Balancer's Soul (29 page)

“Does it help you to know that I’m half naked
as well?” Her answer was a tight lipped smile and to pinch his
bottom with her other hand. “Ouch… What was that for?”

“Because I wanted to give you something
special for all this and also for you trying to make me
blush…Again!” She finally cracked a beautiful smile. She turned on
her side, now resting her head on his left arm. She used her free
hand to caress the mark on his chest. “Well?”

“I’m sorry?” She caught him off guard with
the vague question.

“What do you think of your nearly naked
fiancé?” Now resting her palm over his heart, she met his eyes.

“I think I made the right choice by doing all
this. And I see that you are still wearing my anklet.” Connor said
while tucking some of her escaping hairs around her ear. She shut
her eyes while enjoying the tender touch. “But your pushing it. It
is hard to not join you and make one body.”

“I made the right choice for a mate as
well. I wouldn’t love you if you were a normal man.” She rubbed his
scar slowly with only her index finger and she looked at it
calmly.
“She really isn’t put off by my
deformity is she…”

“I love you.” Her eyes shot wide open and
softened and she said “As I also love you.” She leaned in to kiss
him again and Connor helped by pulling her torso closer, flush
against himself.

As they separated he asked “Now that it is
daylight, would you like to see the rest of the house?”

She smiled brightly while saying “Let me go
get dressed first.”

“Alright.” She got out of bed first and he
became spell bound by her fluid movement. Her hips swayed from side
to side more than usual, teasing and taunting him. Her long brown
hair covered the back clasp of her bra, but it came down to the top
of her panties. Her shoulders remained relatively even as she
walked straight out the door. She is a remarkable creature.

When she shut the door of the bathroom Connor
walked into the kitchen. He turned on the stove and sat a skillet
down, to get the metal heated. He walked to the refrigerator and
opened it. Pulling out a carton of eggs and bacon he begin cooking
for the both of them. Just as he finishing cooking the satisfying
meal, Sarah walked in with a towel wrapping her wet hair and wore a
tight blue top and white shorts. He was glad that he thought about
stocking the bathroom with towels and other bathroom necessities.
“How was it?”

“Warm…” She teased with a warm smile.

Setting the plates on the table he asked “Are
you hungry?”

“Famished.” She sat down on a wooden chair as
he divided the meal between the plates. Once he sat down Sarah
asked “Are you missing anything?” She had a playful smile as she
took her first bite of the eggs.

Connor looked around the room. “Nothing…
Wait!” He looked at the table and only Tool remained where she sat
it. “Where is my shirt?”

She didn’t answer until she finished eating.
Finishing her glass of fresh water and setting it down she said
“Today and today only, I want you to go shirtless and if you do I
will give you a special reward tonight. I will let you keep your
pants on though. I didn’t think you want to walk around in your
boxers all day.” She tried not to giggle, but failed miserably.

“She can’t possibly be
serous…”
Instead Connor asked curiously “What kind of
surprise are you talking about?”

“You will just have to wait like you made me
do.” She had on a feral smile like Jillian or… “You have spent way
too much time with my sister.” Connor shook his head in defeat,
exactly like his grandfather does and now he knew why he does
it.

“Is that a yes?” She had a hopeful smile.

Connor conceded by saying “Yes, it is
a
Yes
.”

After showing Sarah the rest of the house,
dread crept over him because he forgot that he made the deal before
remembering that he promised showing everyone their new home. Sarah
was a vindictive schemer and he now knew it.

Sarah and Connor walked back through
the woods just before noon to get everyone ready. As they came into
the clearing, behind Sarah’s parent’s house, he noticed one extra
vehicle in his mother’s driveway. Beside his mom’s car and his
grandfather’s truck stood Mark’s jeep.
“KARA!”
He scolded her in his head. Sarah touched
his back, knowing and understanding the same thing and her face
matched his thought. Connor said in a defeated tone “Oh well,
better to get it done and over with while everyone is here. Let’s
go get your parents first.” She nodded hesitantly and held his hand
as they walked up to her parent’s house first.

Jack opened the door after Sarah knocked a
few times. He looked down at her with a wry smile and then he
turned the smile on Connor. “It looks like Sarah finally did as she
planned.”

“And that would be?” He looked down at her as
she hid her face in her hair.

“She’s been planning for you to go shirtless
all month. She has been trying to find a suitable punishment for
you leaving her for so long… Or at least her mind was trying to
figure something out.”

Connor laughed, startling both of them.
“Serve’s you right for listening to your daughter’s thoughts.”

He smiled and changed the subject. “I’m ready
and Jillian’s almost… Ah here she comes.” Jack wore brown boots
laced up his shin along with a brown pair of pants and a light blue
top. Jillian wore the exact same attire only with a tight red
t-shirt and her hair pulled back into a hair tie.

“Are we ready?” Jillian looked at Jack and he
nodded. She looked at Connor while saying “Oh my…I had forgotten
how big that mark truly is.” She blurted out before she
thought.

Connor wanted to say something smart and did.
It was a perfect comeback. He looked down at Sarah who had a
mortified look on her face from her mother’s lack of subtly. “I
thought you said Balancers had a better memory than we human’s do.”
Sarah then looked at him like he’d lost his mind.

Jack burst into laughter and patted him on
the back. “That was a good one. I’ll have to remember that for a
later reference.” And Jillian smacked her mate’s behind as he made
a small joke at her expense.

“Let’s go collect the rest of our
instigators.” Sarah looked up at him and instantly understood who
he meant.

Sarah, himself, Jillian and Jack crossed the
road to his mother’s house. Connor opened the door to a full living
room. His blunt sister was the first to speak. “Brother! Where is
your shirt?” Everyone went speechless for a moment until he came up
with a good reason.

Pointing at Sarah Connor said “It’s her
punishment for me taking my sweet time getting back.” She smiled
sweetly at him in a way that said ‘You’re going to pay for that.’
Everyone laughed and he leaned down to speak in her ear. “I had to
say something to keep them off our trail.” She nodded, but still
wore the same dangerous smile. “Everyone, I would also like for you
to meet Sarah’s older sister, Jillian. This is their father,
Jack.”

His grandmother walked straight up to
Sarah. “Hello Sarah, I’m Rhoda, but everyone calls me Grandma. I
see that you gladly accepted his gift.” She pointed at Sarah’s
ankle, which she showed off with ample pride. “Did you also enjoy
your
other
gift he
made?”

Sarah now wore an honest and playful smile.
“Yes, Grandma and they are both perfect. Have you seen the other
yet?”

“Unfortunately I haven’t. How was it?”
Rhoda’s grin turned huge. Sometimes it became dangerous when she
gets excited about certain events.

“You will just have to wait like everyone
else.” Sarah announced and it stopped all other questions regarding
that particular subject. She glanced and smiled at Connor. He could
see she deeply loved her presents.

Mark, Kara and Jenny stood close together
after Rhoda and David finished introducing themselves to Sarah’s
parents. At the same time Jenny and Kara asked Sarah “Show us what
he made you!”

Sarah lifted her ankle up for everyone to
see. “He made this and the markings are a symbol of the continuous
tattoo on his chest.” Kara stepped up to get a closer look, but
Jenny decided to look from a comfortable distance.

“It’s beautiful.” And Kara looked up at her
brother to ask “What’s that thing on your arm Brother?”

“Oh this is an armlet. I made it as a
constant reminder of how I found Sarah out in the wild elements.”
Out of the corner of his eye Jillian gave him a quick thumbs up for
a good cover story.

“Not bad, Brother.” She walked away as his
mom and Mark each took a look at their items and introduced
themselves to Jillian and Jack. Mark raised an eyebrow.

Mark wanted to speak in private, so Connor
walked alone with him into the hallway as everyone was getting
acquainted and exchanging pleasantries. “Good news, Buddy. Ms.
Sarah chewed the class out for everything they have done to you.
You would have loved being there and saw all their expressions. It
was an honestly priceless moment. I wish I was smart enough to take
some pictures with my phone. And even Mathew hasn’t said a word
since…but I’m afraid that he might be up to something again.”

“Thanks for the heads up, Bud, and thanks for
keeping them both safe.”

Mark punched the center of his chest
playfully. “I’ve been telling you that this tattoo isn’t something
to be ashamed of. Only you can pull it off with these freakish
muscles.” He pointed to Connor’s abs and pectoral muscles. What was
funny was that his own size wasn’t all that small either.

Wanting to get the show on the road Connor
came down the hallway, shadowed by Mark. He looked at all who
gathered and asked in a light tone “Is everyone ready to see what I
built or what?” Everyone said either “Yes.” or “I’m ready.”

Everyone left the house to follow Sarah and
himself. Breaking through the tree line and walking for only a
minute, Connor watched everyone’s movement as they walked in the
forest. Jack moved about the same way as he himself did as they
barely straddled around the trees, without touching them. Jillian
and Sarah moved the same way walking only on stones and flowing
smoothly like a river around the greenery. Their delicate movements
were unique because of their size and age. They walked with purpose
and wasted no excess energy. David moved with a solid footing to
make sure that he could easily backtrack his steps. Jenny and Rhoda
moved quickly yet loudly as they are experienced hikers, but not
avid. Kara glided around trees and skirted bushes lightly, leaving
little to follow. The most shocking movement of all came from
watching that of Mark’s as he shadowed Kara.

He stepped in every place left by Kara
and didn’t disturb any of her prints. He looked to be sniffing the
air, searching for danger yet his expression and movements were a
calm mask. His hands were at his side, but Connor knew he was
keeping guard from the back. Apparently only he was able to detect
how differently his friend moved.
“That is
not the same inexperienced friend I carried home a few years
ago.”
Connor then saw another glimmer of light flash
in his eye again.
“What was that? It wasn’t
my imagination this time.”

As the group came upon a particular set of
trees that Connor knew, the cottage lay just ahead. He ordered
everyone to “Stop.” while Sarah stood next to him and said with a
slight bow “Past these trees is the present Connor made.”

Everyone stood anxious; especially Jillian
and Kara. Connor said happily “If you would all please, follow
us.”

As Connor entered the clearing followed by
Sarah and the others, he could hear a pin drop on a pillow because
of their silence. He turned around to look at everyone as they saw
the completed project. They all were slack jawed and their lips
were shaping an O.

Kara was the first who asked oddly “You built
a house for her? Why?”

Connor walked up and placed one hand over her
shoulder. His sister couldn’t comprehend his reasoning. “It’s not
just for her, it’s for the two of us.”

“But, But Brother?” She started to cry and
Sarah came up to her for a hug.

“Kara, Connor and I are engaged. It is
only a natural thing to move out of the house when you find the one
you love. And I love him very,
very
much.” Kara cried in Sarah’s arms because she most likely
felt like he was abandoning her.

“Listen Sis, I’m not leaving you. I’m only
moving out.” She let go of Sarah to look at him with watery eyes
and the beginning of a red nose.

“I understand that you two were made for each
other, but it’s hard to see you moving out, Brother. I’m ok now,
really.” She said to Sarah while wiping the tears away from her
damp cheeks.

No one apparently heard their quiet little
conversation, which shocked him.

Jillian tapped Connor’s back nearly a minute
later and asked “You built a house for Sarah? Within a month? Who
helped you do all of this?”

David spoke up proudly. “All I gave him
were the supplies. He built this small paradise
entirely
by himself.”

Jack agreed “I can second that because I know
the truth of his words. A few weeks ago I caught him building the
roof late in the night. I tried sneaking up on him to see what was
going on, but…”

“That’s like trying to sneak up on a viper.
He probably felt you before he heard you…” his grandfather laughed
and patted Jack on his back. “What did he do when he caught you
spying on him?”

“He threw that hammer thing at me and only
missed my head by a few inches. It was a frightening experience.”
Jack said while wearing a wry grin.