"I say we pack up everyone who looks suspicious and boot then out of Astir." Colson said, running a hand through his hair. He wants to pace but there was no room in Erik's office. The pack warriors, border patrol, Aetos and Pytor, Michel, Erik And Cobie were here. Even Toby.
"There are people who are so awkward they act suspicious. Booting everyone whose eyes twitches isn't the right thing to do." One of the pack warriors said, staring at Colson like he just popped on his body.
"We only saw the shadows last night because of the lightning. What's the weather forecast for tomorrow?" Cobie asked. Two pack warriors pull out their phones and check the internet.
"Can't we ask one of the witches to push back the rain a bit?" Pytor asked. "Astirians don't need to know yet that their shadows are rising and walking beside them."
"Won't it be better if they knew, so that they'd be careful?" Michel says and his voice makes Colson shiver. It was why he was leaning against the wall, he was so far away from Michel that he felt a little safe despite the sonofabitch was still in the room.
"We are not sure if it's everyone or just the four of us whose shadows have began walking. So it's better to keep it on the down low. Lets not make people panic for no reason." Cobie said. "We can push the discovery back a bit until we know what exactly we are dealing with."
"How are we sure this isn't connected to the Baba person we keep hearing of?" One of the border patrols asked.
"There's a fifty percent chance it is and a fifty percent chance it isn't." Colson said.
"The children will be out tomorrow, so will half of Astir in fact. Maybe even more. We have to put up the border, increase the security. I want warriors on each street. I will also speak to some of the betas that aren't here who are interested in joining." Erik said, standing up from where he was leaning against the desk, Cobie in his chair behind the table.
"I know a witch we can trust t-" Michel starts as Colson quickly butts in, his eyes darting away from the beta.
"Why not let Cobie and Erik go through the list of witches and pick one themselves?" Colson said. "Erik's instincts are sharper and he'd be able to hear even the smallest of blimps when they lie." It's true. Cobie has to be one of the best liars Colson knew and yet Erik was still able to know when he lied and it wasn't because of their bond and shit. He genuinely knew when Cobie was lying.
Thankfully the pack warriors agree to Colson's words.
"I'll have a few vampires keep an eye out." Aetos speaks up.
"Thank you."
"So who's going with me to line the borders?" Toby asks as he gets up.
"I'll go." Colson volunteers, he hasn't ever seen an Addonexus work their blood. Pytor also offers too. Ever since the event of two days ago, it seemed like the vampire had been avoiding Colson, it felt almost like he was feeling guilty.
"Alright. Erik and i will talk to some betas but that's all for today. If you see or feel anything out of place, reach out to us." Cobie said, voice clear and tone final. The wolves all bow to him before filing out of the office. Colson still wasn't used to the amount of respect Cobie was given by each wolf from the Silver Moon pack. It's not that he doesn't deserve it, it's just... Colson doesn't think he'll ever get used to it.
"You three be safe." Erik said to Colson, Toby and Pytor.
"Here." Cobie pulls out a gun from underneath the table and throws it at Colson who catches it with a hand. "Be safe."
"Always." Colson promises. He gives Aetos one last look, his hand brushing the vampires shoulder as he walked out of the room, Toby beside him and Pytor behind.
"Thank you for coming with." Toby said, tugging a bit at the small dreads on his head.
"It's okay. I wanted to see how this works." Colson replied. "I'm guessing the clinic is closed for today?"
"Yup. Jesse's there though, just arranging our schedule for next week." Toby replies. "The kid kinda worships your brother."
"Tell me about it. I see him all the time at pack trainings, he's like a little puppy following his mama everywhere." Colson said, looking at Pytor, expecting him to jump in but the vampire doesn't say a word. It was weird looking at this quiet vampire who was so unlike the sarcastic asshole that Colson knew and was starting to grow fond of.
"We have to use my car. I get dizzy and pass out once I'm done, so someone is going to have to drive me home. My address is locked in the gps." Toby says to the two of them as they walk towards the doors leading out.
Colson nods. Excitement trimming under his skin. He had spoken up when Michel brought up a suggestion that had don't let this evil bitch make Astir unsafe written all over it and now he gets to watch Toby work his magic. The ride to the border was a long one due to the silence between them, the only sound came from the radio playing rapture by koffee. Once they got to the border, Toby took off his shoes before stepping out of the car.
Colson stayed a few paces behind as Toby drew a pocket knife from his pants, closed his eyes and chanted a few words before slicing his skin open. Colson takes a step towards Toby but Pytor holds him back. His eyes widened when black smoke pours out of Toby's skin, the blood running down his hand a dark yellow.
"Don't touch him." Pytor said.
Colson was in awe. He couldn't stop staring. He watched as Toby took a step forward and the. Another, his blood dropping onto the ground.
"Don't follow yet. Wait." Pytor said and Colson wants to ask him how he knows all this. Instead he just stared at Toby. It seemed like with each step he took, he was disappearing. His feet were no longer there, the hem of his jeans and legs were also disappearing, a dark smoke taking their place instead.
"For him to fully line Astir's borders he has to be able to move fluidly and what better way to do it than be a cloud."
A clo- What?
Colson wants to turn to Pytor and ask him if he was going crazy when the entire black smoke blankets Toby and then he was gone.
"Do we just follow the cloud?"
"We could or we could wait right here, so when he gets back we take him home." Pytor shrugged, his hands in his pockets. Today, he had on a graphic T-shirt, joggers and white sneakers.
The dark cloud of smoke begins to move away from them at a medium pace. Colson watched it go, still in awe. Once the distance between them was so much that the smoke looked like a large full stop, he turns to Pytor.
Okay. Out with it. What are you avoiding me?" Colson asked, moving a bit so he was standing right in front of Pytor.
"I'm not."
"Yes and I'm the one carrying Erik's child not Cobie." Colson said, sarcasm dripping from his words.
"Don't let Aetos hear that, he's going to be so fucking pissed." Pytor replies, his tone a bit playful. Colson grins. The asshole he liked was somewhere in threes.
"Is it because of the other day?" Colson starts and this time the vampire looks right at him. "I'm fine. Like really, I'm right in front of you."
"I-"
"Use your words, Tory."
Pytor winced and shook his head violently. "Never call me that."
"Talk and I'll try not to."
"What if you had gotten hurt that day? I made you write down the assholes' name and you just... it was scary and I'm a three hundred years old who has seen shit. But that -"
"Well we've learnt our lesson. Nothing happened back then and I'm alright now. So you don't need to feel guilty alright? If you've done something to offend me, trust me when I say I will let you know." Colson said, reaching out to playfully smack Pytor's arm. The vampire just nods.
"Where's the asshole I know who wears pink boxers with hearts on it?"
"Fuck you too, fish boy. You've only seen one pink underwear." Pytor said. He flips Colson off before walking to the car. Colson laughs and follows the vampire. They both sit on the hood of the car as they waited.
"Can I ask you to -" Pytor stops and pursed his lips. "Never mind."
"Go on, Tory."
"I swear to Dracula, if you don't stop that I will..."
"You've forgotten I have this." Colson pulls out the gun from where it was tucked at his back between his jeans and skin, his shirt falling over it.
"Fine." Pytor raised his hands up in surrender.
"What do you want to know?"
"The shadows... how did they look like?"
Colson sighs as he looked at the long road ahead of them. It was deserted, no car coming and none going. Colson remembers how he felt while he and Pa drove to Astir. He had thought the place was a small town, heck, at a point he thought the place was a myth yet here he is.
No matter what they face, it felt like Astir was the safest place on earth.
"They had different sizes, I guess. I, Cobie and Aetos' shadows were our heights but Erik's own was that of a child. It was small and it cling to his legs." Colson tried to describe. "They were standing beside us, like we were having some kind of meeting where half of us were pitch black. No face, no skin, nothing." Colson doesn't bother saying he felt the same fear he did when Michel was beating him up but he doesn't know what might happen to him this time.
"Aetos said he didn't see anything nor did Erik. Do you know why you and Cobie were able to see it?"
"I don't know and I don't like it. We were able to catch glimpses of it because of the lightening and after we saw them, the lightening stopped. It didn't even rain."
"Do you think the kids are going to be fine tomorrow?"
"They should be. What they don't know won't frighten them." Colson shrugged. "They would be fine. Erik has a plan."
"I hope it works."
"Don't jinx this, asshat."
"I'm not." Pytor huffed, his arms crossed. Silence settles between them for a bit and Colson felt better. He felt like had just made his first friend and he was content. "Put that gun away before you frighten someone."
"Oooh, are you scared, Tory?"
Pytor glared at Colson, his fangs elongated as he stared at Colson, who just raised a brow and aimed his gun right at Pytor.
"You're annoying."
"But you like me this way." Colson grinned. He stuck his tongue out at the vampire before tucking the gun back into his pants. There was a low sizzling sound and when Colson looked at the ground where Toby's blood had dropped, they were glowing bright yellow.
"Look..." Pytor points up and Colson stared with a slack jaw. The glowing yellow light slowly slid up, the farther up they got- the yellow began to fade until there was a blue glow, they were coming from various sides of the border and netting at the top to form a dome. "It's going to be like this for half a day."
"That's... wow."
"He should be on his way back." Pytor said as he gets off the hood of the car. Colson remains seated as he waited for Toby.
"Hey. Don't you wanna drink Toby's blood?"
Pytor scrunched his nose and shook his head. "Nah, I don't feel like turning to ashes." The vampire said. "Addonexus blood burns."
An Addonexus was rare to find. They were creature that hid in plain sight since they don't age as quickly as humans. They have a substance that is infused with their blood that hold magical properties and can also control pure energies. That's what anyone knows about an Addonexus, there might be more but they keep their cards close to their chest and only share what they think people should know.
Not only was Toby's blood harmful to wolves bit vampires too, Colson noted. Toby's dark cloud got closer and when it was almost to the car, it dips lower and Toby bursts out of it, falling onto the ground before Pytor could catch him.
Colson pulls open the car door and the vampire places Toby in the car. The man was no longer bleeding but Pytor was still a bit scared to touch him so Colson took over. He adjusted Toby's head and legs before slamming the door shut.
They drive to Toby's house in silence, not wanting to disturb the man but Colson thinks even if it was raining hailstones and boulders, Toby wouldn't wake up. He looked like he was in deep sleep.
When they got to his house, Toby's mother pulls open the door and Pytor ran into the house, carefully placed Toby on the couch and was back out in less than five seconds.
By the time they got back to the pack house, the Alphas we're leaving. Some of them taking the woods, other taking the driveway since they brought their cars. Colson finds Cobie in the kitchen, yawning as he grabbed a can of whipped cream from the fridge.
"Tired?"
"Like you wouldn't believe." Cobie said as he takes a seat on the stool, he raised the can to his mouth and groans as he fills it with whipped cream.
"Hungry?" Colson asked.
"Nah. Just wanted this." Cobie replied. "I told Pa to spend more time with his mate at the Canyon. I didn't want to upset him with the news and I wanted him safe and far away from this... shit."
Colson nods. That was better. He had been thinking of how he was going to bring it up but Cobie solves that problem. One down, a thousand to go.
"Are you going back to Aetos'?"
"I don't know yet. I might stay today but I'm not sure about tomorrow." Colson said as he gets up from where he was seated. Cobie follows suit and together they made their way upstairs.
"I've got to ask."
"Fire away." Pun intended. Colson snickers mentally.
"Are you and Aetos dating? Or courting? Or wooing?"
"Are you sure you don't want to go back to the 40s? The other day you used the words hoola baloo." Colson teases, trying to distract his brother but it doesn't work.
"Do you want me to cry because I will cry if you don't tell me and it wouldn't be good for the baby." Cobie glared at his twin.
Colson rolled his eyes at his brother as they walked towards the room. "We aren't doing anything yet. I told him it was going to take me a while but he said he'll wait."
Cobie bit his bottom lip as he listened to Colson. He looked like he was about to say something. They were interrupted by a small boy running into Cobie's legs and then hiding behind them.
"Malakai Jonas!" There was a loud banging on the door at the end of the closet. Even Erik and Aetos peeked our of the office to know what the yelling was about.
"What did you do, Blue?" Cobie asked as he followed the loud bang.
"Luna?" And oh, that was Se Ju's voice. Colson couldn't hold back his laughter as Cobie walked towards the door and pulled it open. It was a small storage room and locked in it were Randall- Who was red in the face and Se Ju.
"Oh my..."
Colson had to clamp a hand over his mouth because he couldn't stop laughing. Randall was fuming, hisbhands clenched as he stared at Kai who let out a small whimper and ran away.
Little Kai had locked his parents in a closet.
This was going to be in the top ten things of awesome thug Colson had experienced. The doctor was staring at the plump Omega with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Randall..."
"I'm sorry, Cobie but I j-" the Omega gives a small bow before he walked as fast as he could towards the stairs and disappearing down it.
"We Ju, why don't you step into my office?" Erik calls out and the doctor nods. He gives Cobie a small bow and made his way towards the Alpha's door. Cobie turns to Colson.
"I've got to go. Se Ju needs to let out steam."
Colson nods at his brother and waves him off as Aetos made his way to him.
"How was your day?" The vampire asked and Colson shrugged. He was trying to play it cool but his heart beat was saying other wise. He was thankful again that Aetos couldn't hear heart beats like the wolves did.
"It would be better with food."
"I can make you something and bring it over." Aetos offers.
"I'm more in the mood for burgers and fries."
Aetos nods. They stop in front of Colson's door and the vampire reaches up with a hand as if he was going to touch Colson's cheek. He stops halfway and drops his hand.
"I'll go get it. I need to have a drink."
"Sure. I'll wait for you."
The vampire waits for a second or two before he closes the distance between them and pressed a kiss to Colson's forehead. Colson blushed, his cheeks turning pink. He gives the vampire a small wave before stepping into his room. He pulls off his clothes as he got in and quickly hopped into the shower. When he was done freshening up, he slid into a pair of grey sweatpants and a black shirt.
He was still in a good mood that he doesn't notice when someone walks into the room. He does jump and turned around when he hears the lock clicking shut.
Standing there, one hand resting against the door knob was Michel.
—
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