Havermouth, Present TimeThe refugees had been intercepted at the foot of the bridge into the town by some very suspicious locals, who had been reinforced by the werewolf army. Whilst things appeared calm and under control, there was an undercurrent in the expressions and body language of both sides that indicated that was fragile.The werewolves were on foot, and their possessions were carried. On the far side, various vehicles had been parked, but the newcomers had balked at crossing the train bridge with their cars and had instead walked across. There were animals amongst them – chickens, goats, sheep and cows.The chaos was impressive as none of the animals were enclosed, and whilst the Trayrock refugees had managed to drive them over the bridge successfully, they ranged wild on this side, grazing on the greenery along the riverbank.“Summarize,” Sigrid said to Rohan.“Lower-ranked wolves from Trayrock,” Rohan said. “Said they left soon after the Van Helsings moved in, and they sa
Trayrock, Present Time“Phew,” Aislen threw herself into the front seat of the car as the men piled in around her. “That got the adrenaline pumping. Now I’m starving.” On cue, her stomach growled loudly, and she grimaced, pressing her hand to it trying to still it’s churning.“Fucking hell,” Rhett laughed from the back seat. “Your stomach sounds like a horny alpha.”“Growing an entire person,” she reminded him.“At an accelerated rate,” Heath agreed. “We really need to keep on top of the food situation for Aislen. Our appetites are somewhat easier to manage - I’ve noticed that once a day is generally enough for me, and Talen needs even less, but Aislen is right – she’s pregnant. With human, and I am assuming werewolf pregnancies, it’s important that a pregnant woman get all the nutrients and vitamins that she needs, like folate, iron, and calcium…”“All of which can be found in blood,” Talen added soothingly. “So, we will ensure that Morgana feeds at least three times a day, and if an
Havermouth, Present TimeThey did not make it past the gate before Samuel landed on the footpath before them with an impressive thud. Ember’s wings lit the garden as she landed, more lightly, and Aislen blinked halos as the dragon folded them away again, dousing the garden back into shadow.“Ah, hi,” Cameron waved awkwardly over Aislen and Talen’s shoulders.“You should not head out on a mission without us, Emissary,” Samuel’s tone was respectful, but there was a scold not so hidden. “We are here to protect you, and to train you.”“I went out earlier without you,” Aislen pointed out practically. “I can’t take you with me everywhere.”“You aren’t obliged to take them anywhere,” Heath added.“But it is prudent,” Talen placed a big hand on Heath’s shoulder. “We apologize for not keeping you apprised of our activities, Samuel and Ember. We are not accustomed to doing so, and as such it did not occur to us to disturb you. As you have surmised, we are about to begin disrupting the local Van
Trayrock, Present TimeAs Talen eased open the sliding door onto the balcony, Rhett surreptitiously inspected the gunshot wound on his ribs. It was just a graze, but it had stung like a mother-fucker as he’d hauled the body up onto the balcony, and it had ruined his brand-new shirt, sticking it to his side with blood. He couldn’t tell if he was still bleeding, or whether the slick wetness under his fingers was just blood left on his skin from the initial wound. It smarted to touch the wound, so he imagined that it was still closing up.He poked his finger through the hole in his jacket. It might improve the look, he thought ruefully, if he got shot up a few more times. The store hadn’t exactly offered a wide range of clothing, and everything he’d chosen fit into the “basics” range. Basic dark or black jeans or slacks, basic dark or black tops and t-shirts, and the basic black denim jacket. None of it had any spice or attitude, and he didn’t have the accessories to add it.The bullet h
Trayrock, Present TimeTalen counted heads as they crossed to the next house, making sure all his mates were present, as well as Ember. The act amused him, despite the gravity of the night, as he felt like a mother duck keeping track of her ducklings. They were a somber group, and he ran an eye over Rhett and Cameron trying to determine what was bothering his mates. Aislen was distracted by Ember, who was trying to explain the powers that Morgana possessed as Emissary, and while that was of interest to Talen, the grim faces of his mates were more urgent, so he fell back in line with Heath.“Cameron seems…” He started.“He’s not comfortable killing while they’re in a magic sleep,” Heath knew the answer to the question without prompting.“Ah,” Talen nodded. “It is safer.”“Yes,” Heath adjusted the laptop bag that he held over his shoulder. “Definitely, and a handy trick that Aislen has in her arsenal, but…” He grimaced a little at Talen.“Understood,” he nodded and stretched his legs, c
Trayrock, Present TimeAislen realised that she’d fucked up when she heard the crash of the front door being kicked in. This wasn’t going to be a quiet attack, but one which all the neighbours would overhear. She could only hope that none of them were feeling friendly towards the Van Helsings enough to go banging on the third target house down the street.Heath pulled himself up onto the roof and grabbed her hand. “Shit Aislen,” he plucked glass out before bowing his head over her hand and licking the wounds closed. “Quick thinking,” he said as he released her hand and looked up with a grin. “And fucking hot. I had no idea you could move like that.”She had been expecting him to scold her, and her laughter caught her by surprise. “Me either,” she admitted.“Well, let’s get this done quickly. It’s the only way to keep the noise down,” he turned to the window and kicked in the last of the glass. “Careful as you get in.”“I could put them all to sleep…” She suggested.He shook his head.
Trayrock, Present Time“If clothing wasn’t such a precious commodity at the moment, we could shift,” Heath observed as they walked quickly along the pavement heading back to where Talen had parked. “It’s a beautiful night for it.”He was right, Aislen thought. The sky had that clarity that made the night bitterly cold but foretold a pretty morning and calm weather the next day. Which would make being out and about nicer than being in a thunderstorm but wouldn’t provide as much cover as one, Aislen thought.“There’s Ember,” Cameron pointed to a spark high above them. “Which means that Samuel’s probably up there somewhere. He disappears into the night sky.”“Do you think they’re right, and that they’re the last of their kind?” Aislen wondered.“They would know better than we would,” Heath answered. “But I hope not. I like the idea of a world with dragons in it,” he smiled as he watched the speck move in the sky. “I guess we grew up so isolated within the pack, that other supernaturals d
Trayrock, Present Time"It is unusual for us to be alone," Talen said softly stroking his fingers through her hair."I would ask if you felt we needed adult supervision," she teased him. "But I am not sure if the Triquetra counts as a single adult let alone three."He laughed, a low chuckle of sound. "They are slowly maturing. Another hundred years or two, perhaps?" He arched an eyebrow."Maybe two," she agreed. "Quick now, Daddy, before they get back. Not that they're ever unwelcome, but it's nice sometimes...""Hmm," his eyes were warm. She didn't need to elaborate. He understood and didn't judge her for wanting one on one.They stopped by their room to grab towels and toiletries before tiptoeing down the hall to the bathroom.It was not a big room and was going to be straining at the seams in the morning Aislen thought as Talen closed the door between them and the hall. The wall with the door held two toilet cubicles, and the opposite wall two shower cubicles. An island of sinks an