Parahuman (Parahuman Series) (41 page)

     Laney
reached up to take hold of the blanket expecting Devan to step back when she
did, but he didn’t; instead, he she felt his grip tighten. The blanket was no
longer needed because her body instantly warmed at his proximity and her heart
pounded double time in her chest.

     “I spent
half the day inspecting my house, the school, and around the town for any signs
of surveillance.”   

     Devan’s
comment almost went unnoticed as Laney soaked in his presence. “And did you
find anything?” She tensed for his reply.

     “No.”

     Laney’s
body went limp in relief. A feather light caress to her collar bone had her breath
shuddering out in pleasure. “But what about the wolves; I thought The Company
was tracking them?” She asked anxiously.    

     The
touch halted its stroking, but maintained contact with her skin. “As I was
chasing the last wolf I was able to reflect on a few things. That last wolf ran
away for a reason and it was to get back to its handler.”

     
“Handler?” Laney interjected frowning.

     “The
person responsible for the wolves. He follows them around, probably making sure
they remain on track, keeping them healthy…things like that. When that last
wolf ran away without attacking I knew that its task was to bring back evidence
that it had located me. If I could only eliminate it I had a chance at stopping
The Company from learning my location. So I pursued it, and eventually after
many miles, I caught up with it, killed it, and cut out the tracking chip.
Next, I went back to the other wolves and retrieved all their tracking chips. I
then drove, at a rather slow pace, through many winding back roads to Mexico.
While there I proceeded to feed the chips to some wild dogs. The chips will
appear active for a few days and when The Company eventually tracks them down
all they’ll find is left over excrement. I’m sure they’ll be suspicious about
it but it’s highly unlikely they’ll be able to trace me back to Silverton.”

     The
entire scenario made Laney’s head spin. That he’d done all that in three days
was astounding. “What about the chip from the first dead wolf?” Laney asked
fretfully.

     “I
was able to find it.” Devan replied.    

    
“How…” The rest of her question went unspoken as she abruptly realized how he’d
found the chip. “One of the other wolves ingested it, didn’t they?” She almost
shouted her discovery, but remembered to keep her excited exclamation to a
whisper.

     “Yes.”
Although still unable to see him Laney thought she detected humor in Devan’s
reply.

    
Picturing Devan having to hack up each wolf so he could rummage around in its
intestines looking for that miniature chip was not a pleasant image. “Eww;
sorry for you.”

     “It’s
better than the other alternative.” Devan commented drily.

    
Hearing the joke come out of his mouth lifted Laney’s spirits like nothing else
could. Because he was so serious most of the time whenever he made a joke it
was like seeing a rainbow spread across a dismal sky; all you could do is stop
and bask in the moment.

     Grasping
his hands in hers she squeezed, taking pleasure in just touching him. His hands
were extra warm in hers probably because of his higher temperature. “I’m just
so glad you’re alright. Even though you’d taken on those seven other wolves
without getting a scratch I was still worried about you.”

     Devan
was silent for a minute and Laney was fearful that he was going to announce
that it was time for him to leave. Her heart clenched painfully and she gripped
his hands tighter unwilling to let him go just yet.

     “When
I was assessing the town I overheard several discussions on your kidnapping.
Why has Jarrod not been arrested?” Restrained fury coated each word Devan
voiced.

     Laney
sighed. “Jarrod told everyone that I went with him willingly. The police said
given that I was unharmed, and as there were no witnesses, it was his story
against mine. I could pursue the matter in court, but they said it was a long
shot.”

    
Devan’s stillness was menacing, but Laney didn’t feel threatened. She knew
where it was directed, and that’s what truly worried her. Devan had been
enraged when he’d come into that shack knocking Jarrod out cold. “I don’t
really feel that Jarrod is really a threat to me any longer. While what he did
was wrong I think it was an impulsive act. I think what he needs more is
therapy rather than prison time.” 

    
“Laney, he held a gun on you.” Devan bit out gruffly.

     Yeah,
that hadn’t been fun. “I know, and I’m not going to say I wasn’t scared or that
is wasn’t wrong, but I really don’t feel like he’s a future threat to me. You
also need to recognize that I’ve known Jarrod all my life and it’s not that
easy for me to have him thrown in jail. A kidnapping charge with a weapon
involved could put him away for life.”

     Devan
went silent and his body seemed to tense up and draw back from her. He asked in
a flat voice. “You have…feelings for him; that’s why you don’t want him
imprisoned.”

     While
confused at Devan’s withdrawal Laney realized that Devan never had a family so he
really had no concept of familial bonding, or any kind of bonding. “I don’t
think there’s any way you can grow up with someone and not develop feelings for
them. We’ve experienced a lot together. In some ways he’s like family, so I
have to ask myself; if my brother did this would I automatically want him
thrown in jail? No, I’d want him to get help.”

     “So,
Jarrod is like a brother you feel an obligation to.”

     Laney
winced at the description because it sounded so cold, but her feelings toward
Jarrod were confused at the moment. “That about describes it at this time,” she
sighed unhappily.

     “I
don’t like it that he’s free. Is that why you haven’t left the house in three
days, and why you were crying, and why you were brandishing that racket? You’re
scared.” Devan accused heatedly. “It’s good that I’m going to be staying.”

     At
first Laney thought she was hearing things. “What?” She said that a little
louder than she should have. Going still she listened unsure if she’d been loud
enough for her father to hear.

     “He’s
unmoving downstairs; he didn’t hear.” Devan commented after a slight pause.

    
Trying to not let her amazement at his exceptional hearing distract her Laney
leaned forward and whispered urgently. “What do you mean you’ve decided to
stay?”

     Devan
shifted slightly. “Now that the wolves have been eliminated and their tracking
chips scattered far from here, and since I’ve also established the absence of
surveillance…Brett and I can stay.”

     The
heavy sensation that had been weighing down Laney for days instantly
disappeared leaving her almost lightheaded.
He was staying
!

     “Is
that…agreeable?” Devan asked. Laney thought she detected a certain amount of apprehension
in his tone.

    
Unable to stop herself Laney flung her arms around him hugging him tightly. “It
is sooo agreeable.” She said. His chest was warm and hard beneath her cheek,
inhaling deeply she took in his dark musky scent.

     Devan
wrapped his arms around her pulling her in closer and they held each other
silently. Laney splayed her hands over his back delighting in the warmth and
strength of his embrace.

     Devan’s
hand sifted through her hair. “Is Jarrod the reason you were crying?
Are
you afraid he might get to you again?” The question was voiced harshly above
her.

     “That
isn’t why I was crying.” Laney sighed. Did she want to reveal the real reason
she was crying? Yes, she did. Devan had taken steps so he could come back and
Laney realized that she needed to take steps to make it hard for him to leave.
She couldn’t hide what she felt. Devan was already handicapped in the emotional
and social department, she wasn’t going to make it harder for him just because
it was embarrassing to admit her own feelings.  

     “I
was crying because I missed you, and was worried about you.” Laney stuffed her
face harder into his chest.

     Devan
held her silently for a while caressing her hair and Laney began to shift
nervously wondering what he was thinking. Before he’d left he’d told her they
would have never worked out, but Laney didn’t believe that to be true.

    
“You’re going to stop now that I’ve returned, right?” Devan’s words were a command
with a partial question thrown in there at the end.

     Laney
huffed out a laugh at his demand. “Yes.”    

     “Promise.
I don’t like to see you cry.” He demanded again.

     Laney
raised her head to look up at him. His face was mostly shadowed in the dim
light. “You’re here, so I have no reason to cry anymore.”

    
Devan’s head was bent and he was quiet again as stared down at her. His hand
moved to her face and his thumb stroked the skin under her eye. “You need
sleep. You look exhausted.”

     Laney
smiled. “You’re not supposed to tell a girl how bad she looks.”

     “You
could never look bad, but you do look like you haven’t been sleeping well.” He
retorted gruffly. He stepped back and bent down for the blanket that had fallen
when she’d hugged him, straightening he wrapped it around her again and led her
back to the window. Laney’s heart clenched at the thought of him leaving, he could
just disappear and she would never see him again.

    
Standing at the window Devan’s face was easier to see and read, and the
expression on his face as he gazed down at her was nervous. “May I come over
and see you tomorrow after you’re religious assembly?”

     Her
heart unclenched and she felt giddy at his request, which had her giggling at
his choice of words. God, he was so cute. “Yes, I would love that.”

     Devan’s
face broke into a smile and the sight of it warmed her all over. His hand came
up to smooth over her hair. “Get some sleep.” He commanded. In the next
instance he was folding himself out the window and reaching in for the screen
setting it in the frame for her to fasten.

     “Make
sure to lock the window.” He stood and walked off the roof. Laney gasped at his
actions forgetting for a moment that it was like a step off a porch for him. A
second later he was running swiftly across the backyard and disappearing into
the woods.

     Laney
closed the window and locked it, and even though he was already gone she had a
hard time tearing her gaze from where he’d disappeared.

     He
was back and he was staying
.

∞                    ∞                   
∞

     Devan
turned after reaching the dark cover of the forest. He could see Laney staring
out her window, trying to pierce the darkness with her normal human eyes, but he
knew he was concealed entirely by the darkness. She was smiling as she turned
away from the window.

     Brett
was having a difficult time understanding why Devan wanted to stay. He
understood Brett’s confusion and knew if the roles were reversed he would be
feeling the same.

     The
logical action for them to implement was a direct and immediate departure from
this area, but as always things concerning Laney didn’t fall into the category
of rational. At the moment Devan felt it was safe, and he wanted, needed, to be
near her.

     That
instance in the woods, when she had declared her feelings, was etched in his
memory. It didn’t seem possible that she felt the same for him that he did for
her…but she did, and instead of being disgusted by his genetic mutations she
appeared partial to them. She had called his eyes amazing.

     Thoughts
of seeing her tomorrow, and the next, and the next, brought on a deep sense of
satisfaction...and peace. It was inconceivable the emotions Devan felt for her,
but when he tried to see ahead to the future without her, he couldn’t. It was
black, void of any true life. He had told her in the woods that things wouldn’t
have worked out between them, and he knew it was true, but the desire to spend
more time with her over-rode any and every other action he might take.  

     So he’d
pressed Brett to remain, and he had eventually conceded when Devan had assured
him that all the wolves had been disposed of and that the chips had been
relocated to another state,
and
when he’d guaranteed that there was no
surveillance of any kind.

     How
long Devan was going to be able to stay was another matter entirely. He and Brett
knew that lingering in any one place for too long was dangerous, so eventually they
would have to leave Silverton. Devan normally wasn’t one to not face the facts
about something, but in this instance he pushed that detail to the back of his
mind to worry about another day. 

     All
the excuses he’d made about not being able to have a relationship because of
what he was and what he could become seemed unimportant at the moment. The
apprehension was still there, but it was pushed back to the far recesses of his
mind.