When The Heart Sings

Chapter 21

Darien tensed up at his words, and I looked up at him in confusion. Alex had sounded like he knew he was walking on thin ice with that question. I rubbed my hand along his arm, unsure of why Alex's question had affected him so.

Darien looked down at me, "Do you want to?" He sounded as if he really didn't want me to shake Alex's hand.

I tilted my head in confusion, "It doesn't bother me. I don't understand why his question bothers you though." Honesty and openness was my policy and it had served me well in the past. I was equally sure that rule would hold true with Darien.

Alex chuckled, "My apologies, I forgot you wouldn't be aware of most of our usual habits. I asked Darien because he is your soulmate and the males often have a strong reaction to another male coming into contact with their mate. Considering what I have seen him do, I plan to play it safe. I prefer my head on my shoulders."

The words overprotective and possessive came to mind. Overreacting was another good one. His love overshadowed all of those though, and made putting up with them worth it. I had a feeling that the soulbond was responsible for my easy acceptance of his overprotectiveness. Darien sighed, "Alright then."

Alex slowly stood up before walking over. He was watching Darien carefully, just in case. Alex held out his hand for a handshake and I reached out to take his hand. Darien's arms tightened around my waist slightly as if he didn't like Alex's proximity.

Alex winced the moment our hands touched and gently pulled away. He lightly massaged his hand as if rubbing away residual pain. He spoke to Darien, "If I can't touch her without pain, then no one else will be able to either."

Alex went to sit back down and Darien relaxed. Alex spoke quietly, "If you don't mind me asking, what do you feel when you aren't in contact with her?"

Really? He asked that as if I wouldn't hear them. I was right here you know...

Darien growled lightly at the thought of the separation, "My skin feels cold and I can't get my mind off her. It isn't too bad if she is close by and I can see her. If she is out of my sight..." He exhaled gustily, "It is very hard. I am constantly listening to the sound of her movements and her heart to know she is alive. We have been separated so many times that I don't like her being out of my sight."

"What is your biggest fear?"

Darien rested his cheek against the side of my hair. His voice was very quiet and full of emotion, "My biggest fear is losing her. The thought of it terrifies me and I have never been scared of anything in my life until I met her."

Alex nodded, his voice still quiet, "That is something that all Tarulk soulmates feel. I presume that Serena also feels something similar since she seems aware of the mate bond."

I nodded, I simply couldn't imagine being parted from Darien again and my heart sped up at the thought of it. Darien's arms somehow pulled me closer to him, which was quite an accomplishment since I was already leaning against him. We fell silent for some time, although it wasn't an uncomfortable silence.

  

Alex turned on the tv and switched the channel to the news. The weather looked good for the rest of the week. I absentmindedly fiddled with Darien's fingers as I simply enjoyed his presence. Being without it for those hours really made me appreciate the small things in life, like simply leaning against him.

"-and in other news, investigators are still not sure what caused the explosions at the medical research center."

My eyes opened in shock as I turned to look at the tv. A helicopter circled a massive crater with wisps of smoke still coming out. If I hadn't known that a building had been there, I would have assumed it was a volcano crater.

The broadcaster continued, "The hospital was evacuated and all patients and staff are safe. No casualties have been reported. Crews believe there might have been a large gas pocket in the earth beneath the building that somehow started leaking into the basement. The explosion was believed to be caused when the gas reached the boiler room."

The research center must have only been reporting the legal topside part of that place. I knew that Darien had killed more than a few guards when retrieving me. I glanced up at him, "How about we avoid mad scientists in the future?"

It wasn't my best attempt at humor, but Darien chuckled, "That sounds like a good plan."

The doorbell rang and Darien's eyes narrowed as he stared at the door unhappily. Alex got up to answer it.

"Ah, Carmen, Alfred, Josh, nice to see you again. Nick just stepped out for a moment, come on in. Oh, the human is Darien's soulmate and the bond is new, so tread lightly."

It was a bit embarrassing that Alex had to warn them so they wouldn't react badly, but if it kept Darien calm, then I wasn't about to complain. Three people walked in and glowing eyes looked at Darien and me with curiosity and slight surprise.

They didn't seem as surprised as I had imagined, so I had a feeling that Nick might have warned them about my presence to avoid a repeat of what happened with Tristan and Clair.

They all nodded politely, although they seemed a bit aloof. They didn't like humans and it was only Darien's presence that kept them civil. If this was how most Tarulk were, then I was somewhat glad that Darien had decided to stay on Earth. The newcomers wandered in and made themselves at home, although they gave us a wide berth.

Nick had gone downtown to get some paperwork for the flight he had booked for Darien and me. Apparently, there was lots of wilderness and sparsely populated places in Canada and the population had so many cultures that neither of us would stand out too badly. I heard it would be cold in winter, but I looked forward to seeing snow.

I was also looking forward to the change. Neither Nick nor Darien had found any mention of us in the Canadian news, so we shouldn't be recognized if we did enter a town. The push of our faces in the media seemed to have died down somewhat, although things were still being circulated since the news stations had no closure for the 'kidnapping emergency'.

They would get over it and it would become one of the many unsolved cases that would be filed into a dusty box in a storage area. Within a year, our faces would likely be forgotten by the authorities and the general public. We both liked the sounds of a remote location with few people, so the possibility of being identified didn't worry us too much. Even if they did spot us, Darien could easily get us to safety.

The future didn't worry me with Darien around.