Spencer laughed. “I always imagined that if I had kids they’d be little assholes, just like their old man.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out if you’re full of shit or you have what it takes.”
“So true.” Spencer turned and started walking again.
We continued to hike through the woods for a while until I saw a car in the distance. “Is there a road ahead?”
“That’s our ride,” Spencer said. “And yes, that’s a road. You didn’t think I walked here from Chicago, did you?”
“I didn’t really think about it at all,” I admitted. It was an older grey sedan that looked like it had seen better days. There was nothing impressive about it, but as long as it got us there, I wasn’t going to complain.
“Well, I’m glad we’ll get to take a break from walking,” Malcom said.
I climbed into the back seat of the car with Star, hoping it would provide me with a little more time to think. Malcom sat in the passenger seat next to Spencer.
The car rattled a little when the engine came to life, but it eased once we got going. Hopefully, it would hold out long enough for us to make it to the party.
We drove along a gravel and dirt road, the car vibrating and bumping, a cloud of dust following in our wake.
The whole group was silent for a while and Spencer looked like he was concentrating hard on driving.
“We need to pull over,” Star said.
“You’re not going to throw up, are you?” Spencer asked as he slowed the car.
“No, but I realized I need Malcom back here. I might as well start working on making his scent.”
Spencer stopped the car. “Go ahead.”
I didn’t love the idea of sitting up front, but three crammed in the back was far worse. Especially since one of the party was a huge male wolf shifter. Malcom would probably take up two of the seats back here. He was going to be just as uncomfortable in the back as I was in the front.
I opened the door and stepped out of the car, going around the back to get to the passenger side. Malcom intercepted me, resting his hand on my arm for a moment. “If he does anything weird or anything feels off, you signal for me.”
I nodded. Malcom didn’t trust Spencer. I wasn’t sure I did, either, but I didn’t doubt our mission. Maybe I should have been questioning things more.
The two of us continued by. Malcom got into the back seat and I reluctantly took the front seat.
Nothing like a few hours next to your estranged father.
Spencer got us back on the road. It felt like he was driving fast, but I didn’t have a whole lot of experience in cars. Anything was faster than walking, which was my typical mode of transportation.
“When we get inside, I’ll point you in the right direction for the crown and I’ll be heading to the throne room,” Spencer said.
“I’m not going to have to crawl under lasers or cut a circle in a glass case to get the crown out, am I?” I asked.
“You’ve seen too many movies,” he said with a laugh.
“It isn’t just sitting out is it?” I asked skeptically.
“No, but it’s not exactly locked up,” Spencer said.
“Elaborate?”
“Chris keeps it in his closet in his bedroom,” Spencer said.
I pictured my tiny closet growing up. I didn’t own a lot, but if I wanted to hide something in there, I could have buried it in a pile of dirty laundry. If he’s got a large collection of clothing and other things, it might be difficult to find. “Is it well organized?”
“I don’t think you’ll have a problem finding it,” he said.