Havermouth, Present Time“There is a saying that a man’s reputation is like his shadow,” Talen observed calmly. “It sometimes follows him, and sometimes proceeds him, but it rarely fits him like a glove. Come sit on my knee, little demon,” he held out his hand.Aislen slipped onto his lap and put her arm around his neck leaning into his comforting warmth and size. “I know all about reputations,” she agreed nuzzling in and breathing in the scent of his skin. “I have quite a reputation myself – the Triquetra’s whore.”“Hmm,” Talen refilled his wine glass and offered it to her. His thumb stroked over the skin of her thigh, a small caress that melted her heart in its absentmindedness. Even when distracted by something else, he touched her with a gentle intimacy. “It is rare for a vampire of my age to be unknown, especially if they frequent the same area for some time. I have preferred not to leave this continent for the last couple of centuries, and therefore my reputation, like my shadow
Havermouth, Seven Years BeforeRhett hung in the doorway and watched as Phillip Salem moved around the elegant and modern kitchen making toast and coffee. Rhett’s mother was making herself scarce, as was normal when Phillip was in Havermouth. She rented office space above Deborah’s florist, giving herself both the excuse to see her lover, and a retreat from Phillip.Phillip looked up, sensing Rhett’s gaze. “Want a coffee?”“I’ll make it,” Rhett edged into the kitchen warily. Things between him and his father tended to explode unexpectedly. There was a direct correlation between other things happening in Phillip’s life and his tolerance for his son.“For f-k sake Rhett,” Phillip said with disdain as he dragged his eye over Rhett. “You look like you dressed in the dark in clothes that you found in the bottom of the laundry hamper. How the hell you manage to have the reputation that you do looking as you do, I don’t know.”“It’s the school uniform,” Rhett hunched his shoulder as he poure
Havermouth, Present TimeGuy stood on the porch. He looked up slowly taking in the mass of Talen with shrewd assessment, before his eyes went beyond him to Aislen and he smiled. “Hi, Aislen.”“Umm,” Aislen was scattered, her focus still on the scurrying noises all in the walls around her. “Hi Guy.”“You look real good. I’d heard you got shot.”“I did,” Aislen lifted her top to show the scar. “But the hospital patched me up.”“Oh, wow,” he gawked. “Nice tatts.”Talen shifted slightly and Aislen dropped the hem of her top realizing that Guy was staring at her with more than morbid interest in her wound.Guy’s eyes went back to Talen, and then returned to Aislen. “I was out running errands for June, and thought I’d pop by and make sure you don’t need anything, save you from driving in this weather,” he turned and assessed the stormy sky. “Won’t be long until the rain starts.”“Oh, that’s really kind,” Aislen replied. “But I think I’m good. Talen, this is Guy. Guy this is Talen.”“Hi,” Gu
Havermouth, Six and a Half Years BeforeRhett lay on his back on the grassy knoll with his arm blocking the sun from his eyes and tried to ignore the annoyance of Rohan and the footballers beyond Heath and Cameron.There were only two good things about football in Rhett’s opinion, and that was how f-king hot Heath and Cameron looked whilst they played it, and cheerleaders. There were a lot of things wrong with football, and most of them were offering a lewd commentary on the girls that Heath, Cameron and Rhett had f-ked over the weekend.The last girl had run from the room crying mascara black tears with the shreds of her clothing flapping behind her and only one shoe.They had been at a pool party at Rohan’s and her dramatic exit had been witnessed by half the school, adding a new level of notoriety to the Triquetra’s reputation.Rhett was getting bored of it though, he admitted to himself. The mindless rutting had lost its novelty and had begun to feel shallow and unsatisfying. He d
Havermouth, Present TimeLightning flashed through the room and for a moment the light flickered. Aislen looked up from her sketch pad in irritation. “I finally get a couple of hours to work, and the lights go on the fritz,” she complained. Rain hissed against the windows, and sky was so heavy with cloud that she couldn’t see a star in the sky.“Which is why I recommended that you not work on your laptop,” Heath replied from the kitchen where he was washing the dishes from dinner. “All it takes is a tree branch falling across the power lines and the power will be out for a couple of hours.” There was a generator at the river house, his tone reminded her.Damn it, she scowled at the page. She had agreed to go to the river house the next morning and she just knew that the Triquetra were hoping that if the storm set in, she would find it harder to justify not staying there once she was at the house. If the power was cut, she might have no option, and she hated feeling as if she were bein
Havermouth, Six and a Half Years BeforeRhett rolled up his sleeves as he walked towards the group of humans. He knew that Heath and Cameron were following, letting him take the lead. They hadn’t questioned why they were bearing down on Shaun Bascall – that Rhett had told them that the human needed a pounding was enough for them. It was the first time Rhett had instigated a fight, though by no means the first time that he’d fought alongside of them.The humans around Shaun Bascall saw their approach and read their body language well, panic sliding across their faces as they debated just who Rhett was there for.Shaun was slow to respond, his eyes puzzled just before they became wary. “Hey, Rhett.”“You know why the f-k we’re here,” Rhett growled at him, the hunch of his shoulder straining the fabric of his shirt and his hands fisted at his side. He snarled, showing the sharpness of his canines and premolars – a signal that humans did not identify the same way as a supernatural would,
Havermouth, Present TimeRhett’s toes against hers backed her down the dark hallway. As the narrow space filled with men, Aislen wondered exactly when she had lost control of her house and her life. She had been happy on her own, or so she had told herself for five years, and she hadn’t returned to Havermouth intending to renew her relationship with the Triquetra, and yet suddenly, there she was, being herded towards the bedroom by four oversized men.Her fingertips dragged along the walls as she backed up, feeling the ripples in the paper and fabric.“Now, just hold up for one moment…” She clung to the doorframe.Rhett’s eyes were hungry and there was a teasing twist to his lips. Beyond him Heath held a candle and smirked, thoroughly enjoying Rhett’s dominant behavior. Her eyes met Talen’s over Heath’s shoulder, and he raised an eyebrow in enquiry… Behind Talen, Cameron’s eyes flashed with his wolf and his grin was vulpine.“F-k it,” she surrendered, and released her grip on the door
Havermouth, Six Years BeforeRhett was bored. There was just no fun flirting with girls he couldn’t f-k, and the regular social events held by the pack were like inviting a starving man to a feast and then forbidding him to eat. He was surrounded by pretty she-wolves but knew if he went beyond first or second base with any of them without declaring her the Triquetra’s mate, her father would beat the crap out of him.He could feel the eyes of the adult werewolves watching his every move as he danced with Jocelyn. She was laughing up at him, her expression bright and transparently hopefully. She’d danced with Heath before him and would dance with Cameron next.The Triquetra had agreed to pick a girl and cultivate her for a couple of months before dumping her, in the hopes that doing so would mean the end to the stupid social functions that they were forced to attend under order of Abigail. The pressure of finding a mate as Heath and Rhett’s eighteenth birthdays approached was driving th
Havermouth, Present Time Talen and Aislen were quickly called to a stop as they approached the busy area directly in front of the town hall. The police and the firies were packing up, she noticed, frowning, and none of them looked happy about it. “We are encouraging civilians to stay in their residences and off the streets,” a stern voiced soldier told Aislen and Talen disapprovingly. “There are many hazards left after the storm, and our men need free access to clear the roads of debris and make repairs.” Aislen swallowed back the words that she wanted to say, and instead smiled sweetly. “We’re from Boyston’s coffee shop,” she lied showing him the box that she held. “Making a delivery. Cakes and slices that are going stale, to help fuel the forces here. They’re free,” she added with a bright smile. “See, that’s our coffee van, over there,” she nodded with her chin. “Oh,” he was non-plussed, looking over his shoulder at the van, and then back at the box that she held. “Let me look,”
Havermouth, Two Years Before“Aislen Carter graduated from Rideten School of Art with honors on the eleventh of the month, and vacated her school accommodation four days later,” the PI’s report stated blandly the words that sent icy shards of fear and horror through Heath’s soul.“Her vehicle was placed for sale at North Rideten Car Sales one week prior and sold on the fifteenth with deposits made into bank accounts that were, in turn, closed on the twentieth. We have seen this sort of behavior before, in victims of domestic violence, where the subject is escaping an abusive spouse through the help of an organization. It is our companies ethical position not to pursue such cases further.”“Sure,” Heath snarled at the email. “But you f-king charged me the full price.”He was tempted to throw the laptop against the wall in his frustration, but he gripped the table edge instead and blew out his breath, controlling the anger, turning the heat to ice, and focusing on the house around him t
Havermouth, Two Years Before The Rideten night club was overflowing with patrons, and Heath had to fight for the standing table where he could look out across the dance floor and keep an eye on Rhett, who was having a fantastic time with his co-workers celebrating the end of his apprenticeship and the purchase of his own shop in Havermouth. It was the happiest that Heath had seen him in a long time, and that thought pained him, but did not surprise him. The Triquetra pretended well, most of the time, however the waiting was slowly tearing them apart. They were spending less time together at the river house, and it often felt more like they were house mates than mates, as they rarely even shared a meal let alone a bed. Cameron was spending more and more time on the land now that he had graduated university, Rhett had thrown himself into getting as much experience as he could before starting his own shop, and Heath was working part time at the law firm he had purchased in Havermouth i
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeThe little Redbank tattoo parlour that had agreed to take him as an apprentice had many things that Rhett liked, and many that he didn’t. The shop was tiny, with a staircase to the second level which was so steep that it kicked in Rhett’s phobia about heights, and, whilst the workstations were brightly lit for the purpose of the artists, everywhere else was shadowy and pokey. The little kitchen could only fit one person at a time, and the toilet was so narrow that cleaning it (which was one of Rhett’s duties as an apprentice) was a bit like performing yoga in a box.Mostly he divided his time between manning the reception desk, doing clean-up of the workstations, and making drinks for the artists and customers, but on the slow days, the artists would take turns working with his sketches, and he would sit with his pants around his ankles on one of the chairs and practise on himself, upside down.If he produced a decent piece, one of the other artists, Matt
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeHeath left the final class of the year feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Just the exams left to do, and high school would be a thing of the past. He paused for a moment, his eyes adjusting from the artificial light of the classroom and his body to movement after two intense hours of mental activity as the teacher had taken the opportunity to run them through a practice exam.Cameron’s bright hair caught the sunlight over the heads of other students moving out into freedom. “Hey!” Cameron grinned as he headed over. “It’s done! We are free!”“Until exams,” Heath corrected. “And, then the pre-reading for university.”“Ugh,” Cameron’s groan of disgust was throaty. “Let me have at least today to enjoy the end of classes without filling my head up with more useless knowledge.”Heath slung his arm around Cameron’s shoulders. “Will you miss school?”“Nope,” Cameron leaned into Heath. “You?”“Nope,” Heath agreed. He gave Cameron’s shoulders
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeCameron’s dreams were filled with chasing Aislen through the fields. He could see her just ahead of him, her dark hair bouncing with the motion of her run, the weeds catching on the skirt of her dress and dragging long scratches along her legs that she didn’t seem to notice. “Aislen!” He cried out. “Slow down!”He woke with a start to the echoes of his own voice. It wasn’t yet midnight and he was alone in bed. He pressed his face into the pillows, breathing in, seeking the scent of Rhett and Heath from the fabric, but it had been too long since they’d slept there, and the scent had faded beneath his own.He couldn’t remember ever having fought with either of them. It left him feeling off-balance, and unwell. He’d thrown himself into working the farm with his dad, trying to distract himself from the anguish of it. Jules hadn’t questioned why Cameron wasn’t going to school, studying, or spending time with the other two members of the Triquetra, although Cam
Havermouth, Five Years Prior“I can’t go home - things are too bad with dad and he seems to be hanging around more than ever, and things are f-ked up with Aislen at home too, so I was thinking that Aislen and I could stay at the river house for a few days until we all find somewhere to rent in Havermouth. If we all go in to Aislen’s we can get her packed and out of there before her parents can do anything about it, right?” Rhett suggested, twisting in his seat to look from Heath to Cameron.“Sure,” Cameron leaned forward and gripped the front seats. “We can all stay at the river house. It will be fun.”“Exams next week,” Heath said softly, his heart sinking. “We should study more. But, sure, a few days at the river house won’t hurt. We can study during the daytime whilst there’s light.” What day would they take Aislen away, he wondered. Did she know that she was going to Rideten? Had that been why her suitcases had been under the bed?“Speak for yourself,” Rhett snorted. “I’m not f-ki
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeAs dawn pinked the sky, Cameron scuffed the toe of his shoe through the dust that was all that remained of the grass where cows had been killed. Now that he knew what caused these patches, whenever he was by the river, his eyes were peeled for them, and he was surprised by how many there were – patches where nothing seemed to grow, which he’d always accepted as just being randomly barren spots because he’d grown up with their occurrence.“Don’t play in the dust,” Jules reprimanded as he returned to the Ute.“Why?” Cameron wondered. “It’s just dirt, dad.”“It’s still dead. I don’t trust it until it grows green again.”It made sense that Jules would think that way, Cameron thought stepping away from the patch. Jules' relationship to the land was other level, as Jules’ father and grandfather had been before him. Cameron loved the farm. He loved and respected the land, the river house, and the work. He couldn’t imagine doing anything else with his life, but h
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeHeath fed some twigs into the ashes of the firepit knowing that below the layer of ash, there was enough heat to get the fire going again. They’d be grateful in the morning when they went to make coffee and breakfast if there were still hot coals, so he’d get the fire going again whilst Rhett got his drunk on, and then the three of them would go to bed, f-k it out, and get some sleep, he decided.Rhett winced his way through a swig of whiskey, drinking to the side of his mouth away from the piercing and then deliberately swishing the whiskey over the wound, using it as a disinfectant, the action betraying how much it was paining him and his concern over the damage. He met Heath’s eye and gave a little rueful shrug – there wasn’t much that he could do other than hope that it healed alright.Heath took the whiskey bottle from him and took a swig before returning it and leaning over to throw some logs onto the firepit as the kindling leapt into flame. “I got