Free Duality: Vol 2, Euphoria (A New Adult Paranormal Romance) by Elle Casey Page B

plates and running to the kitchen with them before we left the dining area following Jasmine to the computer room.  Jasmine clicked the mouse a few times before pushing me towards the closet.
    Once again, we made our way through the hidden door and down the stairs into the panic room.  We paused at the bottom, waiting for Jasmine to get in and close the door behind us.  She clicked the door shut and raced down the steps.  Jumping into the seat in front of the computer monitors, she wiggled the mouse to wake everything up.
    “Let’s see who decided to get stupid,” she said peering at the screens.  She seemed to be focused on the upper right one.
    When the images came in, I could see why.  Ho Ho, who looked like a giant bear-beast of some sort, had a man cornered against the fence.  The guy had his hands up near the sides of his head and a terrified expression on his face.
    “Who the hell is that?” Jasmine asked.  She clicked the mouse a few times and the image got bigger.
    “Oh my god…”  My heart leaped into my throat.  “That’s my father!”  I couldn’t believe he’d come over here and snuck onto their property.
    “Wow.  Desperate, anyone?” she asked, clicking the mouse and pulling out a little.  Now we could see Mr. Butts coming into view, holding his hand out for the dog.
    The dog looked over its shoulder a couple seconds before walking back, stopping at Mr. Butts’ left leg and sitting down.
    “Oh, I love my puppy.  Isn’t she brilliant?”  Jasmine was staring at the screen with a huge grin on her face.
    “Jasmine, that’s my dad.  Do you mind not being so happy about him nearly being eaten?”  Now I was mad at her for a whole other reason.  My dad may be a Rainbow, but he was still my father.  And he was probably worried sick about where I was.  I felt terrible for making him so desperate that he’d trespass.  It was so not like him to break the law.  He didn’t even speed.
    She turned around and noticed my expression.  Her smile dropped away.  “Oh, yeah.  Sorry.  I wasn’t thinking.  But Ho Ho is badass, right?  I mean, she didn’t touch him, even though he climbed over the fence.  She could kill a person if she wanted to.  Tear their throat right out.”
    “Uh, Jasmine?  Not helping.”  Malcolm put his arm around me, making me feel just the tiniest bit better.
    “Oh, crap.  Yeah.  Sorry.  Sometimes I get a little excited over my baby’s skills.”  She turned back to the screen.  “Looks like my dad’s talking to him.”  She looked at me again.  “Are you going to go with him?”
    I shook my head.  As bad as I felt for him, I couldn’t do it.  I had always known that breaking away was going to be tough. I hadn’t imagined it going like this exactly, but it didn’t matter.  Malcolm had made his promise to me, and I had made one to him in return.  We were stuck together now, until someone tore us apart, and it wasn’t going to be me.  “I’m staying.  I need to figure out what this is all about, and I can’t do that if they move me away again.  And they will.  If I go home, I know I’ll find the entire house packed up.”
    “Wow, they move fast,” said Malcolm, looking down at me.  His body was keeping me warm when I felt so cold with all the craziness and fear.
    “They have it down to a science.  They only rent furnished houses, so when it’s time to go, all they pack is clothes and linens and we’re outta there.”
    “That’s hardcore, man,” said Jasmine.  “It’s kind of like my parents.  They’re ready to go at the drop of a hat too.  They jet off all over the world with one phone call.  Their bags are always packed.”
    “Doesn’t that get lonely?” I asked, kind of understanding now why Jasmine is the way she is.  She’s been raising herself, kind of like Malcolm, only with more of a solid foundation under her, of course.
    “Nah.  We have video chat and texting and email.  Plus, I have Ho Ho and