 
## Bite Me:

### All Change

### by

### India Taylor

### Text Copyright © India Taylor 2015

### All Rights Reserved

http://www.gothic-mansion-books.com/

### Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Preview

**Chapter 1**
Saffron woke with a start and was relieved to find herself in her bed. She tried to pick out the events that were real from the fragmented dreams she could remember. She sat up and peeled the duvet from her body: her body was soaked in sweat and she seemed to be running a fever. It came back to her in a rush, and she reached for the wound on her neck. It was there, but it didn't feel sore in the way that she thought it would.

She had been walking in the woods; she remembered the sun setting, leaving her in complete darkness, which was about when she tumbled down a slope. Her head hurt: probably from where she smacked it on a tree stump. Her memories were fuzzy, but she was so sure she could remember finding a cage in the cottage with a girl locked inside, a girl who was howling: that could never happen of course. She must have seen it in a film, but it was pretty clear in her head; that is until the girl bit her neck.

She reached up and touched her neck again; there were definitely three gouges across her collar bone. She was unable to hold onto consciousness, and slipped back into the deep and troubled sleep where she dreamt that she was Little Red Riding Hood, and the wolf was behind her saying 'you shouldn't have done that'.

At school, Saffron was moody and everyone commented on how differently she was behaving. Her teacher thought she must be going through a particularly 'hormonal' patch, but wasn't worried because her grades had improved. Her dreams had become more and more bizarre: leaving her sweating and ravenously hungry. Several times in the weeks that followed she had to get up and sneak food out of the fridge, and she wasn't even craving chocolate: no, now she wanted meat.

Her mother was pleased with the changes in Saffron's grades, and when a polite, old fashioned looking girl knocked at the door a few weeks later asking for her daughter, she immediately let her in.

Saffron opened her bedroom door and locked eyes on the girl. She recognised her even though she looked very different to the last time she'd seen her. Saffron could smell her: it was an earthy, musky scent with a hint of roses, not unpleasant, but not something you could sell in a bottle. The girl entered her room and sat on the chair. Next door's cat followed her and jumped onto the window sill, but instead of watching the birds on the apple tree he turned to stare at the girl.

"Shut the door," she said quietly. "Sit down: I have something to tell you."

Saffron shut the door and sat down: the serious tone of the girl's voice was enough to make her compliant. The girl's eyes were honey brown, deep and piercing, and as Saffron sat watching her, they glinted and flashed amber just like the cat.

"Have you noticed any changes in the past few weeks?" The girl asked.

"Like what?" Saffron replied, but she knew what changes the girl was asking about: her increased senses and the strange feeling in her stomach, a mixture of excitement and fear.

"Well, I could start with your sense of smell, but that would only touch the surface," the girl said. "Something happened. You were in the wrong place at the very worst time. I'm so sorry."

She got up and stood before Saffron moving her hair away from her neck. The three grazes were almost healed but the scars were still visible, and she was pretty sure they always would be.

"My father locks me in that cage once a month, Saffron. Do you know why?" She asked, sitting on the bed next to her.

"No," Saffron whispered, her voice cracking as she turned, facing the fire-eyed girl. "Sounds a little mean."

"Because I was bitten once just like you, and now every month I change. I am a werewolf, Saffron," they stared at each other, Saffron wide-eyed and the girl steady, sympathetic, but glowing as if excitement bubbled beneath the surface.

Saffron opened her mouth to say something: to tell the girl she was being stupid, but she closed it saying nothing because deep down she knew it was true. Saffron even felt strangely at peace with the idea, as if she had been expecting it. Of course, if it wasn't true at least she was having some excitement in her life.

"I'm so sorry," the girl took her hand and squeezed it. "It's not that bad, although the first time is hard. You need to come with me, though, you know that don't you? You can't change here, and you can't stop it."

"What do I have to do? It's a school night: my mum won't let me stay out even if I wanted to," Saffron said in a rush of panic, snatching her hand away.

"If you stay here your family are in danger, and so are your neighbours, your neighbour's pets, and anyone walking through the streets. Saffron, you will have the desire to feed, and you will attack anyone who stands in your way," the girl stood up, took hold of Saffron's shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"Ok," Saffron said weakly and the girl hugged her.

"Pack an overnight bag, and then tell your mother you're staying around mine to do a project for school," the girl said. "Don't worry, she will say yes: she has to."

It went smoothly, and within half an hour Saffron and her new friend, Laura, were walking towards the jeep parked at the end of the street where Laura's father, John, was waiting for them.

"Am I going to be locked in the cage?" Saffron asked feeling part stupid and part scared.

"No, it's your first change I can't lock you up in the cage. I'm taking you both to our cabin: it's far enough away from people to be safe, and there are plenty of animals to hunt," he said, turning onto the dual carriageway heading north.

"Why can't I be locked up?" Saffron asked alarmed.

"Because you need to feed the wolf. I can only be locked up every few months, because I'm young it could kill me if I deny the wolf," Laura said like it explained everything.

Saffron sat in confusion and silence during the rest of the journey. It still didn't seem real. How could it? Saffron loved an adventure and because of that, she was willing to see how the night panned out. Having no real sense of danger had always felt like a bonus to her, but now she wasn't so sure.

John turned from a narrow lane onto a dusty track and carried on, and the jeep bounced uncomfortably along the uneven surface until he pulled it to a stop outside a rustic building. The cabin, as it was called, was partly made from a previous stone structure with the rest added in wood and bricks at various times.

"It doesn't look pretty," John smiled.

"But it does the job," Laura grabbed their things and pushed open the door.

"It's safe," John said showing Saffron a cage like the one back at the cottage. This one was built into the stone section of the cabin.

"I thought I wasn't going to be locked up this time?" Saffron said.

"We're not: he is," Laura said, gesturing at John. "It's to keep Dad safe while we roam free." She rattled the cage to show its strength.

Saffron eyed the cage and then John: she couldn't imagine hurting anyone. She was starting to feel strange, though, and really hungry, but not just for food: there was something else going on. Her teeth felt sore and itchy, and her fingers felt different. Her sight was sharp, and she seemed to notice all kinds of details at once. Saffron briefly considered that she may have been drugged, but she hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a while.

They ate dinner together and Laura told Saffron to finish everything. Her new friend explained that she would use up all her calories during the night. Laura said that werewolves couldn't get fat and laughed. Saffron thought at least there was one bonus to it.

Just before the sun set she began to feel restless, and noticed that she was grinding her teeth. John locked himself in the cage checking it several times, then Laura covered the cage over with a large blanket. He had a straw mattress, sleeping bag, bottle of water, snacks, and a CB radio in case of an emergency.

John said there were a few other werewolves in the local area, and they tried to stay clear of each other on change nights as joining a pack could result in whole flocks or herds being slaughtered, or worse. This made Saffron shudder: she had only just decided that medium-rare steak was edible, so she couldn't imagine ever eating a warm, live animal. She still wasn't completely convinced that this was real, but if it was then she wasn't going to be a very successful werewolf.

"So what else is real?" She asked. "Fairies? Goblins? Vampires?" Saffron laughed, but her laughter died in her throat as Laura nodded to affirm their existence.

"Oh really?" She had a whole lot of reorganising to do in her brain.

Laura handed Saffron a towel and began undressing. She should have seen this coming, but it surprised her anyway.

"Do you want your first transformation to be scary and confusing because you're tangled in your jeans?" Laura asked.

"I guess not," she replied.

As the darkness came Laura opened the cabin door. She was told not to fight it, but her muscles began to tense in waves, and her bones felt fizzy. The pain was hot and encompassing, but Laura kept soothing her with her voice: encouraging her to let it come out. She was sweating and panting from the effort of holding herself together when the moon glinted into the cabin and straight onto her face.

"Here it comes," Laura half shouted half howled.

Laura arched her back and her human form sprung into the air landing with a growl. Her body had changed and she stood sleek and strong in the form of a pale brown wolf with fiery eyes. Just then her own body felt like it had split into a million bubbles zapped by lightning, and she howled. When she took her next breath she was standing on four legs feeling strong and free. Her skin no longer felt clammy but warm and fur-lined. Saffron howled again, but this time, it was not in fear or pain, but with excitement.

Laura ran toward the door, and Saffron followed her. When Laura broke into a fast sprint Saffron chased her with the awkwardness of a three-week-old puppy. When they reached the top of the hill they stood side by side and howled at the moon paying homage to the tide that set them free. Saffron was surprised to hear another wolf call in the distance; she was also surprised to be able to communicate with Laura, not in regular speech but more like thoughts inside her head.

Laura sniffed the air becoming rigid, and her fur fluffed up around her shoulders. Saffron could smell something too, something warm and tasty: something that reminded her of food, but not entirely. She followed, but Laura growled a warning, so she held back watching. A rabbit looked up from where it was munching grass just in time to see the wolf bare its teeth, and then the rabbit was caught between them. Laura shook it snapping its neck quickly, then using her front paws and teeth delicately opened the carcass and ate, crunching the small bones surrounded by succulent flesh.

Saffron could wait no longer, she ran to the meal just as Laura stepped back. Saffron pounced and sank her sharp teeth into the tiny creature. Warm, delicious meat met her tongue and slipped down her throat. Saffron had never tasted food like this, so fresh, warm, and juicy; so delicious. She stripped the carcass within seconds, leaving a few cleaned bones and then licked her lips. When she looked up, Laura was smiling in a way that only wolves can, and she asked if Saffron wanted more, and she did, she really did. They walked away, moving with purpose, smelling the air for the scent of food.

Saffron woke shivering, naked, and scared. She was lying on the straw mattress in the cabin, covered by a coarse blanket. Laura was sitting on the straw next to her, wrapped in her own blanket. She smiled and handed her a can of cola.

"It takes the taste away," she said, and Saffron realised that her mouth was dry and foul tasting. Laura stood up still wrapped in the blanket and told her to stay there for a few moments.

"Last night, you used a lot of energy transforming, then a whole heap more running the wolf. Come on I'll help you to the shower," she held out her hand.

Saffron wrapped her blanket around her and took Laura's hand. Every muscle and bone ached; the pain was bad, but, there was also an excitement still coursing through her body, the excitement of the wolf. She showered the blood, dirt, leaves, and strange smells off her body. Laura showered after her then they removed the blanket cover from John's cage and let him out.

"It was a relief having the two of you together. I actually slept last night, whereas, usually I lay awake listening and worrying," he beamed at them both.

On the drive home, Laura told her about her mother who had also been a werewolf. It was her mother who had bitten Laura accidentally one night when she'd been twelve years old. After that they'd transformed together; her mother taught her everything she needed to know, right up until she had been shot by a farmer who used to own the land on the other side of the cottage. He saw her mother fall down as a wolf and then transform back into a woman as she died in his field. Laura had seen her mother die and attacked the farmer. The next month he learned what he was, and he killed half of his sheep stock; he woke in the field covered in blood, surrounded by half-eaten sheep carcases. He sold the farm to John, at a discounted price and moved to Scotland. John then bought the cabin and surrounding fields as there were no farms in that area.

"It's been a hard four years, but we're careful and we had some good advice from our neighbouring werewolves," John said and smiled as he saw the next question in Saffron's eyes.

"Do you meet up with other werewolves? Can I?" Saffron asked.

"Yes, but not yet, you're a newbie; you need to get used to being only half human first," he replied.

"It's sometimes hard to blend in with full-blood humans because you always feel out of sync with them. We have to keep the secret Saffron; it's important to our species," Laura looked at her with sincerity. "Our lives depend on it."

Saffron felt the enormous weight that fell with that last sentence. She had a huge secret, something dangerous and awesome; a secret she must learn to carry.

"We're not fully human and we're not full wolves," Saffron said, in a whisper.

Saffron stepped into class feeling only half there; she was mostly thinking of the night before. Running through the fields and woods; jumping over fences and each other, hunting the rabbits, eating their flesh. It all seemed so real in the pictures in her head, but if she said it out loud, it would sound like a wild piece of fiction.

Her old friends seemed to notice that she wasn't herself and stayed clear of her, and she was glad because she didn't think she could have even a simple conversation with anyone. Her increased sense of smell was maddening; she could tell what everyone had eaten for their breakfast just by standing downwind of them. She could smell the bloody scent of the girls who were having their periods. She could smell her own musky scent; fresh woodland, grass, straw, and she too would be getting her period. This realisation grossed her out a bit.

At almost sixteen, she was a late starter, and this would be her first period, it was odd that it coincided with her first transformation into a wolf. Saffron excused herself from class and for once the teacher had no objections, which was probably due to her rising grades.

In the toilets, she found the machine that dealt out sanitary protection, and dismayed, she realised that she didn't have the right change in her pocket. She opened the drawer, there was nothing in it so she closed it once more. When she wiggled the drawer and opened it again it was loose. She pulled the drawer hard, and it came away easily, and all the sanitary products fell out.

It was clear that Saffron was much stronger than before, but by how much? Laura had told her she would find herself different, different to full humans. Saffron could no longer think of herself as human, a person like any other; she was part animal now, and that both disturbed and thrilled her.

When she arrived home that afternoon, her mother asked her if she'd had a good time and if the school project went well. She made up some details about the project that didn't exist, and went to leave the room, but her mother called her back and told her she had an odd look on her face, and asked if everything was okay. Saffron told her about starting her period, and her mother hugged her and told her where to find the stash of feminine products. Saffron thanked her and told her she needed to have a lay down.

Her mother brought up some toast, a hot-water bottle, and some painkillers. Her kindness made the secret seem bigger, or maybe the guilt felt bigger. She fell asleep clutching the hot-water bottle which happened to be wrapped in a furry case, reminding her of the rabbits she'd killed.

The next day she felt better; healthier and stronger. As she dressed, she decided to put some make-up on. She didn't usually bother; it wasn't forbidden at school, neither was jewellery, in fact, uniform was a loose term there, but she had always been such a tomboy that she couldn't see why a girl would waste hours fussing with her appearance. Today she didn't fuss, test or try; she grabbed her black eyeliner and some dark cherry lipstick, applied them quickly along with mascara and a silver shimmery eyeshadow. The result was a very new look; she looked older and a bit of a Goth chick. Saffron slipped the lipstick in her school bag and grabbed some toast on the way out of the door.

Her mother's eyebrows had risen as she breezed past her; she put it down to the girl starting her period. She watched her daughter walk confidently up the road and smiled. Anita had longed to see that confidence in her; it was amazing what a few hormones could do.
**Chapter 2**
As she walked into class heads turned and followed her. She heard some comments and not all were nice, but she ignored them. She sat in her usual seat near the front and spent the morning studying and understanding World War Two politics. It wasn't her favourite subject but her brain felt on top form and the work felt easy. Her teacher seemed pleased with her work and attention, but as she left for the lunch queue, she overheard the woman telling another teacher that the moment a girl puts makeup on is usually the moment they stop studying and turn their attention to boys. She laughed as she walked away, no chance, she thought.

"Hello puppy," a boy said. He was draped over a nearby table, and he was looking at her.

"Sorry?" She asked, confused; her heart was beating fast suddenly.

She did a quick scan of him; black hair, blue eyes, sharp and cold, tall, broad, and strongly built, dressed in black with heavy boots that thumped the ground as he jumped up off the table.

"Don't be sorry puppy, I won't tell anyone," he winked and smiled as he sauntered off, looking ultra-confident and gorgeous in a hard as ice kind of way.

Saffron's heart thumped against her chest, and she stood there watching him disappear down the corridor. That smell, she frowned; was that his smell? She took a deep breath and coughed; aftershave lots of it, toothpaste, blood, and something darker that reminded her of death. She could smell fresh human blood. She knew what he was; there couldn't be anything else that smelled like that, surely. A vampire at her school, how was it possible, are they allowed to go out during the daytime? Her thoughts were flashing between films she had seen and his gorgeous, cold face. He'd called her 'puppy', he must know.

She joined the queue for lunch with her stomach growling, heaping her tray with food, buying twice as much as she usually would. Her thoughts were still running wild when she heard a deep voice say 'sit'. She slid her tray onto the table opposite his, picked up her knife and fork and made herself busy, so she didn't have to look up.

"I've never seen you here before puppy," he drawled, then took a bite of his burger. "Have you transferred in, or are you new to the freak show?" He asked, taking another hungry bite.

"I don't know what you mean," she answered, although she had a good idea what he was talking about. She could detect bitterness in his voice, but it didn't seem to be directed at her.

"Whatever; have it your way," he said, pushing his empty tray to the side and leaning back, making a pretence of looking anywhere except at her.

"I've been at this school since year seven," she answered, putting her knife and fork down. She'd eaten the bland, beef curry so fast she didn't even remember doing it. She picked up her bottle of water and downed it just as quickly, then polished off the slice of cake.

"Come on, let's go for a walk," he said. She grabbed her apple, chocolate bar, and crisps before following him. When they reached the playground, she breathed in the warm sweet air, relieved. Saffron realised that his smell was quite unpleasant to her newly sensitive nose.

"You're not so sweet smelling either, pup," he said, as he turned to face her.

"Don't keep calling me puppy," she said, it was making her anxious, and she looked around, but they were not within earshot of anyone.

"No one would guess I'm calling you puppy because you're a werewolf," he laughed.

"Shush!" She flapped her hands; she had never fitted with people's expectations, but she didn't want to risk putting herself further out there by being announced publicly as a werewolf.

"Tell me your name then," he said, leaning against the school fence looking cool, but she suspected that was exactly the look he was going for.

"Saffron. So what do I smell like?" She asked, trying to smell her wrist discreetly.

"Peanut butter," he replied and laughed; she laughed too. "No, a bit like dog, a bit like fields and forests, and a bit like pretty teenaged girl." He smiled, showing brilliant white teeth, but no fangs.

"So how come you can walk in the sun? I thought your type would either go crispy or sparkle depending on what movies you like to watch," she asked, feeling more relaxed, her confidence returning with her curiosity.

"Saffron," he said, shaking his head. "You watch too many movies," he laughed and walked away, just as the afternoon bell went. He called out to her from over his shoulder, "my name is Arthur by the way."

Then he was gone, disappearing into the shaded building leaving no trace of smoulder or sparkle. She was smiling as she walked back to class.

After school, Saffron had expected to see him, or maybe she had just hoped, but he wasn't there, and she walked home quickly because of her grumbling stomach. As she stepped inside the house, she found her step-dad in the kitchen making coffee. He asked if she wanted a drink, and she asked for hot chocolate and took three biscuits from the tin. As he handed her the cup, she got a whiff of perfume, and it wasn't her mother's scent or his usual soapy smell.

"Are you wearing aftershave, Mike?" She asked turning toward the door.

"No Saff, can't stand the stuff, you know that," he replied. "Why, can you smell some?" He asked as an afterthought.

"Maybe," she called behind her as she climbed the stairs to her room. It wasn't aftershave she could smell; she was sure of it. It was a cheap, tacky perfume that reminded her of someone, but she couldn't think who.

Saffron tipped the contents of her bag out and got stuck into her homework, finishing it quickly. She'd found her homework much easier this past couple of weeks, and her grades were better than they had ever been. She wondered if this was a werewolf thing.

"Knock, knock!" Laura called and flounced in looking happy. "Dad said I could come and see you; it's been so long since I had a friend," she smiled and sat on the bed.

"Cool," Saffron replied, and then told her about meeting the vampire. She sat still, quietly transfixed. Laura hadn't actually seen a vampire, but she'd known about them and had heard that some vampires were day walkers, but she didn't know much about them. Laura had heard that they were dangerous and couldn't be trusted.

"I must tell you my news," Laura said. "My Dad contacted a few of the local werewolf communities and told them about you, we all have to be on the register, and new members must be added immediately after their first change. There is a woman with a son of our age, and they want us to meet and socialise if we get along we might be able to change together."

"That's great news," Saffron said, suddenly feeling like she belonged to something.

"I like the black makeup and the dark lipstick," Laura said. "I live in an old-fashioned house, with old-fashioned stuff, and I don't feel like I belong to this world at all. Dad said the cottage was my Mother's and was handed down from her Grandmother along with the furniture, and most of the clothes, I would think. I didn't really know what I was missing until recently." She tugged a handful of the dusky pink skirt and sighed.

Saffron went through her wardrobe and pulled out a pair of skinny jeans, and Laura's face brightened. After an hour, her room was a mess with clothes tossed everywhere, and makeup was spread all over the dresser. Laura was dressed in blue jeans and a white vest top and was sitting with her face lifted as Saffron applied makeup to it. Saffron didn't choose dark like her own, but brown, beige and peach; the result was subtle but effective. She looked older, and no one could accuse her of being old fashioned.

Saffron's mother called the girls to dinner, and Laura was educated once more. Saffron found it hard to believe the girl had never eaten pizza before. It looked like there were going to be a lot of new things in both their lives.

"You girls must be working hard at school if your appetites are anything to go by," her mother said. The girls just laughed and scraped their plates.
**Chapter** **3**

Saffron met up with Arthur every lunch time; he made it look like a coincidence, but she suspected or even borderline knew that he was tracking her movements, as seemed to be around every corner she turned. He always looked so cool and laid back; most people took a wide berth around his long limbs as if they knew he was a predator. They stared at him from behind their hair, a door, a book, but no one spoke to him, and very few people spoke to her. Her former friends whispered behind hands, but she heard the gossip, and from Arthur's slight smile she could tell, he heard it too.

"Show me your fangs," she leant in close to him and whispered one afternoon from the corner of the playground.

It had become their corner. A tall tree surrounded by a low brick wall which was once coveted by the 'in' crowd was now theirs alone. Arthur smiled with his shiny white teeth, then opened his mouth a little wider and two sharp canines grew in length. She leant in closer tempted to touch the point of one, but he drew back and closed his mouth.

"They're cool," she said.

"Oh the joys of being a freak," he said with bitterness and turned away.

"You're not a freak to me," she said quietly.

That evening he walked her home, and she thought he looked so out of place on the tree-lined avenues. He was in the 1960s suburbia, when he belonged in a towering gothic castle with grey, cold stone, and lead glass windows.

"I didn't know we were expecting guests," Mike stood in the doorway smiling. Saffron sniffed the air, perfume, not aftershave. She looked at him for a long moment before he walked away. Arthur was watching her and he was frowning, but he nodded his head to gesture that they should retire to her room. She closed the door behind him, and he grabbed her hand and guided her to the bed. She sat, and he knelt before her.

"One of my many gifts is that I can sometimes read humans, but only when they're nervous, loud or scared. I caught some of his internal dialogue," he said still holding her hand.

"Is he having an affair?" She asked.

"I think so," he replied, and then sat next to her on the bed. He put a long cool arm around her shoulders and squeezed. She forgot about Mike and about everything until he released her, and she swayed gently feeling the loss of his strong arm.

"I should go," he said then kissed her lightly on the cheek and left. His lips had been cold just as his arm had been, but she felt warmth where he had been, like fire and ice, she thought. "Maybe I'm the fire," she whispered, and then promptly fell asleep.

Saffron slept through dinner and most of the evening, only waking when her mother put a cold flannel on her forehead. She opened her eyes and saw the moon, three-quarters full, shining in her window like a beacon, calling to her to come out to play. She grumbled something her mother couldn't decipher and curled up falling back to sleep with the moonlight shining upon her face.

She slept fitfully throughout the night and most of the next day. Her dreams made no sense, but she remembered the feeling of danger being a recurrent theme. When she woke it was with a maddening hunger and she surprised her mother when she devoured a whole pack of ham, some leftover roast chicken, and half a tin of corned beef. She refused the bread her mother tried to put with the meat, saying that it made her feel sick.

She felt much better when she had eaten, and she sat back in her chair and looked at her mother. Anita's hair was long and dark; no greys. Her eyes were brown, but not as dark as Saffron's and her skin was pale, whereas Saffron had dark skin and dark brown hair, although just lately it had been nearly black due to the amount of gel she put in it to make the ends stick out, rather than tuck in. Anita had kept her figure, and Saffron couldn't understand why Mike would cheat on her, but couldn't bring herself to ask either one of them how they were getting along. She felt so grown up all of a sudden, and she must have sighed out loud because her mother put a hand over Saffron's and squeezed it gently with a strained smile on her lips.

A shadow fell over the kitchen, and they both looked up to find Arthur peering in at them. Anita sprang up and opened the door gushing over him.

"I wondered why you weren't at school," he looked more than concerned; he almost looked guilty. Anita ran through the beverage list, and he refused everything except a glass of water. They headed upstairs and as the door closed, Anita frowned, she couldn't help but think there was something very odd about the boy.

"Problem," Arthur said as he stood by the window with his back to Saffron.

"What kind of problem?" She asked, sitting on her bed looking up at him.

"You got sick because of me," he said in a rush. "I went home last night and told my dad about you, and he told me to be careful. I asked him why, thinking it would be something embarrassing, like sex-education etc. It wasn't," he turned to face her. "If I touch you, I'll make you tired and hungry; the wolf will be hungry, and if you get sick in the middle of the month you might not make it to the full moon before you need to feed the wolf," he took a breath and said, "that's not all. I will need to feed more often, and I might get so desperate that I feed from a random person; I could kill a human. Our friendship is poisoned; we are poisoning each other," he turned back to the window.

"That makes sense," she sighed. "We are animals, predators, trying to live a human life, in inhuman skin. Like fire and ice."

"I'm so sorry," he said again.

"Me too," she answered. "Did you have to feed?" She asked after a long silence.

"Yes," he replied, but he offered no explanations.

"Who?" She asked, feeling uncomfortable.

"I can usually drink cold store blood from the blood banks, but if I get injured or poisoned, which is how my dad put it, then I have to drink it straight from a live human. My dad isn't into hunting; we have donors and are often supervised to make sure we don't take too much. He is my age, and he was willing; he gets paid to do it and we get along okay."

He stepped away from the window and tried to understand what was going on in her mind, but her half-human brain was locked to him. They parted awkwardly at a distance, and she felt more alone than she had done in weeks.

John drove them to the cabin on the night of the full moon, and the girls sat in the back of the car with hushed voices discussing Saffron's vampire problem. John arranged a meeting with another werewolf family; it was to take place the weekend after the full moon. The girls were excited and nervous. Saffron was worried that as a new cub, she wouldn't be liked, but Laura insisted that werewolves were instinctively friendly toward each other, because of the innate desire to be part of a pack.

"You'll be fine Saffron," John called over the engine roar.

Saffron detected a note of uncertainty in his voice but didn't challenge him. He was a very protective father, too protective at times, but she understood that after losing his wife, he wanted to be very careful with his only daughter.

Saffron embraced the change this time, eager to run and feed. She slipped into the transition with a pop, quicker than Laura. She stood by the door and waited as her friend transformed and then sprinted for the meadow. Laura came up from behind and tumbled them both to the ground. They rolled down the meadow happily taking in the scents of the night. It was Saffron who made the first kill; Laura held back as if she wanted to be sure that Saffron knew she could do it. They ate their fill of small animals, drank sweet-tasting water from the stream between the meadow and the forest, and they stalked larger prey to hone their skills but didn't kill them. Deer were too big a prize for two lone cubs.

After feeding, they sat side by side at the top of the meadow and howled together. It wasn't long before they heard a response call from the east. A deep mournful song carried across the wind towards them, and they answered. Another call came from the north, and they stood, turned toward it, straining their pricked up ears. It came again, not long and mournful but lively and insistent as if it was calling 'come find me, come find me and play'. The sad song from the east stayed quiet after this, and so did they, but the playful call came twice more before dawn.

They woke under blankets in the cabin covered in mud, leaves, and blood. Saffron thought this would be disgusting if they hadn't just woken up on a major high. The exhilaration that came from the change lasted two weeks, and then the build-up of excitement toward the next change would come. They showered and dressed, uncovered the cage and let John out.

"Good time?" He asked as he stretched, then picked up the broom and began sweeping the sticky straw.

"Amazing thanks," Saffron replied; she didn't know whether to mention the other wolf calls.

"Brilliant, as usual, Dad," Laura said. "The boy we are meeting is from the east isn't he?" She asked, glancing sideways at Saffron.

"Yeah, I heard him too. His Mother told me he hates the change and fights it every month. He even tries not to feed the wolf."

"That's awful. Why is he like that?" Laura asked, shocked.

"He's alone, shy, and confused. He was bitten last year by a lodger his Mother had just taken on; the guy didn't know what he was until he changed; Jack protected his Mother and was attacked," John explained.

"Poor guy," Laura said with genuine sadness.

"This is the boy we are going to meet on Saturday?" Saffron replied.

"Yes, but I do need to tell you something," he locked the cabin, and they settled in the car, then John turned toward them. "Jack has scars from the attack, three long scratches on his face and shoulders, and a bite mark on his arm. He's also not recovered emotionally from the shock of being attacked. His father died when he was young, and his Mother has had a hard time bringing him up on her own, and then the attack happened, and she's really struggling. She needs to meet us more than we need to meet them."

The weekend came quickly, and Saffron was glad to be spending time with Laura. Arthur was avoiding close contact, and their friendship was strained by the need to stay physically separate when they both wanted to be closer. When she told him about the meeting with Jack, he became sullen and moody and her excitement seemed to agitate him. He'd walked her home on the Friday afternoon in near silence. She'd tried to reach for his hand to give it a squeeze, but he pulled back sharply reminding her of the contact sickness.

Laura didn't even get inside the gate before Saffron ran out of the door with her overnight bag in her hand.

"I'm so excited, are we going straight there?" Saffron asked.

"Yes, we are meeting at the little Italian restaurant in the old quarter. It's their favourite and it's a neutral place. She's worried about how he'll react," John said, the girls giggled in the back, and he went back to driving.

John was worried about the meeting; Laura had lived a sheltered life, away from people of all kinds let alone people of her own age. He wasn't sure how this new encounter would impact upon her life, but he was more than pleased with the way Laura had bonded with Saffron.

The chatter lasted the whole trip, but they fell silent when they reached the door to the restaurant. It was a small, cosy affair, lots of red faux leather and soft wood tones. The lighting was soft, and the booths gave plenty of privacy; Saffron's gaze found him in one of the booths. He was pale and blonde with a faint rosiness to his cheeks. Three long scars distorted his cheek ever so slightly, ending on his chin. He was Arthur's opposite she thought, dark and light, confident and nervous, strong versus fragile.

Laura saw him straight away. His hair shone under the gentle light, making him look angelic. He had pale blue eyes, pink full lips and almost translucent skin. He stood up awkwardly as his mother rushed over to greet John. They stood looking sheepishly at each other until Saffron introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Jack," he said in a quiet voice.

"Laura," she said, feeling tongue-tied and flustered.

They sat in a large secluded booth within the darkest part of the restaurant. Jack grew his hair in order to cover his scars; his fingers kept pulling his hair across the scars. After the first course had been finished, Laura reached over the table quickly and slapped his hand away to his surprise.

"You don't need to cover your scars in front of us. They are part of you," she said slowly sliding her hand away from his and back to her side.

"I hate them," he said blushing. She saw the pain in his eyes; he looked uncomfortable in every sense of the word, and it hurt her to see him tortured.

"Don't," she said and placed her hand over his, which was still lying on the table where she had slapped it down.

Sarah, Jack's mother, looked stunned, but she resumed her conversation with John, eager to have someone to talk to about being the parent of a werewolf. Saffron watched them all from behind her large coke. There was a definite magnetism between Laura and Jack; if only Jack would look up long enough to notice. John and Sarah were hitting it off like old friends; the relief to be able to talk making them cling to each other verbally. Saffron felt like a voyeur, rather than a participant, as she sat back and watched over her meat feast pizza. Jack had sad blue eyes, but by the end of the meal, they were sparkling and meeting Laura's.

"You see, I am the attacker. I bit Saffron, I couldn't help it; it was instinct and hunger, and the wolf doesn't like to be caged," she tried to explain and then reached for Saffron's hand. "I hope she doesn't hold it against me." She turned, looking at Saffron who shrugged and mumbled through a mouthful of pizza.

"I couldn't hate you for it, and I don't dislike being what I am," Saffron replied when she had an empty mouth. "I guess I haven't even considered being angry at you," she laughed and realised that she really did like what she had become.

"I felt alone; I felt like a freak all by myself," Jack said.

"We're all freaks, Jack, with or without the wolf," Saffron replied.

The evening went well; Jack started to talk more openly about himself, and he even smiled a few times. His cheeks flushed pink with a healthier glow, but he still had the complexion of an anaemic vampire.

"Jack, what pizza did you have?" Laura asked, frowning.

"Mushroom and pineapple, it's what I always have," he replied.

"No meat?" She asked.

"No, I'm a veggie, always have been," he shrugged his shoulders.

"I knew it," she sighed and looked to the others. "He's starving the wolf of meat," she said.

"How are you surviving?" Saffron shot a look at his mother; she couldn't believe he'd spent the last year feeding the wolf leafy greens and fungi.

"He's always been a vegetarian," Sarah said flushing.

"Sarah he must eat meat, and not just during the full moon. He needs to eat twice as much meat than the girls," John held her arm gently while he told her.

"Well, that explains why you're so pale," Saffron laughed.

John called the waiter over and asked for a rare steak, but ended up ordering three steaks because the girls didn't want to be left out. When they arrived, it was an ordeal to persuade Jack to eat it, but he did eventually, with Laura's soft voice urging him on.

"It's nice," he said after he finished the whole steak. "I didn't think I could eat it, but it was strangely good; I just don't like the thought of an animal dying so I can eat it." He looked surprised when the girls laughed at him.

"You're a hunter; a killer, Jack," Laura said touching his arm again. "You really need to eat meat, being a veggie isn't an option for you anymore."

**Chapter 4**
Saffron got home late that night, but her mother was distracted and barely acknowledged her as she walked through the door. The discussion she was having with Mike was loud and emotional. Saffron closed her bedroom door, their conversation was something she did not want any part of. A shower of tiny pebbles hit her window pane, making her jump; when she looked out of the window, she found Arthur leaning against the apple tree in the front garden.

"What are you doing there?" She whispered as loud as she could, but it wasn't loud enough.

"I can't hear you," he said, looking up at her, no smile and no laugh.

"I'll come out," she said, closing the window.

She walked quietly past the living room and into the garden. He was still leaning against the tree looking sullen and miserable, not that he ever looked happy in a conventional way; he was a vampire and had a reputation to keep up.

"You look nice," he said.

"Thanks, what's up?" She asked, wanting to reach for his hand, but knowing it wasn't a good idea.

"I wanted to find out how your werewolf dinner went," he said, looking towards his feet once more.

"It was great, Jack's really nice, but can you believe he was a veggie up until tonight," Saffron said, but his face fell further, and she stopped.

"Oh," he said quietly. She waited, watching him, but he didn't look up.

"What's wrong?" She asked, stepping closer to him. He shrugged and sat on the grass beneath the tree. She joined him their shoulders side by side, but not quite touching.

"I'm an idiot," he replied quietly.

"What?" She laughed. "What makes you an idiot?"

"I like you; I'm jealous of the werewolf guy, and I can't stand not being able to kiss you," he said and reached over and gently pulled her head towards him.

His lips brushed hers with a tingle. He pulled back, and she felt the coldness leave her lips. This was exactly how a kiss should be, she thought. She didn't care how sick she would feel, or if he had to feed from an entire army, this was meant to be.

"I'm sorry," he said, leaning away from her. "I shouldn't do that," he slumped further down the tree.

"No, don't be sorry!" Her voice rose. "Don't you dare be sorry; we will beat this; we will find a way."

A light shone out from the front door and the tired figure of her mother appeared. Red eyes and the smell of tears made them both jump up. She held the door open for Saffron saying nothing.

"We will find a way," Saffron hissed before following her mother into the house.

He walked home slowly. If there was no interspecies poisoning to worry about he would be so happy, but he couldn't enjoy reliving the moment they had shared without remembering the curse which sat in between them. It lay like a heavy embrace across his chest and the hunger it caused began to emerge first in his belly, which ached to be filled, then in his mouth, drying it out like until it felt like leather. His teeth pushed downwards, and his gums itched with the need to bite. He needed to get home before it became unbearable and before he met a passer-by on the streets.

His fangs had descended and were dangerously protruding over his bottom lip; he dipped his head low just in case anyone saw. When he fell through the door he felt his dad's strong arms catch him and he was soon tipping back the contents of two bottles of blood. It wasn't enough but it would keep him conscious until his live donor arrived. There was no substitute for human blood straight from the vein, no matter what they put on the label.

Saffron sat across the kitchen table from her mother. Anita had a mug of brandy with a weak token coffee thrown in. She swished it around, the coffee cold and unappetizing to Saffron's sensitive nose. She watched her mother as she tried to speak, the words seeming to fail her at first.

"Me and Mike are splitting up," she swallowed the liquid, then placed the mug on the table a little too quickly. "I'm sorry; we haven't been getting on for a while, but we tried to wait until you finished your schooling," she looked up and tears glistened unshed in her eyes. "He's a good man, don't hold this against him. He's been seeing someone else, and I didn't want you to find out before I had a chance to explain."

"It's the red head two doors down, Caroline right?" Saffron said. "I could smell her perfume on him."

"Oh honey, I'm sorry," Anita hugged Saffron hard but didn't shed the tears that were hanging onto her eyelashes. "He's leaving tonight. I told him I couldn't live with the lie anymore, not now I know who he's seeing," she shivered. She'd never liked the redhead; trashy was the word that came to mind.

"If you're okay Mum, then I'm okay," Saffron said, and she stood up but didn't quite make it. The room spun around and she slid to the floor, pulling the contents of the mug with her.

Saffron woke up with a start. The kiss, she had been dreaming of the kiss. She was dismayed to find that she had slept through the morning and halfway through the afternoon. Her mother walked in and put a tray next to the bed.

"Sleepyhead," she smiled, looking much fresher than she had the night before. "I thought you were never going to wake up."

The tray had coffee, orange juice, and scrambled eggs on, and it smelled delicious. Saffron ate it quickly and called out for more, except she requested a meatier version. Her mother obliged; she ate her second breakfast and sat back.

Saffron was relieved that it was Saturday, if he had kissed her on a weekday, she would have missed another day of school. Her head was clear; she liked this sullen, cold, odd smelling boy, and something had to be done to fix their problem. She wished she could tell her mother, she wanted her advice, not that her mother's experience would have been very useful to her. Laura only knew what Saffron knew about vampires which was very little; she didn't know where to turn.

The scrap of paper Arthur had written his phone number on was in the bottom of her bag. His handwriting was exactly what you would expect from a male vampire, sharp and spiky letters with scrawling joined up areas. She loved it; she couldn't say that her handwriting looked like a werewolf script. She dialled the number from the landline in the hallway, and it rang, but no one picked up.

"Saffron it is time for you to join the world of technology," her mother said and produced a small box.

"A mobile! Mum, you're the greatest," she flung her arms around her mother and squeezed.

She grabbed the box, tore it open assembling the phone within seconds. Within two minutes, Arthur's landline number, her home number, and the school office number were stored in the contacts.

"I bought it a couple of months back, but back then you seemed so young, and now you're strangely much older," Anita smiled. "Hormones I guess," she got up and left her daughter to play with her new toy.

Saffron called Arthur's landline with her phone and was surprised when he picked up. She told him about her phone, and he told her he had one somewhere too; he promised to find it later. Saffron told him about fainting in the kitchen, and about Mike moving out. He then did something unexpected; he started to talk about his parents.

"My Mum died in childbirth; she was human. I was born a vampire, a daywalker. Those who are turned die and become a vampire. They can't tolerate the sunshine; and they don't age, well not that most of us would notice; Mum loved the sunshine, she hated the dark. Dad was turned a long time ago, it's hard for him to be alone. My Dad is a pain; he's serious and moody, and just really annoying, but I guess he would be he's seen a lot of things. He's 120 years old."

"Wow, you really do live longer," Saffron said astonished.

"Yeah, but we're not immortal; we just age slower after reaching adulthood, which means you have to move around because humans tend to notice," he laughed.

"Can I come over and meet him?"

"Really?" He sounded shocked. "You want to meet my Dad? He's quite intense at times, but no, I guess you two should meet."
**Chapter 5**
She followed his directions and ended up walking along a narrow lane with tall trees and bushes that joined over the top to form a green canopy. The house came into focus after a few minutes, and it was as old as she had expected, but it wasn't a tall, stone, Gothic mansion. It was a smart Georgian house, not rambling or ramshackle but neat and symmetrical. There was an old well-kept Jaguar parked on a very respectable looking driveway. After having walked up the narrow lane, she had thought that they couldn't possibly own any cars, but now she realised he had just given her a short-cut.

She crossed the neat lawn, climbed the three front steps and lifted the lion head knocker. The door opened, and Arthur stood in front of her with a big smile. She noticed his feet first, no clumpy boots. Instead, she saw bare feet; he noticed her looking and wiggled his toes.

"No shoes inside the house, Dad's rule," he laughed.

Saffron bent down and removed her shoes before entering. The entrance hall was spacious and well lit. The large window was covered by a skin that stopped all light from penetrating, but she could see out if she put her nose to the glass, which she did, making Arthur laugh. She could smell food and hear music coming from the back of the house.

"Is there anything I need to know beforehand?" She asked, hesitating.

"Dad can't go out in direct sunlight like I can, he can't eat garlic because it curdles the blood, I can, but not within a few hours of feeding," he pulled a face to express what garlic and blood felt like when consumed together. "And crucifixes don't have any effect."

"Right, and anything more practical like his name?" She asked.

"Oh, I, never mind, sure it's Lucius," he opened the door to the kitchen and a whole symphony of food related smells wafted out. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes; her stomach rumbled.

"What a great smell," she said and a deep rumble of laughter erupted from across the room.

"I like to cook, and I take it, you like to eat?"

Lucius was standing behind the marble counter surrounded by pots of steaming food. He had black hair and pale skin like Arthur but instead of blue eyes, his were bright green. He looked like he was in his early forties at the most, not one hundred and twenty.

"I do love to eat," she smiled up at him, and he smiled back with full fangs. She didn't flinch or feel nervous; she was comfortable with him. He handed her a spoon with a creamy red sauce on, and she tasted it; it was delicious.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"Wow, that's so good; I wish my Mum was here, maybe she'd learn to cook," she laughed.

"Is she a werewolf too?" He asked.

"No, she's human," she replied.

"Ah, I see; some of the best chefs around the world are werewolves. It's all about that keen sense of smell I believe," he said, adding cooked spaghetti to the rich sauce.

"Oh, maybe I should cook for her," she said.

Arthur watched the two of them; his dad was cooking and talking with pleasure. He didn't know what to think; his Dad had been so concerned when he told him his friend was a werewolf and now here he was, treating her like she was already part of the family.

"Arthur can you lay the table, please son," he snapped out of his thoughts and went to the dresser.

"Where shall I sit?" Saffron asked him. He seated her opposite him, so he could see her but not be tempted to hold her hand.

His dad served the pasta and sauce with homemade rosemary bread, smoked salmon, and a handful of fresh vegetables. As long as they fed on blood regularly they could eat and digest food just like any human. Watching Saffron eat and enjoy food was a real delight; she was enthusiastic and appreciative, complimenting the chef on more than one occasion. He'd never brought a girl home before and was astounded at how Saffron charmed his dad just like she had charmed him. He was proud of her. He just wished he could reach out and touch her.

Saffron looked up and smiled at him; he melted when she did that. She was innocent and had no idea what the future held, but was optimistic anyway, and he, a natural pessimist, was starting to catch that optimism. He smiled back fighting the desire to grab her hand.

Lucius watched the teenagers; he was pretty sure Saffron didn't know about werewolf bonding because if she did, she would be more careful than to fall in love with someone she couldn't touch. He had been around long enough to tell when two people were connected by more than just a simple crush or infatuation.

He'd had two loves in his life, and neither lasted. His first wife died of old age in his arms; he'd been thirty-two. Their daughter had contracted tuberculosis back when he'd been human and died before her fifth birthday. He had been bitten one night after a bar fight while trying to drown his sorrows. His wife took him back into the home after a week of absence being the only human to know his secret. They moved around to conceal his identity until she'd died. He'd buried her while claiming to be her grandson and then spent many years alone.

Arthur's mother had been human, had refused to be turned, and had also broken his heart when she'd died. At least, she'd left him with a child, a child almost like him. He looked across at his son; a daywalker, able to have a semi-normal life, only he had not chosen a normal life but a difficult one involving pain. He couldn't advise him to stay away from the girl; she was lovely, and he could see how badly his son had fallen for her.

They went to Arthur's room after dinner to play video games. Arthur had a huge television and surround-sound connected to his gaming equipment. He had a soft leather sofa in front of the setup, and she curled onto one end of the sofa and chose a game. She wondered if he would sit next to her, but he didn't; he sat at the other end, and she couldn't blame him.

"We should meet up with Laura and Jack some time," she said before shooting the zombie that loomed closer to her avatar.

"Yeah, maybe," he replied zapping a crowd of zombies.

"I want you to meet my friends, and I want to be a part of your life," she said pausing the game.

"I know, me too," he said sighing. "It's just going to be difficult; I can't touch you, which is bad enough, but what if your wolf friends want to shake my hand or something."

"It's going to be awkward, but we'll figure this out, just don't give up," she wanted to kiss him and put a reassuring hand on his but knew it would end their evening.

"I won't give up," he said and picked up the controller. "Right, we'll never kill these zombies like this." They thrashed the horde of the undead until Saffron's phone beeped.

"It's Mum, she wants to pick me up. She'll be here in a few minutes." They shot some more zombies while they waited, but they were both distracted.

"Okay," he stood up awkwardly. "Set up a date, we'll go hang out with your friends."

"Cool," she grinned and blew him a kiss. When they got downstairs she went to say goodbye to Lucius and found her mother sitting in the lounge with a glass of wine.

"I got here earlier than expected," Anita said, fiddling with her hair.

"Oh, okay," Saffron said, sitting beside her.

"Anita is just enjoying some wine, why don't you kids play another game," Lucius suggested in a deep silky voice.

"Mum, you okay with that?" Saffron asked the blushing woman beside her.

Her mother was attracted to Lucius, and he was encouraging her attention by the sound of things. She looked over at Arthur, who was frowning at his dad.

"Sure honey, it's nice to have adult company for a change," she smiled.

Anita let the wine soothe her frazzled nerves, it could have been his voice: it was deep, soft, and sexy. She was feeling better than she had in a long time. She looked over at him as he poured more wine into their glasses, he was gorgeous.

"Tell me about yourself, Anita," he drawled; her mouth opened and words flowed out.

It had been so long since anyone had really listened to her and she lapped up the attention. His kind patient eyes were on her the whole time, but she didn't feel pressured or uneasy: just warm and a bit excited. He was handsome in an approachable way and she didn't mean to smile at him like a love-sick teenager, but damn, the man got her.

Her heart raced and she knew he was attracted to her too, several times she'd seen his eyes graze over her neck like he wanted to kiss her there. She wondered briefly what it would feel like to be kissed by Lucius. Mike hadn't kissed her for a long time and even then his kisses had long since stopped having any effect on her.

She knew she had to stop talking soon, it was getting late after all, but when you crossed comfortable with desire, you were stuck in the middle of indecision, and this almost flirting thing they seemed to be doing was like a dance. Lucius made her feel young, and beautiful, and sexy.

"Is your Dad hitting on my Mum?" Saffron asked with her ear to the door an hour later.

"Sounds like it, he's not like that usually. He doesn't date or anything," he whispered, moving away from the door.

"It's late should we go in?" She asked.

"No, it's embarrassing," he said, pulling her by her sleeve being careful not to touch her skin.

It was too late; she swung away from the door and into his arms. They were kissing, and neither one could stop it from happening.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I'm sorry," he replied and reached for her again.

"I'm sorry to break this up, but you know what comes next," Lucius said prying them apart gently.

"They're just kids; I'm sure you kissed girls when you were young," Anita said putting her hand on Lucius's arm.

"She doesn't know?" Lucius said quietly.

"Know what?" Anita said starting to look worried.

"Nothing, Mum," Saffron said, feeling sweat beginning to break out.

"She's your Mother Saffron; she needs to know," he said, his deep voice resonating with the stern message. Saffron wondered if he always got his own way, who could dare to disobey him with a voice like that?

"I agree," Arthur said gently. "It's not fair to keep her in the dark, and she's going to wonder why you're fainting," he said catching her as she fell.

Anita watched in slow motion as her daughter collapsed into Arthur's arms. She followed as Arthur carried her unconscious daughter upstairs to a guest bedroom.

"I'm calling the Council," Lucius said and left them.

"What is going on?" She said, pushing the hair away from Saffron's pale face.

"I've got something to tell you, and you need to sit still and listen," Arthur said, guiding her to sit on the edge of the bed.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm going to come right out with it," he said sitting on a chair opposite her. "Saffron was bitten a few weeks back by a werewolf, Laura. It's a little like the movies; she changes into a wolf."

"Hold it right there!" Anita shouted, then looked over at Saffron and continued in a quieter voice. "My daughter is sick; she needs a doctor, not a fairy tale. I need to get her GP here right away, and if you care anything for her then you will help me."

"I'm a vampire, and so is my Dad," he continued.

"Stop it!" She hissed, almost dropping the tears that bulged on her lashes.

"I'm sorry but it's true. She's sick because vampires and werewolves are not supposed to touch each other, we poison each other," he said getting more insistent and raising his voice.

"For goodness sake!" She broke down finally releasing the tears.

He handed her a tissue, and as she looked up to take it from him, he flashed his protruded fangs. She gasped, then dismissed it as a party trick done at the worst possible time.

"Son, a member of the Council's R & D department is on his way round," Lucius said appearing in the door frame.

"I told her," Arthur said.

"It's okay; everything is going to be okay," he rushed over and held Anita, soothing her with his gentle voice.

She felt the fear, and panic subside slowly, being replaced by a calming numbness. She breathed in his scent, aftershave, spices, and something strange she was unable to identify. He had the power to make her forget, she thought, and she welcomed it as the weight fell off her shoulders.

"I explained what we are; it didn't go down too well," Arthur said.

"I realise that," Lucius snapped.

Lucius took her hand and guided her out of the room and down the stairs. She found herself sitting in a large room on a plush leather sofa surrounded by books. She watched Lucius as he poured her a drink from the bar, adding a splash of water.

"Brandy," she said as she sipped it.

"Yes, it's good for shock," he replied, reaching for her hand. He began to talk, and she listened without interrupting.

Arthur watched his dad in action; it was a truly amazing gift. He could sweet-talk any human, and they would listen wholeheartedly. He didn't have anything like that. He was not smooth, not sophisticated, and really quite regular. The hunger was building in his stomach, and the cramps started, so he was relieved when the doorbell rang.

Marco stood on the doorstep; built like a rugby player, he was the perfect blood donor, but in reality, he was a gamer pure and simple. He was the closest thing to a best friend Arthur had ever had. He knew all about vampires and werewolves; he had told Marco all about Saffron so he wasn't surprised to find her there.

"W'supp?" Marco said and walked in kicking his shoes off.

"I kissed her," he said, reaching for Marco's wrist before he could stop himself.

"Let me get my coat off, dude," Marco protested, but Arthur didn't stop; he bit and held his wrist. They stood in the hallway, Arthur taking deep pulls from Marco's vein, while the boy stood half in and half out of his jacket. "Guess it was some kiss; I think I need to sit for this one."

Arthur allowed Marco to drag him to the lounge where he continued to drink. He stopped before he felt full, seeing the colour drain from his friend's face. He wiped his mouth and licked the wound to seal it. The first few times had been awkward between them, but it became more natural over time and they both sat and recovered on the sofa in silence.

"Sorry man, I'll get you a drink," Arthur said, pulling the deflated Marco off the sofa.

"You took a lot more than usual dude, I feel a bit rough," Marco said allowing himself to be led to the kitchen.

"Sit down," Arthur plopped his friend onto the chair and brought him juice, cookies, crisps and a vitamin selection. "I'm sorry; the kiss was amazing, and she's so hot," he looked over at Marco, who sniggered into his glass. "I don't mean it like that fool," he said laughing. "No, she's hot, like scalding to touch. It feels like electricity when I touch her."

"You're in lurve!" Marco drawled, shovelling crisps into his mouth.

"I want you to meet her," Arthur said, opening his own packet of crisps.

"Sure, when?" Marco replied, still noisily munching on his post-blood snacks.

"Now?" Arthur said.

"Is she still here?" Marco spluttered.

"Yeah, she fainted; Dad called the Council."

"Oh hell, this is serious dude. I don't want to meet her when she's sparko; call me when she's up and about, and when the Council members are not around," he finished his snacks. "You better call me a cab; I can't walk,"

"You're a cab," Arthur replied. "Dude, you're two streets over you can walk," he laughed.

"No, I still feel like shit Art, you nearly drained me," Marco said laughing.

"Okay, okay," Arthur called the taxi and helped him out to the car when it arrived five minutes later.

He did take too much in one hit; he still didn't feel satiated, and he knew the cramps would come back. He checked in on Saffron who was sleeping soundly then went to his room to sleep; he didn't know what the council would say or do, but he wanted to be fit and healthy before they turned up.
**Chapter 6**
Lucius was pretty sure all the information was in Anita's head; he was almost as sure it was around the right way and in the correct order. He had painstakingly accessed her mind having put her in a trance and filed the events into her memory, or at least that had been his aim. All he had left to do was discuss the council with her, but he just didn't have the energy; he wondered for a brief moment if he could feed from her while she was in a trance, but dismissed it.

He liked her; he would love to feed from her, but not without her knowledge and consent. The thought of her being willing to allow him to feed from her sent a delightful shiver through him, he mustn't get sidetracked, the research and development representative could arrive at any moment. He brought her out of her trance slowly and allowed her time to acclimatise.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"I'm fine," she smiled at him.

"Come; let me make you some coffee," she took his arm and followed him to the kitchen.

"I love your kitchen; it's what I would want if I could make anything other than basic bangers and mash," she said stroking the marble counter.

"I love to cook; you should come over for dinner, and I'll make you something special," he said, sneaking a cold shot of stored blood from the fridge into his coffee. Usually, he would heat it in the microwave first, but he didn't want her to see; he would hate it if she felt disgusted by his blood drinking.

"I saw that, was it blood?" She asked with nothing but curiosity in her voice.

"Yes, I need to feed," he replied cursing silently.

"Don't you feed from the living?" She asked, picking the empty bottle up and turning it around. She sniffed the open end and put it back on the counter. This woman surprised him; she took in everything so easily.

"I do quite often, but I like to carry plenty of cold store for emergencies," he replied rinsing the bottle and throwing it into the recycling bin. She laughed from behind him.

"I'm sorry; you're a vampire, a predator who recycles?" She sat on one of the two breakfast stools and propped her head up with her hands looking adorable.

"Of course," he smiled. "I have a long life ahead of me; I don't want to be knee-deep in rubbish when I reach my old age." He handed her a steaming cup and sat beside her with his spiked coffee. "You're different to most women," he said looking deep into her light-brown eyes.

"How so?" She whispered, leaning closer to him.

He leant closer, reaching his hand into her hair and bringing his mouth to hers. She met him halfway and their lips almost touched, but the sound of the doorbell broke the spell, and they both jumped back. He downed his hot coffee before answering the door.

Arthur jumped awake to the sound of the doorbell. He sat up, rubbed his face, and checked on Saffron who was still sleeping before going downstairs. His dad took the newcomer into his office; he could hear voices but didn't want to risk listening in. Council members and employees could be strict to the point of brutality. He went to the kitchen to get a shot of the cold store blood instead.

"Hi Anita," he said, wondering what magic his dad had performed on the woman because she looked serene and happy, not at all like a woman who'd had her knowledge base expanded to include supernatural beings without her even being aware of it.

"Hi Arthur, your Dad is in a meeting," she said as she loaded her cup into the dishwasher.

"Yeah, I heard them, how are you feeling?" He asked.

"I'm fine, do you want a bottle of blood?" She asked; his eyebrows shot up, and he wondered how much his Dad had told her.

"Yeah, I would thanks," he replied, taking the plastic bottle she held out, popping the top off and placing it in the microwave.

He downed it while she watched: she was actually interested not shocked or disgusted. What a result, he thought. Anita took the empty bottle, rinsed it and popped it into the recycling bin. He couldn't help wondering if she had somehow moved in, she seemed so at home in his house.

"When do you think Saffron will wake up?" She asked.

"I don't know; if it weren't for the hunger I'd say she might sleep for a few days, but I'm pretty sure she's going to wake up and eat any animal in her path," as he said it he started to think of the problems that could cause. "Maybe I should start getting food ready; she'll need lots of meat."

"I don't know enough; I don't suppose there's a manual out there called 'how to raise a teenage werewolf'?" She asked running her hands through her hair. The older woman was funny, now he saw where Saffron got her humour.

"If there was, it would make life easier," he said, sitting on the breakfast bar stool that she'd not long vacated. "If you're tired, there's another guest room you can use," he suggested.

"Thanks, I don't think I can sleep yet, but maybe if I watched some mind-numbing TV, I might stop pacing." They went to the lounge, and he switched the TV, handing her the controls; she flicked through the channels until she found a re-run of Angel.

"Don't take any notice of the films, we're not like that," he laughed, but she curled up on the sofa and watched it anyway. After ten minutes, she was snoring lightly, and he lowered the volume leaving her to sleep.

He went upstairs to check on Saffron; her skin was pale and dark circles had appeared under her eyes. She looked sick, and he could have sworn she was thinner than she had been a few hours ago. She was restless, and he tried to talk to her but was frightened he'd touch her again so he went, leaving the door open, in case she woke.

He was checking the food supplies in the kitchen when his dad called out to him. He entered the office and saw a tall, thin man with dark wavy hair gelled straight back and dark-rimmed glasses.

"Arthur, I'd like you to meet Julian from the Council's R and D department," Lucius said.

"Hi," Arthur said, eyeing the thin vampire.

"Hello Arthur," Julian said, smiling with dazzling white teeth.

"Julian is a solution finder for the Council; he has some ideas," Lucius said, sounding less than his usual sure self.

"Firstly, we need to get the subject back into her healthy human form. The wolf will probably want to come out and feed; it won't trust the human self that poisoned it to perform the task. During this time, we are all in danger, especially if she escapes. I need to sedate her immediately," he said.

"Right now?" Arthur asked, his anxiety shooting up a notch.

"Yes, and I need the mother to sign the forms," Julian passed a clipboard with a stack of papers attached to Lucius.

"Okay, I'll deal with these," he went to the lounge while Arthur showed Julian the sleeping girl who was no longer still but shaking and whimpering in her sleep.

"She's getting ready for a forced change," Julian announced removing a long syringe from his carryall. He drew up pink serum from a small bottle and injected it into a vein in her arm.

"What's going on?" Anita rushed in followed closely by Lucius.

"Have you filled the forms in?" Julian asked.

"No, I want to know what's going on first," she crossed her arms across her chest.

They all turned as Saffron sat up, screamed and then fell back on the bed. The shakes subsided, and the whimpering stopped after a few minutes. They watched as she fell back to sleep, keeping her human form.

"That should do it. I've given her a large sedative mixed with a few herbs known for their ability to keep the wolf away. She should keep to her human form now," Julian said to Anita, who sat on the only chair in the room feeling very weak suddenly. Lucius placed his cool hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently, which seemed to calm her down.

"What happens now?" Arthur asked.

"We need to feed her; her hunger will decide whether the wolf will be sedated or not," he removed his jacket and Arthur stepped in front of Saffron with a growl.

"It's okay son," Lucius warned.

"You will be feeding her, not me," Julian said horrified. "I will feed you so you have the strength to feed her." He held out his wrist to Arthur and Arthur looked up at his dad.

It didn't feel right to feed from the Council geek, but he took Julian's wrist and bit it; Julian winced obviously not used to being fed from. "Take plenty," he said, looking away, blushing.

When Arthur had taken more than enough, he stopped and licked the wound. Julian pulled his wrist back and rubbed it like a child with a sprain. He motioned for Arthur to sit on the bed and Arthur perched on the edge, but he didn't make a move to feed Saffron. He looked at Anita's nervous face and then to his dad's.

"What happens if I feed her?" He asked.

"This is a rare occurrence. We don't have much information on mixing species; werewolves are usually happy to keep it in the pack. All we have is a book written three hundred years ago; hence, the disclaimer," Julian aimed the last bit at Anita.

"And the guards?" Lucius added.

"Guards?" Arthur jumped up and looked out of the window; it was no use. The darkness outside paired with the light blocking screen made it impossible to see anything.

"Yes, in case she wolfs out. We can't put humans at risk," he shrugged. "I would appreciate it if you signed those forms Anita, they allow the Council to protect me during a human investigation should there be one. They also say that I have permission to allow Arthur to feed Saffron from his vein to help keep the wolf from rampaging through the town and getting shot. At least, if the guards shoot her, it will only be with tranquillizers."

Anita signed the forms and handed them back to Julian, who tucked them away in his carryall.

"I have to feed her from my vein like normal?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, but I have to warn you she might bite down, although her teeth should stay human," he said.

"Okay," Arthur pulled up his sleeve and rested his wrist against her mouth.

"You will need to open it up for her, Arthur," Lucius said.

"Oh, right, no fangs," Arthur's fangs extended, and he sliced his wrist to leave a two-centimetre tear breaking the vein within. He held it across her lips, and it dripped steadily onto her lips making her twitch.

"Open her mouth," Julian said, stepping back.

It all seemed so personal that Arthur felt embarrassed in front of everyone; he used his other hand to open her mouth, and she swallowed so he put his wrist closer. After a few seconds of no response, he looked up at Julian and Saffron took him by surprise. She bit down firmly on his wrist and sucked the blood; it was more brutal than he'd ever been with his donors. It hurt; both the bite and the scorching heat of her skin which seemed to travel up his arm. She continued to drink shaking his wrist with strong teeth at intervals. He began to feel weak, and she seemed to show no signs of stopping.

"How much is enough?" He asked as his body keeled over.

"Break the seal!" Lucius shouted and rushed to pick his son up off the floor.

"It's new territory; I don't know how much she needs," Julian said as he broke the seal Saffron had formed on Arthur's wrist.

As Lucius carried Arthur to his bed, he realised how weak he was, not just from blood loss but from werewolf poison. He stretched him out across the bed and called Julian in; he told him that his son must have another live donor, and Julian took a mobile from his pocket and called the head guard. Within minutes, Arthur was feeding once more from the vein of a guard who looked like he was on steroids. He continued to sleep, and Lucius left him to recover in his bed.

"What do we do now?" Anita asked.

"Wait," Julian said and sat on the chair opposite Saffron's bed.
**Chapter 7**
Saffron was in a field running with Laura, chasing rabbits and howling at the moon. In the distance, she could hear Jack and his sorrowful moan, and wished he could be with them. She chased a deer half-heartedly before Laura tumbled her down a hill and into a stream. As they lay in the moonlight fed and contented, they heard a playful call from the northern wolf. They sat up with ears pricked high and listened. He seemed to say he was coming for them; Saffron howled what she thought was a 'see you soon' call before Laura knocked her flying with her front paws. She got the message and stayed silent.

The dream turned from the meadows, and she was at Arthur's house; she could see him lying on his bed shivering, and she called him. He stirred but couldn't wake up. She felt his forehead and it burned with fever, which had to be a bad thing for a vampire, who was usually cold like ice. She struggled through what felt like marshmallows, but couldn't seem to move across the carpet to alert Lucius and panicked thrashing about finally releasing a scream.

"Saffron you're fine, be still; it's okay," Julian tried to soothe her into staying still. "Lucius if you could call the guard up, his name is Ray." Lucius left the room and called the guard.

"He's here," Lucius said, flopping onto the chair.

He was exhausted; he'd spent the night pacing between the bedrooms. Anita had fallen asleep in the guest room, and he really could do with sleep; he was always weaker when the sun was up, even when he was shielded from the light. He couldn't rest, though; his son was mid-fever for the first time since his difficult birth.

"Saffron this is Ray, he's going to test you to see if your werewolf poison is still active, hold her hand please Ray," the guard looked worried but reached for the girl.

"For how long?" Ray asked.

"A few minutes should be sufficient," Julian replied.

"What about Arthur? He needs medical attention," Lucius asked once more.

"We have to do this in the right order; I checked on him twenty minutes ago, there's plenty of time," Julian rubbed his hand through his once immaculate now dishevelled hair.

"I don't feel anything," the guard said.

"Good, sit out in the hallway and shout if you feel any changes or sickness," Julian instructed him.

"I'm thirsty," Saffron said, sitting up and swinging her stiff legs over the edge of the bed.

She was hungry too, but her mouth tasted strange. Lucius held a glass of water out to her, and she drank it down. It didn't quench her thirst.

"Try this," Julian handed her a small plastic bottle, and she lifted it to her lips.

"What the hell?" She shouted staring at the bottle. "Is this blood?"

"You might be surprised by what your body craves now," Julian pushed the bottle back towards her.

She sniffed it and wasn't immediately repulsed by it and swirled it around the bottle watching the thick, oily, liquid stick to the sides. When she looked up at Julian, he nodded in encouragement, but Lucius looked as if he was about to pass out. Her stomach groaned audibly, and a cramp doubled her over in pain.

"Drink it quickly," Julian said gently and helped to hold the bottle up to her lips.

She drank it, and it felt good. The cramp eased off and she began to feel a craving, a yearning from deep inside.

"I need more," she said before the cramp pulled her down again.

"Blood donor now," Julian called into the hallway. "This is Angela; she is one of our live human donors."

Julian sat the girl on the bed next to Saffron. The girl lifted her wrist to her, and two long, sharp fangs descended into her mouth, surprising Saffron; she didn't have time to think before the cramps came again and without a conscious thought, she bit into the girl's wrist. She drank with strong pulls, and the cravings slowly disappeared.

"That'll do, young lady," Julian interrupted them and pulled the girl to her feet; he licked her wound and sent her from the room. "Get her a drink and some toast," he told someone waiting outside.

"How do you feel?" Lucius asked her.

"I feel fine, more than that; great," she smiled. "But you look terrible, where's Arthur?"

"I'll take you to him," he said, rising to his feet slowly.

Saffron felt him from across the room; she could sense his sickness and feel how vulnerable he was in his current state. She peeled the cover away from his neck and heat radiated outwards. The wolf had made him sick, and he was weakened.

"You should be able to touch him now," Lucius said from behind her, and she laid her hand on his forehead. It was incredibly hot.

"I believe that if you feed him your blood now it should heal him," Julian said moving past Lucius.

"What have you done to us?" She asked, looking back at Arthur as he trembled under her cool hand.

"Bite open your wrist and hold it over his mouth, only you can do this," Lucius said as he fell into a chair.

Saffron brought her wrist to her face and let her new fangs descend into her mouth. She grazed them against her wrist before slicing along her vein. Blood dribbled out, and she moved it over his mouth; using her other hand to open his lips, and dripping the blood in. He opened his mouth wider and clamped down on her wrist making her jump, and then he drank from her; she felt the heat within him begin to reduce.

"That's enough for now," Julian reached over and pulled her wrist, but Arthur remained attached. "Break the seal Saffron," he said with more insistence.

"How?" She yelled back at him; she was fed up with being his guinea pig.

Lucius rose from the chair and put his finger between her wrist and Arthur's mouth breaking the seal, and allowing her to remove her arm. Arthur's teeth penetrated his skin, and he jumped back in pain.

"Let me see that?" Julian rushed over.

"Damn it, man! I'm not immune to wolf blood," Lucius bellowed at him before falling to the floor in a heap.

"I'm starting to wish I'd never taken this assignment," Julian complained examining Lucius's fingers. "He'll be fine. Saffron your skin is no longer poisonous, but your blood remains so, but not to Arthur of course."

"What's going on?" Arthur said, rubbing the sweat from his face.

Anita woke with a start; where in hell was she? Memories came flooding back to her, and it took a while for her to sort through what had happened, her brain felt overloaded. She slid her legs off the bed and run her hands through her hair. She could hear voices and made her way into the hallway; Saffron was helping a weak Arthur down the stairs followed by a hollow-eyed Julian.

"I need meat; I'm starving," Saffron said. "Mum, you're awake."

"Yes and I'm pleased to see you are."

They hugged, and Anita followed them down to the kitchen where she promptly took over and made a vast amount of breakfast items, most of which Saffron and Arthur consumed.

"Where's Lucius?" She asked frying a second round of bacon.

"He got a touch of werewolf poisoning, but he'll be right as rain after some sleep and a feed," Julian replied leaning heavily on his arms. "Could you possibly pass me a shot of that disgusting cold store blood?"

"Sure," she microwaved it for forty-five seconds as instructed, and handed the bottle to him. He downed it quickly and buried his head in his arms groaning.

"Yes, more bacon over here, please," Saffron held her plate up.

"I'm glad to see that you're back to your usual self," she smiled at her glowing daughter.

"I wouldn't say that," Saffron replied, biting the crisp bacon with relish.

"What do you mean?" Anita asked, dropping three slices of bacon onto Arthur's waiting plate.

"Yes, I should probably explain," Julian hauled himself off the stool and motioned for Anita to follow him. She put the pan in the sink and went into the lounge with him where he collapsed onto an armchair.

"Explain!" Anita stood with her hands on her hips over the exhausted man.

"Saffron was a werewolf but to take care of the sickness, and ensure it doesn't happen again we have facilitated her transformation into a hybrid: werewolf, vampire, human. It's a little difficult at the moment to know what behavioural traits she'll keep and what will lie dormant, but over the coming days and nights, we will see. I'm particularly excited to find out what happens on the full moon."

He sat in silence for a moment before his eyes drooped, and he drifted off to sleep. Anita didn't know whether to put a throw blanket over him or hit him with a sun lamp. Arthur arrived and threw a fluffy blanket over the sleeping man.

"Saffron can still go out during the day?" She asked.

"I don't know," he shook his head.

"I'm so far out of my depth. I want to go home," Anita said and rushed through the door.

She grabbed her bag and found Saffron who was loading up a zombie shoot-out game in Arthur's room. The girl, who had healthy pink cheeks and was starting to look more normal, protested but got to her feet.

"I don't know if I'm okay with sunlight yet?" Saffron said as they reached the front door.

Arthur grabbed her arm and pulled her into an embrace, and she lifted her head to his and kissed him. Just butterflies she marvelled.

"Just open it a little and if you feel a burning sensation, I'll pull you back," he said.

"Okay, here goes," Anita opened the door enough to let daylight flash through the crack. Saffron placed her hand in the light and waited.

"It feels fine," she said after ten seconds.

"Wait a moment longer just to be sure," Anita replied.

"It's fine Mum," she moaned after a minute had gone by. She opened the door, and they stepped out into the sunshine.

"I'm not sure you're allowed to leave yet," a man said stepping into their view.

"Don't even think about it!" Anita hissed and pushed past the surprised man.

Saffron felt like so much had happened and half of it she'd missed by being asleep or unconscious. She was human a few weeks ago, then she became a werewolf, which had been cool, but now she was a hybrid. Her life had gone from boring to cool, to an experimental guinea pig in a matter of weeks, so how was she supposed to keep up? How was her mother supposed to keep up? She had forgotten that her mother had known nothing of other beings until the previous night when memories were introduced to her via Lucius's vamp-hypnosis technique.

"Are you okay, Mum?" She asked as they walked back through the streets. She could see her mum looked a bit self-conscious having slept in her clothes.

"I don't know, are you?" She asked, looping her arm into her daughters.

"I feel great, but I have lots of questions, and I don't know who is going to answer them," she said.

"I know. I'm sure the Council will turn up on our doorstep; I've got a feeling they want to keep an eye on you," she pushed the thought away.

"I want to speak to Laura, can I invite her round?" She asked, not wanting to put any more pressure on her frazzled mother, but she really needed to speak to her friend.

"Of course," her mother patted her arm and opened the front door.

Saffron sniffed the air; someone had been in their house. Holding her mother back she stepped in; staying very still she closed her eyes seeking out a heartbeat and finding none. She couldn't sense a vampire either; the turned vamps had only faint heartbeats, but she would have known if they were still there because the smell would have been stronger.

"What is it?" Anita whispered.

"Vampire and werewolf but they've gone now," she picked up an envelope from the kitchen table.

It had a brief note inside stating that they had stocked the fridge with cold store blood and meat; she should also expect a visit from one of the live blood donors that evening. She handed the note to her mother who read it and then opened the fridge.

"Bloody hell Saffron, look at this," Anita gasped.

"Oh wow!" Saffron couldn't help but get excited; the fridge was crammed full of delicious meat.

"Well, that will save us on the shopping bill," Anita laughed, making Saffron giggle and the tension drained right out of them.

Saffron called Laura straight away on the mobile phone that John had been forced to buy a few weeks before, and asked her and her dad to come for a visit; they had a lot to talk about.

Laura arrived forty minutes later, and they all sat in the living room drinking coffee. Laura had never been allowed coffee before, and she seemed fixated on it. The fixation fell away as soon as Saffron began to recount the events of the previous evening. The pair remained glued to Saffron and Anita as they got it all out in the open and mostly in the correct order.

"So you're not a werewolf anymore?" Laura asked, looking as if she would burst into tears.

"I am, but I'm also a part vampire, a hybrid they said," Saffron replied.

"When did you find out about all this?" Laura asked Anita.

"I don't know; I can't quite remember," Anita said, trying to sort through her memories.

"Last night," Saffron sighed. "Lucius had to implant the memories as if you'd had them for a while, or it would have taken too long to get you to understand. It's a shock when you first find out. I should have told you sooner."

"No I'm sure I knew before sweetheart," Anita insisted. Lucius really was very skilful Saffron thought.

"Can you still go through the change? Will it be safe for Laura if you do?" John asked quietly.

"I don't know," she replied, feeling increasingly more alone.

Arthur went back to bed when Saffron left, he didn't feel right, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong. He'd downed several shots of cold store blood and climbed back under the duvet. He fell straight to sleep and began to dream.

He dreamt of his mother giving birth to him only instead of being the baby; he was watching over his young self. She laboured for hours until finally one big push sent the small pale bundle of arms and legs flying out. He saw as the midwife handed her the baby, and his mother held him up to her face and screamed. He was dead, slimy and cold with white glazed eyes.

The midwife took the still baby and dripped blood from her fingertip into the child's mouth, his mouth. The child eventually turned pink and wailed. As the midwife handed the baby back to his relieved mother, it changed. Fur began to grow over its body, its ears got longer and its tiny fingernails turned into claws. The mother shrieked once more and pushed him away, but not before his tiny sharp teeth bit into her breast. She stopped screaming, and doctors rushed into the room with machines and began working to save the woman, but she slipped away. The last thing he remembered was his father's face awash with tears.

He sat up breathing hard and sweating all over. He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror; his face was hollow and drawn; it shocked him. He started to go downstairs; he wanted to ask Julian what was happening to him, but he didn't make it. He could feel consciousness slipping away and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Lift him up, oh hell, don't put him in his bed it's saturated," Julian said running his hand over the sheet. It smelled bad, dog-like. "Not good," he whispered to himself.

He called the Council to send another blood donor and another member of the Research and Development department. He was out of ideas and energy; he had hoped it would be simpler. Within half an hour, a large bodybuilder of a man was rolling up his sleeve, and he had his colleague, Joshua's help. Julian put clean sheets on the bed, and they lifted the unconscious boy onto it. His father was still sleeping the sleep of the dead, and that was good because he would only worry.

"So our boy here is turning hybrid?" Joshua asked, washing the dog scent from his hands.

"Looks like it; if he makes it. The girl is much stronger because she was a full born human," Julian said. "Humans are so weak in themselves, but they make a firm base for other species to form on."

"What's the plan? Can I get a copy of your notes?" Joshua asked.

"Yeah of course, when I've written them," Julian turned away; it was the first rule in science, document everything and keep your notes updated continuously.

"If this goes bad you're going to be in a heap of trouble," Joshua spat.

Both men knew that if one of them messed this up, then they would all suffer.

"How do we proceed?" Julian asked.

"Feed him; tranquillize him? Ask Henderson?" Joshua suggested.

Henderson was a genius, but he was also a bit wild, and you couldn't trust him not to do crazy, outlandish things that would bring the species out of their carefully rendered cover. He was a lone werewolf and his reluctance to follow protocol was downright dangerous.

"I'll phone him, but he's not coming here," Julian said reaching for his mobile.

Joshua called the human donor in and set the feeding in place. Arthur's colour gradually increased, and his skin began to fill out, losing its bony tautness. The boy was still running a fever, but werewolves ran hot naturally, and if he was becoming a hybrid, no one could be sure what his base temperature should be.

"I've just spoken with Henderson, he said it has been tried before with a turned vampire, but the subject died on the full moon. Turning was too big of a process for a body that's technically dead; the body can't adjust. He seems to think that Arthur could survive the turn if he makes it through the next few days because he's so young," Julian said.

"Great," Joshua said, rubbing his chin. "You go and shower, you look a mess and then write your notes up in case anyone else turns up."

Someone would have to watch Arthur at all times and if he started to wolf out he'd need an emergency tranquillizer, but for now, he looked in control.

"What happened?" Arthur said, breaking the seal between himself and the blood donor, licking the wound closed.

"Werewolf cells act like a virus; they invade your system, and your vampire body is fighting it. If you stay calm and feed well, you will end up being a hybrid," Joshua explained simply hoping that he was right.

"And if not?" He asked.

"If your body is overrun with werewolf cells the vampire part of you will die; you can't survive that. So positive thinking young man, let's not panic," he said, punching the air to lighten the mood. He felt like an idiot; he didn't enjoy babysitting a science experiment in its own home.

"How do I help my body?" Arthur asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Feed well, rest, don't get stressed and stay in tune with your body, listen for signals. There's a bit of a war going on in there, make peace."

"Okay. Time to eat then," the boy swung his legs over the bed and stood up carefully. Joshua grabbed his arm and steadied him.
**Chapter 8**
Saffron was terrified of the next full moon. She had no idea what would happen or if anything would happen at all. There had been an increase in strength, smell, touch, taste, hunger, hearing, speed, and probably just about everything else. Her mother seemed to remain calm only when cooking big meaty meals, and so she left her to produce hearty if not tasty food.

Laura had decided to change in her cage this month, and John was willing to drive Saffron out to the cabin. Saffron was not looking forward to changing on her own, but didn't want to worry anyone, so she kept it to herself. Arthur was still healing, and she hadn't been able to say more than a few words to him over the last few days. He talked as if someone was standing over his shoulder.

Her mother let her go back to school after having missed more time, and she was glad to have something to do to take her mind off things. She soon realised it was lonely there without Arthur; no one else would talk to her. Her grades had improved dramatically, but even the teachers seemed reluctant to come near her. Instead of walking home after school, she decided to go to Arthur's; she could send her mother a text when she got there with the new phone that she'd barely used.

When she knocked he opened the door himself. He looked thinner than before, and she noticed a strong change of smell. He stepped aside, and she walked in sniffing him as she went.

"Yes, I smell different, so do you, puppy," he said smiling.

"You smell like a dog, what happened?" She asked as he led her to the kitchen where an exhausted looking Julian greeted her with a half-smile.

"Hello young lady, how are you feeling? Any new skills you need to tell me about?" He prompted.

"Not really," she replied, swishing the cold store blood bottle Arthur had just heated for her.

"Well, now the pair of you are back in the same room, I had better announce the plans for the full moon," Julian's attempt to look uber-efficient failed due to the yawn he punctuated his sentence with.

"I thought I heard voices," a voice said from behind her.

She turned around to face a second geeky looking vampire only instead of being tall and thin like Julian, he was shorter and broader, as if he'd played sports at some point in his former life instead of devouring books.

"This is Joshua, another R and D guy," Arthur introduced them.

"I'm so glad to meet you; you look a picture of health," he smiled, but still roved his eye over her in a doctorley way.

"Full moon?" She reminded Julian making Arthur laugh.

"Yes, you are both to come to the Compound for the change so that we can monitor you and make sure you get the best health care, should you need it," he said it as if it was a real opportunity, but she knew they had no choice in the matter.

"Great," she moaned, noticing that Arthur's face had tensed up. She nudged him, but he dismissed it; she needed to get him alone.

"Can I borrow you for a few minutes, I just need to ask you some questions for our paperwork," Joshua asked, taking her by the arm.

Saffron allowed herself to be led into Lucius's office. She sat down on the fancy sofa, enjoying the view of the books on the floor to ceiling shelves. Laura would love this room, she thought.

"I just need some details from you. Who turned you?" Joshua asked, sitting on the edge of the desk with his tablet ready.

"Laura Mosely, I don't know her address," she replied.

"It's okay; she's registered, I can pull it off the system," he said tapping on his tablet.

"Where's the Compound?" She asked.

"About thirty miles north of here, it's in the middle of nowhere. Plenty of space to run, lots of critters to maul," he smiled, and she was disturbed by his view of werewolf needs.

"Will Arthur be okay?" She slipped the question in with a flat monotone voice trying to disguise its importance. He took the bait and answered it without thinking.

"That depends, if the wolf wants complete control he'll die," he looked up sharply at her. "Sneaky little hybrid, I guess you've been practising,"

"Nope; you were easy," she smiled back, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

Saffron didn't trust the Council's men, and she was starting to realise that she was stronger than turned vamps and bitten werewolves. She embraced the new and improved Saffron.

"That's all for now," he dismissed her with a wave of his hand. She stood as if to leave and then placed herself in front of him making him lean away from her.

"We will go to the Compound Joshua, but I expect your full honesty and don't try to pull any tricks on us," she left the room in a breeze using her newfound speed.

"What was that about?" Arthur asked as they walked upstairs.

"He was just updating his records," she replied.

Once they were in his room, he shut the door and stood with his back to it. He was exhausted and trying not to show it to the super geek vamps downstairs. She felt his forehead and her hand came back clammy.

"Get into bed you're sick," she said.

"Kiss me first," he replied.

She kissed him, then tucked him under his duvet and selected a film from his collection. She dangled her wrist in front of his face, and he grabbed her hand and gently sliced her vein open. She snuggled against him as he drank from her vein. When he'd finished, she switched the movie on, and they were both asleep within minutes.

"Saffron!" Anita called out.

She had been worried at first when Saffron hadn't come home at the usual time, but she realised that she knew exactly where to find her. Lucius let her in and apologised while taking her to Arthur's room. He hadn't realised she was there; he had only just woken up.

"Don't be hard on them, they've had a rough few days," he soothed her with his velvety voice.

"I've had a rough few days too," her eyes betrayed her, allowing fat drops of water to fall from them.

Lucius spun her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and held her close. Anita rested her head against his cool chest, searching for the heartbeat she knew she wouldn't find. She relaxed breathing in his strange and exotic scent. She knew he was dead or undead as they preferred to be called, but he made her feel very alive, and he felt alive to her. He could make her feel safe and protected; Mike had never done that.

He pulled her away from him slightly and lifted her chin with his finger. She looked into his green eyes and felt that hypnotic pull. He leant down and kissed her making her knees go weak. When he pulled away from her, she nearly fell, he steadied her and she raised her face up to his again. This time, the kiss was lingering and slow. She felt his hands slide into her hair and cup the back of her head. The kiss seemed to last forever, yet not long enough.

"Mum!" Saffron gasped.

"I came to find out where you were; you didn't answer your phone," she said blushing. Lucius had his palm outstretched on the small of her back, and she couldn't think properly.

"Right," Saffron said with her arms folded, but Anita saw the glimmer of amusement in her eyes. She looked over at Arthur to find a matching amused expression.

"Please stay for dinner; I would love to cook for everyone," Lucius said with his hand remaining firmly on her back. How could she refuse?

They stayed for dinner, and it felt natural; it was as if they had always known each other. Her mother was obviously crazy about Lucius, and he seemed smitten by her. Arthur seemed to have more energy, and they relaxed pretending the disturbing events of the hybridization hadn't occurred.

After being excluded from dinner, Julian and Joshua left, taking their precious notes with them. They seemed satisfied that Arthur had perked up, and would return if anything happened. They left instructions for the full moon, which everyone chose to ignore. The house seemed brighter once more as if the weight of the Council had squashed the house and its occupants into miserable submission, and was now springing back to its former self.

Anita and Lucius spent the evening dancing and laughing, aided by a bottle of wine. Saffron and Arthur spent their time in the office surrounded by walls of books, and the open fire. Saffron didn't think it was a safe combination, but Arthur had assured her that some of those books had been there for over one hundred years, and they hadn't caught fire in all that time.

"What do you think will happen to us on the full moon?" Arthur asked after a long period of silence.

"This moon is going to be different, I already feel different. I can explain what happened before," Saffron curled up against him in the flickering light of the fire.

"Yeah, I'd like to hear about that," he replied.

"Okay, so the build-up to the full moon starts a few days before; your senses become heightened, you crave more meat, and you need to eat plenty as you begin to burn calories off like a marathon runner. On the day, you can feel the wolf edging nearer; you might not recognise it the first time, I didn't," she held his hand and laid her head on his chest.

"We're different; you're stronger," he said.

"I don't know what's going to happen, but we'll do this together," she sighed. "So when the moon rises you get a feeling like a strong itch, but all over, and when it happens, it's like a snap or pop, and suddenly you feel stronger. When people say the wolf, it isn't a different entity they refer to, but an extension of yourself. It feels good."

They sat in silence, watching the flames in the fireplace, dance before Anita announced that it was time to leave. Lucius gave them a lift home in his comfortable old Jag, and he kissed her mother on the doorstep; it was quite romantic. She pretended she couldn't see the neighbour's curtains twitch and she was sure Mike would turn up the next day to ask who the tall, dark, and handsome was.

Arthur went back to school the next day, and they spent break times hiding from the rest of the school. The first wave of exams had been scheduled, and they were only a few months away from never having to go to school again. No one bothered them; humans had a sixth sense which warned them about predators and so stayed as far away as they could.

The next day at school Arthur waited for her after the second lesson, and they went to the cafeteria to feed their insatiable appetite with a greasy burger, extra onions, and cheese. It wasn't a quality snack, but it helped; she was sure the hunger would calm down after the full moon which was on Saturday night.

Saffron was mostly looking forward to it, but she wished she could go to the cabin with Laura and Arthur, somewhere safe and familiar. Laura wasn't allowed to meet her until the first full moon was over. Instead, she had received text after text from Laura's newly purchased mobile phone. Laura had insisted on the phone when her dad said she couldn't see Saffron until after the full moon. Laura had exhibited her first full-on hissy fit, and her dad had relinquished. Laura's texts were about the adorable loner Jack; she was mentoring him on being 'true to the wolf', and obviously using that as an excuse to spend precious time with him. She was glad her friend was happy, but she really missed their chats, and the closeness she'd felt for the girl; she just hoped that she could gain that back when things had settled down.

"I can feel it coming," Arthur snapped her out of her daydream.

"The moon?" She asked.

"Yeah, and the wolf," he replied.

"You feel okay? Don't start to panic, you need to embrace it, or it'll be umm, unpleasant," she finished; painful was what she should have said.

"I'll try," he held her hand tightly: if she had been human there would have been some serious 'ouch' issues.

"It's going to be okay; I'll be with you," she stood up and hugged him just as the bell went for next lesson.

Arthur walked her home and as they turned the corner to her street, they saw an unfamiliar MPV with black tinted windows parked outside her house. When she opened the front door, she found her mother standing in the hallway looking annoyed with a holdall on her shoulder.

"What's happening?" Saffron asked, stepping away from her mother's anticipated outburst.

"For the love of God, I wish people would stop bossing me around," she spun around to glare at a bewildered looking man in a dark suit and sunglasses; she threw the holdall at him. He caught it, but still looked scared as if she would throw more things at him.

"Mum?" Saffron prompted.

"We are leaving for the Compound today and have to stay two nights," she shouted; her anger directed at what can only be assumed was the chauffeur.

"Did you pack my things too?"

"Of course," her mother said, stomping back upstairs.

"You can come with us too, Arthur, we're heading to your house next," the chauffeur gave a little smile. Saffron could smell that he was a werewolf, but she could also see it in his mannerisms.

"What's the Compound like?" She asked him with a smile.

"It's okay; you get to meet a lot of your own kind there. Well, maybe not any of your kind," he laughed nervously; she assumed he must mean hybrids. He looked up warily as her mother stomped back downstairs.

"Ready?" She asked, smoothing her hair back down. Saffron stifled a giggle; her mum had put perfume and a little makeup on for Lucius's benefit, even Arthur had noticed.

When they reached Arthur's house, Lucius was packed and ready and standing outside. He jumped in the MPV and sat next to Anita, the relief of having him next to her showed on her face. He leant down and kissed the top of her head. Saffron decided that she needed to have a little girl talk with her mother at the nearest opportunity.
**Chapter 9**
The chauffeur, whose name turned out to be Max, turned off the small winding lane and pulled up in front of a set of large iron gates. The gates opened for him after a few seconds and he drove up a gravel path towards what looked like a large hotel. It was a Georgian house with a black front door, surrounded by a manicured lawn, not a daisy in sight. The gravel path circled a brightly lit fountain in front of the house, depicting cherubs playing in the water. It looked just like any prime wedding venue. The trees and bushes were sculpted and neat and there wasn't a weed or unkempt feature anywhere. Everything was delicately lit with multi-coloured up lighters creating an arty fairy tale garden design. The driver continued past the house and parked the MPV in an area to the side with several other cars.

"That's the Council headquarters, you'll be staying there tonight, but tomorrow after lunch you'll be heading to the Compound with the rest of us. It's a good place to socialise, you'll love it," he smiled at them genuinely and Saffron could almost see the inner workings of his thought process. He was honest and simple, a good guy. She hoped the rest of them were like him.

He showed them to a side entrance and they bundled into the corridor. The narrow passage opened out into a foyer and a smartly dressed blonde woman stood ready to receive them.

"Hello, glad you could join us. Marissa will take you on a tour of the headquarters and let you know what the schedule is," she used her arms as signals like an air hostess doing the safety mime.

Marissa was a short curvy brunette vampire wearing similar clothes to the receptionist; she smiled, not as falsely as the blonde, but she still seemed tired and bored. She took them to the lift and they got out on the second floor.

"Your rooms are next door to one another and you share a bathroom, it's a Jack and Jill so remember to lock the other door when you need some privacy," she warned.

Inside each room, there were two twin beds, a TV, a telephone, and everything you would expect from a hotel room, except a double sized refrigerator stocked with cold store blood and meaty snacks.

"Am I the only one who doesn't like jerky?" Saffron asked.

"Hell yeah, you're so abnormal," Arthur laughed.

Marissa stood in Lucius and Arthur's doorway while they put their stuff down and cleared her throat. The tour was about to begin. She told them the second and third floor were guest rooms and the loft was out of bounds as it was staff living quarters. The first floor was full of board rooms, interview rooms and the R and D mini lab; apparently the main laboratory was separate from the HQ mansion. The ground floor was made up of a large communal lounge, kitchen, dining room, games room, library, and a private library which was out of bounds to guests.

Marissa introduced them to a number of human blood donors who were scattered between the games room, lounge, and library. They seemed happy to be there like Marco and Angela had been happy to be on call for blood services.

Dinner was interesting; the meal was mainly made up of elegantly dressed slabs of meat with small side dishes of vegetables and breads. Most of the guests it seemed were paying for the privilege of being there; they considered it a wonderful place to transform and treated it more like a country club. They were told the less fortunate were housed in small student type chalets where they had to share rooms, and the even less affluent were day-trippers only. The day-trippers would turn up late afternoon and head straight for the second pound as it was called; the first pound being reserved for the frolics of the paying guests.

Saffron found the guests pretentious and boring. She hoped she was going to the Second Pound the following evening. Lucius would have been at home in the luxurious hotel, but for the fact that the majority of the guests were werewolves and he had little experience with them. He was polite and charming all the same, and incredibly protective of her mother. As soon as dinner was over Saffron and Arthur escaped into the games room; Arthur was particularly good at air hockey, and no matter how hard Saffron tried she couldn't beat him, even with her new found speed. Arthur was now quicker than her, his muscles had become more defined and she had a feeling that he would excel at sports if he gave them a try; not that he would.

"Hello, are you Arthur and Saffron?" A couple approached them as they reached into the fridge for the fancy flavoured cold store blood.

"Maybe," Saffron replied, making the girl laugh.

"We would be honoured to be your human blood donors tonight," the boy said, appraising Saffron.

"Okay, I'll feed from you," Arthur grabbed the boy's arm and led him to a large sofa.

"Will you feed from me?" The girl looked happy to be left with her.

Saffron fed from the girl feeling slightly self-conscious, even though most of the vampires were feeding. There were some werewolves staring at her and she could feel their gazes.

"Sorry," Arthur came up to her when her donor had left. "I just didn't like the way he was looking at you," he sat down and kissed her cheek.

"I didn't either, you did me a favour," she laughed and kissed him back.

"Do you get the feeling we're being watched?" He leant towards her to whisper while pretending he was kissing her ear.

"Yeah, but they're keeping their distance," she glanced across the room. "I feel out of place here," she laughed.

"Tell me about it, shall we go?" He held out his arm for her to take and they left the room, followed by several sets of eyes.

As they reached the exit of the building with the hope of exploring the outside, they were approached by an extremely fed-up Marissa. She looked thoroughly miserable and Saffron got the feeling that she was there against her will.

"Your presence is requested in the mini lab, there are some tests you need to have. Follow me," she turned her back and walked towards the main staircase.

"Marissa, do you get paid to work here?" She asked, catching up alongside the girl.

"What?" Marissa nearly tripped up the step.

"Is this your job? Do you get wages?" She clarified keeping a close eye on Marissa's face.

"No, you can't ask me about it," she whispered looking really uncomfortable.

"Why?" Saffron whispered back cornering the girl against the handrail.

"Please don't ask, it's nothing to do with you," she moaned. "We're not even the same species."

"Doesn't mean I won't understand," Saffron said softly.

"Please just get to the lab," she said and ran off, leaving them standing at the top of the stairs bewildered.

"Okay, that was weird," Arthur said.

"Very."

The tests in the lab were pretty standard: blood samples, urine samples, blood pressure, hearing test, eyesight test and then a long and boring aptitude test. By the time they had finished it was past their bedtime and they walked back to their rooms with frazzled brains. Arthur kissed her goodnight and they went their separate ways.

"Hi, how were the tests?" Her mother asked, removing her makeup with a scented wipe.

"The normal stuff was okay, but they gave us pages worth of aptitude tests, I don't know how they expect us to sleep after that," she said plonking herself onto the small bed.

"Have a bath?" Her mother replied, but she was already dozing, fully dressed.

The morning began with a buffet breakfast which included heaps of crispy bacon, and other fried pork products. He piled his plate high because the hunger inside was screaming for food, but the butterflies made him wonder if he would keep it down. Saffron didn't seem to have any worries; she ate from her heaped plate and then went up for seconds.

He was physically stronger and faster than her, but now he felt weaker, he wasn't sure he could survive the transformation. He had lain awake half the night going through the different scenarios of what could happen to him, each one had resulted in him dying a painful death.

After breakfast they were taken on a tour of the grounds; Anita and Lucius stayed behind because Lucius was unable to leave the house during daylight hours and Anita seemed to be attached to him by some unseen cord, never wanting to leave him. Arthur didn't blame her; being human, she could easily be mistaken for a blood donor.

The first pound was for the hotel guests who were paying for luxuries. They had a four-hundred-acre site to roam, which was secured with high guarded fences. Animals were actually brought in for their sport and he could see deer happily grazing, unaware of their fate. He preferred his meat cooked and he just couldn't imagine wanting to tear an animal apart to eat the bloody flesh. Human blood was different; he liked his donors alive and able to converse with him, and preferably able spend a good couple of hours gaming after the feed.

The second pound was smaller, only two hundred and fifty acres and it would hold more people. Animals were also brought into the enclosure but they only consisted of the smaller varieties, no deer. Attached to the Pound Two was a much smaller enclosure they called the test pound, and this was where they would be turning. It was only five acres, which Saffron said would be fine, and had a handful of small animals bounding around inside. There were two small chalets just inside the entrance containing a chair, a bed, a TV and a basic shower.

"It's going to be fine," Saffron whispered and squeezed his hand.

"You will be expected to meet at this gate at four o'clock, we like to get you settled in the enclosures for a while before the change because it reduces anxiety," the tour guide said.

"Okay, so we're free until then?" Saffron asked.

"Of course," he said. "Oh, I nearly forgot, lunch is at twelve and you will be eating a pre-change buffet at three o'clock. You will want to stock the calories up." The human laughed and they turned away from him.

"All this eating is exhausting in itself," Arthur said, leaning his forehead against the thick wire fence.

"Itching to get in are we?" A male voice startled him.

"Not exactly," Arthur replied, turning to face the stranger. The guy was shorter than him, but broad and muscular, with the rugged, handsome face that girls seemed to like. Arthur hated him already based on his appearance, but his cocky aura would have ensured the two men wouldn't be friends anyway.

"I've heard a bit about you two, quite the talk of the pound," he said with a playful glint in his eyes.

"Like what?" Saffron asked, showing only a slight prickling of annoyance.

"Like you two are multi-species and everyone is scared of you," he said with a cocky grin.

"But you're not?" Saffron asked.

The guy was about their age, maybe a year or two older wore a leather jacket, ripped jeans, and a white t-shirt in the James Dean style. His hair was short and spiky but not in a manicured way. Arthur was feeling a bit unsure of himself, and although part of it was the up and coming event that could ultimately end his life, he was sure the majority of his fresh insecurities were coming from the really irritating wolf in front of him.

"Nope, I have bloodsucker friends; they're not like you, hybrids, but they're cool," he pulled a chocolate bar from his jacket pocket, but for some reason, Arthur expected it to be a comb, and for the newcomer to start doing a Danny Zuko impression. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"What's your name?" Saffron asked still a little wary, but she seemed to be warming to him.

"Karl and you are Saffron and he is Arthur, right?" He looked over to Arthur, smiling like a puppy dog.

"Yeah," Arthur said and began to walk back to the house.

"I'm not allowed in the house guys," he called as they walked away.

"How comes?" Saffron asked, stopping in her tracks.

"I'm poor; I can't afford the full package," he looked uncertain and Arthur didn't feel so annoyed with him anymore.

There was a class system within the Council and Karl knew and understood it. He started to wonder where he would be on the system if it had not been for his hybridism.

"Oh, right, yeah," Saffron pondered for a moment, then said "I used to turn in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with my best mate, but now I can't in case I'm a danger to her, it sucks, but at least I'll be with Arthur."

"I don't always use this place. There's some land, mostly woodland, about twenty miles south of here. It's secluded but I'm alone there and sometimes you need to be part of something. The Council doesn't encourage being in a pack unless you use the pound."

"Do people really start packs?" Saffron said allowing her whole face to brighten with excitement.

"Yeah, sounds like you and your best mate are a pack of two, soon to be three?"

"Four, she started dating a vegetarian," she laughed, but Karl just raised his eyebrows.

"Lunch!" Someone hollered from a small hut near Compound Two.

"That's me, catch you later," Karl ran to be with the rest of the hungry pound two's. Arthur could smell barbequed food and it made his stomach rumble.

Lucius was trying to stay awake during the day for Anita; she needed company and a diversion from the whole mind blowing situation. He'd never really had any dealings with werewolves and now his son was some kind of cross breed, and no one really knew what would happen when the moon rose that evening. He looked over at Anita, took in the dark rings around her eyes and the paleness of her skin, she needed to rest and they both wanted to be fully awake when the transformation took place.

"I'm so tired; I usually sleep during the day. Would you rest with me? In my arms," it was bold but he was also a little reluctant to let her out of his sight in case someone mistook her for a human blood donor.

"Yes," she replied in a mere whisper of a voice.

He took her to his room and laid on the bed, she tucked herself in his arm and closed her eyes. Within minutes, she was sleeping and he allowed himself to drift off.
**Chapter 10**
They stood by the gate of the enclosure watching the wolves queue to get in. Compound Two had a turnstile just like you get in a football stadium and the werewolves queuing to get in behaved just like it was Saturday afternoon at a football match. She gave Karl a wave and he waved at them like an eager puppy. She knew Arthur wasn't impressed by him, but he was friendly and the only other wolf to come into close contact with them.

Lucius and Anita had hugged them back at the house and were now watching from one of the light safety windows facing the compounds. A tall werewolf with bright copper hair stepped in front of them and opened the gate. They followed him in.

"You've had the tour?" They nodded. "Okay, there are cameras around the Compound; none in the cabin so your modesty is protected if you turn in there. If there are any problems press the big black button on the outer wall of the cabin or wave your arms in front of one of the cameras and the vamps will attend you," he walked back to the gate.

"Is that it?" Arthur asked, looking like he was bordering panic and meltdown.

"Yeah, I'm off to join Pound Two," the man grinned and locked them in, gave a pathetic little wave and jogged over to the turnstile to hurry the eager wolves in.

"I feel like an animal," Arthur was pacing already.

"Stop!" She cried and threw her arms around him. "It's going to be fine, it might even be fun."

She squeezed him with her newfound strength and he bent down and kissed her. They found their way to one of the cabins and sat on the small basic bed. He looked so unsettled she felt a pang in her heart; she pushed his floppy hair off his forehead and stroked his face, making him close his eyes. He lay back on the bed and she snuggled into him.

"I just want this night to be over," he whispered with his eyes still closed.

"We have the place to ourselves," she whispered close to his ear. His eyes shot open and he looked at her.

"My dad would kill me if we made puppies," he said with a nervous laugh.

"Oh, I'm not ready for that," she lifted his t-shirt and smelled the strange new smell of his skin; his smell no longer reminded her of a crypt. She kissed his muscular stomach and her hair tickled him, making him laugh for the first time in days.

"I really, really, like you Saffron," he said.

As the sun began to set the noise from the pound two began to escalate. They looked out to find people dancing, sparring, and lounging around; many were already naked in anticipation. There were piles of neatly folded clothes on rocks and wooden benches and everyone seemed happy almost to the point of euphoria.

"When will it happen?" He asked.

"The sun is just about to set, go and leave your clothes on a chair in your cabin and wrap a towel around you. I'll do the same," she said, turning back towards the cabin.

She brushed her teeth with the cheap plastic brush that had been left for her and grabbed the towel. When they met outside the cabin, the sun was just about to dip below the horizon; she reached for his hand.

"I can't see the moon yet?" He looked at the vast sky.

"It's behind us honey," she said, turning.

A chorus of howls began to erupt from the enclosure next door, and they could see people arching their backs and exploding into wolf form. Arthur's grip tightened on her hand as a pain surged through him. She held on to her human form for a moment longer, then the popping, fizzing feeling came, and she was down on all fours looking up at his face which was a mask of fear. Saffron nuzzled his hand and he fell to the ground with a thud, so she nuzzled his face. The transformation was happening regardless of how hard he fought it. After struggling for several minutes, he fell back, panting, and the wolf emerged.

He was much bigger than her and he was black and sleek. He howled a long, sad tune before rubbing his head against her neck. Saffron jumped and bounded in front of him; she had been so worried that she wouldn't get to do this again. She pushed him with her front paws and he allowed himself to be rolled over, then she sprinted away daring him to chase her. He did, and he relaxed. Saffron taught him how to catch rabbits and he copied her clumsily at first, but he soon found some form of grace.

They heard Karl and ran toward the fence; he was grinning with his puppy-like smile and jumping about excitedly. She heard him in her mind wishing that she was over there. As she looked at all the wolves on the other side of the fence, she started to appreciate how very big Arthur was in wolf form, he was exceptionally powerful. Saffron could imagine him bringing down a deer on his own.

He had felt a rumbling throughout his bones that shook his internal organs out of their comfort zone. Bile had risen to his mouth and the acid stung his throat. The moon made him reach up and that was when his spine went pop; as soon as he felt the pop his body flowed with a sudden power and he had transformed. The sickness, the fear, and the helplessness had left him in that instance and he felt healthy and strong. He'd looked over at Saffron; she was beautiful. He wanted to run, and jump, and chase, and eat. He had made it, he had survived.

Lucius stood at the film coated window transfixed while the sun dipped lower in the sky. He couldn't see them; he guessed they were in the cabins. Anita stood frozen beside him with her eyes glazed, she seemed to be holding her breath and he realised she was mirroring his own actions.

"Would you like to watch on the monitors?" Julian stood beside him; he hadn't noticed him and had no idea how long he'd been there.

"Yes please," he said, taking Anita's arm and following the young man.

"I've set it up in the mini lab, I'm going to the main lab with the rest of the R and D department, but there's no reason for you to strain your eyes here."

They took a seat in front of the monitors and waited for movement. It came just before the sun dipped below the horizon. They emerged from the cabins wrapped in towels, his son looked terrified and it made the back of his eyes sting just to look. They held hands and then it happened, he convulsed and she seemed to zap from one shape into another, landing on animal legs. Arthur dropped to the floor trying to fight it; his face was tight and stretched in an expression of agony. Lucius could hardly bear to watch, and he glanced over at Anita, who had gripped his hand with fervour.

When he looked back at the screen his son had transformed. He was huge; he hadn't really imagined what his son would look like after the transformation, but if he had, he would never have thought he would be the size he was. He was broad and strong, and jet black. They began to play, pouncing and jumping over each other. He could see the power in Arthur's body and marvelled that his son, who had been born dead, cold and lifeless, could be the embodiment of life and strength.

He left Anita to get some coffee and some cold store blood when he brought the coffee back Anita was leaning closer to the screens looking anxious. He set the cups down and peered at the screens one by one. Saffron and Arthur had made their way to the fence bordering Compound Two and were looking intently at the wolves on the other side. When he switched the screen to one that covered a shot of the other side of the fence, he saw that the wolves had lined up and were watching his son and Saffron. There were, at least, a hundred wolves across the fence; one by one they tilted their heads back and began to howl. Arthur and Saffron just watched them at first; eventually tilting their heads back to join the howling.

"Is that normal?" Anita asked glued to the screens.

"I don't know, I have a feeling it isn't," he said, wishing he'd had two shots of cold store in his coffee instead of one.

Saffron woke when the sun shone through the open door of the cabin. She wrapped a blanket around her and got up; feeling the need to check on Arthur before she showered. As she stepped out into the sunrise she could see the wolves in Pound Two beginning to rise in human form. They were unashamedly naked and relaxed; it was a stunning sight.

The door to Arthur's cabin was open and she stepped through. He was him sprawled out on the floor with the blanket covering his waist down. She couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her mouth and he stirred.

"Hey, we made it," he smiled up at her.

"We did," she said, dropping to her knees beside him.

"What's up?" He sat up, taking in the concern on her face.

"You look different," she said. "Don't be worried," she added as an afterthought. He looked down and prodded his stomach.

"What the hell?" He looked at his bicep twisting his arm around. "Is this normal?"

"I don't think so," she replied, touching his bulging bicep with more than a hint of awe.

"You too," he touched her arm.

"I didn't notice me," she stood up and turned her back to him and pulled the blanket off to study her new muscles. They weren't anywhere near as big as his, she still looked girly. She wrapped herself back up and turned to find him blushing furiously.

"It's just an arse, you arse!" She laughed.

When she went back to her cabin she studied her finely muscled body before showering and dressing. She was strongly built but not with the heavy muscle that Arthur had acquired overnight. Having not had her curves for long she was relieved that she hadn't lost them but the muscles were definitely a bonus. She was taller, somehow, as well as stronger, but what had interested her most when she'd looked in the mirror was her face. Her eyes were brighter with a golden sparkle to them; her skin was clear and glowing. She really had had a makeover during the full moon.

Arthur's muscles were something of a surprise and she had thought him beautiful before, but now he was truly scrumptious. When she went to meet him, he was standing by the fence talking to Karl and a large group of dishevelled but happy wolves.

"Wow, you got a makeover too," Karl said and they took a moment to check her out; she felt herself flushing.

"Did that happen overnight?" The ginger-haired wolf who had locked them in asked.

"Yeah," Arthur said, patting his stomach. "Can't fit my t-shirt on, it's weird."

When they made their way to the gate Anita was waiting with a large wild looking man wearing a lab coat. She threw her arms around her mother and made her yelp. She would have to remember not to break the fragile human woman.

"Follow me, quicker; you seem to have a fan club," the lab coat guy said.

"I was so worried," Anita held onto Saffron's hand. "Arthur your Dad is meeting us at the lab."

"Okay, cool," he replied, looking a bit self-conscious without his t-shirt on.

They entered the main lab building using a key card. Saffron read the name on his ID badge; Henderson, he looked like an excited mad scientist. He took them through a few corridors, passing people on the way who stopped and stared, and in one case whispered to her co-worker behind her hand.

"Here we are," Henderson said, throwing open a set of double doors. Inside was a gathering of people, a buffet table on wheels, and Lucius.

"Dad!" Arthur hugged his dad but couldn't quite organise his new dimensions.

"I saw you on the screen when you came out of the cabin," Lucius said his eyes misting over. "I didn't recognise you at first."

"Yeah, something happened," Arthur said.

"Yes something did happen and we need to do a few tests, but it's probably best that you eat first," Julian said, taking them by the arm and leading them to a couple of stools set in front of the buffet.

Saffron almost laughed at how dainty the vampire was in comparison with Arthur's bulky form. They ate more than they thought they would; Arthur stuck mainly to meats, but Saffron mixed it up with a handful of salad and some warm buttery rolls. She looked back at her Mum during the meal to find both her and Lucius, staring intently at them. She smiled, keeping her mouth closed and hoped that it gave them reassurance, but when she looked back they were still staring.

The first tests were a repeat of the previous day's blood work and physical fitness tests, then they had to take the aptitude tests again. It was long and boring, so Anita and Lucius went to rest. Saffron wondered if they were an item yet, she could see how they felt about each other even if they hadn't advertised it.

The aptitude test seemed to go quicker than before, but the guinea pig stage wasn't over. Julian put them both through an MRI scan before they could leave for lunch. Just as they were leaving Joshua warned them to be on their best behaviour and not to try out their new found strengths. They both shrugged and left.

"That was weird," Arthur said.

"This whole place is weird," Saffron replied.

After lunch, they had to go to the gym building which was set aside from the house. They were tested for speed, strength, agility, and endurance. They were pretty fed up after three hours and refused to do anymore so Julian showed them to the hot tub and told them to take some time out.

"I just want to go home," Saffron moaned, adding, "after this soak."

"Yeah, I guess we know how it feels for animals being tested now," Arthur replied. He couldn't stop looking down at his new muscular form; he'd been looking in the mirror and any other reflective surface all day.

"So what's the conclusion?" Lucius asked.

"There is no conclusion; the kids are happy, healthy, and full of improvements. The antidote to the poison worked well on both of them and had some great side effects," Julian said. "Of course, we don't know if there will be any developments further down the line."

"Julian, you can't possibly expect me to send my son to school having spent the weekend growing twice his normal size? It would not go unnoticed," Lucius's voice rose in volume, which was not something he did very often.

"No, of course not," Julian replied. "There's an elite private school, we endorse for vampires, werewolves and you know. It's in Scotland, I will arrange for both children to get a place immediately, but I've also been told to arrange a place for their friends."

"What? I don't want to send him to Scotland," Lucius was feeling a little overwhelmed

"Think about it Lucius," Julian pushed a brochure across the table. "You want him to finish his education, it's a brilliant school that recognises that these children need special provisions. He can come home after the first term and no one will think he's grown several inches in height overnight."

He picked up the brochure; the school building was a castle with thousands of acres of wild hilly landscape to roam in. Lessons included things specific to their species; well not quite to theirs, they were a rare breed.

"Okay," he said. "I know it's the right thing to do."

"It is. If you could sign the papers for Arthur and then send Anita in. The cost will be covered by the council so you can leave that box blank," he handed Lucius a gold pen.

"When do they leave?" He asked.

"Tonight, I'm sorry, but we like to do batch runs and we have another youth going, I believe he's now a friend of Arthur's, his name is Karl," Julian said.

"I don't know him," Lucius said, feeling exhausted and deflated.

The MPV had turned up just after lunch, and her Dad had been shouting on his mobile phone for half an hour before a second car showed up outside the cottage. Jack and Sarah got out of their sedan and rang the doorbell. She opened the door to find Sarah with watery eyes ready to spill. Her dad opened the study door and stood with the same anguished expression on his face.

"Go and pack love, you have to go to boarding school," he said in a quiet voice that quivered with emotion. Sarah flung her arms around John, and Jack shooed Laura upstairs.

"What's going on?" She hissed.

"Me, you, Saffron, Arthur, and another boy are going to a remote school in Scotland to finish our education. It was arranged this morning, we were told that I had to pack and come straight over. We stopped at McDonald's though," he grinned.

"Did you eat meat?" She smiled and he nodded. "So can't we just refuse?"

"I want to go," he whispered and shoved a brochure in her hand. She flicked through, it looked amazing.

"Swimming pool, gym, spa room, martial arts training, along with finely tailored lessons to suit all persons; Jack it's like Hogwarts!" She squealed before he put his hand over her mouth.

"Our parents are sad about it," he reminded her.

"Oh, right, oops," she began throwing things into holdalls. "I'm so excited!"

Arthur packed without looking up at his dad; he was excited, it was an adventure, but he couldn't show it because his dad was obviously gutted.

"Lucius," Saffron stepped into the bathroom and stood in front of his dad. "Please, can you look after my mum for me?"

"Of course I will," Lucius hugged the girl.

They met after dinner in the reception area; Sarah and John had to sign the papers immediately. It was a tearful goodbye; the parents cried and waved, hugging each other for support and the kids felt guilty for being excited. Karl didn't have parents to wave goodbye to; they had signed the documents via email. He couldn't wait to leave.
**Chapter 11**
Max was their chauffeur once more and he drove the blacked out MPV to the small private airport. The kids chatted noisily until he pulled up outside the airport's check-in.

"You kids are really lucky you know? The council only send a select few to be schooled up there," he said handing their bags out.

"What's it like?" Laura asked.

"I've never been, but the kids that come out of there are very well educated and they get to have a career rather than being a driver," he laughed and then waved them goodbye as they disappeared into the brightly lit building. He had to drive the distraught parents back to their empty homes when he got back to HQ, he wasn't looking forward to that.

Their plane was a small one; they quietly watched as the fields and farms got smaller and smaller until they were high in the sky travelling north. Laura couldn't believe how different the pair of them had become during the change the night before. She kept looking over at Saffron. Jack was quiet; he'd put on weight since he'd started eating meat and it looked good on him. Karl chatted to him as if he was an old friend and eventually he opened up and began talking back.

"We've got snacks," Laura announced as the werewolf air hostess wheeled a food trolley over to them.

"Come to papa," Karl shouted and grabbed a handful of various meat slices.

Laura sat next to Jack and compiled a plate full of meaty snacks balanced with a few olives and a slice of cheesy pizza. She handed it to him and then kissed him.

"Get a room!" Karl shouted across the gangway.

"Get a girlfriend!" she hollered back at him.

"Ouch," he said, feigning a hurt look.

Arthur ate two platefuls of food before sliding down in his seat and closing his eyes. Saffron joined him; it had been a long night and day. Things couldn't have changed more dramatically.

They landed with a bump and Saffron woke up wondering where she was. Arthur grabbed her hand and kissed it, he gave her butterflies when he did things like that. They got off the plane and into the cold Scottish air. They had a long car journey ahead of them so they stretched their legs before finding their escort. Saffron text her mum to tell her she'd arrived in Scotland safely. She was surprised to get a text back from her right away and wondered if she was going to stay nocturnal for Lucius's sake; she also wondered if her mother was at their home or at Lucius's home.

The journey to the castle was long and boring because they couldn't see a thing out of the windows due to a combination of blacked out windows, night time, and unlit roads. They were already in the middle of nowhere and they seemed to be driving to the ends of the Earth.

The car eventually pulled up outside a set of wrought iron gates; they were opened by a wiry old werewolf with a Santa-style beard. The driveway leading to the castle was exceptionally long, but their eyes went wide when the castle eventually came into view; it was a huge stone building with a few lights shining upwards accentuating its vast grey walls and deep-set windows. It looked like a cross between Hogwarts and Count Dracula's Castle; the picture on the brochure had been taken during the day with a deep blue sky and sunshine, which gave it an air of romance, but the darkness had stripped any romance from the building rendering it pure gothic horror.

"Good evening, it's great to see you," a tall, thin woman said, holding the front door open for them. The foyer was grand; patterned tile flooring, oak panelling on the walls and soft candle lighting. There were teenagers of various ages and species milling around on the stairs, and on the balcony overlooking the front door.

"I'll show you to your room ladies, boys can you go with Mr Hargreaves," she waved her arm vaguely towards a smiling, bearded man.

Saffron and Laura followed the thin woman up the stairs and past the staring teenagers, some of which smiled and others just whispered behind their hands. It was no use, she heard them all. Her hearing had improved since the previous night's moonlit adventure.

The thin woman explained that all lodgings were on the third floor, classrooms were on the first and second floor and the ground floor along with the kitchen, dining room and recreation room. There was a large library on the first floor and Laura practically swooned at the sight of it. The boys dwelled in the east wing and the girls in the west wing which was where they were heading. They were shown to a room with twin beds, a basin, a wardrobe and a desk. It was simply decorated but looked cosy enough. They had time to dump their stuff on their beds before she whisked them back out of the room.

"A copy of the rules has been placed on your desk along with the meal times and class timetables," she said as she walked back down the stairs. The boys joined them at the bottom of the stairs and they were shown into the dining room where dinner was being brought in.

"You'll be pleased to know it's dinner time," Mr Hargreaves said. "We keep nocturnal schooling hours because we have several vampire children, but you are more than welcome to enjoy the facilities including the grounds during the daytime."

"Do they have a werewolf portion or a vampire portion Mrs Willow?" A stout woman asked while she dished food onto plates and delivered them to the seated youths.

"Start with a werewolf portion Agnes," Mrs Willow replied.

Arthur was sharing a room with Jack and Karl; thankfully it was a large room. He unpacked his stuff into the wardrobe and put his phone on charge. The Council had sent a member to his house to gather his things for him, they had managed pretty well; he seemed to have everything he needed.

"I'm telling you, these nocturnal hours will play havoc with my system, I'm not sure I can do it," Jack was saying.

"It seems weird, but we'll get used to it," Karl said, peering through the small tinted window.

"You will get used to it Jack; I had to keep nocturnal hours when I was young because my Dad is a turned vamp," Arthur said leaving the room to get some cold store blood.

He walked past a couple of boys who were on their way to class; they stared so hard at him they almost walked into the wall in front of them. He couldn't blame them; he was now twice their width and well over a foot taller than most boys his age. Every time he stood up he panicked in case he hit his head, and his shoulders and knees were bruised where he tried to fit them places they were way too big to fit. He wasn't complaining; he was pretty impressed with himself.

"Hey Saff," he said, relieved to see her.

Saffron wasn't just his link to his old life, his girlfriend, and his best friend, but she really was the only other being that was his species now. She knew what he'd been through; they had been through it together. He waited for her to drink her shot, then wrapped his thick arms around her. Saffron didn't pull away so he leant down and buried his face in her hair.

"How are you finding it?" She asked, looking up at him after a while. "All the other girls are avoiding us, especially me," she laughed.

"I didn't think you liked people much?" He laughed.

"I don't, you're right, I don't care, but Laura does."

"Yeah, and if Karl doesn't find some more friends quickly, then I'm going to have to eat him," he dropped his fangs to demonstrate making her laugh even harder.

"I'm going to get some sleep soon. I'm actually looking forward to lessons tomorrow," she leant up and kissed him. As he released her he noticed a fragile looking boy waiting to use the microwave that he was blocking.

"Sorry mate," he said, stepping aside. The boy didn't want to step any closer to him and was looking like he was ready to bolt.

"He won't hurt you," Saffron said softly and the boy gazed up at her, his face softening and relaxing as if hypnotised. "You can zap your bottle now," and he did.

"You have a powerful gift there young lady, I hope you don't abuse it," a voice said from the corridor behind them. Mrs Willow stepped out of the shadows with her gaze fixed at Saffron as if trying to read her, then spun around and disappeared leaving a chill in the air.

"Creeptastic!" Arthur whispered in her ear.

The next night began with showers; the boys' showers were communal and that wouldn't have caused Arthur any concern a few days ago, but with bulging biceps and a well-defined six pack he didn't go unnoticed. Luckily Karl was around to deflect the attention; he sang loud and proud to his favourite Creedence Clearwater Revival song, but using all the wrong words and some of the wrong tunes. There was a little laughter at first, but he soon caught on, and other boys joined him choosing to sing the right words with more of the right tunes. Arthur showered quickly and hurried back to his room to put on the new bigger clothes that the Council had purchased for him.

Their classes consisted of regular GCSE lessons like English, maths, and geography alongside supernatural history, supernatural biology, and supernatural culture, which included handy lessons like not shaking hands between species. Physical education was no longer basketball and tennis, but martial arts training; this was scheduled for half an hour every day.

They went to their first lesson, meeting up with the girls on the stairs. It was supernatural biology, held in the old-fashioned laboratory. Arthur sat next to Saffron with the rest of their group on the same bench. The kids filed into the room; they were aged between ten and eighteen, he thought. They looked at their bench and moved on; from what he could tell vampires sat on one side and werewolves sat on the other side, his group had just taken a bench on the werewolf side.

"They're all staring," Saffron whispered.

"I know," he replied smiling.

They focused on the work, finding it fascinating; Laura and Jack having been home schooled seemed to struggle slightly, but they enjoyed it all the same. When break time came Arthur felt good about being there. Karl seemed to be making friends easily; he just talked at people and they eventually talked back to him.

They made their way to the cold store queue and waited with the rest of the vampires who became silent when they joined the queue. They drank their bottles and tossed the empties in the bin leaving the rest of them to get back to their discussions.

"They are all so rude," Saffron said.

"I think they're just scared, but it's getting uncomfortable," he replied.

They separated for their next lesson; the girls had history and the boys had martial arts. He caught up with Jack back at their room and they changed into what looked like black hospital scrubs. He was nervous about the training; he'd never done any fighting, never needed to. People usually stayed away, sensing danger. Jack looked terrified; he was still a bit on the scrawny side, due to him starving the wolf of meat all that time, and he was expecting to get injured.

As they entered the room, he knew he had a problem. Warm-ups were in the form of sparring with a partner; most people had grabbed their best mate already. He stood there next to Jack, twice the size of everyone, hoping he wouldn't be asked to partner with the breakable blonde.

"I'll spar with you," a voice said from behind him. He turned around and faced a large blonde boy with a shock of golden curls that any girl would have been thrilled with.

"Okay," he said, studying his opponent for some clue as to which species he belonged to. The guy laughed and dimples appeared in his cheeks.

The blonde threw some moves and Arthur soon caught on, deflecting the blows and eventually throwing some of his own moves. The teacher walked through the room handing out tips and abuse as he went. When he got to their mat he stopped and watched; Arthur tried to concentrate on his increasingly mobile partner, but sneaked a peak at the human teacher when he could.

"Nice to see you've found a partner Matt," the teacher said leaving them.

The teacher separated them into skill level sets; Arthur was put into the top set with Matt; it seemed that he was a natural at fighting. Karl was also in the top set; he was a scrapper but needed to learn strategy. Jack, as expected, was in the bottom set. He got pasted in the sparring session and just couldn't manage to throw a punch, let alone a full blown attack. He was at the bottom of the bottom set and he left the room at the end of the class covered with bruises.

"What are you?" Arthur asked when they were heading back to the showers.

"I wondered how long it would take you to ask," the blonde smiled, radiating warmth.

"I've never met anyone who smells like you before," he replied hoping it didn't offend him.

"Thanks, I think. I'm fey dude; a real rarity these days," he replied.

"Oh wow, I didn't know you guys were real," Arthur said.

"You're fey?" Karl said, springing up behind them. "Awesome, I've only ever caught a glimpse of you guys," he said slapping the guy on the back. "Nice to meet you, man."

"Yeah, you too dog," Matt replied and Karl didn't seem to take offence.

The showers were easier for him this time; everyone had seen the muscles already and his new found friend seemed to smooth the vibe of the room. He was starting to think he was going to like the new school, and then he heard bitter laughter from the corner of the changing rooms. He saw Jack cowering into the wall surrounded by larger wolves; they were throwing wet toilet paper at his wet naked body in the hope that it would stick to him.

"Leave him," he roared. The group scattered and Karl came rushing over, followed by Matt.

"Thanks," Jack said in a slightly shaken voice. He began picking the clumps of sodden paper off his body.

"They always pick on the weak, Jack, you can't show weakness with wolves," Karl whispered handing the guy his towel.

"We need to fatten you up; your ribs stick out something painful," Arthur said, trying not to stare at the sharp ridges surrounding Jack's chest.

"I want to be a hybrid like you," Jack blurted out when they got to their room.

"What? I'm a freak," Arthur replied.

"So am I, I can't stand up for myself weighing the same as a nine-year-old girl," he sat on the bed rubbing his hands through his pale blonde hair.

"Jack, I wasn't supposed to be turned, I just got too sick to make it without Saf's blood. There's no guarantee you'd survive it if I tried," Arthur explained.

"He's right, he needs it. I want in too!" Karl said, looking serious for the first time since he'd met the boy.

"Shit! I'm off to lunch," Arthur said and left the tension-filled room.

He walked straight into a blonde vampire who smiled up at him. He stepped back to allow her to pass, but she didn't, she traced her hand up his arm and squeezed his bicep laughing. He brushed her off as gently as he could; he had been better at knowing his strength since the sparring sessions started. She watched him walk away; he could feel her eyes on him all the way to the stairs.
**Chapter 12**
Saffron worked hard during her lessons, pleasing the teachers who had first eyed her with suspicion. They met the boys for lunch including a tall blonde called Matt; she liked him instantly, his dimples seemed to denote honesty and trust. Jack seemed more withdrawn than usual and Laura was really worried about him, but he shrugged it off when she fussed. She could tell Arthur was keeping something from her, but she would wait for him to tell her, he usually told her everything.

"So, our parents are coming up for the weekend and staying in a cottage on the grounds," Saffron said.

"When?" Arthur replied as if he hadn't heard their conversation for the last few minutes; his brows were furrowed and he looked five years older.

"My birthday!" She repeated.

"When is it?" Arthur said, cringing as he realised he'd daydreamed through a really important conversation.

"Next weekend," she laughed.

"I'm sorry," he squeezed her hand. "And I'm sorry Jack; I have to talk about this."

"Wait!" Jack jumped off the bed and waved his hands in front of Arthur.

"No, sorry mate; this isn't for keeping," Arthur took a deep breath and hoped Jack would forgive him.

"Jack and Karl want to be made hybrid," he watched as Saffron's jaw dropped, but Laura didn't show any signs of surprise.

"Jack needs to be turned, I want to be turned," Karl added.

"I wondered when you would ask him, I just didn't think it would be this soon," Laura walked over, sat next to Jack and reached for his hand.

"It's dangerous, you're not strong enough. What would the Council say?" Saffron asked, standing up to pace the room.

"I can't rely on Arthur to rush in and save me anytime someone picks on me," Jack said looking more miserable than usual.

"Will it work? Werewolves don't get the sickness when we touch them anymore, so will it work the same?" Saffron asked, still pacing.

"What if we call Henderson? He's not like the rest of the Council," Arthur said, pulling a small card from his wallet with Henderson's details on.

"You can ask, but if he says no and calls the Council what then?" Karl said and they all sat in silence for a while.

"I'm going to call; I can't even consider this without talking to someone from the Council. Jack your Mum is going to kill me, especially if things go wrong," Arthur stepped closer to the window and entered the number on his phone.

Lucius put the phone down, again. He had tried to call Anita several times, but when he went to dial her number his courage failed him. He couldn't get her out of his head, he couldn't sleep, and he wasn't eating properly. He was even dreaming about tasting her blood. He picked up the phone again, but this time, he dialled her number, before it finished dialling he heard the doorbell ring and put the receiver back.

He wasn't completely surprised to see her on his doorstep; she was lovely, as usual. He reached for her hand and pulled her inside before she could place both feet firmly in his house he was kissing her. He used his foot to slide the door closed and backed her against the wall; she slid her hands up to his shoulders and pulled him closer raking her nails across his shirt. He led her to the bedroom and closed the door; she threw off her coat and walked into his open arms.

"I want you to feed from me, drink my blood," she whispered in his ear.

He kissed her neck while his hands slid her shirt away from her shoulder. He grazed the skin gently with his protracted fangs before opening his mouth wide and biting.

Henderson put the phone down; the council was getting their wish. Arthur, the first successful male hybrid in approximately three hundred years was asking to share his new status with a group of friends. Playing into the Council's plans with no back-up, he wished he could go up there and oversee things, but that would cause no end of problems, instead he had given the boy his personal mobile number and told him to phone anytime, day or night. He dialled an internal number from the phone in his office.

"Experiment H6 is in phase two," he said.

Jack sat waiting to hear what Henderson had said; they all watched Arthur's face for a sign as he put the phone down. Jack got up and stood in front of Arthur so he couldn't pace; their size difference was quite striking, he hadn't met him before he became a hybrid, so he had no reference point but the guy was huge.

"Okay," Arthur said.

"Okay, like okay, yes?" Jack managed to squeak out before his voice disappeared.

"We do it now; Henderson told me we have to half drain him first. Karl, lock the door," Arthur said, rolling up his sleeves.

"We don't get to talk about this?" Laura stood up and Saffron grabbed her hand.

"No, if we talk I won't be able to go through with it," Arthur said, advancing on Jack who had flopped back onto his bed. "Are you sure?" He asked, holding the pale boy by the shoulders.

"Yes, do it."

Arthur let his fangs descend and bit into the boy's neck, attacking the fast flowing artery. Laura reached out and took Jack's hand, he squeezed it lightly.

"Okay, Saffron your turn," Arthur said, licking the blood from around his lips.

"Okay," she said, sitting on Arthur's knee. She reached out towards Jack and he looked her in the eye and nodded faintly. Her mouth closed around the ragged hole in his neck and she sucked the warm wolf's blood from his frail body.

Jack began to feel faint and allowed his body to float into a relaxed and happy place. He was running in the field with Laura, the moon was shining on him and he felt alive and healthy. They chased each other through the long grass and rolled around nuzzling each other.

The sun began to rise very quickly, only it wasn't the sun; fire enveloped his body, his fur singed and burned. Laura floated away and he was engulfed in flames. He tried to scream, but a howl emerged and something strangled it before it could escape him.

"He's not drinking," Saffron said.

"Make the flow faster," Arthur said, grabbing her wrist and biting a bigger hole. Her blood trickled out and she held it against Jack's mouth, he wouldn't close his mouth around the wound.

"Jack, listen to me; you have to drink, drink it down now. Please, baby, do it for me," Laura was crying as she squeezed his limp hand.

He began to swallow the blood and after a few swallows, he made a seal around Saffron's wrist and drank. After a few minutes, Arthur took over, but Jack didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.

"Karl, you need to get some cold store blood bottles, we need them warmed," Arthur said.

"Won't it look suspicious if I go?" He asked wide-eyed.

"No, your roommate is a big arsed vampire, and needs a huge supply," Saffron said, lying across Arthur's bed, she needed blood to replace what she'd just lost.

"Of course," he said. He peered around the door and then made a run for it. He brought them back cold at first and they sent him back to warm them.

"Pass me one," Saffron said, taking one of the warm bottles.

Arthur removed his wrist from Jack's mouth and licked the wound closed. Jack began to search for the blood and he propped him against his pillows and fed him a bottle of lukewarm cold store. Jack wrinkled his brow but drank from the bottle.

"He can tell the difference between blood?" Laura asked.

"You can tell the difference between cow and chicken right?" Arthur replied letting Laura take over feeding Jack the cold store.

Arthur drank two shots of bottled blood and sent Karl for more. This was going to be a long night; he looked over and saw Saffron curled up on his bed, on any other day he would have curled up with her.

Jack settled down and slept for a while, although he was sweating and burning up during that sleep. The girls went back to their room when the curfew bell sounded, and Arthur decided to get some rest, leaving Karl to keep an eye on Jack.

Henderson had told him to watch out for signs that the wolf was coming out; that would be a major problem. Luckily no signs had come, yet. Arthur rested his head on the pillow and fell straight to sleep.

Jack woke up feeling sticky and damp. He sat up and could smell a mixture of blood and sweat; he swung his legs off the bed wanting to wash the smell off him, but he was gripped with a sudden pain.

"Easy there tiger," Karl said, sliding Jack's legs back into the bed.

"It hurts," Jack gripped his stomach in agony.

"Drink this, it's cold, but it will help." Karl brought a bottle to his mouth and he drank.

"It's disgusting!" He complained, but the pain in his stomach seemed to crave it so he threw back his head and poured the cold syrupy mixture down his throat. He shook his head, the aftertaste was vile.

"You slept for four hours, well done," Arthur patted him on the back then sat on the edge of the bed and bit into his own wrist.

"Drink mine," he put his wrist up to Jack's mouth and Jack cringed, but the crippling pain returned and he grabbed Arthur's wrist and drank.

"He's got fangs," Karl whispered from behind Arthur.

"Shut up," Arthur whispered.

Jack broke the seal and ran his tongue around his mouth finding two large protruding fangs. He reached up and felt the points of each in turn and then smiled proudly. Karl took a step back; Jack was straight out of a horror film set. His fangs were sharp and pointy with thick blood coating on them.

"You are gross, man," Karl said.

Another pang attacked Jack and he bit down on Arthur's wrist; Arthur braced himself but the bite hurt. Jack continued to feed and Arthur began to feel dizzy.

"Get the girls, and then get more cold store," Arthur said. "Hurry!"

Saffron took over feeding and Arthur drank a couple of shots, then fell back into bed exhausted and physically drained. He slept the minute his head hit the pillow.

"Listen to sleeping beauty snore," Karl said. "I need to sleep, wake me up if you need me."

The feeding eventually stopped and Saffron downed a few cold stores, then went to sleep beside Arthur. Laura fell asleep next to a hot and sweaty Jack. They slept for the rest of the daylight hours until the evening bell rang.

"Wake up guys," Arthur said quietly. He was standing over Jack looking confused. Saffron and Karl jumped up and joined him.

"Oh shit!" Karl said.

"Laura!" Saffron said and shook the girl. She woke up and tried to sit but was obviously too weak.

"Don't move, you've lost a lot of blood," Arthur said, inspecting the wound on her neck.

"What happened?" The pale girl began to cry her body trembling, waking Jack from his slumber.

"Did it work?" He sat up and stared in horror at the bloody mess surrounding him. "What have I done?"

"You snacked on your girlfriend," Karl said.

Arthur cleaned most of the blood off Jack, who was craving meat, and took him downstairs to breakfast hoping that his hunger wouldn't draw much attention. He soon found out that it wasn't the hunger he should have worried about; every time he walked past someone, they sniffed the air.

Arthur grabbed a plate, piled it high with meat and plonked it in front of Jack then did the same again for himself. They finished quickly and Arthur picked up seconds. When they'd finished the second plate Arthur took him back to the room.

"What's going on?" Jack asked when he walked in to find Saffron feeding Laura her blood.

"I can't do this again," Arthur sat on the bed, dropping his head into his hands.

"There wasn't any choice, Jack emptied the girl," Karl said.

"I'm so sorry Laura," Jack reached for her hand, but it was busy holding onto Saffron's wrist.

"Please take over Arthur, I'm so hungry," Saffron said, looking pale and fed up.

"Fuck!" Arthur stood up and punched the wall, making Karl jump. One glare from Saffron and he was once again sitting on Jack's bed, only, this time, he was feeding Laura. He barked orders and everyone else dispersed.

Karl grabbed several cold store bottles and brought them in pre-warmed. Saffron went to breakfast and Jack headed for the shower. Just after they left a head popped around the door, gasped and rushed in. Arthur took a deep breath before turning to face the newcomer.

"Matt, this isn't what it looks like," Arthur said, sighing, he was exhausted mentally as well as physically now, and lessons hadn't even begun yet.

"I'm here to help," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I read Karl's mind because he was acting suspiciously, no I have no ethics blah, blah, blah. Now move over, my blood has more natural healing abilities than yours."

"I'm not sure you should," Arthur said and poured out the basics of what they had tried to do for Jack and would be happening for Laura.

"I think a little fey in the mix would be a good thing," he shook his head. "This is why we are not governed by the Council."

"Who are you governed by?" Arthur asked.

"If you had been here longer you might have learned something about us in class, but I think human history is close; dude, we have a king, a queen, and a court."

"Like Oberon and Titania?" Arthur asked, surprised.

"No you fool, Shakespeare wrote fiction," Matt shook his head in mock disapproval. Karl walked in with an armful of cold store blood and stopped, staring at Matt.

Arthur grabbed a bottle and popped the top, downing the liquid quickly before explaining that Matt had read Karl's mind.

"This is getting so complicated, I can't think," he said. "I need breakfast, I'm gonna go get some," he disappeared through the doorway.

Laura spent the day recovering in Jack's bed, and everyone took it in turns to check on her throughout the day. The teachers were strangely compliant in what was obviously suspicious behaviour and said nothing. Jack went to his lessons in between drinking cold store blood and eating huge quantities of meat. He had completely gotten over his vegetarianism; it was as if his weak human side had dwindled to a tiny five percent of his body. He was hungry like the wolf and he was feeding like the devil, he thought.

Matt was a power source; he didn't need to refuel by eating huge quantities of meat, in fact, he rarely ate meat. He didn't drink blood or get super sleepy, so they relied on him to help Laura get through the sweats and shakes while her biological makeup changed.

By the end of lessons, everyone except Matt was exhausted. Jack was feeling the hunger of being a new hybrid, but he wouldn't complete the change until the full moon if everything went well. The other students were avoiding him in the corridors and only talking about him when he was out of earshot now, only his hearing had improved and he could still hear the words freak and a freaky pack if he concentrated hard enough.

When Laura woke up the next morning in her own bed, she didn't feel like her old self. She sat up waiting for the hunger and sure enough it arrived. Quickly, she ran along to the cold store station in the hallway and nuked a bottle, which she downed immediately to stop the cramps. She nuked a couple more and took them back to her room. Saffron sat up and grabbed one from her and they sat on their beds drinking the red stuff.

"Whose blood did I get?" Laura asked, throwing her empty bottle into the wastepaper basket across the room with a satisfying clunk.

"Mine, Arthur's and Matt's," she replied lobbing her empty bottle so it landed with Laura's.

"So what does that make me?" Laura's eyes went wide with surprise.

"My bestie forever," Saffron said grinning.

"Am I a hybrid like you?" She moaned.

"I think you might be a little different," Saffron said, getting off the bed and reaching for Laura's hand. She positioned her in front of the mirror and Laura saw what she meant.

"Oh wow, that's not going to go unnoticed. My Dad's gonna kill me, us; he's gonna kill us," she fiddled with her new shiny curls which were strawberry blonde instead of mousy. Her lashes were fuller and darker, her freckles were cuter and she had huge fangs that were pretty awesome.

"Yeah, he's gonna notice," Saffron sighed. "But you're so beautiful," Saffron pulled a curl and let it go, it sprang back into shape. "Yep, you're a bit fey."

"I've got bigger boobs too," Laura said clutching her chest.

"Yes, you have," Saffron laughed.

"I'm adorable," Laura squealed and jumped and did a version of the victory jig.

"Keep it down little Miss Vain!" Saffron whisper-shouted as the squealing became too much.
**Chapter 13**
Laura's appetite was bigger than usual, but not quite what the others had felt; she craved fruit with everything. She spent the morning eating fruit in class while studying and trying to ignore confused and bitchy stares from the females and full on advances from the males. Jack insisted on accompanying her everywhere because the other boys were trying to get her attention.

"Is that a fey thing?" Jack asked Matt.

"What, to be beautiful and adored? Yes, Jack, she will learn to control it or, at least, control other people's behaviour," he laughed but Jack didn't look too pleased.

They settled into the school routine; Laura learned to avoid the attention she got from the males and Jack learned to consume more meat and blood. Arthur found that he had a stalker and tried to avoid her at all costs, which meant he couldn't go anywhere alone. He finally slipped up when he walked to the showers one day and she happened to be waiting for him.

"Olivia, go away," Arthur said and tried to step around her.

"You don't mean that," she traced a finger down his bare chest.

"Back off!" He hissed at her, his fangs penetrating his lip in anger.

"No," she replied, running her hand towards the towel around his waist while smiling up at him with her own delicate fangs showing.

He brushed her hand away and stormed into the shower where he was pretty sure she wouldn't follow. He didn't know how to deal with her, and he didn't want Saffron to find out in case it upset her, but at least if she knew she could deal with the girl.

"What's up?" One of the more friendly werewolves from his martial arts class asked.

"There's a girl that won't leave me alone, she's stalking me," he said stepping under the running water.

"And you're complaining why?" He laughed.

"I've got a girlfriend," Arthur replied.

"Ah, I see; who's the girl? Maybe I can take her off your hands," the wolf asked.

"Olivia," he said.

"Oh shit! Man, you're in trouble," the guy said laughing.

"Why?" Arthur was tired of talking about the subject but thought he should hear the full story.

"She's not right in the brain. She was turned and her parents abandoned her; the Council took her in but not before she managed to fall into some bad hands. They hurt her, starved her, tormented her, and did other stuff to her if you know what I mean."

"How do you know this?" Arthur asked, wondering why this sort of information was available to him when it seemed like something that should be private.

"We hacked into the mainframe a few months before you came. Read everyone's files including the teachers," the wolf replied.

"Classy," Arthur said.

"Whatever," the boy turned to have a conversation elsewhere and Arthur grabbed his towel and went to the exit. She wasn't there and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Anita, Lucius, John and Sarah arrived at the cottage on Friday evening after stopping in Edinburgh to sleep through the day. Someone had made a fire and stocked the fridge and freezer with good food, alcohol, and blood. Lucius was relieved to see the latter on the shelf.

He was surprised to find only two bedrooms and thought it might cramp his and Anita's new and exciting relationship, but then he caught on. John smelled exactly like Sarah, the kind of smell that would only be replicated from someone not only sleeping alongside the person but doing their washing in the same wash load. That made things easier.

They unpacked their things while they waited for the children to arrive, and he warmed up the interesting snacks he'd made for them. Anita and Sarah had made a cake which was decorated with a wolf and the moon; it was amusing if nothing else.

He had decided he liked John and Sarah but their nervousness around him was grating on his nerves. It was in his nature to be a gentleman, but when they flinched every time he moved around it upset and irritated him. He was not a violent man and he hadn't bitten anyone by force since the first couple of years after he was turned.

They all turned around when the door chime went. Anita and Sarah ran for the door laughing when they nearly ran into each other in a hurry to see their children. Saffron walked in first looking much older than when he'd first met her. Next was Arthur looking healthy and strong; Lucius was filled with pride when he saw the boy. When Arthur was born, he'd been so frail and sickly looking, he would never have imagined that he could grow to be so strong and powerful.

Karl the hyperactive werewolf boy walked in next, grinning madly and looking around, no doubt hunting for food. He'd only met him once before, but the kid had a smile that made a person warm to him.

As Laura entered the room everything went silent. Lucius had only met the girl for a brief moment, but he remembered her being a plain, sweet little wolf who would be more at home in a library than a, well anywhere. She didn't look the same at all and he felt sorry for her father who looked like he was about to faint.

Lucius caught John as his knees gave way; Laura rushed over to him and fussed at him. Lucius heard a gasp and turned around to see Jack walk in with a healthier pink complexion and a stunning set of fangs; he looked back at Laura to see her sporting fangs also. Just as his brain was about to explode, a large glowing youth with stunning blonde curls and dimples stepped in and smiled sweetly, without fangs.

"What is going on?" Lucius boomed and everyone jumped, with the exception of dimples.

"It was my fault," Arthur said, looking around the room nervously.

"No, it was my fault, I started this," Jack said in a confident voice.

"Why has my son got fangs?" Sarah asked, her voice seemed so fragile his heart went out to her.

"Explain!" Lucius bellowed at Arthur.

"Jack was being picked on and wanted to be turned into a hybrid to defend himself," Arthur said.

"I accidentally bit Laura while I was recovering; she's a part wolf, part vampire, and part fey now," Jack said, the words tumbling out of his mouth in such a hurry he couldn't think. "I love her." Everyone looked at him as if he was stupid, but Laura walked over and kissed him. They didn't stare at him for long; they recalled the word 'fey'.

"You are fey?" Sarah asked Matt.

"I am, and now so is she, in part," he clarified.

"What like a fairy?" She asked.

"If you must," Matt sighed.

He tried to have patience; humans were only stupid because they were kept in the dark. He wished all species would come out and intermingle so that no one would ever have to be 'just' anything again.

"Oh for goodness sake! Where's the Scotch?" Lucius said, and hunted for four glasses.

After the initial shock, the party went well; Saffron got lots of presents and seemed to have a great time, and everyone warmed to Matt's, well, inner warmth. A few beverages later and the silly questions had stopped, and the really stupid ones started. The kids were high on fizzy pop and sugared treats, and John got used to seeing his daughter looking like a movie star.

"So when you go through your next moon you should end up looking like that," Sarah asked her son.

"Hopefully, except with my head, not his," he told his tipsy mother. She nearly fell off the chair laughing, but John grabbed her and kissed her, which led to another 'coming out'.

"So you two are an item?" Laura asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," John said.

"I wish you had told me, I wouldn't have worried about you so much," Laura hugged her dad.

"I guess we should tell you something too," Anita said.

"We know you two are together," Saffron said.

"Really?" Anita said.

"Yeah, really," Arthur said.

The next evening they waved goodbye to their parents; the grownups had come to terms with the changes that the children had been through, but Jack and Laura still had to get through the next moon which was drawing closer.

Arthur was starting to think he should tell Saffron about his stalker. Olivia had managed to corner him on several occasions during the week and being so close to the full moon he was edgy and likely to snap. The last occasion he'd been in his room alone when the door opened and she'd come in and closed the door before he'd looked up. He had expected to see one of the boys, but there she had stood in a slinky dress and way too much makeup. He'd jumped up with lightning speed and manhandled her out the door, but it was getting tiresome.

"You have the weight of the world on your shoulder," Matt said sneaking up from behind him.

"Were you just reading my mind?" Arthur said, glancing sideways at the guy.

"When someone thinks in pictures I can't help it, but feel free to fill in the gaps," Matt opened the door to his room and waited for Arthur to step in. Matt was the only person in the castle with his own room, bar the teachers.

"Olivia Spencer," Arthur sat on Matt's bed and slouched against the wall.

"Oh, enough said; the gaps are well and truly filled. Not literally I hope," Matt said, sitting opposite Arthur with his hands clasped reminding Arthur of a shrink.

"I don't know how to stop her, it's driving me mad," Arthur slouched further.

"It's not her fault; she's broken," Matt said. "Of course, if Saffron finds out she may be broken physically as well."

"Saf, I don't know if you've noticed, but there's a girl who's been hanging around Arthur lately," Laura said when they were walking in the rose garden one evening.

"Yeah, I've noticed," she sighed. "I just don't know what to do about it."

"Do you love him?" Laura asked.

"Yes, completely."

"Maybe the two of you should bond."

"What?" Saffron asked. She knew a lot more about the different species since coming to the school, but bonding hadn't come onto her radar yet.

"It's a werewolf thing," Laura replied, sitting on the bench overlooking the stream. "You need to claim him as yours, if he feels the same you'll bond."

"How do you do that?" Saffron replied, guessing where the conversation was going.

"Mating," Laura whispered in Saffron's ear. They giggled, mating seemed such a strange term.

Saffron had done sex-ed at school and she knew all the theory of human copulation, but she knew nothing about werewolf, vampire, fey, or hybrid mating. Life had become so complicated; as if it wasn't hard enough to be a human teenager, but to throw different species into the mix just blew her mind. There was so much she needed to learn.

"Tell me about it?" Saffron whispered.

"I don't know anything about it," Laura looked shocked. "You've met my Dad; how would I find out about mating."

"True," Saffron said.

"But, I know a way we can find out."

"How?" Saffron leant closer and Laura whispered into her ear.

"Use your mind control skills to get the teacher to tell us."

"Laura you are diabolical, and that is why I love you," Saffron laughed.

With the full moon coming up, Laura spent a lot of time with Jack; he was nervous and excited. He'd been eating vast quantities of meat but he still looked pale and sickly; his blood thirst was three times what Laura's was. Laura was queuing to get a couple of bottles of cold store when she caught sight of Arthur. He was backed up into a dark corner and she only realised it was him because of his size. Draped across him in a skimpy skirt was the blonde girl, Olivia.

Laura put her bottles in the machine to warm and looked back; they seemed to be having a discussion and she couldn't see if he was enjoying the attention or not, he was too far in the shadows. She picked up her bottles and was about to walk off when she heard a tinkling laugh, a flirty hand brushed his chest, and this is when Laura saw red.

"Back off bitch!" Laura put the blood down on the counter.

"What?" Olivia stared at Laura first blushing then looking horrified.

"Back away from him, he has a girlfriend," she said, feeling the anger boil up.

"Calm down, Laura," Arthur said, taking a step towards her.

"Calm down?" Her voice went up several decibels. "What are you doing hiding in the shadows with that!"

"Laura calm down, honey, there's something happening to you," Arthur said approaching her carefully.

She began to smell something strange, and her body prickled slightly. Laura had never really expressed her anger before and she hadn't known she was capable of losing it, but she was enjoying the feeling. It was warm and powerful, and very tingly.

"Nothing to see here," Matt said, rushing up from behind her. He grabbed her waist and pulled her down from somewhere higher than the floor.

"What just happened?" She spun on him catching the glow of her arm, which sparkled with what looked like blue electricity.

"Go away," Matt said to the onlookers, including the cowering underdressed Olivia; they scattered.

"That was awesome," Arthur said.

"I'm not finished with you!" She shouted and he took a step back.

"She's stalking me, I've been trying to tell her I'm not interested, but she won't leave me alone. I was just telling her that Saffron's going to kill her if she keeps at it."

"Arthur, I'll come and see you later, but right now I need to talk to Laura," Matt said and whisked her away to his room. Arthur nodded and walked away.

"Come on girl, you and I need to talk," Matt said gently guiding her to his room.

He opened his door and she sat on his bed; he had the neatest room in the whole place. He didn't have to share his space and he had real plants in pots on the windowsill. Laura felt comfortable with Matt; he was wise, calm, gentle and he smelled like flowers. She relaxed back feeling tired suddenly.

"Oh no you don't, I picked these up." Matt handed her the bottles of blood and she downed one.

"What happened?" She asked, sipping from the second bottle.

"You got very angry and went all fey, which is weird being that you are a werewolf, vampire and human too," he said.

"I should have been all teeth and claws?" She asked.

"You tell me? You were werewolf before any of this hybridism," he said.

"I've never really lost my temper before; I saw Arthur and Olivia hiding in the shadows, she was all limpet on him and I saw red, or blue," she said wondering if Arthur was being completely honest.

"Forget about Arthur, I know about that. He isn't cheating on Saffron but Olivia may just have used up her last chance," he said, sitting on the chair in front of her. "What made you electric, girl?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"I'm not, I'm thinking; be quiet," he was silent for a while and she continued to sip her cold store bottle.

"I don't know anything about the fey, I think I need to know stuff," she said, breaking the long silence which had become more than a little boring.

"Fey aren't turned or made, they just are," he stood up and lifted his top showing a well-muscled stomach. "Bellybutton," he hinted and she finally got it.

"Oh, you have no belly button, that's really weird," she poked his abs and he slapped her hand away gently.

"We aren't born, we're made by the land; we're ancient creatures who change shape rather than die. You are, somehow, a mixture of the undead, a wild shape shifter, a human, and a spirit of the land. You are impossible," he tried to explain.

"What will happen on the full moon tonight?" She asked.

"I don't know sweetie, I don't know," he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. She shouldn't have changed; she should have been a regular hybrid like Saffron. His blood shouldn't be able to change anyone.

They knew the routine for the full moon, it had been explained. The school had responsibility of the children and as so had to take a precaution against unwanted litters. When the kids were in wolf form they couldn't keep an eye out for them and with the full moon affecting their hormones they took precautions. These precautions came in the form of a little herbal tincture given to the boys during mid-afternoon before the full moon. They prevented any amorous intentions.

Arthur, Jack and Karl were lined up with the rest of the wolves; the banter was flying and it was generally an excitable place to be. The girls giggled as they walked past the line. Arthur grabbed the pen to sign for his meds, but he couldn't find his name on the list.

"We're not giving you the remedy, I'm sorry Arthur," Mr Hargreaves said.

"Why not?" Arthur asked, confused.

"We're not sure of the effect it will have on your system, I'm sure you can rely on your sensibilities," he replied.

"What about me?" Jack asked.

"None for you either Jack and the same for you Karl," Mr Hargreaves said and began serving the boy behind them in the queue.

"That's weird," Arthur said as they walked back to their room.

"Totally weird, I'm not even a hybrid and I've been denied," Karl said.

"Now that really is weird," Jack said. "Unless the Council were expecting you to turn us both," Jack said.

"Maybe, I thought it was all too easy. I don't trust the Council or their motives," Arthur said.

"Knock, knock!" Matt called having walked in already.

"Dude, you're supposed to actually knock on the door," Karl said.

"Whatever. Our little Laura is a bit nervous about turning tonight after the incident earlier, so I just want to check that you guys are going to look after my little flower for me," Matt said.

"Of course, she's my girlfriend," Jack said, feeling a little defensive, although he was quite sure Matt wouldn't hit on Laura.

"You don't count; you will be going through some major changes yourself. Karl, can I trust you to stick with her tonight?" Matt asked.

"Sure, Saffron will be there too, remember," he replied.

"I can't find Saffron," Matt said as he exited the room.

Saffron stood in front of Mrs Willow's desk; she had hoped to see another teacher, but the only one available was the tall thin vampire. She watched as the woman shuffled some papers and filed them into different trays on her desk. She could read her enough to know that the vampire was stalling her.

"I have come to ask a question," Saffron asked as she sat on the chair opposite the teacher.

"What question?" Mrs Willow replied without looking up.

"I'd like to know about werewolf bonding," Saffron said in a slow, clear voice that penetrated every available space in the room. She kept the focus held and continued to look at the teachers face.

"What would you like to know?" The teacher asked.

"How is it done?" Saffron replied in the same mellow, velvety tone.

"Most people believe it happens as part of mating, but that isn't the only way you can bond," she replied in a dreamy soft voice.

"How else could it happen?" Saffron asked.

"I... I... Can't remember," Mrs Willow rubbed her head as if a pain was shooting through it. "I... What did you want?"

"Nothing, it's fine," Saffron said and went for the door. Someone had messed with the woman's head before she did, and she did not want to get the blame.

"I'm sorry I feel a bit ill," the woman sounded weak and confused.

Saffron ran to the cold store station near the teacher's lounge and warmed a bottle, then took it to the confused woman. She took her leave while the teacher drank the blood. She needed to forget the bonding if Olivia was going to try and steal Arthur she would have to trust that Arthur loved her and wouldn't stray.
**Chapter 14**
It was chilly outside when they went to the changing blocks, but their raised body temperatures and excitement took away the coldness. The kids had two large cabins, one for girls and one for boys. Saffron and Laura went in and sat down on one of the long benches.

"Did you find out about bonding?" Laura asked.

"Only that it can be done during mating, there is another way, but Mrs Willow went a bit strange and couldn't remember how; it was as if her mind closed up automatically."

"So are you going to try?" Laura asked.

"No, I'm not ready," she said beginning to feel the fizzing as her body prepared itself for the change.

"I'm seventeen; I think it's time I learned to drive," Laura said.

"Wow, that's cool, and random," Saffron laughed.

Girls around them began to turn as the moon rose in the sky. Saffron was glad that Olivia was a vampire, they weren't allowed access to the outside on the full moon in case they got into a fight with the wolves and poisoned each other. She wished she could get that girl to back off. Saffron began to turn and she slipped out of the towel and into the wolf seamlessly. She stood waiting for Laura to turn, but nothing happened.

"I'm not changing, Saffron," Laura began to panic, she loved wolfing out and she'd been looking forward to it, but there was no fizzing and no wolf.

Saffron nuzzled her friend; she couldn't tell what was happening and she needed to talk to Laura but until they were in the same form again she couldn't. She concentrated on her making some form of communication and was surprised when she popped back into human form. Saffron crouched naked on the floor in surprise and Laura stared at her shocked.

"What the hell happened?" She grabbed the towel and held it around her but stayed crouching.

"That's not supposed to happen, you can control it?" Laura said with her eyes wide and wet with tears.

"Maybe you can control it too," Saffron said. "Take control, try and imagine being the wolf."

Laura concentrated on the feeling that she had when the wolf came, the fizzing that ended with a pop as her body transformed. Nothing happened for a while and she was starting to think the fey blood had taken the wolf, but then it happened. She managed to catch her paw in her dressing gown and jumped around the room shaking it off while Saffron laughed first in human form then she howled with laughter as she turned back into the wolf.

Laura was full of relief as the feeling of being human disappeared and the wolf took over. The wolf had been more distant since she'd been fed blood, and she missed it. She'd felt special, important, strong. She also felt grounded by the wolf as if her human life was just a small part of the whole piece and without the wolf, she became empty and hollow.

Laura hadn't told anyone her fears that the wolf had left her, she'd been strong for Jack, and then there had been the fey hovering above the ground and emitting electricity problem. She was so glad to be wolfed out. Her wolf wasn't any bigger like Saffron's, but she did feel different from her last full moon transformation. She felt stronger, closer and more connected to everything around her.

The girls bounded out of the entrance and straight into the boys. Jack was standing with pride for once; he was big, powerful and strong with pale grey fur and piercing blue eyes. Arthur was still the biggest, but Jack was definitely bigger than Karl and all the other wolves. He looked amazing and judging from the looks of awe they were receiving from the other wolves around none of them would be picked on again.

They raced and tumbled with each other before they caught the scent of prey. They tracked it together and with simple wolf communication skills they formed a killing machine, a pack. The stag ran through the field and into the dark forest with the five wolves in tail. Their eyes adjusted to the darkness of the trees and they used the pack strategy to trap the stag, cornering it slowly.

Laura saw the fear it the animal's eyes and was still for a moment, she wasn't sure she could do this. Arthur took the first bite and the others followed swiftly. The deer was down and the killing bite was administered by Arthur's huge skilled jaws before it understood what had happened. She stood back from the pack until the deer became still, all life extinguished, and then she took her place beside Jack.

They finished the deer between them; Arthur was given first choice and it was obvious to all of their own pack, and the other wolves in the vicinity that Arthur was the Alpha. He was the biggest, strongest wolf any of them had ever seen, and he was without a doubt a killer. Saffron eyed him with pride as she watched him govern the pack with no conscious effort.

Later that evening Laura slipped into human form mid-run and tumbled down the slope, having suddenly lost the four paw foothold. She swore for the first time ever as she steadied herself and then pulled the wolf form back. Ignoring the stares of the other wolves she continued; they were shocked, but she was just embarrassed.

Saffron ran to her friend as she saw her spring into human form, which caused her to trip over her longer legs. She stood by her as Laura took a deep breath and formed back into the wolf. Relief flooded her; the last thing any of them wanted was to be naked suddenly in front of half of the school's students and teachers. Her friend growled at the onlookers who weren't part of their group and they dispersed. Jack nuzzled her, checking that she was okay and she reassured him by jumping on his back and rolling him over. The urge to play was almost as strong as the urge to eat, in a werewolf.

As the moon neared the edge of the horizon they took their last howls and walked towards the cabins. Laura went from four paws to two before she reached the cabin.

"Damn it!" She hissed.

Saffron changed into her human form as she reached the bench and slipped into her dressing gown. The other girls were still in wolf form and all of them were staring back at them with their eyes wide.

"That was embarrassing, twice over," Laura said, picking her dressing gown off the floor where she'd left it after becoming stuck in it.

"Yeah, a bit of a surprise that we can change at will, eh?" Saffron said.

They ignored the wolves sitting in the changing room where they would begin to turn back any minute, and walked towards the castle. They were tired and in need of a shower, but staying in the cabins would have meant answering questions as soon as the other girls began to change back.

"Wait up!" Arthur said running up the hill with Jack following close behind.

"We can turn back on our own," Arthur said grinning.

"I see you left Karl to sleep it off," Saffron laughed noting his absence.

"He can't change at will," Jack said grinning. The guy had grown about eight inches in height and had sprouted muscles all around. He'd tied the dressing gown around his waist because it wouldn't go round his new broad chest and shoulders.

"Wow!" Laura said, stepping closer to him to kiss his cheek. "You look gorgeous."

His floppy thin hair had turned thick and glossy and brightened to a warmer shade of blonde. His skin looked healthy and he'd lost the sickly look that he'd sported since Saffron had first met him. The scars still stretched across his lower face, but they seemed less angry and red.

"You look great Jack," Saffron said feeling really pleased for the guy.

The side door opened as they reached the castle and Matt stuck his head round it. They walked in and he wrinkled his nose at the smell of their bodies; a rich mixture of dried blood, raw meat, and earth.

"I happened to be looking out of my bedroom window and saw something strange happen," he looked at Laura.

"It's so embarrassing," Laura muttered and ran off toward the showers.

"I'll leave you guys to discuss this," Saffron said and joined her friend.

"The wolves in the Pound weren't body shy, I guess being naked after transforming is natural to a werewolf," Saffron said.

"Maybe, but the mid-run human naked form isn't just bad because I'm naked it's bad because it's dangerous," Laura showed Saffron grazed knees.

"Oh, sorry I didn't notice," Saffron said, stepping under the hot jets.

"I must admit, it's quite cool being able to transform at will," Laura smiled once more looking more confident again. "I'm wondering if we can transform during the rest of the month."

"That would be awesome, and useful, maybe," she replied.

"I have information," the man spoke in a whisper even though he was alone in his office. "Firstly, as you know they've turned two children; Jack and Laura. Secondly, they've learned how to transform of their own accord." The man swished the caramel coloured liquid around the glass before tipping the contents into his mouth. "I will continue to monitor them, oh and there's a girl attaching herself to the alpha." He waited for the response on the telephone and poured another measure of brandy into his glass while the voice gave instruction. "How would you like me to take care of that?" The response came more quickly this time. "Okay, I'll sort the girl and give them the encouragement they need to turn Karl." The line on the other side clicked and Jameson put the phone down. Phase three couldn't begin until the last few details had been settled.

He stood up, feeling the effects of the brandy on his tired body. He needed to get some sleep; he shut the laptop down disabling the remote cameras he'd had installed around the grounds; they wouldn't be needed for another month. He locked his door and walked up to the main staircase.

There she was, predictably waiting at the blood station on the second floor; crazy little vampire. He didn't like vampires or werewolves, and working in a school full of them was only just bearable; they were parasitic creatures with a thirst for blood. More needy and emotional than the average human, and he didn't care much for humans either. He needed a plan that would take care of the two issues stopping him from beginning phase three, and then he needed out of this hovel.

Arthur lay on his bed with his eyes closed, but he couldn't sleep. The stag had been a real buzz, but knowing that they had more control over their bodies and the transformation was keeping his brain too busy to sleep. He wanted to try it but didn't want to do it anywhere that he could get caught. He sat up and looked over at the sleeping werewolves; Karl was curled up with a smile on his face and Jack was sprawled out lightly snoring. He would have asked Saffron to go with him, but if either one of them was naked in the same room it might lead to other things, and he wanted to take it slowly. He'd been through so many changes recently it was nice to feel comfortable with her and not have things come between them.

It was no good, he had to try. He left the room without waking the others and went to the martial arts hall, there was a smaller room off the side of the hall and he was pretty sure no one would come in during daylight hours. He pushed the door closed and removed his pyjamas, because if it worked they'd be a shredded mess or he'd be so tangled up he wouldn't be able to move. He didn't notice the door open slightly behind him.

He kicked his pyjamas to the side and concentrated on the fizzy feeling he had just before the wolf came out. He thought he could feel something but it disappeared so he tried again, this time, he crouched on the floor, his muscles taut with the tension, poised for action. He could feel the fizzing start and he relaxed, breathing in slowly and deeply.

Just as he felt the pop which signified the wolf entering his body, he felt someone crash into him from behind. His alert animal body felt under attack and he turned and bit into the soft flesh. His teeth held rather than bit down and he shook his prey off of his body. A loud scream punctured his sensitive eardrums as he threw the prey across the room. He saw the female body and shock of blonde hair as he transformed once more.

The shock of what he'd done hit him in his human form. Olivia lay unconscious in a bloody heap in the corner of the room. Her nightdress was shredded and he could see the deep bite and claw marks on her back and stomach. He rolled her over and saw her once pretty face was marred by a set of three claw marks, and they weren't healing. They were raised and vicious looking, and he realised that in wolf form he was still poisonous to vampires.

"Olivia, you stupid girl," he whispered. He was about to pick her up when Matt appeared in the doorway followed closely by Karl, Jack, and another wolf boy.

"This is not how it looks," Arthur said, remembering he was still naked. He reached for his clothes and began pulling them on.

"She's burning up, the sickness will kill her, she needs blood," Matt said lifting her gently.

"Karl, get some cold store," Arthur said.

"Bring it to my room, quickly!" Matt carried the girl up the stairs to his room and laid her on his bed.

Arthur stood silently watching as Matt removed the shredded material away from the wounds. He had been so focused he hadn't heard her or felt her presence, he should have known she'd be following him.

"Arthur you should leave; I'm going to give her my blood. Jack, are you willing to give her some of yours?" Matt asked.

"I didn't know she was there," Arthur whispered.

"I know, but I think it's best if you stay away from her now," Matt said making it very clear he would throw him out if he needed to.

Jack watched him leave confused, but Arthur didn't say anything. He felt guilty, but he was also really worried about what Saffron would say or think. He walked straight down the hall, passing Karl, who gave him a questioning look as he hurried past with the bottles of blood. He knocked on Saffron's door and then entered without waiting for her to answer. She was asleep, of course, and so was Laura.

"Laura," he shook the girl gently. She woke and looked up at him sleepily. "Can you go to Matt's room, there's been an incident," he said, then added, "nothing to do with Jack."

"Okay," She got up and grabbed a cardigan, then left the room.

Saffron was awake and in the process of sitting up. Her hair was mussed up and her eyes were sleepy and unfocused. He looked down at himself and realised his pyjama top was on back to front and there was blood drying around his mouth and down his chin.

"What happened?" She said as he came closer. She saw the dried blood around his mouth and sniffed him.

"I went to the gym to see if I could tame the wolf, turn without the moon," he said. "I took off my pyjamas and concentrated on the change. It happened, but I didn't notice Olivia had crept in behind me and just as I turned she threw herself at me, and I bit her."

"The little bitch!" Saffron hissed hitting up anger before she could think.

"She's poisoned, we're still poisonous in our wolf form," he said.

"Oh, is she okay?" She shook her head. "I guess not that's why you came to wake me up," she pulled the cover off her ready to get out of bed, but he crawled in next to her and pulled her down into an embrace.

"I never encouraged her, I actively discouraged her, but she just wouldn't leave me alone," he said against her shoulder.

"I know," Saffron said and held him tighter.

They lay entwined for a long time before he fell asleep, and his brain finally released the visions that were swimming behind his eyes. Saffron felt the release as he fell into a deep sleep, but she didn't let him go, he needed her, so she stayed in his arms.
**Chapter 15**
Matt fed the girl the warmed cold store blood and waited for it to react in her body. There was no healing, the fever didn't drop, and she showed no sign of regaining consciousness. He didn't want to feed her from his vein in case she became fey like Laura, but he didn't want to lose her. He finally fed her his blood when the shakes began to rattle violently through her body. He broke the skin and released some blood onto her lips, she didn't react at first and he dropped some onto her tongue.

When the blood hit her tongue, she seemed to gain some animal consciousness and she bit down hard on his arm, ripping the wrist wide open. He didn't move, at first, he was trapped by her sudden strength and his shock. Jack saw what had happened and tried to release her grip as Matt bit his lip, trying to control the pain that made him want to yell.

"What the hell?" Karl had walked in with an armful of blood bottles to a sight of carnage.

Matt was attached to Olivia and she was attempting to drain the boy unconsciously. He dropped the blood on the bed and stuck his fingers into her mouth by force, breaking the seal. Matt jumped away and Olivia fell back onto the bed; he picked up the nearest bottle popped the top and poured it down her searching mouth, while avoiding her sharp fangs.

Jack sat Matt down; he looked weak and confused. He took the shredded wrist in his hands carefully and began to lick the wound slowly; as it began to heal, he looked up and saw that Matt was looking at Olivia with fear and disgust. He slipped a strong arm around the guy and pulled him to his feet, he managed to guide him to his room a few doors down and laid him on the bed gently.

"What do you need to heal?" Jack asked.

"Sunshine," Matt replied in a small voice that sounded nothing like his usual confident self.

"Okay, I can do that," he stood and pulled the thick curtains open then raised the blackout blind.

There was a film on the window that stopped the UV light from penetrating, so he opened the window allowing the cool breeze to enter. The sun wasn't very bright, but it was the best he could do for the time being. He checked Matt's wrist once more to make sure it wasn't leaking; the vein had closed and it was beginning to heal, but the skin was ragged and he wasn't sure it would heal over completely.

"You shouldn't leave her alone with Karl," Matt said, looking up at him with his brilliant sky-blue eyes.

"I'm on my way, I'll be back to check on you shortly dude, so sit tight," Jack really liked the fey, he was a kind and good guy who didn't deserve to be attacked, although he didn't think it was her fault, or even Arthur's. He guessed it was a case of 'shit happens'.

Laura walked into Matt's room without knocking; she could hear something going on inside and it didn't sound good. She screamed, she didn't mean to but it escaped her lips before she could stop it.

There was blood all over the bed and Karl was bleeding in the middle of it. Laura rushed over and put her hand on his artery as his life force pumped quickly from his body. He slipped to the floor and she felt arms grab him before she realised what had happened Olivia had sunk her teeth into the other side of his neck.

Laura tried to put her fingers in Olivia's mouth to break the seal, but she couldn't; they all slid to the floor in a bloody tangle of teeth and limbs and she tried once more. Karl was fading out of consciousness and she had to do something. Laura didn't think anymore: thinking was too slow. She fizzed and wolfed out, grabbing Olivia by her neck, and piercing her skin with her powerful jaws, she increased the pressure until she felt Olivia go limp and then transformed back to human form just in time to see Jack and Mr Jameson enter the room.

Jack threw Matt's dressing-gown around her shoulders and pulled her away to sit on the chair. He picked up Karl's limp body and ripped a long slice in his vein dripping the flow of blood into Karl's ashen body. Laura tied the dressing gown and licked the wounds on Karl's neck until they healed, then rushed out to get some more cold store supplies.

"Saffron wake up, there's something wrong," Arthur had sat up, pulling the covers from her.

"What?" She asked rubbing her tired face.

"Come on," he said, jumping from the bed.

They ran along the hallway, finding a blood-soaked Laura collecting cold store bottles from the blood station. They grabbed some bottles and carried on towards Matt's room. There was a crowd of boys outside the room all trying to hear or see what was going on.

"Nothing to see here, go to your rooms right away," Saffron told them in her smooth persuasive voice. They moved as if they had a new purpose in life, and the three were able to get into the room.

It was complete carnage. Saffron had never seen so much blood, and plenty of it smelled like Karl. She could make out the still form of Olivia on the bed surrounded by her own pool of blood. Mr Jameson held something to the wound, but she was as good as gone. Karl had the remainder of a scar from what would have been a substantial wound on his neck; a bite mark.

Arthur had taken over feeding Karl his blood and Jack stood up and threw his arms around Laura. He had silent tears streaming down his face and Laura brushed them away with her dirty hands causing more streaks.

"She's gone," Mr Jameson said quietly.

"It's all my fault," Arthur said.

"Saffron lock the door, please, we need to discuss this before anyone else turns up; get things straight," he said in a very business-like manner. Saffron locked the door.

Arthur told him what happened and everyone helped to fill in the gaps. Saffron took over feeding Karl, who was hungry and burning up, but at least, his wound had healed enough to stop leaking.

"Arthur and Jack go and take a shower, you're covered in blood. Laura check on Matt and then do the same. Saffron when you're ready to stop feeding him I'll feed him the bottled blood, and you will all meet me back here as soon as you're cleaned. Is that clear?" Mr Jameson said in a calm and neutral voice.

They did as he asked and met him back in Matt's wrecked room within fifteen minutes. Olivia had been wrapped tightly in sheets and blankets so they could no longer see her at all. Karl had some colour back to his cheeks and seemed to be sleeping soundly. Saffron saw a wound on Jameson's wrist and he covered it quickly when he caught her staring. She was very sure that he'd fed Karl from his vein, but she was pretty sure he was neither vampire nor werewolf. She'd assumed he was human.

"Arthur we're going to dispose of the body, Saffron you will stop people from inquiring while we do this. Jack, you will clean up this room and Laura you will care for Matt and Karl," Mr Jameson announced with a cool authority.

"Dispose? What are you saying?" Arthur felt a coldness wash over him. A short while ago Olivia was a pain in the ass, over made-up little flirt, but she was also very much alive, for an undead, now she was wrapped in what would be a shroud and about to be 'disposed of'.

"You foolish little children, if you had left her to go into stasis I could have revived her with vampire blood, but no you had to play God," he hissed with such anger and venom they all stepped away from him. "Anyway the damage is done and we will do our very best to clear it up without causing alarm or attention, especially from the Council."

They did as they were told; Arthur helped Jameson carry the swaddled Olivia to the basement and they only encountered one person. Saffron had to use her powerful voice of compulsion, which is what Jameson called it, to smooth things over with Mrs Willow.

Saffron stood at the top of the basement and guarded the door when Arthur and Jameson took Olivia to the furnace. Arthur came out alone, leaving Jameson to stoke the fire and see that the girl disappeared leaving no trace. Then they went upstairs and helped to clean the room.

Karl recovered quickly and was on his feet by that evening and ready for lessons. Matt also recovered physically, but his natural sunny glow and beauty seemed duller than usual. Saffron couldn't help but wonder what damage the girl's death had done to their pack, and yes, she included Matt as one of the pack even though he wasn't a wolf, he'd earned his place.

Karl had woken up feeling different; he usually woke with a zest for life and couldn't wait to see what the new day would bring. He was the ultimate optimist, everything was exciting, new and fun; it drove everyone to distraction, but he had always been like that. His parents couldn't cope with him and, then when he was bitten, they had a legitimate reason for rejecting him. He still saw them occasionally, but he knew how they felt and he didn't blame them, he'd accepted it and didn't let it bring him down.

Today he was sad and angry about Olivia; that shit could have been avoided if the Council had invested in some serious psychiatric help for the girl. He didn't blame Arthur, or Laura, who had saved his life and he would be eternally grateful to her. He blamed the Council for not taking care of her when she was so obviously in need of it. He also felt that the school should have tried a bit harder to keep an eye on the girl; everyone knew she was a danger.

He'd woken up with the sadness about Olivia and an intense feeling that something was wrong. Arthur had been surprised that he'd recovered from being made into a hybrid so quickly, but he'd assured him he was fine. The thing was, though, he didn't feel fine; he felt wrong. He quite liked the fangs that had sprouted when he became hungry; he was so used to warming blood for other people it seemed almost logical that he should start drinking it anyway. He could still feel the wolf inside which if anything felt stronger and more powerful to him now, but there was definitely something else, something a little bit wrong.

"It's done, all taken care of," Jameson said down the receiver while brushing his floppy hair from his eyes.

He'd spent the rest of the daylight hours walking the corridors listening to everyone's dreams to make sure there wasn't anything going to leak out and bite him in the arse. Kids were a nightmare to work with; they were so unpredictable, always taking the least logical path. He couldn't wait to get out.

The long silence emitted from the earpiece worried him slightly until a voice answered. "I had to; they were trying to turn the girl into a hybrid," he replied, they hadn't specified that they wanted the girl alive. "Okay, yeah, he's done, and I've put a little surprise in there for the purpose of science," he laughed uneasily. "Yeah, he's hybrid, he healed up in no time. Twenty percent angel, thirty percent wolf, thirty per cent vamp and twenty percent human. The kid won't know what's hit him," he placed the receiver back when a click sounded in his ear, no niceties from the Council, they treated him like shit. He stood and stretched his body unfolding two large and powerful black wings.

Arthur felt cold inside; he couldn't believe the girl was dead, as in incinerated. He made a vow to himself to learn all he could about the different species so this sort of thing wouldn't happen again.

"I wondered where you were, why are you hiding away in the library?" Saffron asked when she'd caught up with him.

"Just trying to understand how our species work, well not ours, but a single species," he replied, closing the ragged old textbook on shifter species.

"I've been wanting to tell you this, but haven't found the right moment until now," Saffron whispered sliding into the chair next to his. "When I came into Matt's room after we'd left Jameson with Karl and Olivia to get cleaned up, I saw him hide his wrist which looked like it had a wound on."

"I thought he was hiding something, I was too preoccupied to try and find out," Arthur said. "So you think he fed Karl?"

"I'm sure of it, and Karl smells weird," she added.

"Yeah, he's been acting weird too, and I'm sure there's something bothering him," Arthur had been worried about the guy as his mood had gone from super happy to quiet, reserved, and thoughtful; that could all be explained by Olivia's death but he wasn't sure it was that alone.

"Mr Jameson isn't human," Saffron said.

"Yeah, I figured, no idea what he is, though," he replied.

"I guess we should get the pack to do some homework," she winked at him.

Within half an hour they were all in the library talking in hushed tones, there weren't any other students in there and no librarian to shush them, but they knew Jameson was dangerous and none of them wanted to just disappear the way Olivia did.

Karl had guessed that Jameson had fed him and had thought of nothing else since waking up, but he couldn't give them any clues as to what type of blood he now carried.

"Hello, my studious friends what brings you to the library?" Matt said, looking almost like his usual sunny self.

"You look great Matt," Laura said, giving him a quick hug.

"I caught a few rays and now I'm feeling more normal," he smiled.

He'd lost a bit of weight and his skin was still paler than the usual tanned and freckled delight, but he was lovely to look at once more, instead of looking haunted and hollow. They caught him up to speed on the situation and he frowned.

"What?" Saffron asked.

"Well, you should have asked me in the first place, I can get inside people's heads and Karl was always an open book," he pushed Karl into one of the well-worn leather armchairs and placed his hands in Karl's messy spiky hair. "Oh the secrets I could give away," Matt muttered as he stood behind Karl with his eyes closed. "Desperate for a girlfriend."

"We knew that already," Jack laughed.

"Not cool, dude," Karl said.

"Oh wait," Matt said and then fell away from Karl with force.

"What happened?" Laura rushed to pick the fey off the floor.

"I think I've just been seen, Jameson shoved me right out of Karl's head. He looked right at me and pushed me," he stood visibly shaken.

"How can that happen?" Arthur asked.

"He's a fallen angel," Matt whispered. "And he knows that I know, which is bad because you can guarantee that his workmates don't know."

"That doesn't sound good," Saffron said, looking at Karl.

"What does it mean for me?" Karl asked.

"I think we should stay out of Jameson's way," Saffron said.

"It can be hard to hide from angels, they have friends in high places if you get what I mean," Matt said flopping onto the chair that Karl had vacated.

"I think we should do our research, we are in a library after all," Arthur said holding up a large leather-bound tome.
**Chapter 16**
"They're not ready to breed; they have just been through completely life changing mutations. They need to get used to their bodies before they share them," Henderson shouted across the office.

"Orders are orders; you know what happens when we fail? Well, imagine what would happen if we didn't even try? I don't like it any more than you do, they're kids and I got quite close to them and saw what they went through when they turned but this is the Council's decision," Julian said beginning to pace. Why couldn't the Council wait for a couple of years he just didn't understand; what were they trying to do anyway, build an army?

"I don't like it, it's not ethical. This started out as a cure; vampires and werewolves have always fought, maybe that's the way we're supposed to be," Henderson said.

"It's not a cure they're thinking of now, maybe they know something we don't and want to be prepared, have you thought of that? We're not the only team of scientists; every country has a Council and an R and D department. Maybe this is bigger than the whim of the British Council," Joshua said.

"Regardless of whether you start the fertility project we still need to test the new hybrids, and I think you are the person for that, they trust you," Julian said.

"I don't deserve their trust," Henderson said, picking up the Post-it note with the flight times on. "Okay, I'll do it."

"It says bonding for vampires only happens during mating when both parties are in love, but werewolves can bond during mating in wolf or human form as long as at least one of them is in love. It goes on to say bonding can also happen in wolf form with a bite administered with passion, this typically happens during a disagreement when the biter loves the other wolf, no reciprocation needed," Laura read from the book.

"That sucks, what if I bit him and he didn't love me back? I'd be bonded to him?" Saffron whispered.

"It goes on to say that once a wolf is bonded, reciprocated or not, then it is bound for life to love that mate," she said.

"What are you girls reading in this dark corner?" Matt sneaked up on them. "Oh, I see, mating rituals," he laughed and Laura slammed the book shut.

"The fey don't bond, we like to be free," he smiled and winked. "Your secret is safe with me."

"What secret?" Arthur appeared from behind Matt.

"Nothing," Saffron said, walking off to delve in a new section of the library leaving Arthur frowning after her.

Henderson waited until he was alone at the airport; he didn't know where the driver's loyalty lay but he wouldn't chance it. He left his mobile in his pocket and dialled the number on the card; he wanted to take as few risks as possible.

"Lucius, it's Henderson from the R and D department, we met a few weeks back at the lab at HQ," he said and waited for the man to respond. Lucius's deep voice rang through the line. "I need to talk; can you phone this number back from a secure line?" He asked.

Lucius called him back within two minutes and he told him what the Council had planned for the children. Lucius told him he knew of a safe place to hide them for a while, Henderson asked him not to tell him; the last thing he wanted was to have someone delve into his mind and extract information when it could easily be avoided. He just wanted to give the kids a chance to grow up before they became the tool or weapon in whatever the Council had planned for them. He boarded the plane and hoped that when he reached the Highlands the kids would no longer be there.

Lucius telephoned Arthur's mobile phone from the public telephone box near his home; he just hoped that Arthur's mobile wasn't being recorded. He told the boy to pack, collect his friends and make his way north to a small coastal marina, and he would arrange the rest. He also instructed Arthur and his friends to leave their phones and computer equipment behind. When Arthur tried to ask why he terminated the call; he knew the boy would follow his orders. Arthur was growing up into a strong and sensible young man; he just hoped they could all get away from the castle without being seen.

Arthur deleted the phone call history and removed the SIM card snapping it. He needed to move quickly. He went straight to Saffron's room and told the girls; they began packing. He told them to meet him behind the staff garage and then left to find the others.

Karl and Jack were sneaking food out of the kitchen, which was a normal occurrence for them. The staff seemed to know about it and, on the whole, ignored it. He told them about his conversation with his dad and they grabbed extra food for the journey. Now all he had to do was find Matt; he didn't know if the big blonde would come with them, but if not then he wanted to say goodbye first. He'd been a good friend and an honorary member of their newly formed pack, which meant he was family.

"Matt," he called walking straight into the guy's room. The room was a mess, which was unusual.

"I'm here and ready to roll, you didn't think I'd miss out on the adventure did you?" Matt said, hoisting a rucksack onto his broad shoulders.

"I should have known you would already know; good to have you with us," Arthur smiled; he really hadn't wanted to lose the big guy.

They met the boys behind the garage after filling their rucksacks with a few essential clothes, toiletries, and plenty of cold store blood bottles. It would be quicker if they could wolf out and run, but Matt wasn't a shifter anything and Karl had only just been made hybrid so that was not an option.

"In case you didn't know, I can drive," Matt said as they huddled together out of the cold wind which had begun to blow across the Highlands the day before.

"That's a relief because I've only had three lessons and I'm not confident at it," Arthur said opening the garage side door.

Security wasn't an issue and the kids from the school knew that if they wanted to drive all they had to do was ask and borrow the school teaching car, which was equipped with dual controls. Matt ignored the training car and walked over to the sporty little Seat and checked for keys, they weren't in the car, but Karl checked the key hook and found a set.

"Try these," Karl tossed the keys and Matt caught them without glancing over.

The engine fired up and they piled in, keeping their rucksacks with them. Arthur hit the button for the door opener and they eased the car out. Being daytime, at least half of the school would be asleep and as long as Matt didn't put his foot down, they should remain undetected unless someone happened to look out of a front window and see them on the drive before they turned the bend.

"I'll take care of the gatekeeper," Saffron said. "Just pull up before you get to the gate and drive out when I signal."

"Okay, be careful," Matt said, slowing the car before the bend nearest the gates.

Saffron ran to the gate keeper's little hut; he came out to greet her with a smile. Using a calm and soothing tone to tell him to disconnect the camera feed and then open the gates. He nodded in a trance-like state and did as she asked. She whistled and held the man's gaze as they drove slowly through and waited on the other side. Telling the gatekeeper to close the gate behind her then go to his cottage and sleep, she slipped through the gate and back into the car. When she turned back the gate was closing and the man was heading off towards his small cottage.

"You're amazing," Arthur said, looking back from the front seat.

"Why did we choose such a small car?" Karl asked from underneath Laura and the bags.

"It's fast and inconspicuous," Matt said, putting his foot down on the blacktop.

Jameson nearly always woke up with a fuzzy head, and it was business as usual when he woke; he would stop drinking, but sleep wasn't the easiest thing to achieve when you had seen the things he'd seen. He stepped into the shower to try and wash the hangover out of his body, sometimes it worked, but this evening wasn't one of those times. He switched the water to the hottest setting and let the steam loosen the tension in his body. His head was throbbing, but it also felt empty, not that it should feel particularly full, it wasn't like he had many cares in the world to fill it with. He dried himself with a crisp towel trying to rub the sense back into him, but something didn't feel right. He was starting to get the feeling that he had forgotten something.

The telephone was ringing as he unlocked his office and he lifted the receiver knowing who would be on the other end. Sure enough, the deep flat voice barked out a few words and then the line went dead. He tried to remind himself why he worked for these assholes, but his brain wasn't doing the math. Why did he feel so disturbed?

Henderson would be at the school in a few hours to deliver the drugs into the kids newly altered bodies. Karl wasn't ready for it of course; he hadn't even been through the transformation yet. Karl was his next concern; he needed to choose a girl out of the shortlisted females for breeding purposes.

She wasn't ready; he hadn't even singled one out yet. There were three files on his desk and any one of them were suitable candidates, but he wanted to choose the girl that Karl most liked, it made sense, he was part human after all. He had originally asked for the time to make sure all of the kids were hybrid and paired but the Council's agenda wasn't running to his schedule anymore.

The first order of the day, get the girls and Karl to meet in his office and find out which girl would suit him. Then he had to give them a reason to want to bond. He wrote their names on a slip of paper and asked one of the trainee secretaries to collect the children. He then went to the cabinet and poured a small measure of brandy; he had to clear his head.

"How do you know the way?" Arthur asked, flipping the map around once more.

"I have an inbuilt sat nav; all fey do," he glanced back at Laura who was balanced on Jack's knees. He still didn't understand how the girl had acquired fey abilities, but he would protect her as if she was his sister.

The car he'd chosen was right in more ways than one. Firstly, as he'd told the others, it was fast, secondly, it had a full tank of fuel, and thirdly it belonged to Jameson. He could smell the brandy soaked breath of the angel on the fabric of the car seats. The last thing they needed was a pissed off fallen angel on their tail.

"Karl, are you okay back there?" He called out seeing Karl's pale face behind Laura's curls.

"Not feeling so great, but I'll keep it in, don't worry," Karl said noting the panic on Saffron's face.

"Switch seats honey, I don't want you to hurl on me," Saffron said, easing up out of her seat.

He slid along and cracked the window an inch, icy chilled air hit his face and he took a few deep breaths. He felt better for not having Laura's hair in his face, but the breeze made his stomach calm down and he laid his head back and closed his eyes.

The twisting lanes were empty and as the day turned into night they managed to cover a distance between the castle and the coastal towns without encountering anyone. When they reached the turning for the small fishing village it was full on dark and everyone, but Arthur and himself had gone to sleep.

"Where to, mate?" He asked.

"Dad was cryptic, but I can only guess that we're leaving on a boat," he replied. "There's a sign there."

Matt took the road that was signposted 'marina' and drove into a gated entrance. He parked Jameson's car in a small parking area and switched off the engine. The bitterly cold sea breeze rushed in as he opened the door, causing a collective gasp to escape from the rear seat.

"Rise and shine darlings, we're here," he said.

Jameson left the kids waiting outside his office while he double checked the files, two of the girls were of the werewolf variety, the third was a day walker. He figured the council would prefer a day walker to even the mix out a bit, they were also incredible rarities.

Being the product of a live human mother and an undead vampire father was a real feat; the human host considered the foetus as non-viable in most cases and rejected the offspring, but on some occasions the host accepted the baby. The child was then either delivered by caesarean at the Council's hospital wing, or in a regular hospital at the mercy of doctors who would see only a stillborn infant with no idea how to resuscitate. In the latter case, the mother's often died during the birth due to loss of blood; the child, like a parasite, would suck the life force right out of the mother during labour. He saw from the notes that the girl's mother had died giving birth preterm at home, the father had saved the baby but was unable to save the mother.

He threw the door open and called them in. The two werewolf girls stood side by side nervously twiddling their hair and biting their nails, but the third girl stood silent and still, as still as she would have come out of the uterus.

"Where is the boy?" He called through to the hallway.

"Alicia is still looking for him," the daywalker said.

"How hard can it be to find someone," he muttered.

This wouldn't work without the boy present. He stepped into the hallway and took a deep breath, reaching out for the boy with his mind, he couldn't locate him. He walked back into his office and sat down; he had known this would be a troubled evening the minute he'd woken up.

"Wait outside until the boy is found, please," he said.

When the last girl left, closing the door behind her, he stilled his body and searched. After a few minutes in the trance he had concluded that the boy was not at the school any longer, and with Henderson due to arrive in a few hours this was very bad news for him.

"Damn it!"

He hit the desktop with force, causing everything to jump around. As he shuffled the paperwork back into order he noticed something was missing. The day walker's file was not with the others, he looked on the floor, the windowsill, and the drinks cabinet; the file wasn't there. He stuck his head around the door to his office and found the two werewolf girls looking even more nervous than before, and a very worried looking Alicia.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jameson but the boy and his closest friends are missing," Alicia's voice trembled and he felt his wings stretch out. She couldn't see them, of course, but she was feeling the power running through them all right.
**Chapter 17**
"If you'd care to come with me," a voice said from the jetty.

They grabbed their stuff from the car and walked towards the man, leaving the keys in the ignition. The man was wearing warm clothes and big fisherman's boots; he smelled like fish and salt with an overlay of tobacco.

"Did my father send you?" Arthur asked.

"I'm on a need to know basis, all I need to know is that I have to get six kids to the island," he turned and led them to a scruffy fishing boat. "It's faster than it looks."

They piled on and he showed them to the cabin below and left them to sit in grubby seats around a small table. A motor started and the boat began to move, causing Karl to turn green once more.

"I need to eat something," Saffron said and Jack removed some foil wrapped packages from his bag.

They all tucked in except for Karl, who found his way to a tiny toilet compartment and emptied the contents of his stomach. The boat was indeed faster than it looked; the engine whirred at full speed making conversation difficult. He didn't think he could sit with their food anyway. He made his way up the stairs and lifted the cabin hatch. Snow flurries floated around him as he joined the skipper.

"Where are we headed to?" He asked the man who had dressed for the weather.

"A little island a few miles away, I'm sorry son I can't tell you the name of the island or the direction we're headed," the old man shook his head. "I just have to get you there safely."

"It's okay, I understand," Karl said, sitting on the seat beside the skipper.

They remained side by side in silence until Karl couldn't take the bitterness of the weather anymore. He went back to the hatch holding onto everything carefully as he went; until a few hours ago he hadn't realised how miserable seasickness was.

"Come here, you look frozen," Matt said, frowning at him.

Matt wrapped his big arms around him and allowed the warmth to travel through Karl's thin leather jacket. Jack and Laura had stretched out across a bench and were lying in each other's arms, Jack was snoring lightly and Laura's face was buried in his jumper, under layers of hair. He wished he had a girl holding him instead of the muscled arms of his fey friend.

"Don't get too cosy in there, you're not my type," Matt laughed.

"Don't read my mind, you're not my type either," he laughed.

"Did the skipper tell you where we're going?" Saffron asked.

"No, I just needed to sit in the fresh air for a bit," he replied.

"We've been reading," Arthur said, lifting the cover of the book to show him.

"You stole from the library?" Karl asked, stunned.

"Long term borrowing dude, don't tell me you haven't stolen anything, I looked inside your bag," Arthur replied.

"Food is a necessity," Karl laughed.

"So was this, trust me," Arthur said.

"Okay, so Jameson fed you some of his blood, which is a disturbing thing to do as angel blood is a potent tool in all kinds of magic, and it seems that you are now in possession of a regenerating supply of magical blood," Saffron said. "So aside from that, mixing angel blood into the bloodstream of a werewolf makes them less bloodthirsty than the average wolf, this is all hearsay as it says there are no documented cases."

"But you had vampire blood as well and if you mix angel blood into a vampire you get a very powerful vamp, who may or may not develop wings, and the ability to communicate with beings that are more ethereal than earthbound beings," Arthur said.

"You won't know what mix you have until the next full moon when your body settles," Matt replied. "The angel blood should also give you a connection to Jameson; he can probably track you unless we find a way to hide you."

"Hide me?" Karl's head was now spinning with new information overload.

"Yeah, if Jameson can find you, so can the Council and I don't know what they want with us, but I'm not going to let them use us as puppets," Arthur said.

The boat began to slow, and the pulling of the engine on the little boat made Karl rush for the toilet once more; he didn't' care much for his blood right now he just wanted to get off the damn boat.

Jameson went straight to the garage, only to find his car missing. He was about to take someone else's car when he realised that it might be easier to activate the Council issued tracker. He stood in the cold garage, thinking if he requested that they activate the tracker at HQ, someone might catch on that he was having trouble and he wasn't about to admit to the Council that he'd lost their precious brats. He kicked at the nearest car with such ferocity that the side wing caved in and his expensive leather shoes took on the shimmery green paint from the car.

"Damn it!" They were going to find out when Henderson arrived in an hour or so, he had to go.

He skirted around the damaged car and grabbed a set of keys belonging to the Mercedes, it wasn't a sporty version but it would be reliable. Hargreaves didn't deserve such luxury; he was wet behind the ears. He sped off towards the gate and waited to be let out, but the gatekeeper didn't appear to be in his hut. He got out of the car leaving the engine running and searched the small hut, empty. There was a switch to open the gate, but he needed a key to activate it else the switchboard was useless. He ran towards the cottage; this was turning out to be the worst assignment he'd ever had. He wished he hadn't needed the affiliation to the Council in the first place. He found the cottage locked and battered on the door with a closed fist, he was really pissed off now.

They were ushered into a small cottage on the island that seemed to be mostly uninhabited and Karl breathed the cold fresh air to clear his sickness. A large homely woman stepped up to them wiping her hands on her apron and smiled. She gathered them into the living room and bade them sit by the roaring fire. She dished them a bowl of meaty stew each, and they couldn't figure out which meat it was made from, but it was delicious anyhow. They all received a hot drink, Matt was given hot chocolate spiked with a dash of brandy and the others were given the same spiked with a dose of blood. She didn't ask any questions she just cooed over them like they were precious.

"Thanks, this is lovely," Karl said and the woman beamed at him.

"This stew is fantastic," Saffron said.

"Thank you, it's my own recipe," she replied, bringing them warm blankets.

"How long are we to stay here?" Arthur asked, wondering how much the woman knew, and was it a need to know basis with her as well.

"Until the bigger boat comes, he'll honk that horn and you can be on your way," she said sweetly.

Karl's hopes were dashed, he was happy to fly, but another boat, he just didn't know if he could handle it. He finished the stew and set the bowl down on the small end table, the woman rushed over and refilled it from a big cauldron hanging over the fire. He took it gratefully and hoped that it would stay down when he got on the next boat.

Katie knew something was going down the minute she'd seen Karl and his gang sneak out. She'd followed them to the outside and watched as they entered the garage; she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw them speed off in Jameson's car. Wishing she'd gotten to know them, she envied their escape. All she had to look forward to was a life of servitude to the Council; if only she could run away.

When Jameson had called her to a meeting with the other two girls she thought it had been about seeing the guys flee, but it wasn't, he hadn't known about them leaving and her file had sat open on his desk. Katie was quick, quicker than most and she'd swiped that file and taken off before anyone had noticed. She had gone down to the basement to read the file; seventeen years old, family history, including more details about her mother than her father had ever told her, and a red stamp on the front of the health page with CANDIDATE written across it. It didn't look good. She slipped it into the furnace and watched as it was destroyed, her photograph turning black and oily before disappearing.

The trouble with the Council was that they were greedy; her father owed debts and they would extract those debts with her father's consent, from her life, her life not his. Katie would spend her entire life paying for his greed, his whims and they both had a long life ahead of them. She couldn't face it; she wouldn't face it. They had run, and so would she.

The file had stated that her gift was speed, but when they had tested her, she'd faked a quick time. In reality, she could manage a short burst of incredible speed and that wasn't her only gift. She could ghost out; which basically meant that she could render herself invisible by preventing people and cameras from seeing her, it took a lot of concentration but she practiced often and was an undetected fly on the wall. It's just a shame she hadn't managed to hear or see what had happened to make the guys leave.

She crept into Karl's room picking up the discarded phone and then saw the bent SIM card. She put them in her pocket; she needed something of his to follow. She picked up a discarded watch; it was his but it wasn't any good. In the end, she grabbed a used T-shirt and sniffed it, the distinct wolf smell invaded her nose and other smells that were strange to her; it was his and it would do. She let herself out of the room and into the night, she carried a small bag and the only contents were the T-shirt and one single bottle of cold store blood, she could run better light.

Jameson drove along the roads heading north at a speed that would have lost him his driving license had he been human, but his entire ID collection was fake including the license so he continued to drive as fast as the car would travel on the winding lanes without crashing into a ball of flames. He wasn't sure how many of his angel traits remained, an angel that was still in favour could walk through flames without so much as a sweat, but a fallen's meat suit was a fragile thing, just not as fragile as a human's.

He could catch the barest sense of the boy having come north and he could only assume that he was heading to one of the coastal towns to get a boat, but unless he closed some distance soon he would lose the faint trail and he would have to face up to the council or go into hiding himself. His options were few and his friends fewer, he realised and put his foot down hard on the accelerator.

Katie didn't get cold at first, she was moving too fast, but as soon as the sweat began to form on her naturally cool skin, it caught the wind and froze, crispy and icy against her forming a barrier on her skin that felt like sharp pins. She stopped after half an hour and drank the cold store discarding the bottle behind a bush, then carefully inserted the bent SIM card into the phone. When she switched it on, it beeped and she managed to find the last caller, she hit the send button. It rang and no one picked up so she did the next best thing, she phoned the contact labelled 'dad'.

"I thought I told you to destroy the phone," a deep voice said.

"My name is Katie, I'm at school with your son, or at least I was. I'm on the run and I can't trust this phone line," she didn't know what to say or how to say it but it tumbled out of her anyway. When she'd finished, she told him one last thing. "I can track him to the water's edge, please don't leave me there," she said.

Katie clicked end and removed the SIM snapping it in two and throwing one piece into the hedge. She continued running, throwing the next piece a few miles down the road, she just hoped that they wouldn't leave her stranded when she reached the water.

John and Sarah met them where they had arranged and they piled into one car storing the small suitcases in the boot. Anita had telephoned Mike and asked him to dissolve the rental agreement on her house, sell the furniture and pack up any of their personal belongings. He'd been happy to do it for her and she was glad that she'd remained friends with him when they had gone their different ways. He still had a set of keys and no doubt some of his belongings were still at the house.

Sarah told them how she had given the key for her house to her mother and the woman would be moving in to care for the place while she was gone. No one knew how long they would have to be away and they all secretly knew that they might never be able to come home again.

Lucius had arranged it all and she was amazed at his strength. When the kids had been taken to the school they hadn't had any say in the matter and although it seemed like the best thing to do all round, it had been hard to lose them. Seeing them on Saffron's birthday had been a real eye opener, they had all changed and grown up considerably in those few weeks. Jack's transformation had been a shock, but as soon as they had picked themselves off the floor, they had been glad for him, he was happy at last.

They drove to the private airport; Lucius had warned them that it was a very small plane and the runway was actually part of someone's garden. As they turned into the driveway, they saw a cross between a cottage and a country manor house, with quirky turrets and a bell tower. It had obviously been passed down through generations of eccentric people who had added funky details to the house as they saw fit.

A large red-faced man came to greet them and walked them to the plane, he had loaded provisions onto the light aircraft, which had blacked out windows and a minibar stocked with all kinds of snacks, including cold store blood.

"I wish you all the luck in the world, Lucius my friend, you will need it and I hope it sticks with you," George, the red-faced man said.

The pilot was a friend of George's and he had been told he was a most trusted friend. Lucius knew the Council would figure out their escape route and eventually his friends would pay the price, but his main concern was his son. He waved goodbye to the jolly man before the pilot had them hurtling down the runway. Anita didn't mind flying, but it was obvious that John wasn't having fun by the steely grimace on the man's face as they took off. Lucius reached for a cold store bottle and popped it into the warmer.

"What are you going to do about the girl?" Anita said, pouring herself a small gin and tonic. Her brain had settled into night-shift hours, but she didn't care what time it was, she happily drank the relaxing liquid to soothe the knots in her stomach.

"If I leave her she faces a life of misery if I arrange her transport she could be a plant," he sighed. "I won't leave her to fend for herself, of course, I couldn't."

"I thought as much," Anita replied, leaning against him.

"I have already given instruction," he smiled at her. "I just hope she can make it on time."
**Chapter 18**
Katie gave up running when she found a car parked on a farm, ready for the taking. She had her license, well the Council issued day walker license anyway. Not that the license was on her, of course, she'd left everything of hers apart from her mother's locket around her neck, and the cash in her pocket. The jeep coasted down the driveway silently before she started the engine out of earshot. This wasn't the first time she'd borrowed a car and she was pretty sure it wouldn't be the last. She didn't feel bad about doing things like this because she'd never done it purely for fun.

She put her foot down and a black cloud billowed out of the exhaust; she made good time stopping at every junction to lean out of the window and pick up Karl's scent. There was something about the sweet doggy smell that she was starting to like; he smelled like freedom and hope, and she clung to it.

She reached the tiny village, found her way to the marina and parked the jeep next to Jameson's car. Katie got out and ran along the marina, finding a man standing at the bottom of the jetty waving.

"Katie?" He asked warily.

"Yes," she smiled, relief washing over her.

"I'll take you there, but I don't know if we'll make it on time," she frowned but slid down onto a bench on the small boat. "I'll try my best, but if the boat has left then we'll have to catch them up on the way."

"Okay," she said. "I'm just relieved to have someone meet me."

"Say no more child, the fewer details I have the better it is for me and my family," the tired old man said.

"I'm sorry it must be hard for you," she patted him on the back; she'd met his kind before, she couldn't remember what his species were called, but they were helpful and caring to her kind and held a deep mistrust for big organisations such as the Council. They were simple people, with simple lives, but they allowed themselves to be dragged into the drama that hung around her species. He pointed to the hatch and she went into the belly of the boat.

She could smell Karl's scent all over and it was home to her, she felt silly when she took his T-shirt from the bag and hugged it tight but in moments she was sleeping soundly on the grubby bench.

The Mercedes wasn't the right vehicle for the terrain and the speed he was travelling at didn't make it any easier for the executive motor. The wheel hit a pothole and something went pop, leading him into the grassy bank on the other side of the road. He jumped out and roared with frustration, making the local wildlife burst into flight. Everything was against him.

There were no properties in the proximity; he had no choice but to attempt to change the tyre. He found the spare in the boot along with the kit he needed to change it. He had never done this before, and although he knew the theory the practice was going to be muddier and harder than he could have imagined.

He removed the wheel, after much cursing and kicking and was putting the new tyre on when a flashy red sports car zipped past him at great speed, showering him with mud. He saw red, then blue, then black, and used all of his internal angel powers to stop the car. He walked up to it, soaking wet and seething, and dragged the stunned man out from behind the wheel.

The female passenger began to scream, but he ignored her and forced the man to undress; the man began to shake and whimper, but he removed his coat, jumper, trainers, and jeans, and left them on the hood. Jameson handed the man his keys and pointed back towards the Mercedes and the nearly naked man walked away with his head down.

Once Jameson had put the dry clothes on, he silenced the woman with a vicious kiss, removing her ability to speak or wail temporarily. Then he fired up the mini beast and flew through the lanes towards the coast.

The bleating of a deep and mournful horn woke Arthur from his slumber and he sat up with a start. It was still dark outside and he could see snow billowing around the window frame when he leaned closer to the glass he could make out the lights in the small harbour. They dressed for the outdoors once more and the woman insisted on hugging them individually. She handed him a basket with sweet smelling food parcels in and kissed his cheek.

"You keep these kids safe young Arthur, and you come back one day and prove to me that you're the hero I think you to be," she said and then opened the door. Their escort to the boat stood wrapped in weatherproof clothing on the path.

"I will," Arthur said, feeling confused but determined not to show it.

They waved goodbye to the woman who was dabbing at tears and then followed the man down the jagged steps towards the light in the harbour. The large, seaworthy boat was further out, but a floodlit speedboat was ready to take them to the other vessel. They jumped aboard and were sped towards the vessel. They were helped up onto the boat; it was big, and Arthur didn't know when a boat became a ship, he didn't want to offend the new skipper, so he nodded a simple thanks.

"There's someone out there, look," Saffron called causing everyone to run to the side and look.

Down below was the small fishing boat that had brought them to the island a couple of hours previously. The fisherman looked exhausted, but he brought forward what looked to be another passenger. The young girl was hoisted up and Arthur recognised her from the school.

"Katie, what are you doing here?" He asked, shocked and concerned enough to take another look at the small fishing boat to see if Jameson was in tail, but the boat was leaving them.

"Long story, I'm freezing and famished, and really need to juice up on the red stuff, so can we get out of the snow first, please," she said.

"Let me show you to your quarters," a man in a simple black and white uniform said from the doorway.

They followed him and found that they had a small bedroom each and a communal lounge. They dropped their stuff into rooms that run next to and across from each other, and then all waited in the lounge for Katie to join them. The uniformed man showed them the bar, a music system and television with DVD's, and a satellite system. The boat was luxurious and comfortable with soft white leather sofas and silver finishes; Arthur wondered who his father had allied himself with over the years.

"Is the boat moving? Saffron asked the man.

"Yes, it is; you can't feel it in calm waters unless we're changing direction."

"And which direction are we going?" Karl asked, grabbing a beer from the fridge.

"North-East," the man replied, smiling at Karl.

"I'm underage, seventeen," Karl sighed.

"Human rules do not apply on this ship Sir, help yourselves," he replied, smiling broadly and then left the room with a little bow.

"Awesome!" Arthur jumped up and handed the beers out. "We deserve these."

"So, Scandinavia it is," Laura said after she'd taken a good long drink from the beer bottle.

"Go easy on that, you're not used to alcohol," Saffron laughed.

"And you are?" She replied.

"Oh yes, every Friday night was fish, chips, and beer night when Mike was around," she said and then thought about her mother and wondered when she'd see her again.

Katie walked in freshly showered and tossed the sweaty T-shirt at Karl. He caught it and looked it over.

"I used it to track you," she said and grabbed herself a beer from the fridge. "Ooh, food," she grabbed one of the food parcels that were in the basket. "Badger?"

"Seriously?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, who cooks with badgers?" She ate it with relish.

"My vegetarianism feels very far away," Jack said, tucking into a badger patty.

"So, Katie, your story please?" Arthur said, taking a seat next to Saffron.

"Right," she said, licking her fingers. She told them all about seeing them leave, then about Jameson and her file, and using the mobile to contact Lucius.

"You ran all that way to reach us?" Karl asked which made her laugh.

"No silly, I borrowed a car about six miles north of the castle," she smiled at him.

"Oh, right, that makes sense," he said, wondering why she'd chosen to sit so close to him; she was sitting cross-legged and her knee was almost touching his leg. Girls rarely noticed him and if they did it was because he had unwittingly annoyed them.

"Come with me, I need to show you something," Matt said, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet.

"What's up?" Karl asked as they got back into the corridor.

"The girl just tracked your whereabouts with miles between you, she used the scent from your manky old T-shirt, and we now learn that Jameson was trying to pull you two together."

"What's your point?" Karl said.

"I love you dude, but seriously, you need to catch on faster; she likes you. Whether that's something that's developed from her tracking or if she liked you before, I don't know, all I know is that pheromones are flying in there and you best not fuck it up," Matt said pushing him back towards the lounge.

Karl came back into the room glowing with embarrassment and awkward as hell. He sat in his seat after nearly tripping on the rug and everyone's eyes seemed to be focused on him, especially hers.

They caught Katie up to speed on everything that had happened in the last few months, and she told them how she was indebted to the Council for her entire life so that her dad could live firstly a comfortable existence, then as she grew up, a more extravagant life. Blowing away the sympathetic comments she changed the subject quickly.

They spent the rest of the evening listening to music and eating strangely delicious wildlife. Karl relaxed in Katie's company and when she decided to go to sleep, he walked her to her room. Before opening her door, she placed a light kiss on his cheek: leaving him blushing and grinning. No one noticed when Laura followed Jack into his room.

Jameson pulled the sports car into the marina car park and immediately spotted his own Seat parked neatly in a space. The silent woman sat staring out of the window and he stepped out of the car, leaving her there. He opened his car, there was no obvious damage. He pulled the passenger door open on the sports car and looked at the woman.

"Drive home," he told her and she burst into tears.

"I can't drive," she sobbed, and he slammed the door shut once more. The last thing he wanted was someone watching his every move.

He studied the marina and saw the lights of a small boat coming in from the sea. He didn't have much experience when it came to fishing, but if that boat came in without fish on board, he could assume that it was transporting a group of special teenagers. He crouched down against a small speedboat and waited for the boat to come in. When he heard the motor die he stood up and went to meet the skipper.

"Hi, I'd like to buy some fish," he called out.

"Bit early for that, what'll you want?"

The tired old fisherman reached down and picked up a couple of fish holding them by their gills. Jameson looked at the fish on board the small boat and kicked the fibreglass outer shell of a small boat that bobbed beside him.

"I've changed my mind," he walked back to his car.

He had no idea where they'd gone, who with, or what he was supposed to do now. Henderson probably arrived at the castle ready to do the Council's bidding, how long would it be before they came for him? He sat in the driver's seat of his own car and punched the steering wheel repeatedly; he really needed a drink.

Laura shut the door behind her; Jack looked back surprised to see her. She walked straight into his arms and kissed him slowly. She might be a hybrid, but she thought like a wolf, and she wanted to be with Jack in body and soul. She knew she wanted a bonded union, but more than that, she wanted to be close to him. He drew her down towards the bed and she removed her jumper; his face reddened. She pulled his T-shirt over his head and ran her hand along his chest.

"Are you sure you want this?" He asked.

"Yes, do you?" She replied.

"Yes, you are my world," he said before reaching his hands into her hair and kissing her.

They fell back onto the bed and one by one their clothes fell to the floor until there was nothing between them but their desire. As they lay together in the early hours of that cold morning they found out what bonding was to them. At the very moment, their bodies joined their own bodily scents joined and encompassed them, and they felt the internal connection that would tie them together for eternity. Afterwards, when they lay damp and spent in each other's arms the smell remained and would never change, they were bonded.

Saffron woke to the smell of bacon and jumped up to investigate. She was the first to walk into the dining area and she took a seat at one of the big tables. A man served her food piling her plate high with protein rich foods. The others walked in shortly after and were served with the same generous portions. Laura and Jack walked in last arm in arm and everyone looked up.

"What's that smell?" Karl asked, getting a tiny punch in the ribs by Katie.

"What smell?" Jack said, blushing beetroot under his floppy blonde hair.

"I smell a bonded pair of wolflings," Matt sang out smiling broadly.

"Okay, get on with your breakfast fools," Laura said also blushing.

Saffron remembered to close her gaping mouth by shovelling a heaped spoonful of baked beans into it. For some reason, she was disappointed that Laura didn't tell her of her intentions, but couldn't wait to ask her all about it. The smell was like a barrier, she thought, as Laura sat down beside her. She could tell why it worked as a sign to other males that this female was taken; it was like a switch in her brain that said bonded female, don't interfere. Saffron leaned over and sniffed Jack and although the scent was the same, it was stronger and she could understand why bonded couples didn't stray.

"Saffron, don't sniff me," Jack complained and she moved away.

Looking up she found Arthur watching her with a strange look in his eye; she wished she knew what he was thinking. She could take a guess, but it was bound to be wrong, no one could get into Arthur's head. Then she caught Matt looking over at him and wondered if he had picked up on what was going on in there. Boys were ridiculously complex, or so it seemed to her.

"We will be reaching our destination this afternoon, please feel free to enjoy the facilities," the uniformed man said.

"What facilities?" Matt asked.

"We have a games room and the television; unfortunately, we do not have a swimming pool on this vessel." The boys gravitated to the pool table, and Saffron grabbed Laura and Katie and went into the lounge.

"Spill the beans you dark horse," Saffron said.

"It wasn't a spur of the moment decision, I've wanted to bond with him since the very first moment I saw him," Laura said.

"Bond or mate?" Katie asked laughing, and Saffron thought she would grow to like Katie very much, her open and honest nature was great, but team it with her bravery and she would make a great pack member.

"Both," Laura blushed, looking adorable with her old-fashioned curls framing her face.

"You look different, older, happier, healthier, hotter, just bloody gorgeous," Saffron said.

"Thanks, but don't you hit on me, I'm a bonded woman," they all cried with laughter.

"I'd like to bond with Karl," Katie said seriously and they turned to face her.

"Honey, you barely know him, he's a great guy and a worthy mate, but don't you think you need to take a little time before you know?" Saffron said.

"I knew straight away, but I still wanted to wait a while, not to be sure, because I was sure from the start, but to be ready to mate," Laura said.

"I feel like I know him; I guess it's too soon to know," Katie said. "I know vampires and werewolves aren't supposed to mix, but he's a hybrid so it's okay right?"

"There's no poison anymore, but he's not a full hybrid until the full moon, the wolf kind of accepts the change then," Saffron explained.

"Embraces it," Laura added.

"I'm happy being a daywalker," Katie said after a moment.

"You might change your mind when you see Karl in wolf form, he's adorable," Laura said.

Henderson was left waiting at the airport for an hour and a half before the driver collected him. There had been some trouble at the school and the driver hadn't been contacted. He didn't mind, if the trouble was what he hoped it was then the trip would be a waste of time anyway.

He waited in the cafeteria and read through the files; Jameson was the inside man in the school and was arranging to find Karl a suitable mate. The update had been sent via email and he had a brief note from Joshua at HQ to say that all six children were to have the tests and then the following evening they would receive the fertility shots.

The shots were a blend of pheromone enhancers, fertility drugs, and an animal form of a popular little pill taken by middle-aged men all over the world. He himself had used the drug on occasions but it was not designed for teenagers whose bodies had genetically morphed into hybrid forms, of which they knew very little about. It made him so cross, his own childhood had been snatched away by tragedy and he knew what it was like to be forced into responsibility.

The driver caught his attention and he followed him to the unmarked, dark-windowed vehicle. Time was running out, he really hoped the children had put some distance between the school and themselves.

The landing had been shaky with the strong freezing winds and snow battering the small plane; John had gone from nervous wreck to meltdown somewhere over the Arctic Ocean. Lucius half carried the green-faced man towards the tiny airport building. Once inside, they were given warm drinks and shown to a small private lounge so that he could recover before they continued on to the safe location. Sarah fussed over John while they warmed themselves by the fire, but Anita was distracted and began to pace the small room.

"Why do they want to do this to them?" She spun around to face Lucius.

"I can only guess that it's a political move Anita; all countries that were Council run signed an agreement several hundred years ago to keep the species apart. The making of a hybrid was punishable by death, and folklore foretold that should hybrids be made the world would find out about our species, and we'd either be hunted into extinction or the hybrids would destroy our known world. Every year the agreement was signed and I am assuming that it is still technically against both the laws of the country and the Higher Council who maintain relations between the countries."

He tried to explain, but he didn't know much about it, when he had been turned he had been told by the Council's advisors that to so much as touch a werewolf would be a death sentence and to breed or even socialise with other species was at the very least a societal death. Things had changed in the last thirty years, but most vampires that he knew personally, were still reluctant to announce any kind of friendship between other species.

"But now they're trying to force breed them," she said spitting the word 'breed' out as if it was an obscenity.

"We shall find out, we meet with the Norwegian Council tomorrow," he pulled her towards him and folded her in his arms.

He was pleased that their children were together and had no objections to their future mating, but only at their own speed and most certainly not at the request or order from the Council.
**Chapter 19**
Henderson arrived to find no welcome party; he had been expecting to be met by Jameson or, at least, the head teacher Mrs. Willow. He made his way to her office to find her door open and three flustered teachers standing within. He cleared his throat to make his presence known.

"I am here to conduct a few minor tests on my patients at the request of the Council, there was a memo," he drifted off as the team of teachers looked at him with what can only be described as vacant horror. The vacant part being where their terrified brains were contemplating what the Council would do to them when it was announced that they had lost their new toys.

"Of course, we were expecting you," Mrs. Willow recovered herself enough to stand in greeting.

"It's nice to meet you," he nodded and smiled, feeling sorry for her and slightly guilty. He hadn't actually considered the effect the loss of the children would have on their futures.

"Mr. Hargreaves will show you to the cottage where you will be staying and conducting the tests," she nodded a discreet look towards Henderson and he looked away while they communicated something along the lines of 'don't tell him we've lost the bloody kids'.

"Come with me please," Hargreaves turned to leave.

"Is Mr. Jameson on site?" He asked.

"Not at present, he has taken twenty-four hours off on personal leave," she said and he could almost hear her willing him not to ask any further questions.

He was glad compulsion was not her strong point; the Council discouraged the use of compulsion, but he felt that if Mrs. Willow had the ability she would have used it.

"Okay," he said, knowing that the longer the pretence went on the better for all of them. He certainly wasn't in a hurry to tell the Council.

They were in high spirits as the boat docked in the near-empty port. The man in uniform seemed sorry to see them go, and filled the basket they had brought from the cottage with food and cold store blood which they received gratefully. Katie linked arms with Karl as they walked down the fenced gangway and onto solid land. He hadn't noticed his seasickness at all on the large, smooth boat and with Katie at his side, he wasn't sure that he would notice anything other than her shiny blonde hair, pink cheeks, and piercing blue eyes.

A driver was waiting for them and he escorted them to a sturdy MPV with blacked out windows. The driver was a daywalker and was almost as big as Arthur; he opened the door for them and asked Arthur if he wanted to ride beside him. Arthur said yes and the driver opened the passenger door for him, closing it once he was sure Arthur was seated. When the driver entered the vehicle he put lightly tinted sunglasses on before starting the car.

"Where are we going?" Arthur asked, hoping the guy wouldn't reply with a 'need to know' retort. He was getting fed up with the secrets, but he knew his father had arranged it all and trusted him implicitly.

"We are going straight to the underground facility, it is used for emergencies such as now, and is very little known," he replied in his heavily accented voice. "You will be safe, don't worry."

"Will my father be meeting us there?" Arthur asked.

"I believe so; he is already inside the country. I am not just a driver," the man turned slightly towards Arthur. "I am a security advisor for the Norwegian Council, I volunteered to drive you." He smiled with incredibly sharp white teeth.

The kids looked out as they left the village at the snow encrusted wilderness; it was a very cold landscape, but incredibly beautiful. They were in the car for less than an hour before they turned onto a narrow lane crunching on icy gravel. Just as they thought they were going to stop at the run-down farmstead at the bottom of the lane, they turned a corner and the driver hit a button on the dashboard. A gate that was disguised as shrubbery covered in snow slid open, revealing a concrete tunnel with a sharp slope downwards. The car moved into the tunnel and the driver hit the button once more, closing the gate.

The tunnel was unlit but the lights from the car came on, lighting the way through the smooth plain concrete tube. After a few minutes, they levelled out and turned a corner, stopping in front of what looked like a checkpoint. An Armed guard came up to them and the driver showed his ID, it was a formality as they seemed to know each other.

Katie gripped Karl's hand as the gate in front of them opened slowly and they descended the tunnel once more, only, this time, the walls were dimly lit by caged utility lights. Karl looked over at her and she reached in and kissed him gently on the lips. He flushed; he'd never have thought a few months back that he would be kissing a vampire.

They drove for what seemed like miles through the two-lane tunnels and the driver remained quiet, so did the kids. Matt looked the most uncomfortable of them all; he was a creature of sunlight and nature, and he was entering a man-made steel and concrete dungeon. It was against his natural instincts and he felt a prickly sensation under his skin. Laura must have felt it too, but she was still wrapped in the after effects of the bonding between her and Jack.

They branched off several times before finally pulling into what looked like a normal underground car park, only cleaner and without the graffiti. The driver got out and opened everyone's door, but not before they found that they were child-locked in.

"A security measure," the driver said in the way of explanation.

"Okay," Arthur replied, avoiding an unnecessary debate. He was nervous and Saffron reached over for him grasping his hand, he felt stronger by her side. They both did.

"Follow me," the driver said cheerfully walking towards a stainless steel lift. He pushed an unmarked button and the doors slid open with a hiss. "Airlock," he said. "In case of a nuclear explosion or gas attack, we are very careful people. This close to Russia we need to exercise a little caution."

Saffron didn't think he was referring to the Russian government, but she said nothing and smiled at him, forcing her face into what she hoped was a relaxed pose and not a shit I'm terrified pose. The lift continued downwards for some time before bouncing to a stop. The doors opened with another hiss and the atmospheric pressure felt strangely light but definitely not natural.

"That's unpleasant," Matt said quietly from the back of the group and steadied himself on the roughcast wall.

"You okay? You're a little green," Laura asked, taking Matt's arm.

"We're too far away from nature for my liking," he replied. He noticed that Laura had lost her glowing complexion too.

"This floor is where you will be staying, I will show you to your bedrooms and there is a communal area. Help yourselves to food and drink," the driver showed them a kitchen. "One moment," he walked into the kitchen and spoke with a tall girl a few years older than themselves.

"She will make you something to ease your suffering," he told Matt.

Their rooms were basic and they dumped their stuff inside. With no windows, they looked like prison cells, only three times as depressing and probably harder to escape from. Their driver left them in their new safe lodgings and they glanced around at each other.

"The silence is deafening," Jack said.

"That is not silence, the generators are humming," the girl said, handing Matt a brilliant green smoothie with a straw. He sipped it cautiously at first, then sighed with relief and finished half of it in one long swallow.

"I really needed that," he thanked the girl and she smiled at him, then flicked her hair and went back to her food preparation.

"Did you just pull the human?" Laura asked, smiling.

"Humans love me, they just can't get enough of me," he was back to his usual flirty, eccentric self.

"Do fey bond?" Laura asked as they walked towards the communal area.

"No, we are the least monogamous species on the planet," he laughed. "We're very talented lovers; it would be rude not to share."

They were still laughing when they entered the communal area which consisted of a few sofas, a big TV, some tables and chairs, and a pool table. They looked around at the grey walls and sparse furnishings with disappointment dripping from their faces.

"It is very boring here, but I'm sure we will find something to do," the girl looked at Matt. "But first, I will cook good food for you."

Arthur pulled Saffron out of the room and into the room she'd chosen. He shut the door and flicked the lock across.

"What's up?" She asked, noting the intense look on his face.

"I don't trust these guys, I'm not sure we haven't just walked into our own prison cells with smiles on our faces," he said, and then he took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately.

"I was thinking the same," she said as he let her come up for air.

"Why are there double beds with soft duvets and pillows but no other nice things?" He said squeezing her body against his.

"I don't know," she said, trying to catch her breath.

"We're in an air locked prison and all I can think of is that I want to rip your clothes off, this isn't me," he said tearing himself away. She almost fell down her knees were so weak.

"Are we being drugged?" She said, taking a step back from him as he held onto the chest of drawers.

"I think so," he didn't know whether to distance himself from her, jump on her, or check on the others; he was their alpha after all.

"Maybe we'll be safer if we bond," she said and it was all the encouragement he needed.

He ran to her growling, changing form before he flattened her on the bed; before she could take her next breath he bit down on her shoulder, hard.

When Jameson had finally stopped punching the steering wheel he began to think clearly. He stepped out of his car and back into the red sports car; the snivelling woman cringed as he buckled himself into the seat, but he ignored her and started the engine. It roared to life and he sped out of the car park and away from the marina. He couldn't go back to the school and he didn't know where the kids were heading. Once the Council knew he'd lost them, they would be after him and because angels were not able to expire they could torture his body for eternity without parole. He couldn't think clearly without a drink, and he was going to get one.

"Where do you live?" He asked the woman, she gave him the address and he was there within fifteen minutes.

He arrived at the house at the same time as the Mercedes. He settled them in the bedroom with a little angel persuasion, and then he found the liquor cabinet and a decent cut crystal glass and poured a large glass of single malt. It wasn't his favourite, but he did have to give the man his dues because it certainly was expensive.

He'd ingested three large measures before the solution hit him, and to make things even better, he already had a mode of transport for the solution. Things were beginning to look up for him. He went to the kitchen and found a jug and a sharp knife, then went upstairs with a smile on his face.

The sleeping couple were fully clothed and lying on top of the covers; he grabbed the man's wrist and made an incision along his pale arm. The blood dribbled out and he collected it in the jug, filling it to the one-pint mark. He rubbed the wound with a carelessly muttered spell and left the man to heal.

He mixed the blood with a few drops of his own, then moved the furniture to the sides of the room, and drew a large pentagram with the blood, adding symbols in the spaces. If he was a decent man he would line the doors and windows with salt to prevent the angel from escaping and causing havoc, but he wasn't and so he didn't.

He said the incantation while standing at the head of the pentagram. He waited as a breeze zipped into the room lifting his bedraggled hair, and then formed a smoky figure in the centre of the bloody symbol.

"Barbatos! How the devil are you?" The figure said, taking form.

"Laylah? I didn't call you," he dropped the jug and stared at the beautiful angel.

"I came anyway," she said smiling. "You are no longer useful in this mission, and if you're trying to redeem yourself, you're going about it the wrong way."

"I am supposed to be of service to the dying races, without an 'idiots guide' how am I supposed to know who to work for? I don't know who will save who," he moaned.

"I am going to give you a clue," Laylah leaned forward and gripped his chin in her fingers, turning his head so she could whisper in his ear; he complied. "You work for the children," she screeched into his ears, causing the drums to vibrate at an unearthly level; it couldn't have hurt more if she'd have been a bean-sidhe. He fell to the floor clutching his leaking ears; he should have known his ex would hear his call.

"I don't know where they are and I have limited powers here," he moaned once more. She'd always made him feel inadequate even when they were on a level playing field.

"I can fix that," she smiled, showing her fangs and he wondered if she was still single.

Laylah misted into a dark fog and entered his gaping mouth, choking him in the process. He gagged but it was no use, they were ethereal and speeding along some ancient tunnel in complete darkness. When he'd begun to think she'd obliterated his molecules she slowed and released him. He fell to the ground with force and threw up on the snow at his feet.

He wrapped his arms around himself willing the booze to keep him warm while he got his senses back. He was standing in the garden of an abandoned house, in possibly the coldest place on Earth. He wished he'd been wearing his coat when she'd picked him up, but he was extremely glad he'd left his shoes on.

Matt knew it was wrong, but he felt overwhelmed by lust and she obviously felt the same way; everyone else had left the room. He pulled her onto his lap and she giggled with the sweetest little human laugh. It really did feel odd; this kind of behaviour was normal in the great forests and beside the lakes, but never in a man-made concrete prison.

"Wait, why are we doing this?" He said, trying to disentangle her limbs from his.

"Because I like you and you like me," she laughed and relaxed against him like a drunken nymph.

This was not right; she wasn't nervous or wondering if he would call her afterwards. Humans needed a plan, even short term plans would do, but this girl was seeking a chemistry of the skin and nothing more. He pulled her off of him reluctantly and fell over his own feet trying to put some distance between them.

"You don't really want this, did you drug me?" He said sliding away as she practically leapt at him.

"I do, I want you more than I want fresh air," she laughed, pulling her jumper up exposing soft white flesh.

"No, wait! Air, it's in the air system!" He yelled and sprang to his feet tripping again on her discarded shoes. "Everyone stop what you're doing, please!"

Arthur heard Matt yelling and stopped. Both him and Saffron were half dressed, their clothes shredded having changed from human to wolf, then back to human form. Saffron's face was glowing and he wanted nothing more than to finish what he'd started, especially with the musky smell wafting around their bonded bodies. He pulled away and tried to cover himself before opening the door to a flushed and sweating Matt.

"We're being drugged, it's in the air system!" Matt yelled, moving to bang on Karl's door.

Arthur looked back at Saffron who was pulling her dressing gown on. She was still glowing and flushed pink as she stood beside him at the door. He thought that she had never looked more beautiful.

"I think it's wearing off now," she said rubbing her shoulder.

"Did I hurt you?" He said, peeling the fluffy material away from her wound.

"I don't think so," she smiled.

"Good," he covered her shoulder still worried that he might lose control although the gas had obviously dispersed.

"Laura and Jack are 'busy'," Matt said using fingers to show air quotes.

"And Karl and Katie?" Arthur asked, but he knew the answer.

"Oh guys you've bonded," Matt leaned in smelling them.

"That's weird, stop it," Arthur pushed Matt away.

"They're really quiet now, but I think they might have wrecked their room when the gas was strong, I called out, but Karl told me to go away," he bit his lip and shrugged his shoulders, he'd done his best. "I'd better check on the human."

Catinka was sitting on the bed in her room and looked up as he entered. The lust still shone in her eyes as they met his. This was going to be a long day, he thought.
**Chapter 20**
"It appears as though one of our members of staff, has taken it upon themselves to remove the children in question from the school, as part of a field trip, probably," Mrs. Willow stuttered slightly avoided eye contact between them.

"I see, never mind," he replied, wondering why for the first time in his life things were working in his favour. "I shall contact the Council, they will need to know, but I'm sure I'll be out of your hair soon." He smiled, trying not to let the relief that flooded through his body show. She, however, looked terrified and exhausted.

"The kids have gone," he said into his mobile phone after he'd made a cup of coffee and helped himself to the meaty snacks in the cottage refrigerator.

"What do you mean gone?" Julian's voice sounded a little too high pitched.

"They were gone before I got here, no one is sure when they left, but they left with a teacher called Jameson," he said and waited for a sign of recognition in the vampire's voice.

"Who the hell is he, and why is he removing the children? This is like saying we've lost a nuclear warhead," Julian's voice remained high pitched. The name hadn't thrown him at all.

"We didn't lose them, he took them. Do I come back or stay and wait?" Henderson said, leaning back in the armchair, if it hadn't been so stressful to orchestrate, he could have looked on this as a mini break.

"Stay put, for now, I'll break the news and phone you back," he replied and then the line went dead. Henderson found a bottle of scotch and helped himself to a glass; he may as well use all of the facilities while he was there.

Katie felt the wave of desire hit her like a physical hunger; she reached out for Karl and clung to him. He kissed her making her lips feel like fire, before scooping her up and carrying her to his room.

"Something feels wrong about this," he said in a breathless, sexy way as he kicked the door shut.

"No, it feels good," she reached for him, dragging him to the bed.

"I hardly know you, I feel like it isn't me," he said, lifting her t-shirt over her head and then discarding his own.

"I've never wanted anything more in my whole life," she said unbuttoning her jeans.

"It isn't us, is it?" He said gripped by a maddening urge to shred the rest of her clothes. This definitely wasn't him and he had to stop himself, something was making them do this. He held onto the metal bed frame, turning his back on her.

"It's not us, but I can't stop it, it hurts to hold back," she said grabbing the chest of drawers.

It was no use; he wasn't strong enough to hold back. He released his grip on the bedframe and sprang at her lifting her away from the chest of drawers, only she didn't let go, the drawers moved with her then crashed to the floor in a broken mess of wood and clothes.

"Do it," she moaned as he ripped the rest of her clothes off.

As they lay entwined on the bed with the scent of bonding wafting around them, she wondered what had happened to cause the intense need she'd felt. When she'd stolen her file from Jameson's office, she didn't think of the consequences, only that she'd rather die trying to be free than be a slave forever, but in coming to Norway had she become a slave to their Council instead?

"I think they want us to breed, to try out our hybrid genes," Karl said as if he'd read her thoughts.

"Does this mean I'm going to be pregnant?" She whispered; she almost wanted to laugh, this was ridiculous, she wasn't even eighteen years old yet.

"I don't know, I don't know anything about a werewolf or vampire breeding, and hybrid breeding could be a whole new ballgame," he said, feeling cold in the aftermath of the mating glow, he pulled her close to him.

Katie began to shiver, just a little bit at first, so he pulled the cover up over her then shakes began to wrack her body in giant spasms. He jumped up and opened the door.

"Help me in here," he called out, then rushed to her side. Matt was first to enter and the others piled in behind him.

"Feed her your blood," he said.

"Is she?" He couldn't say the rest; he lifted his wrist and slid his new fangs into the soft skin, slicing it to allow a good flow of blood out. He placed the blood over her lips and she locked on drinking fast and hard.

"Poisoned," Arthur nodded.

"She'll need lots of blood, who else will feed her?" Matt said, tired from the gas that had been pumped through the unit. The poor human girl, whose name was Catinka, almost fainted at the sight of the blood and he escorted her to her room.

"You were born a day walker like her and you're the alpha," Karl said, hissing as her fangs searched for a greater purchase on his wrist.

"Okay, if that's what you want," Arthur said.

The hotel was good; it had luxurious rooms, a fine gym, excellent food, and plenty of exciting blood products on the menu. Lucius was particularly fond of the creamy blood cocktail that was flecked with tiny particles of gold leaf. Anita surprised him by tasting the drink when he had his back turned at the bar. She'd looked embarrassed when he'd caught her, but he found it amusing, and slightly alluring.

"I'm just curious," she smiled. "It's actually very nice."

After a refreshing discussion, he'd had to order another one because Sarah and then eventually John had wanted to try it, and they all had been surprised to find it palatable. He was starting to think that Anita was the true love of his life, that she would allow herself to be turned and be with him for the rest of their lives. He had been so lonely, watching two wives die before him, along with friends and family. Since Arthur's mother had died, he'd had no one but the small child and a flock of babysitters sent by the Council. He didn't want to watch her die too.

"What's wrong?" Anita said, leaning close to him.

"I'm fine," he said, squeezing her gently.

"I saw a shadow on your face, are you okay with leaving England? I'll follow Saffron to the end of the Earth," Anita said.

"I will follow you to the end of the Earth," he said. "Marry me, Anita," he saw the shock on her face and she sat in silence for a while.

"Yes, I will," she replied. "On one condition."

"Anything," he said, grasping her hands and placing a light kiss on them.

"Turn me," she said. "I don't want to grow old and leave you and the kids, while you all live on for who knows how long, staying beautiful."

When the shock had left him and he was able to speak, he agreed, as soon as they were settled, he would turn her and then they could be married. He ordered more drinks to celebrate, ignoring John and Sarah's stunned faces.

Jameson found the sliding gate and tore away some of the trailing vines that disguised the entrance. He could fit through a gap between the fence and the concrete tunnel walls, but it was a tight squeeze and he fell through the other side with a bruised knee and a thorn in his forehead. He followed the tunnel down feeling his way in the dark and stumbled several times before the light from the checkpoint came into view. He was tired and cold, the last thing he wanted was a fight with highly trained armed guards.

He watched them from the cover of the shadowy tunnel; he could see two guards and both were standing beside the gate talking and laughing. The only way to continue was to get passed the guards. He needed to find a way to distract them because however engrossed they were with their conversation they would still see him climb over or under the gate.

As he watched he was aware of a brightening of the tunnel, he looked back to see headlights approaching and hit the ground. The MPV pulled up before the gate and waited at the gate entrance as the guards checked the drivers pass. They obviously knew him and chatted away in what he presumed was Norwegian.

He slid under the car and gripped hold of what looked like part of the roll cage, tucking his feet into a ridge near the petrol tank. It was hot and far too close to the ground for his liking, but he held fast using a bit of his angel strength to cling to the car. If they went over a hump he was toast and he knew it.

He was relieved when the driver eventually pulled into what looked like a car park and dropped to the ground, allowing his muscles heal. He heard several people get out of the car and nearly laughed out loud when he heard their young British accents. He'd just hitched a ride with the kids he had been chasing. He couldn't get to them yet, though; he rolled over and watched as they walked over to a lift set against the wall. The driver pushed an unmarked button and they stepped in. Maybe he was able to redeem himself after all.

He waited until his muscles had ceased their spasms and was just about to climb out from under the vehicle when he heard another car enter the car park. He watched as it parked three spaces away. More British accents filtered through, and he saw one person he recognised; Lucius Alderman. He was the hybrid boy's father, he recognised him from the file. He guessed the humans were also parents.

He watched the driver push the button on the other side of the lift, when it had taken them away, he picked himself up and brushed off his clothes. He walked over to the lift and pressed the button which was marked with a fancy H. As the cage shuttled upwards, it opened out into the service area of what looked like a hotel. He walked along the corridor until he found a door with small windows set into it. On the other side was a grand lobby with a reception in the centre.

"I'm good," he whispered, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards slightly. "I'm bloody amazing."

Karl fed Katie as she sat up in bed. She'd recovered from the poisoning, which had resulted from the mating, and accepted the change from day walker to hybrid easier than the rest, of course, it might have been Karl's angel mixed blood, Arthur's alpha strength and a little of Matt's sunlight loving fey blood. She'd had a good mix and a healthy dose and was now happily eating with a healthy glow on her cheeks.

No one had come for them and they hadn't had any contact with the outside world or from any other occupants within the bunker. Arthur had tried to pry the doors open, but they were sealed tight and strong. He'd searched the whole place for some kind of intercom or way of communication, and found none. He was starting to panic already and didn't like his chances of not tearing the place up in a wolfed-out moment of madness.

They had tried to question Catinka but when she said she knew nothing she meant it. Saffron compelled her with soothing tones until the girl had told them her whole life story, but there were no answers to be had. She'd been brought in a few days before, blindfolded, after applying for a job as a cook and nutritionist; she'd just qualified in nutritional science. They had called her to a meeting which took place at a local restaurant, and she'd been offered the job and collected by car the next day. Halfway through her journey, the woman in the front seat had put a blindfold on her and told her it was a top secret unit, the blindfold was removed once she was in the unit.

"Three bonded couples and a fey," Matt said, putting his arm around Arthur that evening. "Three breeding couples and me."

"Yeah," Arthur sighed. "Laura and Katie could be pregnant already, and I'm pretty sure this was what the British Council had in store for us."

"Couldn't Saffron be pregnant as well?" Matt replied, raising his eyebrows.

"No, we bonded when I wolfed out and bit her," he replied, still feeling guilty for the crescent-shaped scar that she promised him didn't hurt.

"Oh wow, willpower of iron," Matt smiled and punched his arm. "Maybe they're waiting for all of them to get pregnant?"

"What kind of sick freaks are they?" Arthur said, hanging his head in his hands. He was not about to make a baby.

Jameson found an empty room and took a long hot bubble bath; he loved hotels. He only had the sports car idiot's clothes, and he couldn't face putting them back on after finally getting clean. He put the hotel's fluffy dressing gown on and raided the mini bar which contained a small bottle of his favourite brandy, along with many other single measure beverages. He wanted to finish the entire contents, but he had a job to do and the sooner he figured out what he was supposed to be doing with the wretched creatures, the sooner he'd earn his residency back.

The first thing he had to sort out was clothes; he couldn't stay incognito in the hotel while wearing nothing but a dressing gown and his meat suit. He couldn't call room service because he wasn't supposed to be there and he was low on ideas. He decided that drinking the fancy labelled vodka would help him think, and he poured the contents of the bottle into a clean glass; only a heathen would drink brandy and vodka out of the same glass. When he'd finished the vodka he freshened his breath with the complimentary mouthwash and peeked around the door.

He wedged his door open and stepped out into the corridor; a man in a suit walked past him and stood in front of the room next to his; he seized the opportunity and grabbed the man, hauling him back into his own room. He knocked the guy out with a well-thrown punch and carefully undressed him. He almost stopped at the boxer shorts, but they were silk, and he couldn't stand chaffing. He left the man on his bed naked, and straightened his tie; damn, he looked good. The man had real taste in clothes; he paused in front of the door and looked back. He went back to the man and slid the Rolex off of his limp wrist, and smiled; perfect.

He made his way down to the bar and was rewarded when he got there. An empty seat was tucked under the bar between Lucius and the male human who had been with him in the car park. He sat down and ordered a drink, paying for it with the cash he'd lifted from the naked man's wallet. He propped his elbows on the bar tossed some bar nuts into his jaws and listened.

Julian went back to his desk; that was one of the worst conversations he'd had in ages. His boss was powerful, strong, and always on the border between anger and silent psychopathic musings. She'd smiled at him when he'd walked in and she'd smiled when he'd left, but he still felt as if she'd poured molten lead through his digestive system. He banged his head on his desk a few times before leaving it on the cool space. When he thought he could think once more he sat up, reached for the cold store bottle in the mini fridge behind him and put it in the bottle warmer. He needed his strength back before he could put the new information into some kind of order in his brain.

He picked up the phone and dialled Henderson's number; he reached his answering machine so he left a message for him to return to HQ. They knew where the kids were, thanks to a tracker placed inside Anita's holdall; getting them back, however, might prove to be an act of war. Julian just wondered whose side the angel was on and if he had planned the abduction all along, was he working for the Norwegian Council?

"Okay, stop talking, I can't listen to this anymore," Jameson said.

"Excuse me?" Anita said, raising her eyebrows to the ceiling.

"Shut up and listen, we need to go and find a quiet seat. That one; follow me and smile," he replied, walking towards a table in the corner of the room.

"What's this about?" Lucius asked, taking a seat at the small table.

"I was a plant at the school, I was supposed to watch and study your children as they turned each other into hybrids. They decided to run away before the Council could continue with the breeding part of the project, and now they're here probably having the same treatment by a Council who want the same thing from them," he said calmly.

"No, I was assured of their safety," Lucius said while gripping Anita's shaking hand.

"Oh, they will be safe; they're walking prized experiments. From what I understand there's a power struggle between Higher Council members and, put simply, the ones who end up with the finished product are the winners," Jameson said, taking a swig of his drink, he was enjoying the downtime but he knew it would come to an end in the next few minutes.

"Where are they, and who the hell are you working for?" Lucius hissed.

"Keep it down unless you want armed guards to escort you to a cell, they only brought you here to have some leverage over the children, but ultimately, you are expendable," Jameson warned him.

Lucius was boiling with rage that he had to contain, what he needed was a clear head and logical thoughts, but he felt so damn angry that the people he'd trusted had let his family down. He forced himself to be still and shut everything out including Anita's worried face. Everyone always looked to him to be the strong one, and he couldn't fail them.

"What do we do?" Anita said in a calm voice.

"The kids are downstairs in some kind of bunker, I haven't seen them so I don't know what kind of security they have going on," he finished his drink savouring the last burn before it was time to go. "You humans are very fragile, and being that you're not actually prisoners as such I'd suggest a little fake shopping trip, leaving me and the big man here to do the work."
**Chapter 21**
Saffron heard the noise first and made her way to the door on the opposite side from where they had come in a few days before. There was a scraping sound from behind it and she put her ear to the grey metal surface. Something was scraping at the bottom; she thumped the door and then listened. A thumping sound came through the door; it was muffled. She called to the others.

"There's someone on the other side of this door," she said before kicking the centre of the panel.

"Hold up," Arthur said, putting his ear to the door. He heard the scraping and then felt the whole door shake.

"Someone's trying to get in from the other side," Arthur told the others. "Come on!"

They took it in turns to kick the door and eventually dented it enough to be able to grab the seam and pull. Nothing happened at first, but as they all took a handhold and pulled, it eventually gave ever so slightly.

"Move back!" Arthur said and looked through the narrow gap.

He could see a corridor just like theirs with doors to either side; plain concrete with steel fixings. He jumped back falling over Karl's feet when something shot into his vision.

"What the fuck is that?" He asked, scrambling to his feet. Matt took a look but didn't get too close.

"I don't think we should have opened this," Matt said, taking a step back pulling Saffron with him.

A pale, greasy looking creature peered through the gap with a milky eye, then put three bony, shrivelled fingers in the gap and tried to pull. Before they could recoil at the smell of the thing, it put its foul smelling mouth over the hole and hissed. Blackened teeth showed through the dark, drooling cavern and they all stepped back several steps.

"I'm so sorry I started this," Saffron said running for the door they'd come through originally.

They began to shout and kick at the door which led to the lift. They needed to get out before the hungry stinking creature broke into their bunker. They kicked and pulled and shouted. Catinka kept an eye on the creature that was pulling at the gap one moment, and then throwing its heavy weight against the doors the other, all the while emitting an excited groan.

"Step away from the doors," a loudspeaker bellowed out from some unseen machine.

"Why are you keeping us here?" Karl shouted.

"Step away from the doors and we will collect you," the voice said.

They stepped back, turning their heads to keep an eye on both sets of doors. Nothing happened.

"Come on, what the hell are those creatures? You can't leave us in here with those," Arthur shouted to the unseen speaker. He was sure there was a camera and maybe a microphone in there somewhere.

The doors slid halfway open, but instead of the driver or some unknown entity, Jameson stepped through. They all turned to him in surprise and then noticed Lucius behind him.

"Dad," Arthur said, grabbing hold of the man.

"We've got to go, now," Lucius said, pulling Arthur through the doors, but at the same time an ear-splitting crack came from behind them.

"Oh no, run," Laura screamed, pushing Catinka out of the door.

They filed through the broken doors and into the lift hitting the button before several slimy creatures reached them. The doors closed in time to see them come through the doors they'd just exited.

"That was close," Jameson said physically shaken.

"What the hell were those things?" Lucius asked Jameson.

"They are what happens if you try to make an adult into a hybrid," Jameson said, leaning back against the steel lift wall as they continued upwards.

"What?" Saffron shouted.

"Calm down children, we can discuss this when we figure out how to get out of here," Jameson said.

"Where are we getting out?" Lucius asked.

"Hotel, it will be easier to escape through a sea of panicky people than through a cave where they can shoot with big guns," he replied just before the lift bounced to a stop. "Get ready."

The lift opened without the armed guards they were expecting, but a fire alarm was ringing and they could see staff at the other end of the corridor rushing about in a panic. They managed to get to the lobby before a guard stepped in front of them holding a gun. They all stopped and looked at each other before the guard motioned for them to raise their arms.

"We can talk about this, but we're kind of in a hurry," Jameson said after a moment of silent standoff.

Deafening shots rang out and a scream came from behind them, causing the guard to look around them. They ran for the door and this time, no one stopped them. As Arthur looked back, he saw one of the creatures bite into the guard's face, causing his skin to sizzle and smoke.

They ran through the streets, passing the hotel guests, who were lining up for the fire alarm count. They heard their screams after they'd turned the corner, but carried on following Jameson's lead. He stopped and leaned against a wall to get his breath back after a few minutes, and they huddled around him.

"Are they going to chase us?" Lucius asked.

"The Norwegian Council? Yes, most definitely," he puffed.

"No, the creatures, whatever the hell they are," he replied.

"No, the process destroyed their brains, the only successful hybrids that I know of are the ones standing here," Jameson said.

"Come on, we need to find Anita and the others," Lucius said waiting for Jameson to track them.

"Would be easier if we left them here," Jameson replied, but one look at Lucius and the children was all he needed to spur him on. "Come on then, let's go get reunited."

They found them shivering in a small park and Jameson waited for the hugging to stop before announcing that if they didn't move soon they would be fed to the flesh eaters.

"Where are we going?" Lucius asked.

"A friend of mine pointed out a safe place, it's not far, but it's a black spot for all kinds of tracking, so we can think about what to do next when we get there," he said in between panting.

He was not used to all this exercise and the bitter wind was cutting through his suit jacket. Jameson stopped before a dark warehouse and rattled a small wooden door. It opened with a creak and they filed in, out of the cold. Arthur latched the door and slid the two heavy iron bolts across. They went up the crooked stairs and into a small room which had been an office a very long time ago.

"Who are you?" Jameson asked, noticing Catinka for the first time.

"I'm a cook, I was employed to make food for the hybrids," she said, shaking with cold in her thin dress and cardigan. Matt reached for her and wrapped her frail human body in his big arms.

"We can't keep picking strays up," Jameson moaned, running his hands through his hair. When had this become so complicated?

"It's not safe for her to go home, we have to keep her with us," Matt said.

"I don't recall you being on the list either, fairy," Jameson spat desperately in need of a drink to ease his muscles after the freezing marathon he'd just run.

"So, who do you work for and where the hell are you taking us? Back to the British Council?" Arthur said.

"No, I thought I was supposed to be working for them, it turns out I'm working for you," he said, collapsing into the old wooden captain's chair, which creaked under his weight.

"Why?" Arthur asked.

"The short answer is, this is my assignment to get back into my world because yours sucks," he replied while opening the drawers of the big old desk.

"Tell us more and I'll hand this over," Saffron smiled sweetly at him and he nearly fell off his chair. She swung a very old, very expensive bottle of Cognac in her hand and his jaw gaped open.

"I was kicked out of what humans refer to as heaven; I did bad things and very exciting things with lots of bad and very good angels, and occasionally humans. I have a weakness for alcohol and I'm not very eager to help other species, so I was sent to make amends by undertaking some assignments. The bitch of it is, I'm not always told what the assignments are, I have to figure it all out on my tod and it's not easy."

"You lack empathy," Saffron said, moving the bottle closer.

"Yes, that was mentioned once or twice," he said, leaning towards the dangling bottle.

"Great our future is in the hands of a womanising, alcoholic who has no understanding of emotions," she replied.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he said, grasping the bottle and bringing it towards him. Saffron let it go and he opened the top, taking a small swig, savouring the burn.

"How are we going to get back to England?" Arthur asked, sitting on the edge of the desk.

"We can't go back, not yet. They want to put you through a breeding program, I don't know what their agenda is, aside from that," Lucius said, feeling a little embarrassed to be discussing breeding with his son in this way.

"Yeah, they gassed us with some kind of aphrodisiac in the bunker," Matt said causing everyone to flush with embarrassment.

"So breeding might already be happening," Lucius said, looking down at his feet.

"For some of us," Laura replied, holding on tightly to Jack's hand.

John and Sarah's faces dropped and the air thickened and everyone let the information sink in. Lucius pulled the brandy bottle out of Jameson's hand and took a swig before Jameson could protest. He handed it around and they all took a swig.

"So how come you made your way to them?" Jameson asked Katie while cradling the bottle that had been returned to him.

"I needed out, I'm booked as a servant to the Council for my whole life, to pay for my father's mistakes and failures. I don't want to be a slave," she replied.

"You were the one I'd chosen to be Karl's mate, I guess you were meant to be together," Jameson laughed.

"I guess so," she replied, looking at Karl. She'd had a lucky escape so far.

They slept on the cold wooden floor while taking it in turns to keep watch. The small grimy window in the office looked out over the street where the snow was falling steadily.

"I wish we'd picked up our coats," Saffron said when she sensed Arthur was watching her.

"Yeah, but our last few minutes in that hole weren't really great for packing," he said, remembering the smell of the creatures and the hungry looks on their faces.

"I hate to remind you, but I'm not a daywalker and so if we're planning on staying here, please cover the window, if we're going then we need to hurry, dawn is coming shortly," Lucius said.

"We stay here, at least until I have my next spark of an idea. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you," Jameson said. "Just so that I'm very clear, no one leaves the building, at all."

"I'd better find a toilet then," Anita said standing up.

"Saffron look," Arthur pulled her up from her sleep.

"What?" She replied, rubbing her eyes.

"The creatures are daywalkers too," he pulled aside the rough curtain.

"It's covered with blood, it probably ate hundreds of locals," Saffron said feeling bad for the townspeople.

"We didn't make them or keep them hidden in a bunker, they would have eaten us if we'd stayed," he said dropping the curtain back before Lucius could feel the daylight.

"We need to feed too," Saffron said.

"We'll have to wait, we can't feed off of them," he whispered, looking at the pile of sleeping people.

"You can feed off me," Jameson said. "Not all of you, but two can have a snack."

"Yuk, not me," Saffron turned away.

"Karl can, he's already got my blood coursing through his veins," he said.

"There's enough of us, you can all feed," Anita sat up.

Anita organised them all, she'd had to persuade John and Sarah, but Matt and Catinka gave their wrists willingly along with Jameson.

"I have to leave for a while," Jameson said to Lucius.

"Why? When will you be back? We should stick together," Lucius said.

"If I don't do this, we'll be stuck here until we starve to death, it wasn't your fault that the Norwegian Council double-crossed you, Lucius, get over it," Jameson snapped unable to deal with people's emotions in such close quarters.

"I just want them to be safe," he pointed at the closed door behind him.

"So do I, and to get them somewhere safe, so I must leave for a short while," Jameson said running his hands through his shiny hair. He was still annoyed at having to sleep in the nice new suit he'd taken, and don't get him started on the silk boxers that were stuck to his arse cheeks with sweat.

"I'll lock the door and wait for you," Lucius sighed.

Jameson crept from street to street in the shade of the newly darkened night. He found what he was looking for and all it took was one of his hefty punches to the back of the head. The man was out cold in the alleyway, resting on a pile of snow. He used a dirty beaker to collect the blood and drew the signs in the snow. She came with a warm wind this time, or, at least, it felt warm against the backdrop of freezing snow splattered Norwegian wind.

"You took your time," she grunted.

"I thought you'd come to me, I didn't realise I needed to call you," he moaned rubbing his arms.

"I couldn't reach you, the safe house is very safe," she said, tapping him on the cheek with her sharp fingernail.

"Okay, okay; what now?" He asked. "Where do we go from here?"

"You can't travel, they have checkpoints on all exits," she said, folding her arms across her barely clad bosom, oblivious to the cold.

"What do we do? We can't stay here," his voice had taken a girly screechiness on and he cleared his throat. No matter how desperate he got, he shouldn't be wimping out in front of her. She'd use anything against him when they got to being lovers again.

"Calm down," she said in a sexy voice. "Don't get your silk panties in a twist."

He gritted his teeth, thinking it would be better in the long run if he didn't grab the little bitch and bring her with him.

"Are you listening?" She asked, had he missed something? "Take them to the woodland on the east side of town, if you reach there in one piece and all together, you will be given safe transport to somewhere that none of the factions can reach you. You will be off the radar completely. You will, of course, have to make a few sacrifices, but I'm sure you will be fine with that," she laughed, obviously knowing the type of sacrifices they were up for. "Oh, and don't let that man die here, it won't look good on the report."

She vanished in a hazy mist of warmth which smelled divine, but he stepped back in case she whipped him with the tail end. She had been known to do such things; she was quite vicious in her loving. He shook the man awake and sent him on his way, then went back to the warehouse. All he had to do was get the large group of bumbling idiots across the small town and into the forest; this probably meant they would be shacking up with fey. The last time he'd had dealings with fey he'd had to spend what felt like an eternity in the mossy bed of a high wood nymph, while she tried to impregnate her fey body with angel seed. He had gotten in so much trouble for that and it hadn't even been his fault.

They left right away but had to move quickly without being seen. Katie had been managing this for years and gave everyone tips on how to stay hidden. Jameson's limited skills were running low, which is what happens to fallen angels when they use their magic in the physical world. Back where he came from the stuff was unlimited and took a lot less effort. He was exhausted and fed up with babysitting the snivelling humans, except for Anita; she was made of tougher stuff. He knew exactly why Lucius wanted to turn her.

"Wait up," Arthur whisper-shouted. "Sarah's missing," he said.

"Great," Jameson said. "Not only is it bloody freezing and highly dangerous, but people are going off on sightseeing sprees."

"Quiet," Lucius hissed and they all held their breaths listening.

A groan came from behind them somewhere; they stood still trying to meld into the shadows. Sarah fell out from a doorway onto the crisp white snow, causing it to quickly turn red. Jack ran to her holding her shaking body away from the cold snow; John joined them and lifted her coat away from her neck, where blood was oozing from a bite-shaped wound there.

"Oh, no, no, please," he cried and sank to his knees.

At that moment all hell broke loose as a band of three guards came running from a side road pointing guns at the group, they shouting in a language that none of them could understand. They turned back as a shriek rang out from within the group. Anita had been pulled to one side and a set of rotten teeth were about to take a chunk out of her face when Lucius rushed at the creature. Anita fell to the side unscathed and Lucius was joined by Saffron and then Arthur.

"No, this is not good," Jameson groaned as the group disbanded and separated.

The armed guards grabbed Laura and Katie slipping plastic cuffs onto their wrists before they realised what was happening. Jameson took one guard out before narrowly avoiding a bullet to his kidney, he landed in a pile of heaped snow with a hole in his now ruined suit.

"Bastards!" He cried out before jumping up to take a second guard out.

Arthur, then Saffron sprung into wolf form and disabled the last guard, then ran for the creature who threatened to come closer once more.

"No, don't bite them!" Jameson yelled. They fell back immediately, which made the creature snarl with viciously sharp, foul smelling teeth.

Jack left his mother, picked up one of the guards rifles and ran at the creature ramming the rifle straight through the creature's snarling mouth and out through the back of its head. It fell to the floor oozing black blood. It transformed as it died into what looked to have been a middle-aged woman, the teeth remained rotten and the smell was putrid, but the body was almost as it should have been.

"That is freaky, I wasn't expecting that," Jameson said, blinking in the cold breeze.

When Jack returned to his mother, she was gasping for breath, but unable to take even the smallest mouthful of air without her lungs filling with blood. He put his hand on her cheek and she tried to smile up at him, it passed more as a grimace.

"Shall I turn her?" Lucius asked.

"Yes," Jack said.

"No, she wouldn't want that," John said. "Would she?" He was unsure, but Lucius bent down and dripped his blood into the dying woman's mouth.

"We don't have time for this," Jameson said.

"I'm sorry," Karl put his hands on Jack's shoulders.

"I think we have company coming to join these guys," Jameson said.

Lucius picked the cooling woman's body up and continued to drip his blood into her mouth while they walked along the street. They were silent, listening to the shouts come closer. Saffron and Arthur remained in wolf form; their clothes shredded, had fallen from their fur. They stayed side by side, sharing the warmth of each other's body.
**Chapter 22**
They made it to the edge of the forest just as guards appeared from all angles behind them. Jameson pulled them into the trees and as they took cover behind the trunks, the snowy landscape began to fade and shimmer.

"Don't be scared," Matt called out. "The forest is controlled by the fey, we'll be safe here."

The snow was replaced by green leaves and grass, and the cold wind changed to a soft warm breeze. Somewhere high up, sunlight sparkled through the canopy of green making the forest floor look alive with activity.

"What do we do now?" Anita asked.

"We wait," Matt said.

"We should be safe here if they accept us," Jameson said.

"Indeed," a woman said, appearing from between two trees with a shimmer. "Greetings travellers, I have been asked to keep you within our realm, but I was not told why." She placed a long, thin hand over Laura's stomach and smiled. "I can see why I must keep you now."

"The humans cannot stay," a man said entering the clearing. He took Matt's head in his hands and kissed both cheeks.

"Please, they must. We all need sanctuary," Matt said.

"This human, my love, is with child and it's one of ours," she said stroking Catinka's cheek.

"It's too soon to tell," Catinka said, putting her hands on her stomach.

"The decision is made in the moment," the woman replied with a warm smile.

"I cannot take the humans out; they will be killed or held as bait. The children are important, you must know this even from here," Jameson said rubbing his face.

The woman snapped her fingers and both Saffron and Arthur transformed into human form; she spun her hand and they were instantly clothed in soft, natural garments. Saffron was impressed; the material felt like silk but smelled of flowers.

"What say the alpha?" The man asked.

"Our parents must remain with the pack, they are ours and we do not leave our people behind," Arthur said simply. "If they leave, we leave."

"Then they will stay, but I warn you, their human forms are not meant for our world and it is to their benefit that they leave as soon as they may safely do so," the man said and walked between the trees he had originally appeared from.

"It is done, follow me," she led them to a small grove near a waterfall.

"This is beautiful," Laura said.

"You must leave now Barbatos," the Queen touched his arm.

"You will see me again guys," Jameson smiled, stretched his large black wings and vanished.

The woman also disappeared, leaving them alone in the grove with sweet smelling flowers and fruit laden trees. They had landed in paradise.

"I have no words," Anita said, sitting on a rock next to the pool of jewel green water.

"I'm going to have a baby," Catinka said, sitting next to Anita. "A baby like you." She looked over at Matt, who grinned and winked at her.

"Matt, what is this place?" Saffron asked.

"You are completely safe and protected from everything, the Queen has deemed that we are to be sheltered, and so we will be. That is until she decides to throw us out," he said.

"How long do hybrid and fey babies take in the oven?" Karl said, holding Katie in his arms.

"Time doesn't apply in the realm of fey," Matt said with an apologetic shrug.

"I need food," Saffron said helping herself to a peach from the tree nearby.

"For you," a little girl came out from behind a tree with a platter of food piled high. She looked too small to carry such a weight, but she did so gracefully.

"You won't need blood here," Matt said. "Oh, and in case you're wondering Lucius, that sunlight won't fry you."

"This isn't my first time in the realm of fey boy," Lucius said making everyone's eyebrows raise.

"What will happen to my Mum?" Jack asked. They all looked at Sarah's sleeping form, her neck had healed over.

"She will remain sleeping, she's in stasis. When we leave here I will be able to finish the process and she should turn." Lucius explained.

"I guess I won't be turned any time soon," Anita said, causing a whole load more of the eyebrow raising.

"Mum!" Saffron gasped.
For a sneak preview into Bite Me 2 read on:
**All Angels go to Heaven (Bite Me book 2) Chapter 1**

He went to the nearest rooftop and watched as the guards killed off the sorry creatures. Of all the strange and crazy beings he'd met over his lifespan, they were the least worthy of life, and possibly the most unfortunate. He was no stranger to politics, but they had fallen hard under their government's greed. He knew so little about the assignment he was working that it was nearly impossible to make the right move. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't stay in the fey world, and that's where the kids were; he needed intel before he made another wrong move that would increase his sentence.

He felt the warm wind before he saw her. She stood beside him in her slinky dress radiating warmth. He kept his eyes faced front and waited for her to speak.

"Good work, Barbatos," Laylah said.

"What do I do now?" He said, facing the beautiful angel.

"There's a new assignment for you," she smiled.

"Have I finished this one?" He asked, rubbing his arms against the bitterness of the Norwegian wind.

"No," she laughed. "Think of this one as an interim project."

She snapped her red tipped fingers in front of his eyes, and he braced himself for what was coming. He was whipped into the ancient tunnel and raced along at a sickening speed, while Laylah gripped his body like a vice. Eventually, he fell from her grasp onto sharp gravel and lay there, his stomach heaving and head spinning.

"I fucking hate that," he spat blood from his mouth and sat up.

He was in the car park at the marina, where his little Seat sat sporting a brand-new parking ticket. He ripped the ticket off and threw it to the ground. The keys were in the ignition, and the doors were unlocked, which was not how he'd left the car.

As he sat in the driver's seat, he saw the manila file and knew that was his next assignment, but he made no move to open it. The past few days, weeks had been a nightmare, and he needed to let his weak little meat suit sleep.

He drove along the coast until he reached the next town; it was bigger than the previous one and had more options. He found what he was looking for, well almost. The hotel was more of an inn than a spa, but it was the best he could do in the small Scottish town. He booked a room using the cash left over from the owner of the suit he was wearing. He ignored the curious stares; a bullet had torn the suit to shreds, which was a shame because the suit had been a good fit.

Once he was in the room, he ordered a bottle of cognac and a sandwich from room service. He downed the first glass too quickly, but the next he enjoyed with his sandwich; the third was taken to the bathroom where he relaxed in a tub of hot water. Humans had taken a long time to be convinced into bathing; Jameson swore by it.

He was on his fourth glass when he finally opened the folder. Inside was a glossy photograph of a beautiful woman. She had red hair and eyes the colour of brandy; he liked her already. She had the curves that he liked to see on a woman. He put the photo aside and picked up the profile. Her name was Melissa Goldsmith, aged twenty-seven; she was a herbalist and lived in London. She was passing as human, but her species was undisclosed, and she needed protection.

He had her home address, which was also her business address, and her telephone number. The file was short but incredibly sweet; he was going to enjoy this assignment. A little vixen, femme fatale; what was Laylah thinking, he'd never get back into the Kingdom if she gave him assignments like this? He shoved the file aside and switched off the light, time to rest the meat suit.

He ate breakfast, then bought a sweatshirt at the small boutique nearby, before filling the car up and taking the route south. It was going to be a long drive, but he didn't mind; it was better than being scooped up and spat out by a sadistic angel. Laylah had her perks; a body to die for, and many men did, a fiery temper and a sense of danger. The woman knew exactly when to leave, so she wasn't around when you got caught. He'd sensed lately that she'd lost interest in him, whether it was because he was stuck doing community service or not, he didn't know.

The drive south was uneventful, no run-ins with human authorities or the Council. When he finally pulled onto her street, his back was aching like a bitch, so he decided to pop straight in and see what she could do for him. He had to park half a mile away and walk which was probably good for his back, but he felt rough, and rain was sheeting it down soaking him to his skin.

The shop had an old world look to it. The door jingled as he opened it and the vixen red-head appeared from behind a beaded curtain. Her hair was in a ponytail, but tendrils that had escaped framed her pretty freckled face. He walked into the middle of the room and stretched.

"Hi, can I help you?" She smiled at him and he damn near melted. The woman had a sexy voice on top of the visual lushness.

"Yeah, I've just driven a long way, and my back really hurts," he said stepping closer. He could smell her now; the various herbal remedies couldn't mask the smell of her warm body. It reminded him of roses and fey scent, only she wasn't fey, was she?

"I can make a tea you can drink, or an ointment you can rub in, or both, it's up to you," she said still smiling.

"Both sound great, but I haven't found anywhere to stay yet; I don't suppose you could make the tea for me to drink here?" He asked, giving her his sincerest smile, or at least, that was what he was aiming for.

"Sure, why don't you have a seat," she led him to a small sofa and coffee table. "It'll take me about ten minutes if that's okay?"

"That's fine," he sat on the sofa and watched her collect ingredients and measure them out. His eyes were still flashing images from the long drive, and he closed them for a moment.

She made the tea first as he looked like he could use it, but when she carried it over to the sofa, she realised that he wasn't just resting, he was asleep. She stood in front of him for a moment, watching his peaceful face. His black hair framed a tanned face with pink cheeks; he had boyish looks, but when you looked closely, you could see that he was having a hard life. He looked tired and stressed, and his skin could do with a few doses of detoxifying teas.

She placed the steaming cup on the coffee table in front of him, and went to walk away, and then she stopped and reached for the Afghan blanket, pulling it over him. He looked so cute in her pink and purple blanket. She left him to sleep and made the cream for his back; she added a few ingredients to make it smell like man. Some men wouldn't use creams that smelled like Jasmine; instead, she added a musky blend of essential oils that she had labelled 'man smell'.

She didn't realise that her brain had slipped into a daydream where she applied the cream on the customer until the door jingled making her jump, feeling slightly guilty and embarrassed. A tall woman entered the shop; her spiky heels scratched the surface of the parquet flooring, but Melissa dragged her eyes away from the shoes to find incredibly long legs on a super-slim, gorgeous blonde, wearing a sleek red dress. Her first thought was that she hoped her sleeping customer didn't wake up and get an eyeful of Miss Perfect. He woke.

"Hello," the woman's voice was smooth like chocolate; she made Melissa want to rush out back and apply a full face of makeup and an evening dress, not that she'd shaved her legs in weeks. She was feeling dowdier by the second.

"Hi, how can I help you?" She asked, trying to get into a professional mode once more. Her eyes flicked involuntarily to her seated customer, who was watching the blonde.

"I wanted to ask you for something more personal, but I see you have a friend, so I'll come back later," the woman drawled.

"I have a private consultation room if you would like to come in," Melissa smiled, even though her cheeks hurt from the effort.

"Thank you, but I think I will have to come back; I'll see you soon," she left in a rush of clicking heels and a strong perfumy smell.

"I'm sorry, I seem to have fallen asleep for a while," the man said and held out his hand. "I'm Mark, Mark Jameson."

"Melissa Goldsmith pleased to meet you; people often fall asleep in here, it must be the herbs," she laughed.

"I hope I didn't scare off your other customer," he said looking back towards the door.

"No, she doesn't look like a customer, I mean, I don't really think she wanted to be here," she sighed. "I'm not sure what I meant."

"I agree; I think, dressed like that she was probably heading for her yacht, or a high-class brothel," he said, looking back at Melissa in time to see her cough-laugh nervously.

"Sorry, I have a strange sense of humour," he mentally kicked himself; she wouldn't get his humour.

"No, I thought it was funny; I'm just surprised," she laughed.

"I don't suppose you could warm my tea up; it went cold while I was sleeping," he asked, handing her the mug. Their fingers touched, and she gasped, tea splashing up out of the cup and onto his face.

"I'm sorry," she said and took the cup away coming back with a cloth for his face. He didn't know what she'd seen, but something definitely spooked her.

She heated the tea and handed him the cream in a tub, but was careful not to touch him. He drank it while she made a pretence out of cleaning the shop and getting ready to close.

"I haven't been in this area before, do you know of any good hotels? Or rooms to rent?" He asked, watching her avoid his eye contact.

It hurt him, and he didn't know why; people disliked him all the time; it was normal. He didn't doubt his ability to charm her, but he didn't want to; he didn't want to have to try.

"There's a hotel a few streets away," she pointed in the direction. He didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone having met the spiky heeled demon. "Anywhere closer?"

He grabbed her wrist and held her firmly in front of him. Her cognac coloured eyes were swirling with emotion, and he was caught within them; he'd meant to compel her to give him a room in her home, but he couldn't find the words or the voice.

"What do you want from me?" She asked, staring deep into him.

"You," he replied, but when she frowned, he managed to shake his head. "I want to keep you safe." He stepped away; he had no idea what she was, but she was very powerful and really, really hot. He wanted to get into trouble with her.

"I think you should leave," she said, after a long silence.

"I need to stay here with you; you're not safe," he said, using the soft persuasive tone he often reserved for humans.

"Do I need to call the police?" She was angry now.

"No," he was suddenly exhausted, between the long drive and the events of the past few days, he could barely keep himself upright.

"What are you doing, stop it," her voice was the last thing he heard before hitting the floor.

She tried to catch him as he fell, but he went down so heavily she landed on the floor next to him. His head had hit the floorboards with a thump, and a small trickle of blood escaped from the split above his eyebrow.

She was having the worst week of her life, first, she found out that her deceased parents were actually her adoptive parents, then part of her roof caved in on the flat above her shop, which is where she lived, causing half her clothes to be ruined. The hire purchase on her new car fell through, and she was vehicle-less because her old car had died of old age and neglect a couple of weeks previously. And now a strange stalker-man had collapsed onto the floor of her shop.

She jumped up and locked the shop, flipping the sign to 'closed'. Then she switched the overhead lights off so if anyone came to the door, they wouldn't see the man on the floor leaking blood and think she'd killed him. He was still breathing, of course, and loudly at that. It was kind of cute how he was snoring.

She reached down and shook him; he didn't wake. She decided to fix his leaky head and try again. She bathed the split; it wasn't deep, but she put some salve on it and stuck one of her homemade plasters on it. She enjoyed the feel of his skin beneath her fingers; it was strange, but she hadn't touched a man since her ex-had left the year before, and it felt good. He was warm and smelled comforting, like her father's study, leather, and cognac.

He stirred and she shook him once more, this time, his brown eyes opened and focused on her. He didn't say anything or try to rise, he just looked into her eyes; he made her feel both safe and disturbed. She knew he wasn't human; she had visions when people touched her skin, and she'd seen the big black wings that seemed to dominate the shop.

She'd been having the visions since she'd turned twenty-seven since her parents died. Their death had been the worst birthday present anyone could imagine, and then to find out shortly after the funeral that she had been adopted, and they hadn't told her, had been an added blow. If only they hadn't driven down to see her, or they'd have stayed overnight. She couldn't dwell on the 'if's, she felt guilty, and she would have to deal with it for the rest of her life.

"Do you feel well enough to sit up?" She asked, taking hold of his arm.

"I'm never sick; I don't get sick," he replied, looking confused.

"Maybe you had a reaction to my tea; it's rare, but maybe your body didn't like it?" She couldn't come right out with it; maybe winged creatures can't drink my herbs; she would feel like a crazy person.

"Maybe," he sat up. "I don't suppose you have a little glass of brandy around here somewhere?"

"You just fainted; I'm not giving you alcohol," she crossed her arms over her chest. Great, so the stalker was an alcoholic, winged creature.

"I don't faint," he replied, making no move to get off the floor.

"I guess you do now," she said, leaning against the counter, but she remained sitting on the floor near him.

"So, do you have a little glass of brandy in here?" He asked again.

"I might do, and I might pour you one if you answer some questions for me," she replied. He looked a bit sorry for himself, and it wasn't diminishing the cute boyish charm he had, even with his hair sticking up at odd angles.

"My name is Mark Jameson; I'm thirty-three, and I lived in Sussex until a few weeks ago," he said with a hint of a smile.

"This isn't a dating agency," she frowned. "I want to know why you think I'm not safe on my own?"

"Oh, of course," his head was fuzzy, and he could definitely do with a drink. "If you pour me a drink, and maybe make me some dinner, because I'm starving and haven't eaten since the cold crappy breakfast I purchased from a drive through on my very long journey, then I will tell you everything, and I promise not to faint again," he said reaching his hand up to feel the new addition to his head.

"I had to clean you up; you hit your head, and I didn't want my floor ruined. I've got enough trouble with my roof," she said, standing up and pulling him to his feet. "I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart, and if you turn out to be a murderer or rapist I'm going to be very pissed off," she said, as she motioned for him to follow her around the back of the counter.

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