"Astir help center, how may I help you?"
"Daddy said I should join him." The little boy laughs. "He says I should do it. He said the pain would be brief. He says jumping from the roof wouldn't hurt."
The operator's eyes widened and she sits up, pressing the phone to her ears. The technicians were trying to trace the phone call but it was coming up blank.
"Where is your daddy?" The operator asks, trying to talk the little boy out of it and also trying to give the technicians more time to trace the call.
"He's in heaven. He says if I jump now, we'll play together forever."
"Fuck this!" One of the technicians said, jumping from his seat. "I'm going to try and catch the boy, I'll listen in for the voice. Someone should alert Alpha Erik."
"I'm on it." Another technician said, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
"I just wanted to tell you that Baba said he's here. He said Astir is going to fall." The little boy said with a giggle. "Everybody has to fall."
The operator goes to open her mouth, about to say something when the sound of fast rushing air blows through the speaker before she hears a sharp thud.
-
A child has died.
A child had jumped to his death from a five story building.
Colson couldn't wrap his head around it. Erik hadn't been home since he burst out the door at three am, Cobie at his side. No one had been able to find the child before he had fallen.
Everyone in the house was tense. Michel had gone along with Erik. Colson was sat in the sun room, his face in his hands as he waited. Something was wrong someone.
"Here."
Colson looks up to find Gabriel holding out a mug to him. He looks at the man and the cup before reaching for it. Gabriel has on a velvet red dress with thin strips and white sneakers. He looked good.
The mug was filled with cold beer.
"Really?" He asked Gabriel who shrugged and gave him a smile.
"You look like you needed it."
True. "What's in yours then?" Colson asked, gesturing at the mug in Gabriel's hands.
"Also beer. I can't get drunk but I do like the taste." Gabriel smiles shyly, running a fingertip around the rim of the cup.
Colson looks at the cup and raised it to his lips. He gulps the entire drink before placing the cup on the floor, right beside his leg. For the past six months, Colson had kept minimum interaction with Gabriel. Things felt strained and awkward between them.
It's not his fault their precious moon goddess didn't see them as a good match. It's not his fault Michel comes into his room and fucks him into the mattress. However, there were times where Colson felt like he was hindering something great. Times where he thought he was just the little bump in the road that would still end up leading Michel to Gabriel.
It's a bit sad because Gabriel was actually a nice person and he was also the second closest person to Cobie. Talk about things. Not everything because Cobie likes to come to his room and they'd have a sibling cuddle and talk about things, their words a whisper between them.
The two of them sit in silence.
Waiting and waiting until finally.
"Your brother is on his way here." Gabriel said, playing with the hem of his dress.
"Do you know anything else about the boy? Why he jumped?"
Gabriel shook his head. "I know as much as you do."
Colson sighs and leans back against the chair, his eyes trained on the ceiling. The silence comes back and thankfully for a short while before Cobie comes through the door.
"Hey." Cobie said as he walks into the room. For the first time in months, his eyes were black. That was not good. Colson sits up in alarm and pats the space beside him.
Cobie falls into it and sighed, running a hand down his face.
"What's going on?"
"A child died. He was six." Cobie starts. "The SMPD are looking into it but I, Erik and Michel listened to the recording of the call and it sent chills through me."
"What did the recording say?"
"Michel is coming with it."
Just as Cobie says that, Michel walks into the room looking worse for wear. His hair was in disarray and his eyes were sad. Colson had the urge to stand up and pull the Beta in for a hug but he didn't. Gabriel on the other hand, doesn't hesitate. He gently guides the Beta into a seat and checks to make sure Michel was alright.
"Why do you look that way? Is it your first time hearing such a thing had happened?" Colson asked with a raised brow.
Gabriel turns to glare at him.
"What is your problem?"
"My problem is a head Beta who can't act level headed because a kid died." Colson snapped back, ready to smack Gabriel in the face of Cobie hadn't grabbed his hand.
Sometimes Colson forgets that there are people in the world who haven't seen half of what he and his brother had seen. They haven't experienced the same pain nor have they felt it.
"Just... listen to the recording and tell us what you think." Cobie said, his grip on Colson's hand tightening, the light pain grounding Colson.
Michel pulls out his phone and taps the screen. A little boys voice filled the room and Colson listens intently. Once the recording had ended, Colson speaks.
"How many parents did he have?" Colson asked.
"Two. His mum and dad but his father is late. He died three years ago."
"He mentioned a Baba in the recording." Colson said, a light frown on his face.
"I said the same thing too. I was wondering if that was what he used to call his dad."
Colson shook his head. "He said dad at the beginning of the recording and then Baba towards the end. He said I just wanted to tell you that Baba said he's here. He said Astir is going to fall."
"He was used to pass a message."
"The question is who is Baba?" Colson asked. "Was he a friend? Or a parent or even a close relative?"
"We're still investigating."
"Where's Erik?" Colson asked.
"He went for a run. A member of his pack died, a link was forcibly cut off so he has to calm down before he does something out of his control." Cobie replied. "He's fine. I can feel him. I just came in to brief you, I'm going to look for him."
"I'll see you then."
Cobie walk out of the room and Colson watched as Gabriel gently led Michel to his. He was alone. He looked at his hands before getting up from the couch. He needed to go somewhere, he needed to be distracted for a while.
He just didn't have a place to go.
He didn't really have any friends.
Colson decides not to think about it. He quickly made his way to his room and grabbed his phone and wallet. He needed fresh air. He needed to not be in the same vicinity as Michel and Gabriel.
Though they weren't mates, you could see the live they had for each other as clear as day.
Maybe it was time to give up his and Michel bed time activities.
But why should he? That was all he could and would ever get from Michel while Gabriel got all the love and the attention. It wasn't fair.
Colson made his way out and began his walk to nowhere. He just needed to. He slid on his earphones and played his music, making sure he doesn't stray from the side walk.
He kept walking and humming along to the music. He almost jumped out of his skin when someone tapped his shoulder. He glared at Aetos who had the audacity to grin after almost causing a heart attack.
"What the hell?"
"You expression was hilarious." Aetos said with a laugh while rubbing his nose with his pointy finger.
"Why did you decide to annoy me today?" Colson asked as he continued walking. Aetos falls into step beside him, looking regal in a beehive button up shirt and blue ripped jeans.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Aetos answers honestly.
Colson turns his head to glare at the vampire who just winked. "What makes you think I'm not okay?"
"I saw you frowning." Was Aetos simple answer.
"Well I'm peachy. Never been better." Colson answers, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"You sound like it too."
"Are you just going to follow me around today?" Colson asked, kicking lightly at the air.
"Do you have somewhere to be?"
"Not really. I just had to leave the house, everyone was worked up over the death of a child."
Aetos nods. "I heard about that."
"Yeah." Colson replied, running his left hand through his hair. "Do you have things to do? A clan to take care of, Lord Aetos?"
Aetos shakes his head. "I don't. Everyone is still settling in and some of them are asleep. It's still bright out."
"Ah... that reminds me, are you ever going to tell me how you and douchebag Pytor can walk in the sun?" Colson asked.
"Nope."
Colson stops walking and placed both hands on his hips. It took Aetos a short while to notice Colson wasn't beside him. He turns and raised a brow and Colson couldn't help but think...
Damn, that is one attractive undead man.
"You don't want a bribe do you?" Colson asked.
"It depends. What can you offer?"
Colson pretends to think about it. He drops his hands and walks back up to Aetos.
"I expected so much from you." Colson tsked.
"How about ice cream?"
"Are you trying to bribe me?" Colson asked, his eyes narrowed as he stared up at the vampire. He suddenly realized how close he was to Aetos, he knew he should take a step backward but he didn't want to. If he takes a couple of steps forward, he could kiss Aetos.
Colson licks his lips as he wondered what Aetos would taste like, how he'd feel like. He wondered if Aetos would hold him tight and fuck him close or just flip him over like Michel does, like he doesn't want to see his face.
"-re you okay?"
Colson sighs and takes several steps backwards. "What?"
Aetos was staring at him with worried eyes, he gripped Colson's elbow with a pale cold hand and stared right into his eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"Never been better." Came Colson's reply.
Aetos doesn't let go, he looked like he didn't believe what Colson said. Colson presses a hand to the one Aetos had on his shoulder, to try and shake it off. Instead he gasped at the cold feeling.
"Why the hell are you this cold?"
"I've got no blood rushing through my veins besides the one I drink, so..." Aetos shrugged.
"You're warm when you drink blood?" Colson asked. Aetos sighs and looked around, they couldn't be having this conversation outside.
"Can we go somewhere private?"
"Where?" Colson blinks up at him.
"My place." Aetos said and interrupts when Colson goes to speak. "And no, I'm not going to do anything, we're just going to talk and eat. I can make you lunch."
"Add dinner and we have a deal."
"You are such a foodie." Aetos says with a shake of his head. Colson grins and raised up to fingers in a peace sign. They wait at the side of the road, Colson humming along to his music while Aetos tried to hail a cab. Once they get one, Aetos holds open the door for Colson and watched him slip inside.
The drive to Aetos' house took a couple of minutes. Once Colson sees the house his jaw drops to the ground. It wasn't as big as Erik's but it looked regal. The walls were white, floor length windows, lights leading from the driveway to the door, a small garden, smooth amber painted iron doors.
He was blown away.
"This place looks amazing." Colson says once Aetos was done paying for the taxi.
"Thank you. It was already being built so I just bought the land and continued from there, the windows, and garden were my idea too as well as he interior design and a couple of other things." Aetos replied as he led Colson towards the door. He pulls out a key and unlocks the door.
Inside was even more breathtaking. The floor was marble, dark couches contrasting against the white wall, huge artworks hung around, a large flat screen. Colson doesn't know why the air felt fresh, maybe it was because the house was so far away and surrounded by large trees.
He does notice that the house was too big for one person.
"Are you living with anyone?" Colson asked as he followed Aetos to the kitchen. The kitchen itself was elegant with black marble counter and L shaped island, the overhead cupboards were a rich brown and there were also mid wall windows in there for proper ventilation. Colson was in love with the house.
"No. I stay alone and if any clan member wants to see e comes over, if they want to spend the night, they can. I've got five bedrooms."
"Won't they get burned? You have large floor length windows."
"I've got black out curtains in each room, even here and in the sitting room."
"Wouldn't it be smarter to just tint the windows?"
Aetos leans against the counter. "I like sunlight. And no matter what, this is my space, my home."
Colson gets that. He hasn't had a home for almost a decade and a half but he still understands. He sits quietly on the counter, legs swinging as he watched Aetos pull out a couple of vegetables from the fridge, he also hands Colson a small plate of washed strawberries.
"You can munch on that while I get this started. Is stir fry okay?"
Colson nods as a reply and grabbed the plate. He happily munched on his fruit, content with the silence and just looking around. He reached for his phone when he hears it vibrate and smiles when he sees a message from Cobie.
Where the ever loving fuck are you?
Colson grins and licked his finger before typing out a reply. With Aetos. He's making lunch.
Cobie's replies came in a few seconds later. Sweet! Have fun! Do all the stuff I would do
Colson cackles at that. His laughter ringing out in the kitchen. He quickly types back a reply before dropping his phone. Of course! Who do you think I am?
Curiosity gets the better of Colson a few minutes later. He jumps down the counter and made his way out of the kitchen, he goes up the stairs and looks through every room. He knew he was being snoopy but Aetos wasn't telling him to stop.
He knows he's found Aetos' room when he opens the last door. The room was bigger than the rest, it had a walk in closet, blackout curtains pulled half way, a large chest of drawers, a queen sized bed with plaid sheets. There was an easel propped next to the window and it was covered with a dark cloth.
Colson itches to go closer to it, he wanted to see what was under there but there was a line and he couldn't cross it. Snooping was as close as he could get to blurring it.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when Aetos' voice rung out behind him.
"Lunch is served."
The vampire was staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face. Colson doesn't comment on his snooping, he raised his head high and walked out of the room.
"It's in the sitting on the glass table. I figured we could watch something while we eat."
"Just so you know, you can distract me with food for today but the questions will come tomorrow and the next and after that."
Aetos chuckled, one hand reaching up to rub his bottom lip. "Fine. Let's go and eat before it gets cold."
They both settle down to eat in front of the tv. Colson grabs the remote and goes through Aetos' netflix before deciding on Imposters. They eat in silence, none of them knowing how exactly to break and Colson finds it comfortable.
It's the first time he's ever experienced something like this. Sitting in silence and being comfortable. He wasn't tripping over himself to find something to say and Aetos just lets him be.
It's new.
Once they were done, Colson took care of their dishes while Aetos places them in their rightful positions.
"When we feed, it keeps us warm for like s week, sometimes less. It makes us feel... better. More sharper and our instincts aren't dulled by hunger. For other vampires besides Pytor and I, the hunger quells a little but the taste is addicting, that's why it's done frequently."
"So you haven't fed yet?"
"I have. Last week. I'll be good for another week."
Colson wipes his hand with a towel and faced Aeto. "Have I told you, you're the weirdest vampire I've ever met?"
"That's the first time you've said that and the first time someone was calling me weird. Pytor just calls me strange." Aetos laughs whilst running a hand through his hair.
"You're different from the rest."
"I am." Aetos says with a nod.
"I'm not sure if it's good or bad." Colson finds himself saying. He's leaning against the table, watching the man in front of him. Aetos doesn't speak for a while, he looked like he was trying to find the right less to say. When he finally speaks, he says.
"You've got time to find out."
—
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