Havermouth, Present TimeAislen strutted across to her warehouse with an extra bounce in her step. “I could drink an entire bottle of champagne,” she told Meguitte cheerfully. “Take that August. We’re going to have to let him go at some point, of course, but we’ll let them brew there in their little circle until the big boys come home, and let August explain himself to Talen,” she grinned widely.In the kitchen, Meguitte checked on Bianca, and Toby returned the knives to the drawers.“You did good, Toby,” Aislen told him as she slid onto a stool.“Umm, thanks,” he colored. “I’ll get back to it then. I’m going to make a run to the MegaStore with a couple of vampires…” He closed his eyes on a grimace. “I can’t believe that sentence just came out of my mouth,” he said under his breath and drew in a deep breath before releasing it and opening his eyes. “The MegaStore stocks a lot of camping supplies… I’m really surprised that you guys haven’t prepped better. There are things in there like
Havermouth, Present TimeMeguitte’s mate was the Van Helsings’ torturer Sparrow. Sigrid strode along the street, the skirt of her dress snapping around her legs, and her hair blowing around her face, whilst her mind tossed over frantically all the complications involved with that revelation.“Sigrid,” Greg caught at her hand tugging her back and she paused to glance at him. He was slightly out of breath. “Not all of us are vampires.”“Apologies,” she was flustered realizing that she had been so preoccupied with Harry’s revelations about Meguitte that, lost in her thoughts, she had been walking at a pace that was a slow jog for humans.“It’s fine,” he assured her, keeping hold of her hand as they continued the stroll. The houses had dropped back, and the roads widened in this section of the town. “I understand that it was very upsetting news. You were speaking of Meguitte before…”“Yes,” she said softly. “Meguitte’s story seems to be that of an eternal tragedy. I wish it were otherwise
Havermouth, Present TimeAislen crossed to the vampire warehouse with Toby, and he knocked on the door. After a moment something inside moved, shaking the door as it did so. “They have secured their warehouse,” he explained to her with an air of approval. “By blocking up the doorways.”A young man opened the door and regarded them both without speaking. His clothing gave the impression of being old and well cared for, the elaborate embroidery on the high collar and turned back cuffs faded but otherwise perfect, and the shirt that he wore below it tea-stain white and crumpled as if the fabric had lost its shape due to over-washing and age.“Is Tyler here?” Toby asked.The young man closed the door without responding.“They’re very friendly,” Toby whispered exaggeratedly sliding her a look out of the corner of his eye.“So, I see,” she replied dryly.The door opened and a thin, gaunt cheeked man looked through his hair at them, before stepping to the side to reveal Tyler who grinned. “H
Havermouth, Present TimeTalen had been right about the other door. The hallway had been opulent, his feet sinking into the carpet, and the wallpaper textured so that the light from the wall sconces caught the fabric making it gleam. Near the entrance to the main chamber, doorways opened into more modest, but tasteful corridors.Down them Talen glimpsed wait staff and maids busily wheeling covered carts. The business end of the opulence, he thought. The kitchens, the laundry rooms, the storage places. There were two more intersections of the hallway, each corridor lined with doorways, the set out, and décor reminding him of upper-class hotels.They were taken left at the second intersection. Many of the doors had plaques on them denoting who resided within. The room that they were taken to was at the end of the corridor. A door marked “Emergency Exit” led into a metal stairway that went both up and down, and Talen wondered just how deep the bunker went and what lay below.They entered
Havermouth, Present TimeTalen watched from down the hallway as Heath knocked on a door. His mate had gently suggested that he wanted to go alone, and so Talen and Rohan had fallen back respectfully. The door did not open, but Heath moved closer to the wood, resting his cheek against it to listen to the other side.“It’s me mum,” he said just loud enough to be heard on the other side. “I’m alone.”After a moment, the door opened, and Heath slipped inside.Talen met the eyes of the other alpha, Rohan, who flushed uncomfortably and shrugged. “Some alphas use a heavy hand with their mates,” the werewolf mumbled. “Mr. Gales’ hand is heavier than most. Mrs. Gale won’t come out if there’s, you know, obvious signs, or he might be embarrassed.”“He should be embarrassed,” Talen replied grimly.“Yeah, but she will bear the brunt of his embarrassment,” Rohan said. “So, she stays inside. There’s a saying that what happens within an alpha’s home is that alpha’s business.”“Even if he’s beating hi
Havermouth, Present TimeHeath had not returned from his visit to his mother; however, Cameron and Rhett had completed their shower, and both, dressed in matching green uniforms, were working their way through the food on the table.“Talen!” Cameron half stood when Talen entered and then caught himself as Rohan followed Talen into the room, exchanging a wary look with Rhett. “Never mind,” he said as he sat back down. “Did you have a nice walk?”“We interrogated the prisoners,” Talen told them as Rohan closed the door. “Nothing too surprising.” He sat next to Cameron and placed his hand on Cameron’s thigh, giving it a squeeze in acknowledgement that his mates had something that they wanted to share but that they did not intend to do so in front of Rohan. “Rohan is going to share with us August’s plans.”“I guess I am,” Rohan agreed sinking down into the seat next to Rhett. “We are in contact with packs throughout the country who have been preparing for war under August’s direction. Bet
Havermouth, Present TimeSigrid drove. When she had headed to the driver’s side of the car, she saw Greg do a double take and had smiled to herself in amusement. He hadn’t protested and had gotten into the passenger seat. She had debated the wisdom of using the car lights but had decided that a Van Helsing would do so, and so seeing the 4WD pass without lights was bound to cause interest.The route took them past the hotels where the Van Helsings had established their home base. Sigrid kept her speed unhurried. She could feel Greg’s tension as he twisted in the seat, his eyes scanning the lit buildings and the vehicles parked out front.“They think that have won,” she said softly. “They are there in their comfortable hotel rooms, with the lights bright above them, and they think that they have this town on its knees. But we know that this town has some fight left in it, hmm?”“You’re right,” he agreed relaxing as they left the hotels behind them. “They are about to get the surprise of
Havermouth, Present TimeAs the night darkened outside the window, Harry moved around the room lighting candles and Jules tried to concentrate on the map of the town that was spread out before him and not on the spectacular beauty and grace of his mate. He wasn’t the only one distracted by it, he thought, catching Jacob Rever with his mouth hanging open tracking Harry’s movements.Sensing his gaze Jacob’s eyes met Jules’ and he flushed. “Sorry Jules. Right, so you were saying, we’ll hit these roadblocks here, here, and here. Diana?”Diana Boyston nodded. “I’ll use the distraction to move the children to the new safe houses and reunite them with their parents.”“James Jones took a crew to the MegaStore earlier,” Casey Donald told them. “They’re planning on taking out the Van Helsings’ generator and as many of their cars as they can. It’s only fair that if we have to get by without power, they do too.”“That should keep them busy,” Jules’ smile was vindictive. “We’d best finish up for t