CORAM

by Bonnie Burrows

  His face darkened and she knew that Gary had already spoken to him. Tears threatened, and she ducked her head in shame.

  “Don’t worry, my child. You’ll pass another time.” Laskin said, and Cambria felt even worse than she had before. She would have understood if he’d yelled at her, called her stupid like her parents always had. But his pity and understanding undid her and made her feel that much worse about her shortcomings. Laskin was so patient with her and she failed time and time again.

  “I need to speak with you,” he said in a hushed tone. “Not about your failure, but about something of great importance. Can you finish up here and meet me in my office?”

  Cambria nodded. She returned to the table and cleared her dishes, leaving them in the sink for the after dinner crew to clean up. The compound ran like a well-oiled machine as long as everyone did their part. She left the mess hall through the back door, hoping that no one saw her leave.

  Quite a few of the others were jealous of her relationship, not understanding that Laskin was more like a father to her than a leader. Many of the recruits had joined up in the last year or two, but Cambria had lived here for six years. She had watched with envy as boys just slightly older than her had worked towards the cause, training to fight against the growing shifter population that lived boldly amongst the humans. She had wanted so badly to contribute, but she’d been such a liability then.

  The moon lit the gravel path before her as she hurried to the main house and Laskin’s office. She heard gravel crunching behind her and she turned quickly, ready for a fight.

  Tom held up his hands, “It’s only me. I saw you leave and wanted to make sure that you didn’t walk back alone.”

  It was too dark to see his expression, and Cambria wondered why he was suddenly interested in her safety. She walked around the compound at night all the time and not once had anyone offered to walk her home. Yet suddenly, Tom was so interested in her safety? Why?

  “What do you want?” she asked, preferring directness.

  “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine, thank you. I just want some time alone.” Her voice was harsh and she felt bad. But Laskin had been clear. Their meeting was between Cambria and Laskin, and not for the others to know about it. She suspected that Tom was jealous or just being nosey. She wasn’t sure which.

  “Sorry. I was just trying to be nice.” He closed the distance between them in two easy steps and Cambria braced herself for the blow.

  She closed her eyes, but the pain never came. Instead, Tom placed a soft kiss on her cheek, as gentle as a butterfly landing on a flower. Before she could open her eyes, he’d turned and headed back towards the mess hall without another word.

  Cambria watched him go, wondering what the kiss had meant. Surely, she was reading too much into it.

  She turned back towards the main cabin and walked briskly towards her destination. Laskin wouldn’t be waiting on her yet, but she didn’t want to keep him. Something important was on his mind, and she didn’t want him to regret trusting her.

  Jogging up the steps, she took one last look around before opening the door and heading straight down the hall that led to his office. Only a few of the brotherhood lived in the main house, including herself, Tom and Gary. The rest of them lived on the other side of the mess hall in small two to three room cabins that didn’t have running water and were without bathrooms.

  Cambria didn’t envy those men at all. She couldn’t imagine having to drag herself to the cabin near the mess hall to do something as simple as brush her teeth or use the bathroom in the middle of the night. But the others didn’t seem to mind.

  She walked into the office and sat down, beating Laskin into the house by less than five minutes.

  He strode in, pleased to see that she wasn’t going to keep him wanting on her. He went around the large desk and sat down behind it.

  He was quiet for a moment, and Cambria was starting to feel anxious. She thought she’d been called her to discuss something of great importance to the anti-shifter movement. Maybe she’d misread the situation.

  Laskin smiled, his long, narrow face spreading around the expression, but not really embracing it. His smile never touched his eyes and she always felt like something about him wasn’t quite genuine. The huge, jagged scar that covered most of his face fought against him as his face stretched to accommodate what passed for a smile.

  He’d returned after an extended trip when Cambria was just fourteen, near death and scarred from an almost deadly encounter with an angry shifter. His injuries had caused a great deal of protests locally, and had eventually lead to the state of the area now. The curfews and the strict laws imposed on shifters had been started because of the horrors of the injuries that Laskin had suffered. He had never gone into detail with her about what had happened, but she knew enough to know that shifters weren’t to be trusted. She loved Laskin like family, and any enemy of his was also her enemy.

  Laskin had saved her from a tiger-shifter; a monster that most certainly would have eaten her for dinner if Laskin hadn’t bravely stepped in and saved her that night. The details were fuzzy because she’d passed out from the fear of coming face to face with a tiger of all things, but she knew that he’d saved her life that night and that was all that mattered.

  When Laskin finally spoke, he got right to the point.

  “Cambria, I’m starting to wonder if what we’re doing to combat the shifters is enough. Sure, we’ve shown the world what kind of monsters they really are, revealing the truth of their existence. But I’m wondering if there’s more that we can do to show the world the truth.”

  Cambria nodded to show that she was listening, but she hadn’t yet figured out what he was getting at.

  “I’m sorry I failed the test again today. I was so close. Next time I’ll-”

  He held her hand up to silence her and she stopped, feeling badly for interrupting.

  “There’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing. In fact, it made me realize that we are failing to use certain skills that you already possess to our advantage. Things have begun changing, but the issue is clear. There are still humans who think that the shifters are good and that the fault lies with ignorance and politicians who pander to the unwashed masses. You and I know that this is false, but the average Joe Blow on the street doesn’t know the truth.”

  He stopped, taking a delicate sip of the piping hot tea that he’d carried in with him and weighing his words carefully before he continued.

  “I may need you to infiltrate the shifters. To gain their trust and to put yourself in a position to gather intelligence for a long time.”

  “How long?”

  Laskin shrugged, completely unconcerned. “Could be six months, could be six years. You never know with people what it will take to make them see the truth.”

  Cambria was surprised. This was a big undertaking, one that she was sure Laskin didn’t take lightly. There were so many of the recruits that were probably better suited to the task. She couldn’t figure out why Laskin would choose her.

  “What skills could I possibly have that would help me do this?” She was puzzled.

  “It’s not skills so much as natural talent. You’re a woman, and as such, more easily trusted than a man would be. They’ll be suspicious of men, but you’re young and attractive, and you look completely harmless. No one will ever suspect you of being anything but an enamored young woman in love with a man of a different species.”

  Cambria opened her mouth to protest then closed it. Her first reaction was to say no, but who was she to deny Laskin’s request? He’d fed her, clothed her and cared for her for six years, and this was the only thing he’d ever asked of her. How dare she even consider saying no? It didn’t matter how she felt about it. The only thing that mattered was the greater good. If she would die for the cause, there was no reason that she shouldn’t seduce a shifter for the cause.

  Laskin waited patiently for her to absorb all that he�
��d said. He was putting a lot on her, and she was so young. When she finally accepted that there really was no other alternative, she smiled weakly. She would do what he asked and she would thank him for the opportunity.

  “I’ll do it. When do I start?”

  “Be patient, little one. I have another plan to put into action first. If that fails, I’ll need you to jump in and do your part. For now, just keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll call on you when the time is right. Understood?”

  “Of course, Laskin. Thank you for trusting me with this.”

  Laskin smiled and for once, the expression made it all the way to his eyes. He was happy with her, and Cambria felt herself swell with pride.

  “I can do this,” she declared, feeling confident for the first time since she’d failed this morning’s training test

  “Of course you can. I never doubted you.”

  He stood quickly and motioned to the door, dismissing her and closing the door behind her. He listened as her footsteps faded down the hall and the thin door that separated her room from the others closed and locked.

  Gary stepped out of the recess between the back door and the outer hallway. Cambria had been completely unaware of his presence in the room during their conversation.

  Gary smiled, yellow, jagged teeth bared as he spoke.

  “You think she’ll survive the mission?” He asked, barely containing his giddiness.

  “Let’s hope not. It won’t do us any good if our poster child for shifter violence survives their love affair.”

  Gary chuckled under his breath, completely unconcerned for Cambria. She’d sealed her fate when she’d rejected him time and again. If she had proven herself worthy of Gary, he would have argued with Laskin over the mission.

  Instead, Gary had steered their conversation from a vague idea to one that assured that Cambria wouldn’t survive. Or, if she did, she would be scarred for life as Laskin had been with his encounter with a violent shifter. Either way, she was paying for letting Gary down one too many times.

  At least that’s how Gary saw it.

  The two men left via the outer door; Laskin left to return to his home in the city and Gary left to check on the young recruits in the mess hall. Left to their own devices, they often dissolved into petty arguments and sometimes full-blown fights. He needed to make sure that the men saved that energy for the real fight. The time was drawing near and he needed them to be ready.

  Cambria slipped into her room and looked around at the mess she’d left earlier. Dirty clothes were strewn about and her wet towel had colored the wooden floor beneath it as it dried. The wood would recover and eventually return to its natural color, but she frowned at the dark spot on the floor regardless. If she was going to convince a shifter that she was lover material, she was going to have to learn to keep house better.

  She moved about the room, straightening everything and putting away what she’d left out. It only took her a few minutes, and the room already looked much better. Maybe she wasn’t that far out of her league after all.

  Someone knocked on the door, but Cambria didn’t have to look to know it was Tom again. He knocked the same way every time, and the now familiar sound had started setting off the butterflies in her stomach long before the sight of him would.

  She opened the door, surprised when he pushed his way inside, albeit gently. His smile was so radiant, and she could smell the fresh, minty scent that said that Tom had already brushed his teeth after eating dinner.

  He closed and locked the door behind him, smiling at Cambria again and pulling a chair out from under her desk in the corner. Rather than sit in it as it was meant to be used, he flipped it around. He rested his elbows on the straight back of the chair and laid his head on his arms. His expression was slightly dreaming, tearing down all of Cambria’s defenses.

  “So, what did Laskin want?” His voice was soft, almost shy.

  “He just wanted to talk to me about training and stuff.” Cambria mentally slapped herself in the head. Stuff? That was really eloquent.

  “Was there anything else?”

  “No. We talk sometimes, but Laskin raised me, so it’s mostly about how I need to pull my weight around here so no one thinks I’m getting special treatment.”

  Tom smiled, his blue eyes twinkling merrily.

  “You deserve special treatment. At least I think you do.”

  She was taken aback by his tone. Was she reading him right? Maybe he was just trying to be nice. Cambria didn’t know, but she kept talking anyway, hoping to distract him and buy herself a little time to figure out her next move.

  “Thank you. What I need is to pass that test so everyone can see I’m not a burden.” Her voice caught and she got flustered, angry at the emotion that was creeping its way into the conversation. She hadn’t meant to let her emotions get the best of her, and she was embarrassed at being caught being decidedly female.

  “Maybe I can help you,” he offered, and she could tell he was being genuine.

  “That would be nice, but you have so much on your plate already.”

  “It doesn’t matter. This fight isn’t about me, it’s about the greater good. If I can’t spend my free-time helping a fellow freedom fighter then what good am I?”

  His words rang true and Cambria felt herself falling even more for him. Tom was handsome, smart and passionate about the cause. Where most of the men seemed like they were only interested in the guns and the potential for violence that came with the battle, Tom was dedicated to the movement to put shifters back where they belonged.

  He believed wholeheartedly that the only place shifters belonged was serving the needs of the human race or six feet under. He made no apologies for his beliefs and he had an endless amount of ammunition to back up his claims. He fought his battle with words, choosing guns as a last resort.

  Cambria found this to be tremendously sexy.

  “What part are you struggling with?”

  “The assault rifle. I always miss the target, or I fumble and I drop a piece while I’m putting it together and run out of time. I’m good at everything else, but the rifle gets me in the end.”

  “That’s easily fixed. You just need to practice doing it over and over again until the gun feels like a part of you when you hold it in your hands. I can help you with that tonight if you want.”

  “Are you sure? It’s late.”

  “Of course I’m sure. Then you can take the test again, and this time I know you’ll pass.”

  His smile was contagious, and Cambria found herself beaming in return. She was going to pass this next time. She felt sure of it for the first time ever.

  She pulled out her personal rifle, which was unloaded. Taking it apart, she laid it out on the bed in much the same way that Gary typically did.

  She knelt beside the low bed, assembling it and disassembling it over and over again until she felt comfortable. Tom timed each assembly, making sure to note when she went to slow, or when she was rushing, which caused her to drop pieces and fumble.

  Tom moved close, kneeling beside her and leaning against her to make her nervous. More than once, his elbow brushed her breast, causing her to lose her train of thought and make stupid mistakes. Tom chided her for it, pointing out that, because she was a woman, she had more to prove than most.

  If she couldn’t put a gun together because someone brushed up against her, she was weak and was no good to them anyway.

  She focused, angry at herself for letting her emotions get in the way of her success.

  This time, when Tom brushed against her, she kept her focus. He encouraged her, calling out her time when she completely the assembly before making her do it again.

  Over and over, Tom did his level best to distract her. When she was able to push through the assembly when he roughly grabbed her breast and squeezed it painfully, he declared her ready for anything.

  He kissed her on the cheek while she knelt there, unloaded gun in hand sitting in front of her bed. She didn’t m
ove, and she didn’t react when his hand slid down her back and over her ass. He boldly slipped his hand between her legs and stroked her roughly through her khakis before standing up and walking out the door.

  He didn’t say a word, didn’t even stop at the door to smile at her before he walked out. He just left her there, confused, lost, and panting like a dog in heat.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Cambria awoke the next morning ready to face the day. She was going to take the test again, but when she headed to the training field, Gary was nowhere to be found. In his place, Tom was already running recruits through the paces and scrutinizing their every move. None of these recruits were anywhere near ready to test, so Tom was both observing and instructing as they went.

  When he saw Cambria walking towards them, he motioned to her to hurry up. She jogged over to him, excited to see his face so early in the morning. His warm smile sent shivers down her spine.

  He turned towards the course, laughing as one of the younger guys tried unsuccessfully to scale the vertical wall. Cambria kept her face blank, but she too was trying not to laugh. This particular recruit was a loudmouth, constantly boasting about his prowess both on and off the battle field. It was obvious from his lackluster performance that he was all talk.

  “Recruits, fall in!” Tom yelled, indicating that they should leave the course immediately. When he turned and smiled at her, Cambria got a sinking feeling in her stomach.

  Tom paced back and forth in front of the single line of recruits. This was the largest group yet, with ten members recruited from one area at once. Cambria was pleased with the progress the movement was making, and she could only guess that it would continue to get better with time. More and more people would see the light and want to help return things to the way they once were.

  “As you know, you have just one short month of practice on this course before you’re expected to take the challenge test. Those of you who are already proficient on the course,” he looked pointedly at the graceless loudmouth, who turned beet-red and stared down at the toe of his boot, “can take the test any time between now and then. But you must finish the course at the end of the month. Those that don’t will be put on kitchen duty indefinitely until you can complete the course. I that clear recruits?”