Havermouth, Present Time, 1.5 weeks after Retaking Havermouth From the Van Helsings“Well,” Connery said as Sigrid and her Triquetra left. “Nice chat.”“Hmm,” Leighton chuckled through his nose as he returned to his workstation.“She is eager to turn her mates,” Meguitte explained Sigrid’s chilliness to them both. “Plus, she’s Sigrid,” she added with a quirk of her lips as Connery raised his eyebrows teasingly at her. “She was Talen’s second in charge when Concordia was Concordia,” she said to Leighton. “All but a queen in his absences, and when we left Concordia, she managed his businesses whilst he traveled the world with his mapping ships…”“She is very impressive,” Leighton said with a small smile. “You do not need to make apologies for her, Meguitte. We all have our moments of… hmm,” he gestured to the vials before him. “We all possess our flaws and weaknesses.”“I think Aislen is having one of those moments,” Meguitte sighed heavily, bracing the heel of her hand on the counterto
Havermouth, Present Time, 1.5 weeks after Retaking Havermouth From the Van HelsingsVampire blood was sourced from two locations.There were a number of Van Helsing prisoners, survivors of the attack on Haven Farm or rounded up from around Havermouth and the surrounding area, who occupied scavenged and re-built cages in one of the hospital wards. They “donated” every couple of days, and their blood was packaged and distributed around the vampires in Havermouth for convenience.There were also volunteers from the Havermouth civilians who, as they came to understand the needs of the supernatural amongst them, saw that they could give back to those who protected them. Gratitude was not universal. Many of the humans were hostile, suspicious, and reluctant to interact with anyone who was “out” as supernatural.Those who did volunteer sometimes did so with ulterior motives. It had not escaped Havermouth’s human residents that the supernatural were generally better looking, stronger, and fas
Havermouth, Present Time“Fuel is becoming an issue,” Talen observed as they drove towards the train bridge. The arrow on his tank showed that it was under a quarter full. “We must hope that they have managed to get the petrol stations operational again and that there is petrol within them, or we will all be walking in the future.”“River is going down,” Rhett commented. “I can see the safety rail of the bridge.”They all turned to look as they passed that section of the road with its bedraggled-looking ropes of yellow “Do Not Cross” tape and the stranded 4WD peeking through the current. The water had retreated back, revealing more of the road, and leaving its edges entangled with debris.“I’ll be happy when we can use that bridge again,” Aislen decided. “I’m really not a fan of the train bridge.”Silence fell in the cab as Talen confidently navigated the train tracks to the other side of the river. A roadblock on the inner side of the bridge stopped them and a pair of green-clad were
Havermouth, Present TimeLunch was served in the conference room. The control room buzzed with energy as the werewolves monitored whatever it was that they monitored, and Aislen watched them through the open door as the kitchen staff placed a plate of sandwiches and fruit onto the conference table along with coffee and juice in a sweating glass jug.“What are they doing?” She asked Rohan as he helped himself to the food.“Monitoring the outside world, mostly,” he replied offering her coffee. “Listening to the news reports and broadcasts of parliamentary meetings. Others are communicating with other branches of the army. Some are monitoring the Van Helsing’s communications.”“Anything interesting?” Heath wondered.“It’s all interesting to someone,” Rohan offered the plate of sandwiches around the table. The Triquetra and Talen declined, shaking their heads. “More for us, eh, Aislen?” He set the plate between them. “Something needs to happen and soon,” he continued answering Heath’s que
Havermouth, Present TimeAbigail’s door was opened by Mrs Gale. Aislen had only encountered the other woman a couple of times and had no idea what the other woman thought of her, or the fact that she was Heath’s mate. For a moment they stared at each other and then Mrs Gale’s face lit when she saw Heath behind Aislen.“Oh Heath,” she stepped forward to wrap her arms around her son. “It is good to see you. How are you?” She stepped back holding his cheeks in the palms of her hand as she searched his face with her eyes. “You look…” She reached up to run her fingers through his hair. “I like your hair a little longer like this.”“Thanks, mum. How are you?” Heath asked warmly.Her smile was brittle but bright. “I have been staying with Abigail. Your father is less than pleased.”“A wise move,” Heath told her gently. “One long overdue.”“Don’t start, please,” Mrs Gale murmured. “You know how it is amongst us. It wasn’t like I could just walk away…” When Heath lifted his eyebrows, she shook
Havermouth, Present Time“Aislen’s worried about you, puppy,” Rhett said under his breath as they walked down the hallways toward his father’s room.The passages were busy with soldiers, civilians, and service staff and he hesitated to reach out to take Cameron’s hand as he spoke, the habit of hiding that they were mates making the gesture feel uncomfortable under so many eyes. It wasn’t a secret anymore, though, and everyone knew that the Triquetra were each other’s mates, as much as they were Talen and Aislen’s. Still, Rhett hesitated.Aislen wasn’t wrong with her suspicions. Despite warning her off when she had spoken to Rhett about it earlier, she had echoed what Rhett already knew. Everything wasn’t alright with Cameron. It was subtle, but it was there. Cameron was just more withdrawn, rising earlier to tend the farm, skipping morning sex, and was lingering in the fields rather than hurrying to return.Rhett had let it go, mainly because his head was so fucked up, he wasn’t sure
Havermouth, Present TimeTalen was alone in the room when Aislen arrived, unpacking their suitcases into the cupboard. He paused in the middle of hanging one of Heath’s shirts, glancing over his shoulder at her as she closed the door and leaned against it with a heavy sigh.He was a sight for sore eyes, she thought her heart immediately lightening, in his butt-hugging jeans and knit top, his hair bundled back into a messy bun. His beard was just long enough to be called one, and the gold highlighted the strong line of his jaw. The thin knit top clung in all the right places, emphasizing the width of his shoulders, the bulk of his biceps, and the narrowness of his waist.That he was spending his time putting away his mates’ clothes was just so typical of him, she thought. He would be thinking of his mates rather than himself.“No Heath?” He queried as he finished putting the shirt into the cupboard in the spare room. With the main bedroom such a tight squeeze with the five of them, it
Havermouth, Present TimeThe moment Heath strode away from Aislen, he regretted doing so, but the alpha in him kept going. “Damn it,” he wrung his hands through his hair as a corner took him out of her line of sight. “Damn it, Heath.”Yes, Aislen had been in the wrong. Watching her use her power on the broken and fragile Abigail had felt so wrong on so many layers. There was no justification for it in his mind. But he’d handled it the wrong way, as he always seemed to do with Aislen. He’d pushed them into another argument.He had to do better. He had to think like Talen.“Fuck.”His path took him to August’s door. Might as well get it done, he decided and knocked.It did not take long for the door to open and August sneered as he dragged his eyes over Heath. August wore the green army uniform, whereas Heath, having come from the river house, was dressed in jeans and a shirt, but the sneer was not about Heath’s fashion choices.“Good afternoon, August,” Heath ignored the derisive sneer