31. The Journey Begins

The following day, after breakfast, Alpha Callum and Clarice chatted with Grandpa Eliezer. "Guys, enjoy the trip and get back home soon. I'm excited about meeting Caden, my great-grandson," Grandpa Eliezer said enthusiastically. "We will definitely return quickly, Pops," Alpha Callum replied. "We will quickly return here even before we arrive there," he joked. Amused, Clarice laughed, pinching his arm. "Kidding aside, guys, have you already packed everything?" Grandpa Eliezer asked, chuckling. "Yep. I finished packing a few days ago, Grandpa. We are ready to go," Clarice responded cheerfully. "Alright then, good luck on your trip, and enjoy your journey," Grandpa Eliezer said. "Thanks, Pops." Alpha Callum smiled. Clarice said, "I'm going upstairs to put everything in my shoulder bag," she said, and climbed the stairs back to her room on the second floor. As soon as Clarice was out of earshot, Grandpa Eliezer asked, "Son, how is your wife there in Australia?" "She has already arrived in Australia safely. We have regular communication, Pops. She kept me updated with her activities there," Alpha Callum replied. "Good," Grandpa Eliezer murmured. "But what if she suddenly calls you on your phone and demands to have a video chat with you and Clarice is also with you? What are you going to do?" he asked, his tone anxious. Alpha Callum grinned. "Don't worry, Pops. If my wife calls me and wants to have a video chat with me, then I will just inform Clarice to stay quiet. That's how easy it is," he said reassuringly. "OK. I'm just wondering if Luna Viviana has started asking you questions about why you are in an unfamiliar place? And what are you doing in that place?" Grandpa Eliezer pressed on. "Pops, my wife doesn't know all the villages affected by the landslide. I will just tell her that I'm currently visiting and inspecting a new landslide-prone area, and she will believe me. As long as she doesn't see any women beside me, then everything is fine," Alpha Callum said reassuringly. Grandpa Eliezer finally nodded his head, satisfied with the answer he received from Callum. "Alright then, I guess you are very much prepared with your ready-made alibis to answer all your wife's queries. I have nothing to worry about anymore," he finally said. "You are correct, Pops. I'm very much prepared for what I have to do if my wife calls or texts me to ask for my whereabouts. Please stop worrying about me. I have everything covered for this journey. Nothing and no one can stop me and Clarice from getting our son back. Not even my wife," Alpha Callum declared in a serious tone. "Alright, I wish you and Clarice a great journey to Lashpar Village," Grandpa Eliezer said. "Thank you, Pops," Alpha Callum said. The men continue chatting outside the house. After Clarice finished putting all her essentials in her bag, she went downstairs and helped Lorey with food preparation in the kitchen. They are going to cook vegetable stir-fry with meat, fried fish and chicken soup for lunch. A few hours later, the girls finished the cooking preparation. Clarice called the men back to the house so they could eat their meals early. They gathered around the dining table and began eating their delicious lunch. After the couple finished eating, they were getting ready to start their journey. Half an hour later, the trio stood outside the farmhouse. "Pops, we are going now," Alpha Callum said. Grandpa Eliezer nodded his head. "Take care, drive safely and enjoy the ride, guys." "Bye, Grandpa!" Clarice said, waving her hand. "Bye, Lorey!" "Bye, guys!" Grandpa replied, waving back. "Bye Luna, Bye Alpha!" Lorey responded with a wave of her hand. The couple get in the car. Alpha Callum slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. He waved at the two people standing outside the door as he drove the car away, heading for the main road ahead. "Yaay! I'm so excited!" Clarice giggled excitedly. Alpha Callum smiled. He glanced at his lovely companion for a brief few seconds. She was radiating with happiness for good reason. Clarice planted a kiss on his cheeks. "Eyes on the road, babe!" she said, amused. "Yes, boss!" Alpha Callum grinned. "Do you want to hear some music while admiring the picturesque scenery as we pass by in the countryside?" he asked. "Yes please, country music is best for traveling," she gave him a thumbs up. "Alright, your wish is my command," Alpha Callum turned on the car stereo and lively country music filled the car. The couple traveled nonstop and only did stop over when they needed to use the restroom. When nighttime came, they slept in one of the travel lodging houses they found alongside the road. They ordered room delivery service, ate hot food and slept early that night, excited to continue their journey the next day. The following day, they woke up at 6:00 in the morning, well rested and eager to travel early. They ordered room delivery and ate breakfast with gusto. After breakfast is over, they take a shower, then pack their bags for another long journey. At 8:30 in the morning, the couple was back on the road again. At noon, they stopped over at a restaurant and had a barbecue for lunch. After lunch was over, they started traveling again. When it's already 7:00 in the evening, they spent a night at the Travel Inn. They ordered pizza, crispy fried chicken and hot corn soup for dinner. After dinner, they watched a movie on TV and got ready to go to bed. Suddenly, Alpha Callum's phone starts ringing, and the caller was Luna Viviana. He didn't reply right away, he glanced at Clarice and said, "I will teleport back to the house because my wife wants to video chat with me in our room. You can watch more movies while waiting for me," he suggested. "No problem. I'll just watch movies while waiting for you," she replied calmly. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I hope you won't get mad at me. I'm sorry about this," he apologized sincerely. Clarice smiled and hugged him, kissing his cheeks. "I'm not mad, babe. I'm fine. I understand your situation. Leave now. I'm fine here. I have plenty of movies to watch," she said with a smile. "Thank you, babe," Alpha Callum said gratefully, thankful that she was not making a big fuss about his wife's call. "I'll go now," he said and vanished from the room in the blink of an eye. Clarice sighed wearily. She grabbed the remote control and searched through the endless movie titles to find something worth watching. She found a sci-fi movie with a good rating and watched it for almost two hours. The movie was filled with heart-stopping action and breathtaking CGI. She enjoyed the movie from start to finish. After the movie ended, Callum hadn't returned yet and she was getting sleepy. She donned her pajamas and went to bed. She tried reading her book but started yawning after five chapters. She closed her eyes and finally drifted into a deep sleep a few minutes later with the light in the room still on. Meanwhile, in Alpha Callum's mansion. He can be seen lying on the bed, video chatting with his wife, who refused to sleep. It was already 11:00 in the evening when Luna Viviana finally decided to end their conversation. "Bye, hon, sleep tight. Dream of me. I'll text you tomorrow morning," she finally said. "OK. Good night, hon," Alpha Callum replied, yawning. After his wife ended their conversation, Alpha Callum turned off the light in the master bedroom and teleported back to the inn. When he arrived there, Clarice was already sleeping soundly on the bed. He turned off the light, planted a gentle kiss on her head, and lay down on the bed beside her. He draped the blanket over their bodies, hugging his mate from behind, spooning her in the process. He fell asleep a few moments later. The following day, the couple woke up at 7:30 in the morning. "I'm sorry about last night, babe. I returned here late, and you had already fallen asleep," he apologized. "It's okay, no need to apologize. I understand your situation. Let's just order room service for breakfast. I'm hungry," she said with a smile, assuring him that she was okay. "Thanks for understanding my situation, babe," Alpha Callum said and kissed her lips tenderly. They kissed each other's lips passionately. Their lip duel lasted for a few minutes. Afterward, they ordered food for breakfast. After they finished eating their meals, they were ready to start their journey. "Today, we will arrive in the village before evening comes, probably at 4:00 in the afternoon, according to my estimate," Clarice said. "Great! I can't wait to see our son!" Alpha Callum gushed excitedly. "Me too!" Clarice beams. Hearts brimming with excitement, the couple began their last leg of their journey towards Lashpar Village.