Soulless

by Garr, Amber

  The rest of the time, Jason and I had spent glued to each other’s side. We’d barely left the bed, but not for the reason Theron and I got the bed in the first place. It was because Jason and I spent all day and all night talking and telling stories. We kept practicing the extent of our bond by trying to have conversations completely in our heads. Most of the time we would succeed, but we did notice that if something distracted us, it made it harder to hear each other. In other words, we avoided topics, such as Theron and my old life with him.

  As I started up the dirt road running along the side of the hill, Jason stepped out from behind a large rock. His contagious smile lit up my face and happiness danced in my chest. I’d felt this way for the last week and wondered if I could open my heart to Jason as a friend…and maybe even more someday. Through the bond, I felt how excited he was to show me his home, even if we were on the far outskirts of the property.

  “So, the Elders agreed with you,” I said.

  He stepped closer. “They couldn’t find fault with my reasoning. Besides, I told you Judith would approve.”

  Shaking my head, I wrapped my arm around his and we started walking again. “I never doubted your charm.”

  “I know,” he said, squeezing my arm. A few steps later, he jerked us to a sudden stop. “Oh, I almost forgot.” Jumping in front of me, he put his hands behind his back, a crooked grin forming on his mouth.

  “What?” I asked, having a hard time keeping the smile off my face.

  “If things were different and we were, well…you know, alive, I would introduce you to my family right now.”

  Having no idea where this conversation was going, I just nodded. “Okay.”

  “And since you’re a city girl, I didn’t think this event would be right unless you came here with one of these.” He swung his arm out from behind his back and presented me with a perfectly feminine cowboy hat. All black, of course, with light blue crystal rhinestones that bordered the rim and reflected the remaining sunlight like a tiara.

  I laughed and held it in my hands. “Very nice.”

  Jason grabbed it from me and placed it on my head, tucking my long hair behind my ears and then deciding to pull some in front of my shoulders. After a few moments of primping, he stepped back and crossed his arms. “Perfect.”

  My insides fluttered. “And what about you?”

  With a snap of his finger, a tan hat with a wide brim and dark brown strip of leather circling the top appeared on his head. He tipped the hat. “Howdy, Ma’am.”

  I mimicked him and added a curtsey. “Sir.”

  With a laugh, he scooped me up in his arms and twirled me around. My feet dangled off the ground and the weightlessness left me feeling giddy as a young girl. “Stop, you’re making me dizzy,” I spoke between giggles.

  He gently set me down, but didn’t let go of my waist. My arms tightened around his shoulders when he gazed into my eyes. For several seconds, time froze. I couldn’t deny the relationship growing between us, and a part of me didn’t want to. Jason was great. Cute, funny, caring, compassionate—nothing about him seemed wrong. He didn’t hunt souls. He didn’t abandon those he loved. And, most of all, he didn’t keep breaking my heart.

  Jason lowered his head as I tilted mine up in response. Warm, soft lips brushed lightly against my own eager ones and I closed my eyes. Getting lost in the sensation, I forgot about every other emotion that plagued my soul. His kiss was gentle at first, but quickly escalated as heat burst between us. Lowering my hands to rub against his biceps, I made a noise when he bit and teased my bottom lip. As though understanding my invitation, he pulled me tighter against him and sent a trail of kisses down my neck. My hat fell off and he threw his to the ground since it blocked access to my ear lobe. He nipped, kissed, used his tongue like a magician as he softly laid claim to my flesh. I completely lost myself to the moment.

  When our mouths met again, his tongue glided against mine with ease. I felt his hands lower to the back of my thighs and then he picked me up, wrapping my legs tightly around his waist. I pressed my hips into his, knowing just how much we were both enjoying each other. He gasped against my lips. I traced mine down his jaw, delivering enough of a touch to see him shiver against me. When I reached his ear, he squeezed my thigh and wrapped the other hand around the back of my neck.

  Breathless and out of control, we held each other close. He’d steal a few kisses against my ear and I would respond with one on his neck. Eventually, his muscles tensed, breath hitching to a stop.

  “Okay,” he said, letting out a long sigh. “Okay. I need to put you down or I’m not going to be able to stop.”

  I squeezed him tighter and kissed his cheek. “I’m not sure if I want you to,” I mumbled.

  Setting me back on the ground, his hands cupped my face and his brown eyes glowed with a wealth of desire. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.” He kissed me quick. “But not here. Not like this.”

  I turned my head far enough to press my lips against his hand. “But I thought this was your favorite place,” I teased, knowing he was right, yet having far too much fun to stop playing.

  A guttural noise rumbled in his chest and he clenched his jaw. “Stop,” he said. “I’m barely hanging on as it is.”

  He jumped forward and pulled me into another long, deep kiss. Our bond intensified, making everything I felt double in sensation. I shivered, I trembled, I ached to feel as much of him as possible. No longer did I have thoughts about Theron, or the Hunters, or the reason we were here in the first place. I basked only in the growing love and comfort Jason had brought into my life.

  Finally, he tore his lips from mine—I certainly hadn’t planned on stopping the kiss. He dropped his hands, cleared his throat, and picked up our hats. Sure the heat of the moment showed with a blush on my cheeks, I tried to calm my frantic heart. Brushing my hair back into place, I let him lower the hat on my head.

  He stared at me a moment longer, and then winked. “I really wish I could introduce you to my parents.”

  “What would they think about you dating an older woman?”

  Placing his Stetson just right, he grabbed my hand and pulled us forward. “That’s right. I keep forgetting you’re a cougar.”

  I slapped his arm and his face contorted in fake pain. “I’m not a cougar. They’d never know I’m almost sixty. I’ve aged quite well, thank you very much.”

  Jason let go of my hand and squeezed my behind. “You certainly have.”

  I giggled. …I giggled like a smitten, love-sick puppy. What was this guy doing to me? We finished climbing the hill, arms wrapped around each other and touching as much as we could. At the top, I stopped in awe at the sight in front of me.

  “Wow,” I breathed. The vastness of the land extended to the very bottom of the mountain peaks. Just over the hill, and several hundred feet away, a field full of Wardens sparred with each other in the waning light. In pairs and small groups, they trained like they did that day in the courtyard. Only this time, the hits caused pain, and a cacophony of shouts wafted through the early evening air.

  “I still can’t believe the Elders let you do this.”

  “Well,” Jason laughed, “it wasn’t without some concessions. See?” He pointed to our right where a line of Wardens stood—feet slightly spread, arms behind their backs, and fierce eyes looking out into the distance. “They wanted some kind of warning system, so the soldiers volunteered to be on lookout.”

  My gaze traveled along the landscape, spotting small groups of soldiers strategically placed along the edges of the crowd. I stopped when I saw some familiar faces. “The Elders came?”

  “Just Rollin, Mazie and Judith. The twins were too scared.”

  “Are they really twins?” I asked, looking up at him.

  He shrugged. “Don’t know, but they could be.”

  I agreed. Jason pulled me over the crest of the hill and down to the training field below. We walked past several Wardens huffing and puffing and sw
eating in their solid forms. Although we could not make each other bleed, the sting of a punch or a kick in the gut would certainly slow us down if we weren’t expecting it.

  When we reached the center, Jason stopped. His tunic faded away and his tan, boring pants morphed into a pair of dark blue, hug-all-the-right-places jeans. Brown boots completed the outfit and I lost myself in thoughts about how he once looked working on the ranch dressed like that. No doubt those muscles looked stunning flexing in the sun and glistening with moisture. My heart beat faster…then he could wrap them around me and…

  His laughter pulled me back to the present. “Nora? You there?”

  I knew he’d caught me staring and I tried to control the hormones that were begging to be set free. To jump all over him. Stop, I berated myself. Changing focus, I asked, “You’re really getting a hang of that, aren’t you?”

  “What? The morphing or the urge to defy the dress code?” He winked. “In fact, I’m wondering what you’re waiting for? We’re in the living world. The Elders can’t stop you here.”

  I spared a glance behind me, where two of the three Elders stood still and watched the action with scowls on their faces. Judith wasn’t with them.

  “I really liked that little battle outfit,” Jason said, just low enough for me to hear.

  Excitement flitted through me and my toes tingled with the thought of him noticing me like a female wants to be noticed. Putting on a bold face, I pictured a particular pair of tiny black shorts and even smaller sports bra, and smiled when I felt them form against my body. Even though it would be a distraction, I let my ebony hair fall free and set my cowboy hat to the side. It didn’t really match the little get-up I’d created.

  Jason cleared his throat and shook his head. “Yep. That works.”

  “So are we going to practice?” I cooed.

  “Oh yeah,” he said. He glided closer to me, eyes glued to my body and not on my face.

  I smiled, loving his reaction, and then took up my fighter’s stance. With arms raised, I prepared like he’d taught me a week ago.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  I nodded and he pounced. Only instead of going for my head, he ducked low and plowed into my stomach. I wasn’t ready for that move and stumbled backward, butt slamming into the ground. The full weight of Jason’s body fell on top of me. Before I had a chance to fight back, he’d pinned my hands above my head, chest pressing against mine, hot breath dangerously close to my lips.

  “Did you even try?” he whispered, eyeing my neck and breathing hard.

  “Yes.”

  “Really?” His nose brushed against my ear, sending shivers down my side. “I think you wanted me on top of you.”

  I swallowed hard, aware of everyone around us but not really caring what they saw. Moving my hips just a little bit, I pretended to fight back, all the while pressing against him in a way that sent a totally different message. He groaned.

  “Mmm. Maybe,” I breathed. “So how would I get out of this kind of position should I find myself trapped like this again?”

  His chest rumbled with laughter. “Well, first you should try to free a leg.” One hand let go of my wrists and trailed down my leg until it reached my knee. He yanked it out from under him and bent it so my inner thigh brushed against his hips. The movement brought us even closer, creating a position that could lead to so many other things. I bit my lip hard enough to feel pain.

  “Then, if you can,” Jason continued, “you should try to get on top.”

  Still gripping underneath my knee, he pushed off and rolled to the side until I lay on top of him. Not missing the opportunity, I grabbed both his wrists and lifted them above his head. Leaning forward until my skin slid against his muscled chest, I stretched my arms and pushed his into the ground.

  “That’s good,” I spoke next to his lips. “I like being on top.” Having no idea where this bold, seductive Nora had come from, I realized how much I liked her. She was certainly better than the dark, brooding, and perpetually depressed one that had lived with me the past two years.

  Jason closed his eyes. “You’re going to kill me,” he mumbled.

  “You’re already dead,” I whispered in his ear.

  “Well, I don’t feel dead right now.” He thrust his hips into mine so I could feel just how alive he was underneath those dark jeans.

  I shivered and giggled at the same time. But just as I was about to devour his neck, a familiar voice killed the moment.

  “Jason?” Dahlia asked. “Do you think you could help us with something?”

  I sighed against Jason’s skin and he shook with amusement. Letting him up, Jason slid his hands slowly down my body, resting at my hips. A second later he gave me a little nudge and I slipped off of him. The moment I hit the cold ground, I wished I could pull him back to me and finish what we’d started.

  I also wished I could kill Dahlia.

  Offering me a hand, he helped me to my feet. I grabbed the cowboy hat and set it on my head, eyeing Dahlia and daring her to make a comment. She raised her brow and pinched her lips together, but otherwise stayed silent. I huffed when I saw that she’d morphed into an outfit very similar to what I had on the last time we met. As did the three girls standing behind her.

  Looks like Jason is building a fan club.

  “What’s up, Dahlia?”

  Her glower slowly pulled away from mine and her face softened when she focused on Jason. “We were wondering if you could show us what to do if we were attacked from behind?”

  Really?

  Jason chuckled and wrapped an arm around my waist. Be nice, he replied in my head, squeezing my butt with his large hand. Dahlia wouldn’t have known what was going on, as the heat from his touch made the lower parts of my body come alive.

  Hurry back. I screamed the message quite loudly in my head, and Jason gave me hungry look as he walked away with them.

  “Looks like you’re in need of a sparring partner?” Charles stepped through the crowd wearing something that looked like he was interviewing to be one of Robin Hood’s Merry Men. A baggy wool cape draped his shoulders, and a long shirt that hung to his knees had been belted around his waist. But it was the material underneath that shocked me the most.

  “Are those…tights?” I asked with a surprised laugh.

  “Leggings,” he snapped. “And much more appropriate for the occasion, I might add.”

  “What? I’m ready to work out. Do some battle,” I said, waving my hands at my attire.

  “Sure. And all of this skin wouldn’t happen to be for a certain ward of yours.” He didn’t ask, just stated the obvious. But I was too happy to care. “Anyway, let’s practice. I don’t think rolling around on the ground with Jason was teaching you anything useful.”

  I blushed. “You saw that?”

  “Everyone saw that,” he groaned.

  Deciding not to let him get to me, I planted my feet and prepared to fight, all the while thinking about Jason’s body on top of mine, and hoping he couldn’t get me out of his mind either.

  Charles and I exchanged punches and kicks for at least an hour straight. He taught me a few tricks, and I replied by teaching him that he should never underestimate a scrappy girl raised in an orphanage. We were just about to take a break when someone solidified directly behind Charles.

  “Behind you!” I yelled in a panic.

  But Charles had already sensed the intrusion and had a fist in mid-swing before realizing who it was. Sani shot out his arm and blocked the potentially painful hit, as Charles jumped to the side to avoid punching him too hard.

  “Sani,” Charles huffed. “I could have killed you.”

  “Wait, you two know each other?” I asked, stepping closer to my Advisor. Even though the full moon shone bright, the shadows were still dark.

  “We’ve met,” Sani grunted before focusing on me. “This place was hard to find.”

  “Sani!” Elder Mazie’s voice cut through the peaceful Montana night.

  I turn
ed to see her weaving her way around the fighting Wardens, marching directly to our group. Nostrils flared wide and the crease in her lips looked like she was about to bite through her jaw. Clearly on a mission, she looked furious…and deadly.

  “What are you doing here?” she barked. “You know it’s not safe.”

  “I am not a child,” he replied, as Charles snorted.

  Mazie shot him a look. “Sani, come with me now.”

  “Why can’t he train with us?” I asked, and then cowered a little under Mazie’s glare.

  “Because you don’t know everything,” she snapped at me. Reaching for Sani, she wrapped her long fingers around his forearm. “Come on, I’ll take you back.”

  “No!” Sani shouted.

  “Stop fighting me. You know the deal.”

  Sani’s intense look softened. “I just wanted to see what was going on. And…,” he looked at me. “And I needed to talk to Nora.”

  I had a feeling that was a lie, but I certainly wasn’t going to call him out on it.

  “Sani,” Mazie sighed. “Please don’t make me—”

  A shrill scream cut off her words. No…not one. Several screams filled the night air and stopped all movement on the field. In the distance, I heard the distinct sounds of fighting—flesh hitting flesh harder than it should when just practicing.

  All of a sudden, the air shimmered in front of my face and Alex, the Hunter who’d grabbed me back in the alley, appeared. His empty eyes reflected a little of the moonlight, giving them an eerie glow. Dressed in black, he stood out among the pastel-clothed Wardens.

  I reacted without thinking. Swinging my leg up high, I kicked him in the stomach before he had a chance to speak. Just as Alex stumbled back toward the ground, Charles jumped on top of him and landed several quick punches to the Hunter’s face.