Old Dog

Thyra:

“We’ll make a few phone calls to see if we can get this ‘rat form’ reversed. Mei and her brother, Lexi, will want to speak with you once they return from picking up our Pack Doctor, Amelia. Amelia will also want to check you over, once we figure out a way to get you back in human form. Until then, I’m sure Rocko won’t mind tending to your care. He seems drawn to you in a strange, but caring way.” Max smirked behind his glass as he took a heavy swig of the dark ambered liquid, flashing a playful wink at Rocko’s grumbling as he placed his palm to his shoulder, allowing me to rest on the muscular warmth.

“It would be wonderful to have a normal body once again, but nineteen years stuck like this did have its advantages. Just as long as I get to see proper justice served to that bastard and his brother, and as much as I hate to say it, my sons. There is no salvation for the wicked, and those four together are beyond evil, even that whore mate of Bain’s, Dani, and her muscle head of a brother, Patrick.” Halted by the stunned expressions as they looked at one another, turning their cold gazes back at me.

“You have got to be kidding me. She turned out to be his mate?” Max scoffed coldly into his bourbon as he downed it, reaching for the bottle.

“I take it that you know of her and Patrick. She’s quite the family treasure from the orgies I have witnessed between all of them. Which reminds me, there might be a little issue between the Quad and Elicia.” Purring against Rocko’s finger as he brushed along my side, scooting closer to his muscular neck.

“What issue little one?” Rocko spoke amused, tilting his head enough so that his gorgeous greens could look at me, cleaning my whiskers and face free of crumbs with my paws.

“Blood testing should be done to prove it, but I overheard Myles and Titan talking about the witch who turned me, Prue. Apparently, Myles thinks she was pregnant when she disappeared after the failed attempt against my life, and he’s certain it was his baby. More importantly, he thinks Elicia is that baby. If that’s true, then…” Freaking out with the notion of the Quad and Elicia being related and mated to one another.

“Fucking cousins.” Max and JR looked at one another with perplexed expressions, feeling a strange aura tickling up my spine.

“Quite literally and figuratively speaking.” Screeching out in fright, tumbling off Rocko’s shoulder as his muscular palm quickly scooped me into his chest as he turned around in a defensive reflex.

“For Fucks Sakes Desmond, a little warning would be nice.” Max chuckled darkly as he mopped up his spilt bourbon, tossing the soggy paper towels into the trash can beneath the desk. Shakily looking over Rocko’s palms as the tall, regal man sauntered into the room with a playful smirk laced across his well-defined facial features. Flicking back his long, straight-black locks as he rolled his fingers in a mocking curtsy before sliding into the chair across from Rocko’s chuckling pose.

“Now where would the fun be in that. I like keeping you ‘youngsters’ on your toes, it’s more entertaining. OH! Who is this little gal?” Desmond leaned forward with a swiftness that took me by surprise, snapping my teeth in reflex as his slender finger snapped out of reach, tsking me playfully.

“Thyra, meet King Desmond Nightshade. Vampire and worlds biggest Asshole.” Max leaned back into his chair with a refreshed bourbon, motioning with his hand in a lazy, relaxed pose.

“I would prefer ‘Lover’, but it is, what it is. Now, Thyra, who might you be?” The King of Vampires was nothing like the stories I was told or overheard. He was strangely, comical and refreshing against the seriousness that hung in the air like a suffocating smog, snickering behind Rocko’s relaxing palms as he clapped his hands together with a delightful expression.

“Desmond, meet Thyra DeLois. Peyton and Bain’s mother, sister-in-law to our once ‘deceased’ Titan and wife to his brother, Myles.” Rocko lifted me back up to his shoulder, shrinking back against his deadly glare as Desmond narrowed his red hued eyes, hissing out against his elongated fangs.

“Say ‘again’. You are entertaining this ‘thing’, who happens to be related to those traitorous Bastards. How could you, after everything they put my poor Elicia and the Quads through with their disgusting mind-fuckery and bodily harm. I should EAT you, now.” He hissed the last words with a coldness that froze my blood like liquid Nitrogen, gulping back the shrieking cry as Rocko waved him off with a lazy hand.

“Don’t pay him any attention Thyra. He’s only trying to scare you, which is shameful, when he knows us better than that. If we didn’t believe you already, you would have been a snack for Brutus and Kaval awhile ago.” JR handed him a bourbon, flashing a smile of amusement and eye roll as Desmond mocked ‘being hurt’ with his hand pressed to his chest.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in London with the boys and Elicia?” Rocko chuckled lightly as he offered me another bourbon dipped cookie, greedily taking it with my shaky paws.

Just pour me a bowl, so I can bathe in it.

“Well, I was until they needed some alone time. So, we saw Amelia off at the airport, and was heading home when the Council contacted us, so we detoured to see our lovely Ella raising Hell in all forms possible. For a small woman, she can scare the life out of anyone, but it seems that our lovely guest of honor has managed to fly the coup. Before you start raising Hell as well, we are already investigating who and how, and informed the boys before I ‘poofed’ my ass across the pond. Thankfully, Amelia was about three hours out from the States, so it made my trip a little easier, but still draining.” Stunned, shocked, motionless as we stared at Desmond in disbelief.

“Wait one second. I thought ‘poofing’ across the pond was next to impossible, and what do you mean he’s gone Desmond? Wasn’t the council supposed to be one of the securest locations to hold him? That’s why we agreed originally to not hold him here, and at this rate, I’m starting to doubt our own judgement in this matter. We just had a visit from his father wanting to speak with him, intentions unknown until Thyra enlightened us, but now this.” Max and JR shot off their questioning as Rocko and I just sat in complete shock, completely forgetting my bourbon dipped cookie because my poor stomach felt like a hurricane of knots.

“Woah, woah guys. One question at a time. This ‘Elder Bloodsucker’ is still feeling the effects of ‘poofing’ over four thousand miles. But yes, a distance like that is difficult without a point of stop in between. Thankfully, Amelia’s flight had made it far enough for me to have a pitstop, fill her in quickly with a refreshing whiskey and colorful words, before coming here.” The regal pause and swig of bourbon snapped me out of my shock as Rocko’s body chuckled under my feet.

“Can’t you use the council as a point of stop, because you can literally access it from anywhere.” Asking out loud remembering conversations about the council and how they managed the politics of the realms.

“Yes and No, little lady. The council headquarters is a sub-realm like the Vampire and Fairy realms, so entrance is easiest from land and even though it is a central point to meet, you can only exit back out into the continent originally entered in from. If I enter the council from here, I can only exit out anywhere across the same continent. So, N’Orleans to LA is no problem, but N’Orleans to London is a no go, because of the ocean dividing the two locations. Now, like today, I used Amelia as my point of reference to avoid the delay in travel. It’s rather simple in action, but confusing in explanation.” His devilish smile only added to his regal pose, flustering me more in thought as they all nodded in agreement with his strange way of explaining.

“Same goes with ‘poofing’. They have to ‘poof’ to a location closest to their overseas location, sometimes multiple stops before they reach the other continent. That’s why vampires and other creatures with the same ability travel so much. Each location leaves a certain marker of reference, so all they have to do is recall the location and ‘poof’, then repeat.” Rocko spoke with such kindness, stroking along my jaw as he handed me my forgotten cookie with the sweetest smile that could melt the panties right off a blushing gal.

“Not only brawn but brains too. I’m impressed Rocko. Now, back to what I overheard earlier. Are the Quads and Elicia really related?” Desmond leaned forward like a gossiping diva with his fingers laced under his tight chin, fluttering his lashes for added drama.

“Not sure. From what I overheard in conversation; this Prue woman slept with a lot of people before she disappeared. At this point in time, it’s just hearsay, so without a proper blood test we are only guessing at this point.” Shrugging at his intense smile, leaning back as he pointed his slender finger at me.

“I like her already. Well, knowing our Amelia, she’s already drawn blood for her files, so I’m sure she can run a DNA profile between the samples retrieved from Peyton and Elicia, and cross-reference with the Council’s database to figure out Elicia’s lineage.” Desmond reached out with his finger, shaking it with my tiny paws as we all nodded in agreement.

“Right, I’ll take my leave and notify the guards of the situation. If anything changes or we find out anything, let me know but a shower and some sleep are in order for this Old Dog.” Rocko stood slowly, making sure I was secure on his shoulder before fist bumping JR and Max, patting Desmond on the shoulder as he exited the office.

What a strange dynamic.