Balancer's Soul

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

Predator or Prey

  Connor’s expression turned fierce, sharp, dangerous and focused on something. It felt frightening and some primal part of her felt a thrill of seeing a dominant male become protective over her. Still… When he looked back at her with those hunter’s eyes, she still felt truly frightened, but not from him. Sarah felt frightened from what could make Connor look so dangerous and deadly.

  When Sarah heard Connor say “It Comes!” she knew he wasn’t joking or playing around anymore. The situation couldn’t be any more serious. Everything from his voice to his posture screamed DANGER!

  Standing right behind Connor, Sarah noticed everything about him in an instant. He had leaned forward in a crouched position. Long, strong arms and wide muscular back were so large that she was unable to see what exactly IT is. Connor’s jaw muscles were set and flexing tightly. In his right hand stood Tool. He gripped the steel handle so tightly that his large knuckles were all ghost white and she could see the tendons and muscles bulging in the lone hand waiting to be set free. The weapon itself wasn’t very intimidating, but he sure was.

  Throughout her entire life she recognized that stance and focused face anywhere, all too easily. It’s the face of a man getting ready for a battle to the death. But what would tempt fate and challenge such a large man?

  Sarah then heard a twig or branch snapping. Gathering all of the courage she could muster, she sidestepped to the left just enough to see around Connor’s enormous shoulder. She wanted to see what put Connor on high alert.

  Not even twenty five yards away crouched a massive Cougar. A full grown, sleek and hungry Mountain Lion at that. It has short golden fur and a long slender body designed to chase and kill. Its body pressed low to the ground and hung in a crouched position. The shoulder muscles were bunched up, ready to pounce or chase his prey and its legs were slightly out to its side for maintaining balance. The paws of the big cat were just as menacing because the claws were extended. Its long tail twitched side to side in anticipation of its next large meal. What froze Sarah like a stone carving, were its eyes. It had sharp, golden, piercing eyes that said only one thing, ‘Breakfast!’

  The Cougar roared, trying to make its prey run.

  Well, it worked on her.

  Sarah screamed in terror and stepped back involuntarily.

  In the next instant Connor’s left hand reached back and grabbed her shoulder firmly, to hold her still. His large and firm grasp kept her from tripping and falling backwards. Shocked, Sarah looked up at him to notice that the only thing that moved on him had been his left hand. Everything else about him stayed in the exact same battle ready stance. Especially his eyes, they didn’t even leave the terrifying hunter for a moment, as if the roar didn’t affect him at all.

  Quietly and evenly he spoke “Don’t run, he wants to attack you with your back turned to him. So he can more easily get to your pretty little throat.”

  In all her years, she should already know that by now, but Sarah still felt scared witless from this hungry predator. Her adrenaline began pumping through her veins, telling her to run for it, yet Connor knew instinctively what not to do. She needed to stay calm and trust in Connor’s skills if she wanted to survive.

  Not a moment later the massive feline lunged.

  Connor didn’t hesitate in his attack either.

  As the Cougar jumped in the air, fangs bared and claws out, aiming for Connor’s throat. Connor brought Tool in a blurred arch around to meet the airborne cat, using the hammer side of his weapon.

  With all of the massive strength contained within his enormous frame, Connor connected first with the cat’s skull. With a sickening, bone splitting crunch that streaked through the area, the Cougar went instantly limp in the air. Unfortunately since Connor and the golden creature both charged at each other with their full weight behind them, they crashed into each other with a loud and audible thud.

  Both Connor and the great cat crumpled to the ground together. The twitching cougar landed on top of Connor. Neither moved and that frightened Sarah even more. She didn’t want him to be hurt, but what she just witnessed…

  “CONNOR!!!” Sarah yelled and ran over to him as quickly as she could because she had fallen down when Connor released her shoulder to confront the feline. She forcibly tried pushing the heavy Cougar off of him with all of the strength she had, to see if Connor was injured and hoped he still lived.

  Feeling the weight of the Cougar getting lighter Connor said “I’m glad that’s over. At least he wasn’t a pack animal like wolves or wild dogs. I’m not sure I could have fended off more than one and protected you simultaneously…”

  A very beautiful face, full of concern began looking down upon him, filling his whole vision with Sarah. “Oh thank goodness. Connor, are you alright?” Sarah could barley suppressing her tears, blinking quickly to keep them at bay. It made her emerald irises shine that much more.

  Trying to alleviate her sadness and fear, he chuckled and smiled. “So you forgive me for kissing your forehead huh? And here I thought you were one to hold grudges for a long time…”

  Sarah just couldn’t hold her tears any longer. Streams fell from her eyes and caressed down her cheeks until they dripped off her chin. “You fool, you lucky fool. You could have been killed.” Still crying, she went on “I have never seen anyone survive such an attack like that without a rifle or bow. Your something else, you know that…” She somehow stopped crying and turned serious. “I need to check and see if you are wounded. It landed on you. That was a quick, but powerful fight…”

  Connor, still laying on his back in the damp grass, watched as Sarah reached for the bottom of his shirt and he quickly managed to grab her hand to stop her from lifting the cloth up any further.

  Connor said very quickly and clearly “No, No, No, No, No. I’m alright Sarah; I’m not hurt at all.” Now his voice turned calm and controlled. “Sarah, you have your secrets and so do I. Please do not lift up my shirt. You need to respect my only wish.” Sarah knelt at his left side while he still held her hand.

  “Ok, Connor.” She said quietly and he released her hand. She then put her hands together and sat them in her lap. She waited patiently for him to elaborate just a little bit more because she had already given away a portion of her secret, at least a piece anyway.

  “It’s just that I really do not want to drive you away so soon. I have never felt so very connected to someone like you before and I really don’t want to lose that so soon.” She nodded, satisfied for the moment.

  She restated his thought. “I understand completely because I feel the exact same way about you…” Her words struck Connor speechless and joyful at the same time. “She really feels the same? I’ve never felt more relieved.” His heart seconded the thought by beating ferociously and happily.

  Not even the skirmish with the cougar made his heart sound and beat like this. Connor then had another thought “Either I am in love or that Sarah is even more dangerous than the cougar… Ha why can’t it be both? That will be more fun and a bigger challenge. I’m not sure I can win… hahahahaha…”

  Sarah’s mask of concern etched itself upon her delicate features again, so Connor said something even he didn’t even expect to say. “Well this has been one crazy first date huh?”

  First her face turned shocked then melted into a blush and a shy smile. She bit her lip and looked down at her hands and wrung them a few times together before saying “Yes it is.” After a few more moments she explained “Connor you cannot tell anyone…”

  He jumped in before she could continue her speech. “Listen Sarah, I will keep your secrets to myself, as long as you do the same for me. Your secrets are your own anyway. I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I went around and told everyone another’s secret. Ok, so don’t worry?”

  “If someone asks about last night?” She prompted, lifting her head to look at him with concern pleading within her green eyes. There wasn’t a single part of Connor that could deny Sarah of anything she wanted.

>   “I’ll simply say ‘I got worried that my new neighbor was lost in the woods and I tracked her down and made sure she was safe. We decided to wait until morning and I brought her back without difficulty’.” She nodded deciding that was a good and easy story to stick with.

  “And the Cougar?” Her eyes looked over at the motionless cat.

  “What Cougar?” Connor grinned meaningfully. “Are you calling yourself that now? You’re definitely the older woman.”

  Sarah burst into a calm laughter as she tried to stand up. Instead she slipped on the wet grass and fell directly on top of Connor.

  As she laid on top of Connor they both stared at each other in shocked surprise. He noticed how very light she was. They were thigh to thigh, belly to belly and breast to chest. Most importantly their faces were even closer than when she woke up this morning. She had a very pleasant smell on her; strawberries and apples. It was a faint smell, but it seductive nonetheless.

  As their faces were so close, they shared each other’s breath and it sent Connor’s senses reeling. She was the perfect size for him. A compliment to his size. Her long and luscious hair fell over her back and on to his chest and neck. Their hand found each other and they instinctively laced themselves together. They were just moments from kissing each other when he felt something in his hands getting wetter.

  Connor pulled both of their entwined hands up to his face to see liquid crimson. With regret he pulled his face away from Sarah’s and noticed by looking down that her hands were dripping with blood.

  “Sarah, you’re bleeding!” To his horror he grabbed her other hand and it too had been soaked red. Worry shot through him. “What happened? Did I hurt you? Did the cat do it?”

  Coming out of her own daze she said “Relax…relax Connor. When the Cougar growled and I tried to flee, you grabbed me and you were also keeping me from falling. When the Cougar and you charged each other, I fell and scraped my hands. That’s all, don’t worry about it.” She said with a sly smile, plus she was still laying on top of him, enjoying the experience.

  He did not smile back in the least. What Connor did next was grab her soft and very womanly hips with both of his hands and effortlessly picked her up. She felt lighter than he first thought or it was the adrenaline making her seem so. She squealed softly, as he sat her down. He sat up and reiterated “I am your protector!” As Connor stood up Sarah didn’t adjust anything in her sitting position, but her face and beautiful green eyes followed his movement. Saying as sweetly as possible he said “Please stay here Sarah. There are a few things that I need to attend to. Will you wait right here for me?”

  “I think I can handle waiting for my trusty protector to return to me.” She said it in honesty which truly brightened his dark mood. “I love your smile Sarah, don’t ever stop smiling.”

  “Thank you, Princess.” At that endearment she blushed again.

  Connor walked over to the dead Cougar and laid him over his shoulder, he weighed well over two hundred pounds. He also picked up gore stained Tool and slid it into the belt loop. Sarah’s and his eyes connected again. As Connor left he saw her eyes twinkling. “What did that mean?”