“Right.” Declan’s eyes were riveted on the screen. He’d finished most of his pancakes, but the rest sat getting cold as he absorbed the information. “What did you find?”
“Other ingredients in their notes. Even though the system had been wiped, I was able to pull up the lost notes. I knew there had to be some sort of record of what they had done.”
“So, what did you get from all that?” I asked, forgetting my breakfast too.
“There are variations on the serum,” my father said. “And they made several doses.”
“You said so before. Like, maybe they gave some doses to someone else.”
My father made a noise of agreement. “Yes, I assumed that might have been a possibility before. But not different variations on this serum. Variations that would…”
“What?” Declan asked.
“Well, it’s really unbelievable. I mean, I don’t know what the intended purpose of the original serum was, but in the scientists' notes, there were all sorts of wild theories.”
I leaned in closer to the phone, encouraging my father to get to the point. “What kinds of theories?”
“Uh…things like teleportation and—and—”
“Invisibility,” Xander provided. “Telekinesis, super speed, super strength, and more…”
I looked at Declan when he mentioned those last few. Some of those abilities were what Declan had, but my father didn’t know. And from the sound of it, Xander hadn’t told him either. I appreciated him waiting for us to do it.
Declan looked stunned. He looked just like I felt. And like my father sounded.
“I don’t know…” My father cleared his throat, gathering himself. “I don’t know ultimately how many doses were made and how many different variations there were. We’re still trying to uncover more notes. But anyone who took any of this serum would have to see a change in themselves by now. And who knows what that change would look like.”
I held Declan’s gaze, waiting for him to say something to my father. He only shook his head and whispered, “Not over the phone.”
I understood immediately. It was already bad enough that we had discussed this on my phone instead of in person. It made sense to finish the conversation at another time.
“We still have more to go through but we’ll let you know if we find something else,” my dad said.
“Okay, thanks. I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll probably stop by to talk.”
“Sounds good. Love you, Royal.”
“I love you too.”
I pushed the button to end the call and then stared at Declan. “What does this mean?” I whispered.
His gaze held mine but he only shook his head. “I have no idea.”
Chapter 31
After the conversation with my dad, Declan was quiet as we cleaned up the dishes from breakfast. It felt like he was retreating from me, disappearing into his own head. I wondered if it had anything to do with the phone call last night. But now everything was making me question that phone call.
I tried to bring a little levity into the situation. “You know, I haven’t even seen the rest of your house. I’ve only been in a few rooms.”
“That’s not true,” he said, his voice lighter, even though he didn’t look up from the sink. “Kitchen, dining room, bedroom, bathroom, living room.”
“You can't tell me that's all. From the looks of it outside, there are several more rooms.”
He grabbed a dish towel and wiped his hands. Then he stepped over to kiss me on the cheek. “I need to get some air. I thought I’d go outside for a few minutes.” I was about to suggest I come with him when he continued, “You’re welcome to take a look around. Or when I come back, I can give you a tour.”
“Oh.” I swallowed back disappointment. “Sure. Of course. I’ll take a look around.”
I forced a smile that I hoped came off sincere. I understood if he needed some space. After all, this situation changed everything he knew about his father—and maybe even himself. And I was just this woman who had come along in the middle of it all. It was a lot to process.
Declan gave a brief smile and then walked from the room.
Trying to give him his space, I wandered around the house. I stopped in the master bedroom first and found a pair of socks for my feet. I also peered in the closet and found a robe to chase away the cold. It smelled like him and warmed me like it did when his arms were around me.
Then, because I couldn’t help my curiosity, I went to the bathroom again only to find his phone wasn’t there. He must have picked it up at some point—maybe even right before he went outside. He could have done it in a split second and I never would have known.
But still, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. We were still navigating something new to both of us here. It made sense that he might need time to think everything through.
So I continued my tour. I walked through probably a dozen rooms. Spare bedrooms, bathrooms, and an office that looked like Declan used fairly regularly, a home theater with plush reclining seats. It was a beautiful house. But it would have been more beautiful if I had been able to see it through Declan’s eyes. If he’d been able to tell me where he’d come up with the concept, or if he had just bought it on a whim. If he’d decorated it
