Havermouth Five Years BeforeHeath signalled to Rhett, who hauled Aislen up off the grass, and towards the cars. Cameron hesitated for a moment, caught between his mates.“Go. I got this,” Heath told him as the party realized that the cops were there and suddenly exploded outwards, through doors, through windows, the neighboring gardens and street filling with fleeing teenagers whilst the police officers stood in the garden gate looking around them in resignation.Both police officers were werewolf and their eyes fixed on Heath with oily sheen.“Mr Gale,” the more senior of the two sighed. “Want to brief us? We’ve been called out on a noise complaint.”Heath shrugged and put his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels casually. “A study group taking a break, Constable. Played our music too loudly for the neighbours. We’ll all head off now, and they’ll have nothing to complain about. There’s no reason to go inside.”“Mr Gale,” the man raised his eyebrows. “If we leave without che
Havermouth, Five Years BeforeHeath’s alarm woke him.“Ah, f-k,” Rhett complained. “Kill it.”Cameron, on the other hand, snaked his hand over Heath’s side and down his stomach whilst pressing his lips to the back of Heath’s shoulder. “Good morning.”Heath groaned but surrendered to the seduction ruefully. “You and your morning sex. Don’t try to kiss me with your morning breath. I can smell it from here, beer and cigarette smoke, so gross.”“I’ll borrow your toothbrush,” Cameron was unrepentant. “But morning breath is awesome. I love it. You only get to smell someone else’s morning breath when you’re f-king with them, and that’s about as intimate and personal as you can get with someone else.”“How about you suck me off with that disgusting mouth instead whilst I wank Rhett off, and then he can f-k you?” Heath laughed, but he was touched by Cameron’s sentimentality. He didn’t find Cameron’s morning breath offensive, he admitted to himself, but he did worry about his own.“How you go f
Havermouth, Present Time“F-k,” Rhett was taken aback when Tyler walked in. “You look like shit.”Tyler was pale and his eyes heavily shadowed. His hair was a mess, his jaw stubbled and he wore a pair of tracksuit pants and an oversized sweater that had obviously been slept in. He clutched a litre bottle of murky-looking water in his hand, half empty.Tyler nodded, wearily. “Feel like shit.”“Is the job worth it?” Heath wondered as he set the tray of pancakes onto the table.Tyler shrugged. “This morning it doesn’t feel like it is,” he sat heavily and opened the bottle of water. “At a safe house, I’d be on an IV drip,” he said as he took a mouthful of the water, pulling a face as he swallowed. “Electrolytes in water is a poor substitute.”“Can’t he just give you some vampire blood and heal you?” Rhett asked as he set a cup of coffee in front of Tyler.“He did, a bit. But vampire blood fixes things, it doesn’t replace them,” Tyler explained switching electrolyte water for coffee. “Oh,
Havermouth, Present Time“Oh,” Rhett’s grin was savage. “This is going to be good.”“Do you have anything to do with the bodies?” Heath asked Talen, ignoring Rhett.“No,” Talen said. “But… I have been less than honest regarding something which affects Morgana.”Aislen swallowed hard on the lump that immediately formed in her chest. She pushed up from her seat. “I need a cigarette,” she said fighting back tears. “I’ll be back.”She didn’t want to hear what Talen had to say, she thought as she pushed out into the hallway. She had come so quickly to rely on him to be her support, to have her back, and she was afraid that he would reveal something that would damage her faith in him. She’d never had that before, and its value to her was beyond measure.She went into Rhett’s room and riffled through his drawers until she found the cigarette packet that she knew would be there. She shoved the window open and shivered in the flood of cold air that whipped into the room as she lit the smoke an
Havermouth, Present Time“F-k,” Heath took the flask from Rhett and took a mouthful. “I don’t need this right now. The hospital is overflowing with people with a gastro like illness which they believe comes from the water. They are recommending that where possible bottled or rainwater be consumed, but if tap water must be consumed, it be boiled well before consumption, by the way.“Emergency services are worn thin as people on the outskirts of town are becoming increasingly isolated due to road conditions. Trees falling in the storm have taken out power and telephone lines to half the town and being unable to contact family in that area has resulted in more people on the roads, seeking to reach those stranded, or to join family in town where power remains.“It is possible that we will need to call in the army,” he said grimly. “Which in itself will cause panic, but the army has the equipment, manpower, and resources to be of great help to the town and areas affected by the dam disaste
Havermouth, Five Years Before“Smells good,” Jules commented as he entered the kitchen. “One of your mum’s recipes?”“Yeah, with a bit of a Cameron twist,” Cameron’s grin was wicked as he pulled the tray out of the oven. “These ones are mum’s recipe,” he gestured to the first tray as he gingerly transferred scones from the second tray into a Tupperware container. “And these ones are using the special butter,” he winked at his dad. “So, take it easy on these ones if you’re operating heavy machinery.”Jules laughed. “Ah, f-k. If your mother knew what was in the special butter, she’d have both of our heads.”“And that’s why we’ll never tell her,” Cameron winked. “I had better go or I’ll be f-king late and Heath will tell me off,” he stuffed the container into his bag. “Have a good day, dad, and don’t eat all the scones.”He sang along with the radio as he drove to school, trying to maintain the cheer he’d felt all morning. The night had been a bit f-ked up, but the morning sex had been f
Havermouth, Five Years Before Heath was tense as the recess bell went. “F-king hell,” he murmured under his breath as he threaded his way through the other students. Would Aislen behave herself? Their parting at the locker had been encouraging. She had thanked him for picking her up. As he stepped out into the fresh air, his eyes went to the grassy knoll, and he felt the knots within his stomach release as he saw her there, sitting and waiting for him, her eyes already picking him out of the crowd. The flush of warmth through his chest ached around his heart, relief, and pleasure tangling with intensity. “Hey,” Cameron said from behind him, and Heath paused, looking back as Rhett, Cameron, the Debutantes, Lillian and Diana and Rohan caught up, creating a crowd around him. Cameron nudged him and nodded to the grass. “Look.” “Yeah,” Heath agreed under his breath, not wanting to let Cameron get overly excited. He met Rhett’s eyes, the dark-haired alpha’s smile brightening. Such a smal
Havermouth, Present TimeAislen stood in Rhett’s en suite bathroom and admired the finished tattoo. It looked right, she thought, to have all four of their initials in the design, and Rhett’s placement of the T and G was clever, balanced, as if it had always been part of the plan to have it there.“Alright?” He hovered anxiously in the doorway.“It’s perfect,” she said, standing on tiptoe in order to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”His smile lit his face. “I’ll do Talen’s piercing, and then we’ll head up to the art studio and you can show me what you need me to do, to get your comic up to speed.”“Do you need me to hold your hand, daddy, whilst Rhett pierces you?” Aislen teased as she crawled onto the bed next to Talen.Talen chuckled. “I would appreciate that, little demon.”“I imagine having it ripped out was painful,” Rhett examined the nipple.“Exceedingly so. I hope not to have to repeat the experience,” Talen watched as Rhett prepared the hollow needle. “I will go to see Sigrid onc
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