"The last I saw her, she was close to a little town called West Yellowstone. We're close, only a few more hours."

I hardly listen. We've been driving forever now, and we're close to our destination. Every second that goes by without Opal is time wasted. My gut is bubbling with nerves. Something just does not feel right.

Ace elbows me, and when I look at him he smiles grimly.

"Hold on. Just a little while longer." I know he's trying to comfort me, but I can't help wondering if he's talking to himself as well. I've noticed his demeanor. His usually upbeat, teasing mood is gone. I've never seen Ace so serious before.

And I've never been more on edge. I'm about to snap. Any little thing could set me off, like a sensitive bomb under the ground, waiting for an unsespecting person.

The Faeries are awfully silent, exchanging glances, communicating in expressions and eye movements.

I'm over all of it, prepared to jump from the car and just shift into my lycan form, tear through the woods and find her. She's my purpose for living. My one true love.

Opal is out there, only Goddess knows where, and she's either trying to find me, or giving up. She could be lost. She could be anywhere doing anything.

Part of me feels like I'm searching for a stranger. I've know Opal for what feels like forever, but I haven't seen her in years. I know we've both grown and changed so much, as people and physically.

I wonder what our reunion will be like, what it will be like to touch her again after all this time.

I curse myself for trying to picture our reunion. That shouldn't be what this is about, it's about making sure she's safe.

The suburban starts to slow, and I look around wildly as I realize that we're pulling over.

I growl, furious.

"What gives?" I demand, staring at Beau in the rear view mirror. He's the one in charge of the driving since he knows where we're going, and with that job comes trust.

"We need to get gas." He says flatly, narrowing his gaze at me. I sigh, not hiding my disdain for this trip taking as long as it is. It's infuriating.

Everyone climbs out of the vehicle to stretch their legs, and I launch myself out of the cramped, metal box to wander off alone. I need to pace, I need to walk. There's so much energy in me that I feel trapped in the tight confines of my skin. Sitting still makes everything worse.

We don't have time for this.

This journey feels like it's taking forever. No end in sight. No Opal. No joy. No peace. I'm at my wit's end.

"Hey, you okay?" The question comes from an unexpected person. Lucien.

His eyes brown eyes are cautious and clever, too sharp to look past my distress. I hate looking in his evil, faerie eyes. They're the eyes of my mother, minus the warmth and love that shine from within.

It pisses me off for more reasons than one. What I wouldn't give for my Mom's comforting presence. Not to mention, I want to kick this males ass and his dad for keeping away from her.

"No. I'm not, genius, as you can tell. So piss off." I growl, and he shakes his head.

"We want to find her just as much as you." He has the nerve to say.

I wheel around, my hand around Lucien's throat before he can blink.

"Don't say stupid shit like that to me again. I'm on thin ice right about now, and I'd love nothing more than take it out on you. So watch your mouth."

His eyebrows are furrowed into a deep glare.

"I've been waiting to meet my sister all my life, and now that I finally can, I will do anything in my power to make it happen. So yes, I do want to help find your mate." He demands. I almost laugh in his face.

"If you wanted to meet my mother so bad, maybe you wouldn't have waited so long."

I don't expect the punch that nails me in the face, so I don't get a chance to dodge it. My nose crackles under the power of the blow, and I'm holding my face.

That's it. The last straw.

The fire inside me works overtime, billowing and swirling until it's a roaring wildfire. My limbs burn, my blood boils as fur sprouts out of my skin. I'm growing, busting out of my skin as my head reaches for the sky.

Screams echo around me, terrified voices and reminders of the monster that I am.

I don't care. I'm no longer the man I was. I'm a beast, a storm of destruction finally finding a reason to be freed from my confines.

"Keifer! No!!!" The desperate call doesn't calm my rage, it just infuriates me further. The small crowd of humans scatter as my claws start to unfurl from under my nails. They're black and sharp, meant for killing.

"Oh, Goddess."

A sharp prick slams into my neck, making me stumble as my growth immediately halts and reverts. I can feel myself shrinking back to normal size as the rage dissipates.

My now clawless hand comes up to the foreign object protruding from my throat. I grab ahold of it, pulling it from my flesh to examine the small glass vial with a needle sticking out. A dart. It drips an odd, orange colored liquid, it's contents likely flowing freely through my enraged veins.

I stumble, going to my knees as my ears ring, and Ace grabs for my elbow. Everything feels distant.

"What's.. what's happening?" My voice sounds far off, like it's muffled by cotton stuck in my ears.

"I don't know. Beau stuck you with something." His voice is strained, fueled with panic.

"Yeah, and you should be thanking me." The Faerie stands above me, holding a small handheld gun. He shoves it in his pocket, glaring at me. "You almost got us into some deep shit."

I glance around, fully aware now that the humans are gone. There weren't many, but enough to start rumors. I growl. I'm disappointed in myself. My control is at an all time low, and I used to have no clue why, but now I know definitively that it all comes back to her. Opal. My reason for living, my purpose for stressing and obsessing and loving. Everything leads back to her.

I take a deep breath, fading into the darkness.

Hey 🧍‍♀️