You are the Answer {boyxboy} ✓ (Dogs, Bats & Monkeys series, Book I | Riley)

Chapter 33

A/N: Welcome our newest Silver Bullets pack members, the winners of the Your Name in My Books raffle - Jizelle, Mira and Ivan!

To those of you who didn't win: don't worry; you'll get another chance! Once I set up my facebook readers group - a place where all of you awesome people who join will get exclusive content - I will organize fun games, raffles and competitions with a variety of prizes :)

*****

The most contented sigh left my lips when I woke up into Rhys' arms and snuggled further into his embrace, fully intent on staying there until the sun climbed further up in the sky.

"Good morning," he murmured into my ear and kissed my nape. I turned around to face him with a smile.

"A very good morning, following a very, very good night." I grinned, placing my cheek on his chest. He sighed.

"What's wrong?" I tilted my head back so I could see his eyes.

"I have to get up to supervise the morning exercises for the youngsters. I'll only be gone about fifty minutes to an hour; the workout is short because the kids have to get ready for school."

"What's the problem?"

"I don't want to leave you on your own," he replied, his thumb caressing my jaw.

"Why don't I come with you?" I offered. "If it's not against the Bullets' rules."

He laughed.

"Of course not; after all, at some point you will be moving in with me. But wouldn't you rather sleep a little longer?"

"Nope." I shook my head and pecked him on the lips. "I'd rather be with you."

"Let's go then!"

*****

"Morning, Rhys!"

"Hi, Rhys!"

"Hey, Riley!"

People kept greeting my boyfriend and every now and then me as we walked towards the nearby woods; many of the youngsters ran past us without even waiting for a reply. Perhaps the dim light from the early morning sun was enough for the shifters to find their way amongst the trees, but I walked with great difficulty, stumbling on several occasions; Rhys had to catch me twice so that I would not fall.

"Don't worry, you'll see better when we get to the clearing and the branches aren't obstructing the rays," he reassured me after my second close call to kissing the ground.

"How do you know no one will see you during the workout?"

"Well..."

"Is Kennedy at the clearing yet?" A pretty girl in her early teens inquired as she caught up with us.

"I don't know, Mira; I slept at my own house," my boyfriend answered.

"Oh." Her eyes flickered my way and she tried to hide a grin. "I see."

She then looked ahead and shouting 'Jizelle, wait up,' ran towards a brown-haired girl, leaving both Rhys and I rose-cheeked.

"Do you think she knows what we've been doing?" I asked quietly and we commenced walking.

"Not exactly, but..." Rhys cleared his throat. "So, the clearing is a piece of land we bought with the funds we gathered from the pack members. The first generation that moved into Woodbury initially couldn't afford it, but it was one of the things they purchased as soon as they could. Now that it is a private land, it is less likely for someone to see us train, especially with the patrols marching around."