Escaping Death

Chapter 4

Happy Thursday!!
It's beginning to look a lot like winter here in the East Coast!
What does December look like in your neck of the woods?
— — — — —

Solana

"You're still not going to tell me what this is about?" I try to sound casual but I know my mother picks up on my skepticism.

"You'll see soon enough," she hums and steals a piece of the apple I just sliced with one of my knives.

Runidar and Xander alert to someone walking up the stairs heading towards our lounge. My dads stand up but remain near the couch where my mom and I are sitting off to the side cloaked in the shadows.

We're shadowed mostly because mom likes to play games, and if I'm being honest I have missed doing things together with her, but the shadows also hide me from Runidar. I know he doesn't blame me for what happened, but his eyes are a sharp jab in a wound that may never close.

I'm eager for this meeting to end already, it's what stands between me and my freedom. Mom swore I'd be free to leave after this.

"You boys lost?" I can hear Runidar question three males that are now standing at the top of the stairs, but his question is really more of a warning considering he practically growled it out. Unfortunately for him, I can smell that only one of these boys is a wolf. The other two will be completely unphased by his Beta posturing.

"We're expected for a meeting." The taller of the two dragons replies. His voice is harsher than you'd expect from someone that looks the way he does. He's tall and slender, but toned with noticeable definition of his muscles. His light brown hair holds natural highlights of caramel and honey and is styled in a way that demands I run my fingers through its length.

"A meeting with whom?" Xander asks, verifying that they are actually supposed to be here and not just curious patrons that thought they could sneak up the stairs.

"Syble, sir." The same dragon speaks again.

I shoot my mom a sideways glance and she just smirks and begins to slice her own apple with an inappropriately large dagger.

Runidar and Xander lead the three boys over to where we're sitting on the far end of the lounge, but they'll only be able to see my dads as my mom and I are still shadowed.

Well what do we have here? My man-boy from the bar, Elias, and two of his friends? Colleagues? He's full of more surprises than I expected.

My dads radiate dominance, they can't help but waft it through the air around us making Elias tense briefly as he resists submitting.

"Alphas Rohanor and Varian of Shadowmoon and Twilight Grove." Runidar introduces my dads to the three guys.

"Good to meet you, sirs. I'm Dean, this is Tate and Elias," he gestures to the other two guys as they all take turns shaking my fathers' hands.

My dads gesture for their group to take a seat on the couches while Runidar and Xander simply take a step back and stand by the railing.

None of the trio makes a move. "When can we expect to meet Syble?" Dean asks plainly.

My mom dashes over to stand in front of Dean still cloaked in shadows. She studies him for a moment before uncloaking herself and nicking his jaw with her blade.

Curiously, Tate doesn't flinch but Dean and Elias both take a reflexive step back.

"Sorry for the cloak and dagger," mom grins mischievously at her own joke, licking the drops of blood from the tip of the blade.