‘If no one comes forward,’ Carter said, ‘I’ll take care of the funeral costs.’
‘That’s a lovely thing to do, Carter,’ Cheryl said, sounding genuinely surprised.
‘I feel… not exactly responsible,’ the playboy said, ‘but… As you pointed out, Detectives, she was attacked not long after I left. I can’t help but think if I had stayed longer, if I had persuaded her to come home with me… Would she still be alive?’
‘It’s more likely we’d be attending your funeral too,’ Ceri said. ‘Whatever did this pulled apart a werewolf and a century-old vampire. Pulled, like they were ripping apart a doll. What they did to Suzie…’ She swallowed. ‘…would have taken a lot of strength too. There’s no way you could have stopped it, Carter.’
‘I’m afraid that does not make me feel better about not having been able to try, my dear Ceridwyn.’
~~~
It was almost dark when Twill came into the lounge to tell them that there was a werewolf on the grounds. Despite being free to do as he wished, Carter was still in High Towers, Cheryl and Alec sticking with him. Ceri suspected that Carter was feeling a little vulnerable and having as many friends around him as possible made him feel better. Ceri’s house was a sort of neutral ground where Cheryl could be with both her men and Carter could be near his oldest friend. Perhaps being near his college friends’ daughter helped; Ceri knew he had been more than friends with her mother and a great friend of her father’s.
‘Want me to go check?’ Alec said. The werewolf was apparently near the old tree in the front garden and not moving.
‘No,’ Ceri said, ‘if whoever it is meant harm the wards would have triggered. My house, I’ll go.’
She recognised him immediately, sitting with his back against the bent trunk, his muzzle lowered to his chest. ‘Michael?’ His nose lifted, but he said nothing. ‘What’s wrong?’
He shifted form without moving. Despite his mood, Ceri found herself thrilling at the sight of his naked body. Pushing the thoughts aside she moved closer, but did not fully close the distance yet. ‘I heard last week that my Da was ill,’ he said. The Welsh accent he normally managed to avoid showing was stronger than usual. Michael did not get on well with his father, but it was still his father and he had feelings for the man.
Ceri closed the final few feet, dropping to her haunches and laying a hand on his thigh. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘I got word from Kai today,’ Michael went on as though he had not heard her. ‘They don’t think he’ll make it past the new moon.’ He sucked in a lungful of air as her hand squeezed his muscled thigh. ‘Anita and Alexandra put me on leave while I get things sorted out and said I should come see you.’
‘You should go to him, Michael.’ She drew in a sharp breath as her mind kicked another thought out for consideration. ‘You didn’t say anything because of Carter!’
‘Mister Fleming’s been good to me,’ the werewolf said. ‘It was important you got him off the hook.’
‘You arse! Come inside before the neighbours complain about me having naked men in the front garden.’
Leading him inside and taking him up to the lounge, she pointed at her chair. ‘Sit down.’ She waited until he was in place, everyone looking quizzically at her, before going on. ‘I have to take Michael to Wales. His father’s dying.’
‘Bevan!’ Alec sat upright suddenly. So Alec had known who Michael’s father was before she had? Bevan was the Alpha of the Brecon pack, Michael his son by a human woman he had fallen in love with after his mate had died.
Ceri nodded. ‘We can get a train in the morning, and…’
‘You’ll do no such thing,’ Carter said. Ceri blinked at him. ‘You’ll get yourselves packed and ready, and Alec will drive you to the City airport. I’ll have my plane waiting and a car ready to take you to a hotel in Cardiff when you get there.’
‘Fly?’ Ceri squeaked. ‘I’ve never flown…’
‘It’s perfectly safe,’ Carter replied, ‘so long as you stay low. Lily can go with you.’
‘But,’ Lily said plaintively, ‘work, the case.’
‘The Dragon can do without the two of you for a few days,’ Carter said, ‘and so can the police. Family is more important.’ Ceri opened her mouth to protest, but Carter raised his hand. ‘No more arguments. Why aren’t you packing?’
Part Three: The Green Hills of Home
Cardiff, Wales, August 24th, 2011
They arrived at the hotel in the shadow of Cardiff Castle not long after midnight and were shown up to their room at the top of the building by a very obsequious man who mentioned “Mister Fleming” in every other sentence.
‘He said he’d booked us a “room,”’ Ceri said once the man was gone. ‘This looks a lot like the penthouse suite.’
‘You know Carter,’ Lily said, heading for the nearest door with her case.
‘He shouldn’t have done this,’ Michael said, looking around the huge room.
Ceri walked over to the window which took up one entire wall and looked out at the castle. ‘He likes you, Michael. Get over it.’ Out beyond the castle hill was Saint David’s Hospital, where Bevan was lying in a bed, likely attached to beeping machines. ‘You should call Kai,’ she said. She heard him moving, and the click as he picked up the phone handset.
‘We could fit six in the bed,’ Lily said. ‘One of the beds. If you feel like being alone with Michael, there’s a second bedroom.’
‘You’ll do no such thing,’ Michael said, the handset at his ear as he waited for his call to connect. ‘You may not be my mate, but you’re as close as… Kai, it’s Michael. I’m in Cardiff.’ Lily stared across the room at the werewolf. Ceri could feel the rush of emotion from the half-succubus. ‘At the Castle Hotel, the penthouse suite,’ Michael said into the phone, apparently oblivious. ‘Uh, yeah, I know, but Mister Fleming set it up… Yes, Ceri and Lily are here… I figured normal visiting hours, we’ll go in the morning… Of course, I’d love to see you if, hang on.’ Michael covered the mouthpiece with his hand. ‘Is it okay if Kai comes around tonight? You’re not tired?’
‘I’m practically nocturnal,’ Lily pointed out.
‘And I could do with some chatter to get my nerves back together after that flight, and the car journey,’ Ceri said.
Michael nodded and spoke into the telephone. ‘Yeah, come over... Okay, see you shortly.’ He hung up and suddenly found his arms full of Lily. ‘What’s this for?’ he got out when she stopped squeezing enough for him to manage. Lily just laid her head on his shoulder, her feet wiggling happily in the air.
‘You basically said you loved her,’ Ceri explained.
Michael looked bewildered. ‘Well… yeah, I thought that was fairly obvious.’
Ceri rolled her eyes. ‘Men,’ she said, ‘they’ll never get it.’
~~~
The last time Ceri had seen Kai he had just been on stage with his band, Black Moonlight and met “the famous Ceridwyn Brent,” and he had been a happy werewolf. Tonight he was straight faced, though the expression on his good looking, masculine features was more resigned than anything. Ceri recognised the small, pretty blonde he brought with him too; Tegan, a folk singer from the Snowdonian pack who had co-written a song with Kai.
When the hugging and greetings had finished and they were all sat around in the plush sofas, the less pleasant bit started. ‘So, what’s wrong with him?’ Michael asked.
‘They’re saying it’s liver failure,’ Kai replied. ‘You know he got caught by that grenade in the war?’ Michael nodded. ‘They took the shrapnel out, but they’re saying the damage it took then… And he’s getting old.’
‘Nah,’ Michael protested, ‘he’s…’
‘He’s well over the century, Michael.’ Kai looked down at his lap. ‘And he’s not been the same since your mother died. I mean, I thought when he picked up with her it might get him over my mother, but…’
Michael nodded sadly. ‘Does he really want to see me?’
‘Oh yes,
’ Kai said, his expression brightening. ‘You and Ceri.’
‘He knows about us then?’
‘I told him,’ Kai said. He looked across at the couch were Michael was sat with Ceri curled up on one side and Lily on the other. ‘I didn’t say you’d got yourself another mate though.’
‘I’m not his mate,’ Lily said, snuggling up against Michael a little tighter, ‘but I’m as close as.’
Ceri giggled. ‘We had a little revelation earlier.’ She looked across at Kai and Tegan, sat together on the other couch. ‘But I didn’t know you’d got a mate either.’
‘Oh,’ Tegan said, ‘we’re not…’
‘We’re not…’ Kai said. ‘Well, not exactly…’
‘Nothing, um…’ Tegan stammered.
‘Well, you smell of each other,’ Michael commented. ‘You did in Hammersmith too.’
Tegan had a pretty blush. Kai tried hard not to meet anyone’s eyes. ‘We’re different packs and we both spend a lot of time on the road,’ Kai said.
‘We both agreed we shouldn’t tie the other down,’ Tegan added.
‘Uh-huh,’ Lily said, ‘and have either of you slept with anyone else when you’re apart?’ Two pairs of werewolf eyes looked at her blankly. ‘Exactly, so stop messing around and make it official.’
‘Well, we…’ Kai began.
‘God!’ Lily exclaimed. ‘I thought werewolves were better than humans, but you’re just the same. If you love somebody, show it! Hell, if you want somebody show that too!’
Ceri giggled. ‘There’s a spare room here if you want to show it in private.’
Kai glanced around and then back at Michael. ‘You go to bed with the both of them at the same time?’
‘Well… yes,’ Michael said. ‘It’s not fair otherwise, is it?’
‘Goddess but you’ve certainly grown up! Do you ever get any sleep?’
~~~
They were only allowed to enter the actual room two at a time, so Kai and Tegan went in first to give the old wolf the news that they were going to ask Hywel’s permission for her to mate outside the pack, and to ask similar permission from Bevan. It was traditional to ask your Alpha under those circumstances, but Michael had said it was very rarely denied these days.
Another man appeared while they were waiting; tall, dark-haired, not exactly a looker, but rugged and well-built. He stopped a few yards away, looking somewhere between annoyed and surprised. ‘So you’ve come back?’ he said.
Michael looked up, his expression hardening. ‘Rhys. This is Ceri and Lily. Rhys is my other half-brother.’
‘You’ve a nerve comin’ back now.’ His accent was thickly Welsh, his posture taught with aggression. ‘And bringin’ these humans…’
Ceri stood sharply, pushing her hand out toward Rhys. ‘Morning,’ she said, ‘I’m Ceridwyn Brent, Michael’s mate.’
Rhys jerked back as though shot. Ceri felt Michael stand behind her. His hand landed softly on her shoulder, supportive rather than restraining. ‘You’re the woman who…’ Rhys began.
‘Turned Remus into a pile of ash, yes.’
‘And I’d thank you to not call me a human,’ Lily’s voice said from just behind them; she was standing too, taking up flanking position. ‘I’m a half-succubus, thank you very much.’
Rhys’ eyes flicked to the door behind them. ‘I’ll come back later,’ he said. Turning on his heel, he hurried back the way he had come.
‘Nice man,’ Lily commented.
‘We never really got on,’ Michael said. ‘He hated the fact that Da had fallen for a human woman. Then he hated me for… well, being born really. He really hated me when I left. Mind you, he doesn’t get on that well with Kai either.’
‘Jealousy,’ Lily said.
Ceri and Michael turned to look at her. ‘Sorry?’ Michael asked. ‘What’s he got to be jealous of?’
‘It’s not obvious?’ the half-succubus asked in return.
‘We’re missing your sense for desires, love,’ Ceri reminded her.
‘I’d have thought a bit of basic psychology… Well, never mind. He’s been destined to take over from his father since birth, right?’ Michael nodded in response. ‘So you and Kai never had that weight on your shoulders. You left, Kai is on the road with his band a lot, Rhys is stuck here. He wants your freedom.’
‘Oh,’ Michael said, sitting back down and looking bewildered.
‘It does make sense,’ Ceri agreed.
The door to the room opened and Kai and Tegan emerged, both of them grinning. At least someone was happy. ‘Michael,’ Kai said, ‘he’d like to see you, and Ceri. We’ll keep Lily company.’
Ceri took in a deep breath and, at Michael’s direction, she preceded him into the room.
The man in the bed was probably Alec’s age, certainly no older than Alexandra, but he looked older than both as his body slowly poisoned him. Werewolves could not handle transplants, probably the only hope he had, but even if they could, it was likely he would have refused it. Bevan looked like a determined, strong-willed man, and right now he was determined that he had had enough. Michael had got a lot of his looks from his father, the same black hair, the same basic features. The old wolf’s body was wasting now, but he had once been powerful, strong, a man to be reckoned with. Propped up on pillows and barely able to lift his head, Ceri tried very hard not to pity him; he would not have wanted her pity.
‘Michael, come in and introduce me to this beautiful young woman.’ The voice was thready, weak. The accent was still strong, and there was still a hint of authority even through the illness.
They stepped up to the bed, Michael nodding his head. ‘Da, this is Ceridwyn Brent, my mate. Ceri, this is my da, Bevan, Alpha of the Brecon pack.’
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,’ Ceri said, bowing her own head slightly.
‘None of that from you,’ Bevan said, his lips curling into a smile. ‘I know who you are and what you did. I’m Bevan to you.’
‘Thank you, Bevan. But only if you’ll call me Ceri.’ She smiled. ‘Alec sends his regards.’
‘That old goat’s still going? Well, he always was tough.’ The old man’s eyes were still bright; Ceri was a little surprised at the life in them. He turned them on his son. ‘I never thought you’d be one t’ take a human mate though, son.’
Ceri heard the slight catch in Michael’s breath before he replied. How long had it been since Bevan had called him that? ‘When I first laid eyes on her she was a she-wolf,’ he said.
‘And how long was it before you found out she was not?’
‘About fifteen minutes,’ Ceri said, ‘tops.’
‘And it didn’t put you off, did it? Took her that night, I bet.’ Michael blushed at his father’s words; he had, indeed, claimed Ceri in as physical a way as possible before she had left the park. ‘You’re more like me than my full-blooded sons, boy. I knew I wanted their mother the moment I laid eyes on her. It was the same with yours.’ His hand moved, a jerky motion which caught Michael’s hand. His fingers shook as he tried to hold on and Michael caught them in his other hand, steadying him. ‘It would have given me the greatest pleasure to be able to make your mother my mate, son.’
‘Tradition…’ Michael began.
‘Widder take tradition and damn it,’ Bevan snapped. ‘Alexandra had it right all those years ago. She said it was lunacy the way we stick to old ways. We lean on tradition like a crutch. No, your mother should have had the honour she deserved. And don’t think I’m not sorry for driving you away either. I was a stupid old man, but you reminded me so much of Ariana.’ He sighed and relaxed, Michael laying his hand back onto the blankets. Bevan was breathing hard after his outburst.
‘It’s okay, Da,’ Michael said, his eyes downward. ‘I understand. I do. If I lost Ceri…’
The old wolf smiled. ‘You forgive your stupid old man?’
‘If you’ll forgive your foolish son,’ Michael said.
‘Prodigal son,’ Bevan replied. ‘You’ve come back a w
arrior, mated to the woman who saved all of us. Could you have done better?’
‘He might,’ Ceri said, ‘given a bit more time.’
The old man chuckled softly; anything else was beyond his lungs.
~~~
‘They’re saying he’s hanging on by his teeth and they’re not sure why?’ Kai said.
‘Waiting for something,’ Michael said, nodding.
They were sat in the hotel suite again, the sun a hint on the horizon. Everyone was cradling a drink, though the level of liquid in each glass was going down very slowly.
‘I’m sorry about Rhys,’ Kai said. ‘He’s still a disagreeable bastard.’
‘Just jealous,’ Lily said. Kai looked at her, blinking, but it was Tegan who answered.
‘He’s jealous of the freedom you two have,’ the folk singer said.
‘See?’ Lily said. ‘It’s not just me who sees it.’
‘No succubus in your bloodline is there, Tegan?’ Ceri asked, grinning.
‘Well, I don’t think so, but you never can tell what humans have been fucking and my grandmother was human.’
Lily giggled. ‘Does Kai look really tired and happy after you have sex?’
‘He does actually.’
‘Well, there you go then.’
‘I think that happens normally,’ Kai countered. He glanced down at his soon-to-be mate. ‘Though I wouldn’t put it past her.’
‘Are both of you greys?’ Ceri asked.
‘Kai’s a black,’ Michael said. ‘Rhys too.’ He glanced across at Kai. ‘You know Ceri’s a black-fur when she shifts?’
Kai’s eyes widened, though what he said was not the expected comment on a non-wolf becoming a pure-blooded werewolf. ‘You scored a black-fur? You jammy bastard! Not that I’d change my choice if there were a black around, but… You jammy bastard!’
‘You’re not the least bit bothered that a human would become a black-fur by magic?’ Ceri asked, intrigued.
‘Oh, if any human did I would,’ Kai replied.
‘But the Goddess favours you,’ Tegan finished. ‘I’m not surprised at all.’
‘So,’ Kai said, ‘what do we do for Da?’
Thaumatology 05 - Disturbia Page 10