The truck was exactly where Shane had promised, a large, rugged vehicle that had seen better decades, parked at the edge of the settlement with sand gathering around its tires.
Leaning against the driver's side door was Timothy, his arms crossed and his expression caught somewhere between bored and impatient.
He was the acting Alpha of La Ber, older than Shane by several centuries, with a weathered face and tired eyes that had seen too many full moons.
"Finally," Timothy called as they approached. "I was starting to think you'd been eaten by a bear."
"Please," Shane scoffed. "I'm too pretty to be eaten."
Timothy rolled his eyes away from Shane, his gaze shifting to Casper, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And who's this?"
"Sebastian's brother," Shane answered. "Casper. Apparently their parents insisted he come along."
Timothy studied Casper for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "Another vampire. Great. Because one wasn't enough."
"Hey, be nice to him. He is my friend," Shane sassily told Timothy, a huge smile plastered on his face, in contrast with Casper's poker face.
Casper met his stare evenly, offering nothing but a small nod.
The tension between them was subtle but present, the instinctual wariness between two predators who didn't quite trust each other.
Shane, oblivious as always, bounced on his heels.
"Alright, Tim, let's get this show on the road! Tanesab awaits! Witches to avoid, lovers to rescue, and adventures to be had!"
He made his way toward the passenger door, reaching for the handle.
Timothy cleared his throat.
Shane paused, his hand hovering over the handle. "What?"
"You're not coming," Timothy said flatly.
The silence that followed was deafening. Even the waves seemed to quiet.
Shane's head snapped around, his golden eyes wide with disbelief.
"What do you mean, I'm not coming?"
"Exactly what I said. You're not coming."
Timothy pushed off from the car, his voice firm.
"The pack needs you here. We've had reports of strange activity along the border, unfamiliar scents, and tracks that don't belong to any animal we know. I can't spare you for a joyride to Tanesab."
"A joyride?" Shane's voice cracked. "This isn't a joyride! This is a rescue mission!" He gestured wildly at Sebastian. "You promised we are getting Lucas!"
"I know what it is." Timothy's expression softened almost imperceptibly.
"But I also know that La Ber needs its wolves right now. You're young, Shane. You're fast. We need you here."
Shane looked like he'd been punched. His usual energy drained out of him, leaving something smaller and more vulnerable behind.
He turned to Sebastian, his golden eyes pleading.
"Sebastian. Tell him. Tell him I have to come. I'm your friend. I've been waiting for this. I've been planning for this. I was the one who accepted your bond FIRST, because these old people here can't accept that a wolf and a vampire can be bonded!"
"I know," Sebastian said quietly. "But Timothy's right. If La Ber is in danger, you need to stay."
Shane's face crumpled. For a moment, he looked like nothing more than a disappointed child. Then his expression shifted, a spark of something almost desperate flickering in his eyes.
"Fine," Shane said, his voice dropping. "Fine. If I'm not going, then Casper isn't going either."
Sebastian blinked. "What?"
Shane crossed his arms, his jaw set with a stubbornness that seemed entirely out of character. "You heard me. If I can't go, he can't go. It's only fair."
Lyla stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Shane, don't be ridiculous—"
"I'm not being ridiculous." Shane's eyes were fixed on Sebastian, his usual playfulness replaced by something harder.
"I've been waiting for this. I even prepared what I should tell Lucas when we got there. I was the first one to accept your bond with Lucas when everyone else thought it was unnatural. I stood by you when the other wolves whispered behind your back. I defended you." His voice cracked.
"And now you're just going to leave me behind?"
Sebastian stared at him, caught between guilt and frustration. He understood Shane's pain. He truly did. But the promise he'd made to his parents was non-negotiable.
"Shane," Sebastian said carefully, "I promised my parents that Casper would come with me. They made it a condition. If Casper doesn't go, I don't go. And I can't…I can't wait any longer. I need to find Lucas."
Timothy sighed, the sound carrying the weight of someone who had long since accepted that arguing with Shane was like arguing with a five-year-old.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head slowly.
"You're insufferable, you know that?" Timothy muttered.
Shane perked up instantly, his earlier sadness evaporating like morning mist. "Does that mean I can go? Please please please please—"
"SHANE." Lyla's voice cut through his babbling like a blade. "Let the man finish."
Shane clamped his mouth shut, but his eyes were practically glowing with hope. He looked like a puppy who had just been offered a treat.
Timothy ran a hand through his greying hair, clearly regretting every life choice that had led him to this moment.
"The border situation isn't ideal. But I think Percy, Max, and Lucian have returned from their patrol. They can probably handle things while you're gone."
"Yes!" Shane pumped his fist in the air, spinning around to face Sebastian. "Did you hear that? I'M COMING!"
Sebastian couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. "I heard."
Timothy stepped closer to Shane, his voice dropping to something more serious.
"But listen to me, boy. The moment something feels wrong. The moment you sense even a hint of danger…you turn around and run. Understood?"
Shane's excitement dimmed slightly, replaced by something more sincere. "Understood, Tim. I promise."
Timothy studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Good." He turned to Casper. "Take care of him. He's young. Impulsive. Thinks with his heart instead of his head."
"W-wait. Why me?"
Casper stuttered, head confused as to why he would be babysitting two creatures now.
"Because apparently, you are friends."
"And friends protect each other!" Shane exclaimed.
"Right." Timothy's eyes didn't leave Sebastian's. "That's why I'm saying it."
Sebastian met his gaze steadily, eyes unwavering. "Don't worry, we will look out for him. You have my word."
Casper watched the exchange with sharp eyes, his expression carefully neutral. But Sebastian knew his brother, knew the way his gaze flickered to Shane, then away, then back again. There was something calculating in that look.
Sebastian cleared his throat. "Anyway, Casper. Come meet Zachary. He's the one who told us where Lucas was."
Casper nodded, staring away from Shane.
As if summoned, a figure emerged from behind one of the weathered buildings, nervous and twitchy, with dark hair and eyes that darted around like he expected an attack at any moment. Zachary.
He approached slowly, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Sebastian. You're back." His gaze flicked to Casper, and something flickered across his face, recognition, maybe, or unease. "Who's this?"
"My brother," Sebastian said. "Casper."
Zachary nodded, but his eyes lingered on Casper a beat too long. "Right. Brother. That's... that's good." He offered a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"You guys ready to go?"
"Yeah," Sebastian said. "We just need to get this luggage inside the truck and make sure it all fits."
Casper stepped forward, extending his hand. "Zachary. Nice to meet you."
Zachary hesitated, then took it.
His grip was clammy, his palm cold despite the warmth of the morning. "Nice to meet you too," he said, his voice too quick. "What's up with the luggage? Are you guys planning to stay in Tanesab or something?"
Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle. He shook his head before nudging Casper from the side. "Our mother, Lizzie, worried that we may run out of blood during the trip. So instead of going hunting for bears or rabbits in a non-territory forest, she supplied us with packets of blood herself."
Zachary nodded in understanding. "Right, right. Okay, you can put those on the back, and I will call the others now so we can go. The sun is already approaching; we must make haste."
Casper's guard went up, invisible but unmistakable. He said nothing, but his silence was louder than words. He positioned himself slightly closer to Sebastian, his posture shifting into something more defensive.
Shane, still slumped against the car, finally looked up. His eyes met Casper's, and for just a moment, something passed between them, a shared understanding.
Shane's usual playfulness was gone, replaced by a wariness that seemed foreign on his young face.
"Woah, dude, Zachary," Shane said slowly, "you look like you haven't slept in a week."
"Foreign place, foreign land, foreign bed." Zachary gestured to his surroundings, making him sound nervous despite being in La Ber almost five years ago. "I couldn't sleep well last night, is all."
Shane shrugged at the statement before breaking a huge smile on his face. He bounded toward the truck, his earlier melancholy completely forgotten. "Shotgun! I call shotgun! Hold up. Does 'vampire shotgun' count? Are there rules about this?"
Casper watched him go, a strange expression on his face. He turned to Sebastian, lowering his voice. "Is he always like this?"
"Yes," Sebastian said.
"Every single time?"
"Yes."
Casper was quiet for a moment. Then, almost imperceptibly, the corner of his mouth twitched. "I think I like him."
Sebastian blinked. "You do?"
"He's exhausting. But he's..." Casper paused, searching for the right word. "Honest. I can read him. There's no deception there. It's refreshing."
Sebastian glanced at Zachary, who was hovering awkwardly by the truck's tailgate, his hands still shoved in his pockets, his eyes still darting. "And him?"
Casper's expression cooled. "I'm not sure yet. But I will be."
"Good." Sebastian clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Now, you won't bother me too much this whole ride."
They made their way to the truck, where Shane was already climbing into the passenger seat with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning.
Lyla stood by the driver's side door, her arms crossed, her golden eyes fixed on her younger brother.
"Shane," she called. "You have the vial I gave you?"
Shane patted his pocket. "Right here, sis."
"And the witchbane?"
"Pocket."
"And the—"
"Lyla." Shane's voice softened, the playfulness fading into something more genuine. "I'll be fine. I'm not a pup anymore."
Lyla's jaw tightened. "I know. But you'll always be my little brother." She stepped forward, pulling him into a fierce embrace. When she pulled back, her eyes were suspiciously bright. "Come back in one piece."
"I will." Shane grinned, but his voice was thick. "Someone has to annoy you for the next century."
Lyla laughed—a sharp, wet sound—and stepped back. She turned to Sebastian, her expression steady once more.
"Bring them both home, Sebastian. The pack needs its youngest wolf."
Sebastian nodded. "I will."
Timothy climbed in the driver's seat, Zachary and Sebastian in the back, and Casper placed himself at the back of Zachary, near where the supplies of blood packets were.
Shane twisted around in his seat, his golden eyes bright with anticipation. "Alright, let's go. Tanesab or bust. Woo!"
Timothy started the engine, the truck rumbling to life beneath them. Through the windshield, he watched Lyla recede as they pulled away from La Ber, the beach fading into the distance.
The bond in his chest pulsed.
Lucas. I'm coming.