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“I can’t believe you talked me into this.” Derek said so monotone that you could almost feel the level of annoyance he was carrying.
They had travelled east, he and Braeden, taking Scott and Kira in their car and Stiles following in his jeep with Malia, Lydia, Liam (because they didn’t trust the kid to be alone) and Mason (because they kind of felt sorry for him) with two things to do – follow a lead to Malia’s mom and visit colleges. By the second day of campus wandering, Derek have had it and they still were in Colorado.
“We are helping the kids.” She replied calmly.
“We are babysitting.” He scoffed crossing his arms. “Since when we babysit?”
Despite everything, Braeden smiled and held his arm, walking with him a few feet behind the teens who were looking around the buildings of the University of Denver with amazement.
“This is for Malia too.” The hunter said. “Doesn’t it make it easier to think that it’s for your family’s sake?”
“I doubt she wants to go to fancy colleges, despite all the money she has.”
“Clever.”
Derek shook his head.
“No, she just doesn’t like school.” Braeden laughed. “Besides, she knows she can have a perfect high education in California. Not so many people, lots of wild life, the right amount of woods.”
“She might as well go to Washington.”
He shook his head again.
“She hates rain and cold. It wouldn’t work.”
“It could.” Braeden replied thoughtfully. “If her boyfriend tags along.”
“GAH! I’ll have to make you stop right there.” And to emphasize he stopped on his tracks too, making her look up at him. “Also, I want to tell you why this trip sucks so much.”
“Beside the babysitting part?”
“Beside the babysitting thing.” He said mirroring her smile. “We have to share everything with those little punks. Meals, rooms, cars. It’s very annoying.”
Braeden made a face.
“I can agree with that, but we knew what we were getting into from the start. Ten days of misadventures and a lot of teen drama.”
“It’s kind of amazing that Lydia agreed to it too.” Derek wondered aloud.
“Not amazing.” The banshee’s voice said behind them and they turned around startled. “Just reasonable. You guys didn’t really think you could survive without me, did you? You all wouldn’t last two days.”
“We already lasted two days.” Braeden stated and Lydia smiled as if she had a secret.
“Day’s not over yet, sweetheart.” The girl said and then looked at her map of the university uninterested. “What would I’d like to see in this place I have no interest in going, though?” she said, walking past them and the couple exchanged a look.
“I can’t believe you talked me into this.” The werewolf said again and Braeden couldn’t help but laugh. They held hands and started walking again keeping a safe distance from the teens.