Trees, cars, and cities whiz by as I rest my forehead against the cool glass and stare at it all—my gaze soft and barely registering anything but a blur of colors.
We’ve been on the road all day and my ass is thoroughly numb.
With the exception of the occasional pit stop to pee and stretch our legs, it’s been nothing but nonstop driving.
It wouldn’t be so bad if Stone weren’t cursed—and if Jinx wasn’t blaring heavy metal at an ear-bleeding decibel.
I mean, would it be so bad to listen to some Taylor Swift?
Instead, I’ve been left alone with my tumultuous thoughts and the need to recoil whenever Stone accidentally bumps into me or vice versa.
How did things get so messed up?
A week ago, his touch would have sent a flurry of butterflies through my abdomen and a surge of lust to my nether regions.
Now…
I sigh heavily.
Okay, it still does that but it’s overshadowed by a layer of hurt and confusion.
“Would you stop doing that?” Stone says, pulling me from my internal dialogue and reminding me why this road trip sucks ass.
I pull my head from the glass and look over my shoulder at him. “Do what? I’ve barely said a word to you.”
“You’ve been sighing like someone shot your dog,” he fires back. “It’s annoying.”
“I don’t have a dog.” I blink at him with zero amusement.
He shakes his head and turns his attention to his own window. “Whatever.”
That one word sends my skin crawling.
It was the same thing Troy used to say to me when he was sick of talking or just simply didn’t deem my opinion worthy of discussion.
My irritation flares at his dismissal, a raw, primal part of me reacting before my mind can catch up. My voice comes out, coated with the authority I seldom use outside of pack matters—a command that slices through the tension in the car like a cold blade.
“Stone,” I say, my tone sharp, demanding his attention. “Look at me.”
He turns, a mix of surprise and something else—perhaps resentment—flashing in his green eyes.
But he listens, he *has* to.
That’s the power of the Alpha voice, a tool I use sparingly—and never on him.
And now, in the past two days, I’ve done it twice.
For a moment, the curse seems to recede, leaving the man I know, the man I love, looking back at me. His posture straightens—an automatic response to the Alpha command.
I suppose it’s a testament to the bond between us and the hierarchy that ties it all in place.
It’s both reassuring and heartbreaking.
Regardless of what the curse has taken from us, at least it hasn’t severed that.
I wish I could Alpha command him out of the curse. That would be handy but I instinctively know it doesn’t work like that.
Eventually, the curse would take hold again and we’d be back to square one.
However, I instantly regret using that tone when I see the way his jaw clenches and the brief flicker of hurt in his eyes before he schools his expression into one of indifference.
“Sorry,” I say, softer this time. “I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just... frustrated. Not with you, but with this whole situation.”
He looks away, the tension not quite leaving his shoulders, but he nods. “I know. Me too.”
We ride in silence after that, the weight of the curse between us like a fifth passenger. But at least now, he seems a bit more present—a bit less asshole.
Not even Trudie tries to lighten the mood with her harmony-making skills.
Maybe we’re beyond that now.
“Hey, guys, we’re about five minutes out,” Jinx announces as she turns down the god-awful music.
Five minutes out from where, exactly?
Diana’s directions were cryptic at best, guiding us through coordinates and feelings rather than clear destinations.
Since we raced out as soon as we got the details, I have no idea what to expect.
Will we even know it when we see it?
As we continue down the road, the landscape shifts—the mundane blurs of cities and trees giving way to the stark, breathtaking expanses of the desert.
The air outside feels charged, even from within the confines of the car. It’s a stark contrast to the heaviness that’s been following us.
For a while, I almost thought we were driving to the city the kids and I used to live in. The route was damn near identical, but instead of heading to Hesperia, we kept on going.
I mean, it was a long shot, but with how weird this summer has been, anything was possible.
Trudie shuts off the music entirely as everyone focuses on the GPS navigation guiding us on the screen of Jinx’s phone.
However, it doesn’t take a genius to see where it’s leading us.
A white, domed structure comes into view, sitting in stark contrast against the backdrop of the desert and the darkening sky.
It’s so out of place, yet utterly fascinating.
“What in the world is that thing?” I murmur, leaning forward to get a better look.
“That, my friends, is the Integratron,” Jinx announces, her tone now full of wonder and a hint of reverence I’ve never heard from her before. “I’ve heard of it, but never been here. Guess I can scratch it off my bucket list now.”
She slows the car as we pull off the road, giving us a better view of the structure. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen—part science fiction, part spiritual retreat—if the sign means anything.
“Integratron?” I repeat, the name feeling alien on my tongue. “Why are we here?”
Jinx parks the car, and we all step out, stretching our legs and taking in the sight before us. The air outside is alive with energy and it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“This is where the coordinates Diana gave us lead. There must be something about this place—the energies here… Whew, they’re something, that’s for sure. It must be important for whatever comes next,” Trudie says, her tone coming out in hushed reverence. “I wonder if we’ll find the Breath of Selene inside?”
“Yeah, because the Breath of Selene is going to be in some space age boob in the middle of the desert,” Stone blurts, skepticism clear in his voice.
“There’s only one boob I see here,” Jinx says, giving Stone the stink eye.
He simply rolls his eyes and flips her off.
“Anyway,” Jinx continues, leading us closer to the domed building. “If I remember right, the Integratron is built on a geomagnetic vortex. It’s supposed to be a place of healing, rejuvenation, and… well, they say time travel and accessing other dimensions. Who knows about all that hooey without some experimentation, but one thing’s for sure, it’s all about the vibes.”
“Time travel?” Trudie gasps, her voice tinged with incredulity, but it’s clear the surrealness of it all intrigues her as much as it unnerves her. “Are we here to take a trip to the future or the past?”
“Beam me up, Scotty,” Stone snickers under his breath.
Jinx claps her hands, ignoring Stone and drawing our attention back to her as she begins walking toward the Integratron’s entrance. “Maybe it’s not about the when but the where, and the how. This place, with its unique energies, might help us unlock or understand something crucial about the Breath of Selene. I mean, it must, since Diana sent us here. She’s not in the game of wild goose chases.”
I follow her, still processing the cascade of information and the potential implications. Diana did mention keeping an open mind—maybe accessing the astral realm or something. Right?
I turn back to the group and say, “But why here? She must have sensed something specific about this place. Maybe it’s not just about healing or bizarre energy theories. Maybe it’s about harnessing these energies for our specific needs.”
Trudie nods thoughtfully, falling into step beside me. “Like a conduit or a… amplifier for whatever we’re supposed to do next?”
“Exactly what I was noodling,” Jinx says as we all walk up to the structure. “And there’s talk about this place aligning perfectly with various celestial bodies—it amplifies geomagnetic forces which, who knows, might just be what we need to combat the curse or understand the Breath better. Especially with the incoming Supermoon thrown into the mix.”
Reaching the door, Jinx’s confident stride halts abruptly as she rattles the handle, only to find it firmly locked. Her brows furrow in confusion, then lift in an ‘oh-well’ manner.
“Well, poop,” she exclaims, turning back to us with a shrug. “Looks like the universe demands an appointment. Diana could have at least warned us about that.”
Stone raises an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips despite the tension between us. “So much for our grand entrance into the unknown. You know I could just bust the door open.”
“Let’s not cause any unnecessary commotion just yet,” Trudie advises with a shake of her head.
Jinx fishes out her phone with a flourish. “Fear not, my skeptical friends. This modern shaman has just the trick—Google.” She taps away, her fingers a blur of movement. “Let’s see if they’re open tomorrow for enlightened visitors or if we’ve just hit a mystical dead end and need to rely on super-strength boob over here.”
Trudie leans closer, trying to peek at Jinx’s screen. “Do they even list ‘geomagnetic vortexes’ on Yelp?”
I can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Here we are, standing in the middle of the desert, banking on a building that looks like a giant’s hat—because I will not call it a boob—for answers. And possibly, solutions.
“Good news, they’re open this time of the year. Bad news, it looks like destiny has us on hold until tomorrow if we want to say on the down low,” Jinx says, flipping through her phone with a frown.
“So, what’s the plan? Camp out under the stars?” Trudie asks, surveying the area.
Jinx’s eyes light up and she claps her hands. “Oh, that’s the best damn idea I’ve heard you come out with.”
No wonder she founded The Sidetracked Scene.
She’s literally all about it.
I shoot her a look—the kind that says ‘in what universe?’
“As much as I appreciate the allure of desert stars, Jinx, I’m more of a glamping girl, and I don’t see any yurts with king-sized beds and AC around here,” I say, trying not to sound too harsh.
The truth is, after everything, the last thing I want is to spend a night outside, exposed and vulnerable. I might be a werewolf, but I’m not an idiot.
Stone chuckles darkly.
“Well, shoot.” Trudie nods in agreement. “Let’s find a hotel. There’s got to be something around here. Even a motel like the last one will do.”
Jinx sighs, pocketing her phone with a theatrical show of disappointment. “Fine, fine. But just so you know, we’re missing out on a prime opportunity for alien encounters and mystical desert revelations.”
“Aliens can wait,” I say, already heading back to the car. “Right now, a shower and a bed sound about as mystical as I want to get.”
However, as I get closer to the car, something makes me pause. A familiar scent that wafts by but is gone before I can place it.
God, I must be losing my mind.
I turn, eyeing the space for a moment as everyone stares expectantly at me.
“Sorry,” I mutter, shaking my head.
As we pile back into the car, relief and anticipation start to settle under my skin.
Relief that we’re heading toward the comfort of civilization, and anticipation for what tomorrow at the Integratron might bring. It’s this strange juxtaposition of the mundane and the extraordinary that seems to define our journey.
At least now we know what we’re looking for.
Jinx starts the car, and as we pull away from the Integratron, I catch one last glimpse of the dome under the rising moonlight. It stands silent and enigmatic—like a sentinel waiting for the right moment to reveal its secrets.
But as the desert fades behind us and the lights of a small town begin to twinkle in the distance, one question remains, lingering in the air like the dust we leave behind…
What are we walking into?
And more importantly…
Will we be the same when we walk out?