Reece drove us and stopped at a pizza store as he ordered enough for the whole pack. He sat inside as we crawled into the back seat, sitting close to each other, Nick's arms not letting go.
So it'd been grief? His mother had died and ...he'd tried to push us away. Me away. His babies.
Now that I'd made it clear I was still there, he struggled to let go, his hands brushing across where glass had cut my hands and legs on the crazy leap in, my own hands searching him for where the same thing had appeared.
"They took them." I said quietly, as he checked my back.
"Who?" Nick's hand pulled the top away, stroking down the skin.
"The twins. Someone took them. I … I didn't protect them."
Nick froze, sitting back up. "Our twins?"
I nodded and shut my eyes, that grief and regret coming back. If I'd only not broken down, or if I'd controlled myself, after all the good I'd done proving I could do that...
"Was it him? Did he take them?" He growled softly, reaching for the seat belt and unclipping it around my waist. "We're going to find them. You and me."
"No. He's dead. Demetruis is dead. It was someone else." I let him pull me into his lap, leaning against him, relief and grief mixing together. Lillian was dead, Antonio's Lily, Nick's mum, and the twins were missing. This time I had no clue who took them or where they'd gone. Just that they'd gone.
"You can trust Clayton. He won't let this last. No one touches our young. How did he die? Did you kill him?" When I shook my head, Nick blinked. He looked confused. "Clayton? Elena? How did he die?"
"He was just dead outside Forestwatch. Just lying there. There were six owls on him."
Six owls.
The image flooded back into my head. Forestwatch. Covered in owls. Demetruis dead outside, Jeremy and the twins inside, Matt protecting the outskirts. I told Nick what had happened, and he listened, cringing when he realised why I'd been too out of it to protect them. It had partly been his fault. He wanted all the blame, I forced him to admit that I should have had better control, even if he didn't really agree with the words he spoke.
"What the hell is with the owls though? And that thing?" He tightened his grip on me, gazing outside into the street, and we went quiet as we watched people come and go, masks covering faces, that nervous look on people. I had to go turn on the news when I got back. It'd been days since I last heard about it.
"I don't know." I admitted. "I ...I just want to find the twins. I don't care. I should get a paper."
"A paper?" Nick took a few seconds to catch up with the change of subject. "Why?"
"To find out what the hell is going on. I need to be focused." I slid out of the car before he could stop me, hurrying to one of the stands, getting several of the papers.
Nick wasn't far behind, no big shock, his hand finding the small of my back as soon as he could reach. I glanced back at him, smiling somewhat, his own hesitant smile matching mine. I just loved the idiot. He was an idiot, sure, but he was mine. He leaned against me as we got the papers and stood there, staring at the articles, accepting the 'free masks' and slipping them on. It wasn't needed for us, I wasn't sure if it was needed for anyone, but it made us fit in a bit more right now.
It also looked a bit strange- Nick, perfectly styled curls, suit tailored to hug his body just right, wearing a cheap looking fabric mask. But it did make his eyes stand out. I stared up at him, admiring him, trying to relax by indulging the need to stare at him. It worked somewhat. I breathed in deep, drawing his scent past the mask, his arm tightening as if he knew what I was doing. It wasn't just about perving. It was knowing he was there.
"Come on. Reece is back with the food." He squeezed my side, folded the paper under his arm, and we headed back hand in hand. Reece raised his eyes as he caught of us.
"Come on. We want to get it back before it gets cold." He got into the driver's side and we got into the back seat, one after the other, Reece hang us a box. "Got this for a snack for the trip back. Pass me bits. Filled Nick in on what happened?"
"Yeah." Nick spoke up. He added, quieter, "She told me."
"Next time you break up with your mate, I'm going to hunt you down myself before she does something else stupid involving heights. Got it?" Reece grinned, a scary grin, clearly meaning every word. "Good. Let's go. Hand me a piece, I'm starving."
I handed him a piece and settled back, shutting my eyes, keeping Nick's hand in mine. His soft hand. Funny how he and Reece took care of their hands so differently.
"How are we going to find the twins?" Nick said softly. I felt the mask tugged down and food offered, biting it, leaning against his side as I took the pizza slice and ate.
"We're going to not panic, breathe, and not panic." This was my plan, anyway. If I forgot any one of those things I would freak out here and now. Middle of New York. I'd freak out, race out the door, and run around in the broad daylight like a bit scary dog. Broad ...failing light, anyway, apparently it was getting late.
"We're going to find them." Reece said from the front, driving carefully, swearing as he muttered something about the wrong side of the road.
The drive was short, at least compared to how it felt going in, Nick and Reece's smells helping me keep the 'breathe and not panic' plan in full motion. One last thing I had to do. Get the twins. Okay. So there were other things, huge important things to do with diseases, funerals and the cure, but …
Suddenly I wished someone else could handle them. They probably would, I wasn't doing any of this on my own and if I tried I'd get kicked up the ass for it, but I had to pull my weight too.
We didn't even slow when we got to the security gate at Antonio's big place, just went right through, as if Antonio knew exactly when we got back. Maybe Clayton or Elena heard the car coming. I helped Reece cart the small piles of pizza boxes inside, smiling weakly as Antonio came out.
"Heard you may have caused some problems." He raised an eyebrow, but there was an actual smile there cutting through the sadness, one that he shared with both myself and Nick. "Good on you. Pizza for dinner?"
"I can't cook." I could barely smile, without wanting to panic, and he nodded.
"Your twins won't be hurt. If they wanted them dead, they'd be dead and left there. They aren't and they were taken with nappies, formula and clothing, so they'll be cared for till we get back." Antonio's soft voice, so strong in my head, so calm, did help somewhat. Nick took the boxes from me and headed inside with them while we stood outside and spoke. The thunder rumbled again in the distance, rain pouring down all over again, Antonio's voice lowering. "Was it hard to convince Nick?"
"He didn't really want to do it." I replied softly. "It was just … just him."
"Good." Antonio led me inside, hand on my arm, and we all flopped around the living room, the entire pack, except for the missing twins.
At least Elena's twins had been safe. I smiled again at Matt, tense, as he came to sit beside me. He'd done so well. Protecting the twins and Jeremy like that, even though he'd been out of his mind with fright, and still able to wolf down pizza.
No one spoke while we ate. There was a kind of comfort in this- so many of the pack here, and apparently Morgan, Karl and Noah would be joining us. Karl was in New York already, investigating something, while Noah and Morgan had to find a way to get over the state lines. The only person who should have been here, and who wasn't, was Daniella. No one mentioned her. No one even noticed she wasn't there. I suddenly felt bad for her. It was like she was the approved scapegoat right now, Nick could use her for it, we could use use her for it, even Reece was currently buying into it.
I read the paper in an attempt to find something to do, instead of freak out. The disease had spread and now the scientists confirmed it was a 'pandemic'. Not the 'swine flu' type either, this was Spanish influenza level, apparently, as antibiotics barely did a thing. So it wasn't the usual hysteria I saw on the American news. It was real. Whatever disease we'd had, had now spread to not only dogs and wolves, but apparently had mutated into the human version. I stared at the information.
"It's a bit of a coincidence..." Nick was sitting behind me now, his legs around my sides, reading over my shoulder.
"Mutated or was modified." Clayton muttered, prodding his foot at the word, shaking his head. "Not a coincidence. Starts off attacking supernaturals and then goes on to attack humans. Pet dogs was probably the only thing unexpected."
I blinked up at him. He was right. "So... this was planned?"
"They throw some disease out to attack us, any of us that are different, tell us we can have the cure if we join their cause or pay cash, either way they win, and then weaken the humans with the same disease." Clayton was picking up boxes as he spoke. He often looked like a 'fists first, think later' kind of guy if you knew him, or 'blonde model with no brains' if you didn't... so it was easy to forget how damn intelligent he was, how quick he always was to put things together, and that he was even a professor.
"Lillian had it." Nick said, quietly against my ear, Clayton's head twisting around. "They said that because she was weak, she got it. Did she get it from me?"
"Probably not." Jeremy spoke up. He sighed, leaned forward, rubbing his head. "It's not the same one you had. They had to release a whole new version if Clayton's theory is right."
"So they killed my mother?" I felt it, felt Nick's chest contract and expand against my back suddenly, as the grief welled back up inside him. His arms tightened around me as this realisation struck him. "I ...she was getting better." Before I could say a word, Nick had stumbled up, heading off, and Clayton hurried after him. Antonio shook his head when I went to get up, gently pulling me back down, an arm across my shoulder. I breathed out slowly.
It suddenly struck me that she had gotten sick at the exact same time as the disease exploded in the humans. I breathed in slowly, shutting my eyes, only now making the connections between her sickness and the disease itself. They had said she'd gotten better. Antonio had even come back to Stonehaven for a while, something he'd never have done if she was on her death bed, and then... he'd said she had a fever.
Like us, she'd gotten that fever. And she'd been too weak to fight it.
I opened my eyes as someone crawled into my lap, sleepy, Susie's belly all bloated from the pizza she'd eaten. I squeezed her tighter, curling up around her, Lily and Dominic already asleep near the little heater on the ground.
Elena sat down near them, turning the heater down a fraction, our eyes meeting. She must have guessed this was the case long before I did. She hadn't looked shocked, she just looked sad. Tired.
"So what about the twins?"
"Karl and Hope are going to be breaking into Rose's house tonight for information. Tonight or tomorrow." Elena replied. "Benicio Cortez is taking the body of Demetruis back and will be bringing the treatment straight to us, if all goes smoothly."
"But she's ...old. Why would you break into her house? We talked. She agreed to help. Maybe if I ..."
"Don't give me the helpless old lady bullshit. If he's spent a night with her then it might be enough. We're going to go directly in and you can talk with her another time." Clayton returned, cutting me off with a scowl, but his eyes went to the sleepy toddlers near him, his face softening. Funny how babies could make even the scariest person calm down. "Nick's going to need a few hours alone. I'll help you with these three."
Clayton and myself carried them upstairs, the three toddlers barely opening an eye, so content and trusting. Only Dominic checked, not surprisingly, but one glimpse of Clayton's curls beside his head and he was passing out again on his shoulder. There was no point bathing them tonight- they were already asleep, already past their bed time, we just changed them into their Pjs and tucked them into the bed.
Nick returned some time later that night, his eyes red, sliding into the room and looking at the bed. I lay there, watching him, as he hesitated. Then he turned around and headed out again.
For a long time nothing happened and I couldn't sleep, I just sat there, staring blankly at the door, wondering if I'd see him at all tonight. Feet came back. Two pairs of feet. Reece and Nick both came in now, Nick pulling me out of bed, arms capturing me.
"What?" I stood, sleepy, as lips found mine. Urgent lips. Nick was kissing me so hard, I swayed, having to shove him back just to breathe. "Nick?"
"Where's your clothing?"
I pointed at the suitcase I'd opened and Reece zipped it up. He already had his under his arm. Nick slipped his hand through mine, leading us down through the dark house, outside and down the long driveway. There was a smaller cottage near the gate and Nick pulled keys out of his pocket, slipping them in, opening the door.
"This is where I used to sleep." He opened the door, Reece heading in with the bags. "I wanted to spend the night with you two. I can't sleep."
I nodded, as his smile came, like he was trying to joke, but it faltered and vanished again. Nick wasn't going to be okay for a long time. Reece flipped on a lamp as he tossed the suitcases onto the floor, Nick pulling me in and shutting the door behind us.
"You get that this doesn't mean Anne and I are going to marry, yeah?" Reece fixed Nick with a look. "This is fun for us."
"Got that." Nick smiled sheepishly. "No more setting you two up. Except for this. If that's okay with you still, Liz?" He came up behind me, kissing the back of my neck, leaning against me.
"As long as you stop setting us up." I twisted around to kiss him, Reece coming up from behind. He tugged at the Pjs while Nick's lips found mine, kissing me with the desperation he'd had before, and it was more than just wanting sex. It was a lot more. I could see it, he needed this, maybe had needed it since Lillian had died. The intimacy. The trust between us. He needed the comfort I could give him.
We could give him, I realised, as Reece ran his hands down my side. It wasn't just me. But then he nuzzled against my neck and flopped on the couch nearby. "I'm standing guard for the first part. You two have fun." He winked at me.
"He isn't..."
"Not just yet." Nick's hands slid the long t-shirt up over my head, throwing it aside, his arms wrapping around me. For a long time we stood like that, bare chested against each other, his breathing deep. "I need you first. Then... you two can... but the three of us. Wait a few days, okay?"
I nodded, reaching up with my hands to cup his face, stroking Nick's tense face, fingers easing the curls out around his face. His smile was tense, stressed, and he came down for a kiss that was gentler, desperate almost, backing us up towards a door. I was lifted up, legs wrapping around his waist, and carried through to the bedroom.
Instead of letting him lead this, I shoved him onto the bed, wishing he'd given me some warning so I could ...dress. But I undressed as slowly as possible, as he lay there watching, his eyes following my hands. Once the panties were off, I crawled across the bed to him, undoing the pants and pulling them down his hips, eyes fixed in his eyes, sliding my palms up his thighs. Slowly. Very very slowly.
Nick grabbed my hands, tugging me up fast, rolling us over, his lips kissing my throat as he tried to kick off boxers with his hands pinning my arms above my head, grumbling about teasing. I almost laughed- he had to stop again, he couldn't get the boxers off his legs without the use of his hands- but he got them off far enough to get himself free. I wriggled loose, sliding off the bed away from his grabbing hands, standing there with my hands on my hips as he flopped and groaned. He grinned though, leaning up.
"You know, I don't need to chase you." Nick said, casually, kicking the boxers off the bed.
"Don't you?" I backed up again, as he slid a little closer, grinning. The hunt was as much fun as the end result. "I seem to be running."
"I have an apprentice now. I don't need to do all my hunting. I just get him to get it for me. Reece, get in here, she's teasing me. We're going to have to work together with this one." He growled, giving up the 'only me idea', but there was a hint of amusement there. Nick was enjoying it. His shoulders had relaxed, the lips twitching up, the grief gone as I distracted him. We both distracted him.
I yelped as Reece came in, darting at me, and jumped across the bed, Nick's arms grabbing my legs and dragging me there. Reece grabbed my arms, tugging me on my back, the two of them holding me there as a hand slid between my legs, Nick groping me as he bent over me.
"Silly rabbit. Can't outrun two wolves." He nibbled against my neck. "We've got to show Reece your bunny panties, don't we?"
"Her what?" Reece laughed. He and Nick met eyes, briefly, and then Nick nodded. Reece leaned down to kiss me hard, Nick's body sliding down my belly, his mouth kissing and biting tender skin. I shut my eyes, breathing hard, struggling for the sake of being 'prey' still, completely turned on all over again as the two held me down. Technically I could have overpowered Nick. This wasn't the point. But I did struggle against Reece's hands on my arms, seeing as he was at full strength, and it amused him.
A tongue pressed up between my legs, dipping into me, making me gasp, Nick's teeth grazing the incredibly sensitive skin as he grinned up at me. "All wet. Tastes like prey too. Want to get that clothing off and have a taste, apprentice?"
Reece let go of my hands and I sat up, shoving them both back, only to be 'held down' by Nick. We were all breathing hard now, skin shiny with sweat in the dark, Reece standing between my legs, one knee holding them open, eyes in mine as he tugged his shirt off, throwing it aside, the light from the lamp coming through the door and hitting him just right. I couldn't tear my eyes off him, eyes following his hands as they reached for the pants, unbuttoning it and sliding the zipper down, his hands pushing them down his muscular legs and kicking them aside.
Nick kissed me, hard, possessive now, and I shut my eyes as I felt Reece yank my legs open and move to kneel between them, kissing slowly up my thighs. Nick released my mouth, his breathing hard against my skin, as he told Reece what to do with his mouth. How to do it. I writhed under Reece's mouth, legs tightening around his shoulders, moaning softly, Nick's eyes fixed in mine as he got his 'apprentice' to work my body up with just his mouth.
As I was just about to get the release my body screamed for, Nick told Reece to stop, and I growled, a long deep growl, trying to get my hands free so I could ...I didn't know. Hold him there.
"Think she's enjoying it." Nick laughed, a genuine laugh, pulling me up into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. "Maybe we better stop."
"Maybe." Reece agreed, wiping his face, looking pretty damn pleased with himself. He grinned, stood up, and Nick hopped off the bed. The two of them looked like they were ready to just wander out of there, even if they were aroused, just ...leave me to it. Reece glanced back at me. "Should we tie her up so she can't end it?"
"Don't you dare." I growled, standing, my legs weak. I grabbed for them, hands closing around both arms, tugging them. I had to be in charge here. Didn't I? I let go of their arms, shoved them into the living room, and shoved and locked the door in their faces. "Okay. You two leave. Like that. And I'll finish me."
That was probably not in their plans. Nick banged on the door, banged so hard that it shook, but it was Reece who broke it down. Accidentally, probably, but I giggled, hiding in the closet, going quiet as they moved the now broken door to one side.
"Where's the rabbit?"
The closet door was yanked open, Reece grinning down at me, lifting me up and dragging me stomach first onto the bed. Nick pounced, literally, grasping my hips as he pulled me open and pushed himself into me, thrusting hard, his hips grinding against mine over and over, teeth biting my shoulder hard. I was 'captured'. Reece slid over to my front, pushing me up.
"You want that end, huh?" Nick groaned, pulling himself out, and I felt him ease himself into me in the back, slowly, carefully, his arms wrapping around my waist. The pain of it returned, but it was just a tiny thing, Reece's body coming to push into me from the front. Someone kissed me, Reece I thought, but my eyes were shut and I felt my head get turned so Ncik could kiss me. No way in hell could I run now, with them on either side of me, their hips pushing up hard as they found a rhythem. It wasn't long before my body released, moaning against Nick's lips, feeling them twitch up for a moment. We couldn't speak now, the three of us, they just moved faster, unable to control themselves anymore, my body being pushed up and down, fast, skin rubbing against my back and my breasts, a second climax beating them easily within a few minutes.
Nick groaned behind me, pushing himself inside me as far as he could manage, hands tightening around my waist as his release came. Reece wasn't far behind, even able to work me up for a third climax, before he came, teeth sinking hard into my breast, Nick's arms holding me there till Reece was done.
I flopped against Nick, breathing hard, as Reece slid back a few inches, pulling out. It was all we could do, to flop sideways, legs tangled up, bodies slippery, our hearts racing and breathing slowing.
"I fucking love you two." I muttered, hearing Nick laugh, Reece's breathless laugh there, Nick turning me onto my back to kiss me hard.
"Love you too." He stroked my face, satisfaction all over it, eyes meeting Reece. "Good work."
"You too." Reece laughed, kissed my neck, and scowled at the bleeding bite mark he'd left behind. "Ah. Shit."
"Not the first time." I muttered. Now that I was spent, my body was collapsing into sleep, and I opened one eye. "Sleep for us all now, okay?"
"Sex and sleep? You two are spoiling me." Reece flopped back down, tugging the blankets over him, Nick snuggling into my side on the other side.
I checked though, made sure Nick was really okay, seeing no sign of tension or stress there now. He was sleepy, probably only just waiting for me to sleep before he tried it, like he usually did, and I sighed. Relaxed. It'd cheered him up a little, at least enough to sleep, and that was all I could hope for.
"Thanks." Nick murmured against my ear, his forehead against it. He didn't have to say why. I knew.
"Shh. Sleep now." Reece hissed.
I was nearly asleep, breathing slow, heart slow, when I felt Reece slide up a little and give Nick a shove.
"You." He hissed. There was no friendliness there, suddenly, and I had to force myself to stay 'sleeping'. "Nick."
"I'm awake. Shh." Nick whispered, sliding up. I felt him shift off the bed, Reece moving too, the two of them heading into the living room. I had to strain my ears just to hear the words then. "What's wrong?"
"The only reason I'm forgiving you is because she has. You do that again to her and it won't matter how fast she forgives you. It's your fault the twins are gone. Not hers. You know exactly how she deals with depression... you better snap out of it and make sure we get them back, before I forget that I was forgiving you for her." It was soft, Reece's voice, but there was a threat there now. "You got me? Don't you dare break up with her again. Or set us up."
"Yeah." Nick answered, quiet.
"Good."
Reece's feet came back to the bed, Nick close behind, the two of them sliding back in. I resisted the urge to snap out of the near-sleep and slap Reece silly. Or Nick. Instead, I fell asleep, mind confused with mixed feelings of gratitude towards Reece for trying to stand up for me and anger at him for threatening Nick. Right now. Tonight. When Nick was facing one hell of a day tomorrow.
Still... I felt safe, and I felt Nick ease into sleep beside me, Reece there too. I had to let it go. This was something between them now. I couldn't be the rescuer for them, I just had to hope they'd sort it out. I finally let myself fall asleep, eyes shutting, curled up and safe. I just wished I knew my twins were safe too.
Reece and Nick's voices woke me, soft, the two of them moving around the room. A shower was already running, Reece stripping off as he stepped into the room, Nick dressed and his hair damp. Neither of them seemed to be angry at each other, neither of them were glaring, they were relaxed, easy, maybe even more than yesterday. Men were funny creatures. It was like they just vented at each other, got it out, and then suddenly the world was good again.
I lifted my head, blinking sleepily. "How long have you two been up?"
"An hour. I figured you might need a rest." He sat down beside me, stroking my hair. "Got some clothes for you, all you need is a shower. Breakfast is there." Nick's eyes went to the side of the bed where there was a plate of food.
"I should have gotten you breakfast in bed. Not the other way around." I sat up, rubbing my eyes, guilt creeping into me. Shit. It was his nightmareish day. Not mine. He should have slept in.
"I wanted to do something to pass the time." Nick's eyes dropped to the shoes he'd been trying to get on. He was half dressed already but he wasn't shaven yet, I noticed, I reached up to touch the stubble there. "Want to shave me?"
When I nodded, he smiled weakly, leaning down to kiss me as his whiskers scratched and tickled my face. Nick sighed, a long deep sigh against my lips, sliding closer so he could half lay over me. "Do I have to go?"
"I'm there with you." I stroked his face, gazing up at him, trying to ease him. He'd been there for me when I had to bury my parents. I'd be with him. "Every second. We can come home when you need to. Okay?"
Nick nodded, head flopping against my neck, and he lay down beside me as we waited for Reece to finish. Then I followed him into the shower and we showered, a quick one compared to usual, and I shaved him.
At the big house, people were only just starting to wake, and we had got there in time to get the triplets ready ourselves. No one seemed to notice that the three of us had stayed overnight in the little gatehouse Nick liked, thankfully, Clayton was in one of the rooms dressing in a black suit, Jeremy in Antonio's room, and the triplets given three tiny black outfits. It seemed strange to dress them like that. Matt too, he wanted to come, and we let him dress in jeans and a black top and jacket. No one should have cared, he wasn't even ten yet. But we all had to put on those face masks. It was now a law, apparently, that everyone wear these stupid things if they weren't sick. I wasn't sure how we'd convince the toddlers but when they saw Matt doing it they seemed to accept it.
The funeral itself was going to be here. Only a few of us would be downstairs- the rest would stay upstairs, it was easier this way, but Elena and Clayton had already cleared out a large room downstairs for the funeral and set it up. Reece and Elena would be upstairs with Kate and Logan, working on business. The rest of us had to stay downstairs and deal with the funeral.
For once, even if I was petrified for my babies, eve n if I wanted to rush out the front gate and hunt their kidnappers down, I was relieved to only deal with this one thing. This funeral was going to be hard enough.
Nick sat in the bedroom he'd taken me out of, stunned, all laughter and smiles gone now. Any good we'd done with Nick last night, getting him to laugh, relax and play, it'd probably gone the second he'd woken up. He was back to being tense, white faced, not speaking to anyone. Clayton stayed close to him.
They were having the service first and then burying her. Antonio had planned this with one of Charlie, her younger son, and the two of them moved around the room, placing photos and flowers around, neither speaking. There was no hostility there though. Just their grief.
Nick, the kids and Clayton went outside, Nick couldn't come in yet, so Jeremy and myself helped Antonio as best I could, getting the right amount of chairs out. Get the slide show files and music to the right person. The funeral people had come here to help, thankfully, we just had to set it up and let them go from there. With only half an hour the time seemed to fly, so before we knew it, cars were parking outside and chairs were filling up. I saw Nick and Clayton were back, the three toddlers sitting in a corner playing with toys, Matt on a chair between the big men. Antonio's hand clasped my shoulder briefly as he sat down, a space between him and Nick for me, Jeremy on Antonio's other side.
Once everyone was sitting, the funeral director people brought her in. Lillian looked like she was sleeping, looked like it, but I could smell the difference. Smell that she was no longer breathing, that her heart was gone, smell the faint decay of death around her. No amount of make up or chemicals in her could hide this from a werewolf. We knew death when we saw it.
Speeches started. Someone was filming it, luckily. I doubted he'd remember any more of it than I had. That was how it went, for the most part, and the only sign of hostility came when Kenneth came up. He didn't need to say it- the looks he shot at us as he spoke about Lillian, the anger, it was obvious who he blamed. Who he hated. I knew he'd cause trouble later. Right now though, it was Nick I had to worry about, his head not lifting once from the floor. Clayton's hand was on his leg, my hand in his.
Antonio was the last. This got Nick's attention, somewhat, as he stared up. There was this expression in his face, like the one he'd had when he thought I'd died, that haunted grief there. No tears. I didn't need to see tears to know he was breaking apart inside. He'd wanted Lillian for his entire life, decades of knowing about her and never having felt like it was okay to. Then suddenly she was there, Antonio had brought her home, and Nick got her. For a few precious months he'd had and bonded to his mother like he'd wanted.
Now she'd died. All because of the stupid world we lived in, the stupid supernatural world, with some power hungry resistance throwing a disease out in an attempt to kill off humans. Lillian had been too weak to fight it.
Tears pricked my eyes, tears for what Nick had lost, and I squeezed his hand hard. Lily came to sit in his lap, quiet, Dominic and Susie under our legs now, sitting there, as if they were starting to understand. Maybe they did. They were getting older and learning so much these days.
When the speaking was over, Antonio moved to sit on my other side, I gasped his hand with my free one, as the slide show came on. A soft song, one I barely knew, came on as I saw them. Antonio and Lily, teenagers, looking so young and innocent and happy. Sixteen year olds.
He didn't shut his eyes once. Stared forward, taking in every part of her life he'd never been able to see, only shutting them when it and the songs were over.
Then a movie came on. An old movie, with an old song, Lillian and Antonio dancing to this song. It was such an old movie, I wasn't sure what kind of technology they'd need for this, but there they were. Antonio and Lillian. Probably only sixteen, wearing a suit and dress, dancing. Even Kenneth's open hostility faded for a while as he stared at the black and white video.
"In the still of the night
I held you
Held you tight
'Cause I love
Love you so
Promise I'll never
Let you go
In the still of the night..."
It ended with them hugging, laughing, so happy with each other, the very picture of teenagers in the wonder of first love.
There was a long pause, silence, and then the person running the memorial allowed people to come up and say goodbye before she was buried.
One by one, people went up, Nick pulling me along. Matt was with Clayton, he didn't want to come close without him, so we took the triplets up and I tried to explain to them. They did seem to get it, they didn't ask a lot of questions, Dominic's eyes in Nick's face when he was lifted up. There was a twist of unhappiness, his face screwing up, and then he burst into tears and reached for Antonio. Antonio held onto him, hugging him close.
Nick left for a while then, as the rest of Lillian's family and friends said their goodbyes, Clayton and Matt hurrying after him. Matt was struggling too, I realised, and I got why. He'd never seen his mum buried. This wasn't just Lillian's funeral for him, it was reminding him of where his own family was.
After a while Nick returned and joined Antonio at the front. Charlie and Kenneth were waiting, the casket closed, and the four of them carried her out slowly to a waiting car. The rest of us got into cars and followed.
She was buried in a graveyard a short drive away, lowered down slowly, and we stood there a long time after she was lowered down. Antonio couldn't move. He stood there, staring down at her, Jeremy's hand on his shoulder. Stood there for over an hour. Clayton refused to leave without them though so we took the triplets and Matt for lunch, Nick barely speaking, coming back only when Jeremy called and said Antonio was ready to come home. Three hours had passed by, by that time.
Jeremy and Antonio got the triplets into their car and we got into the car with Clayton, tugging the horrible white masks off when the doors were shut and no one could see us, Nick leaning against me heavily as he breathed in and out, fast shallow breathing, his heart racing. Matt was in the front seat with Clayton now, his face white too, eyes fixed on the spot Lillian had been put.
"Elena's got food waiting." Clayton said from the front as he pulled out. Food. Good. Comforting.
There were a lot of sick. I suddenly realised this, as we drove back slowly, saw that some houses were marked 'Quarantined' by tape. Some apartment buildings were even slid off. The news said to stay inside if you had a fever- the government had doctors going out to buildings, to inspect you, and to bring you food or water.
In other words, this was it. This was the huge one. I saw people walking down the street with trolleys packed with cans and water, saw an argument outside an apartment building, saw an ambulance outside a building as they wheeled someone out under a blanket. Lillian wasn't going to be the only one too weak to handle the fever.
Nick leaned against my shoulder, breathing still shallow and fast, and I focused on him instead. I slipped the seatbelt off and crawled into his lap. He shut his eyes.
Clayton sped up a little once we got out of the inner city, eyes going back to me, muttering something about seat belts. Matt's expression was what got me back into my seat and in a seat belt, like he was suddenly afraid I'd get killed, and I reached out to squeeze his shoulder as he sat there. He was shaking too.
"Did you see that dead body going into the ambulance?" He asked, quiet, and Clayton nodded.
"It's going to be hard for a lot of people. That's why we're going to get the cure."
"Why aren't they in hospital?"
"They're full." Clayton spoke.
Now that I thought about it, the streets were emptier, quieter, this hush over New York that I'd never seen before. Even out in the outskirts, out here, it was usually busy. Not anymore.
Nick got out when we got home, heading for the gatehouse without a word to us, and Clayton helped me get the toddlers out of the car when it was clear Antonio needed to make the same quick exit.
"Go check on Nick." Jeremy said quietly, coming around, eyes going to Clayton. "He might need you right now."
Clayton nodded and handed Lily to me, heading off after his best friend, and Jeremy helped me get them inside. Elena gestured to me when they were eating in the kitchen.
I followed her into a study, from the looks of it, and she sat down on a sofa there
"How did it go?"
"Nick's going to need some time. Antonio too." I flopped down beside her, sighing, rubbing my eyes. "It was peaceful. No attacks, nothing, just … a funeral. Peaceful. Sad."
"Like they are." She spoke softly, quiet, reaching out for me and finding my hand. Elena squeezed it and we sat there, staring at the room. "Karl and Hope managed to find some evidence that it might have been Rose who took the children."
My head swung up and she met my gaze. "But I talked with her."
"Yes, I know. It may be that they were taken to her. Or perhaps they were meant to go to Demetruis. She isn't there now though, she got stuck in Washington when the quarantine broke out. They'll know more tonight."
"They're breaking in again?"
Elena nodded. "Karl doesn't like it but they didn't get a lot of time last night. Hope is certain that they got in and out undetected so once more should be fine. The house is empty- no one is living there for the moment- it should be safe enough. Benicio Cortez spoke to Rose. She's arranging a funeral for Demetruis in the city she's isolated in."
A funeral. So he really was dead. "I can't believe that's how he died. Lying there covered in owls."
"He had a heart attack."
Like Lillian.
My eyes flew open, suddenly, and I stared at Elena. "You're sure?"
She nodded. "Why?"
Lillian had a heart attack. A sudden one. Her heart had never sounded strange before that night .What if she'd seen it? "What if Lillian saw the thing we saw?"
"Did she mention it?"
I shook my head but this didn't squash it for me. Maybe she wouldn't have. Lillian might have thought she'd seen something that wasn't really there. I stood up, legs shaking, and headed out. I wasn't even sure where I was going.
My thoughts were distracted by the sound of a car pulling up outside. I stared out the window nearby, seeing the doors open. Daniella hopped out one side, with two familiar women get out the passenger doors, red hair and dark brown hair flashing in the late afternoon light.
Pav and Vi were here.
I was out the door and down the big steps in a second, grabbing them both, the three of us hugging, and laughing, Daniella dragged into the mix. The last four survivors of the ex-Alpha... Just as we'd killed off his father.
Or his father had killed himself off. Honestly, I had no clue.
I stepped back, taking in Pav. She had been sick recently, I knew that much, but she looked fine now, face flushed, skin darker from time in the sun, her dark brown hair just as long and silky as I'd remembered it. That incredible hair Indian women had- and now Pav had it. Same clear blue-green eyes from her mother. And Vi, even though I'd seen her just a few months before, she looked healthier too now. Or maybe she was just happy.
"When did you... how!" I couldn't believe it, stepping back. "How the hell did you two even get in the state?" Or in America? If they were freaking out as much as I suspected...
"We have a job working as nurses here for a month. Roman has been suggesting we come visit for some time now the boys are eating normal food." Pav smiled, embracing me all over again. "Daniella got us the job."
Daniella smiled a reluctant smile as my gaze turned to her, startled as I hugged her too, hugging back stiffly. "I just mentioned that I knew a couple of nurses at work... they've taken over contracts with the hospitals and employment." I felt her freeze, felt her head twist up, and followed her gaze.
Reece stood there, arms crossed, staring down at her with that intense stare I sometimes caught in Nick's face. It wasn't attraction, not completely, there was anger there too now. He only came down when I let her go.
"Thought you said you slept with Nick."
I opened my mouth to correct him but Daniella beat me too it, her eyes narrowing.
"I said I slept with him. He was drunk and I know people can drown in vomit. I didn't say I had sex. And it's not your business who I sleep with." She snapped, pushing past him, shoving him aside. It wasn't necessary, there was plenty of room, but he let her go past. Then he growled, hit the rail, and stormed off into the garden, face dark with anger.
"Did they break up?" Vi's eyes went from Daniella to Reece, confused. Hadn't she figured that out? I had to admit, with their fights, it was hard to tell. But they had been broken up for months now.
"Yeah."
She shrugged, grabbed me in a tight spinny hug again. "So where are the three monsters! Pav has talked about nothing else the entire flight."
Pav flushed, shot Vi a look, who grinned at her and blew her a kiss. I led them inside, their bags dropped in the hall when they caught sight of the three toddlers.
Vi headed straight for them, Pav a little shy, but the toddlers were anything but shy about these two. They'd seen photos of them, probably remembered Vi more or less, and Dominic's shyness only extended to men at the moment. I snorted as I watched him grin at the women, big brown eyes and warm golden hair making Pav sigh, with his grin that reminded me of Nick far too much, his personality and charm shining. Three years old and already charming strange ladies? Oh boy. They'd be fetching him cookies within a few hours. It wasn't just him. Susie and Lily, standing there in their matching dress-and-pants sets and their darkening curls, blue eyes...if the three of them worked together this well, it'd be ice cream and cookies. Maybe I should have rescued Pav and Vi. Instead I left the triplets to it.
Antonio came down and embraced both, pale faced, his eyes still a bit warm around the skin, but he looked happy enough to see them. There was a place upstairs they could sleep, my room, Antonio mentioning that some of us might have to sleep in the gate house from now on, and when he said it he looked straight at me.
I guessed we weren't as secretive as we intended. And he just looked amused, not particularly upset, like this wasn't a shock at all. Maybe he didn't know how much Reece was getting involved in it?
This wasn't important, I realised as I saw Reece come back in, shutting my eyes and trying to breathe. I headed for him and pulled him into a room. When I told him about how Demetruis had died, he took only a second to connect it to Lillian's heart attacks. The two of us knew how it felt to see that thing.
"Think she saw it?"
"I don't know." I admitted.
Reece flopped down into a chair and shook his head slowly, breathing out, the reality of this sinking down on him. "So, you got a disease, you got Lillian and Demetruis having a heart attack, and some weird fucking monster in your house."
"And the disease is affecting almost every race."
"Yeah. Except witches." I sat down beside him, rubbing my forehead, not looking up as Vi and Pav came in. They'd probably heard us.
My suspicions were confirmed when they sat down and had Reece fill them in. My head was starting to hurt.
"So you think this is all connected?" Vi asked, slowly, her accent thicker now that she was concentrating on it. "I would agree."
"Why go for her though?" I got the answer as soon as I'd asked the question. She'd been alone with the twins. Every time someone came for the twins at Forestwatch, that thing showed up, except that once we'd been there without them. "They were with her. The twins. Alone."
Reece stiffened as he nodded. "It could be. We don't know what it is. We've got to get Jamie to explain it."
"We'll help." Pav said softly. Her pale eyes went from me to Reece. "We came intending on helping. Daniella's already looking."
"She's what?" Reece froze. He stood up. "Where is she?"
"Gone." Vi raised an eyebrow as he vanished out of the room. "Is he still in love with her?"
"Isn't it obvious?" I sighed, a long deep sigh, rubbing my temples as my head started to ache. "Okay. So we've got to find Jamie."
"And tell Elena." Pav reminded me, nudging me. "Your Alpha."
"Yes. Jeremy might know where she is. She's usually doing shows somewhere. But with this disease, it might be hard to get to her."
"This will be no problem. They can not watch the border all over." Vi dismissed that with a shake of her hand. "We will greet Elena and then talk. You go make sure Reece has not driven off to find Daniella."
I nodded and we went our separate ways.
Reece wasn't hard to find. He wasn't chasing Daniella, he was in the garden, staring at the sky as it got dark, his arms crossed. He glanced over his shoulder at me, a tight smile, reaching out to pull me close. "You think she isn't my mate?"
"That's what she thinks." I didn't say yes or no. He scowled and hugged me closer, chin finding my head.
"Bloody crazy, you women, all of you."
I didn't disagree. We were pretty crazy sometimes. We stood there a long time, while Reece tried to process what was going on in his head, his eyes fixed on the sky. Watching the clouds race overhead.
Running feet made us both turn and I saw Clayton, face red with anger, looking more or less ...out of it. Like he was about to pass out but was so angry that it was temporarily suppressed.
"Your fucking idiotic mate..." He panted, nearly tipped over, Reece grabbing him. "Has drugged me and gone for your babies. Bring him back so I can hit hi-" Clayton went limp, whatever Nick had slipped him hitting him hard, Reece swearing as the heavy bulk nearly tipped them both over.
I blinked, Reece's horrified eyes meeting mine, and we took off for the house with Clayton's unconscious body between us. This was not good.