Havermouth, Present TimeTalen released his hair from the bun, and ran his fingers through to loosen it, flicking it back over his shoulders before beginning to undo the buttons of his shirt, watching Aislen through heavily lidded eyes with a small smile on his lips. He deliberately teased her, taking his time, and turning just as he reached the last button, in order to shrug out of the shirt with his back to her.“I like this view as much as the front one,” she told him, enjoying the display of muscles shifting beneath the lion’s mane fall of blonde hair as he undid his belt and toed out of his boots.“Hmm,” he flicked an amused look over his shoulder as his jeans sagged off his hips. He left them on, the top button undone and the fly straining to contain his erection and took a sip of champagne as he walked over to the armoire.He opened the cupboard door nearest to her, blocking her view of what he did within the cupboard, but she heard the buzz as he tested the charge on a vibrato
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeAislen could hear her parents arguing in the kitchen through the too-thin walls of the house.“It’s been three days, Patrick!” Tiffany was furious. “She barely talks, barely eats, and, although she leaves the house every morning in her school uniform, she’s not going to school – they’ve been calling to ask where she is.”“I don’t know what you want me to do, Tiff,” Patrick snapped back. “We’ve both tried talking to her. She won’t even look us in the eyes. She flinches every time I go near her.”“You did give her a black eye,” Tiffany reminded him. “And that’s why you won’t do anything about it now. You’re afraid that she’ll report you. When did we lose control of this situation?”“If my mother was still with us…” Patrick said in a softer tone of voice.“I blame your mother for this. Aislen changed once she started going to stay with her over the school holidays. I thought it was just… hormones. But what if… What if she was abused?”“She wasn’t abused,” Pa
Havermouth, Present Time Talen eased his teeth from her, his tongue stroking over the wounds to heal them. He had drunk no more than he normally did, she thought, though it had been enough to give her the light-headed feeling of having had slightly too much wine. If he intended to make a habit of sating his appetite with her, he was waiting until she had used the vitamins for a few days in order to compensate for his drain on her. And that made sense to her. You are reasoning out the circumstances in which a vampire feeds from you, she told herself, testing to see her own reaction to the bald truth of the situation. She didn’t care. There was almost a reckless absence of self-regard to the lack of caring, an absolute surrender to the opinion of Havermouth in that she held no value in herself other than her usefulness to the supernatural creatures that inhabited the town. She couldn’t find the anger with Talen that seemed all too ready with the Triquetra, and she didn’t know why. Per
Havermouth, Five Years Before“I’m letting you off with a warning,” the policewoman was the same one as had interviewed Aislen on Taylors Road. She leant against the gazebo's table in a companionable way. Her male partner stood a little back, his eyes scanning over the graveyard. “Because of what happened on the weekend. I have actually been trying to catch you at the high school, but they said that you have been absent. I know that Mr Edison has already been to see Ms Grace, the school counsellor, which is a wise thing to do, and I’d really like you to do the same.”“I will,” Aislen lied and shrugged. “I just haven’t felt like… I can concentrate at school, you know?”“It was a traumatic discovery,” the policewoman nodded. “But skipping school and spending your days drinking is not a healthy way of dealing with the trauma, Aislen, and whilst I am going to let you off with a warning today, I am going to have to report to the school and your parents.”“Aww, please, I’m in enough trouble
Havermouth, Present timeTalen kissed her as he leaned over the bed and she reached up automatically, opening her eyes as her hands encountered cloth. “You’re dressed!” She accused.He chuckled. “It is almost dawn, little demon, and I must go.”“Oh,” she sat up. “You will be back tonight, daddy?”“Of course,” he adjusted the collar around her neck so that the infinity knot sat in the hollow of her collar bone. “Eat healthily and drink lots of water,” he smoothed his big hand over her hair. “Sleep and stay out of trouble.”“I’ll try,” she slid out of bed as he eased back, following him to the bedroom door. “I’ll think about you all day.”He cupped her chin and leaned down to kiss her. “I will be back as soon as the sun sets.”She watched as he let himself out and sighed. There was no point to returning to the bed, she decided, it was just lonely without him there. She went to her childhood bedroom and pulled on her dressing gown before going into the kitchen to boil the kettle. She dr
Havermouth, Five Years Before Rhett turned up the music, blocking out any opportunity to talk further, and Aislen sighed and looked out the window, fighting back tears, a sense of shame tight in her chest. It was no different to going to the motel with Toby, she told herself. She was becoming the whore that everyone thought that she was, accepting the role, and compromising her pride in order to become it, because no matter how degrading it was, she wanted to be with the Triquetra. She could not explain why she wanted to be with them so badly, just that not being with them left her feeling lost and hollow. It was worse not being with them, than being with them, no matter how awful they were to her. Was it love? She turned and looked at Rhett. Her heart ached in misery. Perhaps that was how love felt. Music and books described love as suffering and wanting to sacrifice all to be with the beloved, so maybe it was love. Despite her gift, despite all the glimpses she had into other’s
Havermouth, Present Time Aislen swaggered along the main street feeling pretty pleased with herself. She stopped into a couple of the boutique clothing stores and found a pretty, sheer ruffled blouse and a black wriggle skirt that paired together were perfection. A lingerie shop had her fantasizing about Talen as she selected a few matching sets, lace topped stockings, and a satin camisole and shorts pairing. The Secret Keeper was visible in all the businesses, along with the pool that each shop was running, and someone had begun adding “Vote The Secret Keeper for Mayor!” posters. “The Secret Keeper for Mayor?” She commented to the shop assistant as her purchases were tissued wrapped and bagged. “It’s looking that way,” the woman was amused. “But honestly, he couldn’t do worse than the current mayor. At least he’s got a policy of transparency,” she laughed. “He?” “Ah, well, you know,” the woman shrugged. “There are a few theories going around about who it could be. The most popu
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeAislen shifted uncomfortably on the seat of Heath’s car as his sedan bounced along the dirt track away from the river house towards the main street, her arse sore from the belting. The bright sunshine falling through the tree canopy was such a stark contrast to what had just happened in the river house, and Aislen was grateful for the discomfort – otherwise she would have wondered if she’d hallucinated it all.“Tomorrow,” Heath said as he waited for a car to pass and pulled out. “I will come by a little earlier in the morning in order to inspect your appearance for school. Your shirt should be freshly ironed and matched with a white bra. Wear the shorter skirt. Hair should be down and make up on. You will be ready to go when I arrive and you will greet me at the door, nicely.”There was a silence in the cab as he turned towards town.“Aislen,” there was warning in his tone. “Do you understand?”“Yes,” her voice was hoarse.“Good.”They cruised down her st
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