A SOKEEFE STORY

Chapter 80

Once again, no excuses. Every day I see you all asking for another chapter and I feel guilty, but I just can't find the motivation. But I preserver.

And, dang, 600K, that's crazy! Thank you guys so much!

I have yet to read Stellarlune, so please keep spoilers out of the comments, and if you are going to conversate about the book, put a warning beforehand. You are welcome to leave your spoiler-free thoughts in the comments for me and others to read. Thank you!

"I'm going to kill him," Keefe vowed, shoving Tam off of him and quickly walking towards Sophie. She trembled, holding the baby tightly in her arms and looking up at him with watering eyes.

"Keefe," she stuttered and he wrapped his arms around her figure, snuggling Calla between their two chests. He nuzzled his nose into her shoulder, silencing her pleas for a better reaction.

"We should go," Biana said quietly, touching Sophie's shoulder gently, her insisting more eager than she had meant. But Sophie knew it was for the best, pulling herself and Calla from Keefe's grip and nodding, looking up to meet his eyes.

"I want to go to my house," he stated quietly to her, leaning down and gently rubbing their noses together. He looked down, bumping their foreheads together as he gently stroked Calla's pale cheeks. "It will be safer there."

Sophie nodded, turning to Biana and holding her hand.

"Will you talk to Alden about this? I'm not sure how much more I will be able to handle," she said, unable to get any more of her worries out before Keefe leaned down, touching his lips to hers, desperately searching for comfort.

"Of course, I'll let Dex know where you are," she said, squeezing her friend's hand before Sophie was whisked away by Keefe, his hands wrapped securely around her waist. He held her tiny figure tightly as he drew out his pathfinder from his tunic pocket.

"Shores of Solace," he murmured into the crystal tip. The transparent mineral erupted with light, drawing a surprised squeak from Calla before taking them away to a safer place.

Sophie felt her stomach flip before her feet were safely planted on the sand. She looked down, blinking the dots out of her eyes as she looked across the large beach out the back of the huge home.

"She can sleep with us tonight," Keefe said quietly, gently wiping a strand of thin white hair out of the infant's face as he leaned forward, planting a kiss on Sophie's forehead. She nodded, following him into the large house only to be quickly stopped by a familiar face. Lord Cassius stood a bit farther into the house, gazing out the large glass doors to the ocean where they had arrived. 

"Dad?" Keefe asked, his voice breaking. Lord Cassius turned, mug in hand with a deep frown on his face. His eyes darted down to Calla who rested, happily in Sophie's arms before gesturing them farther into the house. Keef closed the door behind them and set a gentle hand on the small of Sophie's back, leading her closer to his father. It had only been a few hours since they had last seen Keefe's father, but he looked even more disheveled than he had then. His hair was clumped into greasy portions, heavy bags bringing dark colors beneath his bloodshot eyes.

"I have a room for her," he said, his voice hoarse as he waved down to Calla. "Just beside yours."

Keefe opened his mouth in some kind of surprise but nodded. Lord Cassius led them up the spiral staircase and to where Keefe's room was. Now sitting beside his room was another door, already labeled with pink letters spelling out Calla's name. Sophie couldn't help but pull her eyebrows together, still confused at the lord's sudden mood change over the past few hours. 

"I wasn't sure what she liked," Lord Cassius said, sniffling as if he had a cold. He opened the door, welcoming the three of them inside. The room was filled with everything a baby girl could ever need. Toys were sprawled neatly across the floor and on the many shelves which littered the baby-pink walls. A beautiful cradle sat in the corner of the room beside the window. 

"Thank you, Lord Cassius," Sophie murmured, risking a glance up to his eyes. He only nodded in response, his eyes flickering down to Calla once again before he tore his gaze away, retreating from the room. Keefe slowly stepped inside, spinning around on his heel slowly as he took the area in. 

"I never knew what was in this room," he commented, running a hand across the cradle build and studying the dust which now littered his fingertips. "He must have been putting this together for the past few months."

More confusion clouded Sophie's face, but she pushed it away, her mind already too exhausted. She approached Keefe, allowing him to lay Calla down into the cradle after dusting off the blankets and pillow. She let out a few quiet, sleepy coos as her head hit the pillow and Sophie watched as a smile climbed to her boyfriend's cheeks. His dimples showed brightly in the sunlight streaming through the window. 

"Have a restful nap, little Calla," he whispered, stroking the baby's forehead before retracting his hand. His tired, exhausted eyes turned to Sophie and he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. Sophie let out a squeak of surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her off of the ground, nudging her legs around his waist as he carried her out of the child's room. With his face buried into her neck, he whispered soft, sweet nothings into her skin. 

"I love you," he whispered to her, pushing open his bedroom door open. He shut it behind him, pressing kisses along the tendons in her neck as he stumbled over to his bed, hands on her ass. "I will never let anything happen to you ever again."

"I love you, too," she breathed to him. He gently laid her down across the messy blankets along his mattress. He crawled onto the blankets as well, limbs on either side of her body as he littered her upper body with kisses, nipping at her clothing in annoyance. 

"I won't let him touch you again," he whispered against her cheek, kissing her. It felt like her breath was being ripped from her chest as he moved his mouth against hers. "I won't let him see you, breathe you in. You are mine."