* * * *
I searched every place I thought Kale might be. His classic Camaro still sat outside The Wicked Kiss, right where he’d left it the night the FPA took him in. Nobody inside the club had seen him recently, which was a relief. If he were on a bender, walking into The Wicked Kiss would turn him into a bloodthirsty version of a kid in a candy store.
A brief stop at his house revealed no recent trace of him. His energy lingered around the place, but it was faded. He hadn’t been there.
As dawn drew closer, I had no choice but to go home and wait for dusk to continue my search. Arys didn’t say a single snarky thing. He humored me, going through the motions of assisting in my search, and I adored him for it.
We returned to Arys’s to find Shaz waiting there for us. He sat on the hood of his car staring at his phone. His blonde head jerked up at our arrival. I hadn’t expected him. Warmth filled me, and I was eager to throw myself in his arms.
Until I noticed the bags piled in the back of his car.
I got out of the Charger and stood there awkwardly. Along with several duffel bags, he had packed the guitar he loved but rarely played. Edging closer to Shaz’s Chevy, I spied a framed photo lying on the passenger seat. It was the same one, of us as wolves, that Kylarai had given me. Oh God, no. I can’t do this.
Shaz put his phone away and came around the car to pull me into his embrace. I was numb. Arys gave him a pat on the shoulder and swept by us, into the house. Had Arys known Shaz was planning to leave today?
My white wolf kissed my forehead, and it felt like goodbye though he had yet to say it. “Will you come for a drive with me?” He asked, his voice betraying the pain he was trying to hide.
Unable to speak, I nodded and let him guide me into the car. I had to pick up the photo to avoid sitting on it. Clutching it in trembling hands, I stared at it in disbelief. How did I let this happen to us?
“Tell me what happened tonight.” Shaz maneuvered the car through the quiet streets of Stony Plain. “I was worried about you. Considering your lack of clothing, I gather you couldn’t resist the change.”
I recounted the evening for him as best I could, but I struggled to talk about it simply because I didn’t care anymore. I left out a few things, like Shya’s threats. I didn’t want to say anything to affect Shaz’s decision to leave.
All I could think about was the heavy scent of him tickling my nose and how he was about to walk out of my life for God only knew how long. What if he didn’t come back?
Shaz beamed a bright smile at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I knew you could handle her. I’m proud of you, Lex. You’ve always been so strong. It’s one thing I’ve always admired about you.”
“Strong? No, that’s not me. Just stubborn.”
We drove across town and stopped at the same park where Coby had almost wolfed out a few days ago. Shaz and I had shared an emotional moment there soon after Arys and I had united our power. Shaz had told me he loved me, and I had pretty much begged him not to hate me. That had been one year ago; time had gone by so fast.
“I thought we could sit on the bridge and watch the sun rise.” He gestured to the fading stars. “It won’t be long now.”
The park was empty except for us. The playground stood vacant and dark. It would be hours before children would grace it with their brilliant, happy presence. Without them, the swing sets and jungle gyms seemed so forlorn and out of place.
We passed the gazebo. The path beyond it led in a wide circle around a large pond complete with a giant fountain spewing water in the center. When the midday sun shone brightly, a rainbow could be seen dancing in that fountain. I longed for it now. The darkness of early dawn felt cold and bleak. Though I was primarily nocturnal and content with it, I wished for the sun’s golden rays to warm me.
As we walked along the path beside the pond, I wrestled with the many questions I was dying to ask him. Finally I settled for, “Where will you go?”
Shaz slipped his fingers between mine, clasping my hand tightly. “I don’t know. Not yet. I might head for Jasper. Spend some time in the mountains. Just get away from it all.”
“I’m sure that’s just what you need.” I nodded, feeling awkward and hollow.
We rounded a slight bend and crossed a miniature bridge with a bubbling stream flowing beneath it. The sound was comforting, a trickle of nature’s beauty despite the ugliness that lay ahead. Glancing over the bridge into the water below, I spied coffee cups and chip bags destroying what should have been pristine, untouched by the filth human hands could bring. I stifled a heavy sigh and concentrated on simply putting one foot in front of the other.