Havermouth, 8 Years BeforeRhett threw his bag over the fence before climbing over the wrought iron spikes. It was late enough on a school night that if his mother was home for the night, rather than at her girlfriend Deborahâs, she would rip him a new one, and the front gate had an annoying squeal that his motherâs ears seemed attuned to even after only a couple weeks in the house.The house was so different to what he was used to, he thought. In Rideten, theyâd had a penthouse apartment. They still had the penthouse apartment, but now his father lived in it alone, and Lora Salem and Rhett lived in the pretty, ramshackle newly renovated, four bedroom and five-bathroom, barn conversion on the edge of Havermouth.F-k he hated the house. Barn. Whatever.He hated Havermouth. Its human population seemed drugged into sedation, or to have been transplanted from some weird sci-fi movie about perfect retro suburbia, with mums in pastels, aprons and high heels who baked cookies and curled thei
Havermouth, Present TimeHeath frowned as he pulled into the driveway at Aislenâs house. Talenâs Zeus Forest Works Ute was not parked there. He checked his phone. There were no messages or missed calls. Had Talen not gotten his message and returned to the house?âF-k,â he grumbled as he got out of the car. He had taken his time returning, thinking that Talen would be there with Aislen, stopping by the river house in order to pack clean clothes for himself, Rhett and Cameron, and to make sure that nothing was going off in the fridge. Heâd had a shower and a shave, erasing the gold-tinged stubble from his jaw.He got the suitcase out of the boot and carried it to the front door, finding it locked. Well, at least Tyler and Aislen were being sensible. Tyler was handy to have around, giving them someone to leave and protect Aislen if they were unable to do so. He rang the doorbell and waited, tapping his foot on the floorboards.Aislen had thrown the Triquetraâs lives into disarray, he tho
Havermouth, Present TimeAislen preceded Rhett into the office, swaggering her walk so that her skirt flicked enticingly. If Rhett werenât already achingly hard, the look she cast him over her shoulder would have done it. He almost closed the office door and realized that heâd left the shop door unlocked. F-k, he was going to go insane with need if anyone interrupted, he thought, and hurriedly crossed to turn the lock and flick to sign to âClosed for Businessâ.He turned to face the office and moaned. Aislen sat on his office desk, her legs spread, and her skirt hitched up. Her underwear dangled from her index finger, as if he could not already see for himself that she wasnât wearing them.âOh f-k,â his blood drained downwards so fast that for a moment he swayed on his feet.âSomething wrong?â She smirked.âSomething very right,â he replied as he stalked across the room into the office and closed the door behind him. âSomething very, very right for a change,â he repeated as he buried
Havermouth, Eight Years BeforePack gatherings happened every month. It was encouraged that all members of the pack attend, however in reality it was rarely more than half the pack. August and Abigail accepted that life interfered, and that the Havermouth estate would both struggle to contain the entire pack and attract the humanâs attention if all members showed at once.The full moon went for three nights on the average month, with the Moon Goddess honored the first night by a Hunt in the Havermouth Estateâs grounds. Pack members who could not attend due to work or family commitments, often performed their own worship at home, therefore Havermouth was well known for its very large but non-aggressive wolf population.The Gales were regular attendees of all three nights of the full moon every month, Charlie seeing it as a necessary part of maintaining a high profile as appropriate for his role as a leader in the community and using the opportunity to further his agenda to become the p
Havermouth, Present TimeâHave you done this before?â Talen stood behind Rhett, the heat of his palms on Rhettâs shoulders scorching through Rhett, and sending his pulse to his c-ck. The words were breathed into Rhettâs ear, sending sensation down his neck, so that he tilted his head to the side in instinctual response, his eyelids growing heavy.Vampires, he thought, had the ability to lure their human prey into submission and forgetfulness. It did not quite work on werewolves, but it worked well enough that he had exposed his neck for the vampire should Talen choose to sink his teeth into it. The vampireâs mouth brushed over the skin sending a shudder through Rhett.âYes,â Rhett admitted watching as Aislen stepped between Cameronâs legs and stroked her fingers through his hair. Their kiss was achingly sweet, his red-haired mate glowing with happiness. âTo a few human girls, but not normallyâĶâ He hesitated to say it in front of Aislen. Not normally intending for them to enjoy it, but
Havermouth, Seven Years BeforeHeath was not surprised when August and Abigail called the Gales, the Edisons and the Salems to a group meeting at the Havermouth estate. The drive to the pack grounds with his parents was silent, the atmosphere heavy with expectation. It was only as they pulled into the driveway, Charlie glanced into the rear-view mirror.âWhy do you think that we have been called here?â He asked Heath in the tone of voice that implied that Charles knew but was seeing what Heathâs response would be.âWhy do you think we have been called?â Heath asked back.Charlie did not reply, pulling up neatly next to the Salemâs Porsche. âOstentatious,â Charlie muttered disapprovingly as he got out of the car.Heath did not reply, his eyes meeting Rhettâs. The Salemâs were standing on the porch with Abigail. Catherine Edisonâs BMW was parked, but there was no sign of the Edisons. Heath politely greeted Abigail and followed as they were led into the house.Rhett pulled a face, obviou
Havermouth, Present Time Heath was chafing at the bit by the time Talen and Aislen returned to the house. Talen parked his Ute in the driveway and then walked to the passenger side, scooping Aislen out and carrying her to the door. âHey,â Aislen said sleepily as Talen transferred her into Heathâs arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against his chest burying her face into his neck. Heath felt some of his tension melt away as he pressed his face into her hair and breathed in her scent â she was okay, despite what the day had held for her, she was in his arms and unharmed. âIâll grab the things out of the tray,â Talen said, already turning. âTalen,â Heath said, his tone carrying every iota of warning, that there was going to be words between them. âIn due time,â Talen was unflustered, casting a look over his shoulder. âPatience, Heath.â Heath blew out his breath but turned into the house. âPatience Heath,â he muttered and felt Aislen shake with her laughter, her br
Havermouth, Present TimeHeath slid out from under Aislen. It had been nice to lie there holding her and he had lingered breathing in her warm, sleeping scent. Just lying in each otherâs arms was not something that happened between them frequently, both in the past and the present. He had been tempted to stay, to let himself slip into a much-needed sleep, but he had things to speak to Talen about that would be easier said without her hearing, so he eased away very carefully, and tucked the sheets in around her so that the loss of his body heat wouldnât wake her.He pulled on his jeans and shirt and carried his shoes out into the hallway with him, padding down to the kitchen. Talen and Tyler were watching a documentary on the Pyramids and drinking wine. Heath paused in the doorway in order to observe them. He had not had the opportunity to gauge their relationship to each other, to work out its dynamic.There was a comfortable familiarity between the two men, in a non-sexual way. Heath
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. âWe are encouraging civilians to stay in their residences and off the streets,â a stern voiced soldier told Aislen and Talen disapprovingly. âThere are many hazards left after the storm, and our men need free access to clear the roads of debris and make repairs.â Aislen swallowed back the words that she wanted to say, and instead smiled sweetly. âWeâre from Boystonâs coffee shop,â she lied showing him the box that she held. âMaking a delivery. Cakes and slices that are going stale, to help fuel the forces here. Theyâre free,â she added with a bright smile. âSee, thatâs our coffee van, over there,â she nodded with her chin. âOh,â he was non-plussed, looking over his shoulder at the van, and then back at the box that she held. âLet me look,â
Havermouth, Two Years BeforeâAislen Carter graduated from Rideten School of Art with honors on the eleventh of the month, and vacated her school accommodation four days later,â the PIâs report stated blandly the words that sent icy shards of fear and horror through Heathâs soul.âHer 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.ââSure,â Heath snarled at the email. âBut you f-king charged me the full price.âHe 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 didnât. The shop was tiny, with a staircase to the second level which was so steep that it kicked in Rhettâs 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 Rhettâs 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.Cameronâs bright hair caught the sunlight over the heads of other students moving out into freedom. âHey!â Cameron grinned as he headed over. âItâs done! We are free!ââUntil exams,â Heath corrected. âAnd, then the pre-reading for university.ââUgh,â Cameronâs groan of disgust was throaty. âLet me have at least today to enjoy the end of classes without filling my head up with more useless knowledge.âHeath slung his arm around Cameronâs shoulders. âWill you miss school?ââNope,â Cameron leaned into Heath. âYou?ââNope,â Heath agreed. He gave Cameronâs shoulders
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeCameronâs 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 didnât seem to notice. âAislen!â He cried out. âSlow down!âHe woke with a start to the echoes of his own voice. It wasnât 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 theyâd slept there, and the scent had faded beneath his own.He couldnât remember ever having fought with either of them. It left him feeling off-balance, and unwell. Heâd thrown himself into working the farm with his dad, trying to distract himself from the anguish of it. Jules hadnât questioned why Cameron wasnât going to school, studying, or spending time with the other two members of the Triquetra, although Cam
Havermouth, Five Years PriorâI canât 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 Aislenâs we can get her packed and out of there before her parents can do anything about it, right?â Rhett suggested, twisting in his seat to look from Heath to Cameron.âSure,â Cameron leaned forward and gripped the front seats. âWe can all stay at the river house. It will be fun.ââExams next week,â Heath said softly, his heart sinking. âWe should study more. But, sure, a few days at the river house wonât hurt. We can study during the daytime whilst thereâs light.â 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?âSpeak for yourself,â Rhett snorted. âIâm 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 â patches where nothing seemed to grow, which heâd always accepted as just being randomly barren spots because heâd grown up with their occurrence.âDonât play in the dust,â Jules reprimanded as he returned to the Ute.âWhy?â Cameron wondered. âItâs just dirt, dad.ââItâs still dead. I donât trust it until it grows green again.âIt made sense that Jules would think that way, Cameron thought stepping away from the patch. Jules' relationship to the land was other level, as Julesâ father and grandfather had been before him. Cameron loved the farm. He loved and respected the land, the river house, and the work. He couldnât 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. Theyâd be grateful in the morning when they went to make coffee and breakfast if there were still hot coals, so heâd 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 Heathâs eye and gave a little rueful shrug â there wasnât 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. âI got