Long Way From Home

Chapter 15

He'd keep it though. Max already had it paid for, so there wasn't any way the state would take it if he left it to rot. It'd be safe for now. A safe little hiding place that no one knew about, except for the Emerson mother, but David wasn't worried. Her sons weren't that big of a threat. In the movie David knew he wasn't trying to kill them or hurt them, simply go in and subdue, but he will admit the children were clever and inventive. Never again would they be fooled or killed, even in a movie or story.

"So, what are we doing?" Paul asks, brushing David's side as he danced around to cut off his view of the humans. Dwayne, his second in command, loomed in the corner of his eye on his left. Marko glided to be right in between the other two, eyes flickering from here to there, ever watchful as he chewed on his thumbnail.

David dragged out his answer, taking another deep inhale of his smoke. He stared Paul down, a thrill of pleasure crawling down his spine when the kid shifted, unnerved with keeping eye contact too long. "We'll move in tomorrow. Cave is still ours, but we need to move for now. As far as I know, the house is fortified, hidden, and safe. Cave has been compromised." The three nodded, quietly accepting the terms.

"There's something I've been thinking about," Marko spoke, hands on his hips as he looked at David. "I think we should look into a hound, we've never gotten one before, but Thorn was pretty effective."

Paul snorted, "Yeah because Maxy boy never wanted us to one up him. Only heads get one."

"Which is why I brought it up to David to decide you ass." Marko hissed inresponce, a sharp smack sounded not a moment later. The smallest of them always had more bite. David's mouth twitched in amusement.

"What do you think Dwayne?" David asked, getting the other two's attention.

"It's something to think about." His second responded, voice low. "El brought up a good point. Laddie can't live in the cave forever; he needs a more humane environment. Something stable, grounded. Healthy. And a hound will provide protection where we can't." That was true. The little tyke was theirs-even from the very beginning. Little shit was like a fish to water with them. Granted they never wanted him to drink so early, but shit happens. He was pack, the baby of the pack, and pack is always cared for. Laddie can't live in the cave, that was a sad truth. He needed more. They could provide what he needed, food, clothing, shelter, education, and family. Everything a soon to be vampire needed to grow up relatively sane before turning.

"Let's get out of here," David flicked his smoke to the ground, kicking his bike to life before riding off, the screams and howls of his boys following him as he rode home.

The cave was quiet save for the soft audio of some cartoon, another movie from the future probably. David walked in, seeing Laddie knocked out on the couch with El still watching, her hand combing the boy's hand with a feather light touch. Paul and Marko quit their roughhousing when spotting him, getting a grateful smile in return from the girl. David snickered to himself; his boys were whipped. Taking his seat, he keenly watched his pack as they settled in. He noted each member, how they acted and reached out in the link connecting them, listening to the tenors of their minds. It was something he's always done. David's always been very talented with the mind, the special link between vampires that shared blood. Max was very pleased with him as a fledgling, even going so far as to force him to practice it if he ever wanted to get another meal. For years it was like that, but by the time Marko came along, Max seemed content enough to get lax with David.

Dwayne was seated by Laddie; the man was a sucker for that kid. He slipped into the father role very well, like an old pair of boots. Though, Dwayne was always a very good caretaker. Even in their human days he was taking care of David. David was sure it just made him feel better, feel valid in some way, like his presence mattered if he had something to do. David didn't miss the soft smiles shared between his second and the girl. Sickeningly sweet as it was. Paul bounced over into the scene, cheeky and already high on a half smoked joint. He held some chocolate bars he snagged out for her, getting bright eyes and an even brighter grin from the girl. Paul didn't try to hide how pleased he was, body shaking with restless energy, but there was the twitching of nervousness in his hands that gave him away to David.