Havermouth, Five Years Before“Can we have a moment?” Heath asked. “And then she’ll go with you.”The two policemen exchanged a look and shrugged slightly.Heath turned to Aislen and gripped her shoulders as Rhett joined them in a tight huddle. “What is this about?” Heath asked her. “What have you done? Dr James wouldn’t have you sectioned over nothing… What happened the other night? What did you say to her?”Aislen slid a look at Rhett. “Nothing, Heath. I just said that I was sorry for her loss.”“Her reaction was extreme,” he murmured to himself. “Perhaps she is unbalanced after losing her child and has fixated on you, because you’re a girl and you found her daughter.”“Maybe,” Aislen was dubious.“I’ll go back to Rhett’s place with him and get Mr Salem onto it.”“If he’ll help, the mood that he is in,” Rhett said sourly.“He’ll help,” Heath replied firmly. (Because my family outranks yours, and the Salem’s are new to the pack.) “He’ll sort this out, Aislen. Go with the police offic
Havermouth, Present TimeAs Aislen passed the bathroom, doing up the last buttons on her shirt, she heard water running and laughter – Cameron and Rhett were sharing the shower. She smiled, their play warming her heart.Tyler was cooking pancakes in the kitchen as she entered and Heath sat at the table drinking coffee, somehow immaculate despite being in clothing worn the day before to paint in. His hair was still wet from his shower and slicked back against his skull in contrast to the golden stubble that was just beginning to show through his skin.Talen followed her into the kitchen still towel drying his hair from their shower. “Good morning, Tyler,” he smiled. “How was your night?”“It’s been years since I slept in a single,” Tyler replied. “I think I regressed a little overnight and rediscovered my inner child, so it’s chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.”“If you’re ready, Aislen,” Heath took his coffee cup to the sink. “We will grab something out.”“Heath’s not a chocolate c
Havermouth, Five Years Before Aislen woke still restrained to the bed and writhed beneath an urgent need to vomit. She strained against the restraints on her wrists. She fought until she realized that she wasn't going anyway and turned her head, the only motion she could achieve, vomiting across her shoulder, the edge of mattress, and onto the floor. Oh, f-k, she thought in the breathless panic left behind. Oh, f-k. She sank back onto the cushions, nauseated by the bitter taste in her mouth. Oh, God, she thought, what was she going to do? The nurse came in within a few minutes. “Oh dear,” she exclaimed. “I am so sorry. We’ll get that cleaned up in no time.” She pressed the call button. “A shower will fix you right up, sweetie, and by the time you’re back… we’ll have this mess cleaned up.” “Sure,” Aislen replied knowing that the real mess wasn’t something that a mop could resolve. Within ten minutes, she was released from the restraints and able to take a shower which she spent bra
Havermouth, Present TimeIt was rather fun to shop with Heath. He had a particular and uncompromising vision as to what he liked and what he didn’t, and he wasn’t afraid to offer his opinion. That he looked gorgeous sitting in the guest chair in the change rooms, and that the shop assistant and other customers melted over his clean cut and polished good looks, wasn’t bad for her ego either, she acknowledged to herself.Aislen enjoyed posing in the various outfits that she had selected and watching the shift of his expression from blatant desire to a sneer of disdain. She bought far more than she had intended she admitted as she waited at the register, blocked from the display by Heath’s back and shoulders as he insisted on scanning his card and keeping her ignorant on the details of the transaction.As they loaded the car with bags, she tried to reason with him. “Not to be ungrateful, but I do have my own money,” she told him.“Sure,” he drawled. “And who did you buy the sheer paneled
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeAislen woke at midday and fought down a wave of nausea. Her stomach rumbled, demanding food, adding another layer of discomfort to the nausea. She broke out in sweat, breathing heavily in an effort to maintain control. “F-k,” she slapped a hand over her mouth and dashed across the room, and down the hallway to the bathroom, to vomit miserably into the toilet bowl.She could hear her parents talking in the kitchen, and the clink of China and silverware has her mother washed the dishes. She brushed her teeth and showered, before tiptoeing back down the hall towards her bedroom. As she reached the door, her father stepped out, with her suitcases in his hands.“What…?” She frowned. “What are you doing with those?”“Get dressed Aislen,” he replied grimly and carried them out to the front door.“You are very lucky,” Tiffany said from the kitchen doorway. “That there is a room available for you already. Considering the drama last night, this morning Mr Mason cal
Havermouth, Present TimeAislen began to feel shitty about herself as Heath continued the drive to where Charlotte would be found, and by the time he pulled up out front of a farmhouse deep in the countryside, she was contrite enough to push her pride to the side. “I’m sorry,” she said to him as he undid his seatbelt.He looked at her in surprise. “You are?”“Yes, I’m sorry,” she said and put her hand over his. He released the seatbelt and took her hand in his, his hand so much bigger and stronger than her own. She looked down at their linked fingers for a moment, before meeting his eyes. “I shouldn’t get angry at you about this. You’re a symptom, not the cause. You have been raised believing something, and that’s not something that a person lets go of quickly. I can’t expect you to agree with me straight away.”He leaned forward and kissed her, cupping the back of her head with his free hand. The kiss was sweet, gentle and hopeful. As he eased, he stroked his knuckles over her cheek.
Rideten, Five Years Before The Rideten School of Art was set in what must have been one of the original estates of Rideten, the mansion set well back from the road, with an expanse of green lawn, ornamental wrought iron fencing, and truly massive, ancient fig trees separating it from the road. The gates were open when they arrived, and they followed the long drive to a carpark. The original building was used for the school, and a series of outbuildings, barns and coach houses had been converted into accommodation for students. Aislen was allocated to a room in the groundskeeper’s cottage, a quaint little house with low lintels and tiny, wood-smoke-stained rooms. The front door was unlocked and opened into a small snug dominated by a chalk board that declared: “Artists contained within. May Bite. Enter at your own risk!" "Well, that explains a lot," Patrick observed dryly. “Oh,” a young girl poked her head into the room. “Are you the new girl?” “Hi,” Aislen said warily. “I’m Aislen
Havermouth, Present TimeIn the car, Heath did not immediately start the engine and Aislen watched him curiously. He sat with his hands on the steering wheel, staring unseeing at the dash, a muscle twisting in the corner of his jaw. “Sometimes,” he said slowly. “A small decision has a weighty consequence on your life. You were…” He gestured with a hand and then closed the fingers into a fist, before bringing it down to his lap.“We could not tell you about us,” he tried again. “Five years ago. It was my job to…” He closed his eyes and drew in a breath through his nose, picking his words as carefully as walking black ice. “To convince the pack that you were not a risk. Every time that I thought that I had made progress, you would pull the rug out from under me. I was young, hot headed, headstrong and… And I was scared,” he admitted. “Of what would happen if I failed to the Triquetra, of what bringing a human into the pack would mean…”“After you left us that Sunday in front of half the