“Didn’t you forget the part where he should ‘come alone or else?’” Todd snarled, taking a daring step toward the car.
Silas quickly turned back. “No. This is a celebration, a party to welcome my son home. You’re all welcome. Oh, and, please forgive my poor manners, Shaney. I didn’t properly introduce you to Daniel. Your brother.”
Silas’ announcement stunned Shaney into silence. Todd’s audible huff was the only sound until Mr. Anderson—Dan—his brother spoke to him.
“See you soon, Shaney,” he said, as he climbed into his car and drove away with the man Shaney loved.
Shaney tried to rise to go after them, but the pain in his body and Maximus’ hands kept him down. Caleb grabbed his handy marker and was about to lift Shaney’s shirt to slap on another symbol, but Shaney caught his wrist.
“Stop.” Shaney’s plans to get Hudson back and end Silas’ threat would fail if he needed rescuing every time the energy overtook his body. The energy was an innate part of him, and, dammit, that meant he could be in control, just like with his own arms and legs.
Shaney rolled over onto his hands and knees, his forehead pressed into the gravel of the driveway. Beneath the ground, a resonating energy swelled to the surface. The undercurrent was harmonious, balancing, reminiscent of the calm found by the quiet still of a pond, or the majestic grandeur of the mountains or the commanding, protective presence of a forest filled with fifty-foot-tall trees. This energy was steadying, renewing, a neutralizing force, seeking out the core of energy within Shaney. Willingly, Shaney invited the amiable force inside. The welcomed entity infiltrated his body, dancing with the menacing energy, calming the rage, encapsulating the excess energy from Shaney. Then, as that force retreated from Shaney that energy was drained like infection from a wound, healing him and allowed Shaney to retain control.
Shaney took in several centering breaths until the trembling in his limbs subsided and he was sure he wouldn’t blow anything up. He rose to his feet, needing to do something, ready to act.
“Hudson! We have to get him,” Shaney pleaded.
Oh, fuck, Hudson. No.
Hold on, love. I’m coming.
Caleb stepped back, assessing Shaney’s condition. “What happened? You...you look perfectly fine. Two minutes ago, I was confident you were going to leave a crater the size of a football field where we stood.”
Shaney waved his hand, ignoring the look of disbelief on Caleb’s face. “Took care of it. We have to...” Shaney faltered as he caught sight of Todd, staring at the spot formerly occupied by Mr. Anderson. “Todd?”
Caleb, most likely realizing that Shaney was done sharing, grabbed the journal tossed to the ground by Silas and immediately buried his nose in the pages.
Shaney went to Todd and laid his hand gently on his best friend’s shoulder. Todd turned and the shell-shocked stare told Shaney that the wall Todd had created to protect himself was perilously close to crumbling.
Shaney grasped Todd’s shoulders and gave him a shake. “Just hold it together for a little while longer. I’m going to fix all of this. I’m going to get Hudson back, and kick Silas’ ass. Then you can fall apart, and I’ll be there to pick you back up. You’re my best friend in the whole world. I will take care of you. Just hold on, okay?”
A whimper escaped Todd’s throat. He closed his eyes and nodded. When he opened his eyes again, they were clear and focused. Shaney pulled Todd’s head down and hugged him to his chest.
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened with Mr. Anderson, but I need your help with this. I can’t do this without you.”
Todd pulled back, a fierce determination replacing his desolation. Any indication that the world had just fucked him over again was buried with the rest of the crap he’d hidden inside. “We will make them fucking pay.” The vehemence lacing his words stabbed a spike of fear into Shaney. He prayed Todd didn’t lose it in a gunman-in-the-bell-tower kind of way. When Todd smirked, Shaney relaxed a bit.
“I’ve got your back, Captain.” Todd’s smile was shaky at best.
“Dork,” Shaney said, the humor doing little to dull the magnitude of the shit storm raining down around them.
Caleb’s wild ranting suddenly filled the air, causing Shaney and Todd to both turn toward the sound. Maximus was working to calm Caleb and the mountain of a man looked three steps past freaked by the scientist’s behavior. Join the club.
“Caleb, what’s wrong?” Todd asked. Caleb’s death glare could have melted the skin off Todd’s face. Damn, looked like something bad—again.