Chapter 209


    #Chapter 209 – The Journey Into the Unknown


    Late that afternoon, I frown at Rafe as Victor and he sp hands on the front porch. The two spent


    most of the day talking to each other, making their ns, working through things. To give them space, I


    had concentrated on packing our bags and getting the kids ready for our trip.


    It was a good split of thebor, honestly. I needed a distraction to keep me from wing Rafe’s face off,


    and Victor needed a more sedate activity than packing. I’m by no means at my full strength, but Victor?


    I can tell that he has less energy than me.


    Still, I can’t say that I’m thrilled with the oue, all told.


    “I can’t believe you’re letting him stay here in the house while we’re gone,” I say, my arms crossed as


    Victor joins me at the door to the RV. The boys are already inside, climbing over everything and


    unpacking all of their belongings which, I’m sure, will fly all over the living space as soon as we get


    moving.


    “It’s the best of both worlds, Evelyn,” Victor says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “He’s going to


    try. We have to give him the space to try.”


    “I don’t like the idea of him trying while sleeping in my bed,” I say, ring at Rafe on the porch. He sees


    me ring and has the grace, at least, to look sheepish.


    “I’ll buy you a new bed,” Victor says, kissing me on the side of the head. “And we can burn the old


    mattress out back when we get home. Really get rid of the stink of him.”


    I look up at him, then, and can’t help the smile that finds its way to my mouth. “I’d have thought you


    were sick of fires by now.”


    “True,” he says, frowning down at me. “We’ll do whatever you want with it, then. Throw it off a cliff. Sink


    it to the bottom of theke. Whatever baby wants.”


    Iugh for real then, slipping my arm around his waist. “Call me baby again,” I say, pulling him closer so


    that my chest is pressed to his as I smile up at him. “I like the sound of that.”


    I can hear a small hum of pleasure start in his chest as he brings his face close to mine. “Baby,” he


    murmurs, nudging my nose with his. Then, he closes the distance, pressing his mouth to mine. I can’t


    help it as I rise up onto my toes, deepening the kiss.


    “Come onnnnnnn,” Ian whines and Iugh, breaking away from Victor and turning to the door of the RV


    to see Ian impatiently dangling out of the entry, holding on with just one hand. Alvin is peeking his head


    out too, but he makes no protest.


    “Oh, so sorry, cruise captain,” I say sarcastically, pulling loose from Victor’s arms and giving my son an


    ironic little salute. “I didn’t mean to dy departure!”


    “That’s right!” Ian says, a little gleam in his eyes. “I am the captain! Let’s go! Get your butt moving!”


    Alvin giggles behind him. “Yeah!” he shouts. “Move your butt!”


    Victor takes my hand as we walk towards the RV’s back door. “It’s nice,” he says, just to me, “when


    they’re just kids. Instead of Alpha genius twins.”


    “I know,” I murmur, smiling up at him. “They’re so bossy though.”


    “No idea where they got that from,” Victor replies, giving me a dirty look that makes me swat his ass,


    laughing, as he climbs into the RV ahead of me.


    “All set?” Beta Stephen says from the driver’s seat, his voice eager.


    Victor decided just one Beta woulde on this trip, which made me anxious until he exined that


    the goal of the journey would be one of stealth. If we take a barrage of Betas, the press and other


    packs might follow. Instead, our goal is simply to have everyone believe that we were stilled hold up in


    the cottage, regrouping, for…


    Well. For as long as this takes.


    “We’re ready,” Victor says, smiling at Stephen. He had been thrilled to be asked to go on the trip, a the


    assignment a mark of Victor’s faith in him. I was d Stephen was here too – he was a favorite with


    me, a factor that Victor surely took into consideration in the selection.


    “Thank you, Stephen!” I say, giving him a big smile and sliding into the booth of the little dining table


    that is built into the wall. Victor slides onto the other side as I pat the seat next to me, looking at the


    boys, telling them without words toe sit.


    They do as they’re asked, happily bundling in with us.


    It’s tight, there, at the table – especially because Victor is such arge, imposing sort of person and –


    I blink, looking at my boys, realizing suddenly how much they’ve grown in the months since they met


    their father. A little shot of despair races through me as I realize it, but I do my best to cover it up with a


    smile. Children grow – they can’t help it, as much as we’d like to keep them small.


    “I love this house,” Ian says, smiling up at me as he sits. “Can I sleep in the front seat, when we’re not


    driving?”


    “No, that’s mine!” Alvin says sternly, frowning at his brother, “I thought of it!”


    “And I asked first,” Ian says, sticking his tongue out.


    “You’ll sleep in your beds, obviously,” I say, rolling my eyes at both of them and indicating the two


    bunks built into the wall behind us, situated opposite the bathroom. Then, behind that, there’s another


    door to the single bedroom where Victor and I will sleep.


    Stephen has his own fold-out bed here in the dining/living room. It will be tight, but we’ll all fit. The boys,


    hoping for more adventurous sleeping, pout at me.


    Their faces change, though, filling with excitement just a momentter when the RV begins to move


    and Stephen pulls out of the driveway.


    “Where are we going?!” Ian asks eagerly, looking past me out of the window, as if he hasn’t seen the


    view of our street a thousand times before.


    I look at Victor now, curious myself. I know that he had his Betas do a great deal of work to discover


    where the start of this map was, but I haven’t yet had the opportunity to ask.


    Victor then pulls the map from his pocket, unfolding it and spreading it out onto the table. As one, the


    four of us lean forward to look at it.


    “Edgar gave us this,” Victor says quietly, “a few months ago. He has been a good friend to us. We have


    to follow this map so that…” Victor hesitates here, trying to find the right words, “so that I can meet


    someone who will make me stronger. I’m still not perfectly well after my gunshot and illness, but Edgar


    says thisdy can help.”


    I meet Victor’s eye here, nodding. It’s good, I think, to build on what they already know. They don’t


    need – not really – to know that I am sick as well. Not yet.


    “But where is it?” Alvin asks, bringing his face close to the paper to study it.


    “My Betas did research,” Victor continues. “They said that they don’t know where the map ends, but


    they’re very sure that the map can only have one starting point, deep in the woods, close to these


    coordinates.” He taps the page, showing them the GPS coordinates that Edgar wrote down, that the


    Betas used as the start in their search.


    “Apparently,” Victor continues, “when they put in those coordinates, they found a picture of a rock


    formation that that looks just like this.” He indicates, then, the strange and twisted shape that Edgar


    drew at the start of the map.


    The boys nod, impressed. I find myself nodding along with them, and also thanking the heavens that


    Edgar can draw, at least a little bit.


    “So that’s where we’re going,” Victor says, leaning back and looking at the three of us. “And then what


    happens when we get there,” he shrugs. “We’ll just have to see.”


    “An adventure,” Ian says, his face lighting up. I smile and put an arm around my eager boy, who is


    always ready to press against the horizons of the world, of his life.


    “Yes,” Alvin says, still looking at the paper. “It will certainly be interesting. I am excited to see where it


    goes.” I smile as Victor puts an arm around him too, pulling him close.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    I’m so d to be with my little family in that moment, as we pull onto the highway and start heading


    westward towards the sunset. For whatever time I have left – even if it is short – I know in this moment


    that I am blessed.


    But I catch Victor’s eyes over the table just then, knowing he’s thinking the same thing. And at the


    same moment, each of our minds turns from gratitude to determination.


    Whatever this cure, this consent is? To our current weakness?


    God damnit, we’re going to find it. Even if we have to push until the final breath seeps from our bodies,


    we’re going to find it.


    And with that determination in my heart, I eagerly watch the miles fly by.