Serena’s POV:

I nodded my head towards the back gate of the garden and Darien pushed it open. The picket fence was purely decorative since it wasn't even waist-high. I glanced around, but all of the windows were empty and no neighbors were watching.

The sun was already close to setting, so it was no wonder that my stomach had wanted food. I headed towards the shed and led the way inside. He seemed confused as he saw the neat rows of tools against the walls.

I grinned in slight mischievousness as I walked towards the back wall, "Have you figured it out yet?"

I twisted the empty hook and slid the door sideways, revealing the tiny room hidden behind it. The skylight above allowed some light in. He closed the main shed door behind himself as he came closer in curiosity, "I wouldn't have guessed that this room was back here."

He leaned past me to stick his head inside, "I don't see why you found it embarrassing. It is clean and I don't see anything wrong with it."

I shrugged, "Most people would have taken one look and left as fast as they could."

He snorted, "Then they were fools." He glanced back at me, "What do you usually do for supper? We can go to a restaurant if you want, I will buy."

I shrugged, "I have some sandwiches from the cafe, if you don't mind bread that might be a bit dry. There aren't any places to eat near here."

He smiled, "That sounds good." He wandered in and sat down on an old rug as he leaned against the wall. His presence brightened up the place in a way I couldn’t explain. I closed the sliding door behind me and went to sit beside him.

Four sandwiches and a couple baggies of veggies came out of my backpack. I examined the sandwiches, "There is ham and cheese or some funky turkey thing that is quite popular."

He was watching me, "Whichever one you don't want is fine with me."

"I was never much for spice and the sauce on the turkey one has a bit of kick to it."

He reached over and managed to snag the correct sandwich. He unwrapped the plasticwrap and took a bite, "This is quite good."

My own mouth was too full to reply, so I nodded. Leftover sandwiches made up all three meals if I was lucky. I reached over to grab a carrot stick and nibbled on it.

Darien started speaking slowly, "I am... different. You saw my speed earlier. I am also stronger than normal people. Any injury heals swiftly and it takes a serious wound to leave a scar. Those guards were not there because I had broken a law, but because I was being held captive as they tried to find out if they could give other people abilities like mine. What do you know about that research center?"

I made a face, "Not much, but most of what I know isn't flattering. Most of their experimental drugs kill more people than they save." My friend being a prime example.

He turned to examine my face as he caught the faintly bitter undertone in my voice. "So you have no difficulty believing that they would hold someone against their will for the name of science?"

I shook my head, "No. They let volunteers keep taking their experimental drugs even if they happen to learn that a certain drug is actually fatal. They don't even warn them. I lost my best friend to that place. They knew for months that people were dying about a year after they started taking it, and they kept letting her take it without warning her."

My throat felt thick with grief. I missed her so badly. It had been a long time since I had a close friend or anyone I could really confide in.

I felt two hands on my waist as I was suddenly lifted and pulled into Darien's lap. I tensed up as his arms wrapped around me in a comforting fashion. I was stiff in surprise for a few moments before I relaxed and leaned back against him. I could feel that weird energy between us, as if we were two magnets being held apart while the force between them just keeps trying to close the gap.

We sat like that for some time in silence. It was soothing and peaceful. I was completely comfortable in his presence, as if I had known him for years.

I eventually looked up at him, "I suspect they didn't let you leave willingly."

His eyes found mine, "You are correct. They are probably trying quite hard to find me and it will not be easy getting out of this town. Do you trust me enough to follow me?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I nodded slowly. I did trust him, and just the thought of remaining without him seemed like a horrific thing. How odd, I couldn't stand the thought of being separated from him and I had only met him hours ago. He smiled and lowered his forehead to touch mine, "Thank you."

"Where do you plan on going?"

His eyes flickered to mine as he lifted his head back up, "Back home, if possible. It is quite a long journey, but the scientists will be unable to find us once we get there. My people have abilities much like mine and they are not that welcoming to... outsiders. They know of the shadows that occur in that lab and in many other places across this planet."

I would be an outsider and that worried me, "Will they have any problem with me?"

To my shock, a growl rumbled through his chest, "They may object at first, but they will have to go through me to get to you and that will NOT happen."

This was a new side to Darien, one I hadn't seen yet. He wasn't angry at me, but his voice promised serious violence if they tried 'to get to me'. I seriously hoped that my presence wouldn't bother them. It wasn't like I was a threat after all.

"I have some money to help get us wherever we are going. I assume we are going to leave tomorrow?" For some reason, I couldn’t bear the thought of being left behind. What had gotten into me?

He nodded, "Yes. We should leave early tomorrow morning. I hope you don't mind giving up your dream of a cabin."

I shrugged, "It was just a place that I could afford. Anywhere is fine with me." If he was going to be there with me, I was willing to follow. It wasn’t like I had much going for me here anyways.

His expression softened as he smiled at me. He blinked and he turned his head with a frown of concentration as he looked at the wall as if listening. I listened hard, but I wasn't sure what he thought he heard. He growled and was suddenly standing as he carefully put me on my feet. I looked up at him in confusion and worry.

He glanced down at me, his eyes once more glowing strongly, "They know we are in here and have circled us. I can hear their communication radios as they are closing in."

I stiffened, "How did they find us? Almost no one knows that I stay here."

He growled lightly at the situation, "They must have been watching us from afar."

"What are we going to do?" I watched him nervously. It was one thing for me to dodge creepy men in a well-populated public park at noon, but it was an entirely different thing to run from police at dusk.

His muscles tensed as he quickly thought, "If I try and carry you while running, they will likely open fire and you might get hit." His jaw clenched as he exhaled gustily in irritation, "The best option is for me to distract them while you run."

I was instantly worried, "What if you get hurt?" I hadn't known him for long, but I didn't think I could bear to see him injured, or worse, dead.

His eyes returned to my face and they softened, "It isn't that easy to hurt me. I will find you, but I need you to get away from here."

I reluctantly nodded, knowing I wouldn't be able to change his mind, "I will head for the far side of town, there is a small lake with a canoe camp and I will hang around there."

He turned and stood right in front of me. His expression was unreadable as he gently brushed his finger along my cheek. "I will clear a path towards the trees. Wait here thirty seconds before running."

He slid the sliding door open and walked closer to the shed door. He glanced back at me one last time before shoving the door open and running across the yard. My body felt cold now, I had been in almost constant contact with him all evening. I heard gunfire start and shivered. A roar echoed through the dusk, causing me to jump. I hummed a faint tune, hoping for his safety. 28, 29, 30...

I began running as well. I zig-zagged slightly as I had been taught since it made it harder for a shooter to hit their target. I heard a whiz as something flew past me and adrenaline made my heart beat faster. The shadowy forest loomed in front of me, the sun had set and most of the light had left the sky. I jumped over a log and realized mid-jump that it was actually a body.

I inhaled in shock as I saw that the man's neck was twisted at an unnatural angle. I had never seen a dead person before, every funeral I had attended had been a closed coffin - and definitely never like this with a recently killed person. My stomach churned, but I kept running. Had Darien done that? I know he said he would clear the way, but surely it wasn't necessary to kill people...

Pain flared in the back of my leg, causing me to stumble. I clamped back a scream since that would only attract attention. My hand flew to the back of my leg and pulled out the cold object. A chill ran down my spine as I saw that a tranquilizer tube lay in my hand. The clear tube was half full of a clear liquid. There was no way to know how much gotten into my system. I threw it deep into the bushes and kept running.

Only a minute later I started feeling muzzy headed and began stumbling. I knew I wasn't going to be able to go much further. I vaguely recognized where I was and I knew of a good hiding spot nearby. I altered my course and kept trying to run as a stitch developed in my side.

Where was it? Ah, there. I stumbled towards the gnarled tree and started climbing the branches. My head was so hazy that I almost fell down a few times. I finally managed to get into the center of the tree where numerous branches forked out from a central point to create a hollow big enough for me to curl up in. There was no chance of me falling out now.

The drugs were definitely affecting me. I was lucky to have made it this far. I still couldn't believe that they shot me with a tranq dart. At least it hadn’t been a real bullet...

My head was swimming and a whirring noise made me attempt to look up as my head swayed. My vision was starting to get hazy, but through a break in the leaves, I spotted a drone hovering with a camera attached. They had been watching us. This drone would lead them right to me.

In one last desperate attempt, I tried to focus and whistled a piercing noise while concentrating on the drone. A small crack sounded before the drone dropped out of the sky and ricocheted off numerous branches as it fell to the ground below.

My head dropped down, too heavy to lift. Darkness claimed me.