Page 27 of She is the Darke

“Oh, um, sorry. What was that again?”

“I asked how the pumpkin patch is going this year. I recognize you. You’re that shifter. The Darke shifter.”

Shit. Her eyes went wide and she pursed her lips, annoyed at being found out. The guy up next cut off the woman he was chatting with and leaned over. “You’re one of the crow shifters? Did I hear that right?”

She hated everything.

Now she was apparently the belle of the dark ball. The next guys were very interested in her, and scribbled something on their sticky notes while talking to her. She just wanted to leave. The reason she stayed? Tyler was up next.

“Hey, stranger,” he said in that smooth, deep, rumbling voice as he took the seat in front of her. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“We literally invited you,” she muttered, adjusting her shirt into place. Oops, too low. She gasped and yanked it back up. When she looked up, Tyler was grinning.

“I didn’t mean to do that.”

“I almost saw nip. Is that an orange lace bra you’re wearing?”

“It’s for Halloween,” she muttered, pulling the V-neck up to her throat and glancing around. “Not that it should matter to you. I can wear whatever I want.”

“What other colors do you own?”

“Tyler!” she barked out.

Click.The sound of a camera going off dragged her attention over to Rachel, who had her phone aimed at her and Tyler.

“What are you doing?” Demi asked.

“Oh, I’m definitely sending this in the family loop. Hold on…” she murmured to herself as she typed away. “Tyler is hitting on Demi, L-O-L. Dad, don’t poop yourself. Send.”

Tyler was laughing, and leaned back in his chair.

“Well, now your dad’s gonna kill you,” Demi griped. “I’m going to be the cause of all your family drama, and now I’m going to feel bad for the entire holiday season—”

“Collin is already posting laughing gifs,” Rachel announced. “Dad just said WTF.” She frowned. “Who taught our old man to use young-people slang?”

“He probably thinks it means what the fart,” Tyler said unhelpfully, and something about it made Demi have to bite back a smile and swallow down a giggle, just imagining tough-as-leather Mac Durock utter the words, “What the fart?”

“Are you going to pay attention to me?” the guy in front of Rachel asked. “Like…at all?”

“Time,” Rachel called out, and now Demi was having to stare at the ground to hide her laughter.

The announcer in the middle pointed at Rachel. “First warning. No one calls time but me.”

“Sorry,” Rachel announced, but her smile said she wasn’t sorry at all. “Won’t happen again.”

“Time!” the announcer called. “Switch chairs. Gentlemen, move directly to your right.”

“Hard pass,” Tyler said, as he relaxed deeper into his chair. He stretched his leg out and brushed it against her leg.

Demi gave him a dirty look and yanked her leg away from him, but the oaf moved his leg too, and rested it right against hers again. “Move chairs,” she gritted out.

He made aclicksound behind his teeth, and ushered the next potential date around him to Rachel’s partner-chair. “I don’t date my siblings.”

“Dude,” the next guy said, standing by Tyler’s chair. “I’ve been waiting to talk to this one.”

Demi had the perfect view of the change in Tyler’s face. He had been looking into her eyes, smiling, having fun, relaxed. When that guy said he’d been waiting to talk to her, the smile faded. He blinked slowly and leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and looked over at the guy. He was tall, and fit, andprobably good-looking under the mask, and Demi wasn’t going to lie—she was a little flattered.

“This one’s taken,” Tyler illuminated him. “She’s just messing with me tonight.”

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