by Amelia Jade
Peyton nodded. “Sounds lovely. I could use a nap.”
Kiefer smiled as she stepped forward into his hug. Her head came to rest easily on his chest as he held her tight to him, relishing in the sensation of her body pressed against his. It was a perfectly lovely feeling. One that he would be more than happy to recreate, though perhaps without any clothes on. He longed to feel her touch, and to be able to show her just how he truly felt about her.
All in good time. All in good time.
***
After nowhere near long enough they broke apart, and he exited the room, hurrying back down the hallway toward the officer occupied by Captain Korver.
With both Captain Luther Klein and Major Jarvis Eidelhorn temporarily back in Base Camp, the senior man on the site was Captain Korver. Kiefer didn’t know much about him, but he seemed to be a competent commander, and that was enough for him.
“Come in.” The words came out almost before Kiefer had finished knocking on the door.
He let himself in. “Sir, Lieutenant Hartmann reporting as ordered.”
“Take a seat, Lieutenant,” Gabriel said, gesturing at one of the folding chairs across from the plastic table that served as his desk.
“Thank you, sir,” he said.
Captain Korver got right down to business. “Here’s your assignments for your men. The various teams are all prepared for your arrival and there should be no surprises.” The captain grinned. “In fact, I think this is going to go over rather well. Most of my men were more angry that they hadn’t received such training during their days at Base Camp than they were upset about having babysitting duty.”
“Good to know, sir,” Kiefer replied. “My men are nervous, but eager. This is all new to everyone, though I think only the idiots will think it unneeded.”
“Indeed.”
“How are things going in Cloud Lake?” he asked. “I didn’t get to stick around much during my last trip here; we just sort of met up and then departed for Fenris.”
“Things are…tense,” Captain Korver said after a long pause.
“Tense, sir? I don’t understand.”
Why would things be tense?
“Nobody has found the missing Fenrisians, Lieutenant. There are an awful lot of them. Enough to overwhelm our defenses here with practiced ease. Though they have always been light on the stronger races—dragons in particular, but gryphons and Pegasi as well—the sheer number of them mixed into that group would be more than enough to overcome our RAF detachment, or the handful of gryphons that have joined up with Andrew Raskell to assist us here.”
Kiefer tried not to snarl at that. The gryphons were notoriously reluctant to help any of the other races, and had so far demanded that their forces be kept strictly for defense of Cadia. Only the four renegades headed by Andrew had come to Cloud Lake to help. It was a major sore point, because two squads of gryphons could easily deter anything but a dragon-led assault by the Fenrisians.
“Anyway, we can all feel it, Lieutenant. Something is brewing, and sooner rather than later it’s going to come to a head. We need to be prepared for it. We’ve been working heavily with the city to ensure that all combat is kept strictly between shifters, but we know that these Fenrisians have a particular disdain for the citizens of Cloud Lake. It’s why we’ve kept a detachment here at all, rather than simply pull back to Cadia itself.”
Kiefer nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. He was worried about the safety of everyone under his command, including but not limited to Peyton! His men were mostly trained, and while not yet full-blown Green Bearets, they were likely the match of most individual Wards of Fenris, if not better. They could fight and hold their own.
Peyton, however, was a human who had already escaped their clutches once. And now he, Kiefer Hartmann, had just brought her into their path. Not only that, but he’d ensured—with his early scene in the lobby—that she had to stay at the motel. The same motel that served as headquarters for the Green Bearets.
The same motel that had to be the focus of any Fenris attack upon Cloud Lake.
By bringing her here and fighting for her to have a room here, Kiefer had put her right smack in the middle of any combat that might happen. Certainly he could remove her, find quarters for her elsewhere in the city. Nothing was preventing that, though it would certainly be a blow to his reputation, and a point in favor of those who didn’t wish to be here defending the humans.
There was one more reason that he knew Peyton had to stay, and that was because the motel was also the place he could best protect her. She would be closest to him there, and surrounded by hundreds of highly trained warriors. Any Fenris team would have to get to her over their dead bodies. And if they could do that, Kiefer had bigger concerns to worry about, because he would be dead alongside them.
Still, he couldn’t help but think that bringing Peyton along was a mistake. She should have stayed back at Base Camp, even if it meant being separated from him, something he did not wish to happen.
Even now, he couldn’t get her off his mind. Every day, more and more of his waking thoughts were centered around her, and how she made him feel.
“Lieutenant?”
Kiefer shook himself, realizing that Captain Korver had been talking to him.
“Is something wrong?”
“Ah, no sir. Sorry sir,” he apologized, shaking his head once and focusing in on the other details that the captain felt he needed to know.
Peyton would have to wait, though he knew she would never stray far from the surface of his thoughts.
Chapter Eleven
Peyton
Not for the first time, Peyton felt the back of her hand brush against Kiefer’s. It wasn’t an intentional act on either of their parts, but spurred instead by something else.
The day was bright and they were out taking full advantage of the gorgeous weather. It had taken Peyton nearly two full days to become accustomed to the rush of the city. Or town, she supposed. Cloud Lake only had around fifteen thousand people living in it or the immediate proximity. That was definitely not city-sized.
But that was far more than the four or so hundred shifters she’d become accustomed to during her stay at Base Camp. There were always people around. On the sidewalks, driving cars, and just generally existing. It was a lot, and she’d felt crowded by the press of humanity.
Now, as they wandered the streets, any time the number of humans grew too high, she found herself pressing into Kiefer, as if seeking protection from him. The first time it’d happened she’d not even realized it until she was practically huddled up against him. Once she’d recognized her behavior though, Peyton had been able to crack down upon it.
Now she only swayed closer, which resulted in their hands touching.
I wonder if he’s going to misinterpret that and try to hold it?
Peyton wasn’t sure how she’d feel about that. Yes, she’d kissed him on the cheek the other day, and their hugs were always far more lingering than what she knew friends gave each other, but so far that was all that had happened.
It irked Peyton that she could remember things like that, boundaries between friendship and intimacy. Or the brands of cars going past, or what a television or a smartphone was. She could sing words to various songs as well, though she didn’t recall knowing the words ahead of time.
But anything regarding actual memories pertaining to her life simply didn’t exist anymore. Nothing, nada.
It frightened and angered her in equal parts, a mounting frustration paired with an increased fear that she might never know who she was.
“Are you still comfortable?” Kiefer asked, his voice rolling over her like a landslide with its power and rumble.
“Mostly,” she replied. “Mostly. Although, I’m really glad Cloud Lake is just a small town, not a city. I don’t know how I could handle the press of buildings and people around me. I think I’d probably have a breakdown of some sort, to be honest.”
Kiefer looked at her as if he were uns
ure if she was making a joke or not. Peyton flashed him a smile to let him know she was being mostly humorous.
She enjoyed the way his round—yet decidedly not chubby at all—face reacted to her smiles. The delight and happiness she saw could bring her out of even the worst mood. Which, unfortunately, she was having more and more of these days as her struggles to recall her early life kept slamming into a concrete wall, making precisely zero progress.
“I’m glad you talked yourself into doing this,” he said. “It must be tough, I’m sure, but I think you’ll come out of it the better.”
“Believe it or not, despite the occasional shakes, I think you’re right.”
Kiefer opened his mouth, but she kept speaking.
“Not that I’ll ever admit that to anyone. And if you speak, I’ll deny all knowledge of this conversation.”
His jaw clicked shut audibly as he shook his fist at her.
“In all seriousness though, thank you for accompanying me,” she said.
“You are very welcome,” he said, putting a huge arm around her shoulders and pulling her in tight for a side-on hug as they continued to walk. His fingers stayed for a moment longer than necessary before he let his hand fall away.
Without thinking, she reached out with the hand nearest him and caught his fingers before they fell back to his side. Their hands automatically intertwined.
She felt Kiefer tense up even as she saw him do the same. His entire body went rigid, even his steps become clunkier and less smooth. The deliciously muscled shifter was like a little schoolboy any time she made a move with him, and it nearly brought laughter to her. Peyton smothered that quickly however, not wanting Kiefer to know she thought him adorable.
All that power and strength in his body, and holding the hand of a girl made him nervous and unsure of what to do next.
Peyton almost reached up to turn his face toward her so she could kiss it, but she stopped herself from doing that as well. Holding hands was a big enough step for the moment. She didn’t want to ruin that.
And I definitely don’t want to give Kiefer a nervous breakdown by doing something else unexpected, either.
She once again fought back laughter.
He looked down at her hand enclosed within his. Despite the fact that she was extremely tall for a human female, the near-closeness in their heights did nothing to convey the actual size disparity between them. There was perhaps six inches of height, but easily a good hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and fifty pounds of weight difference. All of it muscle.
His hand practically swallowed hers whole, and his wrist was the size of her forearm.
Peyton wasn’t particularly lithe, having rather thick, powerful legs and a frame that was anything but model-thin. She’d mostly dated men her size or bigger, so that wasn’t new, though she and Kiefer weren’t dating.
But never before had she felt so absolutely tiny before. He walked alongside her like a hulking mass of muscle and power, barely contained within his form. It was as if the skin on his body was stretched to the breaking point trying to contain him. He simply exuded strength and power. Like a palpable aura it surrounded him, and now as she held his hand, Peyton truly got to understand what that was like as it reached out to touch her, and to surround her in his protective bubble. She wasn’t walking any closer to him, but such was the power of simple contact with him.
Why had she decided to hold his hand now, of all times? Peyton wasn’t sure, but she was positive that it wasn’t a mistake. He just seemed to fit next to her, and her next to him. Words failed her as she tried to explain it to herself. It was something she could feel, but not describe.
An electronics shop passed in the background as she glanced over at Kiefer, trying to make sense of everything running through her head.
She came to an abrupt halt.
“Petyon?” Kiefer asked, his voice cautious. “Is everything okay?”
She saw his head swiveling left and right as he surveyed the area around them, ensuring her safety.
“I…” She stared at the television, broadcasting some random news channel.
There was something about that…
Her eyes narrowed as she thought furiously, trying to place the sensation.
“There’s something familiar.”
“About the television?”
“No, about…about—”
It hit her like a flying sack of bricks, and Peyton stumbled. She would have fallen, but Kiefer was there, his arm wrapping around her back and holding her upright.
“What’s wrong?” he asked again, concern threaded through his words.
But Peyton pushed him to the side as she stared at the television screen in shock.
“I…remember,” she told him at last, looking away.
“You have your memories?”
“No,” she said immediately, frustrated that she couldn’t answer yes. “Not even a fraction. But I remember something,” she hissed, latching onto the small victory for all it was worth.
After all, though she couldn’t remember much, it was a start. It proved that perhaps in time she would recall who she was.
“What is it?” Kiefer asked in a guarded tone. “What do you remember?”
“I’ve been interviewed before. I’ve talked to the press.”
The big shifter blinked. “That’s it?”
She laughed. “Oh Kiefer, I don’t know how to tell you how big this is. I can’t recall specifics. I just know that I’ve been in front of a camera before, for some reason.”
“Oh,” he said slowly, looking at her like she was insane.
“Be happy for me, okay?”
“I am!” he exclaimed forcefully. “I’m so happy, Peyton. I just… I guess being on this side of things, I don’t understand the impact of this. But don’t think for a second I’m not happy for you.”
She grinned. “Good!”
“So maybe you were a reporter?”
“No,” she said with a certainty she didn’t realize she felt. “No I was the one being talked to. I know that.”
“Perhaps you worked in communications for a big company. Part of their public relations team.”
She nodded. “Yeah, that could be it. I don’t know, but hopefully more will come to me now.”
He nodded quickly. “Here’s hoping!”
“Can we celebrate?”
“Of course!” he said, giving her a grin. “Ice cream?”
“Oh, you’re good,” she said, gesturing for him to lead the way. “You’re very good.”
They both laughed as Kiefer took them down the street.
She had a memory! One that belonged to her, and that wasn’t from the past two weeks. One from her old life, her real life.
A sobering thought flickered through her mind. If she did get her memories back, it was likely that she would leave Cloud Lake, and Kiefer, behind.
Peyton wasn’t sure what she was going to do when that happened, and suddenly, a small part of her wasn’t so sure she wanted to remember. The life she had now—while new to her—was a good one, one she enjoyed.
Could she really leave Kiefer behind if it came down to it?
Chapter Twelve
Kiefer
He was caught off guard by the sudden memory recall by Peyton.
It brought back into focus the clear fact that neither of them had any idea who she was in her past life. That she could very well have a life waiting for her somewhere. A life that he wouldn’t factor into once she remembered everything.
That thought hurt him, cutting far deeper than it had any right to. After little more than a week knowing her, could he truly say that her absence from his life would leave such a gaping hole?
Yes, yes I could. I don’t want to lose her. I can’t lose her.
But neither could he make her stay. Peyton was her own woman, and her strength constantly surprised him. If she chose to return to the life she’d known before him, who was he to protest, to say otherwise? That was not the sort o
f man he was, though he would continue to fight for her in any way that was open to him. To prove to her that he cared for her. That she belonged with him.
Perhaps it would be enough. But without becoming something he wasn’t proud of, it was the only option to Kiefer. He only hoped he could avoid making a decision that would haunt him forever.
Ahead of them a large form exited a store. It looked left and right, and then jerked slightly with surprise as it saw him. Kiefer knew from the outfit that it was a Green Bearet. The private came up to him.
“What’s wrong?” Kiefer asked the instant the other shifter was in range.
“Sir, I regret to report that one of your men is—”
“It’s Langdon, isn’t it?” Kiefer asked before the private even finished telling him what was going on.
“Ah, yes sir.”
Kiefer swore under his breath. Langdon had been a thorn in his side since the beginning of training camp. He’d had it in his head that he was the most capable shifter in the entire recruit company. So he’d tried to lead it, to mold the others in his image as best he could.
The unfortunate thing was, he was almost as good as he thought he was. That made any attempt by Kiefer to take him down a notch harder than it should have been. If Langdon wasn’t such a huge piece of shit, he’d been one of the better Green Bearets to graduate in recent years, easily officer candidate material based upon his raw skills and tactical knowledge.
But Langdon was a grade-A asshole who used everyone around him to better himself, and wasn’t shy about it. He’d bribe, bully, or intimidate anyone and everyone into doing what he wanted, the consequences be damned.
“Where is he?” Kiefer asked.
The private pointed back at the building he’d come out of.
The sign resting on the pavement out front of it read Girls Girls Girls.
Leave it to Langdon to find the only human strip club in Cloud Lake.
“I thought about trying to force him out, sir, but I didn’t want to risk the lives of any patrons.”
“Probably a good choice,” Kiefer said.
