Storm Season (34 page)

Sorry. I’m not exactly good at this, yet.
It felt odd just to think, and he had no idea if he was just letting Samantha and Aaron hear him, or if the surprise would be ruined should Tobias happen to stumble along.
I have no idea how this works.

You’ll learn.
Samantha held out a hand and pulled Jasper into a sitting position.
Mostly, you’ll just talk like this. There are ways to keep things private between two people, like when you, uh, talk really quietly in someone’s ear?

Whisper,
Jasper told her, and she nodded.

Right. Like when you whisper. And you can yell too, like you just did, to make sure more people hear you or to force words into someone’s head.
She smiled softly.
You’ll figure it out.

I hope so,
Jasper said wryly, shaking his head.
What about hearing things from other people?

Only if you try,
Aaron said, climbing to his feet and dusting his hands off on his pants.
Unless they’re broadcasting like this, of course. You’re not going to pick up stray thoughts.
He patted Jasper on the shoulder.
Try not to worry so much.

I’ll give that a shot.
Jasper rolled his eyes as he stood. He wouldn’t trade the past several weeks for anything, but sometimes it felt like worry was practically all he’d done since meeting Tobias, and he didn’t see that changing any time soon. Even if this worked and gave Tobias his abilities back, Jasper still had to get used to his. By the time he managed that, the wet season would probably be over, and that meant Tobias would be leaving.

Do that,
Aaron said, heading for the door of the barn and pulling it open.
Now, where do you think Tobias is?

A
S
IT
turned out, Tobias had taken advantage of the brief break in storms and retreated to the woods. He was sitting on a log, his hands in his lap and his eyes closed as he leaned against the tree behind it. He was so still that for a minute, Jasper thought he was asleep, but then Samantha stepped on a twig, snapping it, and his eyes shot open.

He started shaking his head as soon as he saw them and pulled one knee up to his chest as though he were trying to be inconspicuous. It was a futile effort as they’d already seen him, but it slowed Jasper’s steps, and he watched Tobias carefully as Samantha and Aaron approached him.

Tobias was withdrawn—Jasper had known that—but it was just now he could see the full effect this was having on him. There were dark circles under his eyes, his hair hung limply around his face, and he looked too thin in the baggy jacket he’d pulled on. Even his body language was different, weary and slow like it hadn’t been before he’d been captured, and though Jasper knew that some of it was from a year of stress and worry since Samantha and Aaron had been taken, he could see the difference between now and when he’d first woken up on the train.

His heart clenched as he closed the distance between them, taking a seat on the far end of the log and letting Samantha talk to her brother without his interference. Aaron hovered nearby as well, staying back behind Samantha so he wasn’t crowding Tobias, and Samantha crouched down putting her hand on her brother’s knee.

How are you feeling?
she asked. It was weird for Jasper to hear the conversation that only a few hours earlier he would have been completely oblivious to, but weirder still not to hear Tobias answer. Instead, Tobias turned away, resting his chin on his knee and pulling it in closer to his chest.

You’re not even going to try?
Samantha asked, her voice soft, and that earned her a glare that she shrugged off in the manner of siblings everywhere. It was going to take more than that for Tobias to scare her off, a fact she made clear as she took Tobias’s bent leg and physically pulled him back so he was looking at her.
Can Aaron try something?

Tobias’s eyes narrowed further, but he tilted his head to the side and quirked an eyebrow, which was apparently enough for Samantha.
We think we know something that might help. Aaron knows how to unlock psychic powers in people who don’t have them. We were thinking that maybe the tree guardian drained you to the point that you don’t have any unlocked power left, and that’s why you haven’t healed yet.

But if that’s the case, we should be able to unlock it and heal you,
Aaron continued, stepping in to rest his hands on Samantha’s shoulders.
Can I try?

Tobias shook his head as he tried to pull his leg out of Samantha’s grip. She didn’t let go, so he twisted his upper body instead, gazing forlornly over his knee at Jasper.

We know it works,
Aaron said, his fingers twitching on Samantha’s shoulder.
I’ve done it before.

He’s unlocked someone else’s mind,
Samantha clarified as Tobias swiveled back to look at them with wide eyes.
But we think that it will work on you too. It’s worth a shot, right?
She cast a gaze toward Jasper, and he knew that was his cue.

Please?
he said, biting back a grin when Tobias almost fell off the log as he looked over at Jasper with an incredulous expression on his face. He flailed, his arms windmilling as his eyes widened further, and it was only Aaron and Samantha pushing him back up that kept Tobias from hitting the ground. When he was settled again, Jasper scooted forward on the log, took Tobias’s hands between his, and looked him in the eyes.
It worked on me. Doesn’t that at least make it worth a try?

Tobias’s mouth fell open and he stared incredulously at Jasper for a moment before he smiled, flung himself forward, and wrapped Jasper in a hug. Even without words, Jasper could tell how thrilled Tobias was. He gave himself a moment to hold Tobias close before he pushed the issue. When Tobias stopped trembling in his arms, Jasper kissed his temple.
Let him? Please?

Tobias pulled back enough to look Jasper in the eyes, and stared at him as though he were searching for something. Jasper didn’t know what and didn’t want to push him, so he just held Tobias’s gaze, doing his best to let everything he felt show in his eyes. Finally, just when Jasper was sure he’d failed, Tobias nodded, and relief flooded through Jasper.

Just try to relax,
Aaron said once Tobias was settled with his back to Jasper’s chest. He put his fingers against Tobias’s temples just as he had with Jasper, squared his shoulders, and closed his eyes.
Hold still
.

The seconds ticked by, marked only by the leaves rustling in the wind. Jasper waited, counting each one, hoping Tobias’s stillness meant he wasn’t in pain and not that it wasn’t working. Time seemed to slow, even the wind lessening as he waited, and Jasper’s fingers began to twitch. Surely it had been long enough. Surely something should have happened by now. Surely they should know one way or the other by now, but Aaron wasn’t pulling back and Tobias wasn’t moving and—

Jasper.

He stilled, blinking when he realized Tobias was looking over his shoulder at him, his brown eyes warm now instead of wary, and Aaron had stepped away. “Did it work?” he asked, falling back on his voice as he completely forgot how to speak telepathically. “Can you talk again?”

Yeah.
Tobias smiled, glancing appreciatively at Aaron before looking at Jasper again.
All better.
A surge of happiness, love, and desire swept over Jasper and he grinned, recognizing it as Tobias’s telling him that he could share his emotions again as well.

The thought briefly crossed Jasper’s mind to wonder if he could share his feelings as well, but then he caught the sexy undertone of what Tobias was sending to him and all thoughts of additional abilities were pushed from his mind. He could figure that out later. Right now, it had been far too long since he and Tobias had been alone.

Thank you,
Jasper said to Aaron and Samantha as he pulled Tobias to his feet. He wanted to lean in and kiss him right now, to celebrate this the way it should be celebrated, but he knew that if he did that, he wouldn’t be able to stop, so he laced their fingers together instead, and tugged Tobias back toward the house. They had lost time to make up for.

T
HE
moment they reached Jasper’s bedroom, Tobias pushed him against the wall, kissing him hungrily as he pressed his body against Jasper’s. Jasper closed the door so none of their houseguests would interrupt them and returned the kiss, pushing off the wall and guiding Tobias to the bed. He’d dreamed about having Tobias in his big bed those nights they’d spent huddled in too-small beds along their trip, and he wasn’t going to give up on that because they couldn’t walk an extra five feet. He wanted this to be perfect.

They deserved it after what they’d been through.

Without breaking the kiss, he pushed Tobias onto the bed, climbed on after him, and straddled his hips. He rubbed their groins together, moaning at the friction through their clothes, and smiled as Tobias’s arms came up to wrap around his neck.

You can talk while you kiss me, you know,
Tobias said, smiling against Jasper’s lips.
It’s like whispering dirty words in my ear, except better, because we can still do this.
He slid his tongue forward, stroking it over Jasper’s, and Jasper moaned.

Sleet, Tobias,
he said, moaning again as Tobias thrust his hips up, rubbing their groins together again. Jasper felt like a teenager as Tobias slipped his hands under his shirt and pushed it up as far as it would go, and when Tobias’s fingers dipped beneath the waistband of his pants, Jasper’s breath hitched.
Not going to last if you keep doing that.

Good.
Tobias smirked and rolled, pinning Jasper to the bed.
I don’t want you to.

But—

No. No more waiting.
Tobias ground his hips against Jasper’s then pulled back just enough to shimmy out of his shirt.
We can go slow later.

It was an impossible request to refuse, and Jasper nodded, pulling off his own shirt before fumbling with the buttons of Tobias’s pants.
All right,
he agreed as he leaned in for another kiss.
Fast now. Slow later.

Tobias grinned as he pushed Jasper’s pants down to his knees and leaned in again, rubbing their bare cocks together.
Exactly.

Jasper practically came just from the husky tone of Tobias’s voice and he groaned as he wrapped his hands around Tobias’s hips, holding him in place as he thrust up. Tobias slipped his hand between their bodies, wrapped it around both their cocks, and stroked once, twice before Jasper came, calling out Tobias’s name both verbally and telepathically. Tobias came right after, falling forward and burying his head in Jasper’s shoulder as he shuddered. His orgasm rocked Jasper too, leaving him gasping for breath and clenching at the sheets beneath him as Tobias carried him along the wave a second time.

When it was over, they lay tangled together on top of the sheets, breathing heavily as they slowly came down. Jasper pressed his hand against Tobias’s back, feeling the rise and fall of his chest and the steady thump-thump of his heartbeat as it returned to normal. He rubbed his hand up Tobias’s spine, smiling as he shivered, and turned his head to press a soft kiss to Tobias’s temple.
Slow now or later?

Jasper felt more than saw Tobias’s smile, but his chuckle was unmistakable.
Now,
he said, stroking Jasper’s chest and leaning in for a soft, sensual kiss. This was what Jasper had dreamed about, and he opened his mouth willingly, sucking Tobias’s tongue in and curling his own around it. He could feel the emotions echoing back and forth between them even more now, but unlike the first time he’d felt Tobias’s emotions, he liked it. It added to the experience, making it easy for him to get lost in Tobias’s touches and overwhelmed by the sensation of their bodies moving together.

He didn’t know how long they’d been kissing when Tobias pulled back, looking down at Jasper with a soft gaze.
Jasper?
he asked, his voice more tentative than Jasper had ever heard it before.
When the wet season is over and I go home, will you come with me?

The question took Jasper by surprise, but he didn’t have to think about the answer long. As much as he’d longed for this, here in his bed, being here didn’t feel right anymore, and he knew that it would be even worse without Tobias by his side. Jasper could fit in with Tobias’s people, but Tobias would never fit in here, and there would always be problems if they stayed. It made sense for them both to go.

“Yes,” he said, echoing the word mentally a moment later.
Yes.

T
HE
last storm of the wet season struck in the early hours of the morning, a small thunderstorm that didn’t wake any of them and merely left slightly wet ground as a sign of its passing. Three days after that, Jasper loaded up Darius’s old SUV—a fair trade for the house, the barn, and the few animals Darius and Carla had wanted—and slipped his hands into his pockets as he leaned against it, waiting for Tobias.