Forest of the Forbidden

by W. J. May

  They were headed toward her parent’s house for Thanksgiving. Two hours down, about ten minutes to go. Part of her wanted the desperation to end and another, more torturous part, couldn’t imagine it ever being over.

  She’d kept the vision to herself until the ride to her parents. She’d told him about the balcony and their conversation without illuminating their mutual attraction. Now, she told him about Morgan and Aidan’s arranged marriage.

  His surprised laugh, deep and rich, tickled her insides. “They were married? Did you tell them that?”

  Sophie shook her head and watched the familiar sights coast by. “No, you’re the first one I’ve told.”

  He smiled. “I like that. You telling me first. But I want to be there when you tell them.”

  Sophie laughed when she imagined their faces. Morgan’s disdain, Aidan’s exhilaration.

  “You should laugh more often.” Tristan spoke suddenly. There was still a curve to his lips but his eyes were serious. “I know what we’re going through right now is terrifying, but you should definitely laugh some more. We can’t let her win, Soph. If she takes away our happiness, isn’t that a score for her?”

  Sophie knew he was right, didn’t want to admit it, but knew all the same. It was just hard to focus on happy thoughts when you knew a powerful demon was hunting you down.

  She saw the white wooden sign that said, Sunset Bed and Breakfast, Next Right. “That’s our turn.”

  “Your parents own a bed and breakfast?”

  “It was their dream. They based it on the history of our town, and since it’s only fifteen minutes to the beach, it thrived. Mom said the B&B’s closed while we’re here.” Sophie told him when they drove down the winding driveway.

  Home was good for her senses. It filled her with joy, contentment, and love. Maybe it was because her parents built the house and Sophie didn’t have to deal with the emotions of people before them. Most of the guests that came to the B&B were happy, relaxed, and thought only of their vacations. Her home was a safe haven from all the dark emotions of the world.

  The lawn was green and full of circular flower beds of various colors, and the giant weeping willows provided shade over the many stone paths that ran around the house. In the late afternoon sunlight, the house and land looked like a lost fairy kingdom.

  “Wow.” Tristan parked and took in the scene. “This place is beautiful.” He looked over at Sophie.

  Sophie turned and that electrifying jolt hit her when she saw Tristan watching her. The breath caught in her throat at the look in his eyes. She felt that pull, that compulsion to lean closer. To fall into him and never leave. Before she could, they both heard a screen door slam shut.

  Todd raced down the front steps and across the yard.

  Sophie laughed when he yanked open her door and snatched her out. He pulled her into a hug and twirled her around.

  “I thought I’d be gone when you got here.” Todd squeezed her tighter. “I missed you.”

  Sophie caught sight of her parents coming out of the house when Todd stopped spinning. “I missed you, too.” She looked over his neat appearance and arched a brow when she noticed his jeans and navy polo were actually ironed. “You have a date. With Brooke.”

  Todd smiled. “Yes. And speaking of dates...” He glanced over her shoulder to see Tristan getting out of the truck. “I get to meet yours.”

  “Todd, this is Tristan. Tristan, Todd.” Sophie watched them shake hands, noting the differences in the two guys she cared about. Todd stood relaxed, asking Tristan about school. His eyes were friendly, and his smile was bright. Tristan was slightly taller than her brother and his stance looked relaxed, but Sophie could sense the power inside him. His eyes were friendly as well, but there was a wariness behind them. He smiled back at Todd, though, and answered his questions politely.

  “He’s a nice looking young man.”

  Sophie smiled and hugged her mom, Tara. “Yes, he is.”

  “He treating you right?” Her dad, Lyle, asked. His face was serious and Sophie knew he thought of Roman.

  Sophie thought of how Tristan treated her. It was a lot better than Roman’s way. “Of course, Dad.” His hug was a little tighter than her mom’s and she knew it was his way of saying he missed her.

  “Todd, help Tristan with the bags.” Tara ordered while she hugged Tristan. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “You, too, Mrs. Lawrence.” Tristan waited until her mom stepped back before shaking hands with her dad. “Mr. Lawrence.”

  By the time Tristan and her dad were done speaking, Todd had already unloaded both their duffel bags.

  “We have dinner ready for the two of you, since Todd is going out. I tried to convince him to stay but that didn’t work out too well.”

  “Mom,” Sophie laughed, “I’ll be here for the next few days. Let the boy have his date.” She knew how much Todd liked Brooke, and she wanted him to have his fun. Besides, she would get to have a little time alone with Tristan after dinner and it was about time she found out some stuff about him. She may not get to meet his family but she would get Tristan to tell her about them.

  “Okay, fine. I’ll leave it alone. You and Tristan get settled in—-”

  “His bedroom is next to ours.” Her dad chose to say.

  Tara rolled her eyes, “Get washed up and join us for dinner.”

  Somehow she could feel Tristan’s amusement from behind her. When she glanced back over her shoulder, he grinned. It arrowed straight to her heart.

  Todd caught the look between them and winked at her.

  Being with her family made her happy and for some reason, that translated to Tristan. It had been forever, between training, school, and worrying about demon attacks, that they’d had a moment to simply relax.

  When she stepped over the threshold and back into her home, she felt all the worry and darkness melt away. The soft sunlight lit up the hardwood floors of the foyer and the staircase that led up to the second floor. White and lavender flowers sat in a vase on a table next to the door. The smell was as much home to Sophie as the floor to ceiling windows and scuffed kitchen floors.

  “Tristan, I’ll show you where your room is.” Todd hefted Sophie’s bag higher. “I’ll put your bag up.”

  Sophie smiled and watched the two of them climb the stairs before she followed her parents into the massive kitchen. She took a seat on a stool in front of the bar.

  Her mom started chopping tomatoes for the salad. “So, how did you and Tristan meet?”

  Visions of a ball from a long time ago surfaced. For a moment, Sophie let the feelings from that time wash over her before answering. “We have Sociology together. The teacher put us into groups for an assignment and he was in mine.”

  “Does he know,” Tara cast a sidelong glance at the kitchen door and satisfied that no one was there, continued, “about your gift?”

  Sophie loved that her mom never classified what she did as a curse. “Yes.” She didn’t mention his gift since she didn’t know if he wanted her to share it with them. “He does. It doesn’t bother him.”

  Instantly Tristan climbed a few notches in her dad’s opinion. “That’s good, sweetheart. It’s about time someone loved you for who you are, and not how beautiful you look.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” Sophie felt ridiculous for being touched by his comment. Yeah, he was her dad, but still. It was nice. And love? She doubted Tristan saw her that way.

  “How’s Lilli doing?” Tara placed the tomatoes in a bowl and started on red and green bell peppers.

  “Good. She’s visiting her parents now, too.” Sophie knew that if she offered to help her mom with dinner the offer would just be turned down, so she continued to watch.

  “Did she bring home a boyfriend?” Lyle set a glass of sweet tea in front of her.

  Sophie blushed and wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because Jackson and Lilli weren’t pretending to be a couple to thwart an evil demon. They were a real one. “His name’s Jackson. He was in
our group, too.”

  At that moment she heard Tristan and Todd just outside the kitchen doorway. When the sound of Tristan’s voice reached her, her nerve endings came alive. Like he was the positive to her negative and whenever he was near, their energy reached out to each other, sparking and linking.

  Todd came up beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. He used his other hand to reach for a diced tomato.

  Tara slapped his hand away. “These are for our dinner.” She smiled and went back to mincing bell peppers.

  Todd pretended to pout.

  Tristan stood off to the side by the doorway, quiet and watchful. It didn’t make Sophie any less aware of him.

  “I’m leaving. I’ll see you when I get back, if you’re still up.” Todd landed a quick peck on Sophie’s cheek.

  “Have fun with Brooke.” Sophie told him while their mom passed him a diced tomato.

  “Thanks, Mom.” He winked at her.

  Tara smiled at her son before Lyle told him to be careful.

  “You know people like to drink around the holidays.” Lyle clapped his son on the back as he walked by.

  “Will do, Dad.” Todd grinned even though the warning was stale.

  Sophie watched him walk out of the kitchen. The back of her eyelids burned when she heard the front door shut. An ache bloomed in her chest, and she was suddenly aware of how much she’d missed him. The urge to go after him was so strong that she was halfway off her stool, on her way out, when Tara asked Tristan about his family.

  The sound of Tristan’s voice as he answered melted the urge away. When he sat down beside Sophie, she shook off the ache and joined in the conversation. It wasn’t everyday that her pretend boyfriend, who was also a shape shifter, sat in the kitchen with her parents. Todd would be back.

  * * *

  Chapter Eighteen

  After dinner, Sophie and Tristan cleaned up. When that was finished she invited him out onto the front porch, luring him with cups of hot chocolate. Her mom was finishing the dessert for tomorrow and claimed they were in her way and her dad was sitting at the kitchen table doing the crossword puzzle from the newspaper.

  The night was cool and bright when they lowered themselves onto the porch swing. The moonlight was just enough that they didn’t have to turn the porch light on. Sophie didn’t care if he was just her pretend boyfriend, the night was still romantic.

  “Isn’t this weird?” Tristan blew on the hot chocolate.

  “What?” Sophie was mesmerized by the way the gray of his eyes stood out in the moonlight. For now they reflected it, much like an animal’s.

  “That we actually get a moment to relax. I don’t think we’ve spent any time alone since we’ve met.” Tristan turned his head to look at her.

  His words shocked her. Did he feel uncomfortable here pretending to be her boyfriend? “Do your eyes always do that at night?” She bit her lip as soon as the words were out.

  “I’m sorry.” He looked away and when he looked back, his eyes were normal. “I guess I got too comfortable with you. I know it probably freaks you out.”

  Sophie set her mug on the porch railing beside her. “No, actually. I know what it’s like having to hide who you are from the person you’re with.” She stammered when she realized she’d implied that they were together. “Not that we’re together for real or anything.” She blushed.

  A corner of his lips turned upward.

  “I just want you to know that you don’t have to hide who you are from me. You don’t freak me out.” She finished, her voice trailing off at the end. What was she doing?

  He set the hot chocolate on the windowsill next to him.

  Sophie sighed and, determined not to make a complete fool of herself, looked out over the lawn. The moonlight lit up the willows. It made Sophie think of fairy lands and elven kingdoms. She could almost see the past, darting in and out of the moonlit willows. Her and Todd as children; running around, pretending to be superheroes or knights rescuing innocents.

  “Sophie.”

  Tristan’s deep voice pulled her back to the present.

  When she turned to look at him, his solemn eyes reflected the moonlight back at her. Sophie wished he’d smile again.

  The urge to lean toward him was hypnotic. She wanted to drown in the magnetism he gave off and never surface. It was calm, protective, gentle. It wrapped around her and pulled her closer.

  “I don’t want to pretend anymore.”

  Sophie snapped back, her face red. What had she been thinking? “Oh.” Was she the only one who felt the pull? She couldn’t believe she was so stupid. Just because they were attracted to each other in a past life didn’t mean they had to be now. Maybe she was coloring the present with the past. “I’m sorry. I crossed a line, didn’t I? Made you uncomfortable?”

  He cocked his head to the side while she rambled on.

  “I can’t believe...I was just...You can go home if you want. Lilli and Jackson can give me a ride back.” Sophie shrugged her shoulders and snapped her mouth shut. The more she talked, the more foolish she sounded.

  The swing creaked as he leaned closer. The t-shirt he wore stretched across his shoulders when he brought a hand up and placed it on the side of her neck.

  She went completely still. Like prey to his animal side, she was afraid to move. The spot where their skin met sparked with energy.

  His eyes darkened, still reflecting moonlight. He tipped his head closer, never releasing her from his gaze.

  Still, she didn’t move. Her breath caught in her throat as his essence not only wrapped around her, it linked with her own. It was a wholly new experience, intimate and frightening.

  Then his lips brushed hers.

  Her eyelids fluttered shut as a wave of emotion and heat washed over her. Her mind went blank, focused only on the sensations he awakened.

  His other arm went around her waist and brought her closer. He deepened the kiss.

  Pulses of energy shot between them, binding them so closely they would never be separate again.

  She could see into his mind, and he into hers. Pieces of his past flashed by. A birthday party when he was younger, his first date, then a woman’s voice. Harsh, unforgiving. Telling him he was a monster.

  The shock of that memory, and his despair at seeing it, shook them both.

  Tristan lifted his head, severing the memory but not the connection, and kept his arms around her.

  Slowly, Sophie’s reasoning surfaced and she blushed. She was practically sitting in his lap.

  On her parents’ front porch.

  “What just happened?” His voice was husky as she looked down into his face.

  She wanted to trace his strong jaw line with her fingertips. Or her lips. Instead, she moved off of him and back onto the swing. “I’m not sure. Who called you a monster?”

  Her question surprised them both.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “So, I guess you can see into my memories?”

  Sophie knew whoever had said it hurt him deeply. She wanted to hunt them down. The anger she felt for him terrified her.

  Tristan sighed. “It was my mom.”

  Out of anything he could have said, that was the least she expected. His mom? His mom had called her own son a monster?

  “Tristan.” Sophie reached for his hand. His profile was magnificent in its anger. His jaw clenched and while his fingers gently intertwined with hers, his being radiated dismay.

  A thousand beasts lay beneath the surface of his skin, clawing to break free, and she’d never felt safer.

  “That night, after Jackson and I realized what we could do, I wanted to show it to her. Jackson, knowing his dad as he did, said that I should keep it a secret. I told him he was wrong. It made him angry.” Tristan rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand.

  Their connection hummed between them and created a bridge between their emotions. “What happened?”

  “I ignored his advice. When I got home I showed her what I could do.” He was
silent for a few minutes. She watched the play of emotions cross his face. “My mom screamed, so loud and long, that it felt like forever. The look of horror and revulsion on her face stayed after that. Every time she looked at me.”

  “Was she scared of you?”

  “That and she believed I was cursed by the devil.” Tristan laughed wryly. “If only she knew the real truth.”

  Sophie’s heart was in pieces for him. “Where is she now? And what about your dad?”

  It was Tristan’s turn to shrug. “Mom disappeared one night. I woke up and she was simply gone. Dad never said where she went.”

  “What did he say about your ability to shift?”

  Tristan sighed. He finally looked back at her. The connection between them hummed a little stronger. “He never said anything, good or bad. Just pretended like it never happened. I never spoke of it, or shifted in his presence. He kept on treating me like he had before.”

  “Which was?”

  Tristan smiled a little. “He was a normal dad. After mom left, he became quiet but was always a steady person I could look up to.”

  “Why didn’t you go visit him for Thanksgiving?”

  “He died of cancer two years ago.”

  That was another arrow through her heart. “Tristan, I’m so sorry.”

  “I know how Aidan’s feels. The helplessness, the anger. I went to live with an aunt until the Lotus Academy. Jackson and I moved on campus to escape both our lives.”

  “And ended up finding out there are others like you. That’s a comfort, right?”

  He pulled her into a hug. She settled under his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the closeness. Sophie kept fighting to keep her eyes open.

  Finally, she yawned. Tristan’s soft laugh rumbled next to her ear.

  “Let’s get you inside.” He stood and offered his hand to pull her up.

  She placed her hand in his and followed him into the house. Her parents were in the living room, engrossed in some romantic movie, so she passed them and went straight for the stairs.