"What brand are you thinking of?"
Charisma looked up from her glass of orange juice to stare blankly at Grace Alexander for a moment, suddenly wondering how she had got here and more importantly how had they got on to this discussion. To give herself thinking time Charisma cleared her throat and put down her glass.
"Erm, well," she began smoothing over her ragged jeans, "is there more then one?"
The women in the room laughed as one and Charisma wished Fury were here but knowing her mate he would have looked nonplussed and shrugged, feeling her face flush Charisma looked over to Bride who shook her head at the women and gave Charisma an affectionate look.
"Oh come on!" an exasperated voice cried and Charisma looked at its owner. Tabitha Devereaux the slight, ultra sexy goth chick was truly blessed when it came to looks and sex appeal, she had it all. "I did not come to this to listen about you guys discussing diaper brands! Lets get the music on, the drinks out and dance around naked in the garden!"
She made the rock on gesture with her hands and the women laughed, including Charisma who liked everything about Tabitha, although she was rather strange.
"Tabby, if we do that the cops will be called again and it will be Mardi Gras back in high school all over again!" Bride laughed and Tabby pouted, then brightened when she leant on the ottoman that was in the centre of the circle of bodies.
"Ok then," she said with a naughty grin, "lets talk about who's husband or mate -" she acknowledged Bride and Charisma, both of whom raised their glasses. "Has the best assets."
She waggled her eyebrows and Charisma flushed again, thinking of Fury.
The baby shower or whatever it was called went on for hours or so it seemed to Charisma, when finally the last woman left (which happened to be Tabby, who was a little tipsy) Bride flopped down on the couch.
"That was great, huh?" she sighed happily.
"Yeah, great," Charisma said a little untruthfully and Bride saw through it.
"It was kind of hectic, sorry for releasing them all on you at once."
"Its fine, Bride," Charisma shook her head with a smile, "it was nice just a bit … overwhelming. I never knew there was so much to having a baby…"
Bride laughed, "its not that bad, Charisma, honestly. And stop clearing up we can do that after we've had a rest."
Charisma flopped down beside Bride and after a few minutes of silence, she frowned. "Where was Star today?"
"She was supposed to be here."
"I know," Charisma said thoughtfully then shrugged, "probably having a good time with Sasha."
Bride laughed. "Speaking of good times I'm sure Valerius will be having a good time when Tabby gets home."
"Did you hear what Grace said about Julian's -"
A growl behind them had both women giggling and turning to see their mates and Fang walking through the door.
"You don't need to be talking about anyone's husband but your own!" Vane barked, pulling Bride from the couch and wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in her neck. Bride giggled again and pulled back, flouncing off to the kitchen carrying bowls of nibbles she glanced back over her shoulder.
"Oh believe me, we talked about you." She winked at Charisma who pressed her lips together and gave Vane an innocent look, Vane followed his wife into the kitchen, "what have you told them about me?"
Charisma met Fury's eyes, he gave her a cocky grin before sitting next to her, throwing his arm around her.
"I'm not worried about you've said about me," he told her, "it only enhances my rep, baby."
Fang laughed when Charisma slapped Fury in the stomach, Charisma turned her eyes on him.
"I don't know what your laughing at, Aimee was here too, you know," Charisma laughed evilly when she saw Fang's face grow taunt. "I didn't know you liked her to rub your stomach. Tickle boy!"
Fang blanched and flashed out of the room, no doubt to hunt up Aimee, Fury roared with laughter.
"What was all that Aimee said?"
"I don't know, she wasn't even here. I just guessed lucky." Chuckling Fury nuzzled her ear.
"You're an evil one, mate," he whispered huskily sending chills all over Charisma's skin, "why don't you and I -"
Fury broke off when a flash in the middle of the room made both he and Charisma jump, "what the f - Sasha?"
Sasha tried repeatedly to get to his feet but his leg that was more bloodied then the rest of him and evidently broken shook under him and he collapsed in a bloodied, unmoving mass. Fury swore crudely as he moved towards Sasha and pulled him up against the couch in a sitting position, Charisma leant down beside him.
"Vane!" Fury called urgently through to the kitchen.
"Shit, Sasha, what the hells h -"
"Your brother," Sasha growled between clenched teeth, he was obviously in a great deal of pain but to his credit he made no sounds of distress, the only signs that Sasha was in pain was his body's trembling and his deep controlled breathing, Sasha closed his eyes and continued to grit out his words.
"Your brother attacked us. Dare. He -" Sasha stopped and took a deep breath he let it out in a trembling rush. "Take - taken her to England!"
"Star? He's taken my sister back with him?" Fury pushed and Sasha nodded.
Vane, who had been standing behind Fury, growled menacingly, Fury turned a feral gaze to his brother and growled and the wolf within them both was so blatant that Bride took a step back. Charisma however under her concern for Sasha and Star felt a surge of pride for her wolf.
"Get us there Vane, take me back!"
"Already there!"
Fury blinked and looked around, yep, he thought with a disgusted sigh, I'm back.
"Aww, damn it, Vane, what now?"
Fury looked over his shoulder in surprise to see Fang scowling at Vane, shit Vane was powerful, Fang wasn't even in the same house and Vane plucked him back to fifteenth century England.
"Stars' been kidnapped by Dare, we're getting her back," Vane answered sharply and Fang made a small O with his mouth before shrugging and putting on his game face. Fury admitted that when Fang wasn't acting the clown the guy could really put the shits up a person with a don't mess with me look like that.
"Hey, where's Sasha?" Fang asked looking around him.
"His out of action at the moment," Fury answered, then added with a grin, "besides when we get her back we can rub his nose in it."
Fang laughed wickedly and rubbed his palms together then they set off out of the forest and down the hill towards the Arcadian settlement where their sister was being held captive. With Vane in the centre and slightly in front of the two other brothers, with his green eyes, Fury behind to his right with his blonde hair and Fang on the left all dark and growling, they made quite a sight. Earth-shatteringly handsome and menacing in their beauty they looked like three avenging angels come to wreck justice upon the world.
In the valley below they stopped before a stone fortress, its huge medieval doors wooden, thick and impenetrable to a mere human. Fury smiled darkly yet there was no humour in his face, inside there was a brewing rage, for the last time would Dare ever fuck with him again. Never more would the Arcadians take what was dear from him, they had tried to kill him, tried to kill his brothers and kidnap his brothers mate, now they try to take his sister, enough was enough.
"Time to morph to wolf now boys," Vane said, his eyes that never left the doors were blazing with heat, his body was humming with the frightening yet magnificent Aristos powers. Fang exchanged a look with Fury that they normally gave each other when faced with their brothers powers, it was dark satisfaction and supreme confidence that they were unbeatable. Fang chuckled sinisterly.
"I love it when he gets like this, you know shits really going down when he says those words," He said to Fury before flashing himself into a huge brown wolf, Fury followed suit knowing that he and Fang as Katagaria were stronger in their wolf forms.
"Stand back," Vane said softly, then raising his hands palms facing outwards he threw a wave of power from his hands that shattered the thick oak into millions of splinters, spraying the crowd gathered in the hall within with flying pieces of wood. Fury cocked his head, normally Vane had more finesse, preferring to turn it to dust rather then splinters, he exchanged that 'look' again with Fang even in wolf form they understood each other. Vane was pissed off.
The man at the door stood broad and tall with two ferocious wolves growling and snarling at his ankles, a terrible wave of fear went through the Arcadians at the sight of them.
"I've come for Star," Vane's voice rang in the fearfully tense silence, "where is my sister!"
The fearsome trio moved as one into the hall, the light of the sun spilling in through the windows and shattered door reflecting off their shiny hair and coats, making them look otherworldly even to another were-hunter.
Fury's eyes instantly found Dare and pinned him with a predators stare, he growled dangerously as he watched his human brother smile mockingly before reaching down beside him, his hand disappearing below Fury's line of vision that was obscured by the large ornate throne he was sitting on. There was a high whining noise and Dare yanked Star out from behind the throne, his hand buried tightly in her hair, he wrenched viciously making Star cry out.
Fury bounded forward intent on ripping Dare's throat out when Dare manifested a dagger and held it to Star's throat, Fury skidded to a halt, his flanks heaving more from rage then actual exertion.
"Let her go, Dare!" Vane barked, "and we'll spare your life!"
Dare laughed mockingly and Fury transformed into his human form relishing the violence and anger in Dare's face.
"You bastard!" Dare shouted so close to Star's ear she cringed with pain, other then a bruise on her cheek she looked unharmed, there were no injuries on her body from Fury's quick assessment, the blood that coated her clothes must have come from Sasha. "You should have stayed dead!"
"What and miss all the fun?"
Vane laughed before lowering his head so that his magnetic green gaze drew Dare's attention.
"Let. Her. Go." He bit out every word carefully so that all heard it, his voice was laced with deadly violence that made even Fury want to shudder. Dare paled, his eyes flickering over the hall and the walls as if he were looking for an escape or some divine intervention, but no one could help him, there was no way he could win. He pressed the blade tighter against Star's throat and Fury, Fang and Vane let out rumbling growls.
"You bitch!" he spat in her ear never taking his eyes off his three brothers, "I hope you rot you Katagaria whore!"
"Know this Dare," Fury called out, "should you hurt her, there is no place you could ever run that we will not find you. Sasha has friends in high places and we have an Aristos ready to wipe the floor with your pathetic hide. Remember who I am. Remember who Vane is. Now think carefully."
Dare panted and sweat run steadily down his face, his eyes flickered nervously.
"You haven't heard the last of this! This isn't the end yet!" he whispered furiously.
"Oh no, brother," came Fang's voice menacingly from behind them, "the end is very fucking nigh, so watch your back."
Dare blanched a second before he threw Star from him and flashed out of the hall leaving the rest of the cowering Arcadian's to defend themselves, Fury walked over to Star and picked her up, cradling her in his arms as if she were still a babe.
"No retribution will be dealt out to your pack," Vane spoke clearly to the hall, many of the warriors had drawn their swords, glancing about uneasily, unsure of what the brothers were about to do. "Should you however seek to carry on the crimes committed by your alpha against my family, I promise you every soul in this room will be slaughtered."
The drop of a pin would have echoed in the resounding silence that followed Vane's words, Star was silently shaking in Fury's arms and it made him even more enraged, he wanted Dare's blood this time. In the same formation they entered in they left, only to have Fang pause by a group of cowering Arcadians and bark at them suddenly so they tripped over their own feet to scramble away from him. The side of Vane's mouth quirked up but Fury was too deeply immersed in the tormenting memories of this place that he once called home. He hoisted Star higher in his arms and waited for Vane to flash them all back to New Orleans.