HORNS (BoyXBoy)

Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

"I'm fine," I insisted, feeling more and more upset and freaked out by the second. "Really, there's no need to have someone stand guard over me, okay? Nothing bad actually... happened."

I winced when my father gave Sebastian a glare so acidic that he actually leaned away from it.

"Your father is adamant about it," he grunted, folding the powerful tree-trunks he called arms. "I don't understand what was going through Huang's head when he did what he did, but Diana is currently checking the security feed to see if hypnotism of any sort is to blame."

A shock went through me, a horrible one, because that would have to mean Jasper was free.

"That's not comforting no matter which way this goes," I muttered, letting loose a sigh; I petted Echo's head when he bunted my palm to make it move again, but he wasn't even looking at me or the people in the room, he was busy looking at pictures on my internet browser and listening to my music playlist with my headphones in. Really, he was an obnoxious little shit.

I was kind of glad he was off in his own little world, though, since his room seemed incredibly small with Sebastian and my dad inside it. I wasn't sure if that was simply because they were tall, or because their presences—and they most certainly had them—were so domineering. 

I felt more than just a little claustrophobic either way. 

"We've called everyone," Sebastian said, and I closed my eyes in defeat. "Everyone, including all of our combined pack members and Huang's family, knows what he attempted to do. They're all on their way back here right now to help us clean up the aftermath and check on you."

I let out a sigh through clenched teeth, then looked at my father, who's legs, to my heartache, were shaking despite his pissed, stony face... just as they'd been since he'd attacked the dragon. His claws, upon closer inspection, had dug deep into the dark skin of his folded arms.

Blood trickled from the punctures.

"Pop... I'm okay," I rasped, fighting to stay calm. "I'm fine, I promise I'm--" 

"I'm not," he raspily cut in, grinding his teeth so hard I could hear it. "I... I'm not, Horst. When I came around that corner and saw you in that situation, I had flashbacks and... I... you're my son. No matter how old you get, you will always be my baby, and the fact is... he... he..."

His jaw crunched and visibly broke for a moment as he trembled. He gazed at me with eyes that looked like they were screaming on the inside in agony.

"I will never let you go through that," he shakily whispered through clenched teeth, nose and mouth twitching as tears brimmed up in his eyes. "Never, ever. I will never trust that twisted, filthy snake around you ever again. I hope his father flays him alive."

"Pop," I breathed, horrified by the look he was giving me; I tried to get up, but Echo wrapped his arm through mine without looking away from the screen, plopping his head on it. My dad stared at him with a blank face for a second when I turned, trying to push him off. "Dude, get off."

"Stop moving," Echo droned, sticking to me like a bur. "I am watching stupid cats on MeTube."

I stopped, startled, and peered at his screen to see that he was indeed watching a ten minute video compilation of cat fails on MeTube, the website that had basically replaced YouTube after the initial collapse of the internet during World War Three. I scoffed, then pulled one of the earbuds out, being careful to make sure it didn't catch on his hair.

"I have to give my father a hug," I said seriously, and he glanced up and looked at the two men standing baffled in the room with a curious blink. "Plus, I still need to eat, my guy."