Chapter Nine

Morning seemed to come around quicker than I would have liked it to. I hardly slept. The night air had been hot and stuffy, and the sound of Dougie's snoring didn't exactly act as a soothing lullaby as I lay awake.

It was still early, I knew that. The light outside was still dull. It couldn't have been past seven AM. I sat up, the idea of trying to sleep now simply irritated me. I looked across the room, Dougie's half naked carcass lying on the floor having kicked his quilt covers off of him a fair few hours ago.

He'd stopped snoring. He was either awake, or about to wake up. I allowed my eyes to roam over him once more, examining, investigating, my mind wandering uncontrollably.
"Dougie." I hissed in his general direction.

There was no response.
Balls.

I looked around, spying a small teddy bear on his cabinet. I leant over, grabbing it. I wonder. Would this make a good projectile?
"But the bear down." He groaned whilst sitting up, squinting at me tiredly before rubbing his eyes. I couldn't help but let my gaze drop to his scar. "You're up early."
"I haven't really slept." I confessed, suddenly feeling rather self conscious in my small pyjama top and bottoms as he looked me up and down.
"You shouldn't worry about it." He grunted, crawling over to the bed and scrambling on to it, sitting beside me. "You can't change what'll happen."
"it's alright for you. There's a 50/50 chance you're getting a shag out of this." I snapped.
"Yeah. There's also the other chance that I'll have to watch you be bound to Danny, and know he's always going to have you." Dougie stated sadly, his tone pulling at my very being. "But I can't change that. What's meant to be will be."
"Stop with all the philosophical Bullsht." I moaned. "All the 'I can't change this' Bllocks to it. Bllocks! Big fat hairy Bollo-" I paused, noticing Dougie's smile. "What?"
"You." He beamed.
"Me? What about me?" I asked.
"You're perfect in the most unperfect way." He replied.
"Oh cut the crap, Poynter." I rolled my eyes at him. My heart beating harder never the less. I moved, sitting on my knees, leaning closer until my lips met his. I didn't even seem to mind hands moving over me, fingertips trailing patterns over my stomach and on my sides when they lifted the thin layer of material that covered them.
"Very nice." I pulled away, frowning and scrunching my nose up. "You have morning breathe."

"No." Harry growled at me. "You can't." Following his every move and pestering him constantly appeared not to break him as easily as I hoped it would.
"But he was my dad!" I exclaimed. "I have a right to read his letter!"
"No you don't." Harry continued, deciding that he'd sit down. I followed suit. Literally, parking myself on my brothers lap.
"I'm his daughter. Of course I have rights." I pugged, folding my arms in a child like manner.
"It was addressed to me. Therefore I get to read it." He mimicked my body language, pulling an exaggerated version of my own facial expression.
"Oh sure, rub it in my face." I sighed, deciding upon looking away, finding myself engrossed in the interior of the sewer club. "Why didn't he write anything for me?"
"He did." Harry shrugged. What? Well that's news to me. Why doesn't anyone bother to tell me the full story for anything? "Didn't I tell you."

Funnily enough, you didn't.

"Give it to me." My eyes lit up like a small child's does at Christmas.
"I can't. Specific instructions that you shouldn't read it until you've had your binding ceremony." He replied. "Sorry."

Typical.
I though have seen that one coming really, shouldn't I?

"I always had this idea that the youngest child was spoiled." I mused. "I'm being sold."
"Stop being so bitter." Harry grumbled.
"Shut your wining" I shoved him hard in the chest. "I have a right to be bitter. I'm being forced to-"
"You're not being forced!" he interrupted me, one eyebrow raised at me as if I should know I have a choice.
"Okay than… get sold or get killed." I spat.
"Will you stop saying sold?" he snapped.
"You have a very sharp fuse." I remarked, deciding against even hinting at the affection I'd rather quickly built up for a certain member of the clan.

Although, even if I had decided to speak, I wouldn't have had chance. I felt fingers curl around the collar of my shirt, pulling me backwards viciously and on to the floor.
Well…Umm..
Ouch!

I looked up, seeing a brunette standing, towering above me, her hands placed purposely on her hips, and an intimidating frown fixed in to her expression.
"Harry, she was on your lap." She sighed, conversing with my brother as if I had never been there. "I'm away for a week, and you're already-"
"Tene, this is Claire," Harry butted in. "My baby sister."

"I am so sorry." Tene's cheeks flushed with colour once Harry had explained in full who I actually was. We sat at a table in the club. Dougie with Danny and Gabrielle in the corner, all three of them trying to listen in on what we were talking about.
"It's okay." I mumbled.
"Tene's been on the hunt for a week." Harry stated proudly.

Should I know what that is?

"What's the hunt?" I asked.
"Me and Nat just got back." Tene smiled. "Every couple of months, two of the clan travel for a week, finding out about how close hunters are, if hunters are recruiting, and how many are in the local area. Everyone does it at some point."
"Oh right. Did you find anything interesting?" I inquired. I should at least sound interested in this, I guess.
"I did actually." She turned to Harry. "It was the weirdest thing. A hunter had been tracking us for the last two days of the trip, when he finally attacked, he wouldn't touch me. He focused on Nat." She bit down on her lip as she spoke, puzzled at her own words. "And when I went to help her, he backed off again. He, Harry… He said sorry to me."
"He said sorry?" Harry quizzed, looking more confused than his other half did. He's also explained to me that he and Tene had mated three years ago. "Why?"
"I really don't know." She replied, "He grabbed me first you seem stared at me, and did nothing, and then said 'sorry', then attacked Nat."
"That doesn't make sense." Danny commented from across the room.

Nosey bugger.

"Even more so because I wasn't even armed. Nat had the gun. It would have made perfect sense to attack and kill me first." She said rather thoughtfully.
"Why the bloody hell weren't you armed?" Harry barked, before sliding his arms around her protectively, pulling her towards him.
"I forgot." Tene blushed, her eyes doing the apologizing.
"That's not like you." Harry stated. "You never forget that."
"It's been a weird week. Nat was fine. Me, on the other hand, I slept on every journey, and all the time in the hotels. I want to sleep right now actually. I think I'm ill." She laughed lightly.
"We don't get ill." Gabrielle frowned.
"She knows, Gabz. She was joking around." Danny pointed out to his sister.
"Oh." Gabrielle's cheeks burnt crimson in the dull light.

"So.." Tene smiled. "I'm guessing I've missed out a fair bit while I was gone."