Page 35 of Spiritwarrior (The Colemans’ Legacy #2)

Chapter Thirty-Four

C hecking to see if Sophie had fallen asleep, Jody ran a finger down her cheek. When she didn’t move, he waved at Moses, who was carefully camouflaged behind a tree. He watched his crouching brother palming the earth from afar, directing the ground to send electrical waves to repair Sophie’s muscles. Like Jacob had done for her in the hot tub.

He reached for his cell phone, careful not to wake her.

Is Leah all right? he texted Silas.

Yes, she was slightly burned. Alex’s gift is appearing much sooner than Matthew’s. He will have to be watched closely until he can learn control. Did Sophie see anything?

No.

You need to tell her. With her living here, it is only a matter of time before she finds out.

I will. I just need to get her to the place where I can tell her.

When will that be?

After I know she loves me.

Ending the text, he gazed up at the sky. It was getting dark.

Gently, he called her name, then saw her eyes open behind her glasses.

“Did I sleep long?”

“About thirty minutes. I don’t like being this close to the creek at night. There are several wild animals in the woods, and I don’t want to take a chance staying any longer out here with you.”

After they put their shoes back on, Jody helped Sophie to her feet.

They had only walked a couple of minutes before Sophie started walking faster.

“I must have needed that nap. I’m not as stiff as I was before.”

Sliding his hand from her lower back to her ass, he shot her an intimate glance. “I’m glad.”

Smacking his hand away, she started to put distance between them. Jody grabbed her hand and pulled her back to his side.

“I’m afraid you’ll fall in the dark.”

“Then keep your hand away from my butt.”

“Yes, ma’am. I promise to keep my hand away from your ass when we’re out in public, unless I have your permission.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call this public.”

“Does that mean I can touch your ass anytime I want to?”

“No, it does not.”

When they reached where they needed to veer off onto the trail leading to his trailer, he glanced up at the darkened sky. His heart lurched in his chest at what he saw.

As he hurried Sophie toward his trailer, he tried not to make it obvious he was rushing her, but fear was pounding in his chest.

Relief filled him when the trailer came into sight.

At the trailer door, he waited for Sophie to open it then turn the light on. When she turned back to him standing outside the door, he could tell she didn’t want him to stay. Saved from having to make an excuse, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

“Good night. Make sure you lock the door.”

If he weren’t so worried, he would have laughed at the consternation on her face. He had burst her bubble of shooting him down. Jody would be back once he talked to Silas about what he had seen in the stars.

He came out of the trail to meet a waiting Moses, and they started walking toward Silas’. He glanced up at the stars and grew more concerned.

When he passed Matthew’s large truck, he saw his other brothers were already outside, looking at the sky. Their expressions mirrored his fear.

Matthew noticed his arrival and moved closer to Isaac, leaving him a space empty next to Silas.

“Does Fynn know who it is?” he asked Silas.

Grimly, Silas shook his head.

“Why are we allowed to see the death star covered in blood and not know which star it will destroy?”

“Dad always said our gifts are a double-edge sword,” Silas murmured. “Dustin called and said Logan won’t be in to work tomorrow. He warned us to stay close to the mountain.”

“You tell Ginny she won’t be going to the diner tomorrow?”

“She said if you can keep Sophie home, she will, too.”

Jody already knew how that suggestion would go.

“Sophie won’t stay home.”

“Figures.” Silas turned a troubled expression toward him.

“Why is nothing ever easy?”

“I wish I knew,” he said somberly. “I guess it will be just as useless for me to ask you to stay here tomorrow?”

“I can’t let her go alone.”

“She won’t be alone—Reaper will be there. Greer will be on the alert, and I’ll help if needed—”

Jody turned to him sharply. “You stay on the mountain. I don’t want you to jeopardize your happiness for us anymore. We’re all grown men, and we have to fight our own battles away from the mountain. You’ve done more than your fair share.”

“When you have children, you’re going to discover parents can’t be happy until their children are.”

Jody had to hold his emotions back at Silas’ words. From his brothers’ expressions, the meaning had hit them the same way.

“We love you, too.”

All of them resumed staring up at the sky.

Moving to where Fynn stood by himself, Jody studied his profile in the light the porch gave off.

“If you’re going to ask me who it’s meant for, save your breath. I don’t know.”

“I’m more concerned with you tonight than what could happen tomorrow.”

Fynn dropped his eyes to his. “Why are you worried about me?”

“We are here for you, Fynn. If your gifts are making you unhappy, stop using them, ignore them.”

Fynn gave him a wry smile. “How am I supposed to stop?”

“Stop looking to the stars. You don’t use your gifts when you go to school; just do the same here. Eventually, it’ll become second nature.”

Fynn continued to look at him. Then his eyes moved to their brothers, who were listening. Each of them had made the same decision that Fynn needed to make.

“You don’t need to make the decision tonight. Think it over. You said you lost your soul mate, that she’s no longer there. I think she is, or Dad wouldn’t have put her on your chart. Mother made sure we can’t see our future, and as much as I complain about it, I see why. She is our ruler, and she wants our loyalty, regardless of what we would prefer to do. Yet, as queen, she is also our Mother and seeks to protect us. She may show you parts of the future, but the future can change at any time by our actions. She set us on a path where she can watch and care for us. Until we break from that path, she cannot protect us if we’re not supposed to be there in the first place.”

“Then why are you going to town tomorrow?”

“I am loyal to my queen, but I have a duty to protect my woman.”

Jody stayed an hour, planning where each of them would be stationed on the property in case the unexpected happened and the death the bloody star was forewarning about could take place on the mountain. Here, they were given free rein to use their powers, unless it involved healing physical wounds of someone meant to be taken.

Saying good night to his brothers, he made his way to his trailer. She wouldn’t be happy to see him again tonight, but he was going to have to convince her to let him stay.

Despite being confident he could protect Sophie from what was going to happen tomorrow, he had a feeling of dread, as if the electrical currents flowing through the earth were warning him.

Sophie answered the door on his first knock. “Why am I not surprised?”

Jody grinned at her sarcastic expression. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Call Ginny and ask her to borrow one of Leah’s teddy bears.”

“Are you going to make me sleep with Jacob? His snoring keeps me up all night.”

“Will you sleep on the couch?”

“I’d rather sleep with you.” Jody reached out, sliding his hand around the back of her neck. “I can sleep on the couch if you make me. How about if I promise just to hold you, would that work?” Letting his fingers caress her skin, he stared at her soulfully. “I need you tonight, baby. Any way I can get you, I’ll be content.”

Conflicting emotions crossed her face before she opened the door. Once he was inside, she locked the door after him.

“What were you doing?”

“I was going to bed.”

Jody looked at the couch unhappily. “Where am I sleeping?”

“On the couch. You know where the blankets are. Good night.”

He gave her a pouting face as she went to the bedroom, then moved to the small chest against the wall, where he kept extra blankets and pillows for when one of his brothers spent the night.

After placing the pillow and blanket on the couch, he went to the wall to turn off the overhead light. He sat down and removed his shoes and clothes before lying down on the couch in his underwear, pulling the blanket over him. Rolling over to face the bedroom door, he closed his eyes.

He was almost asleep when he heard the bedroom door click open. He opened his eyes and saw Sophie’s shadow crossing the floor toward him to stand over him.

“I hate myself.” Self-loathing filled her voice.

“Why?”

“I shouldn’t want you, but I can’t make myself stop wanting you.”

He made no move to rise from the couch. “You shouldn’t hate something that isn’t in your control,” he told her as if they were discussing an everyday topic. “You can’t fight what’s between us, because it’s not your conscious mind or body you’re fighting against. Our souls are two parts of a whole. I have half; you have the other half. They were meant to be together.

“I can’t make you believe you’re my soul mate. I could take a lie detector test right in front of you, and if I were asked if I ever thought a woman I have been with was my soul mate, I would say no. If I were asked if you were my soul mate, I would say yes. I would even throw in an extra question for you. Do you love Sophie? I would say with every part of my being.”

“You haven’t known me long enough to love me,” she whispered in the dark.

“I might have only met you recently in this lifetime, but I’ve loved you for eternity.”

Jody saw her hand reach out in the darkness. “I’m a fool to believe you.”

He picked her up into his arms. “You’re nobody’s fool.”