The Young Mate

Chapter 29

Lila (Caution: Long Chapter)

I couldn't contain myself when I woke up. It was 5:45 am. I jumped on Landon until he woke up.

"Happy birthday Cherry. What time is it?" He yawned out.

"5:49." I said excitedly. He groaned and rolled over making me fall back on the bed. I heard his soft snores again. "Landon!" I poked his face. He stayed asleep. I started smacking his face, lightly. His eyes popped open and they were red from tried.

"That's it." He put his hands where my neck and shoulders meet and pretended to choke me. But it just tickled. "You wake up too early. Me need sleep." He said trying not to laugh.

"Stop I'm gonna pee." I choked out. He stopped 'choking' me and started actually tickling me.

"That does not make me want to stop." But he did. "Can we just sleep a little longer? The party doesn't start until noon." He cuddled against my hip because I'm sitting up.

"You can. I can't go back to sleep. Can I go on a walk?" He nodded.

"There's guys on patrol 24/7. Just don't go around front. Your decorations are going to be a surprise." He said dozing off.

"Okay. Love you." He mumbled it back and I got up. I put my hair in a pony tail and slipped a pair of old raggedy shoes on. I left my night clothes on cause it was just leggings and a t-shirt. It was cool out but I didn't grab a jacket. I don't get cold easily. The second I walked out the back door I was greeted by a guard. He told me happy birthday. I guess everyone knows.

I turned right and started to walk towards the woods. I remember Jane telling me about a trail thats good to walk on. The second I steppe foot on the trail something didn't feel right. It was way too quiet. No birds or anything. Then a hand went over my mouth. I tried to scream as we went into the air.

"Calm down it's me." Uriley. I sighed and looked over my shoulder. He was laughing silently.

"What are you doing?" I asked. He let me sit on the thick branch and he stood up and leaned against the trunk.

"Landon didn't call vampires in for nothing." He gestured to the woods surrounded us. Then I saw them. There were men and woman perched on branches. They waved at me and a few whispered a happy birthday.

 "Do you know how to play poker?" Uriley asked suddenly. He took me to a shelter they have set up in the trees. The vampires that werent on watch duty taught me how to play poker. Uriley helped me the first couple of times. Then when I got chilly because of the wind he let me have his leather jacket. The ones I was playing with were named Jessica, Matt, Jordan, and Blaine. Super cool people.

"Want one?" Blaine offered me something that looked like a cigarette without the brown part. I raised my eyebrows. "They're candy." He laughed.

"Oh I've never had one." I took one and it was super good. I had time to kill so I decided to stay for a while.

Landon

I woke up again around 9:30. Lila wasn't back yet so I decided to look for her. I put on a muscle t-shirt and basketball ball shorts in case I had to shift. I asked the guards if they saw her and they said she was taken up into the trees by Uriley. I sighed and went to a platform they were using as HQ. Uriley and a few other vamps sat around a table with Lila. She had on a leather jacket and something that looked like a cigarette hanging out her mouth.

"Royal flush." She called out proudly laying her cards down. The others swore and threw their own cards down. She high-fived Uriley and took the pile of crumpled bills and 'cigarettes' in the middle of the table.