James followed the river until a fine mist filled the air. The waterfall emptied into a small lake before flowing downriver. On the human side of the lake, four manors took up a large swath of the land. Perfectly manicured lawns with stone walls and statues separated them from one another. The largest was five stories tall and wide enough that three normal houses could fit in it. The others were slightly smaller with only three stories.

Spreading his soul around the area, he found the souls he was looking for. The weak signatures of children were underground, underneath the lake. They were terrified and hungry. To his surprise, they weren't thirsty, but he assumed with the lake, they were receiving water somehow.

He didn't know which manor led down to the children, nor why the city lord and his upper leaders were kidnapping children. But James took note of the thirty odd children packed in tight. They were a variety of soul strengths, suggesting a variety of ages.

Rubbing his chin, James debated tearing apart the manors right then and there, but didn't want to draw the might of the sect down on himself quite yet. What he needed to do was have Amber Soul Shift and scout them out.

Reaching across the city, he found his nekorian back at the inn, or around it and she was very happy and excited. She might as well have been screaming from the rooftops that she was going on a date with him.

I won't bother her today. The children will last a bit longer. We'll recon soon and figure out what we can do.

Eyeing the guards that were taking note of him, he turned and left. There were dozens of stronger souls in each building, signifying cultivators. They weren't anything special and he could easily rip them apart, but once again, he couldn't draw attention to himself yet.

Leaving the lake and manors behind, he continued to feel out Amber's soul until she took notice. Humor rolled over their bond as she tried pushing him away. Just to tease her, he pressed back, forcing her to submit. Once he felt her purring, he suddenly pulled away, leaving her alone.

He knew he was going to get an earful when they met up, but he wanted to check in on everyone else as well. Spreading his soul over the city, he found Luna first. The Fenrir sensed him and brushed against him with care and love, making sure he knew she appreciated him checking on her.

Mender was with patients and didn't respond as he was focused. Linda practically growled at him before roughly shoving him away. It appeared she was in discussion with a few other souls and it wasn't going well.

The Elson brothers were slightly under the city, working on the sewage system in the demi-human district. They all felt tired but fulfilled. It wasn't until he touched Jamie that he felt sorrow and confusion. She quickly tried to hide her emotions, but gave up when he prodded her.

Relenting, she opened up, but didn't walk toward him. Instead, she continued toward Amber. Picking up his pace, he failed to notice the effect he was having on the humans around him. Many of them were stepping aside in fear.

Crossing the river only took moments and he was soon on his way to the inn. Ignoring all those around him, he focused solely on Jamie until he found her waiting in his room.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Nothing to concern yourself with," she said softly. "I had to warn my guild that they better not send anyone after us. I warned them that you might show up if that happened."

Sighing, he sat down next to her on the bed. "Did you learn what you needed?"

"I did." Running a hand through her hair, she blew out a slow breath. "I need to head south for more information."

"We are heading south after this," he stated.

"No, this is something that I must do myself." Taking his hand, she squeezed him gently. "Mender and I will be leaving for a bit after we finish up here. There is something we need to handle before we can join you in the wasteland."

He didn't want to argue, so he dropped the subject. They all had secrets, and Jamie was no different. If she didn't want his help, he wouldn't push.

"Ready for your date?" Jamie asked, changing subjects.

"I don't know where to take her," he admitted.

Humming, Jamie said, "I made a reservation for you at a fancy restaurant. Find Broken Tile and give your name. It's all paid for already."

"Jamie…" Sighing, he shook his head.

"She deserves the best," Jamie stated. "With how her soul feels to all of us, I want you to treat her right. At least promise that you will make out with her and help scratch her itch slightly."

Laughing, he pushed his sister away. "You're horrible!"

Giggling, she got up. "I better go bathe for Bunny. You aren't the only one that's getting lucky tonight."

Before he could argue that he wasn't going to go all the way with Amber, Jamie hurried out of the room. Pushing his soul toward Amber, he found her in her room, vibrating with excitement. She felt him once again and pushed him away.

He knew she would find him when she was ready, so he grabbed a clean outfit and headed to the bath. If Jamie was right, Amber would want at least some sexual comforts after their date and he wanted to be clean.

Filling the tub was quick as he watched the room steam up. Jamie joined him after a few minutes, still giggling at him as he sank into the water. They didn't talk overly much as they washed. He was the first one out, feeling much better after the last day.

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By the time he was dressed, he felt Amber outside the bathing room. He didn't know what to expect when he opened the door, but it certainly wasn't what she was wearing.

The orange haired nekorian was wearing a flaming red dress with hints of orange spread throughout. The long sleeves hooked on her thumbs and trailed down to her ankle. With heels that gave her a few inches of height, she smiled at him while her tail swayed behind her.

"How do I look?" she asked softly.

James moved his gaze from her dress to her eyes. The slightest amount of makeup made her honey eyes stand out. Her hair was braided and draped over her shoulder while it looked like her brows had been thinned. Even her eyelashes looked fuller and her lips brighter.

"Wow…" he whispered.

Stepping forward, Amber looked vulnerable for the first time since he had known her. Her usual smirk or smile wasn't in place, but a slight frown of nervousness.

"You look like the setting sun," he said. "Amazing, beautiful, and everything I want to enjoy after a long day."

"Add more!" Jamie yelled from the bath.

Both Amber and James sighed as they looked at the tub.

"The moments ruined," Amber muttered.

James couldn't help but nod. "Let's leave the delinquent behind. We have a reservation for dinner."

"It's a bit early!" Jamie yelled. "Take her to the park! They have music to dance to!"

"Thanks, Jamie!" Amber yelled back. "Now be a good sister and go away!"

"There's a flower vendor with chocolates on the corner of the park!"

Giving up, James took Amber's hand and pulled her away. "Let's go before she gets too excited."

Bunny waved from the desk as he headed toward the door. "Safe sex!"

Groaning, James listened to the rabbit laugh as he led Amber out of the building. Looking at his own outfit, he felt extremely underdressed. His plain shirt and pants were a stark contrast to her well manicured style.

"James?" Amber asked softly.

Slowing his pace, he squeezed her hand. "Yes?"

"This is my first date…"

"It's only my second," he assured her. "And by the sounds of it, we have a lot to experience this afternoon."

Pulling him to a stop, she rested her head on his chest. "What's bothering you? I can feel it in your soul."

Not wanting to lie to her, he came clean about the children and the manors. It only took a few seconds to explain before he felt raw anger and hatred flood out of Amber's soul. He had to use his to suppress it in order to not scare anyone nearby.

"We should cancel our date and save those children!" she growled.

"We can't. Not yet," he said. "We are trying to take control of the demi-human district and learn the sect weaknesses before drawing attention to our group. We need to plan and move carefully."

Clenching her first against his chest, she nodded. "You're right. I'll scout out the manors tomorrow."

"Thanks, Amber. But I do believe I owe you a dance in the park. I'm not sure if we should get flowers now, or after we eat. I don't even know how to buy flowers…"

Laughing, Amber pulled him toward the park. "You have so much to learn. And so much to learn about me."

"Is your favorite color orange?" he asked.

Frowning, she glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "It's not. I've very fond of blue and yellow. But more like sky blue. I always dreamed of being free…"

"Now you are." Resting his hand on her back, he walked slowly with her. The crowd parted around them and many men stared at Amber with obvious interest.

"Thanks to you," she said after a moment. "Before you came along, I assumed I would die in the dark and by myself. I was only a slit throat away from losing control of the district. I had to sleep lightly and with one eye open and couldn't trust anyone."

"Yet you joined me quickly."

Smiling, she nodded. "You're my person. I knew from the moment I met you that I was deeply in love. The feeling I get when I'm around you is like a drug. But you were with Luna."

"That didn't stop you from flirting and pushing yourself onto me."

Laughing, she leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. "James. It's hard to explain, but I never felt complete until I met you. There was part of me, and all nekorians feel it, but we don't feel right until we meet our person. You complete me in a way that I'll never be able to explain."

Holding her tight, he brought them to another stop. "Why aren't you mad that I'm sleeping with Grace?"

Her soft smile slipped away. "You just broke up with Luna and I don't want to be a rebound relationship with you. I want you to get your frustrations and anguish out before we settle down."

"I don't feel like that," he argued.

"You can't hide it from me, James. Your soul mixes with mine perfectly and I can feel the pain you are in."

Sighing, he turned to her fully. "I don't know how I'm supposed to feel."

"Hurt and angry are a pretty good start," she joked.

Rubbing his eyes, he asked, "can we talk about something else. I want to move past it, but people keep bringing it up."

"Sorry," Amber whispered. Closing her eyes, she added, "I just wanted you to know that I'm fine with taking things slow. I've waited this long, what's a little longer."

"It's only been a few weeks," he joked.

"To a nekorian finding their person, that feels like a lifetime."

Resting his soul against hers, he understood the truth in those words. He savored the warmth and comfort coming from her until he felt the moisture in his eyes. A moment later, she was cupping his cheek and soothing him.

"I'm here now," Amber whispered. "Your soul can feel complete, just like mine."

Blinking through his tears, he took a shuddering breath. "I feel like a monster. I am a monster."

Pressing her lips to his, the world seemed to disappear. All that mattered was the feeling of love pushing against him as he felt accepted. Her soul wrapped around his in an embrace that no one would ever be able to achieve.

"You aren't a monster," Amber said softly as she pulled away. "I know you have Luna to help you unravel the mysteries of the world, but I will hold you together, no matter what you go through. Even if I must descend into the Underworld and fight giants, I will be the dagger that protects your back and heart."

"And I will be your shield," he whispered back.

Her warm smile eased his pain from the last day. No matter how much he hurt, he knew that he would be fine with Amber by his side. Even if he lost control at that very moment, she would pick him up and protect him from the world.

She didn't judge him for what he was, but it was time to tell her everything he knew. Especially about what Mother had told him about his people. If she was going to be with him forever, she needed to know more.

***

Jamie found Luna at the market, surrounded by dozens of people. Demi-humans and humans alike were swarming her stall and the Fenrir looked exhausted and near her breaking point. The moment Jamie approached, the crowd started to lose their interest and Luna found her.

"Thank god!" Luna panted.

Chuckling, Jamie walked over and helped her pack up the stall. "James didn't forget you. I felt him check on you earlier, but you didn't ask for help."

"I didn't want to bother him," she admitted. "He has so much on his plate that my curse was a small inconvenience that he didn't need to worry himself with."

Rolling her eyes, Jamie took Luna's hand. "Come along, love. Bunny and I are taking you out for dinner. Starting tomorrow, we'll begin our operation of dismantling and taking over the city. James isn't going to have time for fun for a while."

Sighing, Luna nodded. "We just have to make sure he doesn't work too hard. That man is going to treat this city like a wasteland one. He'll guide us to where we are needed."

Jamie could only nod. "I'm looking forward to it. But first, I need to get you drunk and relaxed. Only then can I take advantage of you."

Bursting out laughing, Luna pushed her away. "I'm not going to sleep with you!"

"Who said anything about sleeping," Jamie scoffed. "What I have planned we won't be sleeping until the wee hours of the morning."

Rolling her eyes, Luna picked up her pace. "I'll agree to dinner, but that's it."

"Sure, sure." With a smirk, Jamie pinched the Fenrir's butt.

"Hey!"

Laughing, Jamie skipped ahead. "Let's go! Bunny is waiting for us to pick her up."

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