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The Infected
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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The Pack's Triquetra Quarantine
Havermouth, Present TimeTalen started the Ute but did not immediately pull out from the curb. He adjusted the heating, turning the vents to blow over Aislen who was shivering and rubbing her hands together before cupping them in his. “From what I understand of Triquetras,” he said slowly, his thumb stroking over her skin in an absentminded caress. “They would not be unreasonable to want to withdraw to a place of safety at this point, little demon.“We do not know if this infection affects the supernatural, or, if it has not so far, whether it will mutate as such things tend to do and will eventually become dangerous for us all. We do not know what will happen if this infection spreads.” His eyes searched hers. “This could be very dangerous.”She blew out a breath. “Heath’s mayor. So am I, technically, but I’m not as attached to the role or town as he is. He might be part of the Triquetra, but he’s also not the sort of person who would take a position of authority and then ditch when
The Pack's Triquetra Men In Black
Havermouth, Present TimeThe crossroads of Havermouth’s main streets were entirely blocked off by the black trucks and crawled with men in black uniforms, body armor and weaponry. Talen had to park behind Rhett’s tattoo parlor in order to get anywhere close, and he kept his arm around Aislen as they walked hastily up the road, past groups of armed men whose faces were hidden behind visors, making them intimidating and anonymous.Havermouth had awoken after the storm, and many of the businesses had their doors opened to let in daylight so they could inventory the damage, both physically to the buildings, and to perishables that required refrigeration. The townspeople clustered in their shop windows and doorways, looking out at the armed men with puzzlement that was just sitting on the inside edge of alarm.“Why do you need body armor and weapons for a flood?” Aislen wondered under her breath. The townspeople of Havermouth had the same reaction as she was having, she thought, there was
The Pack's Triquetra SkyClad
Havermouth, Present TimeThe group of black clad men were still standing outside of the coffee shop when Aislen opened the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk.“We are encouraging civilians to stay in their accommodations,” one of the men said when he spotted her. All that could be seen of his face was the strong line of his jaw, framed by the high collar of the black top he wore beneath the armored vest.“Why?” Aislen asked before she could stop herself. In for a penny, in for a pound, she decided. “Why are you encouraging people to stay home? There’s a missing little girl who needs to be found, damage to property, most people haven’t been able to open their businesses for days… People need to get groceries, medicine, hardware. You should be encouraging the shops to open, so that people can get what they need, and organizing search parties, not approaching coffee shop owners for free coffee and tea in exchange for a generator – which would be just a nice thing to do for them.”“Oh
The Pack's Triquetra The Vigil
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeRhett pulled his hair back and tied it into a ponytail at the back of his head. His black shirt felt stiff against the bulge of bicep as he tightened the hair-tie – he’d picked one that had been freshly returned from the dry-cleaner and was still pressed into crisp seams. It was new, the buttonholes still tight, and he couldn’t remember buying it, so assumed that it was one that his mother had bought for him.Lora had good taste, he thought as he admired the subtle pattern sewn into the fabric. He’d bet that it was bought from his favorite alternative clothing brand, too, because amongst the embroidered swirls of leaves and vines were hidden subtle skulls and crossbones – all in black thread, so that the detail didn’t detract from the severe and simple fitted lines of the shirt.He sighed, thinking of his mother. He’d turned his phone on as he’d gotten dressed, to a dozen messages from his dad, and knew that Phillip was back in Havermouth. Lora would be h
The Pack's Triquetra Body Shots
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeThe car ride home was silent, each member of the Triquetra caught in their own thoughts and Aislen pressed tight against the door, looking out of the night-dark glass as the scenery whipped by. Rhett could see tears tracking down her cheeks, but she wept silently, trying to hide it, and he decided to leave her be. They didn’t need any more drama, he thought, and he was certain that his warning had made an impression.He sucked on his lip ring and watched Heath drive. Heath wouldn’t believe him, he thought, and what did he know, really? Nothing new. Just that Aislen had an uncanny insight into things that she really shouldn’t know and that never failed to get her into trouble. He had told her to never say such things again, and hopefully she would finally listen to him.They were so close, so very close to getting the drama behind them. They just needed to get through Sunday’s meeting, and it would be done. Aislen’s little moment with the James woman didn’
The Pack's Triquetra Before the Bubble Burst
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeAfter breakfast, Cameron and Heath ripped up the floorboards in the bedroom the Triquetra wanted to make habitable. Their intention had been to tear up and replace the floor under the leak, but once started, it was a job that had quickly escalated, and they’d ended up stripping back all the flooring to the hallway door.“I’ll bring some new floorboards during the week,” Cameron said, pausing to use his t-shirt to mop sweat and dirt from his face before stripping it off completely and throwing it to the doorway from which Aislen and Rhett watched. He laughed as she caught it, looking at the wet cloth in confusion.“Give me that,” Rhett took it from her and held it to his nose, inhaling. “Mmm, yum. Sweaty Cam.” He took it to the bathroom and tossed it into the laundry hamper. Every Sunday, Heath took it home with him, and his mother laundered and returned the clothing washed and neatly folded within a few days.“It won’t take more than a few hours to replac
The Pack's Triquetra Sunday's Meeting
Havermouth, Five Years Before“F-k,” Rhett grumbled under his breath as they pulled up at the Havermouth Estate. Phillip’s Porsche was parked next to Charlie Gale’s Mustang and Jules’ Ute. “She f-king called them all in.”“Charlie didn’t know last night,” Heath commented thoughtfully as he rang the doorbell. “So maybe it was a last second decision.” Probably, he thought, because it would have looked odd for Phillip Salem to be present at the meeting without the other alphas.“We’re f-king nineteen,” Rhett complained as they waited. “We don’t need our daddies to speak for us anymore.”“I’m very sorry that you feel that way, Mr Salem,” Abigail drawled as she opened the door. Her expression was dangerous, and her wolf was in her eyes. Cameron felt his heart pick up a beat. “I asked your fathers to be present as a gesture of support for the three of you. I will send them home if you feel they’re unwelcome.""No, that’s fine,” Heath said placatingly. “Rhett didn’t mean anything by it, Abig
The Pack's Triquetra August's Agreement
Havermouth, Five Years Before “August,” Abigail’s surprise was evident. “I did not expect you!” “Obviously,” August replied with false pleasantness. “Otherwise, I’m sure I would have received an invitation to this meeting. I note that Phillip was able to make it down to Havermouth in time, which is surprising as we encountered each other in Rideten yesterday at lunch time, did we not, Phillip?” “An odd coincidence,” Phillip purred smoothly. “I came to Havermouth to have a word with my son, who has been ignoring my calls,” he sent daggers at Rhett. “And turned up to find out that the Triquetra would be meeting with Abigail this afternoon.” “Well, by all means, have a word with him,” August said lightly. “I wanted to have a private word with Heath Gale, myself. If you are done here, Abigail, of course,” he added. “Actually, Abigail, why don’t you and Charlie join Heath and I in my office?” Heath slid a look at Rhett who widened his eyes. Heath shrugged. He had no idea what August wa
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The Pack's Triquetra Epidemic
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,”
The Pack's Triquetra Betrayal
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
The Pack's Triquetra Atrophy
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
The Pack's Triquetra Charlotte's Pregnant
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
The Pack's Triquetra The Phone Call
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
The Pack's Triquetra She Will Come Back
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
The Pack's Triquetra Falling Apart
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
The Pack's Triquetra Losing Aislen
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
The Pack's Triquetra Dr James' Surprise
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
