Guest gone will put up 2 post to make up for the delay.

R&R let me know what you think, how the story is going.

S.M. is the queen we are just peons.

Chapter 23

We had every intention of going to get Carman and El in three years. But as the saying goes hell is paved with good intentions. Pablo and Shail showed up right on the day three years after we had taken our leave. In that time Kat and Peter had become inseparable, a year in to his visit I sat him down for a heart to heart. "You still owe me for the six humans you ate before I gave you leave."

Peter looks down not willing to piss me off. "All I can do is say I truly regret that and offer to make reparations."

That brought a smile to my face Kat had couched him in what to say and the proper body language. "100 years for each human you've taken." It was the year487 as the humans thought of time that unescapably math meant he had to do as I asked for 600 years. He was mine till 1087.

He looked sheepish finally looking me in the eye; he lived and died by his given word. Extending his hand "Agreed Michael, for the next 600 years you are my leader I will fight at your side and if necessary die."

That was some oath, way more than I had been willing to ask and he had offered it before I could demand a lesser one. I looked hard at him and made a decision. "Kat has told you no one in my coven can be dismembered. As for all intents and purpose you will be in my coven I don't see why you should be any different. Give me your hand and keep quite." I did something I said I would never do for a human drinker, I bound his molecules together. I could always change him back or just kill him with another power I had. It would put him on a more even footing with Kat, they could spar full out without her having to hold back. She would still kick his ass she just would not be ripping him apart again. 2 hours later I looked up at him letting go of his hand I slap his shoulder, "all done go ask Kat how this works."

We talked my extended family into a run to see the lower 48, they had never explored it. Ature's stories of our wondering for 200 years had peeked there interests, seeing the nomad humans in there teepees, the hot springs in Yellowstone, the Mississippi river. Things I knew about from my time, not much had changed from my time 4000 years is a drop in the bucket for the Grand Canyon. It was all new to them and I all ways believed that travel broadened your horizons. We finally returned home 7 years later. My two girls were getting a little worried, Kat about her humans, Lil about Carman and EL. Kat left us before we even entered the valley and Lil was up in my grill as soon as I stepped into my study.

"Michael will Aro have a problem with EL's decision to leave his coven?" she had a frown on her face.

I gave her a hug she let me pull her in. most time she was a strong woman and didn't need me to prop her up. "I left a little message in EL's head for Aro. You should have seen EL's face as I said it to EL, he was sputtering about Aro's gift and how I just got him killed. I told him that was the last thing he should be worried about."

She hugs me back "well ok then I will get the backpacks ready I know you, we'll be out the door as soon as Kat gets home." she smirks at me. "You play it cool but I can tell you are a little worried about the late visit."

Lil was right Kat had not put a foot in the door and I was pushing them out and on the trail. As we ran Kat told us how well her humans were doing. The Blacks were making a comeback in their numbers after the devastating attack by the 4 nomad immortals. We ran for weeks it was not the best time to make the trip snow and sleet were our constant companions on this trip. Needless to say humans were scarce. Pablo, Shail, and especially Peter had to eat the bunny diet and they hated it. Their faces were priceless as they sucked down the blood. Pablo was gagging after forcing down a deer. Peter just growled as he forced it down. Kat felt so bad when we came upon the King bears she let them all have one it was killing her but to some extent they were all family Peter being her soul brother and best friend.

For once none of them had a problem with their food. Peter looked at his bestie "That's an animal I could get behind drinking. A little earthy but fulfilling."

Kat gives them a look "you only eat them when I am here they are all mine and I will hunt down the immortal that grazes on them without my permission."

I pulled her to me "You need to learn to share." I gave her a hug and a smile.

"Please who flipped out about his humans being eaten in the valley?" Lil asked with a raised eye brow.

Kat kept her mouth shut she was no better with her human family and was living in a glass house she wasn't throwing any stones. Looking at her sister, "always the good one hum Lil someday you'll lose your shit and I hope to be there to see that!"

I give her another hug and Lil just gives her a shit eating grin "you'll be waiting a long time Kat I don't flip my "shit" as you call it."

"Stop baiting her Lil" Kat stuck out her tongue I shake my head felling all my 2500+ years of this life. "Must I always be the grown up in this coven?"

In unison I hear "YES DADDY"

Peter falls to the ground laughing rolling around. Pablo and Shial hiding there smiles with their hands and keeping their mouths shut.

"Let's go" I growl out at them and we pick up our speed the snow was more packed on this side of the land bridge. Two weeks later we hit the first humans we had seen in over 6 weeks. Our three human drinkers fell on them like the tide, an unrelenting force of nature. To say they were pigs and stuffed them self would be putting it mildly. Blood was dripping out of Pablo's mouth as he forced down the last swallow of the male he ate. They all knew how I felt about waste and clean kills. I looked on with a frown but kept my mouth shut I would not be any better if I had to eat squirrels for 6 weeks and then came across a pride of lions. We were in Toa's territory and had been told to take anything we want anytime we were passing through. 21 humans were taken that day if there were more they would have eaten them two. We stopped for a short visit dropping off Pablo and Shail. Reail ran full tilt into her sister's arms. This has been the longest they have been apart in both their lives, human, and immortal.

Toa stood back with a smile on his face. "Glad to see you Mac, if you didn't show up this year I would have had to bring her up to see you, your 7 years late."

"Sorry old friend we took the long way here. It only took 7 years."

"The things we saw" Shail murmured to her sister. "I'll show you next time you come home."

Shail dragged her away and Pablo looked on with a smile. "Just like old times kicked to the side, left to my own devices."

Toa looks at him "is it always like this?"

He laughs at his brother in-law "YES."

I had a frank discussion with Toa, "has it started yet?"

"Not here but it creeps toward us every day. The round eyes are dropping like flies. I hear the Egyptian's are having a hard time of it they didn't heed to our warning leaving all there humans grouped in the cities." He shakes his head. "I made sure that only 1000 people stay in one place in my territory and I watch waiting to quarantine at the first sing of the Black Death."

I called my coven together for a meeting before we left. I told them what Toa had told me and looked at Peter "it would be better if you stuck with our diet as other immortals will be protective of their diminishing food source."

Peter looks at me "SHIT, Mac I don't know if I can do it. I'll try but you know how hard it is and I don't have your years of restraint."

I looked at him making a decision "I could help but it would be making you a full member of our family"

Kat was bouncing in place with a smile "just do it Petty I'll even give you King bear hunting privileges."

"Just what do I have to do?" he looks at me with a little trepidation he has come to know us and the offer was a big one he knew how I felt about anyone in my family. Once you were in it was for life and we would defend you to our death if necessary.

"Just agree to two things I ask you." I look at him with a smile we had all become close the last few years and knew he would lay down his life for any of us.

"Alright" with that one word from him I extend my gift I rally use.

"You will never drink from a human unless your own existence is at stake they never smell good or taste good you prefer the blood of wild animals."

Peter gives him a look like I lost my mind "OK I agree." The look on his face was priceless he took a deep breath all he could smell was humans and he wrinkled his nose "HOLY SHIT"

I give him a smile "you will not tell anyone not in our coven about any gifts or powers in our coven nor discuss any coven business without my permission."

Looking a little more at ease knowing it could have been so much worse "agreed."

Kat throws herself at Peter, "welcome to the family Petty." she looks him in the face, "now I can tell you everything no more evasions or half-truths."

Lil gives him a hug after Kat let him go "Welcome brother." She looks over at me "Do you have to keep picking immortals in their teens I feel like a den-mother. I feel old."

Kat and I laugh Peter looks on not getting the reference "Please you look 27 tops believe me in a few hundred years you will be happy to be a little older than us we will be leaning on you then."

We went out for a family hunt we all wanted to see Peter's first hunt after his mental change.

"I know how a deer taste, like shit. How do you think that will change?"

Kat looks at him with a big smile "bet you eat two and love it."

"You're on what's the stakes."

"KAT NO!" I look at her "Let it go you will not take advantage of a family member, after he has all the facts you can both have any bet but not before."

Kat looks like I kicked her puppy "fine" she mumbles and looks at her best friend and new brother. "You're lucky Mac stepped in I would have owned your ass."

We got to the herd and you could see Peter salivate he locked on to them forgetting we were there. He took off like a bullet flying strait to the biggest buck snapping its neck and biting down. He dropped the bloodless corps and bound after the fleeing herd grabbing a doe the rest of us took one at that point.

He looked at me I wonder "I know how they taste I should have been gaging forcing its blood down but,…it was great." He finished in a whisper.

"Wait till I bring you black bear hunting, they are fun to wrestle you get the blood flowing sometimes they put up a good fight."

Peter looks at me "you let her play with her food?"

"They are not humans they don't understand death and only see her as another predator. Fight or flight we know they don't stand a chance but they don't. Humans know almost right away and seeing some of us play with them just rubs me the wrong way."

He nods his head in understanding and we head back soon we will be leaving for Aro's home it's time to reclaim the rest of my family.

dark times ahead

show me some love folks.