Lauren
Grab her, was all I heard as I started to run from my motel room. I was immediately grabbed from behind and knocked out with something that I assume to be someone's fist to the back of my head. The next thing I knew I was tied down in some kind of warehouse. It wasn't long before I saw the Keeper standing over me. She had that same stone face look I'd always seen when she would come to see Trick at the Dal. He thought nobody knew who she was but I did. You don't go a month being associated with the Fae without seeing them come to the Dal Riata. He would often call her Arebella.
"You are a threat to all Fae and you must be punished Dr. Lewis. You wrongly trusted the wrong man with your whereabouts. He had been tracked by the Mesmer all along and the Mesmer turned you in to save himself", The Keeper said in a tone that matched her face.
I tried to get out of my restraints and could have sworn I saw a faint smile on her face. I knew I was doomed. Bo had likely turned on me after I said I loved her and now I was literally a sitting duck.
"What you will do you with her now? I heard a male voice ask. But I knew this voice. His accent gave him away.
"If you don't wish to suffer the same fate as her, I would advise you to take your leave now", The Keeper said.
I heard Vex's footsteps as he ran for his life leaving mine in peril. I don't know what I did to piss him off but that's how cowardly he was. He would turn against anyone to save his own skin. I closed my eyes but I knew they were still hovering over me. Their funk was identical.
"Bring it in", The Keeper ordered.
I opened my eyes. Bring what in? What was she talking about? Was I about to be eaten alive by some animal she had in a cage? I flinched in my restraints as I looked from left to right wondering what it she was talking about. I looked above me and saw a big burly guy smiling down on me. He took my head in his hands and opened my mouth. Another man walked up to my left holding up what I assumed to be a seed. What would this seed do to me? What hell had I caused them to want to poison me? This can't be about Taft, I saved all of them again. But I was never one to toot my own horn.
Just when I tried to talk the seed was forced in my mouth. It was nasty and made my mouth immediately filled with some sort of liquid. I tried to talk again but was forced to chew it. I remember screaming for Bo but soon passed out.
Charlotte and Tamsin
Tamsin was on her way to check on Charlotte like Kenzi had asked. Normally it was a short walk but she had consumed a bit of liquor before she went upstairs, so she was stumbling along the way. She tiptoed past Lauren's room knowing the Succubus was insistent that she get some rest. Finally arriving at Charlotte's nursery she felt a draft. She assumed Kenzi had turned on a ceiling fan as it was a bit hot in the house and Charly was still getting over a fever.
Finally she entered the room and pulled her gun. The window was open again and she found the crib was empty. Running to the window with her gun still drawn, she didn't see the baby shifter anywhere. She pulled her phone out to call Kenzi because running down the stairs would wake the Doctor.
"Kenzi, Charly's gone again" Tamsin said into her phone.
"What? How? Kenzi asked. Tamsin could hear shattering glass in the background.
"She went out the window or somebody climbed in, either way she's gone. We need to wake Lauren up", Tamsin said.
"I will be right up", Kenzi said.
The Dal
The Succubus had Trick by his neck again and she was just about to pull his Chi when she heard a noise behind her.
"You really are a dumb Succubus", Dr. Smith said.
The Succubus dropped Trick recognizing his voice. "You! I will kill you!
"Now. Now. You don't really want to threaten me do you? I know all about your little family and how it happened", Dr. Smith laughed.
"I will rip you limb from limb if you ever go near my family again", The Succubus said.
"Promises promises. Do you want to know what I know or shall I just make an example of Charlotte right now? Dr. Smith said holding a picture of the baby.
The Succubus had enough and started marching toward him when she heard a roar.
"Charlotte! No baby! Don't come in here", The Succubus screamed. How did this kid know when either one of them was in danger?
It was too late. Charlotte had already bit into Dr. Smith's leg and watched him drop to one knee in pain. The Succubus stood still watching the commotion.
"Well at least I have her now", Dr. Smith laughed picking up the baby shifter by her head.
"Put her down or you will be sor..."The Succubus stopped watching him pull a needle from his pocket.
"One more step and I put it in", Dr. Smith said looking directly at the Succubus
The Dark Fae compound.
"The baby is at the Dal Riata", Jack said.
"Are you sure? Evony asked. She was tired of running all over town trying to find one baby. She no longer trusted her men to do it. So it was either her in person or nobody under her command at all.
"She just went in", Jack said. Jack was only on the job one day and had already been in the know about the Morrigan's interest in the Succubus and Doctor's daughter.
"Then pull the car around immediately", Evony said putting on better heels. She would make the wealthy shifter by her new ones.
Lauren, Tamsin and Kenzi.
"Dude it is going to be hard to wake Lauren up. Bo and I have had conversations while she napped on the couch. Girl didn't flinch at all", Kenzi said.
"Well we need to wake her up, she will be all flavors of pissed off if we don't. Bo will be too", Tamsin said.
"Shit! I need to call Bo. Wake Lauren up", Kenzi said pulling her phone out.
"Lauren? Lauren wake up! Tamsin said gently shaking the Doctor who was stirring but not opening her eyes.
"Bo's not answering. Fuck", Kenzi said noticing Lauren wasn't waking up. How could anyone sleep that hard?
Tamsin walked over to the master bathroom while Kenzi tried her hand at waking Lauren up. When Tamsin came back, they both braced for what she was about to do.
"Dude we are about to see Mama Lioness", Kenzi said watching Tamsin pour a pitcher of water on Lauren and just as suspected they heard a roar.
"Don't move until she comes to", Kenzi warned Tamsin. They both stood with her backs firmly against the far wall.
"Kenzi..Tamsin? What's going on? Lauren asked wiping water from her face.
"Umm Charly's gone...again", Kenzi said tensing up. She still hadn't moved from her spot. She knew what was coming next.
They watched Lauren hurry out of bed and run out of the room. They followed her at a safe distance. Once they were all in the nursery, they watched Lauren scan the place. They knew she was trying to pick up on a foreign scent.
"She ran out the window or was carried out is my guess", Tamsin said although she hadn't found any glass that looked like it had been broken from the outside.
"She must have shifted", Kenzi said.
Lauren wasn't saying a word. Kenzi and Tamsin looked at her and braced for when she did.
"I have to find her", Lauren said as she headed towards the door. She wanted to shift but couldn't jump out of the same window as it was too small. Once she was downstairs, she nodded to Kenzi and Tamsin and ran out of the front door.
"Shit my car don't have speed like that. I will call Lea and get the shifters on this too", Tamsin said.
"Ohhh you have her number huh Tam Tam? Kenzi laughed.
"Kenzi focus. This is their baby we are talking about", Tamsin said holding the phone to her ear.
"Lea. It's Tamsin. Lauren just left the house looking for Charly who's gone again. We are heading out to try and find where Lauren went and hope you and the other shifters can track them down", Tamsin said.
"That sounded like a message", Kenzi said.
"It was. She must be sleeping too", Tamsin said but just as she finished the last word, her phone rung. She had been to Lea's. Girl had a house almost as nice as Bo and Lauren's. She hoped to see it again sometime in the near future. Her cars matched the wealth of the house.
"What happened Tamsin? Lea asked angrily into her phone. She and the others still hadn't found the other threats.
Tamsin explained everything to Lea and said she would call the precinct and have them track Bo's phone since she still wasn't answering.
Lea agreed to round up the shifters that weren't already off on another mission. She herself would be going out to try and find Lauren, Bo and Charlotte.
Lauren
Lauren was on the run with the images of her dream in her head. They wanted her for some reason but why? Why Charlotte? And so quickly after her birth. She wished she was able to run tests on their baby to see what was different between the three of them but with all the people trying to kidnap Charly, she hadn't had time. She was glad she wasn't working on any other cases because they would be getting seriously neglected. She was sure she found Charly's scent as she pressed on down the street. She was hopeful wherever Charlotte was, Bo was too. She knew Bo would be pissed off knowing Charlotte was gone again and it happened under Kenzi and Tamsin's watch.
The Dal
"I am going to warn you one last time", The Succubus bristled.
"You don't seem to want to know what I know. Being Lauren is a Doctor, I will explain it for her", Dr. Smith said holding Charlotte's mouth shut.
"Then get on with it", The Succubus snapped. She was ready to snap his neck but knew they needed to know why people wanted Charlotte as others could be out there somewhere. Waiting for their chance to be exact.
"The Una Mens seed the Doctor was fed. It had been cursed. Once the Doctor mated with you the curse would be activated. Arebella was supposed to give it to her mother but chose the Doctor instead. Once you mate with anyone who ingested the seed, whatever Fae they were, they would inherit your Succubus powers. That's why the Blood King had it", Dr. Smith explained.
"That doesn't make sense. I wasn't born yet when the Una Mens came to be", The Succubus said shaking her head. She wondered why Trick held on to it when he favored Dyson for Bo.
"It's simple Succubus. All they needed was a pinch of your grandmother's life essence and a little bit of Aife's blood and boom! Instant Succubus power", Dr. Smith laughed cradling Charlotte in his arms. She was going to be his golden ticket to the top of the Fae.
The Succubus couldn't believe him. How could he have known they would conceive a child? She didn't want to talk to him about their sex life and would keep her questions about how it happened for Lauren.
"Don't look so shocked Succubus. I am sure Eunice Thornwood explained some of this to you. All of this wouldn't have happened had Isabeau not died", Dr. Smith laughed. He would have a small army sooner or later and he didn't care how long it would take him to build it or who he had to step over. He wanted Charlotte to mate with him. Some of her powers would transfer to him. They all know Bo was the Dark Princess. Her blood and powers were unmatched to all other Fae.
The Succubus stared at him and noticed he was thinking the way he was looking at Charlotte was the same look Mrs. Thornwood had when she spoke of her. She remembered the Keeper calling Bo the spawn of evil. What kind of bullshit idiots were they? Wanting to mate with Charlotte when she wasn't even old enough to have sex yet. "You want her to mate with you huh? She laughed. He had no idea who he was holding in his hand and what she just heard coming from outside.
"Of course. I only needed one baby of yours to execute my plan. If you don't mind, we will be going now", Dr. Smith laughed turning towards the door.
As he got to the door, he saw the doors being kicked in and Lauren was already inside. He turned to run back inside the bar. He was trapped.
"Couldn't get out huh? The Succubus laughed.
"It doesn't matter. You won't touch me holding her. So I can wait", Dr. Smith said taking a seat at the bar.
"Charly baby are you hungry? Let's get you something to eat", The Succubus laughed walking towards them.
"Don't take another step or I will snap her neck", Dr. Smith screamed.
"Our baby is hungry. She needs to eat. Feed sweetie", The Succubus said.
"What? She's too young for that", Dr. Smith laughed. The Succubus was trying his patience and that's what he needed right now to wait her out so he could leave.
Lauren roared and Dr. Smith looked down at his now wet pants.
"Feed baby", The Succubus commanded the younger shifter. This was going to be a proud delicious moment.
Lauren and the Succubus watched as Charlotte bit his hand and took his head in hers. The Dr's eyes started to roll in the back of his head when Lauren roared Charlotte stopped short of killing him.
"Charlotte come to mama sweetie", The Succubus called her as she watched her drop Dr. Smith as his head slammed into the counter top knocking him out.
Lauren shifted back and checked for a pulse. He was dead. She shook her head hoping Charlotte wouldn't remember her first kill.
"Lauren it was self-defense and this will come in handy should she be out somewhere playing and some bastard tries to take her", Bo explained.
"What did he say? Lauren asked
"He said that whenever we conceive our baby will have Succubus powers. The seed had been cursed using Grandmother's life essence and a bit of Aife's blood", Bo said softly pulling Charlotte closer. She knew Lauren could conceive with other people and their baby would have the same powers but they were too devoted to each other for that shit to ever happen.
Lauren sighed. That meant their kids would always be targeted. "So every child would be a Succubus/Lion shifter?
"That's what I understood. If we have a boy, he would have Succubus powers too. They must have planted it inside the seed and when they fed it to you, it was released into your system. That's likely what put you in the hospital too", Bo said. She wasn't sure of all the Science behind it, but knew Lauren's mind would work overtime trying to figure it out.
"Bo.."Trick said.
"Ahh look it's the Blood King or shall I call you the blood coward? Bo snapped in his direction knowing he must have gone down into his lair.
When Trick walked towards the trio Charlotte began roaring and it was a bit louder this time.
"She doesn't even like you", Bo laughed. Our little Lioness knows a dog when she can smell one. That will come in handy.
Unknown location.
"Dr. Smith isn't answering his phone sir. He hasn't been answering for hours", Kevin said.
"Then go and see what's keeping him and don't come back without him", Daniel said.
"Yes sir", Kevin said hanging up his phone.
Kenzi
"Hey Kenzi it's Megan. I think I might have found what you're looking for".
"Girl send me the deets. I am on another case right now", Kenzi said riding in the car with Tamsin.
"I can text you the information or we can meet up. This looks big and dangerous", Megan said.
"Save what you have. Don't let anyone else see it and I will meet you tomorrow morning", Kenzi said.
"You got it", Megan said hanging up the phone. Megan had not been at the hospital long but she knew when something wasn't right and she had been working on finding something since Kenzi asked her to.
The Dal
"Well? Bo asked still holding Charlotte who had finally shifted back. Bo had cleaned her up a bit.
"Bo I won't know for sure until I get him back to the lab", Lauren said.
"Not your lab at home. That bastard is going to the compound", Bo said. She would not accept taking him home with them.
"Bo! Megan found something", Kenzi said running into the Dal and stopping when she saw the dead Dr. being looked over by the alive one.
"What the hell happened here? Tamsin asked.
"Tamsin I'm glad your here, you can get some people here to take this body to the Light Fae compound", Lauren said. She was ready to go home and try and relax. Another threat had been eliminated and they could breathe for a moment.
"You got it Doc", Tamsin said punching the numbers on her phone.
"My my is the good Doctor Lewis trying to hide a murder? Evony asked from behind them.
She flinched when she heard a roar and it wasn't Lauren. Charlotte had shifted again and jumped from Bo's arms. "Owwwww", Bo screamed as she felt the scratches Charlotte left her with. Lauren threw her some antiseptic and bandages from Trick's first aid kid.
Evony turned and started running with Charlotte close on her heels.
"That's my girl", Lauren roared with her Lioness eyes flashing as she went after them.
TBC