Blue settled into the front passenger seat as their caravan headed up onto the freeway. Owen hadn't said anything about her "episode", thankfully, and Blue hadn't wanted to discuss it, so she simply held her silence, not at all uncommon, for her.

The itinerary was to drive northeast through San Jose, up through San Francisco, then Dr. Gwen had reserved them rooms at a hotel in Bend, Oregon, about ten hours away. Then it was another nine or so hours north to Thompson's Falls, Montana. Where her alpha had grown up.

Blue eventually came out of her silence by asking questions about their ultimate destination, growing drowsier as she listened to Owen's reminiscings. When a huge yawn nearly cracked her jaws, Blue unbuckled her seatbelt and slithered over the seat to curl up with her mate, draping her long frame between Omega and the back of the seat.

She nestled her head beneath his chin, absently wedging her fingers between the buttons of his shirt until she felt the raised scar tissue in his skin, right over his heart. Blue let her hand rest there, another yawn escaping, and she drowsed, lulled by the hum of tires on asphalt and the low rumbling purr of her mate.