Page 73 of Do You Even Hex, Bro?
"And keep your phone on," Micah adds. "We'll check in between classes."
The way they're acting, you'd think I was preparing for a dangerous expedition into uncharted wilderness, not a shoppingtrip into town with two of their packmates. One of which being the wolf that tackled Kyle himself to the ground.
"I'll be fine," I assure them. "Really."
They reluctantly leave for class after extracting multiple promises from Sean and Rowan to keep me safe and call if anything happens. I try not to roll my eyes at the drama of it all.
"Ready for an adventure?" Sean asks once they're gone, flashing another of his million-watt grins.
"If by 'adventure' you mean 'buying a toothbrush,' then sure," I reply dryly.
"With us, everything's an adventure," he says with a wink.
Gods help me, I think he might be right.
The drive into town is mercifully uneventful. Sean commandeers the music in Rowan's sleek black SUV, blasting an eclectic mix that ranges from classic rock to hip-hop to Norwegian death metal. Rowan suffers through it with stoic resignation, occasionally reaching over to lower the volume when Sean gets too enthusiastic about his air guitar solos.
It’s not what I’d usually consider fun, but I kind of like it.
We pull up outside a sprawling superstore that promises to have everything from groceries to electronics. I mentally calculate the cost of the bare essentials against my dwindling funds. I know Killian gave me his card, but I’d rather not use it. At least I can afford a toothbrush on my own.
"Stay close," Rowan says as we enter, and I can't tell if he's talking to me or Sean. Probably both.
Inside, I grab a small basket and head for the toiletries section. Sean immediately disappears down a random aisle—"Ooh, they restocked the jerky!"—while Rowan stays beside me, quietly observant.
I find a basic toothbrush for two bucks and add it to my basket. Rowan watches but says nothing, which I appreciate. Sean finds us again and follows at a distance, but keeps getting distracted by random shit, which is equally convenient. The last thing I need is someone commenting on my financial situation and reminding me the pack is paying for it.
I linger over a display of comfortable-looking socks, remembering that most of mine have holes. But even the cheapest pack is way too expensive. I reluctantly move on.
We're in the pharmacy section when I realize Sean is nowhere to be seen. "Where did he go?" I ask Rowan.
"Who knows?" Rowan sighs. "He has the attention span of a goldfish. He'll turn up eventually, probably with an armful of things we don't need."
"You should probably go find him before he buys all the snacks in the store," I suggests. "Seems like a risk."
"You have no idea," Rowan says, seeming reluctant to leave me, but ultimately deciding we're in more danger from an unsupervised Sean in a grocery store. "I'll be right back."
Perfect.
Now that I have a second, I duck into the next aisle to grab a box of tampons since I can sense Mother Nature is about to start fucking with me in that regard, too. While I'm trying to decide between the cheapest box and one that's technically a better dealbut would eat up most of my remaining cash, I feel a sudden looming presence behind me.
"What's this one do?"
“Holyshit!” I yelp, nearly dropping everything in my basket as I spin around. My elbow rams into a wall of padded muscle and I know it’s Sean before I even see him.
“Geez, you’re pointy as fuck,” he grumbles, rubbing the side of his stomach and wincing like I stabbed him.
“You scared the shit out of me,” I hiss through my teeth.
“Sorry,” he says with a sheepish grin. He reaches past me for a box on the shelf, studying it intently. "I've always wondered how these work," he says, turning the box over in his hands.
"Ever heard of plugging a dam?" I mutter. "Same principle applies."
His eyes widen slightly, but he keeps staring at the box. "Huh. Well, I could always just?—"
Before he can finish that ill-advised thought, Rowan appears behind me and snatches the box from Sean's hands. "For fuck's sake, Sean."
"What? I'm curious! I grew up in a house with two dads and five brothers."
