“I’m headed up to the Northern Pack tonight.”

I told them about Adam’s request, and the fact that I’d accepted it. They nodded, James having been the one to give him my phone number.

“Make sure you stay safe, okay?”

They knew why I flew longer distances at night, once the sun had fallen. I didn’t use my wolf as often as I used my wings. But at night, there was the cover of darkness. Nearby human populations would have a harder time spotting me and understanding what I was. In the daylight, wearing light or dark clothes, it was visible that there was a human shape with wings, flying through the air.

At night, wearing dark clothes, I’d just look like a bird flying through the night sky.

Even so, it wasn’t entirely danger-free to fly at night, and both of them knew that. Still, it was easier than being stuffed in a car for hours upon hours, dealing with traffic and people and everything else that came with driving. They knew that too. They understood the importance of that little freedom of not being confined to a small moving box.

That was another reason I stopped heading up there for reunions. It was a long drive. And the interior of vehicles made me feel trapped.

Just like before.

Before I’d met Henry and James.

Before I’d been freed.

It was like being locked into a cell with no way out.

And flying… well, it was still a long distance, and I hadn’t had my stamina built up like I did now. I couldn’t fly nearly as long back then, because it wasn’t like they’d let the twin with flying abilities use them… to escape prison.

When I stopped going to those reunions though, it was like a switch was flipped in me. And I didn’t go again… despite my curiosity about Elizabeth, and that budding feeling of happiness when I saw her or heard about her.

I finished eating and headed back to my room to pack up a few things. To get dressed, pack some clothes and snacks for the trip.

After I was ready, finally, it was pretty late. Henry and James had stayed up to see me off. However, as I walked into the living room, it seemed only one of them was still awake. Henry rose slowly from the couch, careful not to disturb James, who was sleeping soundly.

“Want me to wake him up?” Henry quietly asked.

I shook my head.

No. Don’t wake him. He needs his sleep.

After covering the topic of the can opener thoroughly, James had talked about what happened at his work today. The owners couldn’t come in to work, so it had just been him, and they’d somehow managed to be busier than usual.

And when he’d gotten home, I noticed he hadn’t taken a nap like usual.

It was a long day at work for him.

Henry nodded, and came over to me, arms open wide.

“You take care of yourself, okay?”

“I will.”

I hugged him back, really savoring the gentle feeling for a moment. Having to rise to his toes, he lightly kissed the hair by my temple.

“Call me when you get there.”

I nodded, starting to put on my jacket as I stepped away.

Minutes later, I was outside, in the crisp night air, working my way up to a jog as my back tensed up. I shifted the jacket on my back ever so slightly as the wings came out. One more step, and I was airborne.

I was headed north under the faint light of the moon.

I’d timed out my trip, with a few short breaks on the way to eat. I would make it to the edge of the Northern Pack at dawn. I planned to walk those streets, eating a little bit more as I did, and then arrive by eight-thirty at the front gate.

It was going to be a long night.

But there was nothing quite like this.

Adrenaline kept me wide awake as I soared through the air. I’d keep close to the trees and then let the wind carry me higher and farther.

Nothing was ever as freeing as flying. Nothing.

Only, it really made me hungry. The more I flew, the more calories I burned. Shedding and growing my wings burnt even more. The longer I flew, the hungrier I got.

For side effects of abilities, it wasn’t so bad.

And besides, years ago, I’d gotten a few different custom clothes as a random gift from Henry and James. This jacket was one of them.

It had two slots in the back, for my wings, for flying and not tearing holes in things in order to do so… because that had become a problem at one point.