Annals of the Shadow Keepers Vol. 1: The Wild Ones
Desemond de Luna was not your average anything. Descended from Arkon and the adopted daughter of the infamous Julian Luna, the Prince of San Francisco, she comes by her Awakening after Arkan's assassination and under Julian's guardianship is given to the Tower of Hermes at the tender age of 12. In rebellion against her Uncle she joined the armed forces, climbing the ranks at a pace unheard of for a female. Becoming Special Forces her secrets come out during a suicide mission on the borders of Iran when she is forced to use magick to kill a group of Assamites to protect her fellow soldiers. Cat being out of the bag, the military gives Des time to make peace with Julian and the haunting death of Arkan before she is sent to join a Top Secret division within the womb of the CIA called the Order of the Shadow Keepers, made up of witches, were-creatures, and other supernaturals. She is a bright star within, becoming the go to agent when missions are blown and must be cleaned up and any information salvaged till a new opperation can be set into motion and the Masquerade is kept (which in this tale reaches to all supernaturals) and stop any blood hunts that risk exposure to all their kind. One such situation pops up in the seaside tourist town in California, when a traitor and former lover within their own Order by the name of Gaiden Mose sells out their agents to an alarming group splintered off the Sabbat called Equites Novem (Knights of the Nine) made up of supernaturals drunk on their own power and hell bent on a single mission, to bring down the Fall of Man. Putting herself between a rock and a hard place she follows her orders and blasts the building sky high with any evidence of the activites conducted there before diving out of a three story window cushioned by adreniline fueled power and into a terrific storm of bullets on the outskirts of the town all to far from the safety of numbers upon the tourist filled Boardwalk. Seeing she was outgunned, out numbered, to far out for a cry of help to be reached and to little time to outrun the racing led seeking for her head, she debates how she is going to die. Whether to surrender and sue for mercy from those already infamous lack of mercy or humanity by some slim chance they would let her go, Or to go out a mortal radioactive bomb, destroying as many as she could before she died and passing this world not as a victim on her knees but as a soldier on her feet. It is at this pivitol moment that our story truly begins. When one of our beloved Lost Boys feels the life of a mate he has never met, a life he would give anything to protect though at the moment he does not know why, is about to be snuffed out. A single moment in time, a monster risks himself in a brave and selfless act, and by so doing, changes the fate of many.
Pairings: Desemond de Luna/Lost Boys Lillie Langtree/Max, Julian Luna/Hellaina Argos
Later Pairings: *spoiker, eventually Michael will regret what he attempted, especially when he gets a job at one of Julian's companies and the Kindred Prince takes the boy under his wing. He becomes fast friends with Cash and after delivering something to Desemond personally about Equites Novem movements in San Francisco, he develops one-sided feelings for her and is forced to make peace with the Lost Boys if he wants even so much as a friendship. Julian sees something of Arkon and himself in the boy and after many long conversations, he thinks about asking the Prince to embrace him into Clan Ventrue.*
Michael Emerson/Mayella Langree
Chapter One: Bullets Like Rain
Desemond de Luna, a rising star inside the CIA's Classified Super Natural Division called the Order of the Shadow Keepers is sent to Santa Carla after a traitor sells 5 highly trained agents, Hector Silverwind (Anubi aka were-wolf), Rayna Sciobtha (Bastet aka were-cat), Cavalier Operaio (Anubi aka were-wolf), Eisen Nikola (Bastet aka were-cat), Iselle Warren (Magus of 12th degree, Tower of Demeter) to the rising threat of the militant arm of the Sabbat (those bond together who refuse to abide by the rules of the Masquerade, insist on revelation, and retalliaction against mankind for being forced into shadows by those who are prey by their blood and forfeiture of their dominion over the world) called the Order of the Equites Novem (Knights of Nine). Seeing the mangled and tortured forms of her comrades, Des swears a blood oath of vengeance against Gaiden and all who aided them. Falling orders she blows the building holding her comrades remains along with any evidence leaking back to the CIA sky high and gets trapped between the flames and the bullets of the Were-Creatures of the seaside town who nievely sided with Equites Novem who were promised the blood of the Boys who ruled the Boardwalk. Dwayne is blindsided with fear that he was about to loose something more precious than he could put into words and races towards an active war-zone on the outskirts of the town were he spots the beautiful Desemond and pulls her out of harms way.
The most terrorfying of our race
are those with nothing left to lose
who have no regard for their life or the noose
who walk towards the barrel instead of refuse
that live in the moment of their greatest risk of pain.
They are the heros we secretly hate
because they live without fear
nothing binds them to those here
and so their actions gives them wild cheer
all the while clapping when they take on the martyrs fate.
They live in a lonely place
no heart or home to call their own
no friends to help bare the burden they carry alone
all the things the movies never show
no one to put flowers on a desitute grave.
But if one night when the bullets are like rain
and a monster has a moment of selfless action
awful fate is turned upon it's head
a curve in the plot is suddenly fashioned
And the lonely life that kills suddenly becomes that which saves.
-Bullets like Rain excerpt by Makilome
Desemond's POV
Clusterfuck didn't even begin to cover the situation she found in Santa Carla. Try complete fucking disaster! Everyone's cover was blown to Hell, the Masquerade was blown wide open, and the conspiracy theory nuts were already all over it! She wondered if they realized just how close they really were sometimes to the actual truth. Replace the supernatural with the aliens and they would be hitting things on the head! The pictures had already began circulating and by the time they had sent her for clean up things had already gone far beyond salvageable. She really hoped that heads would roll on capitol hill for this! They had lost several of their best agents to the Were Creatures of Santa Carla. At this point it was more supernatural warfare being waged and being on the clean up crew had her having a nice, lovely, big red target being painted on her back. And what does headquarters tell her? Blow everything sky high! Burn everything! Just. fucking. PERFECT! Not like the Were's didn't have snipers of their own waiting for her ass when she came to do her job!
Which brought her to this moment, with only her 38 left, one, maybe two shots left in the barrel, running like hell as the shells rained down and all around her. Though her fall had been cushioned by the small amount of chakra she used, energy was burned, energy that was needed not only for magick, but to run! It was hard to even see anything. From the moment she walked in on the horrific scene the man she once believed to be the most gentle and loving created when he sold them out sent a blinding fury so strong her tiny frame could not contain it and before she could even rig the place to blow she had split the whole place in half right down to its foundations! The 6 agents sent for this mission were not amatures! They were operatives of distinction! Highly intelligent, emotionally objective, each were highly skilled detectives as well as muscle. Beautiful, golden haired, mocha skinned and grey eyed Iselle was a deeply skilled mage. She had constant and never ending connection to the many spirit planes, contacting and commanding powerful and terrorfying beings at will. She could use her element of water with a degree of talent that made her green with envy! She could create mists at will, making herself and her team completely invisable not only to the human but even to the eye of a were of a vampire! She could drown an enemy using the water that resided inside their own body! She could bring down a flood, drive down water like a concrete wall. She had fair command over the other elements as well. She was also, like all agents, skilled in hand to hand fighting, was a crack shot, and had bomb making skills that would make any IRA member proud!
There was Cavalier, with an ego the size of Texas and a heart that was larger still! You would never guess by looking at the flame headed, onyx eyed man that he could turn into a 900 lbs solid raging mass that could pick and huck a Hummer at least 2 football fields before it reached the ground! He had just learned after a long a very painful struggle to control his shifting at will, and how to maintain some form of humanity in wolf form so that he did not loose control and cause untold death. She had worked with the man before, she knew what the scrawny man was capeable of, no ammount of numbers could bring him down on the vampire side unless they were a Methuseleh and even then he had to be caught by surprise, and with his military training, just like hers, that was pretty much an impossibility. He was far to strong and was far to good at what he did for anyone to just be able to get the jump on him and it was his very unlucky day.
And the other two, the ones she called the Terror Twins, Rayna and Eisen were ALWAYS together. Their names sent a collective shiver down the spine of the supernaturals were ever they went. Rayna was a brunette bomb shell that could drink like a man and fight even better! In fact she liked both said activities a little to much and she often would start getting whinny after they got kicked out of every single bar in the town she was in and no one was able to give her and Eisen a good fight. Reminding her that she and him were both Bastet and no mere mortal was ever going to provide them a good fight never seemed to sink in. She used to toy with the idea of sending them to Cash, her father's unoffical bodyguard and have the Gangrels give them a good run for their money so she and the rest of the Order didn't have to listen to the never ending rant from Rayna or the five year old like pout from Eisen. They did not seem it, but both were highly intelligent. Both had been on the streets of Russia from an early age, Rayna's parents being stationed as US civilians working at a military base before they were struck down by KGB when they were mistaken for spies. It was the first time she took on her form.
It was also the day she met Eisen, in humanoid catform, scared, blood stained and with no place any longer to call home. It didn't take long to catch wind of what happened and they spent a good chunk of their lives outrunning those agents, honing their skills till they had control and could shift on cue when they needed to run at speeds faster than human. This is where they also differed so greatly from their fellow Bastet. Both could take the forms of any wildcats, or take from whatever attributes to add to strength, speed, and stamina. When they were finally caught, the US military begged, pleaded, and threatened before they got their prize. And they treated them both like royalty ever since. It took Des a long time to gain their respect, and now that she had it, they were both gone. Torn apart and unrecongnizeable except for the magickal signature she placed on all agents of the Shadow Keepers Division. In their blood she knew the signs all around her and what they had been meant to do. It was something Gaiden had once brought up as a theory to the Division and all, her uncluded was revulsed!
For years the chestnut haired, hazled eyed beauty she once loved though now she looked on it he was to beautiful to be handsome, to appeal as a man should, had been working on a spell that was pure black magick and dabbled in necromancy. It was the ability to take a supernautral at the point of death and use the seals of the Seven Hellish Princes summoned by their ancient names and have them blend and infuse thier demonic power into the ebbing life flow of the dieing being, turning it into a supernatural slave, a walking weapon with no sense of self, a creature only on the most basic of levels, with no will of its own and served whatever the caster's wishes were and giving the caster absolute control. It was a violation of the greatest and most important laws of magick, never, EVER take away someone's free will! The ritual he created was merciless in it's brutality and intentionally painful, that the person be so blinded by it that they did not know and could not oppose what was being done to him or her. Thankfully, even in their final moments the agents here were to strong for Gaiden. Even as the pain went beyond what their bodies could bare, they reached out to the planes Iselle called and were pulled up before they could be turned into puppets.
She shook with rage, desperately holding in the howling, the animal sound inside her that begged to be unleashed! She knew better, to let out the Dragon would be like sending out a honing beacon, and she was far to smart to think that no one knew she was here. A clever mage, Gaiden knew whom they would send and more than likely used the opportunity to try this barbaric ritual again to also set a trap. But there was nothing she could do about that. She had her orders and she had to make sure that nothing of this place and what went on behind these four walls ever got out. She had a small chance if she could create enough of an explosion to get police attention. Not that she had much faith in them. But there were others that might notice. Others who ruled this city like immortal gods who would not like others creating undue attention on their turf. Others like the infamous Lost Boys, who had caught her eye the second their bikes roared on the boardwalk. The ones she knew watched her every move, and had since she had arrived at the Comic Shop of the two amature Hunters, trying to hide their grins and choking on laughter when she plugged them for information on those far worse that the Lost Boys they thought were so horrible.
But right now, all she could feel was her Dragon's Fire. All she knew was the burning, the searing rage, anger unlike anything she had known in a long while. It was the rage that Awakened her when she was far to young. When the news had come of her ancestor, that ancient and powerful vampire who's name commanded respect and terror in every corner of the globe, the honorable Senator of Rome who had debated emperors and rode with the legions into wars in Gaul, Arkon had been assassinated. She never knew how he had managed it, but Julian had come in person to collect her and tell her of his assassination. She had managed to send him flying through a 20 story window to the street below, that first time she could give real meaning to the stories Arkon told. She never doubted him, but seeing it was something else entirely. And that show of power now brought her here, full circle. And she couldn't give them the proper barriers she could Arkon. There would be no placing flowers anywhere near this place. The grief coursed through her veins, cold hot, cold hot, ice and fire. The place where it split trembled with every breath she drew in and blew out. When she had enough to be able to do what she had come to do, She emptied out the contents of the bag and began her work, not even stopping to say a blessing for the dead. There was just no time and each second she took was another liability she could not afford. She worked quickly, having to burn more chakra still as she moved faster than a human.
Every beam had an explosive, and each explosive was connected to the center bomb, powerful enough set at full to level a building incased in steel, to level a deserted block and with luck, catch the attention of the populace. She didn't really believe she was going to make it out, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try! She focused on nothing but her work, finishing wiring all the smaller devices to the larger one before snapping the wires. More power, she ran at high speed and dived out of the third story window, tucking her body close and turning into a roll on the way down, head tucked down into her legs tight and painfully, using her healing and shielding power to keep her from feeling the full brunt of the fall. She rose, not risking the weight of the many guns she usually belted on her. As soon as the building blew she had heard the first shot. It had almost grazed her left shoulder but this one time her small size had been a life line. The first cover she found was behind an abandoned SUV that had been taken apart piece by piece so the parts could be sold on the black market. It was to bad that was not the worst of the crimes that took place in this town. She made damn sure to leave a trail, having a recorder on her that would be found on her body by the next person sent.
Julian would come, she knew that. The Prince of San Francisco could not stand back and let a traitor like Gaiden endanger the Masquerade. A blood hunt would be declared and then there would be no place he could hide. He really should have paid more attention to the things she had told him! But the thought angered her. She was NOT going to let Julian take her vengeance from her! She used a hunting knife even as she flew towards a small patch of brush. Weak cover but it was something and it hid her form better and muffled the sound of her breathing. The knife cut cleanly into her palm, making her wince as the blood bubbled up. Smell be damned! She squeezed it and said "Horus, god of vengeance, I swear on this blood, the blood of Rome, the blood of Arkan, the blood of the witch of the Order of the Shadow Keepers, on my blood, the witch of Dragon's Fire, on my name Desemond Bianca de Luna that I will find Gaiden Mose wherever he hides, whatever place he lays his deceitful head, anywhere he seeks haven, I will find him! On my blood I will avenge the bloodshed of my brothers and my sisters in the same coin he paid them!"
Even as she finished she could feel the bodies rushing towards her, the were-creatures of the Equites Novem moved like trolls instead of the animals whose forms they took! Weighted down by heavy artillary, like she was a militant group within Al-Queada or the Taliban instead of a single woman with no energy left to spare to sling the mojo like she could had she been able to sleep durring her flight instead of spend each waking hour going over and over the details of the mission, when Gaiden had acted, who had he interviewed, what information was given when and to who, what intell if any they had on these Knights of the Nine. She was able to pick off her would be attackers one by one, giving her a brief bubble to move towards a vehicle, duck, and fire a shot off at the balcony of a highrise motel and send one of those bastards to stupid to realize he could have lived if he remained phased crashing to the pavement below. She smiled at the red that now splattered about him on the pavement. It was a far better look for such a brainless goon and he got a better death than he deserved. He deserved to die on his knees!
She knew her chances of survival but she wasn't going to go down by dropping to her knees and begging for mercy! She would be no one's victim, if she had to go down, she would do it like an agent of the CIA, not a civilian! She made sure to leave enough information, enough of the sounds on bits and pieces of conversation shouted out from behind covers and over roof tops behind for the agents they would send in behind her. The special team would be sent, she was sure of it. They would need the very best in the business to cover up what had taken place here so that the other supernaturals of the area didn't decide to lose their collective minds and put the already indangeroured populace of the seaside town into even more danger! She had another close call and was forced to conjer all her speed and let herself be seen in the open before she dodged behind a palm tree, just managing to get behind it when a bullet flew by where her head had been. She looked up to the top of another highrise hotel balcony were they now seemed to start climbing to to get a better range of an area that a trained military woman like her would know how to use and took aim, blessing her shot in the dark as she fired and the man fell several stories onto the concrete street below. She drove on, looking to get onto the Boardwalk so that there would be more witnesses. Even though her chances were slim to none to making it there.
A sound close by distracted her, so loud that it made her head pound after the barrage of weapons that had been fired at her for over an hour now. It was very dinstinct, it was the sound she had heard when she first arrived to the town, belonging the the infamous boys that ruled the Boardwalk at night. Boys she had left alone, as they were not involved with her mission and had done nothing to warrent the concern of her people. Her vision was blurring but her gift was still quite clear. She heard a very dinstinct and powerful voice inside her mind. "Look up!" It was urgent, and so strong she couldn't ignore the command, and obeyed the voice, looking up. Sure enough, it was indeed one of them. His pale skin marked him out like a beacon, she wondered how anyone could mistake this one most of all as human. He was simply to pale and to perfect. His dark hair was whipped around in the wind coming up from the sea. The cliche of the prince come to save the dasmel was not lost on her but beggar's couldn't exactly be choosers when a savior comes along to pull your ass out of the fire!
"Come on, run, you can make it!" Once again she was compelled to listen to that voice. She came out from her cover, running faster than she ever had in her life. The small dip allowed her to duck and cover when more bullets came around her. If she wanted to get the bitch seat behind him and get out of there she was going to have to make a jump for it. "Can you do a grab and go?" she asked silently. She sent images of what she meant to him. He didn't speak, only nodded his head before he ducked when more bullets flew over him. "You better do what you are planning now. I don't favor the idea of pulling bullets out of me for the rest of the evening!" he replied. Nodding and not even knowing if he caught it, she got up from her place on the ground and jumped on as he revved the engine, holding his place there by long legs and vampiric strength alone. He caught her with one arm, and helped her straddle on to the bike and then wrap her arms around his waist before they sped off. As they dodged and weaved, things got less and less heated as they grew closer to the Boardwalk.
"Feel like commenting on how it is you knew were I would be, let alone that I would be able to hear you and respond?" she said, not with wheels turning in high gear at the motives of her unlikely savior and just why he had been there and pulled her out. "Supernatural beings tend to know their own, don't they? Besides, you have left us alone and tried to keep people away from knowing what we are. We owe you one save." it was very common sense. A very logical answer. She also knew it was complete bullshit. "I can read others alot better than that so do me the favor of not blowing smoke up my ass! Now how did you know I was there?" she demanded. She was shocked at her own reaction to his laugh, pulled in instead of pushed away, and pulled in rather strongly. She knew that vampires could attract their prey, but that did not generally work on witches like herself. So something else was going on. Something that the other vampire may not even notice was happening. It looked like it would be time to hit the books after she returned to DC. She wouldn't be able to sleep until she had this strange reaction and pull towards this undead figured out.
It was besides the point that he was blindingly gorgeous and had far better control over himself than the rest of the men he ran with. Collected, calculating, and intelligent wrapped up in a damn fine package with a little mystery and darkness thrown in. Most of the female population was interested! There was something more going on, she could feel it, and she had learned long ago to trust her instincts. "You have alot of guts, do you know that? There are not many who would speak as you have after they really knew what we are and what we can do. But as you will. I had no idea what I felt, but I was drawn to where you were. It was a feeling to strong to ignore. Like I might lose something precious if I did not move, fast. And so I followed, and there you were. I had seen you around. The same who had been asking about the Weres and a name, something Latin. I don't really know why I felt willing to risk myself to save you, but there you are." she smiled. Now he was being honest! And it gave her more information. There was certainly more going on! And she had the feeling that he wouldn't be letting her off, just because they had reached the Boardwalk. He too wanted to know what was going on, and was not likely to let her out of his sight until he did.
He did stop the bike, but that was when the others came into view. The three blondes, the partier, the leader, and the curly haired one that looked like he belonged in a Anne Rice novel. Some how he reminded her of Armand. "And so I am introduced to the rest of the band of Merry Men? Or is it Unmen?" she quipped, right there on the spot. The curly haired one smiled like the Cheshire cat and shook his head. The partier snorted and put an elbow on the leader. "Evening witch! How are the Weres this fine evening?" she gave him both a smile and a deadly glare. "Dining on that rare dish, rather raw, of their own entrails. Well, those that are not barbaqued properly on the outskirts of this fine town. Be careful, I don't think you have developed a taste for lead." he choked before he barked out into laughter. There was a gleam in the leader's eyes when he looked at her, and he looked only at her eyes. "Any explanation as to how and why one of us could not resist pulling you out?" there was a grovel to that voice, and a warning. There was more to him than there appeared and being reckless was not really an option at the moment.
She let the sarcastic comments on the tip of her tounge fade. "If I had an explanation, believe me, I would be analyzing it within an inch of its life. I had a job to do in a clusterfuck of a situation left me. Now I have to manage to contain the area and make sure the Weres don't cause the town's supernatural habitants to lose their collective minds! I wasn't exactly expecting to be pulled out. In fact when I heard the bike, I was deciding on how it was I was going to die. Whether to go out begging, or go out with the dignity of a soldier, fighting, not on my knees. I chose the former. I do not know what drew him there, and neither does he. I asked. You don't intend on letting me out of your sight until we find this out are you?" she asked. "You catch on quick. I am sorry, but you are going to have to sit tight. But don't worry, none of us are going to stop you from doing your job. However we are going to find out what that job is." and now it was her turn to laugh! "You have fun with that! The best place to start would be a name I would imagine. Mine is Desemond, Desemond de Luna. You can call me Des." she replied, feeling smug.
The others errupted and even her dark haired, lovely savior cracked a amused smile. The leader held his hand out. "David." he said. He had a knowing look on his face. "This is not the first time I have heard your name." She wasn't going to spend a night talking into the wee hours about what she did or did not know about the Prince of San Francisco, she was exhaused, she stank, and she wanted the blood off of her, all the more so that she knew she had a group of powerful vampires who were not just going to let her be off on her merry way, not that she could anyway. Before David he could introduce the others they acted. The partier took a spot in close. "Name's Paul, and I must say that you are a rather delicous witch if I ever saw one." she smirked. All the more so when the other one said "Name is Marko, and he hasn't seen another one." she shook his hand while snorting. She turned to face the vampire who saved her, who suddenly didn't look anywhere but at her. But instead of being on guard like she usually was with that gaze, she felt at peace. She couldn't put a finger on it. She met him a few seconds ago and she knew already he could be trusted with her life. There was an idea in the back of her head, already half developed. Just by talking to them she saw just how much in contol of themselves they really were. Alot more than they were given credit for. Not many vampires could live in such a bustling city without massacring the entirety of the population. It was a constant, and probably painful temptation.
The dark haired Savior took her hand and unlike the others, he kissed it and sent shivers down her spine, shivers that under regular circumstances she could easily hide. Not the first time a vampire had tried to charm her by a long shot. But there was something about this one. It was setting her more and more on edge by the minute. "Name is Dwayne. I know you have work to do, and as it has nothing to do with us, we are not going to stop you from doing it. We don't want anyone who shouldn't be snooping around here anymore than you do. But you will be seeing me again, soon." his eyes were dead serious and she was not in the least frightened by what they seemed to promise. She couldn't go anywhere anyway until clean up was complete. And she needed time to get back, think through the idea now burning at the back of her mind. These men had more to them that this town let them indulge in. The meaninglessness of the constant party was starting to get even to Paul. There was a deadness in their eyes that she had been trained to read that others would never notice. It may be that she could give them something to wake for at night. With the increasing problems across the globe and the growing darkness invading even former remote regions, it might be time to think about recruiting some darker and stronger individuals into the fold.
Dwayne's POV
She hadn't noticed that he had watched her go. That from the moment he caught sight of her he had been watching, through his own eyes, through those of others. Even covered in the dirt, sand, grime and blood she was beautiful. And everyone they passed by on the bike noticed. It was the body women would gleefully committ murder for, the perfect hour glass with powerful abbs that streched across a long torso that begged to have fingers trail along, even the victous scar that looked like a rugged blade that ran long below the belly button. Her chest was generous and he was rather amazed she could move the way she could and not get hurt or slowed down. Wide hips that swayed slightly as she moved, through no thought or effort of her own. She was just naturally a sensual creature, one that had no need of practice or addition of artifical art. Her eyes were like the color of the ocean on a stormy day, deeply blue, with bits of near violet, hints of dark green and turned a certain shade of dark grey when seen in certain lights. Her hair was long, long and thick, reaching just above her elbows and was dark, a deep chestnut brown that shinned in the light and flecked hints of red.
Wavy all the way down, smooth but with definitive curl that spiralled here and there, drawing in the eye. Though tiny her legs defied it, long and toned, the look of someone used to having to go long miles with no letting up. He watched every single step she took till she was out of sight. He didn't follow her. He knew she would know if she was being tracked, it was more than obvious that she had military training. It made him wonder what it was she was doing here that involved the Weres. A witch with a mission with the ability to shoot and keep her head under threat of death, she wasn't exactly the typical young woman you would find on the streets of Santa Carla. She could handle herself. And she was careful to not get to close to the locals, sticking only to the job she had to do. And if that job moping up a disaster... he needed more information! He wasn't going to keep her from completing her mission, but he wasn't going to stand back either. The fire had already begun, there was no putting it out now. He simply wasn't going allow for her to be killed, and if that meant she had to be turned and they had to keep her higher ups from knowing, then so be it. He couldn't say it would be a bad thing if they had to leave anyway, with Max losing his mind over a human woman!
He knew that this plan of his was crazy, and unlike David, he had no fear in telling him so! A relationship built on lies and violence was like walking on thin ice. Eventually, the thin veneer is going to crack and you are going to go down. There is no reason to go across when you can walk around it. He talked to David about Michael. He had been watching him, especially with Star. Star who had caused more head aches then he cared to think about. She certainly was nothing like the woman he saved! She did not have her courage, her recklessness with her own life. She would do anything to get out of her bond to Max and David, and anything was becoming more desperate by the day. She would use Michael to get out of the fold, of that he had no doubt at all. He was a ticket out. A ticket he told David he needed to let her take. She was no fit mate for him. And she had no love for him. Anymore than Lucy was meant for Max. He knew what those who were to be your mate were supposed to feel like. It's a undeniable connection, a overwhelming pull that once felt, there was no escape. A mate was the one person that would mean anything to a vampire.
They were all things wrapped in the form of a living being. And they were fated. Unlike mortals, all those chosen to be embraced became vessels for fate. And whether their mates were human or otherwise, and most often it was the otherwise, it is something that is meant to be. Star was not that for his leader, and Lucy was not for Max. They were a distraction at best and a threat at worst. As dull and pointless as this life had become, he didn't want to lose it because Max couldn't handle being alone and so decided to force matehood on the first woman to give him a hard on in a hundred years! It made finding out more about Des that much more important. She could very well be the key of getting out of a situation destined to go badly. There was no other way forcing someone to become a half could go! The anger felt from having their choice taken away would drive them to destroy the source of their unhappiness. And whether David wanted to recongnize them as a threat or not, the Frogg brothers already caused them enough problems!
He remembered that the first time they had saw her, she had been harassing and manipulating the self styled "defenders of the American way" like that wasn't cliche as all hell, for information about the Weres. She had made them shit their pants when they realized that maybe the Lost Boys were not the biggest of their problems! That's what happens when you try to play in a game to big for you, if you are lucky! They certainly hadn't tried anything with them since then! Maybe she would have the same affect for their situation. Talk David into letting go of Star, and stopping this stupid plan from even going ahead! But Max was not as reasonable as David, who was always willing to at least listen to logic. He hated to think it, but the Maker had been nothing but dead weight for the last decade. He had lived to long past his own time, and couldn't seem to adapt to the time which he lived in anymore. To save themselves and to stop Max from bringing them all down with him because of his impulsiveness they might have to turn on the one who created them. It was time, perhaps, that they sought for freedom.
His leader walked up to him. "There is a connection between you and her. Everyone here felt it. We must do everything in our power to find out what that is. Until then, spend as much time with her as you can. I have a feeling about her. She is meant to be something good for us." having the same ideas, Dwayne turned around and faced him. "I had planned to. I happen to like her. She is strong and intelligent, and her knowledge could be of aid to us. She also has no ax to grind against us, unlike some. She won't knife us in the back the first time she has a chance, like Star. I think we all need to get to know Des. And we need to spend more time thinking about what our priorities are. Star is not your mate, you know that, deep down. And this thing with Michael and Lucy will destroy us. It's a plan destined to fail in it's simplistity and not to mention it could bring a blood hunt down on all of us by breaking the Masquerade! You know it goes against our laws to turn someone without their knowledge! Max is losing his head and he is going to get us all killed. We can't afford to just take his orders blindly. Not this time!" and for once, David did not get angry or defensive when he brought it up.
"I've been thinking on it. Don't think I haven't noticed how Star looks at us. That calcutlating look in her eyes. That very telling way she drew in that boy into her web, like a black widow spider catching a fly. And you are right. She is not my mate. She isn't the one I've seen in my dreams." and Dwayne nodded. No, the woman in his dream was a rare, powerful, and blindingly gorgeous woman that moved with a grace that could only belong to what were once called paladins and were now given the title of Hunters. And that was very telling about where their future lied. It told them that it was time to change direction, drasticly. And if David ever wanted to even meet his beautiful dark headed Hunter, they needed to get in with Des and get on the right side of the supernatural war that got closer and closer to the brink everyday. An old aquaintance use to call it being a white hat. "No, she's not. Which tells us one thing. It's time to free ourselves from Max, and to follow Des to where fate is leading us to be. It's time to let go of the meaningless constant party that all of us don't even have our hearts in anymore and make our Unlives mean something again." he got the feeling that David wasn't saying something again when he mentioned his dreams.
It was stronger in that moment then it had been before. "David?" he asked. "I don't just have dreams for myself, Dwayne. Do the words Knights of the Nine mean anything to you? Because we are being led on a path to where they are going to mean something, and soon! And it is not good. And that woman..." Dwayne's eyes glued onto David's. "What about her?" he demanded, the strange feeling of defensiveness bubbled up in him on her behalf, something he wondered at. "I've seen her before, Dwayne. You are right, she is a part of this, whatever it is. And so we need to put Max's plan on hold at the very least till we know what it is she is meant to be to us." nodding, his mind went into hyperdrive. Desemond was the new enigma that would plague his daytime dreams for a long while. The other boys joined, having hunted while they talked. Paul's arm hung around his shoulder. "I must say, that was one Grade A quality babe! I don't think she'll ride bitch again though. She is more the kind who will demand one of her own!" his comments made him chuckle. Leave it to Paul that even at moments like this was thinking with his cock.
"She is more than that. I like her. She is strong and she has no fear, like she was crafted to be one of us before it actually happened. I wonder how many victims she has, because I am willing to bet that it rivals any of our body counts!" he almost choked at how close Marko was coming to hitting the mark. It was also a dig at Star, whom he had never really approved of. They made it back to the bikes and made their way back to the cave, and he couldn't help the small smile remaining on his face. This night had caused a turning point in their existance, he could feel it! The fact that David was finally willing to see what Star was and wasn't meant that he could be reasoned with on more than just that ill fated relationship. Their endless nights of the Boardwalk and the bottle were coming to an end, and another, far more action filled part of their existance was opening. Something that could very well have them wearing white hats themselves, standing against the force that said Star accused them of being. The truth was the girl had no idea just how good she had it and that all and all, there were alot worst than them out there in the world.
Each had to make the decision on their own, but Dwayne's was already made. He wasn't going to stand by Max and let him destroy them all. He was going to find out what Des was, and then he was going to join her profession, and if the others were smart, and David ever wanted to find his Hunter, they would make the same decision.