When the elevator stopped, Alta held the doors shut. “Hang on,” he said and waved his hand at all of them.A brief wind blew in their faces and then settled. Alta nodded. “There. Much better.”“What is?” Wimer Aslix demanded.Alta smirked. “I have natural beauty, but you four looked like you just rolled out of bed. I glamored you a bit for the cameras.”Another wave made the door of the elevator into a mirror. Glamour-ed up was an understatement. Their hair was styled, make up done, even their clothes looked like they were tailored and expensive.“Alta,” Bosy said and tugged at gelled hair.“Look, guys. This is the first time we’re going out on camera, alright? We’re going to look good, and not look like a ragtag group of miscreants who just happened to be thrown into a group together.”Bosy opened his mouth again, but Francel stopped him. “It’s a good idea. Thanks, Alta.”“I could have turned your shirt pink,” Alta said.v-vSylver stepped into the lobby and then groaned. Extra secur
Wimer Aslix called to the front desk and made sure the car was there and ready to go. They got in the elevator. Halfway down, Wimer Aslix flung a burst of cold wind at Alta’s face. He barely looked up, so then Wimer Aslix drenched him in water.Alta’s eyes shone with blue fire. “Leave me alone.” He waved a hand and dried himself off.“I will not leave you alone,” Wimer Aslix said and grabbed the sides of Alta’s face to make him look at him.“We’re about to wade through a bunch of reporters and you need to be the carefree, smiling, gorgeous faerie you are, you understand me? They’re going to want to know what’s wrong with Francel, and by damn, you’re not going to let them realize that you even care. You want that to get out, that you have feelings for a werewolf?”“I don’t care who knows.”“I know, and in time, we’ll let everyone know, but now is not that time. Now, come on. Smile. Smile and be arrogant and gorgeous and exude that faerie grace of yours that makes humans lose themselves
“Holy shit,” Wimer Aslix said as they pulled up to Summoner's Mages.There were creatures everywhere. Segregated, of course, but everywhere just the same. The vampires were conspicuous with their absence, but there were elves and faeries glaring at each other. Zombies sitting by themselves eating. And werewolves growling at them all. There were police everywhere. And cameras and reporters and bystanders.As soon as the car stopped, uniformed security opened the door. Lots of security.“Well, let’s go,” Alta said and climbed out of the car.Everything went deathly silent for only a second and then the insults started. Even from the faeries. It hurt Alta to know that many of those faeries had been his friends. And the elves were hurling curses at Wimer Aslix. Alta kept his smile though, turning it to Ciel Karhillaz when he climbed out of the car. The zombies stayed surprisingly quiet, but still glared at Ciel Karhillaz with disdain.“This is going to be interesting,” Alta said. “Don’t f
“Holy shit,” Wimer Aslix said as they pulled up to Summoner's Mages.There were creatures everywhere. Segregated, of course, but everywhere just the same. The vampires were conspicuous with their absence, but there were elves and faeries glaring at each other. Zombies sitting by themselves eating. And werewolves growling at them all. There were police everywhere. And cameras and reporters and bystanders.As soon as the car stopped, uniformed security opened the door. Lots of security.“Well, let’s go,” Alta said and climbed out of the car.Everything went deathly silent for only a second and then the insults started. Even from the faeries. It hurt Alta to know that many of those faeries had been his friends. And the elves were hurling curses at Wimer Aslix. Alta kept his smile though, turning it to Ciel Karhillaz when he climbed out of the car. The zombies stayed surprisingly quiet, but still glared at Ciel Karhillaz with disdain.“This is going to be interesting,” Alta said. “Don’t f
Athena cringed. “I was sorta already seeing Ueda, but we argued and then … let’s not talk about it, yeah? So where is he?”Alta sighed.Wimer Aslix answered. “He wore himself out and fainted and got all delirious.”“He tried to shift,” Athena said, eyes wide.“Yeah, a bit. He’s sedated at the moment. We’re just trying to figure out how to get him to the compound tomorrow night.”“No problem. I know a few wolves that will come and get him.”Alta looked at her, and must have shown his distrust. She smiled at him and then laughed a bit. “Man, you’re already head over wings in love with him, aren’t you?”Alta blushed. “No.”“Liar,” Ciel Karhillaz muttered.“Am not,” Alta said and poked Ciel Karhillaz’s side. His finger actually went into his side a few centimeters.Ciel Karhillaz flinched. “Ouch. Not all of me is stable yet.”“Ew,” Alta said, even though he’d been touching cloth. “Sorry, Minnie, but ew.”He flicked his hand like he actually had goo on it. Ueda grabbed it, rolled his eyes
He looked down at him, and then grinned. “A bit. It’s relaxing in the trees.” Wimer Aslix settled on a weave of branches that wouldn’t have held any one else’s weight and stared at the ceiling.The doorbell rang about fifteen minutes later, and Wimer Aslix climbed down to eat. Bosy’s nostrils flared and he growled a bit just before there was another knock on the door.“Werewolves,” he explained.Wimer Aslix rolled his eyes. “So you have to growl at them?”“Sorry. Instinct.”Wimer Aslix rose and opened the door. The two men on the other side quickly bowed. Both of their eyes had that golden glow.The shorter and stockier one smiled widely. “Where’s the early shifter at?”The other one rolled his eyes. “Excuse his manners. I’m called TOP. This is Kangin. May we come in?”Wimer Aslix stepped aside. Both of their eyes widened seeing a full grown tree growing from the middle of the living room. But then they both caught sight and scent of Bosy. TOP didn’t react, but Kangin bared his teeth.
Ueda noticed too and tsked at Alta. “Not taking care of yourself,” he muttered. “When was the last time he ate?”Wimer Aslix shrugged. “We brought him food, but he usually wouldn’t eat it.”The wind picked up, pulling the lights together in a small whirlwind. They moved faster and faster until all they saw was a funnel of light streams. The lights moved and spun around Alta first and then the other three, Ueda being last. He let out a deep breath and the lights split up, shattered almost and went back into the faeries.When Alta opened his eyes, they shone with that blue tinge of energy that Wimer Aslix hadn’t realized was missing. He took a deep breath.“Feel better?” Ueda asked.“Yes, thanks.” Alta leaned against him. Ueda held him, and Tegoshi hugged him from the other side.Herth’s human crawled over to him and curled up in his lap. She giggled when the excess energy in his system tickled down her body. Herth’s hand traced a soft circle on her thigh.Herth started, “no offense or
“Care to explain?”“Tsuki paid me a visit a few days ago. She begged me to come back and lead the clan, that they were falling apart without me.”“You always were a bit too compassionate for a vampire. They would have killed you.”“I know. We found a human girl with punctures in her neck, and found out later that her friend was missing. We thought it was Tsuki.”“And?”“And this human friend’s name is Lexy.”Yamapi stilled.“Fuck, I need to talk to Sahar. The human,” he added before Yamapi could ask.“You need to take care of this,” Yamapi said.“I don’t have fucking time for this.”“Jun would do it.”Bosy narrowed his eyes. “I don’t need Jun to clean up after me.”“He’ll help you.”“For what price?”Yamapi shrugged. “You know I can’t decide that.”“If Jun wants to help me, then so be it. I can’t stop him, but he’ll do it on his own. I’m not asking for his help.”“Fine.”They stood in silence for a moment and then Yamapi turned to him with a playful smile. “Hey, Chunnie,” he said, all