(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

Chapter Eight - End of Detention

"That means there's someone out there who knows what's going on."

I wasn't sure what to make of that. The person seemed to want me out of danger. It was probably a good sign. Still, I didn't appreciate the idea of somebody following my moves. Neither did Luc. He handed me the phone back, scowling.

"Seems like you've been blessed by a guardian angel," he mocked. "That number has been accurate so far, but we shouldn't listen to everything it says. We can never be sure."

"Luc... how can hunters manage to pose a threat to you guys? They're human, like me and I could never—" Scratch that. "Never mind, I forgot."

"They have their ways." His head shifted to the windshield. Snowflakes settled over the glass.

"Hunters are the reason my sister's dead. They were in town a little over a year ago and they usually migrate as a whole. They bring their families and friends along." His voice quieted. "It became very quiet after a few weeks. We thought the danger had passed, but we were mistaken. One night, Lauren went out for a walk around the property, alone. Just a damn walk like we always do. By morning, she hadn't come back."

Just when I believed I couldn't be more horrified, I was proven wrong. Where did they draw the line? My back rested against the chair and I stared at the swirling snowflakes outside.

My eyes glided over the way he stiffened and his tone grew cutting. I felt for him. This was brutally unfair. In that short moment, I wanted to find words that would somehow ease whatever he must be thinking, but what? 

I was tempted to roll my arm around his and just stay there, but he'd whack me out of the car before I could yell mutant. He didn't like it when people were sorry for him, and I understood that.

"That's... horrible—what happened to your sister," I murmured, and it brought his attention back. "I don't get why they are so ruthless."

"None of us do. You would think..." He ran a hand through his hair, as if to blow off some steam. "You would think they might leave us alone for once or see us as more than the Wanderers. But they don't."

I sat there for a moment to digest that. It was barbaric. Hunters were dangerous and unreasonable. They developed something to kill us, but Luc wouldn't tell me what exactly. It was bad all right, to say the least.

"Why?" I asked, feeling like the world was closing in on me, shutting out the oxygen. "Why are they doing this?"

"Every human that has known about us except Emma either ended up becoming a hunter or leading them to us. Eyes and ears are everywhere, even if the hunters themselves aren't. They don't see us as something that should be allowed to live. This is another reason why it's so important to not expose ourselves to anyone, besides them possibly alerting the feds."

This whole time... I steepled my hands over my mouth, going over all the times Luc and the others avoided company, remembering how uneasy they'd acted around me.

He reopened his eyes to look at me. Fine pops of amber shimmered near the center, which I found so intriguing in the rare occasions they were on display. They were otherwise too small to see from farther away. 

"I know it's a lot."

That was an understatement. I wasn't only scared for myself. I feared for them—Ethan, Maia, Devin, Greg, Catherine, Jeremiah, Tony. And him. He shifted in his seat and leaned in.

"We'll get through it. We have done it countless times before, but you have to control your abilities and learn how to use them."

I nodded. It was pointless to argue any further. I'd reached the dreaded point of no return and washed up to a dingy cave of unknowns with no choice but to run inside. At least people like him could tell me how to walk through this. 

"There's no progress with the search party demands, right?"

Luc huffed out a laugh. "None whatsoever. These goons think cops can force the mass trampling of protected land just because. I've let in some investigators around parts and made sure they weren't too close, but the residents aren't satisfied."

While that reassured my conscience, it didn't alleviate all of the worries. "Did anyone get desperate enough to trespass?"

"Not yet. Not that I found any," he replied with a vague stretch in his voice. "I'm on lookout. We know how to be careful so it'll be fine. I found you twice, after all, didn't I?"

I braved a reserved laugh, staring out on the driveway. He thrived at what he did. I just hoped it wasn't an excessive burden, that it wouldn't last. 

"Wasn't it three? Twice before school and that night of the party."

"Right." He winked. "Forgive me, I'm not used to counting over two."

"Must be fun living the himbo life." At that, his brows furrowed, and I tilted my head crosswise. "You never heard the word? Hang on." I typed the definition on my phone and displayed my screen again. He briefly read it, face breaking into a mighty chuffed grin. 

"Is your boy going to know you call me that?"

I pulled on the handle. "I'm out of here. Go do your park ranger business."

As I clasped the door to shut it in his face, he performed a two-fingered salute. 

I straggled to my porch in a daze, the heavy weight resettling on my chest. The Rover smoothly swerved in the darkness, and I thought this might just be my life from now on: never being in security, always looking over my shoulder.

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Well, what do you think about this chapter? It sure is a lot to take in. Be sure to let me know any thought on the structure and sequence if you find any quirks. See you on Wednesday, my dudes!