason. “You should know that already. You were there with me.”
