Chapter 66

#Chapter 66 – Car trouble “I mean, did we have to go across town for the burgers?” I say, running an exasperated hand through my hair as I stand on the side of the road, staring at the steaming engine of Victor’s Jeep.

“We had to get the best, mom,” Alvin says sternly, ready to jump to his dad’s defense. The boys were thrilled to learn, about four hours ago, that this wasn’t a quick trip to McDonalds. Instead, we had to go about an hour west to the little diner that Victor frequented when he was a teenager, which he swears up and down have the best burgers and shakes in the world.

In his defense, they were delicious. But then, when we had driven about ten minutes away from that diner with our full bellies, the car had begun to shake and tremble, a steady cloud of steam rising from the hood.

Victor immediately pulled us over by the side of the road which is, unfortunately, in the middle of nowhere.

At first he tried to fix it himself with the boys’ enthusiastic support. But after about twenty minutes of that, he had to admit that he was beat.

“Yeah,” Victor says, on the phone with his Beta. “I’ll drop you a pin, please come and get us. We’re going to need an extra car for my family, and the tow truck to bring this one home.” He pauses, listening. “Yup. Okay. Great.”

Hanging up, he comes over to me, shaking his head. “They’re coming, but it’s going to take a minute to get the tow truck out of the garage.”

“You have a tow truck?” I say, scrunching my face a little derisively.

He shrugs. “I have everything I need.” He puts his phone in his pocket, shaking his head. “God, the one time I decline a Beta car following along for protection. I just wanted a quiet night with my family.”

I silently note to myself that his whole family isn’t here, that he has somehow conveniently forgotten Amelia.

“Why, what would that have done?” I ask.

He shrugs again. “We could have taken their car and been home by now. Left them here to wait for the tow truck.”

I laugh at him and he looks at me with surprise. “That’s not a very nice way to treat your poor Betas,” I say. “Leaving them by the side of the road to deal with your mess.”

He smirks and shrugs. “It’s their job, Evelyn. Besides,” he looks around worryingly at the sky, which is growing deeper shades of blue as the sun sets. “I don’t like having the boys out here in the dark.”

“Ah, they’ve got their big Alpha dad to protect them,” I say, punching him lightly on the arm. “We’ll be fine.”

“Mommm,” Ian calls from the back seat of the car. “Can we goooo.” He’s rubbing his eyes and I can see that he’s tired after a big day and a full meal. Alvin, I’m sure, is the same, but he’s putting on a braver face.

“We can’t, baby, the car is dead.”

“It died?” Alvin gasps, suddenly worried and looking at the car with empathy, like it was a living thing.

“No,” Victor says laughing. “It’s going to be fine, we just need some parts. The Betas are on their way.”

“Until then,” I say, moving around to the Jeep’s limited trunk area and rooting around in the emergency supplies that Victor keeps there, “we’re going to have some fun.”

“We are?” Victor asks, turning to me with confusion.

“Mom always has fun.” Ian says, turning to grin at me. I wink at him, pulling out a couple of blankets and flashlights that I find, glad to have someone on my team.

“That’s right!” I say, moving around to the side of the car and banging on the boys’ door to rouse them.

“Come on, time for an adventure!” I pull their door open and the boys come spilling out, as excited as puppies.

“What are you doing?” Victor asks.

“Adventure,” I say, looking at him with wide eyes as if it’s obvious. “Come on!”

With that, I head into the grassy meadow next to the car, which runs for what looks like miles in every direction.

“Evelyn,” Victor says, his voice low with warning. “This doesn’t seem safe.”

“Come on, Victor,” I say, stepping high to make my way through the grass. “It’s fine, we’ll stay within sight of the car. “It’s a night hike!”

“I love night hikes!” Alvin cheers, skipping after me. He says the phrase with authority, like he’s said it all his life, even though I made it up seconds ago.

“Me too!” Ian joins in, refusing to be left out. I light a flashlight and hand it to Victor, smiling cheerfully, refusing to let his disapproval bring me down. Victor frowns and follows us into the darkening meadow, his disapproval heavy in his silence.

When we’ve gone what feels like a very long distance, I stop and spread out two of the blankets, settling down and reaching out my arms in invitation to the boys. Alvin readily accepts, joining me on the ground and curling up next to me.

Victor sits next to me, still frowning, and Ian curls up on his other side. Victor drapes an arm around him. “What are we even doing?”

“We’re going to lay down,” I say, leaning my body back and tucking a spare blanket under my head as a pillow. “And we’re going to look up into the sky. And see what we see.”

Alvin and Ian readily comply, leaning back and staring upwards. I flick off my flashlight, but Victor still sits staring at me, his own light still lit.

“Come on, Victor,” I say, tugging at his shirt. “Try to have some fun for like, ten seconds in your stupid life.”

“Yeah!” Ian says, laughing, “In your stupid life.”

Alvin cracks up at that and Victor can’t help breaking into a smile. “Fine!” He says, switching off his flashlight. “You’re all insane, but fine.” He lays his body down next to mine, each of us with a twin on our other side. Our arms press together in the darkness.

I catch my breath, a little, as the meadow plunges into darkness. I have to admit, I didn’t think it would be quite like this. The grasses are long and dry. They rise up around us like a perimeter fence, blocking our view of everything except the sky above. In the light breeze, the grasses ripple and whisper against each other, an eerie, soft noise.

The sky above us is comparatively bright, sinking into a deep purple twilight. One by one, the stars begin to appear. I smile, taking it all in.

“Wow,” Alvin whispers next to me. “Mama, I didn’t know there were so many.”

It’s true – out in this rural area, with no light around us at all, we can really see…everything. We all hold our breath, it seems, as the stars consent to show themselves to us, in all their majestic patterns.

“Do you think there are aliens up there,” Ian asks, his voice soft and sleepy.

“Absolutely,” I say. I feel Victor turn his head sharply to look at me in the dark. I giggle, almost feeling the frown on his face. “I’ve met them before. In fact, who did you think I bought two little boys from six years ago?”

Alvin and Ian laugh sleepily at that. “I hope they come back soon,” I murmur, letting the peace of the meadow calm me. “I’m planning to lodge a complaint and make a return.” This gets another slight giggle, but I sense that we’re all rather lulled at this moment.

We stare at the stars for what feels like a long time. After a while, I can hear Ian’s and Alvin’s breathing even out, deepen.

“Did you fall asleep too?” I whisper to Victor.

“No,” he murmurs beside me, his voice low, luxurious. “But I might. I can’t remember the last time I was this…relaxed.”

I shift myself, turning a little so that I can look at him. I can make out the curve of his long, straight nose, his firm lips, his broad and smooth forehead light by starlight against the darkness of the grass.

Beautiful, I think, smiling.

“Hey, are you okay?” I ask, nudging him lightly with my fingertips.

He frowns and turns his head to me. “What do you mean?”

I shrug. “I mean, with Amelia and the wedding and stuff. I’m…intuiting that things have been…tense.” I bite my lip, hoping it doesn’t push too far to ask.

He sighs and I can feel his eyes on me in the dark. “I don’t know how I feel,” he says softly. “it’s not what I thought it would be. She’s…not who I thought she’d be.”

“She’s your mate,” I murmur, looking down and picking at a stray piece of grass that has blown onto our blanket. “Your Luna, fated by those stars themselves.” I look up at them, wondering…well, wondering why they picked her for him. Why not someone else.

“Evelyn,” he says, sitting up on his elbow, his voice suddenly ardent. I turn my head back to the earth, bringing my gaze to his, and find that we’re only inches apart now. Close enough that I can feel his breath on my lips.

“What?” I whisper, my eyes falling to his own mouth. How lips have parted, just slightly.

“Am I doing the right thing, Evie?” he breathes, raising his hand to brush his fingers against my cheek. I feel almost a burning inside of me, compelling me. I close my eyes – there’s a rushing in my ears as I lean forward, taking his breath and mingling it with my own. My mouth brushes against his, just a touch, and I lean forward to –

Suddenly, headlight sweep over us, and we fall apart. Victor and I stare at each other, the spell suddenly broken. We don’t say a word, listening to the sound of motors on the road approach, slow, and stop, their engines rumbling. Our silent, sacred moment is gone.

Doors open and slam – we can even hear footsteps crunching in the gravel by the side of the road.

“Sir?” Someone calls.

Victor and I continue to stare at each other, both of our eyes wide. What – what just –

“Sir!” Someone shouts, louder, and Victor jumps again. He gives me a last, frustrated look, and then gets to his feet.

“Here!” Victor shouts over to the Betas on the road and Alvin and Ian stir at the noise. “We’re fine! We’ll be right there.”

Victor turns back to me, offering his hand to help me up. I take it, and am shocked to feel it tremble lightly in my own. I stare up into his face. Are you okay? I ask, silently, my eyes communicating what my voice fails to say.

I am far from okay, Victor’s face says, clenching his teeth as he looks down at me.

I hesitate, and then cup his cheek with my palm. We’re going to figure it out, I think to him, nodding.

He gives me another long look, and then picks up a sleepy Alvin, carrying him to the car. I lift Ian up on to my hip and, slowly, follow in Victor’s wake.