The photo took a while to load, the internet was slow with the scattering of rain, but when it did David looked scared. That was all she saw. David's wide confused brown eyes. She saw Levi's face darken the same moment she felt the flood of rage, burning them both, and then he stormed out.
Julia felt Susan's hand on her shoulder and a soft, "Let him bash it out."
She almost wanted to go bash it out with him. Julia's breathing quickened, her eyes sqeezing shut, Oliver's hand finding her other shoulder. Breathe. Focus. Breathe. Focus. Try to not call the school right now and abuse them about how they let some strange man take Da-
She heard Levi doing just that, as she concentrated on her hearing, as she made it 'expand'. "Levi's calling the school."
Susan stiffened and hurried after her son. It was probably not going to help to verbally abuse them.
Oliver gritted his teeth and sat down, head in his hands, frustrated. Julia tried to focus on the website, beyond David's face, seeing that there would be bidding. Bidding at a particular time. Two days time. Starting at a quarter of a million. Julia had a bad feeling that was already reaching the Pack's limits.
They only had two days to try and get as much cash as possible. Two days.
She didn't know if she could handle that.
Levi stormed out into the rec room and she heard him going at the punching bag, Susan returning, looking tired.
"They're not in yet. I'll hide his phone." She slipped it into her pocket. "I'll call."
"Good. Tim know?"
Susan nodded. "He sent us the site. They're looking into it from that end but Oliver, can you-"
Oliver blinked. It was as if he'd only just now remembered that he was pretty good with computers. She didn't need to finish the sentance, he flopped onto the chair and got to work, his face determined. If anyone could try and get more infomation on this mysterious 'bidder', it'd be Oliver.
The sounds of kids coming back up the hill laughing, made Julia flinch, and she exchanged glances with Susan.
"I'll research in here." Susan said softly. "You take the kids and spend the afternoon with them. Any news, I'll come get you."
"Okay." Julia nodded and headed out. She heard Susan lock it. It was probably better to let the girls stay out of there for now, Julia knew, and she quickly for the kitchen.
The kids were laughing, happy, Angelica was soaking wet, carrying some big fish in their buckets as they tried to get shoes and wet things off outside. Julia helped Ophelia, who proudly showed her a 'big fish', and for Lia it was probably a huge fish. Ben hurried after with the gear, Andy looking soaking wet too, but his face was full of smiles.
"Very big." Julia agreed as she peeled Ophelia's soaking wet pants off. "Did you three go swimming too?"
Lia giggled, shaking her head. "I didn't, but Ben kept splashing us. Angie jumped in and they swam."
They swam? Angelica was six years old and only starting to learn. She'd swam in the waves? Julia's eyes shot up to a sheepish looking Ben.
Ben gazed sheepishly down at Julia and shrugged. "Otter. Instinct. We like to play. She jumped in and -"
"To be fair, he did do his best to make her get out of the water again, but Angelica kept jumping in to play with the otter." Andy spoke up. He gazed at Angelica affectionately. "Didn't you? So I jumped in so I knew she was safe."
He sighed dramatically, throwing a wet shirt aside, his hair soaking wet and all over the place. Like most werewolves, he didn't look his age, he looked younger. Julia had never thought about it. To her, he looked 'forty' but a human might have mistaken him for his late twenties. One of the few benefits of having this 'blessing'.
"Can I learn to swim too?" Evie gazed up at her mom.
"When it's a bit warmer. It's a bit cold today." Julia picked up Ophelia, who giggled as Julia tickled her bare sides, and carried her into the bedroom. Angelica raced inside, half undressed, leaving a beautiful trail of water behind her. Evangeline at least got her wet pants rolled up like Andy's pants.
Julia helped them change into clean dry clothing, Lia trembling a little, Angelica's teeth chattering and her eyes alive with excitement as she told Julia all about how she had swum with an otter and it had played with her and it had caught her a fish and brought her a shell and...
She held up a shell as she chatted on and on, as Julia helped her dress in some clean pants and a top, asking if she could have it as a necklace.
"Of course. I'm sure one of us can do that." Julia took it and admired it. A pretty curling green shell. Empty, to her relief, he hadn't tried to give her a living shellfish to eat.
"If you're hungry for shellfish, I got some in the bucket." Ben said. He said it so casually. "Those green ones aren't very nice. I got some clams."
"Are clams nice?" Lia asked, her eyes wide as she stared up at Ben, and he nodded.
"I like them."
"We're making fish and chips tonight." Andy was tugging a skirt onto Evie as she stood there. "Should we steam some clams too?"
"Why not." Ben smiled. "I'll get my sister and her friend. Get Beth and Yasmine. We'll eat together."
"And Emilia." Andy added.
It made sense. Family. Eating together in the living room. Julia was glad he'd remembered Selene too, she had been far too isolated with his sister all the time, and it was probably a good idea to keep her closer to some adults.
"Julia, you go ahead and take the girls to watch the movie about the dragons. We'll clean the fish and cook." Andy said cheerfully. "Oliver around or is he doing some work?"
"He's doing some work. You could ask him for tips." She said it lightly but she methis eyes again. "I'm sure he'd have heaps to tell you."
Andy seemed to get what she was hinting at. He nodded and vanished.
Ben headed out after, Julia and the girls sitting around in the living room to watch the How to train your dragon together, Lia curled up on Julia's lap with her thumb safely back in her mouth where it apparently belonged.
"Have you found Davie yet?" She asked softly, gazing up at Julia with her pale brown eyelashes, and her face fell when Julia shook her head. Lia tucked her head against Julia's chest. "I think he's sad. I miss Davie."
"I know. I miss him too." Julia wondered if there was a psychic twin thing happening. Or if Lia was just talking. She wasn't sure. She didn't know it mattered, because he probably was sad to some level, being always around Lia all the time. "Daddy is looking for him."
"Daddy is punching things too." Angelica slid up to lean against Julias side. Before she knew it, Evangeline was on her other side, the three of them cuddling up to any part of her free.
"Levi-daddy is stressed so he likes to do that." Julia agreed. Andy came out of the study, smile gone, and he headed outside.
She tried to focus on the movie with the cute dragon. Andy wasn't gone long, returning to clean fish, Emilia not far behind. The two of them tried to joke with Ben, probably for the kids, as they took the fish outside and tried to get them ready.
Oliver crawled onto the couch after a while, leaning against Evangeline's other side, pulling her into his lap. She happily sat there as she watched the film. "Program is running for work. We have to wait."
"Okay." Julia reached out to take his hand and squeeze it hard. He tugged it up to his mouth to kiss the back of her hand, eyes on the TV, probably not taking any of the film in. Julia slid sideways, Angelica moving with her, so she could lean against his free side.
Oliver vanished after a few hours. She felt it, this rush of excitement, and saw him rush out for Levi. It worked. Somehow it'd worked. The man was a genius.
He moved to her, gesturing to her, and Julia carefully lowered a now sleeping Lia onto the couch. She hurried after him into the study.
"Found the address. Tim is heading in, the Sydney Alpha is taking in some of her own, she's determined to make a lesson of whoever steals children from our Packs. She'll bring them here with some of her own, said she'll donate some tents for us, some supplies. You don't mind?" Julia shook her head furiously. It'd take her at least two hours to get to the mainland. Anyone could do it on her behalf, as long as she trusted them, and the Sydney Alpha was a mother herself. Oliver grinned and spoke into the phone. "Go for it. Bring them here."
Julia sat on his lap from then on, the door open, kids distracted by Andy, Emilia and Ben as they were shown how to batter their own fish or something. She could already guess the mess being made of clothing, talbe, floor, and didn't care. They could throw flour around for all she cared right now... she'd spend hours happily cleaning it up.
She sat there, holding her breath, waiting. Levi came in to sit with them, hands bleeding from the force of his punching of the bag, ignoring his mom as she tried to wrap his fingers up. He was breathing hard, looked exhausted, and Julia crawled onto the floor to sit between his legs and take care of his left hand while Susan did the right one. Susan smiled somewhat and stood up to help in the kitchen instead.
"You shouldn't do that." She said quietly, gazing up at him, seeing his frustration.
"I'm sick of being fucking helpless." Levi growled softly, a flood of pain and fury flooding him, as he stared at his body. At his weak leg. He shoved at his soft stomach. "Look. I'm fat."
"If you're getting an eating disorder I'm going to slap you stupid. You're not fat. You're sexy." Julia snapped. Sure, it wasn't the eight pack it was once, it wasn't even a four pack. She liked it. She liked his soft tummy and she stroked it, touching it, aware of strong muscles still flexing under it as she touched it.
Levi pulled her closer, hugging her, his head buried in her red hair.
"Got it, Tim." Oliver said softly from the desk. He hung up and stared at them. "He's found it. Heading in the second it's dark."
"Okay." Julia shut her eyes and willed time to go faster. Just a few more hours.
An hour passed, then another, and then...
Oliver growled, standing, knocking the chair back. "Some fucker..."
"What?" Julia felt fear rush through her. She felt Levi jerk awake behind her, his heart racing as ast as hers, the look of terror and anger on Oliver's face scaring her. "What, Oliver?"
"He was sold. David was fucking sold. Already. Someone bought him." Oliver was gone before she could stop him, rushing out the door, and Julia had no idea where he intended on going. Just that he ran.
Levi was quick to follow, or tried to, but he'd worn out his leg so badly that it just caved under him. He went red, angry and humilated, jerking away as Julia reached out for him. Cane in hand, he hurried after Oliver.
Julia stood up slowly. She went for the website. As if it was ebay, not the site, it had a big bold 'SOLD to ALFRED' over David's photo.
She collapsed, a soft moan of pain filling her, eyes shut. It was already too late. They hadn't moved fast enough.
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A/N Thanks for reading! :) Please remember to vote!
A little shorter, I know, but I'm tryingto cut down on pepsi and it's making my body go 'arrrrgh must go into hibernation'