Keeper (Matefinder Next Generation Book 1) Read Free Page B

far.
    Emma was already tearing up.
    “I made Devon a promise before I died. I promised him that his daughter would grow up in a better world.” All eyes landed on Avery where she sat next to us and the pack nodded their heads in respect. My father continued. “A world where vampires didn’t rule. A world where werewolves were fertile and prosperous. A world in which the races could live in peace.”
    The pack cried out in agreement. The past twenty years was all that I had ever known. A world where vampires were scarcely seen and used government run programs to get donated blood. Where witches kept off the radar because they weren’t known about and werewolves were mostly tolerated. It was a peaceful existence, tense at times but peaceful. But the past few years, I had seen a change within the relationship between the humans and werewolves. We were asked to take the marks, the tattoo, in an effort to show we weren’t hiding, that we could be trusted. We were scowled at more in public, spit on sometimes, and called names. The generation that hailed us heroes for saving them from bloodsucking vampires, was gone or too old to care. Now it was a new generation rising up and they didn’t seem to see us in the same light. Our population, once small, was now large and growing, and it was threatening to the humans. Still, things were okay; we were maintaining a peace.
    My father continued. “Let’s start by telling stories then we can eat and dance and be happy. That’s what Devon would want,” my dad’s voice boomed, carrying around to all of us.
    “Here, here!” everyone shouted.
    Uncle Max stood on the boulder. “I remember the first time Devon learned that a female werewolf with similar markings to his had been spotted in Utah.”
    Aunt Emma chuckled as a smile lit up her face. Werewolf mates recognized each other because they had exact opposite markings to each other. Hearing of a werewolf with similar markings was exciting.
    “He was a mess! He couldn’t figure out what to wear, what to say …”
    All of a sudden a weird feeling settled over me. Max’s voice became muffled and my ears were ringing. I couldn’t focus on what he was saying, and shaking my head to clear the noise didn’t help. My vision was blurring and I blinked rapidly as my body started warming up. The fever. In the middle of the day? Then it happened. I was sucked into my first vision. My mother had prepared me for this moment my whole life. What it would feel like, and not to panic, but I was still alarmed. I had no control. Dreams while sleeping were one thing, but a vision in the middle of the day while you were trying to stand upright was scary as hell.
    Gone from Emma’s backyard, I now saw my dream guy. But this scene was different from my repeating dream. He was lying in bed, tossing and turning, and it was as if I was standing in the room with him. Shirtless, skin coated in sweat, he continued to thrash. Jesus Christ, he was ripped! Can someone have a ten pack? Is that possible? Suddenly, he bolted awake, sitting up and panting. He looked right at me with an electrifying gaze.
    “Somebody help me. What’s happening to me?”
    Our eyes locked for a second and my heart hammered in my chest, but then he looked down at his shaking hands.
    Stepping closer, I reached out to touch him, to say something, anything to ease his anxiety, but I was pulled out of the vision so fast that nausea slammed into me and I found myself lying in the grass, my head on Jax’s lap. My father, eyes yellow, hovered over me.
    “Give her room,” my mom scolded him.
    I groaned, sitting up. The entire pack watched me with curiosity and my dad backed up a few inches.
    “I’m fine,” I said, but I felt so hot I wanted to take all of my clothes off and jump into the lake. Sweat was rolling down my face and my breathing was labored as I tried to orient myself again. My first vision. Wow. It kinda sucked. I wasn’t sure I liked this gig.
    “She’s burning