Havermouth High School, Five Years in the PastAislen made it to the grassy slope before the bell and sat in approximately the normal position that Heath customarily occupied. She saw the Triquetra walk out of a building in a gathering of other jocks and cheerleaders. Was it a werewolf trait to always move in a pack? She wondered as she watched them approach. They were beautiful, she admitted ruefully. They were simply more athletic, their hair shinier, their skin clearer, their teeth straighter and whiter. There was something to their bone structure, to their long-limbed height and grace of motion that stood out amongst the human students, and quite simply outshone them. And three of them were hers, she added to herself. Or sort of. At the moment. Under whatever complicated, convoluted twisted arrangement that existed between them, whatever madness that had them wanting her… And they wanted her, she told herself. She was telepath, and however poor a one she was, she could tell that
Havermouth, Present Time Aislen watched the light shift across the floor, diffused by the leaves of the trees outside the window. Rhett had pulled back the curtains in order improve the light, and so she had a clear view through his window of the garden and the river below. She could see that they had expanded on the original firepit, creating a paved sunken circular space with inset seating built into the steps down. A gravel pit cupped a large brazier, with wood pre-set for lighting, and there were hollows built into the wall between the stairs and the seats which held wood seasoning for use. She wrapped her fingers around the chair spokes and hissed out a breath as Rhett hit a sensitive spot. He had positioned her straddling the chair, hugging the back, with a cushion beneath her and one before her to make the posture more comfortable. He had tied her hair high up on her head in order to bare her back. She knew, from the flashes of the images that she caught whenever he tou
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeThey ran through the school, pursued with a sort of frantic madness, before dividing between Heath’s car and Cameron’s pulling out of the school parking lot in a burn of smoking tires as if they were being pursued in a movie. Aislen pressed back in the passenger seat of Heath’s car, laughing, wild and wicked with it, and exchanged grins with him as they pulled out onto the main road. “We’ll beat them to your house,” he said. “Do you think we can beat them to the river house?”“I don’t know…” She admitted. “There’re things that I will need to pack…”“Toothbrush, change of underwear, change of clothes,” he changed gear his eyes flicking to the rear view. “Prepare to run.”“What about…” Her mind scattered. “Food… and…”“We have all that.”Tiffany and Patrick would be at work. She could throw together a bag and be gone… and just not return until Sunday, she admitted to herself. If they even noticed that she wasn’t there, what could they do about it?“Okay.”
Havermouth, Present TimeAs Rhett’s room reflected his gothic tastes, and Cameron’s his country farm tastes, Heath’s room was entirely him. Sleek polished surfaces, no clutter, expensive and designer. His bed, like Rhett’s, was a four poster, but square and spare. He had chosen a four poster she saw, swallowing hard, in order to use the poles to mount the restraints. Each pole had several fixtures, from finger-thick metal loops to black rope already tied into place. Next to the bed was a glass-topped table, upon which was laid a wide array of sex toys.Heath’s sexual interests were unapologetically on display. “I guess you don’t have a house cleaner,” she observed. “Or visitors.”“No cleaner,” he opened the door into the bathroom. “And no visitors that would be invited into my bedroom.”The bathroom was tiled in glossy white subway tiles with black grout. The tapware was black, and the porcelain was white. The floor was a patterned black tile in style with the heritage of the house,
Havermouth, Five Years Before“I’m not…” She swallowed. “I’m not sure what to do.” It had always been them doing things to her, not the reverse, she thought. “Whatever you want to,” Heath invited. “He’s not going to stop you. That’s how this work. We do to each other what we want to do, and everyone gets off.”“Over and over again,” Cameron murmured, his eyes almost closed and his body relaxed, entranced by Heath’s hands on him, as Aislen often found herself mesmerized when the Triquetra touched her. But there was a trust between Cameron and Heath that she didn’t hold for any member of the Triquetra, she thought. “Bite my nipples,” he breathed out. “You heard him,” Heath’s voice was dark with lust. “Bite his nipples, Aislen.”Aislen slid her hands up Cameron’s chest, and the down over his shoulders, feeling the flow of his muscle beneath his skin, before pressing her lips to his collar bone. His c-ck nudged against her stomach, and Heath deliberately rubbed the tip against her with
Havermouth, Present TimeHeath was pleased enough with Aislen’s behavior to feed her in the farmhouse style kitchen with its polished wooden benchtops, and shaker profile doors painted a soft moss green. The Triquetra had opened up the rear of the house, and put in French doors onto the balcony, so that light streamed in. There were comfortable natural-toned leather couches and a TV on one side, and a vintage dining table in distressed white paint, complete with gothic styled Queen Anne chairs upholstered in dark grey. The lighting was twisted wrought iron chandeliers, and the fridge and appliances were top of the range and expensive. It was a blend of all three men, she thought, and it worked, each detail complimenting and offsetting the other, a bit like the Triquetra themselves… Though, there was tension and dissent in the Triquetra’s relationship as was demonstrated when Rhett called Heath out of the kitchen. They had been arguing somewhere else in the house, out of sight but no
Havermouth, Five Years in the PastThey swam after sex and then lay lazily on the balcony with the sun warm on their bare skin. There was a decadence, Aislen thought, to being wet and naked in the sunshine with three of the most gorgeous and popular boys from High School. Heath lay on his stomach with his head cushioned on his folded hands and his face turned towards Rhett, his eyes closed, and beyond and over him, Cameron sprawled like a doll dropped from height, one leg and arm on Heath’s back, his face pressed into Heath’s side, snoring slightly.Her head was cushioned on Rhett’s bicep and with her hand on his chest she could feel the steady rhythm of his heart. He was almost asleep, his thoughts drifting off into fuzz whenever he slipped closer to slumber - sex, swimming, more of Cameron’s muffins and alcohol creating a cocktail that combined with the warm sunshine and peacefulness of the location was perfect for sleeping off.Her position gave Aislen the opportunity to look at h
Havermouth, Present TimeAislen watched the birds eat from a bird feeder suspended off the balcony outside Rhett’s window. Of course he would have placed one there so that he could sit at the desk and draw them, she thought. It was precisely what she would have done if it were her room. Watching them now helped take her mind off the tattoo.She wished that she could say that she was getting used to the pain, but it seemed whenever she found a level of comfort, Rhett would find a new and painful spot. “I am done with the outline,” he said, leaning back and setting the tattoo gun down on the plastic wrapped tray. “I’ll just apply the ointment and bandages…” She sighed in relief and rose from the chair, stretching out and rolling her head on her neck as he went to the bathroom and rummaged in the drawers before returning. She felt his breath on her skin as he smoothed the ointment over the tattoo, his pride in his artwork tainted by his misery. (Would he ever be able to look at it with
Havermouth, Present Time “We should talk about the river house,” Heath said as they dried off after the shower. She ignored him and concentrated on drying her hair. She didn’t want to talk about it. She had said all that she wanted to say on the topic, and if she said any more, she knew that it would just start another argument. “Aislen,” he sat on the bed in order to put on his shoes. “I know that…” “Heath,” she flicked her hair back. “Don’t. Just don’t. Rhett had a go at me yesterday about accepting that Havermouth is my home and that I’m not going back to Kabramatta, and you guys have raised several times going to stay at the river house. You can’t bully me into it, and you need to stop trying to do so.” His grey eyes met hers and she held them stubbornly refusing to back down. He nodded slowly. “We are your mates,” he said softly. She inhaled and released it slowly. “I love you,” she told him. “I love the three of you. I want to try to make something of this relationship. I a
Havermouth, Present TimeAislen woke when Rhett eased out from under her. She had been lying half over him, her leg thrown over his body and her hand on his chest and muttered her complaint as his movement unbalanced her and let the cooler air touch her skin. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I have a client coming at nine,” he whispered. “I have to go set up.”“Too early.”“I know, but they work afternoons, and it will take a good three hours.”Talen wrapped an arm around her and drew her into the cup of his body. “Sleep some more, Morgana,” he murmured. “You need to rest in order to heal.”“Careful,” Cameron snickered suddenly and Aislen opened her eyes to see that Cameron had saved Rhett from falling over as he put on his jeans. “F-k man, you’re not a good morning person. One leg in each leg hole, right?” Cameron was already almost fully dressed, his shirt hanging open but his jeans and shoes on.“Need coffee before my brain will wake up fully,” Rhett replied.“For f-ksake,” He
Havermouth, Present Time“Not now, Rhett,” Heath sighed.“You knew!” Rhett rounded on him in shock. “You knew that he intended to turn her!”“We can’t,” Heath rose to his feet and located his jeans. “We can’t turn her werewolf, Rhett. The failure rate is too high. She has three werewolves and a vampire as her mates. If we can’t turn her, it is only logical that he will.”“And then what!” Rhett’s fury was such that the words were all but yelled. “We grow old, whilst she stays eternally young?”“Would you rather her grow old and die, when she has the option to be young and live forever?” Heath demanded. “We cannot give her that, but he can!”“What about kids?” Cameron asked. “If he turns her into a vampire, can she still have kids?”They fell into silence, their eyes flicking to Aislen and then away.“I can have kids,” she answered their unspoken question. “Bitch-faced Tabby Cat was speaking shit. I had a miscarriage, that is all. My doctor never said that I wouldn’t be able to have kid
Havermouth, Present TimeCameron groaned and pressed his hips into hers, letting her feel that he was hard. He leaned over until his breath brushed over her lips, his eyes on hers so that she could see every fleck within the bright blue. She reached up and threaded her fingers into his hair feeling the heavy thickness of the curls wrap around her fingers.His eyes closed as he inhaled and moaned on the exhale. “Your scent…” He said as he opened his eyes, meeting hers. His smile was bone melting. “When you are turned on, your scent is a sin. I remember in school, whenever you walked by us, I’d just about come in my pants breathing it in.”“Make me come, instead,” she invited.“Yeah,” he laughed under his breath. “I can do that.” He lifted her up and carried her to the porch.“Hey,” Tyler said as he opened the door. “Morgana, hey hero! Talen wasn’t sure when you’d be back. He’ll be happy to know you’re back home again. I was just about to head out to grab some take away. Do you want me
Havermouth, Present TimeCameron carried Aislen through the reception area where Heath was smoothly talking his way through her discharge.Rhett paused to charm his way into a trolley. "I'll load up with Aislen's things, and meet you at the cars," he said to Cameron as he wheeled it back into the room.“Oh, I’ll get a wheelchair!” A nurse protested seeing Cameron with Aislen in his arms.“It’s fine,” Cameron told her with a shrug. “Aislen’s not heavy.”“Are you leaving?” A woman stepped out of a room. Her clothing was rumpled, her eyes tired, and she clutched an empty coffee cup in one hand. “That is wonderful news. I’m Margaret,” she said to Aislen with a wide smile, her eyes filling with tears. “You must be Aislen Carter. You saved my son, Stephan’s life. My husband and I… We are just so grateful.”“Oh,” Aislen flushed, embarrassed by the teary gratitude. “It was nothing, really. He was saving himself, and the gunman had moved on to the library, so it wasn’t like… I’m told he’s doin
Havermouth, Present Time“Charles Gale, Pastor,” Pastor Gale recovered quickly, and his outrage transformed into charm. “I came to offer Aislen my services and company. I make regular rounds of the hospital,” he said as he stepped into the room. “And I understood that my son and his friends were at the river house.”He had expected to find her alone, in other words, she thought. Alone and vulnerable. And instead, he found her guarded by a giant of a vampire.“They are,” Talen replied, leaning a hip onto Aislen’s bed, a posture that was both confident and claiming. “We are alternating who stays with Aislen. They will be returning soon.”“Thank you for your kind thought,” Aislen said, barely keeping the sarcasm out of her tone. “But I’m not religious and you’ve made perfectly clear that you don’t enjoy my company.”“Now, Aislen,” Pastor Gale smiled patronizingly. “That’s simply not true.”It was unnerving how similar he looked to Heath, Aislen thought, considering that she reviled the m
Havermouth, Present DayAislen watched the water flow around her feet, swirling over the paving stones and tarmac of the main street of Havermouth, ripples casting shadows through the water that looked like screaming faces. She walked through the water, bewildered, feeling its cold drag against her legs, and its weight tugging down the fabric of her dress and sticking it to her skin.The traffic on the street had stopped, cars like islands in the flowing water, and pedestrians came to a standstill, everyone turning towards the river in astonishment.Where had the water come from?Something brushed against Aislen’s leg, and she looked down and cried out in horror as a pale, fish-nibbled face passed by, cheeks flapping in the movement of the water and eye sockets vacant, carried along in the tide of the water.Aislen woke on the end of a jump and gripped the sheets, breathing heavily.“Morgana,” Talen rose from the recliner and leaned over her. His hair was loose, brushing over her chee
Havermouth, Present Day“Aislen…” Heath started but was interrupted by the arrival of the nurses. “We’ll talk after,” he finished as the nurses adjusted the bed to sit Aislen upright.“Any discomfort?” The nurse asked attentively as they helped Aislen turn so that her legs hung over the end of the bed.“No,” Aislen suspected that Talen’s blood was the reason, healing her from the inside out. Bless her daddy vampire, she thought fondly.“Okay, but be guided by your body and if it hurts, we will stop…”“I can carry her,” Cameron hovered anxiously as Aislen stood with the help of the nurses. “F-k…” His hands were already held out, wanting to push the nurses out of the way.“Boyfriend?” The nurse to Aislen’s left asked as they took a shuffling step towards the ensuite.“Yeah,” Aislen agreed. It was close enough a description for their relationship at the moment, she decided, and she was f-king over being ashamed and hiding. “Both are, actually,” she said with a slight shrug. “Four, really
Kabramatta, A Month BeforeAislen found the regular yoga sessions not only helpful in maintaining a level of physical fitness to combat the stationary nature of her art, but also in enforcing a regular meditation to help strengthen the bubbles that protected her from the onslaught of mental noise that came with living in a busy city. That Bianca was the yogi was a bonus, as it meant that she could combine exercise, meditation and a catch up with her friend.Aislen lingered behind as the class ended and the room gradually emptied.She watched as Bianca flirted with a pony-tailed, curvaceous blonde woman, the sparks flying between them as they exchange numbers. The blonde cast a smile over her shoulder as she left.“You have a type,” Aislen drawled as she joined Bianca. “Blonde, curvy, and bubbly.”“So do you - six inches, chubby and made of silicone,” Bianca snorted. “When are you going to give a flesh and blood person a go? I bumped into Jordan Daniels the other day at a gallery. He i