Page 49 of Carter

“ Answers?” She looks confused as to what answers I’m talking about.

“Answers as to why I can hear your thoughts. We deserve to know why our connection to each other is so special. Peach, this isn’t normal, and it’s time we find out why.”

She nods. “Okay, let's do it.” She says, looking excited to find out why.

“Be a good girl, baby, and pack your bags. We're going on a trip,” I whisper against her ear, giving her a hard smack on the ass. She squeals, walking away with a smile and rubbing the cheek I smacked.

Chapter forty-one

Carter

Before we head up to the mountains to speak with the Elders, we drop off Luca with Isabella and Liam. Liam gave us the address to the Elder I was supposed to talk to, along with a map of how to get there since only alphas can set up a meeting with the Elders.

We’ve been on the road for about eight hours now, but I’m glad Leandra is enjoying the view as she stares out the window. I laugh as I take in the view in front of me. Leandra has given up on being my co-pilot for this trip. The map has been abandoned on top of my dashboard. “Are we almost there?” She says as her eyes flick to mine.

“I don’t know, sweetheart. What does the map say?” I question, trying not to laugh. She narrows her eyes at me. “Really, I told you I suck at giving directions. I’m more of a landmark person. I know places. Buildings.” She says, taking the map and throwing it carelessly into the back seat. “Don’t blame me when we get lost. Mr. I know how to read a map.” She says, her voice full of sarcasm, and I can't help but chuckle.

“Something tells me we won’t get lost. Trust me, baby scouts honor.” I grab her hand and intertwine our fingers, lifting her hand so that I can place a kiss. She stops looking outside, her new focus being my forearm. My veins stand out as I grip the steering wheel. I smirk as I catch her looking at me. Her face getting red, but she continues to stare at me with no shame.

We make a quick stop at Burger Urge to get something to eat before we hit the road for the last four hours. Leandra orders the cheesy thicc boi, which is a favorite of mine. Fried chicken breast, bacon, lettuce, pickles, special sauce, mayo, and swiss cheese toasties. She takes a bite of her burger, moaning, and fuck do I miss that sound. She grabs an onion ring from the bag, dips it in the ranch, and takes a bite. I stare at her for a few seconds until my stomach roars with hunger, and I get pulled back to reality. I take a bite of my burger.

Fuck, it’s spicy.

El diablo is a monster of a burger topped with bacon, onion rings, cheese, jalapenos, tomato, lettuce, chili sauce, ranch, and aioli. But damn, it's so fucking good I can’t help but moan at the goodness.

Hitting the road again, Leandra leans over to turn on the radio while trying to stay awake. She yawns, and I can tell she’s tired. We had hit the road early in the morning before the sun even rose, but I’m thankful she’s kept me company instead of sleeping, as I hate driving long distances by myself.

“Carter, the Elders, tell me about them. What should I know?” Leandra questions as she turns in her seat to look at me.

“Well, the Elders are a group of shifters who hold wisdom and knowledge that most don’t know. They have been roaming the earth for longer than most werewolves.”

Leandra looks at me, showing full interest, and I can see the wheels turning inside that head of hers. “How long have the Elders been roaming the earth?” She’s fully interested in knowing the answer to her question. I chuckle.

“Well, seeing as the Elders are over a hundred years old, then I would say about a long fucking time.”

“Smartass.” She mutters, slapping my arm.

“How’s that possible? I mean, over a hundred is a pretty long fucking time to be alive.”

I can’t help but stare at her. She surprises me every day. I can’t help but love her more and more. She shows genuine interest and makes an effort to know more about my world as a werewolf shifter.

“It’s possible.” I pause, ready to unload many more secrets no human knows.

“Elders are not only descendants of werewolves, but they’re also descendants of witches and vampires."

“Wait, what!” She gawks at me, taking in every word I unloaded on her. She swallows.

“Do they really exist? Vampires and witches?”

“Peach, it's possible that they can live among us. I mean, look at me. I’m a werewolf shifter. I’m sure they're out there, but I haven’t had the opportunity to ever meet one in person. But don’t worry, baby, all these mythical creatures won’t be dangerous to you or any other human. It’s not like the movies or books.” I plant a kiss on her hand, giving it a good squeeze.

I turn my head to face Leandra, and her face shows confusion, concern, and worry, but the second our gaze meets, I can almost see her relax. I kiss her hand one last time as I focus on the road, our hands still intertwined.

“Besides being knowledgeable and having wisdom, what makes you so sure they'll know why you can hear my thoughts?” She becomes curious again. Her voice was laced with a hint of confusion. I can only imagine what her facial expression is right now. I turn away from the road and can't help but chuckle when I see I’m right.

She’s staring out the window, and the reflection shows her brows pressed down into a deep frown.

“Well, they have knowledge and wisdom and have seen a lot. Plus, I feel we might not be the first to experience this.” I turn my attention back to the road. Leandra hums at my answer.

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