Page 94 of Fight
I opened my eyes to find the room deep in shadows, meaning I'd slept for several hours.I dressed and ran a brush through my sleep tangled hair before going into the main room.
I spotted Caden first.He was sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs in the same conversation area where we'd sat to talk to Ridges earlier, reading.He looked up as I stepped into the room.His movement caught Devon's attention and he looked up from where he'd been laying on the sofa, playing some game on his PCD.I glanced around and found Alexis in the small kitchen area gathering plates and flatware to take to the table.
"There you are!"She said, catching sight of me."We ordered Chinese.It should be here anytime, and there's still some left over pizza if you want that."She said cheerfully.
I blinked slowly, my mind still slow and sleep-clouded."I'll wait for now."
I went over to the sofa and tapped Devon's foot, wordlessly asking him to share the seat.He swung his feet off the end of the couch, sitting up in one smooth motion.
"Hey, babe, you feeling better?"
I turned my head to look at him and blinked, once, twice, then scowled without a word.I was interrupted mid-thought, by Caden's chuckle.
I turned and pinned him with an unhappy look.
"Not a morning person huh?"He asked.
I scowled deeper and turned back to Devon.
"Yeah, I feel better.I slept harder than I thought I would, and my brain's not really awake yet."
Devon laughed softly, leaning over to place a soft kiss on my forehead."I've found that when she's like this, it's best to give her a few minutes to wake up.But it's not often I have to."He said to Caden.
I sat silently for several minutes, letting my mind wake up.Before I was really ready to talk a knock sounded on the door and Devon got up to answer it.I wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around me, but Devon walking past me to the table carrying two large bags of food caught my attention.I got up and followed him to the table.I sat down while he unpacked square containers from the bags.He opened them as he set them on the table so we could see what was in them.
I waited until he finished and started putting together a plate, planning to wait my turn to serve myself, I was surprised when Devon set the plate he'd been fixing in front of me.
"Eat up."He said."We're gonna go for a run tonight, you're gonna need plenty of fuel."
"Thanks."I glanced up at him with a thankful smile before picking up my fork."Ridge's assistant called?"I started digging into the food in front of me.
"She did."Alexis was making a plate for herself."She gave me directions to get out there and all the info we need.We'll go after dinner."
"Is it going to be a long trip?"I mentally prepared myself for a long drive out of the city.
"No, should take us about forty five minutes to get there."
"Oh," I was surprised."That's not long at all."
When we finished eating, I grabbed a sweater from the bedroom and slipped on a pair of sandals, while Alexis gathered a bag before we left.Devon and I sat together in the back seat of the car, curled together as we watched the scenery pass.It didn't take us long to get to I-5 then the lights of the city sped by but we didn't stay on it for long.Caden directed the car onto Interstate 90, which led onto a long bridge over Lake Washington and onto Mercer Island, before taking us over a much shorter bridge and back onto the mainland.We continued through an area that was mostly urban with lots of greenery.I thought it would have been a great place to live if you saw the sun more often.The road soon started the slightly twisty routing of a large highway, winding its way through mountains and as the car climbed its way to our destination, the scenery changed from the signs of human habitation to thick forest but a different forest from what we were used to.It was hard to tell much at the speed we were traveling, but I knew I was going to get a chance to shift and run and see it all from a much closer perspective.
What remained of the day was rapidly fading as Caden turned off I-90 onto a small mountain highway.He followed that road for a few miles before turning off onto a dirt road, stopping in front of a large gate and rolling down his window.
"5834693."Alexis read the numbers off her PCD while Caden punched the code into a keypad outside his window.The gate slowly rolled open, allowing us to pass.Once we were inside, the gate closed again.Caden drove on, going slowly over the rough, bumpy road for about another mile before the road opened into a clearing large enough to park probably fifty or more cars.
"Wow," I looked around."that was unexpected."
"It's good though," Caden said."the poor road will keep most people who get past the gate from getting back this far, unless they know where they're going."
I nodded."That makes sense."
Caden parked the car in one corner of the clearing and we all climbed out.I looked around taking in the sights and smells of the forest.I noticed the air was damper than the forests back home.I left the sweater I'd never put on in the seat of the car and like everyone else, I started peeling off my clothes.I folded my dress and laid it on the seat before adding my bra and panties to the pile.Unsure of the ground under my feet I kept my sandals on as I pushed the door closed.
I slipped the straps off my heels but continued to stand on the bottoms as I bent into position and I focused on my wolf form, willing my body into that shape.The familiar tingling spread across my skin, I felt my bones and muscles start to shift, I wasn't prepared for the sharp stabbing pains that came from my forearms and ribs.I didn't let them break my concentration but I couldn't stop the whimper of pain that escaped.Soon the tingling subsided, telling me the shift was over.I sat still for a moment, breathing as I recovered from the unexpected pain shifting had brought, only to be startled by Devon brushing against me in his wolf form, his nose ruffling the fur of my neck.
Hey,I sent to him.what's up?
Are you all right?You cried out while shifting.I picked up from him.
