Balancer's Soul (15 page)

Apparently Connor didn’t hear his best
friend. He took another step closer to the door, but Mark held his
ground.
“Nothing on this planet will stop
Connor if it is a threat to me. The only one who can calm him
is…Me!”

Summoning up all of her courage, Sarah
quickly stepped in front of Connor. Talking to his friend she said
“Mark, get out of the way. You cannot stop him; you know that only
I can.” her back stood to Mark, but he understood Connor’s strength
better than she did and moved out of the way.

Reaching up with both of her hands, Sarah
cupped Connor’s cheeks tenderly. “Connor, it’s ok, I’m unharmed.
You saved me, again. Mathew is gone and so is the threat he posed
to me, so please calm down before you do something you’ll regret.”
She kept speaking softly and reassuringly, but Connor didn’t hear
her and took another step forward, nearly knocking her over.
“Connor!” Yelling usually helps with stubborn men and she used her
hands to force his head down to look directly at her.

His raptor like hazel eyes looked and at
first saw her as an obstacle. She held her ground through some
miracle. The only thing Sarah could do at this time was smile his
smile at him. It worked and his eyes and face slowly relaxed along
with all the bunched muscles of his body. Sanity returned and
bloodlust vanished.

“I’m sorry.” His face became apologetic after
he found his voice.

“Everything is ok now, just relax.” She said
reassuringly.

After a few moments Sarah realized they were
still in the class room, filled with immature eyes. Looking around
the class she noticed that everyone sat silent and in shock. They
were all looking at the three of them and especially at Connor and
herself. She slowly removed her palms away from Connor’s face and
put them at her sides.

One student broke the silence “Nice punch
Mark! I even felt it all the way over here.” The kid didn’t know
that Mark was actually trying to save Mathew’s life while also
dealing a semblance of punishment. Then everyone started talking
quietly amongst themselves. Connor and Mark stood by each of her
sides, close and alert. Sarah overheard a few comments from the
small crowd.

“I’m glad Ms. Sarah’s ok, but did you
see how quickly Connor moved, especially all the way from the back?
I sure didn’t. All I saw was a bolting shadow…” “How about that
spinning, midair catch?” The next comment made her heart race in
jealously over a girls comment “I’ll never call him Black Sheep
again…More like a Dark Knight.”
“No. he is
my Knight and I’m his Princess you ignorant child.”
“Wow, I didn’t know the Sheep was actually a wolf in
disguise. Did you see his eyes? He was really going to kill our
quarterback…” Sarah lost track as they continued to talk amongst
themselves. Having a prideful thought she smiled
“Yeah Connor is a wolf and he protects his
mate.

The bell rang not too long later and everyone
left the classroom in excitement over the latest gossip that was
sure to spread. Mark left not too long later waving goodbye and
leaving them completely alone.

Connor broke the silence and spoke tightly.
“Sarah, can I ask for a favor?”

No hesitation entered her mind as she replied
“Anything.”

“Will you please take Kara home?” He asked,
leaning angst the wall.

“Sure, but what are you going to do?” Her
alarm’s rose, feeling a sense of malice rolling off him. “You are
not going after Mathew, are you!?”

His face still revealed an emotionless mask.
“Nothing like that, Princess. I just need to blow off some steam
and I can’t do it with my sister nearby.” He finally cracked a weak
smile, but it was forced.

“Ok.” He hugged and kissed her head.

“I’ll go retrieve my sister and we’ll meet
you out by your car.” He said, leaving the room fluidly and
silently.

Getting to her car while opening the door
Sarah heard Kara from across the field yell “He did what to Sarah!?
I hope you had him admitted at the hospital!”

Connor said calmly “Well I didn’t. Just don’t
tell anyone else ok?”

“Ok Brother, I promise.” Now the siblings
walked into view. They were polar opposites. He was big and brawny
while she was small and skinny. Her clothes were bright and
revealing while her big brother wore dark and conservative
clothing. The only thing they had in common was the same hair
color, and that’s all. Even their facial structure wasn’t alike.
When Kara spotted Sarah she shouted “Hey Sarah! I’m so glad that
you didn’t get hurt.”

Kara entered the passenger side door and sat
next to Sarah. Connor walked around to the driver side and stood
before her, leaned down and whispered in a playful and seductive
manner “I’ll beat you back home.” He was finally smiling the smile
Sarah loved. He kissed her forehead and ran to the tree line, in an
instant he melded into the trees like a flickering shadow. As he
entered the leaves around him rustled oddly, but she didn’t see any
wind. Kara, in a serious tone, said in the car “Let’s get going,
drive slowly and tell me everything.”

Driving slowly down the dirt road Sarah
recounted everything that happened from her perspective, only
leaving out the students comments. Kara actually sat quiet and
didn’t fidget during the story. Finishing the story she had to ask
“What is Connor really going to do?”

“He promised that he was going for a run,
right?” Sarah simply nodded. “If he makes a promise, Brother always
keeps them. He won’t lay a hand on the fool who tried to hurt you.
But for your information, knowing my brother, he will cripple
Mathew if he comes near you ever again.” She smiled, wishing for it
to actually happen and hoping to be there or could it have been
something else?

“Why are you smiling?” Sarah just had to
ask.

Sarah almost passed their houses when she
clearly said “Brother must be truly in love with you.”

Slamming on the brakes startled both of
them. Luckily they were traveling slowly so they didn’t get
whiplash. Dry dust from slamming the breaks surrounded them
nevertheless. “W…What do you mean
in love
with me
?”

Kara had a serious expression on her
face. “Brother would die to keep me safe, but the way he looks at
you. He would go into hell without hesitation and bring you back
unharmed.” She said, striking Sarah speechless.
“What is with this family? Do they always speak from their
hearts?”
She continued “When you two get married I
would be proud for you to be my sister-in-law.”

So truly moved by this little girl’s words,
Sarah hugged her.

A tapping on the window broke up the hug.
Connor smiled through the passenger window, Kara rolled down the
window to speak. “Brother, we are having a girl’s moment. Get
lost!”

“Love to see you too.”
“Love.”
and Sarah blushed. “Mark is
on the phone, he wants to talk to you.” He still smiled at her, as
he turned to look at Sarah with her favorite smile, she knew he was
already back to normal.

Kara exited the car quickly and Connor said
“I’m glad I was fast enough to catch you, Sarah. Since I ran to get
rid of some of my excess energy, I need to shower and start dinner.
I’ll talk to you later, Princess.” He leaned through the car and
kissed her forehead.

As Connor walked back to his house she called
from the car “Thank you for everything.” Sarah blew him a kiss
saying “Good night, my Knight.”

“Good night my fair Princess.” He bowed
dramatically and walked inside.

After getting home and within five hours
Sarah showered, cooked dinner, and washed her delicates. While
watching TV she heard a knock at the front door.

“Who can it be at this late
hour?”
Instead Sarah said “Coming…Who is
it?”

Opening the door stood a young woman about
her age and height. She has darker hair though. It is closer to
black than Sarah’s, but it is still brown though and it was only
shoulder length. Their facial structure is about the same, but she
has a slight widow’s peak and her jaw line is slightly rounder. She
is slightly plumper but by no more than ten or fifteen pounds in
all the right places. And her breasts were larger along with more
attractively curved hips. Her excited golden eyes studied Sarah
carefully. Finally she glanced at the garage to see a Fire Engine
red convertible sports car.

Putting all of the pieces together Sarah knew
exactly who it is. “Mother! I completely forgot you would be home
today.”

“I’m sure you did my dear.” Jillian said with
a little giggle.

Changing subject wasn’t easy, but she
managed. “Mother, Father is still asleep. Would you like for me to
wake him?”

Jillian had a gleam in her eye before
exclaiming “No Sarah. I want to meet Your Man first.” and then she
arched an eyebrow.

“Oh No. Not now.”

“Oh Yes… Now!” Jillian said, using her power
to read her daughter’s mind.

Jillian grabbed Sarah’s wrist and ferried her
across the street to Connor’s house.

“I didn’t realize my final test was so
soon.”

Crossing the road and walking up Connor’s
driveway, Sarah desperately pleaded to her mother, who continued to
hold her child’s wrist in a vice like grip. “Mother, what are you
doing?”

“I want to see what your man is like
for myself before Jack has the opportunity to meet him tomorrow. He
doesn’t suspect anything… Oh how
long
I’ve been waiting for this day. At long
last, my little girl has finally found a love interest,
after
all
this time.” Jillian
sounded giddy and very amused at the prospect, but Sarah felt
terrified and a little humiliated by her mother’s
actions.

“Tomorrow?!” It was the only word Jillian
said that rang through Sarah’s entire being. “Are you positive that
this can’t wait until… later? What if he gets hurt or worse? What
if he wants nothing to do with me? I can’t live think what Father
will do.” Sarah was truly pleading at this point and with a sharp
tug she somehow managed to break her mother’s hold. Jillian was
stopped physically, but her excitement was easy to read and
impossible to quench.

Jillian remained grinning and then she
shocked Sarah by becoming serious. Coming out of nowhere she calmly
asked “Do you love him?” Sarah’s face answered of its own accord by
going beet red. Sarah then wrung her hands together nervously,
feeling a little insecure at the moment. “I thought so. Now Sarah,
do you want him to be your
mate
?”

“Yes.” She replied very quietly towards the
ground.

“Good. Now just follow my lead and let’s see
how he reacts to meeting me.” Jillian could no longer contain her
excitement or impulsiveness behind the serious mask any longer.
Like she could ever do it to begin with?

Stepping on the entryway of Connor’s front
porch Sarah’s noticed that Jenny’s car wasn’t there. It was quiet
inside his home…too quiet. She hoped they left the kitchen light on
for security purposes and no one currently occupied the residence,
but her mother would already know if no one laid within.

Standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the
door, Jillian knocked firmly. Then terror set in. Sarah clearly
heard Connor’s deep voice coming from the kitchen to say “I’m
coming.”

When he opened the door Connor looked
immediately at Sarah and her stomach filled with a ravenous horde
of butterflies again. She could barely draw breath let alone be the
first to speak. “Good evening, Princess. Is something wrong?” Now
she was really blushing and her heart began another cross-country
marathon.

Why do I react so strongly towards him? This
is all so confusing…

“He calls you Princess? Oh
that is sooo adorable, wait till I tell this to Jack. And oh my
Sarah he certainly is a
Big
one.”
Jillian said by pushing her excited
thoughts into Sarah’s head. She usually does this when she can’t
speak naturally in public.

Connor wore his usual black long sleeved
shirt and black pants. His shaggy and sandy blonde hair was washed
and brushed back, showing his rugged handsomeness openly. His sharp
masculine features were awake and apparently happy to see Sarah so
unexpectedly. Just the sight of him took her breath away and she
remained unable speak.

Jillian was closing the mental link as
Sarah glanced at her. Connor’s piercing stare followed hers and
finally looked at her mother carefully. “
Mother, this is not a sick joke, I really care about him.
Please don’t push him too hard…”

Connor looked between them only once and
offered his hand to her mother as a greeting. “Hi. I’m Connor.”
Shaking Connor’s hand, Jillian returned the gesture in her chipper
voice. “Hello Connor, I’m Jillian. I am Sarah’s big sister.

Connor leaned down and looked at her mother,
face to face, and smiled at her, but his smile said ‘I’m on to
you.’ Only he said one clear and confident word that cut through
everyone like a sharp blade. “Liar.”

Sarah’s eyes widened in shock, but Jillian
could only manage to blink several times in obvious surprise by
being called a liar. She composed herself and asked “Excuse
me?”

He stood erect again and continued to wear
the same knowing smile. “I called you a liar, Jillian. You are not
Sarah’s big sister. You are Sarah’s mom.”

Sarah’s mother smiled knowingly from
how she’s been caught and instantly turned to her dear daughter.
“He
is
good.” She turning back
to him and said “I’m impressed Connor, what gave me
away?”