Havermouth, Three Weeks BeforeHeath paused outside Rhett’s room on one of his frequent check ins. Rhett had left the music off this time, which was not a good sign that Rhett was coping well with the situation, Heath acknowledged to himself as he leaned against the wall. There was an ache in his chest knowing that he was causing his mate pain.He leaned his forehead against the wall. Hold in there, Rhett, he thought, willing the strength through the wood and plasterboard to his mate. Let me balance the scales of her favor just a little, and then we’ll…Aislen said something so quietly that whilst the sound of her voice carried, the tattoo gun stole the meaning from her words.“Stay still,” Rhett replied, and the gun fell silent. “You are shaking my hand.” “When they come looking for me, they will track me back here,” Aislen’s voice was louder, more confident. She had provoked a reaction from him and broken his focus on the tattoo. “You guys will be arrested and thrown in jail. The p

Havermouth, Three Weeks Before Rhett’s jaw was set so hard, his teeth clenched so ferociously, that he was giving himself a headache. It was f-king wrong, he told himself. It was unfair that he was cast in the role of bad guy, whilst Cameron and Heath got to f-k their female mate. He rubbed the heel of his hand across his cheeks, casting off the tears that prickled there. Tears of anger, he lied to himself. There was a truth that he had been hiding from, he admitted as he braced his hands on his drawing desk and stared sightlessly at the designs on the sketch book before him. A truth that if he let it in, would do so much damage that he was afraid it would break him. Torture, Aislen had called it. She had begged and pleaded for him to stop so much that her voice was raspy and hoarse from doing so. He had brushed it off. He did this for a living, he’d told himself. People paid him to do it. He was used to clients freaking out, and this was no different. He had let his fantasies of a

Havermouth, Present TimeAislen heard Bianca’s voice and then Cameron’s from outside the locker room, and so she wasn’t surprised when the door opened and Talen and Cameron entered. She heard their footsteps, the whisper of their new jeans, as they crossed the room.She flushed the toilet and leaned back against the cubicle wall, tears and snot streaming down her face, and grabbed a handful of toilet tissue to wipe herself clean. Over the top of the cubicle door, she could see Talen’s head.“Little demon,” he knocked on the door.“The last five years of my life have been a lie,” she whispered.“How so?” Cameron lay on his belly on the floor and peered under the door at her. “What’s going on, Aislen?” He stretched out a hand. She reached out and took it, his calloused grip on her reassuring. She gave his hand a squeeze and rose to her feet.Talen was leaning against the frame, filling the door, when she opened it, and reached out to cup her cheek, his thumb stroking away a stubborn tea

Havermouth, Present TimeHeath braced a hand against the worn surface of the kitchen bench whilst he waited for the pot of water to boil. He was just so exhausted, he admitted to himself. He should have stayed with Rhett and slept alongside his mate, but his thoughts were so restless that he’d left Rhett to sleep, afraid that he would wake him.“Heath,” Helena said quietly from behind him.“Hi,” he straightened and plastered a smile to his face. “How are you doing? I am sure Scott’s out of his mind with worry for you. If I get the chance, I’ll go by your house and let him know that you are okay.”“Thanks, but he’s on the other side of the river at his parent’s house,” she replied. “Something I’m grateful for as hopefully he’s out of the reach of the Van Helsings and safe. Abigail is awake. I think you need to go speak to her, Heath,” she crossed and tapped instant coffee into her cup. “She’s not talking to me. Maybe she’ll talk to you.”“Me?” He raised his eyebrows. “Why would she tal

Havermouth, Present Time “You knew?” Aislen’s head jerked up, her eyes flashing with anger. “Your scent,” Heath sat back onto his haunches, giving her space, holding out his hands peacefully. “There’s a change and I…” He looked to either side, raising his eyebrows. “No one else has noticed?” Cameron scooted closer and buried his face into her hair, breathing in, and then tracing down her hairline and neck, over her chest and breasts towards her stomach. Aislen giggled despite herself, tickled by his snuffling against her skin. “Ah, stop, Cam,” she protested, placing the palms of her hands against his head, and pushing him away. “I might have showered not long ago, but that doesn’t mean you should be sniffing in all the places… Oh god,” she gasped as Cameron scooped her backwards, laying her out onto the mattress and pressed his nose against her stomach. “Cameron! Any further downstairs and you’re licking it!” “Ah f-k, she smells good,” Cameron muttered against her skin. “But she a