Back and Stronger: Alpha's Daughter

Sophia watched the four of them from her position on the soft, beige couch. They were connected by past experiences and a strong friendship, that much she knew. The female, Victoria, wasn’t out of place at all and joined in on the banter like she was one of them. Sophia supposed that meant she was. She liked watching Neil’s face light up with laughter as they joked and told stories, though every now and then a dark cloud would encompass the room and it was like their minds took them back to something horrible. An untellable memory. Then one of them would joke about something else and they would be back in the moment. Sophia knew what that was like too, being pulled out of the moment to a place of darkness then having to claw your way back to the present. It happened less and less to the point she had forgotten what it was like. Most of the time. Neil and Scott never let her stay there long and Neil instinctively knew how to take care of her. Every night, before climbing into Neil’s soft bed, she thanked the goddess for both of them.

Neil had checked on Leo through a connection he had. He was observed at school, joking, and hanging out with Bella. They checked on him at home, as well and he showed no signs of distress or abuse. They took a picture of him on their cell phone of him laughing in the school yard, Bella at his side, and sent it to Neil. When he showed her, it did more for her than anything else he could have done, except maybe bring Leo there.

Sophia couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that they were military. That essentially meant that they had worked for her father. She didn’t know much, but she knew her father’s regime had fallen into a dark pit of treachery and punishments. She just couldn’t match the Scott and Neil she knew, to what she knew her father had likely ordered done in his moments of insanity. That would be often. It did explain so much, though. How they got rid of the car, new identities. How they’ve been able to keep her safe. It also explained the money. She had heard enough from the more contemptible males in school to know that his higher-ranking special forces made bank. Like they were rolling in it. He paid well to those who would follow through on his disgusting orders.

Their friend, Connor, moved from where he had been standing and plopped down next to Sophia on the couch. She jerked away from him. She hadn’t meant to, but other than Neil and Scott, she hadn’t been around any males. Not since Matthew. Neil, who had been perched on the arm of the couch, lay a hand on her shoulder and she immediately relaxed. She felt Victoria’s eyes on her, and Connor made eye contact with Scott, who had been lounging in the chair. He got up and went back to leaning against the wall, glancing at Neil on the way.

Victoria moved to the stool by Scott and there was something there. Sophia watched, thinking that it’s odd that it was just a sexual energy, especially considering they had so many shared memories. Neil dropped the seat next to her on the couch that Connor had just vacated and reached for Sophia’s hand. He ran his thumb along her wrist, his touch gently. There had been a few moments like that, and Sophia had to promise herself to not let her hopes get high. To just take the moment and cherish it like the treasure it was. That didn’t stop her breath from hitching and her skin to tingle under his calloused thumb.

“So, what’s it like living with these two?” Connor asked her.

Sophia turned her hand and Neil linked his pinky with hers, his hand laying gently on top of hers.

“It’s fine. I like it. Though they did make me finish school.”

Victoria laughed and they all looked at each other. “Scott.” Connor and Victoria said in unison. They all laughed harder, and Scott looked annoyed. Not seriously annoyed. That kind of fake annoyance that added humor to the situation.

“What?” he demanded. “Education is important.”

“We know.” Victoria rolled her eyes. She placed her hand on Scott’s inner thigh.

Oh, yeah. There’s something going on there, Sophia thought to herself.

Sophia yawned. Neil looked at her closely and must have noticed that she was tired.

“You can go to bed.”

“No.”

“Soph, what’s wrong? You don’t need to stay awake just because of them. You’ve had a rough couple of nights.”

They whispered their conversation, so it wasn’t overheard by the others.

“Come on.” Neil stood and pulled Sophia up by her hands.

Quietly, he walked her to his room. Sophia felt their eyes drilling into her back, and heard “Never thought I’d see that,” from Victoria. “Yeah. There’s a lot of that.” Scott had replied. Neil’s back stiffened and his gait stuttered, but he said nothing.

In the bedroom she turned to face Neil and took a deep breath. She didn’t want to insult him, or his buddy, Connor, but she had to be honest. She took a deep breath and blurted out.

“I don’t know him.”

Realization creeped into Neil’s eyes.

“I see.” Neil thought for a moment, “He’s taking the couch, so I was taking the floor anyway. I can sleep in here if you want.”

Her eyes widened.

“On the floor I mean. Like I would be in the living room. I’ve seen you in your pajamas before. It’s no big deal.”

Sophia thought for a moment. Yes, that would work.

“Okay,” she whispered.

“Okay. I’ll go out and tell them goodnight then I’ll be back.” He cupped her cheek in his palm. “I’ll always keep you safe. Don’t forget that, Okay.”

Sophia nodded. When he left she quickly changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and pulled back her hair. When she came out of the bathroom, Neil was still with the others in the living room. She popped the door open a crack and watched. They were standing close together having a whispered discussion. She couldn’t hear them. But she could see the alarm cross Neil and Scott’s face. It didn’t mean it had anything to do with her, she told herself. It could be anything.

The conversation broke up and Scott and Victoria went to his room, his arm slung over her shoulder. Victoria giggled and Sophia thought it was so odd to hear that from a female who for the most part had acted like one of the guys. Neil and Connor continued talking and sadness crossed Connor’s face. Connor gestured to the floor and Neil shook his head. They bumped fists, and as Neil started to turn, she hightailed it to the bed and climbed in as fast as she could.

Neil tapped lightly on the bedroom door then opened it. He held a pillow and a blanket in his arms.

“Still good?” he asked.

She nodded.

Neil came the rest of the way, hit the lights, and laid the pillow and blanket on the floor. He went to the bathroom and came out with a pair of lounge pants on, naturally, they were black. Her mind flitted back to that day of the lake, and she grinned. If Scott had been trying to change up Neil’s wardrobe, he was failing. Since he never seemed to fail at anything, she made a mental note to rib him about it if the opportunity arose.

Neil curled up on the floor, his head on the pillow. Sophia could only see his feet. She lay on her back in the darkness, staring at the ceiling. She heard Neil shift, on the hard floor. Though she was exhausted, sleep wasn’t coming. She had heard humans counted sheep to fall asleep. Freaking weirdo’s, she thought. But desperate to take her mind off Neil in the room with her, she thought she’d give it a try. When she got to number 23 of sheep she envisioned leaping over a fence, Neil shifted again. This was ridiculous.

“Neil,” she whispered.

“Yes?” he whispered back.

“There’s no need for you to be uncomfortable on the floor. The bed is plenty big enough.”

“No, I’m fine here Soph. I just have to get comfortable. I’m sorry I’m disturbing you.”

“You’re not, not really. I can’t fall asleep anyway. Please. We can just stay on our own sides. It’ll be fine.”

“You have no idea what you’re asking.” his voice trailed off.

“I do. It’s fine.” She slid to the side and patted the bed. “Look at how much room there is. Besides, we can talk until I fall asleep.”

Silence filled the room and Sophia held her breath, wondering what Neil would do. Then she heard him get up and felt his presence next to the bed in seconds. She shivered under the blanket.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

Neil pulled back the blanket and climbed into bed. His body stiffened when it bumped up against hers. She turned on her side, so she was facing him.

“Will you talk to me? Until I fall asleep. About anything.”

Neil turned on his side, so they were facing each other. Their lips inches apart, their bodies inches from pressing into each other.

Whatever he talks about, better be good, or I’ll never survive the night, Sophia thought.

Neil’s hand came out from under the blanket, and he brushed Sophia’s hair off her face. His touch was as light as a feather. He started telling her stories of things he heard about the human world. How absurd the word and the things they would do that shifter just couldn’t understand. She listened attentively, his voice sending chills up her body. In the middle of a story about how they are obsessed with social media to the point of destruction of their psyche and the dumb videos they put up on a video platform for everyone to see, Scott’s bed began to squeak. Loudly. A pained look crossed Neil’s face. Pound, pound. Then a very feminine moan. Sophia giggled. She couldn’t help it. Squeak, then headboard hitting the wall. Squeak again.

“Will you two knock it the fuck off, people are trying to sleep.” Connor yelled.

Sophia couldn’t hold it back, she cracked up, her body shaking. Neil grinned at her then shrugged. Her breast bumped up against him and he stiffened, that pained look on his face again. He sucked breath in then held it and closed his eyes. He slowly let it out. Sophia didn’t move. She held completely still. When he opened his eyes, he didn’t make eye contact.

“Go to sleep, Soph.”

She lay there looking at his face in the darkness, her mind wandering and her body tingling. Holy mother of the goddesses, she thought. Eventually, after a couple hundred sheep, she drifted off to sleep.