Eli lifted her head up, relaxing against the red booth cushions.
"Our galaxy is one of many out there. Think about it this way. Earthala assumes there's a whole bunch of planets in the solar system. They have no idea about the realms unless they find out or become a shifter in their lifespan. Just because the literature tells us that there are ten realms, doesn't mean that’s it. Shifters are the most open-minded species. There are definitely more galaxies out there, and my unicorn friend is from one of them," she concluded.
We sat there gawking at her.
"So...can we travel there! Like uhh, what's those people called who wear those weird suits and purposely plunge themselves into space?" I asked.
"Astronauts, Mako." Scarlet giggled.
"RIGHT! Are we gonna be astronauts and go there?" I asked.
"When you're older," Eli explained.
"Why do I have to be older?" I complained.
"Is there an age restriction?" Scarlet asked, just as confused.
"Yes, twenty-six," Eli smirked.
"You’re bullshitting!" Scarlet and I yelled, causing the other people in the restaurant to glance over at us. She laughed.
"Nope. Twenty-six, so you guys gotta wait till next cycle."
"Awww." I sighed.
"No fair," Scarlet mumbled.
"Stop moping. I'll ask her to stop by when she has a break. Okay?" Eli suggested.
Scarlet and I squealed.
"We’re gonna meet a unicorn!" I giggled.
"I'll make sure we get tons of pictures," Scarlet suggested.
"Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry milkshake supreme. I made sure to add extra chocolate syrup, cherries, and vanilla ice cream. Enjoy," the server announced, placing out drinks on the table.
"YES!" we all cheered.
"Mako, come on this side. Let's take a picture." Scarlet shuffled out of the booth, encouraging me to sit in the middle.
Scarlet tried to get us all in the shot, but struggled.
"You know, right now I wish I had long arms," she huffed.
"Or your sexy boyfriend could come and assist you."
We looked over our shoulder to see a smiling Christian.
"Hi, Christian!" I greeted.
"Hey, Princess. You look extremely energetic after staying up all night," he pointed out.
"It's the milkshake. She's been dying to try the strawberry one ever since she found out about strawberry milk," Eli explained.
"Ah. Mako and her milk addiction," Christian commented.
"I don't have an addiction. Milk is just awesome," I defended.
"Uh huh. Did Ethan tell you a sleepwalking princess snuck into our room this morning to steal some milk from the fridge?" Christian asked, leaning down to kiss Scarlet before taking her phone from her.
I blushed; EliaseAnne giggled.
"Please tell me you guys moved the alcohol elsewhere," Eli asked.
"Ya. Kai said we should swap out the alcohol and put the remaining cartons of milk we bought yesterday in our fridge since the main one was full of all the leftovers. Of course, lo and behold, Mako in her green onesie sipping on chocolate milk. Ethan almost died of a heart attack." Christian chuckled.
"That...wasn't...my fault," I mumbled, knowing my face was beet red at this point.
"I think her sleepwalking is adorable. Wait, doesn't Ethan always put a weird lock on his door?" Scarlet pointed out.
"Ya. That was nothing for sleepwalking Mako. Ethan was shocked and is now figuring out how she managed to unlock it," Christian explained.
"Don't even bother wasting your brain energy. If sleepwalking Mako wants something, she'll get it. No spell or lock will stop her," Eli commented.
"Can we take the picture now?" I wanted to shrink and disappear.
Eli and Scarlet giggled.
"Don't be like that. It's not embarrassing." Scarlet rubbed my back.
"C'mon. Let's devour these massive things before the ice cream melts. Christian, take a picture!" Eli encouraged; her arm wrapped around my waist to pull me closer. Scarlet shuffled next to me.
I couldn't delay the chance to try the milkshakes before me. I stared at all three of them in concentration, trying to choose which one to taste first. An idea popped into my mind, causing me to grin in satisfaction.
"Alright, say cheese."
"Chee— Mako? You can't drink all three at the same time!" Eli cautioned.
"Mhbmkddl." I slurped on three straws, enjoying the triple flavor combo.
"She's gonna get a brain freeze," Scarlet giggled.
"I'll just stand over here and take random pictures," Christian announced as he pulled back to laugh.
"Mako, don't laugh after drinking or you’ll have milkshake spurt out of your nose!" Eli warned, making me laugh louder.
"We're so getting kicked out." Scarlet laughed.
"It's sweet! My brain hurts!" I announced.
"I told you!" Eli scolded through giggles.
We continued to laugh as we dove into our milkshakes, which Scar and Eli let me share.
Strawberry milkshake was indeed my new favorite.
SCARLET
"Where did Mako and Eli go?" Christian asked.
"I have no clue. We were all together one moment and Mako completely wandered off somewhere. Eli's tracking her down." I sighed with a smile. I thought Cece was energetic, but Mako had beaten her ranking and deserved an Oscar award for the most energetic shifter of 5032.
Either way, I loved her for it, but her wandering must be a hassle for her knights.
Christian tugged at my hand, cueing me to stop.
"What's wrong?" I asked, noticing his stern gaze as he looked off to one of the stores.
"I think we're being followed," Christian announced, lowering his voice.
I followed his gaze, noticing three men in black looking rather suspicious as they pretended to be interested in the rack of lady’s sports bras.
"Well...they aren't doing a good job blending in," I mumbled, noticing the weird look an old lady was giving them.
"I'll take care of it. Just meet me at the fountain. Text Mako and Eli as well. Don't cause trouble," he whispered, pulling me into a hug before he gave me a deep kiss.
"I don't cause trouble and okay. Be safe," I whispered against his lips, claiming them one more time.
He groaned, squeezing my ass before he pulled away. "Addicting, I tell you," he mumbled, causing me to giggle.
"Go have fun," I cheered, turning around and taking my leisurely time walking away as I pulled my phone out.
I quickly texted EliaseAnne and Makoto, thankful that they both brought their phones with them. Hopefully, this goes smoothly.
I went into agent mode, being aware of my surroundings as I made my way around the mall, scanning for a quiet area. If this was going to get ugly, I wanted to make sure no one was hurt.
I felt my phone vibrate; the muffled ringtone followed. I pulled it out, looking at the caller ID to see ELIASEANNE.
"Eli? What's wrong?” I asked.
"Is Mako with you?" she asked, sounding out of breath.
"No. I thought you found her. I texted her saying to be careful or wait outside the mall for the boys. Christian's weeding out whoever is following me. I doubt they're after—" I explained before a loud ring went off.
"Fire alarm?" Serenity asked.
"That was so not by accident," Aurora commented.