The Shifter's Pack (28 March 2020)

~CHAPTER 4~

Everyone shifted back as the group approached a deserted road with two black SUV's parked and only a single gray dodge charger. Ember and Lucas stood staring at each other looking lovestruck while those around them chuckled as they started piling into the SUV's. Only the King, Raven, and Xena waited for them to stop oogling at each other long enough to let them know it was time to get into the car. She blushed a deep red color as her mate smiled at her while holding out his hand to her.

Ember loved the tingles that occurred with their contact and stared at their connected hands as Lucas led her to the charger and opened the passenger door for her. After making sure that she was buckled in and comfortable he opened the back door for her friends to hop in which they did gratefully after thanking him. Raven and Xena started talking about the best tasting cookie recipies in the world as her mate buckled in and started up the car. She listened to the familiar purr of the engine as Lucas gently took a hold of her hand and started driving, the other cars following behind theirs.

She felt like she stared too long at Lucas as he turned slightly to look at he through the corner of his eyes. Ember could not get enough of his amazing green eyes as the color reminded her of the forest and of the grassy valleys near her home. Speaking of home, once she got a hold of a phone she should contact her parents to tell them the good news. They were scared to let her go off on her own in the beginning to go travel around the world and Ember guessed that they had every right to worry. She was captured and kept in a lab for Godesses' sake. Although thankfully the scientists that were at the lab were the only ones that knew of the shifters' existance as they were too selfish and wanted to keep their subjects to themselves.

"What would you like to eat for lunch?" Lucas asked them after a couple of hours as he turned down the radio to hear their response. They were currently driving on the interstate as the sun was high above them in the sky. "The closest to us at the moment that has alot of choices is a food court at a mall." When he didn't hear the girls reply Lucas quickly looked at them only to see them drooling as their eyes sparkled at the mere thought of eating.

She watched her mate simply shake his head at them as he quickly mind-linked his father and guards that they were stopping. It only took them a few minutes to take the exit down and the girls looked out the windows with excitement as the forest scenery thinned out to tall buildings that towered in the sky. Ember was so happy to see civilization again as although she does love living in the woods, nothing can compare to exploring all that the humans had to offer. Their inventions beneficial to the shifter society such as refrigeration and the heating with air conditioning were especially a blessing in disguise. Not to mention the tubs with massaging jets now those were every shifter's dreams.

When they finally entered the food court section of the mall, the King of Tigers quickly headed over to the hibachi station as a few of the guards went after him and the rest happily went towards the Carribbean station. When Ember looked over at Lucas in confusion at his father's actions he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Mom loves hibachi. It's literally the only thing that she will ever eat from the food court." He told her as she nodded in understanding. "Hibachi is exceptionally delicious, and some stores give you your money's worth!" She replied as she watched Raven and Xena still arguing about the cookies as they made their way to the hibachi line.

"I'm telling you girl PEANUT BUTTER is the BEST tasting flavor of them all!" Xena crossed her arms as she set her foot down.

"Nope SUGAR with SPRINKLES is definitely the TOP BEST and I bet the guards will say the same!" Raven flipped her hair behind her as their argument continued.

After debating on what to eat Ember and Lucas both decided to get two boxes with separate meats and just share them with each other. After they got their orders it didn't take them too long to find the group seated at a large table as there were fourteen of them in total. Lucas pulled out Ember's chair for her and she thanked him as she sat down. She was happy that her mate was a gentleman and it was definitely making her fall for him more.