Page 41 of Medium
Manny decidedhe wanted to come with us to Pflugerville and Mineral Wells, which was a relief. Pia had really clicked with him, and I could use his feedback on whether leaving her with the dryads was the right choice. It probably was, because what did I know about the needs of teenagers in general, much less teen dryads?
Except my gut kept telling me to let her stay in Houston.
Manny and I drove to our respective homes to pack for an overnight trip, and I was picking him up on my way back to Shane’s house. Luckily the Range Rover SE Hybrid with the long wheelbase I’d bought on impulse last month was plenty big enough for four adult men, one small girl, and a tiger. Ellis had assured me that Ms. Jackson could make themself look like a stuffed tiger for the car ride, which the highway patrol would no doubt appreciate.
I never did change into the clothes Manny had picked up for me. It was easier to take a shower at my apartment and get dressed there. I threw another set of clothes, some boxers to sleep in, and my toiletry kit into a backpack, and I was set.
Oh, except I had to deal with the little matter of my job. My boss had been less than pleased at my last-minute call-out for today, and no doubt another call-out would piss him off further, but he’d live. I sent a quick email that I was feeling worse, and it must be some sort of stomach bug. I’d be out tomorrow for sure, but I’d try to make it in Thursday or Friday.
Or maybe I just wouldn’t go back. The thought lingered seductively in my brain as I tossed my backpack over my shoulder and left the apartment. I didn’t love the job, but I was good at it, and it was certainly lucrative. But Grandfather’s illicit help with investments was starting to mean I wouldn’t need a regular job anymore.
But that was a problem for another day. Today I had to survive being trapped in a vehicle with Ellis and Shane. Ellis had flirted with me a little. It was good for my ego, but I could tell Shane wasn’t on board, and I didn’t want to come between them. My version of polyamory required full consent from all parties involved.
Too bad. Those two tripped every one of my wires.
I was so busy imagining scenarios where Shane had a change of heart about me, I didn’t notice the stranger leaning against my SUV until I was only ten or so feet away. “Oh. Can I help you?”
Any other day I’d have been less abrupt in my tone. He was stunning. Thin—a little too thin, honestly—and taller than I was. He had gleaming amber eyes and auburn hair falling almost to his shoulders.
He didn’t respond, just walked over to me. It was hard to tell in the dim light of the parking garage, but I thought I caught a glimpse of a sort of sparkle around him. Was he involved in Shane and Ellis’ world?
I opened my mouth to ask, but nothing came out.
He stopped with only about a foot between us. I wanted to look away from his laser stare, but I couldn’t make myself.
“Hey, there, Rory. I’m Simon. Can I touch your hand?”
I almost held out my hand in reflex, but I managed to get out, “Why?” just in time.
His eyes lit up. Like, literally they glowed. I wanted to step back. I wanted to look away.
I couldn’t.
“You have great willpower. Color me impressed. I need to hold your hand to find out if we’re compatible to be mates.”
“I’m sorry, mates?”
“Oh, yeah. A bonded couple. Once I’m mated, I’ll get the acceleration of my abilities I need to help complete my mission. A Seer told me my mate will be a human with psychic skills, so when I found out about you, I came right over.” He gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “Sorry. You have places to be. I don’t get to talk to as many people as I'd like, so I tend to go on and on.”
His eyes seemed bigger, like whirlpools I was spinning around in. I felt him take my hand. I was pretty sure I should be scared, but I couldn’t seem to feel anything.
Simon made a disappointed sound. “Turns out you’ve already got a couple of romantic connections started. Congratulations.”
His phone beeped. He pulled it out of his pocket, and hetsked. “They’re on the move. Time for me to go.” His eyes drilled into mine again. “Tell Cal he needs to call a vision about the next victim. You’ll remember to do this.”
I blinked. “Okay.”
“Good.” He smiled. Damn, he was pretty. Too bad it was a cold and scary beauty. “Have fun on your road trip, even though your new friends won’t find what they’re looking for. Still, if those are your future mates, you need to spend time with them anyway.” He looked down at our joined hands, then back up at me. “Hey, can I ask a little favor?”
I snapped out of my reverie. Dammit, I didn’t have time to stand around daydreaming about... whatever.
Rubbing my wrist, I resumed my walk to the car. I was lucky I’d only gotten the one bug bite after spending the night outdoors.
After filling the SUV with gas, I picked up Manny and drove back to Shane’s house, pulling up to the curb right out front. The potted plant from last night was on the front porch along with another potted plant of a different variety. I thought I remembered seeing it in Shane’s back yard.
The front door was unlocked, so I just knocked as I opened it. Ellis was standing in the living room with his hands on his hips. He gave us a wave, but then he went back to staring at Shane, who was slumped on the couch with his phone pressed to his ear.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t. I told you, I have a family emergency.”
