Havermouth, Present TimeAislen picked her way over the sleeping bodies and stood at the door, pressing her ear against the flaking paint. Muffled by the ward and wood, she heard male voices, calling out “Clear!” to each other from the other side and the creak of the stairs as they made their way up to the other level. “The Van Helsings?” Verina pressed up against the wood beside her, their eyes lifting to the ceiling as they both held their breaths, listening intently as the footsteps creaked overhead, drifting dust down from the cracking plasterwork, before returning down the stairs.“There’s no one up there. Place looks abandoned.”“Something is odd. There were at least a dozen people here. There was a door around here somewhere, too,” a familiar man’s voice replied from the other side of the door. August Mason himself, Aislen thought wryly. She imagined that she could hear the rasp of his palm against the wood as he searched for it. “F-k! This wall just zapped me!”“Faulty wirin
Havermouth, Present TimeTalen followed the big alpha through a door into a cement lined corridor, walking close enough that the werewolf had to feel his breath warm against the back of his neck. His investigation into the death of Patrick Carter had been shelved due to the flood and resulting drama, but he had not forgotten, and the opportunity had so conveniently fallen into his lap that he could not resist but to pursue it.It also enabled him to see more of the underground compound that the werewolves had built. There had been two doors close together, and from what he had seen through the other door, he suspected that one way was used by those higher ranking in the pack, and probably lead into more opulent accommodation, from the rich carpet, art-work on the walls, and ambient lighting.The door that they had taken had led into a serviceable corridor, unpainted bare cement walls and floor, and harsh, energy efficient lighting that made his eyes water. The corridor branched off at
Havermouth, Present TimeSigrid returned from her shower to a room of petulant and sulking men. From the way Dan pouted on the bed next to Tom whilst Greg was strapping on his weapons near the window, it was not hard to determine who had come out as the winner of the argument.“If you are ready?” She arched an eyebrow at Greg.He straightened. “I am ready.”“Hmm,” she walked over to the bed and leaned down to brush her lips over Tom, who caught hold of her waist, lifting his head into the kiss, his tongue stealing between her lips and teasing hers before he released her, sinking down with a wicked grin.“Think of me,” he purred.Sigrid laughed under her breath. Dan rolled to his knees and cupped her face, kissing her over Tom, his kiss sweeter. “Keep the idiot safe,” he said barely audibly as he released her and flopped back onto the bed.She inclined her head slightly and walked to the door, with Greg behind her. At the top of the stairs, she paused, bracing a hand on the doorframe t
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