The Stray

Chapter 6

I'm really, really, really, uber-doober sorry. I owe all of you a cookie, and a kiss :P This has been written for a while, but I haven't really had the inspiration to write lately. Hopefully, I'll start catching up again soon. AND PEOPLE SHOULD COMMENT!! Pwease? I'm dying to get feedback. Dedicated to MY FIRST EVER FAN!! WOOOT!! ************

Chapter-6

I blushed as the man handed us our tickets after eyeing my bikini. Jack growled quietly, enough so that I was probably the only one to hear, and pulled me into the park. Screams and giggles rang throughout the entire park as kids splashed, teens flirted, and adults worked on their tans. I'd been here before with Trish and Payton plenty of times, so I knew this place like the back of my hand.

A laugh escaped my lips as I dragged him to Thunder River. This one was definitely my favorite. We boarded a two-person, yellow raft and pushed ourselves into the river, passing all of the people that were just lounging without rafts. Yeah, the river ran through the entire park, and you just chilled except in some parts. As if thinking about them summoned them, the rapids appeared. I squealed and Jack gave me an amused look before following my stare. His eyes grew wide as we were thrown into the white water and struggled to gain control. We were tilting on my side while we spun in circles from the current, so he threw himself down to even the weight. That was all she wrote. Our raft capsized and I fell underwater. I gasped when water filled my nose and throat. Clawing my way to the surface, I spluttered.

A hand pulled me onto a raft, and I thought that Jack was my savior, but I heard a cough behind me, causing me to almost fall out again as I turned. Jack's green eyes were wide with terror and amusement as the same time. I guffawed at his shocked expression and turned to see who had helped me. Paul was grinning like there was no tomorrow as he started to paddle away from Jack, leaving him glaring and smothering his humor. I paddled with him until we were floating on the river with Jack out of view. He would find us eventually. We could wait at the end of the ride for him. The fast current ended, and we leaned back to relax. As I started to doze off with the sun warming my skin, I heard a loud splash. Thinking that Paul was splashing around, I opened my eyes to complain.

I gasped when I realized that Paul was gone. If he had gotten off by himself, it definitely wouldn't have been so loud. He could've done it sneakily. Looking for an answer to my predicament, I gazed at the water. The sun danced on the ripples and waves, making them sparkle. The gentle lap against the raft made me begin to doze off. Suddenly, a dark shape moved underneath me. A shriek escaped my lips as the raft fell from under me and I fell in. Water filled my mouth once again, and I was fighting for the surface. Two strong arms wrapped around me, and lifted me from the water. As I began to breathe again, I curled up against the warmth pressing against me.

A vibration from the chest I was pressed against had my eyes flying open. There stood model-worthy material, with cropped blonde hair and hazel eyes. "Heh, oops," I squeaked while freeing myself from his arms. I submerged myself in the river to cool my red face. As I came back out of the water, I glanced around looking for somebody to save me from the embarrassing situation. Thankfully, my mate wasn't far away. "Jack!" I called out to his searching eyes. When they met mine, I immediately felt safer and calmer. He started to tread over, but quickened his pace when he saw the stranger beside me.

"Paul is a dead man. I'm sorry, Lace, I'm just not used to," I knew he was about to say 'human form', but my eyes cautioned him into finishing correctly, "swimming after my... illness." Jack's eyes were going crazy between checking over me to make sure I was alright, searching the stranger for a threat, and looking for Paul. It must've paid off, because moments later, Paul swam over to us with a raft in tow.

"Dude, not cool. You can't just pull people off of- oh. Who's the random guy?" Paul was rambling at Jack when I realized that neither of them knew that it was this person that dragged Paul off of our raft.