Free Her Cyborg by Nellie C. Lind Page B

meet anyone as lively as Faye. Phoebe noticed Wind and Diane right behind Faye. She waved to them all before she turned to Shade.
    “Are you ready?” she asked him.
    He answered with silence and a studying gaze at Faye.

Chapter 12
     
    Shade had no idea if he was ready or not, but he chose to trust Phoebe even if everything inside of him screamed to throw her over his shoulder and run away as fast as his legs could take him. His need to protect her was great, but when he saw Faye's happy face, he hoped his instincts were wrong.
    He and Phoebe returned to their floor. Faye, Wind, and Diane had been granted access to that floor for the day. He and Phoebe remained by the elevator and waited for her friends to arrive. Shade stared at the doors to the elevator. Any minute now, they would open, and he had no idea what would happen then. He felt tense. He was in defense mode, ready to protect Phoebe from any danger.
    Phoebe placed her hand on his arm. It made him wince.
    “Relax,” she said.
    He grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. “Stay close to me.”
    “I will,” she promised, “but don't hurt them if they touch me ... or if they touch you. Promise me that.”
    He clenched his knuckles. He didn't want to promise. “I promise.”
    Phoebe gave him a gentle smile. “Thank you.”
    It had slipped right out of his mouth even if his emotions told him otherwise, but there wasn't much he could do about it. He wanted to protect Phoebe, but he also wanted to make her happy, and that meant doing what she wanted him to do.
    This was going to be a difficult day.
    The elevator doors finally opened and out jumped an overjoyed Faye. She made a loud squeak before she came at Phoebe with open arms and with a huge smile on her face.
    His instincts took over, and before he managed to think twice, he pulled Phoebe behind him and stepped forward, glaring at Faye. He tensed his muscles to intimidate her with his tall frame. In an instant, her joy turned into surprise, and she flinched back when she met his gaze. He looked her over. Faye was a cute female with long, blonde hair, but she barely reached to his shoulders. He knew she wouldn't be an issue if she tried anything. Her body was slim, and she didn't look like she weighed much. He could easily remove her if necessary.
    Anything to keep Phoebe safe.
    Out of the corner of his eye, Shade noticed Wind and Diane leave the elevator. Wind stopped behind Faye, placed his hand on her arm, and pulled her back.
    “You are too impulsive, Faye,” Wind said. “I told you not to touch Phoebe. Shade is a newborn cyborg and his instincts to protect her are amplified. It will take some time before he relaxes.”
    Faye nodded. “Sorry, I forgot.”
    “Don't worry about it,” Phoebe said from behind Shade.
    Shade felt her hand on his arm before she stepped out from where he had hidden her behind him. He wanted to grab her and place her there again where he knew she would be safer. Not doing so was more difficult than he had ever imagined, but then he met Wind's gaze. Wind had almond-shaped, metallic-looking eyes with the color of shining aluminum. Tiny but visible circuits moved around in the iris.
    Wind was almost as tall as he was. He was fit with broad shoulders and brown, shoulder-length hair. He was dressed in an elegant black suit, almost making him look like a businessman, but there was a calmness in his eyes that Shade hadn't seen before. He hadn't met many people yet, but he knew what he saw in Wind. He saw wisdom. He saw a teacher, someone who could help him in a way Jade was not able to. She was good at what she did, but she had a lot to learn when it came to handling a cyborg. Wind on the other hand, in him, Shade saw a friend.
    He stretched out his hand just as Phoebe had shown him. “I'm Shade.”
    Wind smiled. “Hello, Shade. I'm Wind, bound to Diane.”
    Shade turned his head and looked at Diane who stood next to Wind. She was beautifully dressed in a long summer