Grace of a Wolf (by Lenaleia) novel Chapter 179

179 Grace: Not Wolf Enough For Him

“Is something wrong?” Caine asks, and I shake my head immediately, swiping the notification away. 1

He shouldn’t be able to see it, but I’d rather avoid situations where I have to outright.

lie to him.

“Nothing, just an annoying notification. I’m looking now.”

I pull up the map on my phone, pinching and zooming while everyone bustles around me. Sara zips around gathering toys for Bun, Jer searches for his missing shoe, and Ron’s already standing by the door with Bun, who’s got her hands filled with carrot

sticks.

It takes under three minutes to find exactly what we need. I zoom in on the blue dot marking our salvation.

“There’s another Walmart about one hundred seventy–four miles away,” I announce, turning my phone to show Caine. “They’ve got a massive parking lot, and it’s right off the highway. No rivers in sight, so hopefully no flooding, either.”

Caine stares at the screen with a frown. “Another Walmart? Why is it always Walmart?”

I shrug. “Lyre says they’re the best choice for overnight parking. They don’t hassle RVs. Well, most of the time.”

He grunts. “She would know best, I guess.”

“She’s lived in that camper for god knows how long. So yeah.” I zoom in further,

showing him the satellite view. “I was going to look for a truck stop with hookups, but this is better because we need to get cat supplies, too.”

“Good call.”

His approval sends a flutter through my chest. Being useful is such a nice feeling.

“Andrew, pull up the directions.” Caine hands his phone to the other man without skipping a beat.

He takes it, his expression/unreadable. “Sure thing.”

179 Grace: Not Wolf Enough For Him

The next ten minutes are a flurry of activity–securing the cabinets we opened, tucking away loose items from play, and washing the dishes we’d used. It’s now our third time doing this, and we’ve found a bit of a rhythm to our chaos.

Everyone knows what to do, and it makes a big difference. Well, that and we didn’t exactly camp out like we were expecting to stay here.

“Who’s riding with who?” Ron asks. “Same as last time?”

Caine looks to me, allowing me to make the call. It’s a small thing, but it doesn’t escape my notice.

“Same as before, except-” I glance at the hall, where the cat’s still locked in the bathroom. “I’ll take the cat with us. Sadie can go with Caine and Ron in the truck.

He nods. “That works. Sara, Jer, Bun are still with you, then?”

“I want the dog!” Jer protests, his bottom lip jutting out.

“Not this time,” I say, my tone firm enough to prevent further argument. “The cat stays with us,

and Sadie will stay in the truck.”

With the cat loose, who knows what havoc it might cause. Having an adult pair of hands to wrangle it is better than leaving it up to Ron while Caine has to focus on towing while he drives.

Andrew pulls a small black rectangle from his pocket, handing it to Caine. “Got these on my way back. Old school, but they work. Better than using the phone during the drive.”

He turns the walkie talkie over in his hands. “Smart.”

“They’ve got about a two–mile range,” he explains. “Better than nothing if our phones die in the storm.”

Though there’s no guarantee the walkie talkies won’t, either…

Caine clears his throat. “Everyone ready?”

A chorus of “yes” and “yeah” fills the camper. I do one final sweep, making sure we haven’t forgotten anything essential, then scoop up the soaking wet cat out of the bathroom, where it’s hidden itself behind the toilet,

***

179 Grace: Not Wolf Enough For Him

The walkie–talkie crackles to life. “We’re pulling out now,” Caine’s voice comes through, slightly distorted, but easy to understand. “Stay close.”

“Better than you did earlier. You looked pretty pale, but there’s some color in your

Andrew catches my movement and glances in the rearview mirror. “Hopefully they stay asleep until we get there.”

“That would be good.” I tuck my phone away and rest my head against the window. “It’s

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