Safe Travels

by Alex Dafney

  I pull the phone away from my ear and toss it in the floorboard as I cover my face with both hands and lean my head back against the seat. “Oh. My. God.” Cooper places his hand on my knee. “Everything alright?” I shake my head, mumbling behind my hands. “I just had a conversation with Gamma that involved the words well endowed and foreplay. No. Nothing is alright, and never will be again.”

  As Cooper removes his hand from my knee, I pull my hands away from my face, looking over at him. His shoulders are bobbing, and he has his hand covering his mouth. Unsuccessfully trying to hide his laughter. I playfully swat his arm. “It’s not funny! I’m going to be scarred for life! I’ll probably end up an old frigid maid with thirty cats after listening to that!” I throw my hands up as I shake my head. Cooper can’t contain his laughter anymore and is now clutching his side.

  A smile plays at my lips and I try my best to hold it in, but Cooper laughing like this is an amazing sight. Once he settles down, he places his hand back on my knee. “I’m sorry. That just was not what I expected.” He chuckles lightly as I shake my head. “Yeah. Me neither.” I place my hand on his as he turns his to lace our fingers together. “Oh, she told me to tell you thank you. What’s that for?”

  He nods as he pulls into the same parking deck we used last week. “I signed her up for the wine of the month club.” He shrugs. “The least I could do for not replacing her wine in a timely fashion.” I can’t help but smile at him. He parks the car in the same spot and turns it off. Turning to me he gives me a small grin. “Ready to be roomies for a week?” I sigh as I push the car door open. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Chapter 8

  We arrive in Cooper’s living room, just like the one other time I’ve been here. Only now he’s holding my suitcase. He drops my hand and takes a step back. “Let me show you your room, then I’ll show you the rest of the house.” I follow him up the stairs to the open balcony. He opens one of the doors, allowing me to enter before him.

  My mouth drops open as I look around the room. There’s a plush, king size bed with windows on either side. A huge TV mounted on the wall, a bookcase off to one side full of books, and a couch with big, brightly colored pillows. Cooper steps around me, walking through the room. “I’ll just place your suitcase in the closet for you.” He disappears through one of the doors on the far side of the room.

  He steps back out and walks to the other door, opening it. “This is the bathroom.” I walk toward him, stepping in the bathroom as he holds the door open for me. “Holy shit.” I mumble as I take in the claw foot bathtub and shower big enough for five people. I turn back to him, my eyes wide. “This is your guest room? What the hell does your room look like?” He waggles his eyebrows, playfully. “I’ll be happy to show you.” I roll my eyes and swat at his chest. He catches my wrist and pulls me to him, causing my breathe to hitch.

  “I’m glad you’re here, O. I’ve never babysat a soul in my life though, so you may have to remind me when I should feed you and put you down for a nap.” He chuckles as I squirm in his arms, trying to break away from him. I run my hand up his side, noticing him jolt when I reach his ribs on his left side. I start tickling him and he jumps away. I start to slowly stalk toward him as he backs away with both hands out to me. “Come on, Ophelia. I was joking. Let me show you the rest of the house.”

  I shake my head side to side slowly with a large grin plastered on my face. “Oh no. You’re going to have to pay for that one.” He turns and runs around the far side of the bed, effectively trapping himself. I run at him as he puts both his hands up toward me. “No, no, no, no!” He yells as I tickle him with everything I have. We end up on the bed, Cooper squirming under me as I tickle him, laughing as I do.

  Cooper grabs both of my hands, flipping me onto my back, straddling me and pinning my arms above my head. I squirm beneath him before giving up with a sigh. “No fair. You’re stronger than I am.” He stares down at me, giving me that grin that shows off his dimple. We’re both breathing heavy and my heart is pounding in my chest. Cooper looks down, realizing the position we’re in. He releases my hands and stands up, running his hand through his hair before offering me his hand to pull me up.

  I run my fingers through my hair, trying to fix the mess I imagine it looks before looking up at him. He gives me a shy smile. “Let me show you the rest of the house.” I follow him out the doorway. He walks to the next door, opening it. I look inside to find a room very similar to the room I’ll be staying in. “This is my room.” Taking a look around, I spot the only real difference between the two is the guitar sitting in the corner. I step back and look up at Cooper as he closes the door. “You play guitar?”

  He shrugs as he grips my hand in his, leading us to the stairs. “I used to. I haven’t really touched it in years. My Dad taught Carter and I when we were little.” I can feel the sadness in his voice. We make it to the bottom of the stairs, and he gestures his hand around. “You’ve already seen this. Kitchen, living room, dining room.” He starts to walk toward the front door, opening a door to the right of it. “This is the garage. All the keys are in the cars, in case you need them.”

  “Why do you have so many cars?” I ask as I look at the three sports cars that sit in the garage. He chuckles as he looks down at me. “These stay here.” He says as he gestures his hand to the three expensive looking sports cars. “I have more. Like the Audi back in Alabama.” Cooper checks his watch on his wrist before turning to look at me. “We need to go and speak to Jim and Calvin. They’re probably expecting us by now.”

  Once we’re in the car, Cooper backs us out of the garage, closing it as we pull down a suburban street. I look at the cookie cutter houses as we drive by. “All the houses look the exact same.” Cooper chuckles next to me. “Yeah. Calvin thought it would be easier to have one design. There are houses a few streets over that are three and four bedrooms though, for the members with families.”

  “So, every member has a house here?” I look back over to him as he nods. “Most everyone our age are in the double units. We each have a bedroom and share the common areas.” He glances over my way as he turns onto the street leaving the subdivision. “Lucky for you, my roommate moved out a few months ago and Jim hasn’t placed anyone with me.” I give a small smile as I look out the passenger window, taking in the landscape. “It’s really beautiful here.”

  We pass by a park with a few children swinging and sliding down a large slide. The parents sitting on benches chatting while a couple of teenagers play basketball on a full-size court. “This is incredible. It’s like its own little world.” Cooper looks over at me with a grin. “That was the plan.” I give him a bright smile as he turns the car onto a narrow road. We drive along for a few minutes until the trees open up to a large building with a full glass front. “Wow.” I say as I lean forward taking it in.

  He pulls the car into a parking spot, turning and lifting my hand into his. “I called Jim this morning to let him know you’d be staying with me. It’s against the rules for a nonmember to be here, as you already know. Calvin may seem upset when we get in there, but he’s upset with me, not you. You don’t have anything to worry about. Okay?” My stomach flips at his words. “Uh, okay.” I say weakly. Cooper leans across the console of the car, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek before climbing out.

  I open the door and brush my hands down my dress, suddenly full of nerves. Cooper walks around the front of the car, holding his hand out as I step forward and take it. We walk through the glass doors into what appears to be a business type setup. The lady at the round desk in front of us holds up one finger as she talks into her headset. I look around nervously as everyone seems to be staring at me. I look down at the ground.

  Cooper squeezes my hand, leaning in to whisper. “You’re basically the new kid at school. They’re just curious as to what you can do, and who you are.” I look up to him with a nervous smile. “Hey, Cooper. What brings you by today?” The lady from the desk says, but she’s looking at me. “
I’m here to see Jim and Calvin.” Her eyes widen as she looks over to Cooper with a faux scared face. “You must be in big time trouble.” He chuckles lowly. “Not this time. I hope. Grace, this is Ophelia.” She gives me a polite nod. “Hi. I haven’t seen you around before. Are you one of the new recruits?” I open my mouth, but Cooper squeezes my hand. “We need to get going, Grace. Good to see you.”

  He gives a polite wave as he pulls me toward the elevator. Once the door closes, he turns to me. “Sorry about that. Like I said before, no non-members allowed.” He gives a small shrug as I wave a hand toward him. “No worries. I should be thanking you. I had no idea what to say.”

  We step out of the elevator into a large lobby. Cooper waves to the woman at the desk as we walk by. He stops in front of a large wooden door, taking a deep breath before knocking. I can feel his emotions turning anxious. The door swings open and the man I remember as Jim, stands in the doorway with an unpleasant look on his face. “You know you’re in serious shit, kid.” He says as he focuses on Cooper. Jim spins around, walking to the built-in bar in the corner of the room as Cooper closes the door behind us.

  Cooper rests his hand on my lower back, guiding me to the chairs in front of the large desk. I sit in one as Cooper takes the other. Jim comes back, placing three glasses of dark liquor on the desk. “Wait. You’re not even old enough to drink, are you?” He says as he looks at me. I shake my head. “No. I’m only eighteen.” Jim rolls his eyes as he pushes the glass toward me. “To hell with it. It’s not like we have rules around this place.” He says as he narrows his eyes at Cooper.

  I glance over at Cooper who has a wide grin on his face. “Come on, Jim. You know you love me.” I take the glass from the desk, taking a small sip that burns all the way down. Jim scoffs. “Yeah, I’d love to kick your ass right about now. Calvin’s on his way over, and he just may kick both of our asses.” I run my finger along the rim of the glass in my lap, looking between the two of them nervously.

  The door behind us swings open, causing me to jump. “What the hell is the meaning of this, Cooper?” The man shouts as he slams the door behind him, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut. Cooper puts a hand on my shoulder, and I open my eyes to find him standing beside me. “If you’ll let me explain, Calvin. I have a very good reason for bringing Ophelia here.” Jim stands, walking over to the bar, grumbling the whole way.

  I pull every bit of courage I can and stand next to Cooper, turning to face this Calvin. I stick my hand out. “Hi. I’m Ophelia.” He looks from my face to my hand a few times before gripping my hand. “I’m Calvin, but I guess you already know that.” He says in a much softer voice. We drop hands and he unbuttons his suit as Jim hands him a glass. He throws it back in one gulp, passing the glass back to Jim. “What form are you?” I stare at him for a moment, not knowing how to answer, or what he’s even asked me. “She’s a past shifter.” Cooper says beside me.

  “I see. I need to apologize for my outburst Miss…” He pauses, waiting for me to fill in. “Oakes.” He raises an eyebrow at me. “Yes, Calvin. She’s Robert’s daughter.” Jim says from the bar area he’s propped against. “Yes, well, I apologize Miss Oakes. We do have rules here, but that doesn’t excuse my behavior.” He finishes with a slight nod. “Now, let’s all have a seat and figure this out.” I sit in the chair I just vacated as Calvin sits next to me, Jim behind the desk and Cooper stays standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “Now, please explain to me how this came about, Mr. Clark.” Calvin says as he looks over at Cooper with his eyebrows pinched. “I was given intel from Ophelia’s mother this morning. She’s Society.” Calvin turns back to me. “And you?” I shake my head. “No, sir. I declined my invitation.” He gives a nod before turning back to Cooper. “Go on, son.” Cooper nods and drops his hands to his sides. “It seems there have been twenty cases reported of missing Society members in the last few days. Not just any members though, only strong members.” Calvin stands from the chair next to me, gripping his hands behind his back and pacing as Cooper continues. “As you know, the Society suspect all of these cases to be linked to the Hunters. They’re bringing their members to headquarters as we speak.” Calvin stops mid stride. “Shit.” He glances over at me before focusing on Cooper.

  “Why are you involved?” Cooper gives me a small smile before returning his eyes to Calvin. “You may want to sit down for this one.” Calvin blows out a breath as he takes the seat next to me, crossing his arms over his chest. Cooper runs his hand through his hair before looking between Jim and Calvin. “It seems Ophelia and I have a strong connection.” Jim scoffs as he places his hands behind his head, kicking his feet up on the corner of the desk. “A strong connection? You like her, so you broke the rules by bringing her into the compound. Come on, Cooper.”

  I look down at my lap as my cheeks blush. “You’re an ass, Jim. I may like her, but that’s not the only reason I brought her here.” I glance up to find Cooper’s gaze on me, causing my cheeks to burn brighter. Calvin clears his throat next to me. “Let’s get on with it.” He gives Jim and Cooper a pointed glance. “Like I was saying, Ophelia and I have a strong connection. It seems our gifts are growing the more time we spend together.”

  Calvin and Jim look between us with scrutinizing faces. “What do you mean, growing?” Calvin asks as his gaze settles on me. I look up to Cooper who gives me a slight nod, encouraging me to tell him. “I, um, I’ve never been able to shift in the present until last week, and I can feel Cooper’s emotions when we touch.” My cheeks burn, but I keep my eyes focused on Calvin. He nods his head slightly, turning to look at Cooper. “What about you?” Cooper shrugs. “I don’t have to be touching someone to transport them with me and I can travel to some places without an object. Oh, and it seems Ophelia and I have visions of the future.”

  Jim narrows his eyes at me from behind the desk. “Your Dad was a present shifter, Lillian too. What about your grandparents?” I clear my throat. “All four were future shifters.” His eyes widen as he looks from me to Cooper with understanding. “The same as your family, Cooper.” Calvin stands up, pacing around the room. “Are we seriously talking about the Prophecy right now?” Cooper walks across the room, taking the seat Calvin was just occupying, resting his hand on my knee. “Afraid so.” He says as he crosses his ankle over his knee.

  Calvin turns back to me. “How far have you traveled and what’s your speed?” I look to Cooper for guidance. He gives me a quick grin before turning to Calvin. “Forgive Ophelia, she’s not experienced with our lingo. She didn’t even know of her gift until she was ten years old.” Calvin takes a deep breath. “Sure. Your speed, meaning how quickly you can travel.”

  I nod my head, feeling embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. “I’ve traveled to BC before, and it’s never taken more than a few seconds to reach my destination.” His eyes widen and a huge smile sweeps across his face as he looks to Jim who has a similar look. “Holy shit, Jimmy. Could it really be?” Jim shakes his head side to side slowly. “Only one way to find out.” He says as he stands from behind the desk, walking across the room and opening the door with vigor.

  Calvin walks past him, clapping his hand on his shoulder as he goes. Jim looks at Cooper and I still seated in the chairs. “Are you two coming?” I look at Cooper with a questioning look, to which he shrugs. He grips my hand in his as we both stand, walking out the door as Jim closes it behind us. Jim steps by us, walking to the elevator that Calvin is standing in front of as we fall in step behind him.

  The elevator opens and we all file in. I move closer to Cooper as the doors close. He squeezes my hand, giving me reassurance. The elevator door opens, and we walk into a massively large room, shelves lining all the walls. A few tables are in the middle of the area with people reading or looking at computers.

  Calvin claps his hands loudly, everyone in the room focusing on him. “The Research area is closed for the remainder of the day. You can pick up tomorrow morning.” A few grumbles trail through the room,
but everyone stands and makes their way to the elevator behind us, giving us curious stares as they go. Once everyone has boarded the elevator, Jim extracts a key from his pocket, placing it in the keypad on the wall and turning it.

  “We’re locked.” He says to Calvin. They both walk across the room toward a door on the very far wall. Cooper and I fall behind a few steps. “Where are we going?” I whisper. Cooper gives me a slight shrug. “I’m not sure. I’ve never been in that room.” My heart rate quickens, and I stop moving. Cooper pauses next to me, then moves in front of me, placing his hands on my shoulders and lowering himself so he’s at eye level with me.

  “Ophelia? Are you alright?” I shake my head rapidly. “No. What if this is some kind of trap?” He tilts his head to the side and gives me a small grin. “It’s not, love. I promise. Jim may be an asshole, but he’s not dangerous. Calvin is essentially our leader here, but never call him that. He says we’re all equals, and he doesn’t deserve a title. Besides Ophelia, I meant it when I said I would put my life before yours. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  I glance over his shoulder to find Calvin and Jim standing next to the door, waiting for us. I bring my eyes back to Cooper. “Okay.” I barely whisper. “Okay.” He whispers back before kissing my cheek. He grips my hand tightly as we begin walking toward them. I let out a nervous breath as we stop in front of them.

  Calvin gives me a weak smile. “Forgive me, Ophelia. I should have explained where we were going and for what purpose. We’re just excited to see if this will work.” I look between he and Jim. “If what will work?” Jim pulls another set of keys from his pocket, unlocking the door and gesturing for us to go in. Cooper drops my hand, placing it on my lower back as we enter the room.