AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The cameras around the house leaves a blind spot in the bathroom, so there is some sort of privacy, but it has an audio device that records when it catches voices. There’s a gun now hidden underneath the sink and behind the toilet in case of emergencies.
There’s a gun above the fridge, one under the mattress in the bedroom and another beneath the coffee table in the living room.
I think there’s more firepower in my house than in most towns.
Once the security system is set up, Caspian, Dan and I hike down the trail, making the journey to the lake.
We get to the familiar part of the path where it narrows, and we veer off, venturing our way through the dense bush, following our compass for directions and marking trees with ribbons every thirty feet.
My footing is careful as I deliberately step in areas that will disturb the plant life as little as possible.
I feel eyes on me and my gaze meets Caspian’s.
“You’re really passionate about this stuff, huh?”
I laugh quietly and nod, “Yeah, thisstuffis how we survive. If we can’t take care of the earth, its ecosystems, plant life, wildlife… I’m not sure we deserve our place in the food chain if we can’t respect the world around us.”
We fall into quiet steps after that until I notice the ground starts to become sandy again.
Pulling my bag off my shoulder and setting it down, I carefully extract and pack up the matching flora and foliage as last time.
Once satisfied with the variation, I move to place the straps of the heavy cargo on my shoulder but Caspian snatches it from my hand and lifts it over his own instead.
My eyes narrow at him, “You better not be taking it because you think I’m weak.”
“Never. For a human, you’re surprisingly strong. I just have immortal strength, therefore, I take it.”
I roll my eyes and fight a smirk, “Yeah, yeah. Multi-century old Mystery Man with immortal strength. Got it.”
He laughs, the sound sends heat swirling through my body, and we hike back the way we came.
I notice my ribbons remain undisturbed and with every marker we pass, relief drowns out the tension in my limbs. I find myself walking with renewed certainty as we get onto the narrow pathway that leads to the house.
If Caspian notices, he says nothing. I check the app on my phone and Dan runs ahead to scout the woods for anyone who might surprise us as we get back.
The cameras around the house show no movement, and with no notifications, I’m feeling good, but there’s an edge of tension in the air I can’t quite place.
“I’ll need to bring the samples to the lab right away. Are you staying here or…?”
My voice trails off, and I feel unsure how to continue the fairly basic question. It seems silly, but there’s a particular vulnerability to asking someone to come with you somewhere, regardless if it’s for safety or more selfish desires.
Selfish desires? I’m delusional.
Caspian glances around the forest before his green eyes land on me for a moment. “I’ll come with you, we can take my truck.”
I nod and tamp down the excitement building in my chest.
Stupid girl.
We make it to the house where Dan is waiting for us by the door but instead of going inside, we go straight to Caspian’s truck. As soon as he opens my door, Dan hops in and plops into the back seat, and it’s not long before we take off.
The drive to the lab feels shorter than usual, we unload and walk into the building together. As we near Candace’s desk, she squeals and grips the wood so hard her knuckles turn white.
“Is that a wolf?” she shrieks, pointing at Dan.
I blink and glance down, realizing that he was with us still. He shakes and gives a huff as if the attention makes him uncomfortable. I snort a laugh and pat his head as if he was a true canine.
“Yeah I guess I made two new friends in the woods, a Mystery Man and a wolf.”
