Ash snuggled into his chest as he pulled the blankets over her, warm and content, even with him inside her and their shadows blending and merging into one. She sighed softly as he put his arms around her, and she quickly fell asleep.When she awoke some hours later, she shifted slightly, gasping in surprise as she felt him still inside her, though smaller and less rigid now. Her eyes opened, widening as she remembered last night, and she suddenly moved off him, waking him in the process. He groaned softly, looking at her through sleepy, half open eyes, and she pulled away, trying to move off the bed. Seeing her panicked face, he reacted quickly, grabbing her and pulling her back towards him. Instinctively, she struggled, her fight or flight kicking in, but he held her against him, her back against his chest as he crossed her arms over each other and wrapped his arms around her upper body tightly. As she still squirmed and writhed, he put his leg over her too, holding her firmly. It

Ash showered and dressed quickly, knowing they were waiting for her to get things started. She wasn't sure how she felt about their cousin yet, but certainly felt uncomfortable at him just appearing in their room like that. And the way he'd first looked at her. She shuddered at the thought. 'Is that how they usually treat women who aren't theirs?' she wondered, but dismissed it quickly. They'd seemed as bothered as she had, in their own way, about the people being smuggled, and according to the article, most had been young women. The thought of what could have happened to them if the brothers hadn't stepped in still made her feel sick. She sighed as she finished up, opening the bathroom door and stepping out. They herded her downstairs almost immediately, heading to the restaurant adjoining the hotel. She mostly listened as she ate, wanting to see and hear more of their cousin, but by the time they were done, and he'd pulled a laptop from his backpack, ready to start planning, he wa

The rest of the lunch was enjoyable, with Lukas being such good company, though Ashallia couldn't help but miss Jason's presence. Even as scary as he could be sometimes, she realised she couldn't help but feel connected to him, and it was clearly true in reverse. She was also beginning to feel that even as intimidating as they could be, she was safe with them. Lukas' presence was particularly calming, and she was grateful for the afternoon together, though their waitress had begun giving her glares as Lukas completely ignored her flirtations. It was amusing to watch, but Lukas seemed to tire of the attention quickly, and they headed back to the hotel soon after they finished eating. Kicking her shoes off and laying back across the large bed, she sighed softly, and Lukas smiled. "Missing him already?" he asked, starting to unpack some of his shopping, and she turned her head to him, frowning. He laughed softly, "It's written all over you, Ash," he grinned, "but I'm glad. He needs yo

Ashallia frowned at Alex as he shushed her, but feel silent. She wanted to know more, still stunned at how far they'd travelled so quickly, but he was right. Finding Jason was all that mattered now. She sighed softly, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself. After a moment, she realised she could sense him, but only just."He's that way, but.. it's weak, I can barely feel it," she said, her worry for him rising, "Does that mean..?" Lukas shook his head, squeezing her hand gently, "No, we don't know anything yet. Try not to think the worst." She gave him a weak smile, but Alex frowned at her, "You can sense which direction he's in?" he asked, and she nodded. "That was how he first knew," Lukas explained, his voice soft, "He said it was like a strange pulling sensation, drawing him to her." Alex looked thoughtful at that, then grabbed her other hand, "Can you tell how far?" he asked, and she thought a moment, shaking her head. "Usually it's stronger the closer we are, and it's weak

Ash frowned at Lukas, sensing his unease, and hesitation, as he sent the message. It was echoed in Alex and Mikael behind her, and she couldn't help feeling some herself, wondering what their other cousins were like to cause them to feel like this, assuming that's who 'Vik' was. She heard Mikael moving some stuff around behind her, then dragging a large, sturdy metal barrel over. Alex noticed, and helped him, and they began picking up and put the oddly shaped guns inside, barrel down. When all but three were inside, Alex raised an eyebrow at Mikael, "We can't blow it, we don't know how it will react. It could just spread it." Mikael nodded, putting the lid on firmly, "We can seal it," he said, pulling something small from his pocket, and cutting it open with a knife. Alex nodded, helping him carefully spread the substance around the rim, before they lit it and stepped back. It went up in sudden flames, with an enormous heat that she felt even as far back as she was from it. Alex che