Page 19 of Shadow of Death

“Oh, yeah. Okay,” he said, staring at the table as if afraid I’d make him eat one right now.

Buddie’s eyes lit up as Charlie walked out of the bedroom, as if his savior had just arrived. “There’s my little man.”

They did a fist bump, and then Charlie pointed to the cabinet above the fridge. “She keeps all the good stuff up there.”

Buddie opened it up and scanned the stash. “Little light on the cookies, no?”

“I completely agree,” Charlie said.

“Yeah, we’re going to have to make some changes until she gets back.” Buddie spoke softly, as if I weren’t there or couldn’t hear. Even my human senses would’ve heard him.

“I don’t want him eating nothing but garbage while I’m gone,” I said, trying to hobble over toward the kitchen as quickly as I could on my crutches.

“You better hope Evangeline doesn’t hear you calling her cookies garbage,” Buddie said, and then whistled. The two of them laughed.

Kicks walked in and then nodded toward the front, silently asking me if I was ready.

“Yeah, give me a minute.”

I took another hobbling step toward Charlie. Kicks wrapped an arm around my waist and carried me the last few steps, and then him and Buddie moved away, giving me some space. I wrapped my arms around Charlie, squeezing his little form.

“I’m going to miss you, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.” It wasn’t really a lie. If I could get back to him, I would. Nothing would stop me.

“I know,” he said, so sure.

Please, don’t let me disappoint him. Don’t let me turn into something so monstrous I’m afraid to come back.

And please let me hold it together until I get out of here.

I loosened my grip, letting the kid have some air. “Be good for Buddie, okay? I’ll bring you back something cool from Scotland.”

“I will,” Charlie said, and then looked over my shoulder and grinned. Buddie must’ve been signaling something. I didn’t care as long as he kept Charlie happy and safe. He could feed him cookies for breakfast every morning and I’d be okay with it as long as he kept him safe.

“Remember, don’t leave the pack territory by yourself,ever, and listen to whatever Buddie, Rastin, or Evangeline tell you.”

“Iknoooow.”

I’d only told him fifty times in the last couple of days, so he should. I grabbed a nearby chair, using it to straighten up.

“Charlie, I nabbed some new games for us. Want to check ’em out?” Buddie said, grabbing something out of his bag. It was the one that Charlie had been dying to play for at least the last month. The entire pack had been looking for it whenever they ventured out. I couldn’t imagine where Buddie had found it, but he must have gone to the moon and back.

Thank you,I mouthed to him. He nodded and then headed toward Charlie’s room with a skipping kid beside him.

“He’ll be okay,” Kicks said.

“Yeah. I know.” I wasn’t sureIwould be, but they’d take care of him.Kicks went to pick me up again, and I held up a hand. “I can do it if you can just carry my bag.” I grabbed my crutches.

“It would be easier if—”

“I can do it.” We were traveling to Georgia, and then across the ocean. I was not going to be dependent upon him every moment.

I made it out of the cabin and to the bike. Kicks kept watching me, slowing his pace and looking nearly pained at having to do it.

I stopped beside the bike, balancing on one leg, trying to figure out how we’d get my crutches on there as he strapped on my bag.

“It’s not happening,” he said. “There’s nowhere to put them.”

“Can’t we just…” Bikes weren’t meant for cargo, but there had to be a way.