The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

Chapter Two Hundred Ten

GAYLE

That has to be the bridge your brother was talking about,” I shout, pointing toward the top of a wooden structure that barely peeks out

over the tall grass.

“Where? Delilah snaps, exasperated.

“Over there!” I point toward a large copse of trees and what looks to be the drop off of a jagged valley. It’s behind the woods. It’s camouflage.”

“Well, do you see the road he was talking about?” she asks, pulling to the side of the lone highway and shielding her eyes from the sun as it creeps up on the horizon. “Because I can’t see anything. Why are your windows not tinted??? Everybody tints their windows! Don’t they?”

I giggle, shaking my head as I fish around in the center console for Tars old sunglasses. “Not lions. We have exceptional vision in both the daylight and the dark. I can look dead at the sun at any time of day and watch the birds fly under it.”

“Really?” she exclaims. Really? For how long?”

“What do you mean?” I find the glasses then slide them into her lap. “Here, you can have these. Put them on.”

“Thank you! These are badass,” she gushes, studying them before she puts them on. “What I went to ask was, how long can you look directly at the sun before it starts to tase your eyesight?” She gasps, “Gajde! Are you aware that these are Prada?”

“Yes, of course I am, Lilah. They were Tag’s and that’s the only brand of sunglasses that she ever wesurs.

She loves her sunglasses, even though they’re completely useless to us.” I punch the moon release button and slide open the sunroof. And to answer your other question all day. From sunup to sundown.” Then I unbuckle ny seatbelt and stand up in my seat, poking my head out of the sun roof to study the landscape more carefully.

What does it look like?” she asks.

A big glowing ball surrounded by sparkling fire,” I inform her, spotting the river cane told us about a mile away where the valley flattens, out a bit. “Not only can we literally sun watch, but we can also see eight times farther than you guys can. I can see more of the bridge now that my view isn’t obstructed, but I’m still having a hard time finding where the dirt path meets the highway that we’re on. The grass is just too damn high,

“That’s so unfair!” she grumbles. “How is it that we as humans are born with enough brains to skyrocket ourselves to the top of the food chain, but we are at the bottom of the barrel for absolutely everything else. Every other predator on earth gets to have a bunch of cool stuff! Perfect eyesight, superior strength, exceptional speed, sharper teeth!!!

I laugh, hoisting myself up so that I’m seated on the roof of the jeep. And what makes you think humans are at the top of the food–chain, Lilah?”

She snickers. “Because we are! Not naturally, no. But our brains are more advanced than that of the natural apex predator and what we weren’t born with… we created.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” I tease, glancing down at her through the roof’s opening before launching myself up onto my feet. “You’re forgetting there’s one more species even higher up on the pyramid than humans.”

almost arrogantly. “And what species is that? Dragons?”

a half feet higher than before, not only do 1 spy the carefully camouflaged road, but I can see the mountain In the distance. And…the cottage on the far side of the river. That’s it that’s the place. Hes in there right now… waiting for us. With a genuine smile that I don’t think I’ve flashed since my mother died, 1 effortlessly slip

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21:28 Fr, NOV

Two Hundred Ten

CANE

front just as I step clothes in

I step out

1 rush to wrap a towel around my waist. Fuck! Why didn’t bring

large bay windows. She and her friend must have parked on the far side of the

only side of the house that is completely invisible from every vantage point, it can stay there at least until tomorrow.

glass panel of the front door. Dread unfurls in my stomach as I reach for the deadbolt and I can finally see the color of her eyes. A normal Delilah, a come and content Delilah, has eyes that are hazel blue, and are threaded with slivers of gold and green. An extremely pleased Delilah, or an excited Delilah, shimmers with a swirling oasis of turquoise

more green–gold than they are any shade of blae… and that

She’s mortally pissed

an angry Delilah can be more dangerous than any other creature

one thing.

know about Charlie.

mur All me.

going to fucking

a mental inventory of every door and every window in the house. Dif I leave any unlocked? Holy fuck I hope not. The possibility that

a shifter. She just wanted to know where I was. The real friend she is talking about,

glass, neither of us saying a word. As I continue to remain

don’t see any sign of her and my suspicions of this being some kind of

Cane,” she demands, her gaze narrowing on me as she crosses her arms over

the

eyes. “So I didn’t brush my hair, so what? Open the

D. Your eyes.”

shoot up as it dawns on her that she’s already given herself away, but to my surprise, she just rolls her eyes and says, “Okay Cane, yeah, you

knows about it, then

Thank fuck

piece of the wall that I built around my heart

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