Parahuman (Parahuman Series) (37 page)

     Being
so tired made it really hard for her contain her utter desolation, but she was
able to contain most of it with only a few tears slipping out. She kept her
head tucked into his chest so he wouldn’t see them. Swallowing past the painful
constriction in her throat she whispered chokingly. “So, you’re leaving.”

     “We
were actually headed out of town when I found out what happened to you. I told
Brett to go on ahead and that after I found you I would follow.”

     Would
he have left without saying goodbye? The thought brought another arrow of pain.
 “So as soon as you hand me off, you’ll be gone?” Laney wasn’t able to hold
back the small hiccuppy sob that escaped at the end of her sentence, but she able
to contain the rest from exploding from her. 

    
Devan’s arms constricted around her. “Yes.” He answered in a strained voice.

     “Do
you know where you’re going?” Maybe they could keep in touch.

     “No,
not yet. I couldn’t tell you if I did anyway. People have seen us together, and
because of that they will watch you. They’ll most likely tap you phone, your
computer, possible even your house. You have to forget you ever knew me. If
they hear you mention me they may think you know where I am.” Devan gave her a
little shake making her look up at him. His expression was agonizingly fierce.
“I mean it, Laney. Forget.”

     Laney
looked up at him wretchedly as she comprehended that there would be no future
contact…no future at all. “You’re asking the impossible.” She whispered softly
lifting her hand to cup his cheek.

     He
tilted into her touch again like he had in the shack and his eyes pleaded with
hers. “Please Laney; I need to know that you’re going to be safe.”

    
Instead of agreeing with him Laney traced around his eyebrow letting herself
sink into his golden gaze. “Your eyes really are amazing. Remember when you
said you could smell me all day, well I could gaze into your eyes all day.” She
stared at him trying to imprint everything about him into her brain. Everything
about his features was just so striking; his amazing eyes, his straight regal
nose, his chiseled cheek bones, and his multicolored hair. Unable to stop
herself Laney ran her fingers through it. For only being an inch in length it
was so soft and thick.

    
Laney’s gaze moved back to Devan’s and the yearning in them made her heart
clench with the same longing, but also in pain knowing that what they both
yearned for wasn’t possible.

     “Close
your eyes. Try to get some sleep.” Devan growled low and thickly. He shifted her
slightly and she suddenly became aware that he’d stopped and that they were
standing motionless in the middle of the woods.

     Laney
was having a hard time keeping her eyes open but she was afraid he would
disappear if she closed them. “Will you be there when I open them?” She asked
softly.

     The
muscles in Devan’s jaw jerked he clenched it so tightly. “Yes,” he answered firmly
resuming his tramp through the forest.  

    
Closing her eyes Laney latched one hand around his neck and the other onto his
vest; even though he’d assured he’d be there when she woke she was still
afraid. Tears she was unable to halt leaked from her eyes until, ultimately,
the stress and long night caught up with her and fell into an exhausted sleep. 

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

    
Devan
strode through the forest as smoothly as he could, trying his best not to
jostle Laney. He shifted her body and settled her more into the crook of his
arm not for comfort but because he wanted her closer to him. He’d been truthful
when he’d said her weight was barely notable, the elk from five days ago had
been heavier and he had no problem carting that thing back to the house.

     After
his reassurance that he wouldn’t disappear on her Laney had fallen asleep
almost immediately, testifying to her exhaustion. He was finding it difficult to
pull his gaze away from her slumbering features. Her face was pressed into his
vest completely relaxed, but her hands gripped tightly to his neck and vest
like she was afraid of being dragged away. It left a deep chasm in his heart
thinking he wouldn’t be able to look upon her features again after today.

     That
thought had him stopping and doing some fancy maneuvering so he could pull his
phone from his pocket to take a quick snap shot of her. She didn’t stir once
through the entire shifting process.   

     They’d
had only a short time together. Once he left she would in all likelihood forget
about him…just as he’d told her to. She had so many other friends to occupy her
thoughts; whereas she was the only person he had made
any
connection
with. Maybe after a time she would fade from his memory, but he doubted it; it
felt like she’d embedded herself in his essence.

     This
whole ‘feeling’ concept was messing with his head. How had he ever let it get
this out of hand? Since first meeting her it seemed like everything in his life
had spiraled out of control. Devan lived his life logically, making rational
decisions, but she had ripped the veil from his eyes and exposed the fact that
not everything could be relied upon to work that way.

     That
might be why he had scorned the lives of his so called peers; their lives were
so capricious. Emotions became the prominent motivation that ruled their lives.
In a way they reminded Devan of the animal in him he tried so hard to bury, the
primitive and impulsive side. Devan had prided himself on suppressing that part
of his nature, but ever since Laney had appeared in his life that part of him,
his instincts, had become the most dominant part; prevailing over logic and
rationality. 

     Laney
had referred to him as a superhero, a topic Devan wasn’t all that familiar with
since he didn’t watch television, but he had heard references to the fictitious
character superman and his weakness when near an imaginary substance called
kryptonite. He couldn’t help correlating that association with his relationship
with Laney, her being his kryptonite.

     Laney
whimpered in her sleep, and Devan looked down at her anxiously wondering what
images were drifting through her dreams…or nightmares. She had been joking
around earlier, but he knew this incident had been distressing for her. Before
bursting through that cabin door he’d heard the distress and panic in her
voice.

     Having
someone point a gun at you could leave you with a few nightmares―Devan
had personal experience on that one. His thoughts flashed back to the escape
six years ago, in a forest just like this one, when a different gun had been
pointed at him. He’d had training to fall back on, but it had still been a terrifying
moment.

     Devan
squeezed her and found himself making ’shushing’ sounds in an effort to comfort
her. She quieted and her features relaxed as if he’d set her free from the
terrible entity in her dream, and then she smiled. What images had supplanted
the previous ones? 

    
Lifting his gaze from Laney’s sleeping form Devan contemplated the trail. He
was taking the same path back through the forest; the probability of finding a
search party would be greater since he hadn’t crossed any sign of one earlier,
that’s if they were following a grid. A grid would certainly move them into new
search areas. Five miles into the hike Devan was still unable to locate one. 

     On
one hand Devan wasn’t in a hurry to get her back, since these would be his last
moments with her, but conversely she had been through such an ordeal he felt it
was imperative that she get back quickly. Devan was considering the idea of
just taking her to the road to be found when he was halted from his thoughts by
a familiar scent heavy in the wind.

    
Wolf
!

    
Devan’s muscles instinctively tensed in response to the impending threat. He
had no idea of the wolves’ location but his first thought was to get Laney to
safety. Looking around frantically he spotted a tree with an ideally placed
branch not twenty feet away. Darting forward Devan leaped high into the air.

     The
run jostled Laney awake and her eyes flew open wide in shock as they flew up
into the air. Her arms automatically reached up and around his neck at the
weightlessness of flying through the air. As she did this Devan was able to
free his arm from under her neck. 

     “Hold
tight.” He told her reaching out and grasping the tree branch so they wouldn’t
be propelled forward on account of the extra weight in his arms.

     Laney
stared up at him her green eyes glazed with shock and sleep holding on to his
neck with a death grip. “What in the name of heaven,” she cried.   

     She
didn’t have long to wait on the ’what’ part.

     The
wolves must have been stalking him from up wind, because they suddenly burst
out of the woods charging straight for them.

     “Get
higher,” Devan commanded, lifting her up to the next branch.   

     Drowsiness
gone, Laney pulled herself up just as two of the wolves leaped for the branch he
was standing on. Devan leaped for the branch across from hers and one of the
wolves just barely missing his calf. Laney screamed as she watched it fly by his
leg and over the branch…definitely not your average Gray’s.   

     The
wolves regrouped themselves around the base of the tree, snarling viciously up
at them.  

     Devan
swung over to Laney’s side and he was glad to see a little bit of the terror
vanish from her face as he moved closer. The wolves stopped their snarling
momentarily observing his movements, but resumed once he landed lightly next to
Laney.

     “I’m sorry;
I was really hoping I would get you back before they could track me down
again.” Devan looked down at her anxiously.

     
“Don’t even say you’re sorry because some genetically engineered wolves are
hunting you down trying to kill you.” She gave him an indignant look, most of
her remaining terror instantly transformed to outrage. Loosening one of her
hands from around the branch she was clutching she pointed a finger at him “Did
you bring that equipment on your back for looks or are you going to use it?” 

     Devan
straightened as much as he was allowed within the many confining branches of
the tree. “I was thinking about it.” He retorted a bit indignantly at the same
time reaching over his shoulder for the crossbow. “I thought I might make sure
you were alright first.” 

     “I’m
fine, thank you very much.” Laney replied formally while grinning at him madly,
which had him wondering at her state of mind―she’d been through a lot and
now she was dealing with this.

     She
reached out to grip his arm firmly and leaned in close to his face. Devan was
crouched down so it brought them almost face to face. It was amazing how the
wolves snarling faded into the background as her eyes looked into his.

     “I
want you to stop taking the blame for what is happening around you. Jarrod is
not your fault, what this…Company does is not your fault; these wolves are not
your fault. I can see it in your eyes every time something goes wrong around
you; you blame yourself. I want you stop that. None of this is your
responsibility.” She gave his arm a squeeze before letting go and drawing away;
the sound of the snarling resumed in full force. 

     Devan
couldn’t take the time to reply to her comment, and he wasn’t sure what he
would have said anyway. Crouching lower on the tree branch he loaded a bolt
into the crossbow. Most people would have to use a foot to cock the weapon
because it requires significant physical strength to pull back the string, but
for him this wasn’t an issue. Using his index and middle fingers he pulled the
string back until it fitted itself in the catch. 

     “You
have Jarrod’s gun on you, right?” Laney asked, leaning in close to his ear. Her
breath sent both a chill and heat through his body.

     Devan
nodded.

     “Let
me see it.”

     He
turned this time. She had leaned back and was holding out her hand wiggling her
fingers.

     “You
know how to use this type of gun?” Devan asked. 

     She
rolled her eyes at him. “Pa’lease, I’ve been raised on guns.” She shook her
hand at him impatiently. 

     Devan
pulled the revolver from his belt and held it out to her. Taking it from his
hand she flipped open the cylinder, checked the chamber, and with a flip of her
wrist she closed the cylinder and switched the safety button off. 

    
“What?” She asked with a smirk. 

     Devan
realized he had been gawking in astonished admiration. “Uhh, nothing; just make
sure you put your back to the tree or else the recoil could propel you right
off this branch, and only use it if you’re in immediate danger.”

     The
wolves had backed away from the tree and seemed to be considering their next
move. Five pairs of eyes were watching them with interest; their snarls had
diminished to low growls as they paced around the base of the tree. Devan was
just taking aim at one of them with the bow when they suddenly scattered in
different directions. 

     “What
are they doing?” Laney asked. She shifted on the tree branch trying to locate
them.

     That
was a good question. They hadn’t gone all that far, maybe a hundred yards. They
were spread out in a circle around them taking cover in the brush. 

     “If I
had to take a guess, I would say they noticed our weapons and have decided to
back away for their own safety.”

     “Get
out of here,” she scoffed, “animals don’t recognize weapons.” The notion of
animals thinking in such complex patterns was outside her scope of
imagination. 

    
‘Get
out of here?’
“These might,” Devan mused with a frown. Why did she want him
to get of here?

     Laney’s
frown turned up slightly and she rolled her eyes. “It’s just a saying, Devan.
Jeesh! You need to bone up on your slang. So you think they’ve been trained to
know what weapons are?” She asked, returning to the original topic. 

     There
she went knowing what he was thinking again. Devan couldn’t decide if he like
it or if it was annoying…his instincts said
‘like’
. “I think they’ve been
trained in a lot of things.” He commented darkly in response to her question.

     She
looked around the forest perimeter, a frown on her face. “Like what kind of
things?” She asked hesitantly, sounding if she was unsure if she really wanted
to know.

    
Before Devan was able to answer her one of the wolves yipped twice and he heard
the pitter-patter of twenty paws sprinting in their direction from all sides.
It was going to be a multiple attack then was it.

     “Get
up higher,” Devan directed her again.

    
Without hesitating she swung herself up to the next branch, demonstrating her
climbing proficiency. In seconds she had settled herself against the tree frame
two branches higher, the revolver in her hand, eye out for a target. Her
fortitude was something to admire.

     “Remember;
only use that if they get in the tree.” Devan wanted her to save those bullets
in case they got anywhere near her. He was somewhat confident that she was in a
sheltered position, but there was no telling what other abilities the wolves
had.        

     Devan
did a quick estimate to see which of the wolves would likely come in first, and
it looked to be the one coming in from the east. Laney’s breath caught above him
as the wolves came into her line of sight.

     Placing
an extra bolt in his mouth Devan took aim at the east incoming wolf, shadowing
its movements with the optical sight. He held off on the shot, not because he
was afraid he would miss―the wolf was so big that would be almost
impossible―but he wanted the shot to be fatal, and a distant moving
target made for less accuracy.  

     There
was no denying that the wolves had some kind of specialized training so he knew
he couldn’t depend on them to act in the way normal wolves would, and because
of that it was highly possible that they had some strategic plan in
motion.     

     As his
target drew closer Devan zeroed in on its fore chest and noticed that its strides
were becoming more elongated, indicting an imminent jump. At the same time he
picked up a change in two of the other wolves tread, their strides sounding
more elongated also. 

     Realizing
there was no more time Devan pulled the trigger on the crossbow just as the
wolf took another bounding leap forward, exposing its chest perfectly. He heard
the other two wolves leave the ground at the same time his arrow flew and not
waiting to see if it hit its mark he dropped from his branch and twisted in the
air to see the two wolves soaring in the air toward the branch he’d been
crouched on. Prior to his drop Devan had unsheathed a knife from his vest, he let
it fly straight at the animal nearest to Laney just as she fired the revolver.
Before he was able to see if either of their aims were true the ground was
rushing toward him and he had to twist again to avoid falling on his
back.