Exceptions

Everything was calm again. Well, insofar as one could speak of calm in a jungle. A couple of monkeys scurried by right next to Warren's house and other animals relaxed more and more. The danger was over - for now.

Lany sat very still and listened for the noises that were so completely different and yet somehow familiar. She just didn't know why. Also, she only realized now that she was still clinging to Warren. She hadn't felt so safe with anyone since early childhood. And either Warren was asleep by now or he was enjoying the quiet get-together with her too. She couldn't really imagine the latter, however. Because it was only too obvious that he hadn't wanted to take her with him in the first place. It was only because Rosa had told him, no, even ordered, that she was here now.

Lany still couldn't believe what almost happened. Of course it was dangerous in the jungle. She had already realized that when she booked the trip. But then being confronted directly with it - face to face with a very real danger - that was a completely different matter.

Completely lost in her thoughts, she winced when something started to vibrate somewhere in the room. Warren also seemed scared at first, but then he reached around her for a moment. He took a phone out of a leather pouch attached to the side of the bed. While Warren was looking at the display, he got up. When he answered the call, Lany heard a low, but very low growl, which in the next moment disappeared again. But she had probably just imagined something again.

With Warren engrossed in the phone call, Lany allowed herself a closer look at her surroundings for the first time since coming here. It was a beautiful house - made entirely of wood and with a wraparound outdoor area - just perfect! The decor was rather spartan, but still very comfortable. She liked the way Warren lived here. It reminded her a little of her own childhood. Her beloved grandfather had built a similar tree house for her on his land. It was supposed to be a haven if she got into trouble with her mother again. Her grandfather's reputation was not very high. He had never been able to understand what his son had found in this woman. But grandfather loved Ernest Lany, his little wild cat, all the more.

She hadn't thought of him in a long time. It was just too painful for her. When Grandfather Ernest died, the last connection to her father - no one knew where he was or whether he was still alive - and the part of the family that really loved her - understood her, was lost. Since then she has only had her mother and her dreadful family. Back then they had simply sold their grandfather's land by a trick, thereby robbing Lany of her inheritance, but worse, of her refuge.

Her mother had watched her eagle eyes since that fateful day. She wanted to make a real "lady" out of her. A woman who would later make an excellent wife to a wealthy man and thus bring even more money to her rapacious family. Her mother had never thought that one day Lany would pursue a career in a huge company and would still be unmarried. But Lany had left the night of her coming of age. She simply couldn't and simply couldn't live with her mother, let alone this branch of the family, any longer.

Lany was suddenly torn from her memories when Warren suddenly shouted loudly into the phone. Apparently the caller had upset him. But he calmed down quickly when he noticed Lany's startled expression and even invited them to stop by. What struck Lany as a little weird about it was that Warren was apparently having to admonish this person to be civilized. But he probably had known the person for a long time and thus also his idiosyncrasies.

Then Warren hung up and looked back at his guest.

How she sat there. He just couldn't take his eyes off her. Despite her current situation, she exuded strength and willpower. And her movements were sleek and fluid, like a cat's. Just amazing. He had never seen anything like it in anyone. And she was definitely human. His nose had never betrayed him. And besides, the way she had poked through the jungle with him, she obviously couldn't see very well in the dark. Something else that spoke for her humanity.

Despite his phone call with Jack, he had kept watching Lany out of the corner of his eye and noticed that she was studying his home closely. She even seemed to like it. Why was he so happy about it? He shouldn't care at all whether she liked what she saw. But he found himself over and over again, how he was secretly happy and something fluttered in his stomach when he noticed her pleased looks. It was probably just his hunger that, as he now noticed, was still not satisfied. And now Jack came by too. He hadn't really meant to, but his little brother had always had a knack for taking him and all kinds of other people off guard. You never knew why you suddenly got the stupidest ideas until you looked at Jack's face. If you knew him well enough, you could always see a triumphant smile in his eyes.

Oh man - how it made him mad.

But this time the fool had really gone too far. He had frightened Lany with his sudden appearance. And if someone was afraid, this was the best trigger to arouse the hunting instinct, not just in his brother. That could have turned out really bad. After all, Jack was one of those people in her clan who could never hold back in such a situation. In fact, he was the worst of them all.

Warren was the only one who could bring his brother back from this state of hunting fever. Even if for this, as today, he had to give him a heavy rub and, as far as Warren's territory was concerned, more than clearly had to put him in his place. Now Jack would respect the limits again. His call just now was proof enough of that. No one had any business in his field without Warren's express permission. He really didn't make any exceptions.

Even his own mother signed up beforehand, and so did his father. If he ever came to visit him here. He would rather receive him at his home - in his district. Because, after all, they were both extremely dominant. Just as it should be for the clan leader and his future successor.

"Warren, you're staring at me! Is there anything? Do I have something on my face, or what?" She didn't feel as brave as Lany just spoke, but she didn't have to show it.

Warren hadn't said a word after his phone call, just stared at her. And it was guaranteed to be an illusion again, it certainly had to be like that, but his eyes seemed to have changed in the meantime. But when he came up to her again, nothing of the change could be seen.

Lany had slowly but surely the feeling that she was no longer quite right in the head. Maybe she'd been in shock when she suddenly heard Scott's voice in Rosa's bar and fled with Warren. Or some native insect had stung her and infected her with a tropical disease - preferably something that makes you nuts.