Safe Travels

by Alex Dafney

  I shake my head as I stand up, pacing in front of the picnic table. “No. I declined the Society because I don’t want to be ‘matched’ with the best candidate for procreation reasons.” I roll my eyes as I continue pacing. “Besides, I don’t want to live my life in fear that the Hunters are going to come after me and I can’t do anything about it. I don’t want to spend my days going over the archives or doing paperwork. I want to do something that matters.”

  I stop pacing and look at Cooper. “I want to be able to choose who I want to be with, and I want my children and grandchildren to do the same. Not live in fear and follow a set of outdated rules.” His lip tugs up at the side as he looks at me. He stands and steps the few feet toward me, looking down at me. “Are you sure the Assembly is the right choice? You don’t even know what you’re thinking about joining.” I roll my shoulders back and look up at him. “Then tell me what I’d be joining. You’re the only person I know that can tell me.”

  He runs his hand through his hair as he laughs lightly. Turning away from me he steps back to the picnic table and sits down, patting the spot next to him for me to join him. I step over and sit next to him. My body begins to tingle as soon as I’m near him, causing me to tremble and wrap my arms around myself. “Do you feel that?” I turn my head to look at his profile as he looks out over the lake. “Yeah. Every time I’m near you.” He turns his head to look me in the eyes. “Just so we’re clear. I didn’t ask you out because of the Prophecy.” He gestures his hand between us. “This feeling I have when I’m around you, is why I found you.”

  He sighs and looks back out over the lake. “I understand your feelings about the arranged marriage situation, and I guess if you think about it, the Prophecy is basically the same thing.” I look down at the ground. “My Dad said the Prophecy doesn’t say the power couple has to be an actual ‘couple’ though.” I can feel Cooper’s gaze turn to me. “Really?” I nod, not looking up.

  He stands up and steps in front of me, putting one hand on my knee. “Listen, Ophelia. I would like to get to know you better. I like you, and I like spending time together.” He flips his hand in the air as he continues. “I understand if you don’t want that, though.” I slowly look up at him. I do like him and I want to know him better too, but… “I just want to take things slow. Get to know you, just for you. Not because of the Prophecy.”

  He pulls his hand away from my knee and I instantly want the connection back. “That sounds like a great plan. Friends?” He asks as he holds his hand out to me. I give him a grin as I stand, placing my hand in his as we shake. “Friends.” He glances down at our clasped hands. “I could get addicted to the way it feels when I touch you.” His eyes look up to mine and I blush as I slip my hand out of his. “Yeah. It’s not like anything I’ve ever felt.”

  He runs his hand through his hair as he looks around. “Do you still want to know about the Assembly?” I nod my head as a small grin works its way onto his face. “Good. I can’t tell you too much here. Do you want to go back to my place? Or yours?” I take a second to think about it. Mom is probably still up doing paperwork for her job at the Society, and I don’t know how she’ll feel about Cooper telling me about the Assembly. “Yours.”

  Cooper opens the passenger door of his car allowing me to slip in the seat before closing it. Once he’s in the driver’s seat with the car started, I turn to him. “Where do you live, anyway? I’ve never seen you around town.” He chuckles as he drives out of the subdivision. “I live at the Assembly compound.” I tilt my head and squint my eyes at him. “Compound? Please tell me I’m not thinking of joining a cult.”

  He lets out a true laugh as he shakes his head. “We’re not a cult. You won’t be offered special Kool aid upon arrival.” I smirk at him before settling back into my seat. “So, where is this place?” Cooper speeds through the middle of town, turning on his signal as we approach the interstate. “It’s in Canada.” My eyes widen as I look over at him. “Cooper! I can’t just leave and drive to Canada with you!” He chuckles as he places a hand on my leg. “Relax, Ophelia. I’m just going to stash my car a few exits down. We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

  I sit back in the seat, relaxing my shoulders and expecting Cooper to move his hand. He doesn’t and I’m surprised by how okay I am with that. I place my hand on his, lacing one finger around his. I feel him look over at me, but I keep my eyes trained on the road.

  True to his word, we arrive at a parking deck in fifteen minutes. I look around as Cooper reaches in the back of the car, pulling a black duffel bag from the backseat. He flips down the visor on the car and grabs something before turning to me. “I’m not really supposed to bring you to the compound like this, but…” He shrugs as he grabs my hand, transporting us through time.

  Before I can blink, we’re standing in the middle of a nicely decorated living room. I look around as Cooper tosses his bag on the couch, walking toward the kitchen in the open concept area. “Would you like something to drink?” He calls over his shoulder to me. “Uh, sure.” The room is so homey. Nothing like I would expect a twenty-one-year-old to live in. The hardwood floors are beautiful, with a large accent rug in the middle. The couches look soft and comfortable, and they even have decorative throw pillows on both.

  I jump when Cooper touches my arm, holding out a wine glass to me. I raise an eyebrow as I take the glass. “Is wine the only thing you drink?” He shrugs as he makes his way to the larger couch, tossing the decorative pillow to the loveseat before sitting down. “Not usually. This just seems like a conversation that could use a glass of wine. I nod as I walk over to the couch to sit, making sure I don’t sit too close, but not too far away.

  I gesture my hand around the room. “Uh, this is not what I was expecting.” He chuckles before taking a drink of wine. “Margie.” He rolls his eyes as he continues. “She’s kind of the Mother figure to us younger members. Once, she came over to bring me dinner after she heard about a particularly difficult mission. The next time I left on assignment I came home to this.” He gestures his hand around the room as I giggle. “Well, it looks nice.” He shrugs as he shakes his head lightly. “Not really my style, but I’m not here much anyway.”

  I sip my wine as I listen to him. “Why are you not here a lot?” He places his wine glass on the coffee table and sits back, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, I guess we’ll just jump right in.” I fold my leg under me so I can face him. “We all have rolls in the Assembly. I actually have two.” He shrugs before running his hand through his hair and placing his arm along the back of the couch. “My main roll when I first joined was to find new recruits. I still do that from time to time, but I also go out on missions.” I nod as he talks. “Every member is assigned a roll upon arrival that best fits their gift. Some people work over the finances, which basically means they travel back and forth through time, playing the lottery, or buying and selling stocks.” He shrugs as my mouth falls open. “Oh my gosh! Isn’t that illegal? That’s like, insider trading!”

  Cooper chuckles as he reaches for his wine glass. “And who is going to police it?” I close my mouth but give him a scowl. “No one does anything that would be morally wrong to earn money. It just, it takes a good bit to finance what we do and provide for everyone here.” I lean my side against the couch, resting my arm on the back. “Okay. So, what kind of job would I be assigned?” Cooper shrugs again. “I really don’t know. Jim oversees assigning the newcomers rolls.”

  I look down at the wine glass resting on my leg. “But I don’t have any special attributes. Ya’ll probably wouldn’t even want me to join.” Cooper reaches his hand along the back of the couch, lacing his fingers with mine. I look up to find him grinning widely, his dimple more pronounced than I’ve ever seen. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. And believe me when I say, everyone here will want you on board.” I give him a small grin before taking a sip of wine.

  “You said you have two rolls, what’s the other?” Once again, I expect
Cooper to pull his hand away, but he doesn’t. “I also go out on missions. Whenever we have intel that a Hunter is going to strike, a team will be sent out into time to stop them. I’m the lead on my team. I find the Hunter, preferably before he finds the shifter that he’s after, then I call in the ‘clean up crew’ as I like to call them.”

  “Clean up crew? As in the one who kills the Hunter?” Cooper nods his head slowly. “Exactly. I won’t lie to you and tell you I’ve never had to take a Hunter’s life, but I’m better suited being the lead.” I turn my head to the side slightly. “Why? I mean, how do you know you’re better suited at being the lead?” Cooper chuckles as he runs his thumb along our still clasped hands. I had almost gotten used to the tingling before he started that movement. “Because, I’m fast.”

  I shake my head and pinch my eyes closed. “I’m so confused. Fast at what exactly?” Cooper bumps my leg with his, forcing me to look up at him. “When you travel back in time, how long does it take you to reach your destination?” I wrinkle my forehead at him. “A few seconds at the most. Why?” Cooper looks at me like I’m crazy. “You know most shifters can’t do that, right?” I pull my hand away from his, resting both my hands in my lap.

  “I honestly don’t know much about shifters at all. You’re the first person I’ve ever met other than my Mom and Gamma. My Mom is Society as was my Gamma. My Dad died when I was a baby. Hell, I didn’t even know I could shift until I was ten years old.” I scoff as I roll my eyes.

  “How did you not know all those years?” I glance up to Cooper. “My Mom had me convinced that I had a dermatological issue that required me to wear gloves at all times.” I lift my hands and shake them in front of me. “I must’ve been the worlds dumbest child to believe that.” I place my hand over my face and lean against the back of the couch. Cooper chuckles and I peek between my fingers at him. “I really don’t find this funny.”

  He unsuccessfully tries to wipe the grin from his face. He takes a deep breath and reaches for my hand, pulling it away from my face. “You weren’t dumb. From what I can guess your Mom just wanted to protect you and give you a normal childhood.” He sits back, pulling my hand into his and picking up his wine glass. “Most shifter kids are homeschooled for fear of being found out. You got to experience going to school and being around friends. I didn’t have that.” He shrugs as he drinks his wine.

  “Really? You didn’t go to school?” He shakes his head as I reach for my wine glass on the coffee table. “No. My brother and I were both homeschooled until we started high school.” My eyes widen in surprise. “You have a brother?” He looks away from me, his eyes wondering the room. “Carter. He’s actually my twin. When our parents were killed, he swore against the Assembly. Blamed everyone involved for their death.” Cooper drops his head and squeezes his eyes shut. I squeeze his hand that is still joined with mine. As he looks back at me, I can see the sorrow in his eyes.

  “Where is your brother now?” I ask quietly. Cooper runs his hand over his face before abruptly standing up and scooping up our wine glasses. “He joined the Society.” He walks into the kitchen and I turn to watch him over the back of the couch. I can’t imagine losing your entire family at such a young age. He looks up to find me watching him and gives me a tight smile before walking back to join me on the couch.

  As he sits, he lets out a long sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m not good at talking about this. We were so close, and when our parents died, he joined the Society and we haven’t really spoken since. Well, until I called him to find out about you.” He gives me a sad smile. I stand, offering my hand to him. He takes my hand, stands in front of me and I wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head against his chest.

  He stiffens at first, then slowly wraps his arms around me. “What is this for?” I shrug and bury my face in his chest, inhaling his distinctive scent. “I just felt like you needed a hug.” He lets out a low chuckle as he pulls me tighter. “I think I’ll tell you all of my sad tales if you’ll hug me like this after everyone.” I pull back and slap his chest playfully as he laughs.

  A knock on the door causes us both to jump. I look up to Cooper who has his brows drawn together. He checks his watch as he strides to the door. I stand with my hands clasped in front of me nervously as Cooper opens the door just an inch and drops his head. “Shit.” I barely hear him. He pushes the door open wider and gestures his hand to the inside.

  A tall man with glasses, blonde hair and a full blonde beard steps in the room. Pushing his glasses up on his nose as he looks between Cooper and I, settling on Cooper. “I saw your light on while I was heading home. I was hoping to speak with you about your upcoming assignment. I didn’t realize you had company.” He looks back at me with a warm smile.

  Cooper closes the door behind him and walks back toward the living room, stopping next to me. “Jim this is…” Jim sticks his hand out to me. “Ophelia. I already know.” My eyes widen and my mouth hangs slightly open as I place my hand in his. “How do you know who I am?” Jim takes a seat on the love seat, while Cooper grabs my hand and pulls me down to sit beside him on the couch.

  I stare at the man as his gaze moves between us. “You know she’s not supposed to be here.” I turn to look at Cooper as he nods. “She declined her invitation to the Society and wanted to know more about what we do here.” Jim leans forward, dropping his elbows on his knees and forming a steeple with his fingers under his chin. “You know the protocol, Clark. Don’t try to get cute with me.”

  I can feel the energy between Cooper and I change. I look down at our clasped hand as I start to run my thumb gently along his hand, feeling him start to relax almost immediately. “Ophelia.” My head snaps back to Jim. “You’re thinking of joining the Assembly?” I nod. “Yes, sir. Mr...” He sits back on the couch, crossing his ankle over his knee, and swinging his arm along the back of the couch as he laughs.

  “Please, just Jim, and no sir, either.” He gives me a bright smile, causing my shoulders to relax a little. “I knew your father. One hell of a man.” He says as he looks out the floor to ceiling windows behind us. I can’t help the excitement I feel to meet someone who knew my Dad. “Really? You knew him?” Jim focuses back on me with a smile. “I did. We were on the same team for many years. I was actually there for his last.”

  My breath hitches at his admission and Cooper bristles next to me. “She’s just met her Dad recently, Jim. She doesn’t need to hear about that now.” Jim looks at me with a slightly shocked expression. “I’m terribly sorry. I just assumed that Lillian would’ve told you at some point.” I shake my head. “No. Mom didn’t really tell me anything.” He nods as he sits up straighter. “How old were you when she finally told you about your ability?”

  I raise an eyebrow at him. “Ten. Why does that matter?” He chuckles as he shakes his head. “Lillian always was a stubborn one.” His mouth pulls up into a slight grin when he looks back at me. “The last time I saw her was the day I had to tell her about Robert. She told me that she would keep you from this life as long as she could.” He sits back, crossing his leg over his knee again as he looks at mine and Cooper’s clasped hands between us. “Guess that didn’t work so well, now did it.”

  I blush, looking down as I feel the tense energy radiating from Cooper. “Look Jim, Ophelia wanted to know about the Assembly. I brought her back here to explain things where I knew she would be safe.” Jim stands from the couch quickly, buttoning his jacket as he walks toward the door. “Whatever you say, kid. I expect you in my office at nine in the morning.” His focus turns to me. “I look forward to speaking with you again soon, Ophelia.” Jim opens the door and steps out, closing it behind him.

  Cooper leans back on the couch, covering his face with his hands. “Shit.” He mumbles. I’m not sure what to do with myself, so I place a hand on his knee, feeling him calm with my touch. He pulls his hand away from his face with wide eyes. “How are you doing that?” I give him a questioning look. “Doing what?” He shakes his head as he lets out an e
xasperated breath. “Your touch seems to calm me, love.” He gives me a sideways grin as I smile back.

  He glances down at his watch before meeting my eyes again. “I should probably get you home. It’s after three in the morning.” I stand and grab my purse from the floor, turning back to look at him. “Don’t worry about it. I can get myself back. I think.” Cooper stands, stepping just inches away from me. He runs his hand from my shoulder down to my hand, lacing our fingers together as he leans down, kissing my cheek. My face burns with a blush as he pulls away, dropping my hand. “Good night, Ophelia.” I smile at him before closing my eyes and transporting myself back to my bedroom.

  I toss my purse on the floor and walk to my closet, stripping off my clothes to change into something to sleep in. Once I’ve brushed my teeth and thrown my hair in a bun I climb into bed, yawning widely as I turn my bedside lamp off. I can’t help the wide smile on my face as I drift to sleep thinking about Cooper.

  Chapter 7

  I sit in the kitchen eating breakfast a full week later. I haven’t heard from Cooper since the following morning that I was at his home. He called to tell me he’d be on a mission and he’d call me when he returned. Mom walks in the room, straight for the refrigerator. “Good Morning, Ophelia. What’s your plans for the day?” I simply grunt in response and continue eating a pop tart.

  She turns and raises an eyebrow at me. “Still no word from Cooper?” I huff and start to stand from the bar, but Mom calls my name, like only a Mom can. I look at her slightly scowled face. “I’m sure he’s still out on assignment and hasn’t had a chance to call you, but you can’t keep stomping around here feeling sorry for yourself.” I roll my eyes and toss my napkin in the trash can, before turning toward the hall and escaping to my bedroom.