unconditional (BOOK #2) [TO BE PUBLISHED]

Chapter 88 - Chelsea POV

Chapter 88 – Chelsea POV

I was waiting, still open eyed and minded to see just what or how shifters would be impacted by the confirmation of our existent.

There were changes and they were ever subtle. Humans gazed suspiciously at one another, trying to weed out in their minds which and who were shifters. The requirements over the top and ridiculous, especially when I read the thoughts of those around me at school. Families that went camping, according to their thoughts meant that they were shifters; a family that had ordered six meat-lovers-pizzas from one shop were obviously shifters because of the meat. Individuals that didn't go hunting were shifters, because they were afraid of hunting their family members in animal forms.

And the even more absurd, the pretty brunette I've been crushing on, well she turned me down because obviously she's a shifter and doesn't want to mix with our kind. So and so doesn't study because their shifters and intelligent; my dog wouldn't stop barking on our walk, especially at the random guy we passed on the sidewalk because the dog could sense he was a shifter. Shifters roam at night, so he was a shifter, why else would he be outside at 11pm? All ridiculous thoughts.

While I saw the humor... Gabriel, well all he could see was the gun sales and his wealth increased.

Two weeks after my long talk with third wolf, things started making sense, pieces fell together, strangely. There was a bit of fear mixed with every thing we did, and we didn't do much venturing out at all, but when we did we mostly used Gabriel's gift to get us places. Sending a car to where we needed to be, but only teleporting there when they arrived. It was annoying and like Ava I was going stir-crazy, the Hotel had activities and what not but I felt confined and my wolves wanted to go out as well.

It was already November 14th and for the weekend I'd convinced Gabriel to drive to Clearwater using our camper buses, Alpha Marx and his Aunt Camilla, following when we passed Fresno. Since we had the new boys and little girls in our pack now, I knew they needed to be out as well. The change was a lot for them, and they were all waiting for us to turn on them, make them all omegas or abuse them in some way or form. Gabriel and I had already verbally tried to dispel that idea but only time would remove that ingrained fear from their minds.

So, while some of the children were used to not being allowed to go out, a few hadn't been isolated, so this trip was long overdue. Marx said he had some things to discuss with us as well, so I was looking forward to being outside, getting to shift and run on Gabriel's 'hidden' property, as were the others. We'd be spending the night, everyone camping on the land a nice break from being cooped up.

Getting everyone ready we decided that we'd leave earlier in the morning, stopping at an ihop for breakfast.

After getting Ava back to sleep on the camper I followed her lead, excitement crashing over me, turning to tired restlessness for some reason.

"Love? Chelsea... wake up, were stopping for food," Gabriel cooed next to me, scrunched down, face to face. I blinked sleepily, a small smile forming as I focused on his green eyes.

"Do you want me to get it for you? Something to eat?" his eyes full with care and concern. I had pushed endlessly to take this trip, pulling reasons out of thin air, unable to explain my need to get out of the hotel this weekend. Only now that we had driven no more than an hour I was already in deep sleep.

"Food?" I asked stupidly, but he only smirked, nodding.

Go outside... my third wolf murmured, after two weeks of silence, instantly raising the hairs on my body.

"I'll come with," I answered, sitting, stretching as I swung my feet around, fixing, my sleeveless shirt and shorts.

"Here's a sweater, it's a bit cool outside," I cocked my head. Did he forget that I'm a werewolf? That my normal body temperature was 103?