Changes Everything and Nothing

Rideten, Present Time

The water was all but cold, but Talen had bathed in worse – recently, in fact, during the troubles in Havermouth. He scrubbed himself with a washcloth, rubbing away the sticky blood. A rhythmic thudding started against the wall behind him, causing him to pause and grin. It sounded like Cameron was putting some force into it, he thought amused and absently reached down to cup his cock, already hard at the thought.

He turned off the water, deciding to join them. As he briskly dried himself, his phone began to ring from where he had set it on the vanity. Fatima’s number flashed onto the screen. He raised his eyebrows and answered it. “Fatima.”

“Talen,” she was breathless and her voice tense. “They did it. They actually did it. Jules is alive.”

Talen almost dropped the phone in surprise. “He is?”

“Yes. He’s not quite… He’s very disorientated, but Harry’s looking after him. But he’s alive.”

Talen braced his palm against the cold stone of the vanity, relief flooding through him. He closed his eyes in gratitude. He would not have to tell Cameron that Jules had died. He had been dreading doing so. “That is… wonderful news. How is Harry?”

“Going from strength to strength. I managed to get the bullet out of their eye, and the swelling of their face has already gone down so much,” she was pleased with herself, as she had every right to be.

“Their eye?”

“No vision yet, but the eye looks to either have healed since the shot, or to have somehow escaped damage.”

“The angle,” Talen nodded. Harry was tall. The werewolves or humans would have been shooting at an upwards angle. “It is possible. How are things in Havermouth?” He opened his eyes and examined his reflection in the mirror. His beard was not looking its best, he thought ruefully. He needed to take some time for self-care or he would be as rough as a caveman.

“Peaceful so far. Tony’s gone in to take August’s head to Meguitte and has not returned.”

Talen blinked. “Meguitte wanted August’s head?” Witches. He could only imagine what she intended to do with it. “Well, if he was no longer using it, I guess she can do what she will with it.” He would call Meguitte and let her know about Jules and Harry, he decided. “Have you heard from Sigrid?” He asked.

“No. Did you know about the trouble there?”

“Yes, Meguitte called me. She should be alright,” he realized that if Tony had not returned, Fatima might not have received word that Sigrid’s turning should be successful. “But I would appreciate it if you would check in on her tomorrow… Today,” he amended realizing that the night was passing, and it was morning.

“I’ll try,” she hesitated. “But I don’t want to leave Harry.”

“Thank you, Fatima,” his gratitude was profound. “Your help is most appreciated.”

After the call disconnected, he stood for a moment, staring at the phone without seeing it. Jules Edison was not dead. He blew out a slow breath. He was so happy for Harry and for Cameron. However, he would not let his joy get ahead of him. The news changed everything and nothing. They still could not share the news with Cameron without hurting their mate and distracting them from the mission, and the slaughter of the night, as brutal as it had been, had been a step in a positive direction and he could not derail the progress made.

The bathroom door opened, and Rhett leaned in. “Hey, food is here.”

“Rhett,” Heath scolded, his hands on Rhett’s hip moving him inside so that he could slide past into the bathroom. “You’ll scare them.”

Rhett’s grin was unrepentant, and he slapped Heath’s arse before turning and knocking on the bedroom door. “Put it away Cam. Aislen’s dinner is here,” he called out.

“Fucking Rhett,” Heath complained under his breath as he began to undress.

“The water is cold,” Talen told him reaching out to close the door.

“Shit.”

“Heath,” Talen waited until Heath started the water as the beat of the spray against the tiles would hide their conversation from the too-keen hearing of their mates. “I received a phone call about Jules.”

“Jules?” Heath frowned at him, one hand in the water hopeful that it would warm.

“He is alive.”

“What?” Heath’s response was overloud in his surprise, echoing off the tiles and he was immediately contrite. “Sorry. That’s… Wasn’t he dead?”

“Apparently Harry was right,” Talen gestured out with his hands. “I have no explanation for how such a mistake could occur, but I am very glad that there is good news.”

Heath blew out a breath that stirred the hair on his forehead. “That’s the best news we’ve had in a long time.”

“We can’t tell Cameron,” Talen continued, his voice low. “For the same reasons as before.”

Heath took a moment, turning it over in his head, before nodding. “You’re right. But,” he shook his head in a wry gesture. “It will definitely make it easier to keep the secret.”

“Agreed.”

Talen reached for the door handle as Heath stepped into the spray, hearing his mate’s sharp inhalation at the chill. In the main living area, Aislen and Rhett were feeding from the wrists of two uncomfortable-looking werewolves in the all green uniform. Talen paused a moment, evaluating their form. Despite his teasing, Rhett had been gentle with this volunteer, he noted with approval, as the young man did not have the appearance of someone in pain – just the look of someone who couldn’t quite believe they were letting someone else drink their blood willingly.

The bedroom door was closed, and he opened it, slipping inside, to find Cameron sitting, naked, on the end of the bed. Sex was heavy on the air, and the bed was rumbled and… torn. Talen considered Cameron as he walked around the bed and sat next to him. “Are you okay, Cameron?” He asked quietly, reaching out to put his hand on Cameron’s knee.

Cameron laid his hand over Talen’s in acknowledgment of the affection. “Yeah,” he replied slowly. “I think I’m going to be. I was thinking about getting Aislen to do her brain thing on me again, but I sort of realize, I have to deal with this myself. It’s fucking awful, this killing. But it’s necessary. And we’re not killing innocent people. We’re killing people who would kill us if they had the chance. We didn’t start this. They did.”

“I would like to go home though,” Cameron added. “After Trayrock. We’ll go, do what we did here there, and wipe them out, get it done and over with, and then… I’d like to go home for a couple of days. There’s stuff at the farm which needs to be done and doing it will help me to feel like myself again. And some time in the playroom,” he flicked Talen a look from the corner of his eye. “Would help even more.”

After Trayrock would be good timing, Talen decided. And Cameron was right. Employing the same strategy as they had in Rideten would help prevent collateral damage, and hopefully speed up the process. If they took Trayrock back from the Van Helsings, he could see no reason that they couldn’t spend a few days in Havermouth. Cameron could be told about his father, and they could help him process both their keeping Jules’ tragedy secret in the playroom, as well as the trauma of battle.

“I think that is very sensible,” he agreed. “And we will do everything we can in our power to organize that. Let’s conquer Trayrock first, and then make our plans. If you believe that Aislen can make things easier, Cameron, then feel no shame in taking that option. It does not make you any less brave or any less alpha to seek to lighten the burden of taking lives. I will admit, however,” he glanced at the door. “Some reservation to the overuse of her skills.” He reached out and ruffled Cameron’s curls. “I like your mind as it is and would not want to see it harmed.”

He rose and stretched and then turned and considered the bed. “How deep do those holes go?”

“All the way through to the mattress,” Cameron stood and looked down at the bed with rueful amusement. “I knotted in Aislen, and my wolf got the better of me.”

“Hmm,” Talen lifted one eyebrow. “And how did you find the experience? I have heard from Heath that it is very enjoyable.”

“Intense,” Cameron replied and reached out to help Talen adjust the covers, inspecting the damage. “A bit like BDSM. It feels like it’s too much, like pleasure and pain blur into the one thing, and as if you might completely lose control… And then when you cum, it burns through you because of the pressure – like coming with a sound in place.” He shuddered in remembered pleasure and slid Talen a shy grin. “It was good. You should try it.”

“I am not sure if my anatomy works that way,” Talen replied as he got into the bed. “I will have to experiment more with my other forms when there is opportunity to do so.”

“The cougar is cool,” Cameron slid between the covers and wriggled his way until his cheek was on Talen’s shoulder. “Weird though. I would have thought…” He broke off to yawn. “Sorry. I would have thought you’d be a white wolf like Heath.”

“I did not expect it either,” Talen agreed stroking Cameron’s curls, enticing his mate to sleep. “I tried not to influence my form but allow my body to take the shape that was natural. Perhaps it is because I was a vampire first, rather than a werewolf, but then Morgana was not a werewolf, and her form is a wolf…”

Cameron’s answer was a snore and Talen suppressed a chuckle. He closed his eyes and let himself drift into the edge of sleep until he heard the bedroom door open, and felt the mattress shift as Heath, Rhett and Aislen joined them. As the room plunged into darkness, and the breaths of his mates settled into soft patterns, Talen let sleep fully take him.