He held me for a long while, gently stroking my hair and soothing me with his presence, and it felt like barely any time has passed at all by the time the others returned, wheeling Elsie back into her room. As they passed us, I noticed that she was secured to the reinforced bed frame with heavy iron shackles, not unlike the ones her family had used to restrain me. I felt a pang of guilt then, feeling sympathy for her despite everything they'd done. I sighed sadly, and Cole tilted my face up towards him, kissing my lips softly and resting his forehead against mine. "We'll find a way to stop it, I promise you," he whispered low enough for only my ears to hear. I gave him a small smile, still feeling both guilty and unconvinced, then rested my head back on his chest for a moment longer. He rested his head gently on top of mine, holding me closer, and I breathed him in, his warmth and his scent soothing me. Thane came out of the room again a moment later, and I looked up at him expecte
I laughed softly, enjoying his playful nature, and rose up onto my tiptoes, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him again. He growled softly, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist, pulling me close enough to feel his arousal through his pants. I pulled back slightly, blushing and smiling at him, and he grinned again, taking my hand and leading me through the West Wing of the hospital, to a large empty consulting room, with huge windows and an incredible view. He closed the door behind us, locking it, and coming over behind me as I stood staring out the window. I felt his warm breath on my neck as he began trailing soft kisses over the sensitive skin there, making me sigh softly, my eyes fluttering closed as I enjoyed the sensation. They shot open a moment later as I heard Thane's voice, mind-linking me, "Later, you two. I need you back here." Finn groaned, a sound of disappointment that mirrored my own, and I realised Thane had sent it to both of us. We both sighed and
I felt the colour drain from my face, and I swallowed, "Intended target?" I asked, my voice wavering as I spoke, and she nodded sadly. "Intended target for what?!" Finn growled, looking furious, "If it's killed so many already, shouldn't it be gone by now, and Quentin dead?" Elyanna shook her head gently, and gave me a look so full of pity that my stomach turned, and I dreaded hearing her answer. "A fearmonger does not kill, just like it did not with Elsie. It takes its victim's minds, twists their reality until all they know is the fear, anguish, and torment that they plant and cultivate over time, until there is nothing else left. Then they slowly devour it, leaving nothing but an empty shell," she said sadly, and I felt a tear run down my cheek. "And.. that's what happened to Elsie? It's.. what will happen to me? And anyone it has to go through to get to me?" I asked, stifling a small sob. Cole put his arms around me protectively, and Thane shook his head angrily, "No," he said f
I stepped closer to him, reaching up to kiss his cheek, then wrapped my arms tightly around his waist, "Thank you," I said softly, trying not to sound too overly excited, "When can I start?" I heard Cole laughing quietly behind me then, and turned to find him, Finn, and Luca, all grinning in amusement. Dorian's face looked much more sober, however. "There is also still the matter of what to do about Elsie," he said quietly, and the amusement faded quickly. "Should I presume we mean only to keep her comfortable?" he asked, "For how long? If we don't start to see any improvements.." he trailed off, knowing the rest didn't need to be said. It would usually be a decision left to someone's family, but Valerie was dead, and Derrick quite clearly an enemy. Thane sighed, shrugging gently, "I guess we're her next of kin now, aside from Derrick," he said, and Dorian nodded patiently. "Let's.. wait and see for now. We don't know yet what Elyanna might dig up, or how much of Elsie is truly left
He lowered his head, resting his forehead gently on mine, and smiled again. "Finally," he said softly, as he cupped my face gently, pressing his lips to mine. I closed my eyes, returning his kiss, enjoying the intimate moment with him, and he slowly deepened it, our tongues entwining as our feelings of passion grew, quickly and fiercely. His hands slid slowly upwards, lifting the hem of my shirt, and he broke the kiss only long enough to remove it, his hands reaching for the clasp of my bra, undoing it quickly and letting it fall to the floor. I felt his fingers on my nipples then, pinching and teasing, making me moan and gasp softly against his amazing mouth. He grinned at my reaction, lifting his head briefly to remove his own shirt, before pressing his lips against mine once more. His fingers reached lower then, pushing my pants down over my hips, and to the floor. I stepped out of them, doing the same to his, and in mere moments he was pushing me backwards, his mouth still on mi
Cole moved to kneel behind me, pulling me upright and pushing my shoulders down, until his brother's cock began to penetrate me slowly, deeper and deeper, until it filled me completely, and I moaned loud, my body responding and tensing around him immediately. Cole pushed me down forwards then, and Finn wrapped a hand in my hair again, holding me there against his chest as I felt Cole positioning himself behind me. The head of his hard, already wet cock pressed against my tighter hole then, spreading it wide around his thick girth as he slowly pushed himself inside, making me moan even louder. He waited as my body tensed, until I forced myself to relax, and then pushed himself deeper again, until he filled me as completely as his brother did, the two of them together making me feel so incredibly, erotically, full. Cole reached forward, grabbing my arms and pulling them behind me, making me arch my back as he and Finn began moving slowly inside me, in time with each other. I couldn't
"Oh.. haha, yeah. That would be great, thanks, Finn!" he said awkwardly, and Finn smiled at him nodding. "No worries, Jake. Hope you don't mind if we take the long way," he said, still sounding far too casual, and Jake frowned in confusion. "The long way?" he asked, and Finn nodded, "Yeah, via the hospital. So you can see what miss witchy bitchy really does to her loyal followers. Unless there's some other reason you've been up here fucking around in our bedrooms?" His tone grew angrier as he continued, losing the casual mannerisms as his expression became intense, showing the fury he clearly felt. The colour drained from Jake's face, his eyes widening as he shook his head, "No.. I.. what are you talking about? I.. was just lost, like you said.." he stammered awkwardly. Both brothers stared at him intently, from either side, and he glanced from one to the other, looking fearful. I stepped forward then, and he gave me a pleading look, "L..Laila," he said desperately, "You understand,
Jake stared at her, then Thane, "Wait.. you haven't told me what they actually do," he asked, and Thane's expression only grew angrier, "Perhaps you should have sought that knowledge out for yourself, before bringing them into our home!" The last few words were a shout, as Thane momentarily lost control of his rage. He took a moment to calm himself, before speaking again, to his brothers this time, "Take Laila downstairs for a shower. I presume the lower floors are at least still safe?" he asked, turning back to Jake, who gave a brief nod. Cole and Finn both linked their arms through mine, beginning to lead me downstairs, while Jake began to protest about removing the items, now that he understood their danger - to some degree, at least. It only made me angrier to think that Samantha was having her followers do her bidding, without then even beginning to understand the danger of it. The voices above continued to grow more heated as we reached the lower landing, only to find Sam stand
After that, everything else began to happen all at once. A blurry, chaotic, storm of events, as attacks began, from their side, and then ours, as our patrols began to hit their more isolated groups, using the terrain they knew so well to take them by surprise. We weakened them quickly there, while our sentries weakened those who dared attack our home, the few who broke through meeting Tyson and his teams, and finding themselves overwhelmingly outmatched. As the sun went down, they only grew more desperate and disorganised, the attacking groups growing smaller, weaker, and far less confident. Within a few hours, Marcus had his original patrols hunting down the remnants of Yannick's pack. Yannick himself was captured as he tried to flee, and his Beta, Sean, was killed as he led a dismal final attempt to attack our home. It was almost dawn again when Yannick was brought before us, greatly wounded in both pride and body. Cole, Finn, and I stared down at him with disdain, while we awaite
Dorian reached up to wipe my tears with his thumbs, a look of sorrow-filled sympathy on his face, "I promise you, we'll help him as best we can," he said softly, "but your pack still needs you, you need to help them." I stared at him wide eyed, not feeling like I could help anyone right now, but he cupped my cheeks gently, giving me an encouraging nod. "I.. but.." I stammered, looking around and seeing so many uncertain faces looking right back at me, and I knew that it was me who needed to give them certainty again. He stepped back, organising for Thane to be taken to the hospital, and I shook my head sadly, taking several long deep breaths and closing my eyes for a moment, before speaking again. "I need reports," I said more firmly, "I need to know what's happening with the incursions, and.." I paused for a moment again, trying to clear my head enough to focus. "The sentries, they need to report to Finn now," I said, looking up at him. His face was pale, so very pale, and shocked,
Samantha seemed to find some determination from somewhere though, straightening her posture even as her companion fell forward, his face hitting the ground with a soft thud. She suddenly dropped her hand, allowing the metal piece to move towards her, before suddenly raising both, trying to thrust it towards me with everything she had. I screamed wordlessly, letting that rage rush through me again, wildly, as I raised both hands, thrusting them towards her. I could see the fear in her eyes as the object raced towards her, and unable to stop it, she ducked, and it shot right past her, barely missing her companions, and out of sight. She turned to me as she straightened again, but her eyes were drawn to the same thing that had caught my own attention. From Thane's slowly stirring body, a dark figure had formed, leaving his body and hovering above it. "What are you doing?!" Samantha screamed at it, sounding hysterical, "She's right there! Take her!" She pointed at me, but nothing rushed
"Where?" asked Finn, and I frowned at him, "Right there, in the middle, Thane's walking over to her.." I stopped as he exchanged a look with Jess, both of them looking puzzled. "The young blonde kid?" Jess asked, and I stared at her in bewilderment, "What young blonde kid? I mean the black haired woman, standing in the middle of the group waiting for Thane." Finn stopped walking, grabbing my arm and turning me towards him, "You see a black haired woman standing there?" he asked, as he and Jess both frowned at me in confusion. "Yes.. don't you?" I asked, suddenly feeling uncertain, and they both shook their heads looking concerned. "No.." Jess began, looking thoughtful, "Do you think.. could she be masking herself somehow?" she asked, looking up at Finn. "I don't know.." he said, as he rubbed his chin, seeming to consider the idea, then lifted a brow, looking over behind us, "but I know someone who would," he added, and I turned, seeing Elyanna over at the edge of the green, closer t
As we reached the green, we noticed the tension in the air. Nerves were frayed, and some were frightened, knowing something was happening, but having no clear message of what. A few people stopped, staring at us, seeming to be waiting for something, and I sighed, looking up at Finn. "They need to know," I said gently, and he frowned, shaking his head, "Thane.." he began, and I gently put a hand on his arm. "Check with him," I said gently, "but he's not down here, he doesn't see their nervousness. They'd feel better if they knew, and knew it was being handled." He sighed, but nodded, his eyes going blank for a moment, before they came into focus again, "He still doesn't want to share much," he said, looking mildly disappointed, "but we can let them know a little." I nodded, giving him an encouraging smile, and he turned, making eye contact with those watching and waiting nervously, beckoning them over. When a small crowd had gathered around us, he lifted his head, raising his voice,
Josefine turned to him with an arched eyebrow and a stern look, before looking back to me, "Which one of you does the Fearmonger seek?" she asked. "They said it was me," I answered quietly. "Have you confirmed it?" she asked, and I frowned, asking her, "How would I do that?" She gave a brief nod, then turned to the others, who already seemed to be gathering some things up. "Leave it with us," Josefine said, as they all began heading for the door, and Elyanna ushered for us to follow, "We will do what we can," she said encouragingly, "For now, take care of your pack, defend them if need be. We'll find you when it's time," she continued, as we followed the others outside. "When it's time for what?" I asked, as she pulled her door closed behind us, locking it with a key on a ring full of others. My mind caught on that detail for some reason, it seeming odd, given her tiny cottage, for there to be so many. She smiled and reached over to touch my cheek gently, drawing my attention back t
"Just like Margrethe herself," Mathilde breathed softly, half to herself, and Anne stood, coming closer and peering over her friend's shoulder. "Truly!" she gasped, seeming just as surprised and impressed as Mathilde was. I frowned at them both, as Lisbet began to withdraw again, "Margrethe?" I asked, and they stared at me in mild disbelief."Queen Margrethe, of course!" Josefine said, sounding a little offended, and Anne turned to face her. "She is so young, you cannot expect her to remember a Queen long before her time," Anne said gently. Josefine tilted her chin up slightly, "She was also a werewolf, do they not teach the history of their own Royals?" she asked, and Elyanna sighed. "Whether they do or not, Laila had no control over what she herself was taught as a child," she said sternly, "Do not place the blame that belongs to the generations past on her shoulders."Anne nodded agreement, along with Sofie, and Josefine scowled. "It may be the fault of generations past, but will sh
Elyanna opened the door a moment later, with a small frown in her face. Seeing us, she stepped outside, rather than inviting us in, pulling the door closed behind her. "Finn, Laila," she said with a warm smile, though her forehead still held a small crease, "What's happened?" she asked. Finn and I exchanged a glance, and he gave her an apologetic smile, "This.. probably won't be a quick conversation," he said hesitantly, "Would you prefer to have it inside?" Her lips pursed together as she shifted uncomfortably, "Ah, at the moment, I have.. company," she said awkwardly, "That you may not wish to overhear?" she continued, her tone suggestive. He sighed, and nodded, "We hoped it might have been the kind of company that might have offered further insight," he said gently, "We've just had some ourselves." She raised an eyebrow, "You have learned something?" she asked, seeming surprised, and Finn shook his head, giving a short laugh. "No, I don't think so," he said, "It was Yannick, from
Marian looked stunned, the colour draining from her face, and she closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead, seeming to process what he'd just told her. "Okay," she said shakily, ".. okay, okay.." she took a couple of deep breaths, her eyes still closed as she calmed herself, before looking back at Finn and I. "Are we still trying to keep the South Wing clear?" she asked, sounding much more composed. Finn nodded, "Yes, if we can manage without it," she nodded again, seeming to have fully recovered from her shock as she took charge, and I had to admire her ability to react well under pressure. "We only have five patients at the moment, in wards One through Three," she said, seemingly half to herself. "Camille!" she called out, and the other nurse stuck her head out of one of the nearby wards, "Prepare ward Twelve for emergency triage, we might have a lot of incomings. Eleven too, just in case."Camille stared at her in disbelief for a moment, and Marian raised an eyebrow, "Now! Laila and