Page 35 of Fifty & Feral

“So we go to the human high school, right? And this year, they’re offering the students taking German classes a chance to take a trip to Germany. Like a real trip, like two full weeks in Germany, right.” As Amanda spoke, she sat at the stool near the counter. She rested her hands on the granite and wrung them together.

“That sounds really exciting.” I wasn’t sure why it was relevant to me, but I was willing to listen.

“Yeah, and we would stay with a host family, and it would be great, right? Our parents say we can’t go,” Benjamin chimed in.

“Have you—”

The girl went on, “No, of course we haven’t shifted. We haven’t even met our mates.”

Okay, so meeting your mate triggered a shift? Was that always the case? I really needed a manual for all of this werewolf stuff.

“What are the concerns that your parents have brought up about this trip?”

Amanda and Benjamin exchanged a glance, and they gave a dramatic sigh that was so in sync it was as if they practiced it. “Money, for one. We would have to raise it or approach the pack for funds. But if we did that, then that would set the precedent that anyone could go, which could get expensive fast.”

Right, that made a lot of sense. Though I knew there were scholarships available for trips like this, so money wouldn’t be an unsurmountable hurdle.

“They’re mostly concerned that we aren’t responsible enough to take a trip abroad.” Benjamin crossed his arms.

That I understood. After all, they were here at a stranger’s home, eating food, not telling their parents where they were, and talking openly about pack business with a human.

“So, like, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When are we ever going to get a chance to go to Europe again? None of the pack actually travels. They’re so lame,” Amanda said, and Benjamin nodded along.

“Is that by choice, or—”

“We’re pack animals. We like to be at home,” Benjamin said.

“Of course. But that’s not totally true, because wild wolves also travel from place to place with their packs,” I said.

They looked at me the way only teenagers could pull off, like I was the dumbest person on the planet. Oh, youth. How I missed it.

“Yeah, well, we can’t just take the whole pack to Germany.” Amanda blew out a breath and stared at the counter, defeat on her features.

No, they couldn’t take the whole pack. But it wasn’t like some pack members couldn’t go, even if they were there as more of a personal vacation than a chaperone. It was worth running by their parents as an option. I’d done a study abroad when I was in school, and it had been great as a part of my education. I could see why it would be a valuable experience for these young kids, but I was not about to promise anything to two teenagers before I talked to their parents, and since apparently Alpha Jack had a say in all of this, I’d talk to him too.

I grabbed two bottles of soda from the fridge and handed one to each of them.

“What have you learned in your German class?”

“The language, mostly. But being in Germany, immersed in the culture, would really help us to learn it fluently.”

“This is true,” I said.

“And having a second language on our resume would really look good for colleges or other jobs.”

It would. I wasn’t going to argue with that.

My phone pinged with a response, and I lifted it up.

Amanda and Benjamin?

I sent a thumbs-up emoji.

Oh, thank goodness. They didn’t come back after school, and they’re not answering their phones. Janet and Madison are worried sick.

They are fine. They are safe here. How about I bring them home shortly?

“You guys make several valid points. How about this, I’ve never met your parents, so without knowing what their reasons are for being concerned about your traveling, I can’t do much. But what I can do is help you talk to them.”