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Check Mate
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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The Pack's Emissary Rhett’s Mission
Trayrock, Present TimeAislen fell through the aether and jerked awake, her legs kicking and her hands gripping onto the nearest man, causing them all to start, Cameron’s snoring broken off into an exclamation of alarm.“What the actual fuck?” Rhett had been the recipient of both the grip and the spasming kicks and blinked at her through the fall of his hair. Her fingernails clawed into his tattoos, drawing blood, the scent of it in the air, and wet beneath her fingertips.“Little Demon,” Talen’s hand rested on her shoulder, the palm warm. He smoothed from shoulder to elbow and back again. “You are safe. We are all safe.”She knew that he was right. They were in the surprisingly cosy makeshift bed, in a room heated by five sleeping bodies, and until her attack on Rhett, they had all been deeply in a much-needed sleep.“Sorry, Rhett,” she was embarrassed, releasing her hold on him. “I scratched you.”“It’s just a scratch,” he dismissed it. “My shins and balls are more upset. Were you p
The Pack's Emissary The Hospital Mission Begins
Trayrock, Present TimeThe bar was filled with the scent of bacon and eggs, and busy with all the reporters and their crews having brunch. Aislen’s stomach growled as she slid into the booth across from her mother. The Triquetra took the booth behind her, and Talen sat beside her.“You should eat,” Tiffany pushed a piece of paper across the table towards her with a simple menu written on it. “I can hear your stomach grumbling away.”“I don’t eat,” Aislen moved the menu out of the way. “I drink. And I will drink when I get the chance to sink my fangs into someone who looks tasty.”“Aislen Carter,” Tiffany scolded as her eyes flicked around them at the other diners. “Must you?”“Tell me what’s happening with the town?” Aislen prompted wanting to get it over and done with as soon as possible so that she and her mates could get out of the bar and on with their day. “What brought you here this morning?”“Oh my,” Tiffany leaned forward over the table eagerly. “So, the tea is that last night
The Pack's Emissary Follow My Lead
Trayrock, Present TimeIn the car park at the hospital, the two vehicles parked side by side and wound down the windows between them.Talen leaned his elbow on the open window. “So, how do you wish to play this, little demon?” He asked, looking at Aislen.There were two aspects to consider, Aislen thought. They wanted to give the reporters only good things to see from their side, and bad from the Van Helsings, so she didn’t want to expose them to any unprovoked violence by supernaturals. However, some violence would be needed in order to get into the hospital in the first place.“Nadia and Roger, with Cameron, Heath, Rhett, and Philip Salem are going to approach from the inside entrance to the hospital and see if they can get past the guards there through subterfuge,” Aislen decided. (Or violence) she thought to Heath very clearly, sliding him a look from the corner of her eye, and saw him nod slightly in acknowledgment.“Ember and Samuel will be above,” she squinted up at the sky. Sh
The Pack's Emissary Fake It Til You Make It
Trayrock, Present TimeThey moved forward with caution until the car park and the entrance to the main hospital building came into view. The Van Helsing presence was heavy, with four guards on the door, as well as pairs patrolling along the edges of the car park. Aislen could see another six at key points overlooking the road in.It made sense, she thought to herself. If the werewolf army or a civilian militia attacked in force, they would come from the road. They had obviously heard enough about what happened in Havermouth to be wary of that sort of full-frontal attack.The vehicles that entered from the road were stopped by a boom-gate into the car park which the Van Helsings used as a checkpoint. A second checkpoint was established at the mouth of the emergency services entrance, where ambulances once would have been taken in order to deposit their patients into the ED.Penn and Jacinta’s cameras took it all in.“I guess,” Aislen kept her voice low. “The first question that comes t
The Pack's Emissary Taking Prisoners
Narrigil, Present TimeThey had been waiting so long that Lyric’s legs had begun to get pins and needles. The Mer around her were so still and attentive that she had not felt that she could squirm or fidget in order to relieve it. She recalled reading about soldiers on ceremonial guard duty doing small muscle flexes and wriggling their toes in order to maintain circulation, and wondered if the Mer used such tricks.When the order came, it was out of the blue. A single word was spoken, heard in her helmet. She didn’t need translation – it was obvious. “Go.”Her group of Mer surged towards the wall. Some moved so quickly that Lyric was treated to a view of blood spraying as they carved up the guards on duty – the card players taken by such surprise that they had not even dropped their hands to the ground, and the cards drifted from lifeless fingers.The guards above were slow to respond, uncertain as to what they were seeing – a liquid-like ripple across the ground, until that splatter
The Pack's Emissary Fire Alarms and Gun Shots
Trayrock, Present TimeThe double doors into the hallway of the main hospital were closed and guarded by two stern-looking guards who were already having a bad day. A crowd of locals were facing off against them, their faces angry and their words getting heated.“Hang back a moment,” Heath murmured to them before drifting over to where a volunteer tea and coffee station was set up, the elderly volunteers with their striped aprons hanging on every word spoken at the entrance. “Coffee?” He asked the lady holding the pot, taking out a paper cup.“Of course, dear,” she poured without looking at him, her attention locked on the argument at the door. “Would you like cream and sugar with that?”“No thanks,” Heath couldn’t drink it anyway, but he mimed doing so, watching the doorway.“Our staff have been on duty for weeks without respite in there,” a man jabbed his finger towards the door. “That is illegal and inhumane. They are running short of medication, scrubs, and linens, basic supplies,
The Pack's Emissary Broken Bones
Trayrock, Present TimeTalen’s phone vibrated in his pocket a second before it began to ring, the sound cheerfully chirping out into the tenseness of the confrontation. “Excuse me,” Talen grimaced as he slid his phone out and checked the display. Sigrid. “I’m afraid I must take this,” he said to his mates as he side-stepped back in the direction they had come.He trusted his mates had the situation under control for the time being, but he would at least guard their back whilst he spoke with Sigrid, who would not have called him unless it was necessary.“Sigrid?” He answered the phone.“Thaelen,” she slipped into Concordian. “I am sorry to interrupt you. Are you in a position to speak?”“I am in the middle of a raid on the Trayrock hospital, but it is currently peaceful,” he replied. As much as the situation could be, he acknowledged to himself. “Speak.”“I am assuming you have seen the news reports of the invaders?”“Yes. It has been a very busy twenty-four hours, and I have not had t
The Pack's Emissary Gas Bubbles
Trayrock, Present Time“You know your mum didn’t come to the pub to have breakfast and gossip, don’t you?” Cameron told Aislen as they took the stairs up to the second level. He kept his voice low so that it didn’t echo off the concrete of the stairwell, though the shuffle of feet behind them as the humans who followed them came to a standstill watching as Heath creaked open the door all but muffled his words.“All clear,” Heath decided. “But keep them back here while I check the hallway.” He slipped through the opening and Cameron caught the door with his hand, holding it open while they watched as Heath crept from door to door. He paused at one, looked back at them, and pointed to the door indicating someone inside before moving on.“I know what you’re thinking,” Aislen was amused she told herself, although there was an underlying pain beneath the humour. “Literally. That she came because she wants to see me. I doubt it. You know, I was in Rideten for years, and she never came and s
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The Pack's Emissary If You Choose
Havermouth, Present TimeAislen was looking down at a chessboard. She was holding a little statuette of Verina in her hand. She shook as she set it down on her side of the board and looked up at the woman who sat across from her. This time, the handmaiden or goddess, whatever she was, wore gold. Not some cheap and tacky replica, or some misleading named yellow, but true gold.An elaborate metal headdress began on her forehead, framing her face and covering her hair, continuing from just below her chin to spread over her shoulders and down her chest. The dress was made of fine chain link that draped like material, clinging to her curvaceous body, before dripping away into the aether that crept around their feet. Her lips were painted gold, and so were her eyelids and eyebrows. Golden rings encircled her fingers, and her wrists and arms were heavy with bracelets and cuffs. The tips of her fingers were dipped in gold.She was magnificent and regal and there was a formality to the way tha
The Pack's Emissary Preparing for Leighton
Havermouth, Present TimeThe room stank. They could smell it the moment they started down the hallway. Old blood, rotten flesh, and rodents. Connery made a noise in the back of his throat and fished in his pockets producing a handkerchief and stuffing it full of herbs from a pouch. He held it out to Meguitte who smiled and shook her head ruefully. She had smelled this particular scent before, many times over the centuries, during plagues and in the dungeons where people were tortured and left to rot.“I guess it’s a good thing that no one has been here to clean up after Leighton, as the ward will be untouched,” Connery commented, his voice muffled by the handkerchief.Blow flies greeted them. The cages were empty, but no one had scrubbed the room, and there were buckets sticky with congealed blood, stains of it on the floors and walls, and other biological matter in the corners of the cages where the prisoners had relieved themselves. The room rustled with bugs as a result.“Hmm,” Meg
The Pack's Emissary Gera
Havermouth, Present Time“You’re doing great,” Heath was breathless. He and Rhett had run, dragging with them several screaming witches. They had been pursued, by Mer, by zombies, by the few Van Helsing soldiers who had survived, but they’d been able to put some distance between them with help from the dragons in the sky. It had been very weird to see the dragons sending bolts of lighting and fire to hold off pursuit. One of them had done something that had made the earth beneath Heath’s feet tremble with a clap of thunder that had his ears still ringing.The timing had been perfect. They’d headed towards Leighton’s warehouse, and just as he’d started to debate which warehouse was likely, the door of the Stock Feed and Animal Supplies warehouse had opened revealing Phillip Salem. When he’d entered and seen Aislen on her hands and knees in a clearing within the filthy warehouse, he had not known whether to be relieved or despairing. The warehouse was so precarious a place for his mate
The Pack's Emissary Birthing Suites
Havermouth, Present Time“Stella was anticipating that your mates would attack the ward,” Phillip commented mildly as he riffled through the cupboards. “I am curious to see what happened when she found Leighton instead of them. He did not seem happy.”“Leighton was there? Shit,” Aislen’s heart picked up pace. “We really don’t want him to find us, Phillip. We tried to turn him over to the Mer, but it failed. Verina died though, and Leighton’s pissed in a big way. He came to kill me.”“Possibly, or to steal the baby,” Phillip agreed indifferently inspecting a steak knife before returning it to the drawer. “I think you over value yourself, Aislen, and undervalue what you’re carrying.”“Gee, thanks. Hopefully, Stella took Leighton out,” Aislen added thoughtfully. “She was well set up there, with a massive coven behind her. However powerful Leighton is, I doubt he’s as powerful as them.”“That is true. But then, Stella will have discovered that you are not there, and will know that I betra
The Pack's Emissary The Spell Trap
Havermouth, Present Time“I’m fine, my darling, truly, cross my heart,” Connery pressed the heel of his hand to his chest earnestly. Meguitte narrowed her eyes at him with suspicion. He was still paler than normally, with shadows pressed deep into his under eyes.“Have a sandwich and a cup of tea,” the werewolf Diana insisted offering both from a tray. She was going around the lower floor exchanging food and drinks for blood, and Meguitte sent her a side-eye. “I won’t take his blood,” Diana added hastily. “I can see that he can’t spare it. Perhaps you could, though?”“Me?” Meguitte was astonished by the suggestion.“It won’t take more than ten minutes, and I’m very gentle, I promise.”“It’s not that,” Meguitte explained. “I’m just… not an ordinary vampire. I have none of their normal powers.”“All blood is good blood at the moment,” Diana had sensed surrender and was preparing the kit.Meguitte sat next to Connery and rolled up her sleeve.He smiled at her. “How generous you are my be
The Pack's Emissary The Fked Up, The Fkers, and the Fish
Havermouth, Present TimeRhett and Heath did not speak as they wound their way through the streets of Havermouth. There was little opportunity to talk, slinking through the shadows, down the little alleyways between houses, and cutting through back gardens, but there was also a heavy sense of silence between them so that Rhett knew that even if they had been able, they both would have been too lost in their thoughts. Or lost in their worries, would be more accurate.They had searched the area around the smoke thoroughly, even venturing into the still-burning buildings. There had been no sign of Aislen. And no response to their mental calls for their mate. An icy fist of dread had a tight grip on Rhett’s heart. Why was she not answering? She had to be unconscious or…They would know if she had died. He refused to believe otherwise.Had Leighton found her first? What would Leighton do if he had found Aislen? He still struggled to see Leighton as dangerous, whatever mental voodoo the man
The Pack's Emissary Sigrid and the Mer
Havermouth, Present TimeThere were some languages that were universal, Sigrid thought grimly as she examined the Mer weaponry and made sure that she was familiar with its function. She could tell from the way the Mer moved, from the set of their shoulders, that they were uneasy with the alliance between herself and Niarthen. Their tolerance was thin, and only their respect for Niarthen, and the other two Mer generals, Benethin and Aeylira, kept them obedient. The moment word was received from above that Havermouth was to be destroyed, her life was forfeit.“Do not fear,” Niarthen said quietly. “Aeylira, Benethin, Lyric, and I will ensure that you reach your mates. There is a building which has been declared sacred. Lyric thinks it’s the hospital. That is where your mates are, yes? You should be safe there.”“I am with child,” she told him. “Triplets. The life of four rests on your promise.”“I understand,” he was grim. “Lyric also carries our child.”“If the tide turns,” she regarded
The Pack's Emissary The Dragon’s Battle
Havermouth, Present TimeMagic was in its very nature an invisible thing. You did not see a spell cast, but rather the effects of the spell once it found its victim. Therefore, the warlock Leighton appeared to do very little other than stand with his hands pressed to the surface of the ward, the energy blowing back his hair and causing sweat to break out on his forehead, but Samuel could FEEL the power, and see the reaction of the ward, its opaque surface shifting like water, areas clearing so that the dragons caught brief glimpses of the witches below scurrying about like ants as they tried to reinforce their magic by scattering herbs and arcane objects, and drawing runes on the bitumen.Samuel’s memories of the gloves were still fragmented, but he could recall the power they had given him – not just increased speed, strength, and stamina, but also a magic that was unnatural to him. He could feel a similar magic burning through his veins towards his heart and brain, poisoning as it b
The Pack's Emissary Good Monsters
Havermouth, Present TimeIn the front yard of the witch’s house, Jules caught Harry’s hand, pulling them to a stop. “I should shift,” he explained as he released Harry’s hand and began to strip off his clothing. “We can fly over the trouble.”“Aren’t you the clever one, my beloved,” Harry reached out and began to collect Jules’s clothes as Jules undressed. Jules looked up from stripping off his jeans to find Harry’s eyes hot and his smirk smoldering, and laughed, pulled from the seriousness of the war around them into a moment of pure joy as they celebrated what existed between them.“Okay,” Jules blushed as he finished undressing. “A moment.”Harry stepped back onto the porch and Jules focused on his shift. It was still a foreign experience, one that his body and mind told him shouldn’t be possible despite his entire life as a werewolf. Becoming a werewolf was a redistribution of his body – what existed simply moved to a position more appropriate for the shape that he wished to posses
