Coming of Age Ch. 06

"But as this group doesn't conform to the conclave these Familiars are probably being exploited." Crystal added.

Rayven stood and started to pace, "damn it!" she cursed. "I saw a group the night my watch broke."

"The night you were almost caught out by the rising sun?" Serenity asked as she willed the desert, a bread and butter pudding and cream, onto the table.

Rayven nodded, "I had simply thought they were wannabes, it was how they acted when I questioned them. So I just overlooked them."

"So... should we be worried?" Myth asked.

Rayven thought for a minute then shook her head, "No... in fact unless they do something really drastic we should hope the tribe send their Familiars, they are easier to deal with."

"Oh... by the by... who has plans for thanksgiving?" Thais asked.

"You already know the answer," Jay complained.

Thais grinned, "Yep... Sky, Jasmine, Rachel, Rayven and Nhor you're all invited to Thanksgiving and Ma won't take no for an answer."

"Hey just curious..." Rachael suddenly asked because she was genuinely curious. "Why doesn't your mother do the sparing of the turkey, why is it always the vice-president who does it?"

Everyone who knew exactly why blushed and ducked their heads. Serenity however was the one who met Rachael's eyes. "Ma... let's just say she sucked at delegating, more so when she was in her first year as president. See she still had her Alpha Female duties and Gwynt's powers were acting up so she was helping him with that and on top of that she was working on the standardised laws of each race and the new law which would, if the crime wasn't one punishable by general law, link in the standardised laws." She explained.

Rachael nodded, she was following.

"Yeah so ma was stressed out, not getting a lot of sleep and doing just far too much for one person. All that extra stuff meant that she hadn't let her beast out very often and if she did it wasn't for very long. To put it mildly her beast was pissed. So anyhoo, ma was doing her duty sparing the turkey but the moment she saw it her beast went yum and... yeah." Serenity rubbed the back of her neck, she didn't really need to tell them that the beast took control, shifted and gobbled that turkey up.

"Only good thing out of that was that it never went to air, the two camera men filming were Were and they noticed the flash and just... stopped filming. Ma hasn't done it since because her beast really enjoyed that turkey." Serenity finished and the room went silent.

"Hey Temp," Gemma said to break the silence. "Have you come up with your idea for your oral report yet?"

"Why, need an idea?" Temperance asked as she served herself a big helping of bread and butter pudding.

"Yeah, since our Professor said we weren't allowed to use your mother as an example of the effect of one person on history it's narrowed what we can do." Gemma answered choosing to avoid the pudding.

"No it doesn't." Temperance answered. "Here's an obscure one, I doubt anyone else will do it because again it is very obscure the only reason we know about it is because we know the two men involved. Lupa," She leant over and offered Gemma a little blue book which had appeared in her hand, "son of Luna, befriended Ghan and suggested that he ally himself with the packs that surrounded him to defend against a group of strays. Lupa was the seed of an idea which began the Alpha gatherings."

"Yeah but I have to be able to reference it," Gemma added.

"And you can, although it is in Were and Other History 1, it is also in the private records of the five packs involved, you can verify what is in Were and Other History 1 by cross referencing it with the early pack records of the Moon Bane, Falling Stone, Dragon Nest, Fire Strike and Painted Cave packs." Temperance said as she willed the books first into her arms before offering them to Gemma. "Those are mine I want them back." She added.

Gemma nodded, "So what are you doing your assignment on?"

"The destruction of the Dephalim, which was caused by the actions of one person," Temperance answered with a grin.

"What's a Dephalim?" Gemma asked.

"A sub race of the Da'Vaila," Thais answered.

"What's a Da'Vaila?" Jasmine asked.

"Ah fuck... I guess I have to explain that... look instead of explaining it now how about I organise my assignment and I test it on you guys?" Temperance asked and got nods in agreement.

****

"Hurry up slow pokes," Serenity said as she bounced next to Sky and Jasmine the next day after classes.

Sky mock glared at her friend, "I hate you..." she said at the bubbly Serenity.

"No you don't." Serenity said still bouncing.

"That's it no more coffee for you." Crystal said causing the others to laugh.

"Why are we rushing?" Jasmine said as she moved the books she was carrying under one arm to under the other.

"Have to meet Thais." Serenity answered before she willed Jasmine and Sky's books back to their rooms. "There he is." She skipped over to her brother. Rachel joined Sky and Jasmine after Serenity had performed a similar deed to her books also.

"Do you ever hate them?" Rachel asked.

Sky glanced over to Serenity and Thais who were rough housing playfully, "Nah they wouldn't be themselves if they weren't exuberant."

"Trust me... the triplets are tame in comparison to their older sibling Sage." Crystal explained.

"Excuse me," a timid voice said to Crystal.

Crystal turned and went to tell the idiot to go around or fuck off, her sharp eyes focused on the pale face of a young woman just as she felt cold metal press to her chest. Crystal stilled, her eyes glancing down, as her hand moved to direct the muzzle away her eyes scanned the area, realising there was nowhere safe to direct the muzzle she just gripped it to keep it pointed at her chest, this took a fraction of a second.

The machine gun was unloaded point blank at Crystal's chest, she almost sighed in relief as the bullets stopped within her, they were low velocity rounds, very low, meant to disable her long enough for them to get away.

Myth lunged and knocked Serenity and Thais down the moment she heard the first shot, her priority was to them and no one else.

Crystal lost control of her legs as the last of the bullets managed to plough into her spine, she went down hard but she still watched everything carefully. She would need this information the moment her body was healed enough to give chase. Watching as Sky, Jasmine and Rachel were bundled into a van at gun point. As the van pulled away Thais was up and started to follow, shifting into his wolf, he would keep with the van as well as he could and wait for back up.

Serenity raced to Crystal and turned to Myth, "Follow." She ordered.

"I may be fast but not that fast." Myth argued, she was pissed, one arrow and she would have managed to take out a tire but her bow was not practical to cart around even though she had a licence to do so.

Serenity focused and willed Nhor here. Nhor reared startled at the sudden change of scene, his hooves slammed into the ground as he came back to being on all fours. "What happened?"

"They've been taken," Myth explained as her weapon of choice appeared in her hands, she quickly strung it and slid her wrist guard on before testing the draw.

Nhor turned wondering which direction to go. "Which way?"

"Nhor... take Myth with you, you can catch up to Thais but she is connected to his mind, he can tell her where to go." Serenity said firmly.

"Take her... on my back?" He said furiously, his hind legs were moving in short stomps, showing just how agitated he was at the thought of having someone on his back, it was an insult, he was NOT a horse.

"Yes." Serenity said firmly, her eyes locking with his and not realising that her influence had laced her voice, making it a command.

Nhor felt it, the command of a leader, a lead stallion who would stomp their authority on his body if he continued to disobey. His body quivered for a moment longer before he submitted, he hadn't submitted to anyone since he had been kicked out of his Flight for refusing to mate the lead stallions daughter. That had been hundreds of years ago, the laws had changed so he could have returned but he liked his free status, answering to no one. Over the years many had tried to fold him in to one group or another but he had refused, he had even refused Lead Stallion command before. He didn't understand why he was even feeling her command as strongly as he did or even why he submitted, as by submitting he was making her his Alpha or more importantly, making Amy and Wolfgang his leader as she was their next Alpha.

Over the short time he had known her, Serenity had proven she was a good leader, she didn't order anyone even though they knew her status they treated her like any normal pack member and she encouraged it. There was sense to her command; she wasn't ordering him because she could but because there was a need. He nodded casting his eyes away from hers, accepting her authority.

"Get on..." He told Myth and helped her up onto his back. "Pull my hair and I will buck you off." He warned before he took off.

Now that Thais was getting back up Serenity turned her attention to Crystal. Temperance, Han and Bastion appeared having learnt of what happened through the triplets bond. "What do you want us to do?" Bastion asked.

"Call the FBI and wait." Serenity said firmly as her hand hovered over the bloody pulp that was Crystal's chest. Focusing she willed the bullets from Crystal's body. Temperance willed a dark jumper into her hands for Crystal to put on when she was healed.

"What do you need?" Serenity asked.

"Blood," Crystal gasped out already feeling her body start to heal, she could heal without blood but it would be a much slower process and she was needed now.

"You and Rayven drank the last of our supply this morning." Bastion explained, he was in fact meant to go in an hour to pick up the new supply.

"I can go home..." Temperance started to say.

"No time," Serenity cut in her mind whirled but she came to only one solution, she didn't like it, it made her uneasy but Crystal knew how to take out Vampires. "Drink," she offered her wrist to Crystal.

"No," Crystal said her stomach rolling at the thought.

"Yes," Serenity argued, "You are needed, I know I am not, drink, I'll heal." She continued pressing her wrist to Crystal's lips.

Crystal turned her head away repulsed.

Tell her she's wasting time, Thais said into Serenity's mind.

"You're wasting time... time we might not have." Serenity said firmly, "Do you want to lose your friends?" She added gently.

Crystal took a deep breath, Serenity was right; not drinking was not an option. "I can't believe I'm doing this. They owe me big." She said before her fangs elongated and she bit into Serenity's wrist. Serenity winced at the slight pain but held still.

Crystal tried to drink quickly, tried not to think about what she was drinking and just doing it, but no matter how fast she drank Serenity's blood still lingered on her tongue, it made her slow down, to savour it, it's flavour, it was... yummy. It had the beast that lived within her growling, it wanted more, it wanted her to drink from a better source but Crystal curbed the desire. After her fifteenth mouthful she started to hear Serenity's heart slow and both minds rebelled against it not wanting the source of the most delicious blood she had ever drank to end. Her fangs retracted and she licked across the wound, cleaning it so that it could heal quickly and moved onto any stray spots she might have missed.

"For someone who claims not to like human or non-human blood you looked to be enjoying yourself." Temperance said only slightly nervous, she had seen Aunt Destiny feed from Aunt Susan before and knew it was safe for Crystal to feed from them. However, Susan and Destiny were mates, Fate would not have chosen them to be soul mates if they weren't compatible, Serenity and Crystal to the best of her knowledge were not, there could be side effects.

Crystal didn't answer, her hand was feeling the unmarred flesh of her chest, impossible, she should still be healing not completely healed. She got to her feet and took the jumper putting aside all her confusing thoughts, pulling it on quickly she turned to Serenity who was a little pale. "Sorry I may have taken too much."

"Go," Serenity ordered, she couldn't die so blood loss was no biggy. She got to her feet a little shakily and felt her head spin, Temperance helped to steady her twin but Serenity's body soon adjusted.

"We'll take her home and put her to bed." Bastion assured Crystal as he came closer, "you better go."

Crystal nodded and was suddenly gone. She had never been able to run so fast in her life, she had always been fast but with Serenity's blood in her veins she moved faster still. In moments she had caught up with Nhor and Myth, overtaking them she went after Thais. Serenity's words had cut to the bone, Crystal didn't like to lose friends if she could help it and this she could help.

She came to a halt next to Thais in a crouched position. Do they know you followed? She asked him.

No, I tagged the van and followed at a distance. He told her, shivering with anxious energy, he wanted to storm the building and take the pricks out, but he also knew that he had to be patient, that things had to happen in the right sequence.

I need silver chain, plenty of it, if they are coffin bound we can just chain the coffins closed. Crystal told him.

The giant two toned wolf nodded and a dozen coiled lengths of silver chain appeared on the ground. Crystal watched as Thais's coat rippled in waves of black and silver, she glanced away, she could never look at Thais for very long when he was in his wolf forms, his coat was too unnerving to her as her vampire eyes could pick up every detail and movement in his coat.

Myth joined them stealthily her bow had an arrow already notched; all she had to do was draw, aim and fire, which she could do in mere seconds. Nhor is waiting further back, he is too big to hide behind bushes. Myth informed them, where do you want us? She asked.

The door is reinforced, Nhor... think you can kick it down? Crystal asked.

The door will be in splinters moments after you give the go. Nhor answered, his protective instincts were in overdrive, Sky was his to protect; his fosterling and she was in danger.

Myth I want you to enter through the open window on the second floor, injure and disarm, I want no one killed; I want them to face the justice system. Crystal said firmly letting everyone know, in that sentence, that death was unacceptable in this scenario.

Myth go, when you are in position we will move. Crystal said, Thais come in through the back, but first, will the van's tires down. She added as Myth slid up the nearest tree and vanished into thin air, her skills as an Elven ranger meant she could vanish in plain sight yet still be in the spot she faded into. Crystal would not see Myth until Myth wanted to be seen. Thais slid back and edged around the house as Nhor moved into a better position.

I'm in position, Thais informed a moment before Myth suddenly appeared on the balcony, she winked at Crystal then waited.

Alright everyone we go on five. One, two... Crystal heard the gentle fall of large hooves as they started to approach, she also noticed that they were steadily picking up speed. Three, four... Nhor thundered pass Crystal's hiding spot and almost to the door just as Crystal flashed into position. FIVE!

In a feat Crystal doubted she would ever see again, Nhor turned on his front legs skidding as he swung his massive body around so that his hind quarters were facing the door. In the same motion he leaned forward, lifting his hind legs up which tucked up and in a smooth motion he bucked, slamming his massive shod hooves into the door sending it from its hinges and down the narrow hallway which it opened onto.

Crystal almost followed the door as she rushed in, the door had knocked out one of the familiars and was unlikely to wake anytime soon. "ENFORCERS," Crystal yelled in warning to the familiars.

Myth came down the stairs dusting her hands having taken out the four upstairs, her progress was halted by the door which was lodged in the wall. She touched it but it wasn't going to come free easily, "remind me never to piss him off." She said as she hopped over the banister to get around the door.

"Down we go," Crystal stated as she kicked down another door and followed it into the basement. Her sharp vampire eyes picked up coffins, to this day they were the safest thing to sleep in when you lived in a house as these coffins were made light tight.

Myth heard movement and reacted purely on instinct, she turned and fired not even really aiming. The arrow flew true and slammed into flesh, there was a clatter of metal on stone and a cry of pain from a male voice.

"I said not to kill anyone," Crystal complained as her eyes found a light switch.

"I didn't kill him." Myth said confidently as Crystal turned on the light, focusing on the man hidden in the shadows. Oh she could have seen him without the light but she knew Myth would need it.

"And so you didn't... one of these days you're going to have to explain how you did that." Crystal said as she took in the wounded man who clutched at an arrow in his shoulder.

"When I know the answer I'll tell you." Myth said just as surprised, that was a very good shot, she walked over and kicked the knife he had dropped further away.

"Chain the coffins," Crystal said offering the lengths of chain Thais had willed in. Myth nodded as Crystal started looking for the vault door, where the live food would be stored. It was often sound proofed and well hidden.

"You won't find it." The wounded man taunted.

Crystal took a deep breath and a moment later was before the wounded man, her eyes were completely dark showing him that she was a vampire, kind of. He shuffled back as in his experience Vampires with dark eyes were dangerous. "I already know where it is... I can smell them." She hissed before she stood and went to the stone wall near the most elaborate coffin. Her nose led her to the catch, which allowed the false wall to come away and reveal a heavy steel door. In moments the lock was crushed and the door open.

Sky sighed when she saw Crystal, "About time you got here."

Crystal chuckled, "Hey, I took a full clip to the chest thank you very much." She approached the door and smelt blood, "who is hurt?" she asked as she took care of the lock and opened the door.

"It's nothing, just a scratch." Rachel said as she got to her feet, dried blood ran in a trickle down her neck.

"Not a scratch," Crystal argued as she entered and examined the wound more closely, "that is a knife wound."

"My fault, I wouldn't stop trying to knee the prick who was trying to control me." Rachel explained.

Crystal snorted. "Come on... Nhor is outside and won't calm until he has inspected Sky." She guided the women from the vault and out of the basement, then out into fresh air. Thais smiled as he hung up his phone, a pair of sweats hung low on his hips he raced forward and hugged his friends.

"Sky?" Nhor said hesitantly, Sky slid from Thais's arms and went to Nhor, he cupped her face and watched her eyes for a moment before he nodded and released her for all of a nano second, he scooped her up into a big hug. "I thank the lady of the beasts that you are okay." He told her.

Crystal stood just to the side of Thais, her foot tapping, now that the danger had passed she was angry, she glared at Thais who released his friends.

Thais held up a hand, "I said I would tell you if I saw the Vampires attack... not their familiars."