Running with Shifters (completed)

Chapter 9 Meg-Elaine

Chapter 9

Meg-Elaine

"She is... a freak." I smack Eli's chest before snuggling deeper into his arms. We've been watching Iz as she goofs around with the daggers and he's just as stunned as Kate and I were, especially after I explained that she was just taught the basics.

"You're one to talk, Mr. Fluffy Bengal Tiger Man."

He chuckles, his chest moving my shoulder along with it, "okay. I'll give you that. But even I can't do that." He points to where she's doing some sort of weird dance that kind of reminds me of that Russian dance where you crouch and kick your legs. Except instead of having her arms together she's weaving the blades between her legs and twirling them in the air... all in the time it takes her to switch feet.

My gaze wanders over to Lin, sitting on the log next to us as he too watches Iz make everyone jealous. A look of sheer adoration and pride covers his face and I can't help but smile. Lin's such a great guy and, as much as I'd never admit it aloud, really hot. He's Iz's match and yet, at the same time, her complete opposite. He can sometimes be over protective (okay, pretty much any time she gives him warning about what she's about to do), and she has innumerable daredevil tendencies.

Romulus comes over, cooked steaks skewered on a stick in his hands, and he pulls off one for each of us, handing them to us. Iz stops twirling and sits down next to Lin but refuses to take a steak. "Why not? I've tried it, it's good." Romulus seems unusually confused by this and I step in before she has to explain.

"She's not hungry. She's already... eaten. She caught it, she knows what it tastes like." Iz smiles at me, mouthing a thank you, and Romulus just shrugs and goes over to sit with Kate and Wallace as everyone but Iz starts eating.

Suddenly reminded by what I just said, I think back to when Eli and Wallace first saw her catch. Wallace was just behind us coming out of the woods and after Eli and I'd dropped off the wood to the fire I'd taken them to see dinner. They'd both been so stunned, I literally could not help sending myself into a coughing fit from laughing so hard.

When I'd asked why they were so shocked Eli explained that they hadn't really expected her to catch anything, that they'd only asked her along to give her something to do. They'd been tracking the scent of a herd of deer, and were almost to them, when suddenly the deer'd been spooked and ran. Eli and Wallace had been too tired to bother giving chase so they'd just caught some rabbits and eaten them, planning on catching more for the rest of us but then forgetting when they'd smelled the blood and followed it back to the tree line and where I was gathering wood. Apparently I was in the same area that Iz came out of the woods in, so there was trace amounts of blood.

I smirk as I finish my steak, still picturing Eli's adorably shocked face, and stretch my legs out on the bench, repositioning myself in his arms as I watch the sky above the trees start to pale into a dark pink.

Because I've been nocturnal for so long, what with Hunting and more recently recruiting vampires to be Turned, I've grown accustomed to not seeing many sunrises. Even though my body can go more than three days without sleep and still be fully functioning and alert that doesn't mean I'll let it. I like my sleep too much and Eli is far too comfortable to not take advantage of.

I know for a fact that I can stay awake that long. My teachers once made me stay awake for as long as I could and randomly made me do fighting drills to test my reflexes during that time. After three days I finally collapsed. I'd beaten my father's record- he was the record holder in my family before me- by a good five hours.

With the memory of beating Father and the comforting warmth of Eli beside me, I succumb to sleep as the sky welcomes the new day.