They Walk Among Us

They Walk Among Us copyright c. 2011 T.A. Chase

Part Seventeen-

I saw the way Tyler looked at Raven, and my former lover’s jealousy surprised me. Tyler dropped me like a hot potato when Gibson came into the picture, and once Harley appeared, all bets were off. Tyler had to look out for his little girl, and Gibson kept a close eye on Tyler. Not that I minded.

Tyler was gorgeous, and had been a good lover while we were together, but I’d always gotten the feeling he kept an eye open for something better than me. And while I wasn’t perfect, I certainly deserved someone who wasn’t waiting the next best thing.

“Yes, we’re lovers, Tyler. Not that it’s any of your business.” I squeezed Raven’s shoulders.

Raven glanced over at me with a small smile. He didn’t seem upset that I told Tyler about us.

“Is he the one we’re supposed to be protecting?” Tyler frowned. “Seems to me Gibson will be unhappy to know you’re sleeping with one of our clients.”

::Clients? I’m not your client, and if this Gibson has a problem with our being together, I’ll tell him how much I dislike his lover among other personal things he and Tyler don’t want to let people know about.::

I stared at Raven. “Did you read his mind?”

Raven shook his head. ::No, but I can and will if they try to make trouble for us. You’re the only one I know and trust in the city, Zach. I’m not going to allow them to separate us.::

I’d totally forgotten about Tyler for a moment while I absorbed what Raven said about reading minds. While I knew he could read mine, I hadn’t known he could read whoever he wanted. I thought the person had to be receptive to his ability.

“Your friend can read minds? Oh Gibson would love to get his hands on him.” Tyler reached out to grab Raven’s arm before I could block him.

One moment Raven was at my side, the next moment he was across the room and Tyler stumbled, off balanced.

“What the fuck? How did he do that?” Tyler glared at me.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Raven doesn’t tell me all his secrets.”

::Make him leave, Zach. I don’t like how he’s looking at me now. I will not be someone’s lab rat. Not the rebellion or the government.::

“I think you should go now, Tyler. I’ll check in with Gibson when I have some more information.”

I nudged Tyler from the living room, and out the door. Tyler didn’t protest, which was a danger sign for me. Tyler didn’t like anyone else making decisions for him, except for Gibson, but the head man didn’t take no for an answer.

We would have to leave the safe house, and find our way to my own private safe house I’d set up two years ago. I had a feeling the time would come when I couldn’t trust the rebellion along with the government. Maybe destiny had been getting me ready for Raven’s arrival in my life.

I stood in the doorway and watched Tyler drive away. As soon as I was positive he was gone, I turned to find Raven staring at me.

“We have to go,” I said as I stalked down the hallway to the kitchen.

::Why?::

Raven followed me, and watched as I pulled two duffle bags out of the pantry. I started filling them with non-perishable items, a flashlight, and some matches. Everything I could think of that would help us get to my place.

“Because Tyler will be back with Gibson, and some of the others. Since Tyler knows you’re more than just some guy I’m sleeping with, he’ll want to give you to Gibson. Gain brownie points with the boss.”

::You wouldn’t let them take me.:: Raven sounded so sure about my ability to keep him safe.

“You don’t understand. They’ll bring more men than I can handle. We’ll be overwhelmed, and Gibson will take you. Once that happens, I won’t know where you are to rescue you.”

Raven stepped closer to me and rested his hand on my arm. ::Yes, you would. Once an Opalite makes love with someone, they are connected at the soul level.::

I jerked away, and stared at him, unsure if I was horrified or excited. “You mean we’re mated?”

::No. It is simply a breeding mechanism, making it easier for us to find others we are compatible with. It works even for non-breeding couples.::

Was it disappointment flowing through my veins? Had I really wanted to be mated with an Opalite? An alien creature I obviously knew less about than I thought.

“That’s fine, but I don’t want to take a chance on Gibson grabbing you, or on the agents snatching you away either. We’re leaving.”

Raven said nothing else while I finished packing the bags. When I was done, I grabbed two more guns and ammo from the stash under floor boards. They were added to my bag. I looked Raven up and down, not liking the fact he didn’t have a jacket, but we’d fix that as soon as we reached a town. We weren’t going back to the city just yet.

“Okay, we’re ready to go.”

::Where are we going?::

I glanced around the room, and spoke to him with my mind. The house could’ve been bugged, and I should have thought of that to start with, but it was too late now.

::I have a personal safe house I set up two years ago. No one, and I mean no one else, knows about it. We’re going there to formulate a plan.::

Raven’s implicit trust in me shook me to my core as he followed me out of the house. We’d only met a few days ago, and he didn’t really know me, yet he went with me into the darkness. Was it because he could read my mind? Or maybe having sex with me eased something inside him, and he could trust a little bit more?