14
James
Sophia seemed adamant that the shifters in this camp together. In her opinion, it was critical that everyone work together in an effort to rid the world of the toxic Masters and their guards. She also seemed passionate about the odd woman with the crystals and her contribution to the society and the world.
That’s when Ayden asked the probing question that resided inside my own private thoughts too. I was just relieved that it was him doing the confronting.
“How can you be so sure about a person you’ve just met?” He didn’t sound indifferent to her feelings; it was more like curiosity. “You don’t know her from any other person that you would meet on the street.”
Sophia took a deep breath and glanced up at the sky. She looked back at us after a few minutes, flashing those beautiful green eyes at us. She appeared reflective, maybe even a little pensive. She wasn’t annoyed. It wasn’t in her nature. She was always poised. Her composure never fumbled.
“I know it sounds a little crazy to vouch for a stranger, but she really seems harmless to me. She also seems very intelligent and interesting. You know, from what I observed so far.” She flicked her eyes to the ground.
I reached out and took her hand. “If you have confidence in her, that’s enough for me.”
Ayden shook his head and frowned. He looked like he was going to need a little more convincing.
“I’m going to go patrol the area and see if I can find Cameron coming back to the camp,” he said. “I’ll enlist Blaze to help me.”
“He’s still sleeping,” Sophia said. “He seemed really peaceful and relaxed.”
Ayden glanced at the tent over his shoulder. “Well, if he seems like he’s stirring, I’ll give him a nudge. Otherwise, I might leave him alone.”
“Okay.” Sophia gave Ayden a warmhearted smile and planted a soft kiss on the side of his cheek that awakened a yearning inside of me and made me feel a slight and sudden twinge of jealousy.
I couldn’t wait for Ayden to scram so that I could enjoy more quality alone time with Sophia. I was like a sponge, wanting to soak up private time with her for as long as I could absorb and revel in the beauty of it.
I felt an eternal bond, an unbreakable connection to her. We came from similar backgrounds. We had both lost loved ones and felt burned by society and people that we should have been able to trust.
“I appreciate your emotional stamina,” I said as soon as Ayden had walked away.
Sophia peered up at me with her gorgeous, curious face. “What do you mean?”
“Well.” I shrugged as we began absentmindedly strolling through the lines of pitched tents. “It’s simple really. Even after all the shit that we’ve been through over the years, together and separately, you are still willing to see the good in other people.”
Sophia’s eyes brightened at my compliment, but then her forehead wrinkled with concern. She cocked her head to the side and seemed to survey me with a look of puzzlement.
“Are you saying you aren’t willing to see the good in others?”
“No,” I said and shook my head and chuckled. “I’m not saying that at all. But I am not quite as unsuspecting of others as you.”
“I have my moments,” she said and glanced at the ground. “It’s probably more of a flaw than anything else, to give people the benefit of the doubt.”
I stroked the side of her cheek. “I think you’re sweet. The world needs more kind people like you. Maybe that’s part of the reason things are so skewed and corrupt right now. Innocence is lost. The world is lacking of your compassion.”
“Among other things.” Sophia exhaled slowly and had a look of dread on her face. “Everyone’s hearts are hardened. Their minds are made of stone. But I can’t blame them. The shifters have endured an uphill battle.”
“Hey.” I stopped walking and whispered gently to her. “Don’t give up, not when you are already so far ahead. At least the rebellion forces are growing in numbers. We’re making progress where we weren’t before.”
Sophia smiled. “I’m not giving up. Humanity is a wonderful gift to the world. We might be shifters, but we all have souls and beating hearts. We deserve the same kind of wellbeing and quality of life as everyone else.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” I took her hand and gently cradled it, interlocking our fingers.
“There is plenty of love in the world to go around,” Sophia said. Her features suddenly took a melancholy shift. “We just have to learn how to spread it and share it.”
“I admire your strength,” I told her. “If anything, you can be an advocate for that kind of change this world desperately needs, now more than ever.”
Sophia grinned and peered at me inquisitively. “Do you really think so?”
“Absolutely.” I matched her grin.
“You are wonderful.” She pressed her arm against mine and rested her head on my arm. She was too short to nestle it on my shoulder. She was a petite ballerina, a delicate flower that I wanted to help grow and bloom.
“Can you just enlighten me on one subject?” I asked.
I hated to pick apart her gifts, but I too was curious about the woman with the crystals and why Sophia had been so adamant about us trusting her.
“What’s that?” Sophia smoothed out her hair that was still placed in a neat bun on top of her head.
“That woman back there…” I trailed off and nudged my chin in the direction of the tent.
Sophia groaned and rolled her eyes. I could tell she was becoming exasperated on the matter.
“Hear me out,” I said. “I find you fascinating. I just want to know about your keen ability to know that the woman with the crystals is pure at heart.”
Sophia was the one who stopped walking momentarily. She stared up at me with an expression that was difficult for me to dissect.
“I can’t explain it,” she said with a shrug after an extended pause. “I just get these…feelings.”
“What kind of feelings?”
Sophia let out a soft sigh and stared off into space as if she was trying to formulate a better explanation.
“I have these vibrations that go through my head. It’s like nerve endings connecting. I can read people’s energy. The aura around them isn’t invisible to me. Well, technically it is, but it’s a little different than the average shifter, or human, I think.”
“Okay.” I nodded and waited for her to elaborate.
“I can get a sense of their purity, whether they have internally unclouded intentions to bring forth in the world.”
“It seems like an exceptional gift,” I admitted.
I already knew that Sophia was special, different than most shifters I had ever met. It wasn’t surprising to me that she would have a talent like that.
“It can be,” Sophia admitted. “It certainly helps.”
“Is that why it was so easy for you to take refuge in our bunker?” I asked. “Because you knew that we weren’t going to harm you?”
“Sort of.” Sophia chuckled. “I guess you could say that.”
I glanced up at the sky. There were a few intermittent clouds, but it was otherwise sunny.
“I wish we could go back there now,” I confessed.
Sophia gave me a tender look. “Do you miss it?”
“I miss the safety it represented,” I said, knowing that it was gone now.
I wondered if it had been raided yet. The Masters and their guards were catching on to hiding spots. We were probably in the safest place we could be right now. Strength came in numbers.
“I’m curious to know who among us might be a betrayer,” I said.
Sophia chuckled. Her laughter sounded like windchimes fluttering in a delicate breeze. Her face was refreshing to my heart and her mere presence was rejuvenating to my soul.
“It’s not that easy,” she explained, “but I can certainly give it a shot.”
“What about him?” I asked and pointed to a man emerging from his tent, blinking a
nd looking bleary-eyed with sleep. His movements were groggy and lethargic.
“He seems harmless to me.” Sophia said.
“Good.” I nodded, satisfied with that for now.
In all honesty, I wasn’t sure how I felt about finding out in advance who was trustworthy and who might turn on us. It was probably a good idea to determine what we might be up against, though.
“I get a wary feeling about them, though.” Sophia subtly pointed to men off to the right, who were fiddling with a fishing rod.
“What about them?” My senses tingled.
“I can’t put my finger on it,” she said. “It’s a murky caution, though.”
“Okay.” I nodded assertively. “We’ll keep our eye on them.”
Sophia gazed up at me and grinned as if she was enjoying both our banter and our little game.
“Even if you have a sense about people, it still doesn’t take away my urge to protect you,” I said.
“I know,” she said. “It’s your instinct to want to shield me from the chaos of the world.”
“When you put it that way…” I chuckled and pondered. “Yeah. You are absolutely right.”
Sophia’s arm brushed up against mine, sending a surge of desire through me.
“I have to admit, it’s a little exciting knowing that we have the advantage and can sniff out the wicked with your abilities,” I said.
Sophia beamed, seemingly glowing with radiance at my compliment. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“It should,” I said. “Because it’s true.”
Sophia shot me a humble smile. “I’ve always been able to do it, actually. Ever since I was a little girl.”
“Did your parents know about it?” I asked.
Sophia shook her head. “I never really had the chance to tell them. They were gone before I figured out what it was.”
A thought popped into my head. “That night that you were…taken. Did you feel something before then?”
“Not exactly.” Sophia squinted as if she were trying to squeeze the memory out from some faraway crevice. “I do remember having an unsettled feeling in my stomach right before Thom and his guards came barreling through our front door.”
I stroked her back. “I know that must have been like a nightmare for you.”
Sophia gazed up at me with puppy eyes. “It was. I was so naïve. My parents had done their best to shelter me. In some ways I almost wish they hadn’t. I could have been much more prepared if I’d known what was coming.”
I tried to change the subject. I didn’t want her to have to unearth those deeply rooted memories. I knew they must still be unbearable for her to think about, even all these years later.
I had been trained by my uncle and father to defend myself against any attack, whether or not I knew it was coming.
“Let’s go over there for a little while,” I said and pointed to a more secluded area of the campsite.
“Okay,” Sophia said and smiled at me with trust and love sparkling in her eyes.
She was so vulnerable, yet so unique and strongly independent. She had a vast variety of colors sprinkled into her personality.
“Do you want to learn more about how to physically protect yourself, just…in case?” I couldn’t bring myself say the words ‘if we were to ever become separated’ out loud.
Sophia’s eyes brightened with enthusiasm. “I would love to.”
That was one of the many wonderful things about Sophia. She was willing to put herself out there, leaving her comfort zone behind. She was motivated and spirited. I admired her in more ways than I knew how to express. She was teachable because she was open-minded.
As soon as we walked to the edge of the camp, I instructed her to clear her mind. “It’s important to rid your brain of toxins. Being prepared physically means also being cleansed in your head.”
“That makes sense.” Sophia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Now open your eyes,” I said. I lifted her arms and extended them out, balling her hands into fists.
There was enough touching, stroking, and gentle skin grazing between us that I began to tingle everywhere. I had an erection. I wasn’t sure if she could see that it was there, but I felt it throbbing and bulging in my pants.
Sophia was going to be a good student; I could already tell. She caught on quicker than I had expected, especially since we had been in the trenches of grueling physical strife the past several days. I showed her some physical stamina drills and we were laughing, joking and dialing up the flirt meter by the minute.
After a while, I could tell that she was getting tired. Her cheeks were pink, and she was breathing hard. I was sweaty and needed a breather too.
“You’re doing amazing,” I told her.
“Thanks.” Her smile was priceless.
I wished there was a way I could freeze frame the moment. For now, I would just have to take a mental picture of her breathtaking splendor for my private memories.
The chemistry between us was off the charts. It was incredible, spontaneous. When she shifted her gaze to me every now and then, it was so sensual that it floored me and made my insides feel like pure Jell-O.
“You’re a natural,” I said.
“Thanks,” she said. “I have a great teacher.”
“Do you want to take a break and see what the others are up to?” I asked.
“Sure.” Sophia looked at me as if she was expecting something.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.” She nibbled on her bottom lip and gave me a sexy, flirty smile.
“You look so kissable right now,” I admitted.
She took a step toward me. I could feel her body heat. The smell of her hair wafted through the cool breeze and as she gently touched my arm, her femininity electrified my senses.
“Give me a kiss then,” she said in a naughty tone.
I roped my arms around her waist. I was flooded with an urgent need to ravage her, but I couldn’t in this open field. I would have to settle on a kiss for now.
I pulled her close. She lifted her chin, looking ethereal and sexy. I leaned in and pressed my mouth to hers and a sensation of delight hit me and encompassed every fiber of my soul.
Sophia’s lips naturally parted. She let out a soft moan of contentment that was like music to my ears. Her body seemed to conform to mine and she yielded like putty in my arms.
Her tongue delicately played with mine, our mouths locked together and our bodies intertwined as we stood under the morning sun. It was a moment that I would cherish forever, because when I was with Sophia, I experienced the magic of the heavens. Nothing else mattered.
She made you forgot your problems. They scattered like rose petals in the wind. She was like a drug that I was rapidly becoming addicted to, only it was better with her because I didn’t have to worry about the dangerous side effects.
Sophia might end up being the one true soul who could mend me when I thought of myself as a broken individual, beyond any kind of repair.
15
Sophia
I watched the glowing orange flames of the campfire lick the air and stretch like auburn hands into the sky, dancing and crackling. The movements were almost enchanting.
I was listening intently to the conversation floating around the circle, though I wasn’t engaging in it. I wanted to observe and make an informed decision in my mind first before offering an opinion.
I could always discuss the matter with the guys in private. I didn’t know Leo, Ralph, and Otto well enough to give my two cents. Like James had mentioned earlier, I needed to keep my trust in others at bay.
There were a handful of other shifters sitting with us around the campfire that I didn’t know or recognize. The dialogue between them and the leader, Ralph, focused on what the next steps for this specific rebellion camp should be.
“I know that most of the shifters in this rebellion are becoming antsy,” a pale man with dark hair and giant biceps said as he panned the
group with a flicker of his eyes.
“I agree. The talk around the area is that many of them want to keep moving.” A woman with stringy chestnut hair nodded.
“If we stay on the go, it leaves little opportunity for the Masters and the guards to stay on our tail,” another woman added.
Otto scoffed. “There are more of us than there are of them.”
“That’s not necessarily true…” Leo trailed off warily as if the memory of the raid in the village was suddenly coming back to haunt him.
I adjusted my weight in my folding lawn chair. It was uncomfortable and a little frayed at the seams, but it was all we had at the moment. Supplies were limited. I took a deep breath and glanced up at the night sky. It was overcast. There wasn’t a delight of scattered stars to stare up at tonight.
I knew where Leo was coming from. I heard the pain and sorrow in his voice, and it reflected the fear beating in my own heart. Leo had lost everything. He had lost his livelihood, his comfort, and his home. If he couldn’t return to the village to run the hotel, then how was he going to make a living? We had all been forced into difficult positions and the Masters and their guards were to blame.
Animosity swirled through the air and blanketed the camp like a fog. I could relate to it on just about every level. I had lived in a Master castle, just as most of the shifters here had.
Leo might not have been able to understand what it was like for us in those dungeons, but his livelihood was ripped right from his hands. He had every right to want to obliterate the problem.
I glanced over at Cameron. He looked like he was also putting his feelers out there. He was a little quiet at first, but as the argument heated up, I noticed that he began to get a little more animated.
“I…. want to stay…” A cautious-looking woman peered at the group with a sheepish expression. Her eyes were enormous, peeking out through her black-trimmed glasses. “My children need consistency. They’re tired of trudging on and moving constantly.”
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