Havermouth, Present Time, 1.5 weeks after Retaking Havermouth From the Van HelsingsThe hospital had become the center of Havermouth in the aftermath of the Van Helsing’s eviction. Not only had the community rallied around those people who had been trapped in the hospital during the occupation, but the relocation of injured from Haven Farm and the ongoing water-illness infections kept the halls busy with people in various states of distress.Leighton’s sleepers had been relocated to the wards, and with them had come the witches, vampires, and Meguitte and Connery.The lower level of the hospital carried the scent of food from the steady stream of trays being wheeled from the kitchen towards the elevators. Those who had been affected by the water-virus required a massive amount of calories to regain weight lost to the illness.Sigrid held her breath as she and her Triquetra squeezed into an elevator along with two volunteers and their laden trolleys. The smell of food did not normally
Havermouth, Present Time, 1.5 weeks after Retaking Havermouth From the Van Helsings“No biting, and no chewing,” Harry cautioned the zombie-woman sternly as they held a knife to their wrist. “Are we absolutely clear on that? This,” they gestured to their body. “Is an artwork. You do not maul it. That would be very rude of you, and we would have to rethink the hospitality that we are extending you.”“I’ve… eaten recently,” the woman grimaced slightly. “I think you’re safe from me. I’m not so thrilled about this blood thing, but…” She glanced towards the doorway to the room in which her green-haired man and Jules were. “It seems to work.”“Mhm,” Harry used the knife. “Open up.”“Heath and Talen are bandaging that other woman, and Rhett’s snuck out for a smoke,” Cameron commented wrapping his arms around Aislen’s waist and nuzzling into her hair. “How are things here?”“We put the big green-haired man in the bathtub like she insisted we do, along with a kilo of salt, and your dad’s in th
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