The Silk Of The Predator (Book #1 In Series)

Elias

I was Althea's boyfriend. Surprised, yes. Why? I don't know.

"Ally?" I asked. We had been flying for an hour or so now, and Althea was leaning against me, her head on my chest. She looked up at me, "Yes?". "What do like? I mean, what kind of books and music do you like?" I asked. "Why?" she asked. "Just out of curiosity" I said. "Well, I like reading whatever Shakespeare, or Dickens I can find. And I listen to whatever I can find, mostly it's old country, like Johnny Cash, and something John, I can't remember what his last name is" she said. "Dickens, like Charles Dickens?" I asked surprised, I loved Dickens. "Yeah" she replied. "What's your favorite?" "A Tale Of Two Cities". I smiled, "I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul". Her eyes widened, "You've read it?!". I grinned, "That's my favorite Dickens book too". "You like Dickens?!" she asked, surprised. "He's my favorite author. I love Dickens" I said. Then at the same time, we both said, "It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times", quoting from the very first line of the book. We both grinned. "You guys are lame" Gray teased. "I think we've earned a little lame, immature time" Althea laughed. Gray and I laughed. Zach sat up, blinking, obviously just waking up from his nap. "Sorry, Zach, did our immaturity wake you up?" Althea asked. He smiled, "No, actually, Gray's laughing did". Gray blinked, "What?". Then we laughed, and Zach said, "Well, I think that was the first time I've ever heard you laugh". Yeah, he doesn't laugh or smile much, Shiro cut in. "I laugh and smile!" Gray protested. "Yeah, no you don't" Althea, Zach, and Vik shot back. I smiled, and I suddenly realized that I haven't smiled, like really smiled or laughed in a long time, it all started when I met Althea.

Althea, leaned against me again, and sighed. "What's wrong?" I asked her. "Nothing, I just wish life wasn't Ike this. Always on the run, scared, not actually able to live properly" she replied softly. "I'm sorry, we were so wrong to take this place from you" I whispered back. "Oh, no! I didn't mean you Eli!" she said as she sat up quickly and looked at me. "I wasn't talking about me specifically. I just meant my- my race. Supernaturals," I said quickly. She smiled, "You know, I don't even think about you being a Supernatural anymore. I honestly kinda forgot". I smiled at her, "I don't know how you could forget". "Hey! Get a room lovebirds!" Gray yelled, then he sat up and smirked at us. "Please stop telling them to do that before they actually do" Zach muttered. "Oh, chill out Zach. I think Althea is old enough to think for herself, and do what she wants" Gray told him. "Thanks, Gray," Ally said.

I was jolted to a start when we started to descend. Ally sat up in my arms and glanced around. I had kind of gotten used to flying up in the clouds, that I was a little confused when the ground came into view. Zach sat up to, then he looked up at Gray when he stood up like he was insane. "Gray! What are you doing?" Zach asked him, still giving him the look. "I'm trying to get a good view, and a layout of the land. If Wade and Elias's father come back, then we're going to need to know the land, so we can make a run for it, and know where we're going," Gray replied. Vik, just now sitting up, glanced at the both of them, then scooted over to Ally and me. Ally opened up her arms, and Vik leaned into them. "Hey, there Icky Vikky," I teased. Vik looked up at me and smiled, "Hi, there Biased Elias,". I grinned at her, "How am I biased?". "How am I icky?" she asked, grinning. "Touché," I grinned wider. Ally laughed, and Vik joined in. "It sounds really great to hear Vik laugh again," Zach said, smiling.

Shiro landed, finally, with a jolt. Her claws dug into hard packed earth to keep her grounded. The momentum carried her forward a few steps, and and her claws clicked on the earth, her wings flapped a few times, before she folded them to her sides. The jolt nearly threw us off, so we were clinging to the spikes that scaled her back, and up her neck, except for Gray. He was crouched, his arms outstretched, like he was trying to balance. I didnt know how he was thrown into the air. Sorry, guys. Im trying to be gentle. Shiro whispered. Gray was quick to reasure her, "No, you're doing fine,". We slid down her leg and landed, roughly, on the ground. I stumbled forward a few steps then managed to catch myself. Ally wasn't so lucky, she stumbled, and fell, but I caught her before she could hit the ground. I had spun around so fast, that I had actually used my Supernatural speed without even meaning to. She blinked up at me in my arms. She smiled, "Thanks, I dont know if I can even repay you for everything you've done,". I pulled her to her feet, and smiled back at her, "You being here is repayment enough,". Then she kissed me, startling me, but not for long. Warmth spread through my body, and I kissed her back. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and I wrapped my arms around her waist. Zach cleared his throat, and we broke apart. I looked at Gray, but he and Shiro seemed to be having an internal conversation. Finally, he nodded, and Shiro started foward. We followed, and I kept an arm around Ally's waist. At some point while we walking, Ally put her head on my shoulder, and her arm around my waist. It took about 15 minutes to get to where we going, which turned out to be a small little cabin, tucked away in the woods. Vik rushed ahead, bursting in the door. "Hey! There's water!" Vik yelled from inside. There was a collective sigh of happiness. A sigh that grew louder when Vik yelled, "And hot water!". I actually started to get excited, and could tell Ally was too. We broke out into a run, all of us, except Gray. Gray was walking slowly, then I remembered that he had been shot. He had said that it took a lot to kill Dragon Riders, but he still had to be hurting.

Shiro was nuzzling him with her nose, and he was trying, unsuccessfully, to shoo her off. "Gray, you alright man?" I asked him, slowing down. Ally froze a few steps ahead of me, and so did Zach, a few steps from the door. "Yeah fine," he huffed out. "No you're not," Zach said, circling back to him. "I am, I already told you, thanks to me being half Dragon Rider, it takes a lot to kill me," Gray told him, stepping away as Zach tried to put his arm under his shoulder to help support him. "Look, Gray, I get that you're like this real big tough guy, but around us, you don't have to be so tough. Okay?" Ally asked. He blinked at her, freezing for a few seconds. "Fine," he said, giving in, and letting Zach help him. We walked inside to see Vik already spread out on the couch, asleep. I couldn't help but notice how peaceful she looked. I looked around the room, and saw 3 couches, and a recliner. Gray claimed one of the other couches, and I claimed the chair. Ally curled up in the chair with me, and Zach stretched out on the other couch. "Shiro is going to leave, do some scouting, then go find a place where she can hide," Gray told us, he was completely stretched out, and his eyes were closed. "Tell her to stay high up in the clouds, Wayne is using Hovercrafts, and he could easily spot her, and shoot at her," I told him. "Done," he mumbled sleepily.

Ally laid her head on my chest, and curled her arms against my stomach. I wrapped my arms around her, and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Ally," I whispered to her. "I love you too, Eli," she whispered back. She sighed, and settled in. Her breathing slowed as she fell asleep. For a little while, I listened to the sound of her steady breathing, and heartbeat, and finally, the sound lulled me to sleep. "Well, isn't this interesting?" asked a voice I didn't know. I jerked awake, and automatically pulled Ally behind me, covering her body with mine. I saw two people, a man and a woman, around my father's age, but they didn't look like Souls, or Supernaturals. "Elias!" she protested. "Ally, please just stay still," I whispered to her. Zach and Gray jumped up, and Gray pulled out his knife. Zach crounched down in front of Vik, who hadn't woken up yet, with his knife out. My knife was on the table next to the chair, but I didn't want to move from in front of Ally. Then Ally managed to edge around me, and the two people who had us trapped froze. "Althea?", the woman asked, her voice soft. Ally froze also, "Mama?" she asked the woman.

I inspected the woman to see that she looked like Ally, but also like Zach and Vik, and the man did also. I straightened up, and moved from in front of Ally. She barreled into the woman's arms, her mom. Zach was frozen, staring open mouthed. The woman looked over at Zach, and asked, "Zachariah?". Zach unfroze, and did the same as Ally, barreled right into her arms. I walked over to the couch where Vik lay. I crouched, then shook her softly. "Hey, Icky Vikky,". She pushed my hand away, "What do you want, Biased Elias?" she asked groggily. "There's someone here to see you," I told her. Her eyes fluttered open. I stepped back, so she would have a clear view of her parents. "Mama! Papa!" she jumped up and ran right into their arms. I sat down on the couch, and Gray sat down beside me.