Reveille (The Hybrid Disasters, Book One)

Chapter 22: Have You Ever Seen The Rain?

"You fool," Charles Harper reprimanded.

My father stood angrily at Donny's bedside. He looked thinner, sickly even. After removing the silver pellets from his son, Mark had called Charles over and left to dispose of the two DPO Agents. Not before I made him promise me they wouldn't be killed, however. It was weird now knowing Mark and Donny were both Lycans, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The way they had been so insightful my whole life. It's because they could hear heartbeats and hushed conversations. No wonder Mark made such a great attorney and Donny such a great boyfriend. I'm sure his abilities didn't hurt his excellent batting average in baseball either.

Donny sat up in bed with fresh gauze dressing his already healing wounds. His eyes were cast down, and his expression remained ashamed. The uncovered truth behind the botched, solo rescue mission was that Donny stole some of my father's experimental injections from his secret lab—a lab I mentally noted to locate later. The injections were meant to react similar to adrenaline but for supes. Untested on Lycans, Donny took the injections anyway in an effort to break me out of the DPO facility where, by spying on my father, he overheard that I was being held against my will. Lucky for him, the experimental liquid worked. Donny testified that he had the strength of ten Lycans while under the effects of the fluid. He reportedly was shot almost a dozen times with silver bullets before he felt any effect from the highly toxic substance coating the bullets.

I stood in the corner of the room avoiding my father's gaze as Donny regaled us. I could tell Charles sensed I was on edge, and he realized now was not a time for a reunion. We both were unsure of where we stood with one another, and Donny's adventure provided an excellent deflection for our muddled emotions.

"As pleased as I am to hear my experiment had the appropriate effects, I would have rather discovered this another way. If you were killed—"

Donny cut my father off. "I made it out alive, and we have Addy! That's all that matters," he shouted. "She's back with us where she belongs."

"I am not discounting that fact; however, you must understand the seriousness of your actions. This could have gone horribly wrong. You could be dead. If not by the injection, then by the swarm of agents at that facility. You got lucky. Never pull a stunt like this again. And if you ever attempt to break into my lab again, the consequences will be most severe."

"I understand," Donny conceded.

Mark returned at that moment. "I expect Charles fully addressed this incident, and there is nothing more to say on the matter?" he asked Donny.

"Yes, sir," Donny acknowledged begrudgingly. Charles informed Donny that a healer would be in and out throughout the night to run tests. Mark grimaced and told his son to try and get some rest.

Before anyone could say anything else, Charles finally addressed me. "Addy, please follow me." He left the room without waiting for a response. I stopped briefly by Donny's bedside and gave his hand a light squeeze before departing his room. Charles was waiting for me at the top of the stairway.

"You look well," he remarked curtly.

I wasn't sure what I had expected to happen when I finally reunited with my father. A large security force prepared to detain me was at the top of my list. Him exchanging pleasantries was definitely at the bottom. Was this the calm before the storm?

"Looks can be deceiving," I managed.

"I'm sure you have your opinions of me after spending all that time with...," he paused thoughtfully. "Those people," he finished with a mild look of disdain. "I don't presume to change your mind on the matter, Addy. Whatever questions you have, I will answer. All I ask is that you don't try to leave again. Whether you like it or not, you're my daughter. As such, I owe you an explanation, and I promise to deliver it. In brief, you remain here, and I tell you what you want to know. Those are the terms."