Parahuman (Parahuman Series) Read online

She just looked at him for a few seconds than her eye brow went up and her lip twitched a little. “And the risqué material?”

  Devan considered that for second. “Well, I do have a journal on human development with lots of illustration.”

  Laney’s lips began to quiver and she gripped them with her teeth almost painfully. Her body started jerking and one arm clutched her abdomen tightly. Devan was starting to become concerned for her mental and physical wellbeing when giggles suddenly erupted from her mouth. His apprehension started to ease, but then tears began to fall from her eyes and her giggles became shaky with an undertone of a sob.

  Devan was at a complete loss. Just like last time when she cried he had no idea what to do. She continued to shake, laugh, and sob; whipping at her eyes and sniffing her nose. Sniffles! He could get her some tissue.

  Rushing into the adjoining bathroom Devan grabbed some toilet paper. Hurrying over he thrust the tissue into her hands. She brought it up to her face mopping at her eyes and blowing her nose. A feeling of helplessness engulfed him, and he hated it. He needed to know what she required to make her feel better.

  She inhaled and exhaled unsteadily before looking at him with a small smile. Her green eyes were bright with tears, but they also held amusement. “That was an awesome stress reliever. I soooo needed that.”

  Devan’s eyes widened in shock. What just happened?

  With a watery grin on her face she reached out and patted his arm. “What you said was too funny and it set off all the emotions I’ve been holding in for the last two plus hours. The fear of the wolf attack, the anxiety of whether you were okay, the distress at seeing you bleeding; it all bubbled forth into that maniacal laughter you just witnessed. Disturbing, but therapeutic.”

  Devan stared down at her hand upon his. Contact with her no longer caused him to freeze up. He was becoming accustomed to her touch; in fact…he yearned for it.

  “I’m relieved that I was able to assist in your stress relief.” He had no idea at the time that his words would help her, but he was pleased that it had worked out that way.

  The hand on his arm clenched sending arrows if electricity up his limb. “I never thanked you for what you did back at the school.” Her gaze was intense as she stared into his eyes. It was making Devan feel really warm and uncomfortable…well, maybe uncomfortable wasn’t the correct word.

  Devan tore his eyes away and looked out the window to gain composure. “Thank you, for covering for me and probably saving my life.”

  Fingers whispered softly over his injured arm. “Is this where someone says ‘well I guess were even’, because I don’t think I could leave it at that.”

  Devan’s attention returned to her hand, skimming softly over his arm. It was small compared to his, delicate, and smeared with blood. Devan finally took note of both their appearances. Laney only had small amount blood encrusted on her both her hands and some on her shirt; while he had dried blood coating his chest, arms, and hands from holding his arm secure.

  Standing, Devan walked into the bathroom and wet a washcloth with warm water. Returning to her he tenderly took one of her hands and proceeded to wash off the blood.

  “I can do that.” She protested.

  “Let me, please.” Devan didn’t understand his need to care for her, but the urge was strong and he wasn’t going to fight it. She accepted without further argument.

  “You have an interesting tattoo there on your back.”

  Devan’s shoulders stiffened in reaction to her query, which in turn set off a procession of twinges down his arm. He had completely forgotten about his back. The things that slipped his mind around her were going to become too numerous to count soon. He was always aware of the mark on his back and how he had to keep it concealed, just like his eyes. That he’d taken no notice of it the entire time in her presence was…uncharacteristic. It was like his subconscious was telling him something or maybe it was his instincts that were speaking to him. Either way he came to a decision about whole situation.

  “In six years no one has seen that mark, but then these last four days have exposed more than that.” Devan conceded quietly. Finished with her hands Devan stood and walked back into the bathroom to clean the washcloth, and then wiped at the dried blood on his arms and chest; clearly conscious now of her silent bearing and gaze focused on the mark covering his back. Since it still didn’t bother him he recognized that he most likely had been subliminally aware of her attention.

  Laney was silent as Devan washed up quickly. Walking back into the bedroom he grabbed a t-shirt out of his dresser pulling it over his head careful of his injured arm. His shorts had blood on them so he grabbed an extra set and went back to the bathroom.

  “Uhm, just give me one minute.” Devan said, holding up the shorts as explanation.

  “Of course.” Laney smiled and waved her hand. “I felt the same way earlier after I smeared myself with the wolf’s blood; couldn’t wait to get out of that shirt.”

  Devan understood immediately what she had done to validate her story of killing the wolf. That she had made such an effort to establish her story pleased him, but it also gave him a sense of disquiet that she had to become involved. Shutting the door he stripped out of his shorts, cleaned up the blood that had seeped through, and pulled on the clean shorts. He opened the door to see that Laney had sat down on the bed, but she jumped up at his reemergence. She looked over his clean cloths and smiled.

  “Feel better?”

  “Much, thank you.” Taking a couple steps into the room Devan halted awkwardly in the center of the room and turned toward her. It would probably be a good idea if she was sitting down for what he had to tell her.

  “Please sit back down.” She did as he asked. “What I’m about to tell you, you won’t be able to tell anyone. Brett and my life depend on it.” Devan’s grim words had her sitting up straighter, distress covering her face.

  “Are you running away from abusive parents?” She asked, sitting gingerly back on the bed.

  There was a certain irony to that question. Devan didn’t have parents, but he was running from people who ultimately had him created and could end up being fatally abusive.

  “No, but I need to know if this is a secret you can keep Laney?”

  “You’re not running from the law or doing anything illegal are you?” She asked hesitantly.

  “No; actually it’s the people chasing us that are breaking the law.”

  She frowned in concern. “If it’s as serious as you say then I promise that I will take this to my grave.” Her declaration resulted in a chill down Devan’s spine. There was a definite possibility that danger could come her way if she talked.

  “I mean it Laney, if I suddenly disappeared or if something happened to me you couldn’t say a thing to anyone. It could expose you to some dangerous people.” Devan stressed urgently. The thought of anything happening to her tore up his insides. “It might be better if I left you completely in the dark. Brett and I could just leave and I wouldn’t have to worry about drawing you into something that might ultimately be unsafe for you.” He was torn by indecision, which wasn’t customary for him. Normally, once he established his course of action he never wavered, but when it concerned her everything became muddled.

  An expression of dismay washed over her face. “What do you mean leave, and what do you mean if something happened to you? These people who are looking for you, they want to harm you?”

  “You could say they want me dead or alive, and they wouldn’t be above killing those they think might know anything about me.” Devan wasn’t sure if he was trying to scare her away or just warn her of the seriousness of the circumstances. He was in a dilemma on whether he wanted her near him and in danger, or far away from him but safe. When she heard the whole story she would probably run as far from him as possible.

  “I don’t know if I would be able to keep whatever it is to myself if you showed up dead. Are you sure these people really want to hurt you?” She asked incredu
lously horror, her eyes wide.

  “All they’re interested in is my body; it doesn’t necessarily have to be alive when they get hold it.”

  A look of confusion crossed her horrified expression. “What do you mean, they want your body?” Her eyes roved over him looking for something anyone could possibly want.

  This was the crucial moment. Devan took the proverbial head first plunge. “I’m not a normal Homosapien.” Devan paced over to the window, not wanting to see her face when he revealed the next part. “I wasn’t born of two parents; I was actually assembled in a laboratory. I’m a genetically engineered hybrid created from a human embryo altered with animal DNA.”

  There was complete silence behind him. He didn’t even hear breathing.

  “Breathe Laney.” Devan kept his eyes on the trees. After he heard a large whoosh of air being exhaled he continued.

  “Brett’s the scientist who created me, but The Company is the corporation who funded it. They wanted Brett to construct elite hybrid soldiers and create these wildly unique hybrid animals to sell for profit. Brett became uncomfortable with some of their ideas so we escaped.”

  Laney was breathing, so he knew she hadn’t passed out from shock. Outside, Devan watched a squirrel scamper about foraging for nuts.

  “So that’s why they want you, because of your…genetic material?” She finally spoke up from behind him.

  “Yes, and they want Brett because he’s the only person in the world who’s been able to create a viable living human hybrid.” Devan couldn’t hold back any longer; he turned to observe her reaction. She sat on the edge of the bed; hands clasped between her legs jiggle legs, starring at him in distress. This had to be hard for her to take in; the substance of science fiction.

  “This is really true?” She gaped, eyes wide and unblinking.

  Devan nodded and leaned back against the window sill. The coolness of the glass felt good on his back.

  “Brett’s not your uncle, but the scientist who …created you.” She looked dazed.

  “Yes.”

  “And he genetically modified your human DNA with animal DNA?” She affirmed.

  “Correct.” He watched her apprehensively. He couldn’t tell if she comprehended this or was just repeating what he said in a stupor. Her eyes flickered over his wooden animal figurines on the dresser. Yes, she comprehended.

  “How is that possible? DNA is so small.” She sounded befuddled. Devan couldn’t blame her.

  “With an almost unlimited amount of money it can be done. Well…at least once. That’s why they need to acquire me, so they can obtain my DNA. That way they only have to clone me rather than construct another like me from scratch again.”

  Laney began shaking her head in astounded confusion. “I don’t know why I’m accepting this so easily…” She looked up at him in amazement. “No, I know why; I’ve seen what you can do. So people are trying to find you so they can…dissect you?” She forced the last two words out in revulsion.

  Well at least she didn’t appear to think he was some abomination that needed to be taken apart if the horror in her tone was any indication.

  “When did you escape?” She asked abruptly.

  Devan blinked at her change of topic. “When I was ten.”

  “So you’ve been on the run for six years.” She calculated quickly.

  Again Devan nodded, his gaze focused on her expression. He was waiting for the full content of the words to penetrate; the part about him not being completely human that would change her shock to abhorrence at the aberration that he was.

  “We move from place to place; making sure not to stay very long in any one location. We keep our heads down and try not to draw too much attention onto ourselves.” Something that hadn’t gone very well since meeting her. Not that it was all her fault; the wolves were a complete fluke, and Devan didn’t blame her for Jarrod’s actions. That male was just psychotic.

  His statement seemed to jolt her; panic crossed her face. “You won’t have to leave because of what happen today, will you?”

  “We can’t be sure yet, “Devan replied bleakly. “Someone might have seen me go into that building with you. They might wonder why I didn’t come out. There will be a lot of talk, and Brett and I need to keep our ears open to what people will be repeating.”

  “If you had to leave, where would you go?” She was biting her lip, clearly disturbed.

  Pushing off the window anger washed over him at too many things in his life he had no control over, things that had never bothered him much before. He was a realist and anger over circumstances he had no power over was a useless emotion, it was something that had not been a problem for him previously…until it came to her.

  Devan could feel her eyes following him as he paced the small confines of the room. “Brett and I have talked about Montana or Maine, possibly even going over the Canadian border the next time we move. It just wasn’t supposed to be this soon.” He shouldn’t be giving her this information; it could put them in further danger. It could put her in danger. The limited space of the room was beginning to close in on him, he had to get out.

  As though sensing his restlessness, Laney stood up. “Do you want to go outside; I’m sure we could both use some fresh air?”

  Devan shot to the door in a flash, holding the door open so she could pass through first. She stopped unexpectedly in front of him and he looked down at her inquiringly. Not saying anything, she proceeded to straighten the sleeve of his shirt that had caught on his bandage. He watched, staggered as the light brush of her fingers across his skin sent more lightning bolts of electricity to every nerve ending of his body. Standing absolutely motionless he was barely able to breathe at the closeness of her frame. When she finished she looked up at him with a sad smile on her face.

  For a minute neither one of them moved, their eyes locked together in the intimacy of the moment. It crossed his mind that she was looking at his eyes totally naked and he didn’t care. This was something so new to him; being close to someone and being touched. The emotions were overwhelming, but at the same time comforting. Her eyes were bemused as though she were also unfamiliar with what was happening. For those seconds Devan felt it was just the two of them, and that there was nothing to worry about.

  A vibration coming from Laney’s pocket broke the connection startling them both enough that they jumped visibly at the interruption.

  The color of her face had to be a matching shade to his. She turned briskly snatching the phone from her pocket. Giving it only a curious glance she returned it back to her pocket.

  Devan didn’t ask who it was, only gestured awkwardly for her to proceed with him down the hallway. They entered the living room to find Brett pacing the perimeter, his whole demeanor anxious. His gaze skimmed Laney briefly before centering on Devan.

  “Everything okay?” He asked nervously.

  Devan glanced at Laney reflexively and she smiled reassuringly, her face still slightly pink.

  “I won’t say anything to anyone,” she promised.

  Brett still looked unconvinced. Laney must have realized the same thing. Taking another step toward Brett her face became serious.

  “Truly, I will not say anything to anyone; while you are here or if you leave. Please believe me. From what Devan has told me about these people and what they would do…I wouldn’t want them to get their hands on either of you.”

  Brett relaxed slightly, but there was still a measure of doubt in his eyes as he regarded her. He switched his gaze over to Devan. “You’re looking a little flushed; we should probably check your temperature, and I’m sure that pain medication is wearing off. I’ve got some pain pills here that you can take.” He held the thermometer out first.

  “I feel fine, although the pain medication would probably be helpful in a little while.”

  “No temperature, no pain medication.” Brett stated firmly, holding out the thermometer.

  Devan growled in annoyance. Putting the thermometer in his mouth he h
eard Laney chuckle softly. It beeped three seconds later.

  “102.8°.” He handed the thermometer back.

  Brett took it, handing the pain pills over as recompense. “Just take it easy. It’s going to take a day for those stitches to heal completely.”

  “He should be in bed right now!” Laney interrupted, aghast. She was looking back and forth between Brett and him in angry disbelief.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “One hundred and two degrees is not something he should be walking around with.” Laney stared at the both of them in angry disbelief. Nobody should be walking around with that temperature. She’d had a high temperature a few times and it had made her feel woozy and disorientated, and here he was standing straight looking…awesome really; not at all unwell.

  “It’s alright Laney.” Devan held up his hands in reassurance. “That temperature is normal for me. My animal DNA has stabilized my body temperature at a higher degree than the average human. It can actually fluctuate between 101° and 103°, depending on what I’m doing at the time. At this moment my body is healing itself so it’s working overtime, raising my temperature.”

  Laney blinked in astonishment at the idea that his normal temperature was that high. And it finally hit her that what Devan had been telling her was the truth. She’d kind of taken it in shocked stride as he recounted the outrageous story, but it hadn’t really sunk in…until just this moment.

  Devan was different.

  When she’d first met him she’d recognized something special about him. His appearance screamed that. Than after each impressive deed that feeling just grew. The lion attack, the climbing wall, saving her on the bridge, jumping off the top of the school roof, and then the fight with the wolf; it all added up to one astonishing individual.

  “Laney and I were on our way outside for some fresh air. Are you still planning to go to the library?”

  “Yes, hopefully I can hear some of the town’s gossip.” Brett glanced at the clock on the wall. “In fact, I should have been gone five minutes ago.”