I was laid up for a week because the doctors didn’t want me moving, but two days in my leg looked like a leg. It hurt, but it was still healing a little, and it was still too long. It was going to take months to get it back to running speed. And what we did I had to be in the top pique condition or I could get hurt even worse.

It’s a good thing I heal quickly. Michaela had spent a few nights curled up next to me in the hospital room once I was well. We did things that my doctors wouldn’t have liked, but what the fuck did I care. Michaela was careful not to hurt me over extend my capabilities or what she thought of them anyway.

And when they let me go they made me promise I wouldn’t over do it. I didn’t. Michaela made sure of it. When she went on mission she had Charlie watching me like a hawk. He would sit in my room playing video games on his phone or laptop or he’d drag me into the common room so I could sleep there while he watched a movie or some stupid reality TV show. Or played video games.

He got me to play a few.

And then when it was time for physical therapy the doctors pushed me past my limits. Under observation they said it was alright. But the funny thing was their limits and my limits were different.

I had to ease back into the walking on the treadmill, one leg being stronger than the other. Did I mention I hate the treadmill or any of the other stationary equipment? They started to let me lift weights again. That was by far the fun part. But they started me out easy there too.

Three weeks in and I was lifting half the weight I had been before. They were disappointed in my lack of rapid recovery. The healing had gone well, but I wasn’t Venatori in strength so they were disappointed that I wasn’t doing more. I was happy with the progression. I could feel it getting stronger.

Charlie and I were allowed to go for walks around the property. Michaela came with me when she wasn’t off on mission. We stopped for a few private moments in some of the more secluded areas of the facilities woodlands.

There was one spot that had a hot spring. And another that had the softest grass I’d ever felt in a circle of warmth created by the sun. It might have been romantic if it were someone else. But with Michaela it was just about pleasing each other in a sexual way.

Mich always shut me up with a kiss or dropped to her knees when I was about to complain about the lack of protection with me. She insured I was always out. Even if I bought a new box she would take it from my room. She always seemed to find it too – no matter where I hid it. But Mich was careful with my moods. She was learning to handle me like a pro. I don’t know if that was a good thing or not.

By the end of April I was running a mile and Michaela was taking me along on her day hikes.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

The darkness was empty. At least at first, but then I started hearing sounds and I could move. I didn’t try to open my eyes. I heard Michaela off in the distance. I heard beeping. And other voices as I stirred. “He’s coming around.”

“He’s lucky.” I heard a male voice sound off.

“Mr. Sétanta, how are you feeling?”

I tried to speak but found it was difficult as a cup was thrust into my hand and Michaela said, “Drink it.”

I was obedient and tipped the cup to my lips and the cold refreshing liquid trickled down my throat and I felt better. I covered my eyes with my free and and blinked open until my eyes adjusted.

I was sitting in the same room my mother had been in when she had died. I tried to leap out of bed but found that my legs were bound to the bed. “You need to hold still your muscles are healing.”

I glanced down and saw the bandages covering my leg from ankle to knee. “Michaela found you lying on the ground in the Dragon’s house.”

I blinked at him. “And the dragon?”

Michaela smiled, “Dead. I don’t know how you did it Nox, but you did it. No one has ever survived dragon’s fire to our knowledge.”

A woman in the background spoke then, “I’d like to know how you did that.”

“Did what?” I asked.

“Survived Dragon’s Fire. No one, like Ms. Donovan said has done that.”

I shrugged. “My head hurts can we talk about it later.” My head didn’t really hurt, my leg did. Like a mother fucker, but she didn’t need to know and I wasn’t really in the mood to talk about it right then.

The man handed me a few pills. “This should help the pain. It might knock you out.”

I shook my head, “Are you giving me Venatori doses or Human ones?”

“Venatori.” He tapped my forehead.

“I’ll pass thanks. I don’t want to go into liver failure.”

Michaela chuckled, “He doesn’t react well to Venatori meds and human ones aren’t strong enough.”

The man nodded, “If you change your mind, Mr. Sétanta.”

“You brought me all the way back to Boulder?”

Michaela shook her head. “No. I took you to a safe house, and when you were stable we moved you here.”

“How long was I out of it?”

“About six hours after I found you.”

“I’d like to leave this room.” I said and Michaela looked around.

She sighed, “It’s the only intensive unit we have. Sorry. You can’t leave the confines until that burn heals completely. I’m surprised you didn’t lose the legs, but your muscles are repairing themselves even after their near destruction by the flames. What did you do?”

I shrugged. “I just did what I could to put the fire out.”

“But water doesn’t work, Nox. No one can survive dragon’s fire but a dragon.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know Mich. I just did.”

“You are one lucky sob. You know that right?” She smiled. “I bet you did this just to get out of the rest of your year with me.”

I laughed. “Never. I’m having too much fun hunting lions, and tigers and bears.”

“Oh my.” Mich laughed. “We havn’t hunted any tigers. Maybe I should go see about finding us one for when you are better?”

I grinned, “I’m good. Let’s keep it tame for now.”

She smiled and pressed a kissed to my forehead. “I’m glad you are a stubborn ass and a quick thinker.” She looked like she wanted to say something but but she didn’t. “You rest. Don’t get up Nox, or they’ll tie you down. I swear it, they will tie you down and not in the fun kinda way.”

“Is that an order?” I asked playfully.

She grinned. “Yeah, it is. Don’t move.” The command in her voice went straight places it shouldn’t and she knew it. Her grin grew wider as she left the small glass room full of lights leaving me all alone with the beeping machines.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

I found the address that Ricky sent me too. It was just a residential house, it didn’t look fancy or have expensive taste, but sometimes Dragons didn’t actually have money. They don’t hoard things like gold and silver or gems of rare kinds. This one apparently hoards artwork, but you’d never know it from the house.

Dragons were like other theifs. They tend to keep what they steal. It makes them easy enough to track down once you know who they are. Protocol says they should die. There is nothing that can keep a dragon in chains in the mundane world, and all the prison cells in the AU building are few and far between. The rune stones that once kept evil at bay in their cells have either gone missing or were broken over the centuries. So the Venatori had to change tactics – ending threats instead of rehabilitation.

We loved our rune stones. Every door in the Venatori parts of the building that were not for public consumption had rune stones on them. Each on attuned to a person, and each person with control over the entrance. In the dorms rooms were open, no locks applied to anyone. Anyone could walk in on anyone in any one room.

Adult doors though they were locked and only allowed entrance by those that the keeper of the stone allowed. It was a magic of sorts. I didn’t understand it. I didn’t understand how the doors worked either with the rune magic. It wasn’t something we could recreate. They just were. It was magic long since forgotten.

But once again my train of thought leads me walk right past the house but that’s alright I went down the alley around the corner and jumped the chain link fence in the back. No one could see me but the back door had a better chance of being unlocked than the front door. Less breaking and entering this way.

And my gamble had paid off as the door creeked open and I stepped inside the house. It smelled slightly of burnt wood and had an almost sweet smell to it.

I heard a voice in the other room shout out. “I knew you’d come for me eventually Feras. Show yourself.”

I let the veil drop and I knew I kinda just popped into view for the Dragon. He was around the corner but he stepped out into the doorway. “You’re just a kid.”

I smiled at him. “I am new but not a kid anymore.”

“The beard doesn’t make you any older.” He said.

I narrowed my eyes at him and reached up and ran my fingers over the three days growth I kept. I didn’t want a full grown beard but I didn’t want to look a child either with the baby smooth face. It wasn’t helpful doing what I do. I’d shaved once for Mich, she said she wanted to see me without the scruff. So I did, I looked strange, it felt strange. And I was mistaken as her kid brother one too many times until it grew back out so that I liked it. So I knew he was just doing it to throw me off guard. And maybe distract me a little.

There was a glow in his chest and he opened his mouth wide. Fire, hot, liquid motel fire spewed out of his human mouth, his human throat and started spraying me. I jumped back threw up a wall of air and wrapped myself in a vacuum, surrounded with earth and water. I could have killed myself as I tried to quench the fire that was traveling up my leg and over my jeans, melting into my skin. It was hot. So hot. The pain was there but it felt otherworldly, like it wasn’t mean. I know I heard myself scream.

My mind was so focused on the fire that I’d forgotten about my dragon who thought he was still spewing fire at me the wall of air blocking but it was getting hot. He was laughing which sounded more like a grunt as his mouth spewed out the fire still.

I wove patterns in my pain, in the haze of the remaining light left in me and I sent it at the dragon. That little bit of energy sapped me of all my remaining strength as I collapsed into darkness.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

Mich and I had a few hours to kill while we waited on the cops. If I were home I’d just have Sage do the grunt work. But I wasn’t. I couldn’t really do much anything until then. It was Spring so went for a run and Mich went to visit some friends. She had invited me along, but I hadn’t gone with her. I didn’t expect she wanted me along anyway but she was being kind.

I didn’t know where I was going but my phone had GPS so I could find my way back. Sage was awesome that way – always had the best toys. I expected he’d be changing everything out once I got home again. Bitching about how archaic my current set up was.

I got a call from Ricky about an hour into my run. “Hey Nox. We got a hit on your guy. I got a name and number if you want it.” I stopped running and found a coffee shop where I could borrow a piece of paper and a pencil, normally I’d just punch it into my phone but I was currently using it. And I didn’t exactly want the world listening in on my conversation.

Ricky gave me the name and address of the guy they’d pegged as my dragon. And we hung up. I called the hotel hoping Mich was back but she wasn’t and she didn’t have a phone like I did. Not many Venatori did, it was one of those things they didn’t see useful. But I did.

So I made my way back to the hotel. I was closer than I thought I was, I’d been running circles according to my GPS and I was nearly back where I started probably for the third or fourth time without even realizing it. But when I got back Mich wasn’t there. The room was still empty like I’d left it.

I grabbed a quick shower and changed clothes and still no Mich. I was a little worried but I had a job to do so I wrote down a note on the paper I’d written the address on and told Mich where I was going. I was going on a solo hunt. It made me wonder if this was something she had planned.

I could have taken the Jeep. Or rented another car but I chose to walk. It was good being in a city again. Directions were easy and I wasn’t going to get lost with my phone on me. It was a good walking distance but I could manage. And I enjoyed the time I had alone, it gave me plenty of time to think. And I had a lot to think about.

The twins were growing on me rapidly, and Jesse was a good man. We talked regularly and I visited when I could. And then there was my mysterious dream guy who I was seeing in my dreams. The death of my mother still plagued me. My anxiety and depression were always on edge. But I was not showing it. I had plenty of happy moments in my dreams to use to fuel my fake smile. I thought about him and me and our meeting. I thought about my family I was coming to know as the days went on. I thought about all the things I’d missed and all the things I would never have. But most of all I thought about my own family.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

I finished the sketch and Michaela looked at what I drew versus what was on the screen. “I don’t see any of that.”

I could only shrug as I handed it to Ricky. “Call me if you get any hits?”

“Will do. Will you be staying on?” He asked me.

I shook my head. “No sir. I miss the City. I need to go home when this is done. Mich is around. She’s better than my mother.”

He smiled and Mich and I walked outside. “Now what?” She asked me with a smile.

“Now we see if we can track the dragon down.”

“How?” she asked.

“Same way we tracked the bear.” I said.

“But this is a city there are so many smells.”

I nodded. “It’ll be harder, but we can do it.” I said with a smile.

The Denver Art Museum was where things went down. The gallery where the theft took place was off limits for gallery goers, but Mich and I snuck past the tape with our veil. Sometimes breaking and entering was too easy.

It wasn’t quite so easy to find the scent since so many people came through. Dragons were like people and they had distinct smells to them, from cologne, body wash, but everyone had a unique scent which combined with all the other things. It was partially pheromones and other chemistry things that made unique smells even more unique on a person. We learned chemistry in school as a means to fit into the real world. But every Magnus was required to take the class as the structure of the world was built on the foundations of chemistry. In order to understand your own magic you had to understand bonds, and energy and chemistry. As Magnus you two chemistry twice, once as a normal human class and again as a magic user.

Chemistry had been one of my favorite classes. I hadn’t learned much except that if you zoom in far enough to see a pattern there are smaller particles between it. I didn’t know what they were and when I asked about them in class I was told I was seeing things. I mean I was literally seeing things, but my teacher didn’t believe that I saw them.

I told Dae’lin and she let me experiment a little under her guidance. She didn’t understand what I was doing, but she understood my need to know. I couldn’t figure out what it was really. But I knew it was essential to things. I could examine a real plant and see them twinkling like little stars, but when I created the plant’s replica they were missing. Whatever my abilities were they didn’t create those sparkles of energy.

But either way I couldn’t find his scent. I could smell people and isolate their scents, but when it came down to picking the dragon’s up I was useless. I didn’t know how to differentiate between a human cop, or the dragon because there were too many people around. Unlike the were bear crime scene the amount of people had been limited, and the unique scent of a bear was easy to pick up out of all the human scents.

This dragon not so much. So we went back to town and found us a cheap motel to stay in. We shared a room, as always, but Michaela left me alone in it while she went to go talk to some friends. At least that was what she told me. I didn’t mind much I had a book to read while we waited to see what the cops found out on the facial recognition.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

We waited until another man walked in. “Nox, this is Captain Gerald. He’s going to show you this while I step out of the room and get you some coffee. How would you like it?”

“Black please.” I said.

“I’ll have two creams and a sugar.” Michaela added as Ricky left the room and then turned to the captain. “Plausible deniability?”

“Ricky’s a good cop, but it’s best if the official investigation is not present while we show you this footage. It might be used against them when they testify.”

“Testify?” I asked.

“You know what I mean, sir. Ms. Sétanta always understood.”

“I understand. I just didn’t want the strange getting out if you know what I mean.”

The captain nodded with a smile. “So we are all on the same page then.” He turned on the video on screen in front of us and there was man who basically grew in size to break through a door, then he shrank back down to mouse size. You could barely see him on the screens. He looked as though he miraculously appeared on the other side of the room. He lifted a painting and he and it shark and he ran off down the hall.”

“A shape shifter.” The man looked at me like I was crazy. “You saw it.”

“I don’t believe it.” he said.

“I’d hazard it’s a dragon from the shadows I’m seeing on the camera.”

Michaela leaned forward and played the video again. “I don’t see any shadows.”

I asked, “Did my mother know you were a tied to the occult Captain Gerald?”

He looked at me like I’d revealed his greatest secret and I probably had. “How…”

I smiled at him. “I see things a little differently that most people. I can see the sensitivity in you. Your grandmother was a practicing wicca, but your family doesn’t practice it.”

“How did you know that?” He and Michaela were both staring at me now.

“It was a guess. Maternal magic flows differently than paternal magic, and you aren’t practicing, and the aura around you is very dim so your mother never actually used it much either.”

“Nox?” Michaela asked. “Where did you learn this?”

I laughed. “Mich. I don’t just sit here and look pretty. I pay attention I ask questions. Unlike the Venatori, the other supernatural creatures like telling you about their powers. I like understanding them.” I shrugged.

The Captain looked at me, “So you see a dragon there?” He pointed to the screen.

“I see the shadow of a dragon. It shifts as he changes size. That’s how they conceal their true forms as a human. It’s shifted to a different plane, they leave a shadow of patterns behind.”

“And you got this all from what?” Michaela asked.

“There is a dragon who works the front desk of the AU building HQ. She collects pens. I asked her how she did what she did and she showed me.”

“Just like that?”

“It wasn’t easy.” I said. “I had to bribe her with a lot of different pens before she trusted me enough to show me.”

“Alright then Mr. Sétanta.”

I interrupted, “It’s just Nox.”

The Captain smiled at me. “Alright, Nox. I will leave it to you and your partner here to clean up this mess. Ricky will help you as he can but I expect this to be a clean case.”

I nodded. “Yes sir. One question, did you try facial recognition on the guy?”

“We can’t make anything out.”

I nodded. “If I drew you what I see could you run that?”

“We could if it was a human face.”

I grinned. “Can I have a sketchpad and pencil?”

The Captain left the room and Ricky brought us coffee and a sketchpad. Michaela watched me curiously as I sketched away at what I saw on screen.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

We got a call. Rather I got a call from a hunter in Denver. Charlie called me from the front desk. “Hey Nox. I got a phone call for you. Asked for you by name.”

A call was unusual but by name even more so. “Hello?” I answered it.

A familiar voice answered back. “Hey Nox.”

Tho the voice was familiar I don’t know who it was. “Hi. What can I do for you?” I hoped my voice didn’t concert they confusion I actually held.

“Yeah. My name is Ricky. Jesse is my brother. He told me that you might be able to help me with something here in Denver. I got this case and it’s turning out weird. Jesse says you handle weird. Normally I wouldn’t call in a pi but in this case I trust my brother. That wife of his sure will be missed.”

That last statement was such a blow to my happiness. I felt it all draining away. My mysterious dream guy still want taking away the saying that my mother was dead on my watch. “Mich and I will be there in a few hours.”

He thanked me repeatedly as he gave me directions and an address. He was a cop in the city proper. He didn’t go into details just said it was weird. And since my mother might have handled it. I went with out question. Mich didn’t say anything when I told her what we were doing. We’ll that isn’t true either she said you are in point. It wasn’t the first time but it was the first time she’s let it up so easily.

Much drove to the precinct. We chatted but since my dream guy was real out relationship became stained. Much claimed to want no strings and now that it really was only about the sex she was slightly disappointed. Tho she was still eager to bed me whenever I was in the mood. She was not happy about the amount either. But I was don’t more often than not. And I was having second thoughts about having kids with a woman who didn’t want me in the picture too.

Alot was changing. I was changing. Maybe not for the better or the worst but changing. Maybe that’s what being an adult was all about.

We got to the precinct and were out of the Jeep when a man in a blue uniform walked towards us. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, but the man looked like he had a few more years on Jesse and a few more pounds too. I thought of a cop sitting in a donut shop pounding away coffee and glazed donuts while waiting.

I must have snickered because Michaela elbows me and muttered, “Be nice.” under her breath.

I offered my hand, “You must be Ricky.”

He shook my hand and nodded. “You are the spitting image of your mother.”

I blinked at him. It was the first time anyone had told me I looked like my mother. Michaela smirked but took my elbow as we followed him into the building. “I don’t usually hire PIs to look at things like this. I told you that on the phone, so we’d appreciate discretion on this.”

“We understand.” I said still a little dazed from the comment about my mother.

Ricky took us through to a room with a small TV in it. The room itself was windowless and there were cameras that I could tell were off. The patterns of electricity didn’t flow the same when a device was off. It was how I knew Sage was a Technopath when I met him. Well after I’d met him when I understood things like that. At 10 I really didn’t understand a whole lot.

Ricky sat us down and we waited in silence.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

Halloween came and went. Thanksgiving and Christmas I spent with Jesse and the boys. Michaela did too.It was awkward. But we managed. Michaela commented more times than I could count that I wore a smile more often than not. She also said I was sleeping a lot more. Which was true. I was happy to sleep for the first time in a long time.

We still played the guess who game every night. Never the same person. I think now it was more about not knowing until we met. The allure was strong. And it wasn’t about the sex. Well it was part of it, but it wasn’t all of it. We talked too. I talked about my mom and the boys, and my dad. I didn’t tell him what I did, I made sure that he couldn’t pry that out of my head. He was a dream walker. Which meant if Michaela found out about him, he would be dead. And I kept him a secret for the most part. I was locked down more than usual around Mich.

She wasn’t happy. She wasn’t happy that I was less and less eager to join her bed. I was happy though. I didn’t question things like I should. I didn’t ask his name. Didn’t ask what he did, where he was. I was content in whatever he shared, which wasn’t much. But I was okay with that I talked enough for both of us.

The New Year came around and I spent the midnight hour asleep. But shortly after the kiss my dream ended with a painful bite on my neck. Remembering always hurt. I doubted he’d left a real mark but it felt like he’d taken a chuck out of my skin before I startled awake.

Valentine’s day didn’t end the same way. I was too busy with Michaela to take time out and take a decent nap and at night things were always mostly hi, kissing and then I was taken away from him.

I was probably a bit obsessed. No probably about it. If I didn’t lock my feelings down tightly with him I might scare him away. That was always part of my problem. I didn’t let people close to me, when I did I attached too quickly. It was a defense mechanism. Margo said I thrived on the comfort of others, but I couldn’t let people near because I was so afraid of getting hurt. She wasn’t wrong. I was afraid. I was afraid the moment he found out what I was, what I did, how I felt that he was going to leave. I don’t know why he even kept coming around.

I was fucking terrified that I was so happy. Margo and I discussed it on many occasions. But she was proud of me for putting myself out there, even if it was just a dream. She believed me when I said he was real. But we all had our doubts. Me most of all.

It was March now, the weather was getting warmer and Michaela and I were busier than ever.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

After breakfast I talked Michaela into taking me to the location of the map I’d dreamed. The place reminded my where I grew up. Just a cabin in the woods. There were several identical little houses with numbers on them.

Michaela walked along each one looking at the doors. “This one is 3C’“.

I had my notebook tucked under my arms crossed across my chest. I forgot my gloves in the jeep and i didn’t want to go back and get them. Mich opened the door and gestured for me to go in. “You said you had instructions. I’ll stay out here.”

I stood and stared in the biting cold and looked at the open door. Michaela watched me. “You okay?”

I shook my head. “No.” But I walked inside the room and shut the door. The instructions were vague. I hadn’t remembered a lot of those things about the dream. I pressed the floorboards until I found the loose one and pried it up with some air.

I wasn’t sure what I would find. It was dusty and I sneezed several times. I found a box. It wasn’t anything fancy. It had a skull and crossbones burnt into the top of it. I lifted it to my nose and smelled the cedar and sneezed because of the accumulation of all the dust.

I was stalling. I opened the box and found a lot of things. On top was a watch with black face and a leather band. I didn’t have colors in my journal but it was a watch. And a zippo lighter. I didn’t remember the triangle thing until I saw the twisted metal form.

My breath caught. Whatever I had dreamed – the man in it. He was real.

I sat in stunned silence. He was real.

It echoed in my mind even as I closed my eyes and leaned against the bed. He was real.

I didn’t so much as will myself to sleep as my body relaxed as I pulled the box tight against my chest. He was real. It was almost exhilarating but I felt my body sink into sleep.

I didn’t so much as wake up as know I was someplace else. I wasn’t that little boy but I was in that room. Something nagged at me. The whispers started as always… Monster. I felt a slight blip of terror as they sounded in my head. I was still a monster. My mother had died thinking that – knowing what I was. But I could still smell him through the dream, the box pulled against my chest. it was new, the realization that my reality was not what I was feeling.

I looked up at the feet that just appeared in front of me. My eyes trailed along a body but the face wasn’t right. I don’t know why – maybe because I’d seen the man on TV. I didn’t have any idea what I looked like. Myself I gathered. But I didn’t bother looking, didn’t really care. I wasn’t hiding from him. I don’t think I ever had.

He was a dream walker and that fear flared inside of me. The things he could make me do if he only knew how.

He knelt down in front of me and smiled, “I’m not going to hurt you pretty boy.”

I don’t know why it didn’t bother me, the sound of his voice, the way he said it. Usually pretty boy bothered me. Usually it’s what a guy calls me when he just wants a fuck. But this was different.

“You think too much when you’re grown.” he grinned at me.

I uncurled my arms from my chest and the box fell into my arms. “I found it.”

The smile on his lips grew and he lifted the lid to see what was inside. It looked exactly like I’d seen it in the real world. He smiled and put it back. “You believe I’m real now?”

I shrugged. “You are convincing me.” I said as I reached across and grabbed his t-shirt. It was some comic book character I had no idea who it was, or where it was from. I tugged him towards me setting the box aside with my other hand. His legs straddle mine as he sat on top of my legs and I pulled him down to kiss.

I let out a low moan and he bit my bottom lip. “We’re too far away right now. For you next birthday, I don’t want you to spend it alone like this past one.”

I thought next year I wouldn’t be alone. I’d be at the club dancing with every pretty girl and trying to find a good fuck.

He laughed, “So vivid.”

I cocked my head to the side. “You can read my thoughts?”

“Among other things.” he said with a smirk. He pressed his lips to mine and whatever thoughts I was about to had turned back to his soft lips. The way he tasted. He was heaven.

“I’ll meet you at Aspect.” He said. “I’ll wear this t-shirt. You find me on your birthday. You and I can go home together…” He let it trail off as he kissed me harder and when I pushed my tongue into his mouth he bit – hard.

I yowled as he said “I’m sorry, but you need to remember.”

And I did. My eyes popped open and I took out my phone and made the appointment. In less than a year I’d meet my mysterious dream guy. I don’t know why that made me nervous. I touched my lips, my tongue only hurt in a phantom sort of way, it was a memory more than anything. I wanted to feel his lips on mine.

Michaela pushed open the door, “You okay? I heard you scream.”

“I’m alright.”

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

I nodded. And put the floorboard and bed back in place and patted the box. “I did.” I found a lot more than I was expecting.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

My hopes of a dreamless sleep were futile at best. I knew it wasn’t going to happen. But I still wished for it. The world coalesced into the unfamiliar room. The painting of a tree with a stary skin on the wall. It was ever unchanging except except that one picture it always seemed different like it was real.

The single word was loud on the wind. “Monster” echoed in my head. It echoed in my bones. I could feel it reverberating inside me. The world named me monster and yet the picture called to me – home. But the words monster drew me away to the darkness. Today I didn’t want to play with the block. I wanted to find the darkness, but it wouldn’t come. I wanted the pain. I needed to feel the pain. I hated myself. I hated my mother. I hated my father. Everything hurt.

I fell down and curled into a ball and cried. I was 5 I cried like I was 5. I hated it. My mother had just died. She’d hated me as she’d done so. Wouldn’t let me say good-bye. Never told her I loved her even though she was a horibble person. Didn’t tell her I forgave her.

I don’t know how long I stayed in that ball crying but long enough the tears had gone dry. I heard footsteps in my dream. I knew it was a dream. I knew …

“There you are.” The familiar voice said. But yet I’d never actually heard it. I didn’t uncoil from the ball and I knew the tears started to flow again as he drew near.

He knelt down and asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

The images of my mother dying, of her throwing me away, of every bad thing that accumulated into this moment rushed forward but I said nothing. “Why do you always forget you aren’t this little boy anymore?”

My voice was ragged with crying as I answered. “I’m always this little boy.”

“But you are 19. I know you are. You can’t be this little anymore. I’ve seen you for too long unless you aren’t a real little boy.”

“I’m real.” I whined.

“Prove it then.” He challenged.

I grew up. I didn’t become me. I took the guys of some random fillin on a commercial I’d seen with Rider and Laker. I’d thought he was cute.

He smiled. “That’s better.” He took me by the hand and laid down pulling me against him. “I can do this without feeling like an old lecher.” He joked.

I couldn’t help but smile. We were not laying on the floor, we were in a bed. A soft encompassing bed. I could probably float away on it if I tried. It smelled of home – but everything with him always smelled like home. But I didn’ t know him. He was a dream. A wish.

My wish.

I curled up against him and let go of everything. I wanted to cry but there were no tears left. I wanted to scream by my voice wouldn’t sound. He kissed me softly on the lips then whispered, “You want to talk about it?”

I shook my head. And he pulled me closer. “Then I’ll talk. Are you still in Ward?”

I nodded. My brain couldn’t wrap around the question. I was lost in the pain. Lost in the anger and hatred and yet here he was comforting me like a lover, a friend, family. But he didn’t know me.

“I still to far away. I won’t make it to you before you are off again.”

I looked up at him, “Again?”

“I came once to see you but you were off to California to fight wildfires with the rangers.”

“But you are just a dream?” I said confused.

“I’m not. I’m real. I’m a man just like you.”

“How…” I sighed. I didn’t need to think on in it. I didn’t want to think on it.

He pulled me against him and smiled. “I’ll prove it to you. There’s a lodge in the woods.” He drew a map on the ceiling – it wasn’t so much a map as a real map. He pointed at a place not far from here. “In room 3C under the bed there is a loose floor board. And a box full of things. Inside you’ll find a silver zippo lighter with cowboy boots on it, a watch with a black face and a leather band, and a shard of twisted metal among other things, but those are the three easiest that I can describe. Do you think you can remember that?”

I shrugged. “I usually only remember the dreams I wake up from.”

He smiled at me as he sat up. “I’m sorry to do this. But I want you to remember. I’m real.” He shoved me out of bed and yelled, “Wake UP!”

I opened my eyes and I was staring at my own ceiling on the floor of my room in Boulder. Fuck! The dream was fading but I grabbed my pencil and started sketching the details… It may have been a dream but it felt so real.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

I walked away. I headed for my room I couldn’t do people right now. My mind was recoiling from my mother, the knowledge that she had a family without me. I don’t know why it hurt me more than finding out about Kai. Maybe because it was functional where as Kai Viddens was not a great father. Nick barely knew his own dad, Adam and Iris were the closest but the rest of us we were just bastards but he claimed us all – even me. I was on the family roster now. I got the whole family updates from Iris. Mine and Nick’s graduation was on it and what we were doing. Nick had a blurb about college he’d written, Iris commented saying Nox had already been whisked away and I can’t reach him. But she didn’t even try. Maybe that was Dad or Dae’lin I don’t know. Either way I didn’t really care.

I sighed as I shut my door behind me and crashed on the floor. It was shitty fucking week and it was only going to get worse.

---

For three days we all waited in limbo. I spiraled into hell. Jesse blamed me. I didn’t blame him. The boys were confused. Michaela was staying out of it.

My mother blamed me. Wouldn’t let me see her. Wouldn’t let me in the room to do anything. Not that I could. But either way I spiraled down. The day approached that my mother threw me away and she was holding true to the notion so when the day actually hit and my head hurt so bad that not even yoga was helping I opened a bottle of scotch from the commissary and I drank half of the bottle straight before pouring myself a glass.

I was about to go hunt down something a little stronger when my door opened and Jesse walked in. “Your mother is not doing well. You might want to say your good-byes.”

I stood up and staggered to the door. Jesse frowned as he watched me wade through the fog in my head. But I walked straight once I hit the door. It wasn’t a matter of being less drunk. It was a matter of metabolism. The moment I moved the more alcohol burned off. Venatori don’t get drunk like humans. It takes a lot and it takes stationary spots to actually get falling down drunk. But it was possible to be a drunk Venatori. You just had to drink a lot. I didn’t drink nearly enough to be considered a drunkard and I only drank on one or two days out of the year. At least to this extend. A beer or two for fun but that was it. A glass of wine with dinner.

I made it to the Infirmary but the machines were beeping and the my mother was convulsing and frothing at the mouth. Jesse was pulling the twins out of the room. Everyone was crying as I watched through the window as the were bear venom took my mother’s life. Even after she passed I stood and stared through the window.

The room was empty by the time I came back from my misery. I felt less drunk but I was numb. Michaela was sitting in the chair by the window and I looked at her. She was watching me. “You’ve been standing there for a good 2 hours.” she answered the question I was about to ask.

“Jesse, and the boys?” I didn’t bother finishing she was reading me anyway.

“They went home. They couldn’t be here anymore. Her funeral will be tomorrow.”

“She was Venatori.”

Michaela smiled. “Her family is not. They don’t understand our ways. It will be somber and sad and less about the life she lived and more about comforting those she left behind.”

“I know what a funeral is.” I said to Michaela. “I don’t think I can go.”

She nodded. “I know. But it would mean a lot to Rider and Laker if you did.”

“I’ll try.” I said and Michaela took my hand and tugged me away from the window. I followed dazed and confused and when she opened the door to her room and tugged me after her I knew she wanted more than I could give her.

She laughed, “I think I can just be in bed for a night.”

I shook my head. “No, you don’t have to. I can take care of myself.” I stopped before she pulled me inside completely. “I want to be alone.”

“Nox. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

I pulled out of her hand and headed for my room. “Mich I need to be alone.”

It was still the middle of the day. I had plans to be so wasted I didn’t remember the next few days. But when I got back to my room, the bottle was gone and there was food and a gallon of water on the table. Mich had someone replace my plans.

I fell into bed instead and prayed for a dreamless sleep. It would have been better high or drunk but right now just empty would be good.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

I walked into the small Infirmary and the first thing I see is Laker and Rider sitting in chairs outside of a room. The door is closed and when I near they look up, their faces are tear streaked and they stand up in unison and immediately wrap their arms around me.

I was a little stunned. But I wrapped my arms around them. I was still unattached from the situation. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew from the boys reactions it wasn’t good. So I did the only thing I could. I held them.

I thought about how much they loved our mother. And how much disdain I held for the same woman. I’d adored her once. I didn’t want to keep standing so I spoke up and called to the nurse sitting at the station across the hall. “I’m going to take the boys someplace a little more comfortable.” She nodded and went back to her work.

I took the boys to the lounge, there was a large TV and overstuffed couch sitting in the room. They clung to me the walk down. And when I sat down Rider immediately grabbed the TV remote and turned it on. Laker was already sitting and as soon as I was down he was in my lap crying. I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

Rider sat down next to us and took his brothers hand in his and leaned his head against my shoulder and asked, “She’s not going to be okay is she?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. She was hurt pretty bad. And the bear bit her.”

“No one will tell us anything, what can happen Nox?” Laker choked out through his sobs. He was nearly begging.

“When a human is bitten by a therian, there are several scenarios. The best result being that nothing happens and they aren’t affected by the full moon. But there aren’t very many documented cases of that happening. Your mother could turn into a bear next full moon. Which isn’t the end of the world, but it will change your life. She won’t be dangerous. Well at first she will be, but with help she can learn to control it. The third is the most awful. She could die. Some humans don’t take well to the venom and it kills them. Be glad your mother isn’t like me or Michaela. A bite from a therian and a vampire is guaranteed death for us. The venom is a strict poison. It kills our rapid healing cells.”

Rider said, “So she could be alright?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. The bear was strong, he broke a lot of bones. I don’t know what other damage it caused. Had your mother been Venatori with only those injuries she’d be up and walking around again.”

Rider grumbled, “Da’s always trying to get Mom to stop hunting. Stay home with us. But she won’t. She says she has to rid the world of the monsters.”

I nodded. “It’s a noble cause for a human.”

Laker asked, “Can we help? Kill the beast that hurt mom?”

I smiled. “I already took care of him. He’s dead and more than ash now. I don’t think your dad will let you hunt. Why don’t you think of something else you can do to help?”

“But you do it!” Rider said.

I sighed. “I’m half Venatori. I’m not perfect either, but I’m not as fragile as your mother is. And I’m far from defensless.”

“Neither is mom. She’s not fragile or defenseless.”

I nodded and said nothing more. Anything I said would only make matters worse with them. So I held them and we watched the news until Jesse came into the room and frowned. “i’ve been looking everywhere.”

I stood up and the boys sat still in their places. “I’m sorry. I figured they’d be more comfortable here.”

He shook his head. “No, that’s alright. This place is a lot bigger than it looks.”

“How is she?” I asked.

“There is nothing we can do but wait. The internal bleeding has been stopped. She’s in recovery now. Why didn’t you protect her? Michaela does nothing but rave about you when she stops in for dinner.”

“You know Leanne. She has a will of her own. She wouldn’t let me use my magic, so I was out of options. She went first. It attacked her first.”

“Leanne said that you could have killed it sooner.”

“I didn’t want to hurt her. I could have thrown a fireball and it would have yielded the same results in the end. A bullet could have hit her and then I’d have been the one to kill her.” I sighed. “There was no winning situation once the bear latched on to her. I did what I could to save her life.”

Jesse frowned, “If she turns into a bear she’s going to wish you’d put that bullet in her like you were supposed to.”

“She’s not Venatori. She can survive it.”

“For your mother it’s not surviving if she’s one of the monsters.” Jesse said without any irony to his voice.

I stood up. “I’ll leave you to your family then.” I walked away.

Jesse called after me, “She loves you son.”

I nodded. “But I’m a monster, Jesse. I always will be.” I said as I walked away.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

I made it to the house down the road and told them Michaela sent me. Apparently Michaela Donovan was well known in these parts and they insisted on feeding me and giving me clean clothes. “Must have been a helluva scuffle with that bear.”

I nodded. “Yeah, my mother got injured, Mich is taking her to the hospital while I took care of the rest of the details up there.”

“Oh, who’s your mother?” The lady asked as she set a plate of fried chicken in front of me.

I gave her my fake smile more for the fried chicken than admitting who my mother was, “Leanne Sétanta.”

“Oh, you must be her eldest boy. The one who is away at school. She’s so proud of you. Are you back to stay?” I wasn’t sure I really liked the idea of my mother taking pride in my accomplishments. She had nothing to do with me.

I shook my head. “No ma’am. I’m here for a year before I go back to New York. That’s my home.”

She nodded but frowned at the same time. “It’s good that you came for a short visit then.”

I didn’t want to tell her it wasn’t a visit, that I had no intentions of seeing my mother but this mission was the only reason I had to.

We chatted a little while about this that and everything else before she piled me into the van with three kids and a crying baby. I let one of the older kids sit in the back while I played with the kid in the rear facing car seat. It seemed to calm him and I could see the woman smiling. “You’d make a great dad.”

I smiled at her. “Some day.” I said. And it made me wonder if that someday was going to happen sooner rather than later, and how I’d react if that happened. I didn’t want to be a father right now, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t step up. I was having second thoughts… Could I leave my kid here in Colorado?

The lady drove me to Boulder HQ. She was a little dismayed at the fact that I didn’t want to go to the Hospital. I told her I’d drive myself. I didn’t want to impose anymore. She left me with more fried chicken than I would ever eat and started back up the mountain to her home.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

My mother went headlong through the crack in the wall that was the den of a were bear. I pulled my power around me, formed a fireball to hang ready in the air and weave of air ready to let loose or harden depending on the need. My mother looked back in the darkness and frowned, “Put that gun up and put away the magic, now is not the time to play.”

Fuck her. I wasn’t playing and she wasn’t going to eve know if I had done as she asked, I did however raise my gun. But the safety was still on. I didn’t use my gun unless I absolutely had to and the safety removal was as easy as a thought away, flicking air easy enough and faster than my thumb could actually do it in a tight spot.

Michaela waited at the entrance just in case the bear came back and wasn’t in the den. Being trapped inside was worse than sneaking up on it. My mother shouldn’t be taking point. Even Michaela had learned to trust me out in the field. My magic was a far better shield then any body. And much more so than my mother’s human one. But she wanted to go first, who was I to complain. Not the bigger man – that was for sure.

In the darkness, there was a rumble. The gun in front of me went off and there was a loud roar and then it wasn’t even a second later when my mother was screaming. Large teeth sank into her skin ripping her away from me. I heard bone crunchin and the tearing of flesh as the bear shook my mother. I threw the weave of air to knock it back. Fire now would be bad, my mother was still in it’s grasp and I didn’t want to shoot her either.

The collision of air and the bear made it let go of my mother in mid shake and she flew across the den to the entrance. I heard more bones crush on impact and she shrieked in pain. The bear was running full bore at me in the tight space and was on me in a second flat. The fireball coalesced just as it’s large claws raked across my chest leaving a burning sensation behind with the pain of laceration.

There was a giant roar as the bear fell away from me trying to put the fire out. It thrashed in the dirt of the den. But the fire wouldn’t be extinquished. It grew more as it burnt through the skin. The bear shreiked in pain and slowly it shifted back to a man and the howl he let lose was more than I could take. I flicked the safety on my gun and pointed it at the now reformed man and shot him in the head. The body collapsed to the ground and I let the fire go.

Michaela was tending to my mother. She looked up at me and nodded, “Burn the body. I got your mother. Nothing you can do to help here.”

I knew that. But I stared at her and the crumbled form of my mom. “We’ll get her to the Infirmary. But you have to finish the job. I’m going to go get the sled, we should have brought it all with us. Now I have to run back.”

I nodded and sat down on the fallen rock and set the fire again on the burnt corpse of a werebear. I blocked out the howls of pain from my mother. I could have used my magic to make a sled. I could have used my magic to carry my mother but she wouldn’t have let me. My magic touching her would have been the death of her even though I was only trying to save her life.

So instead I burnt the body. The fire was hot and I hadn’t heard my mother in a while. Michaela made it back just as I let the fire out and scattered the ash into the cave with a gust of wind.

Michaela checked my mother she was still breathing and had a pulse. “It’s erratic but it’s there. Come on let’s get her home.”

And that was what we did. Now that my mother was unconscious Michaela let me do my thing. I had my mother on the board, and was carrying her with the air instead of either of us tiring ourselves out with the added weight. We just had to push. Actually Micheala asked for a harness and she ran. I followed, but I lost her in her speed.

By the time I reached were the Jeep had been Michaela had left a note pinned to a tree trunk. “She’s getting worse. There is a cabin down the road, ask for a ride.”

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

We looked around the site where the last attack happened. There was still blood everywhere. They’d cleaned up the bodies and the equipment but there was just dirt covering the blood. They left it around and the animals would scavenge what it could before the scent faded away.

I could smell the coppery scent mixed in the damp dirt. Michaela’s nose was wrinkled she could smell the decaying scent as well. My mother was completely oblivious to the remaining scent. “I can’t smell anything else.” Michaela exclaimed.

“I know. But the bear was here. I can smell the forest underlying.”

Michaela laughed, “For being Minorem you sure have some unique talents.”

Leanne looked at me and frowned. “He’s not like you then?” She asked Michaela.

“He can’t keep up with me, but he can out see and smell and out hear me any day. I might almost say he was out healing me too except he gets sick. The common cold kicks his ass.” She joked.

But the truth of it was it did. She’d seen it in all it’s glory. And the stomach virus too. The bad thing about living with the Venatori – I didn’t have a great immune system. I was healthier than most Minorem who went out in the real world because I did go out in the real world. It’s one reason why I’m like the only half human hunter. They can’t be out in the real world without contracting some semi-deadly disease. But some Minorem get the full healing ability. But it’s rare.

“I can filter out the scent now. Figured out a new trick a bit back.”

Michaela looked at me with her head cocked to the side trying to put together what I’d just said. I hadn’t had that ability when we last hunted a bobcat. But I did now. She was trying to figure out what had happened between then and now. I gave my mentor a wry grin and wove the filters and set it to pull out the scent of just the were bear.

“This way.” I said as I found the trail.

My mother fell in behind Michaela. “He’s part bloodhound?”

Michaela chuckled, “Apparently. When I requested him I was surprised he was assigned me honestly. He’d excelled in city survival and barely just gotten passed the woodland survival.”

I interjected. “I barely passed because the instructor didn’t like me. He thought I was a know it all. And I was. I knew it all. I aced every exam and my group was back first.”

Michaela laughed. “I know. I spoke with Dae’lin Rivera personally about it. She reassured me that I was getting a kid who wouldn’t put me to shame. And short of our disagreements on topics I’ve not been disappointed.” She praised me with a touch of laughter in her voice. Her meaning was doubled edged and I couldn’t help but grin as I lead them through the forest.

“Nox, why didn’t he just give you a good grade then?”

I shrugged. “Because it’s objective. Did he demonstrate a keen sense of survival instinct?”

Michaela quoted the answer mocking the voice of a man who was full of himself. “No. He chooses to disobey direct orders and follow his own judgement even after having his opinion noted and the decision to go another route had been made. Resulting in the failure of his whole group.”

“So your whole group failed because of you?” Leanne asked almost as indignantly as Michaela’s voice had been mocking the instructors.

“No, they didn’t. Just me. Their time was excellent, their answers perfect, and their leadership ability paramount, all because I lead them over the rock face with limited rock climbing gear and my ability. Our team leader decided it was too dangerous and wanted to go around. And he did. He didn’t want me to use my ability on him. So we beat him back by two days by going over. We were waiting at the camp for him with no cuts, bruises or broken bones. While he has fallen down into a small ravine, busted his arm, and we had to reset it because it had healed wrong.”

“If it was reported as a failure how did Dae’lin Rivera know the truth?” Leanne asked, more of Mich than me.

I answered though. “Because Dae’lin knows me better than that. She never just looks at the grade. She looks at the reason behind it. I didn’t just pull straight A’s in school because of my good looks and knowledge. Dae’lin insured I got what I deserved. She always requested a copy of my scores, and the original copies of my work. It’s one reason Dae’lin isn’t pissed that I failed nearly every final before graduation.”

Leanne gasped, “Why did you do that? Surely they weren’t that hard.”

Michaela laughed, “Let me guess, you answered everything on the paper but didn’t write down any of the answers on the answer sheet.”

I nodded. “Pretty much.”

“Why?” Leanne protested much to my satisfaction.

“Because I didn’t want to be valedictorian and give a speech to a bunch of snot nosed brats who tortured me my whole life.” I said then glanced back at Michaela who was trying not to laugh, “No offense.”

“None taken.” She said. “So you figured out what grade you needed to drop to third?”

I nodded proud of myself. “Yeah.”

“Dae’lin had to be pissed at first seeing those grades.”

I shook my head. “Not really. She looked at how bad they were and then immediately went to my sheets. Every answer was perfect, every question answered. She asked Dorian if he knew anything about it while I was standing in the hallway watching them. Dorian peeked around her and shook his head then laughed. He told her why I’d done it. She dragged me into her office by my ear for the last time. Then she pulled the blinds shut and gave me a going away present.”

“Which was?” Michaela asked.

I held up Damnation. “This and Salvation.” I patted the knife on my hip. “She gave them names – said you will be the Salvation and Damnation of every creature out there.”

Michaela laughed. “I don’t think she really understood the words she spoke.”

“I think she did.”

I held up my hand and pointed. “I think we are getting close.”

At that my mother pushed past me. “I’ll take the lead.”

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

Both Michaela and my mother were outside with their gear in a matter of moments. I was in the back seat waiting with my ear buds in listening to calming music. My mother drove the Jeep while sat next to her. That was the extent of my knowledge of what they did after that until Michaela tapped my knee and I looked up at her and pulled my ear buds out turning off my music. “We are almost there. We need to plan.”

“We are we going?” I asked.

Michaela told the story of the last attack and how we were going to the location. Figuring we could track the bear to its den. It had to be with in walking distance.

I asked. “I thought we were tracking a werebear? It has a den?”

Leanne gave a curt laugh. “We are going after a rogue werebear. It thinks it’s a bear.”

“So how do you know it’s not a real rabid bear?”

The tone of voice my mother used was far from nice, it wasn’t the stern lecturer, it was condescending and insulting. “We tested the human victims for venom.”

“So you what sequestered them until they showed symptoms?”

“No.” Michaela frowned.

“Let me guess, you killed the human bitten by the bear?”

My mother shook her head. “He has so much to learn.” She glanced back at me then turned her eyes back to the road. “That is the law. To kill anyone who would reveal the existence of the supernatural world to other humans. Their blood work would no longer be normal. And what was I supposed to do take a woman in her 40’s into my care and then kill her when she turned and killed my kids?”

“You didn’t give her a chance. She was part of this world now. You don’t have the right to kill an innocent. She didn’t choose to become a were bear.”

She nodded. “All the more reason to end her misery.”

“Being a were isn’t a bad life.” I spluttered out.

“And how would you know?” She asked indignant.

“My best friends foster parents are were wolves. One of my therapists is a were wolf!”

There was a low rumble from my mother’s throat at she drove. She didn’t speak the rest of the car ride and neither did I. We didn’t formulate a plan. We sat in silence. Michaela fidgetted in her seat and I knew she was being bombarded with thoughts from both of us. I pulled my shields tight around me.

Michaela turned around and frowned, “You didn’t have to do that.”

I nodded. “Yes I did.”

“What did you have to do?” my mother asked.

Michaela answered for me. “Nothing, Leanne. He just kicked my seat is all.”

My mother turned her glare at me and when she turned back I really did kick her seat. My mother rose her voice. “That’s enough!”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever you say, Leanne.”

The car stopped and everyone was getting out. I grabbed my bag. My mother grabbed it from the other side of the Jeep. “You don’t need that. Just grab your weapon. We’ll be back before you know it.”

I was about to disagree but decided I was going to keep my mouth shut. I took Damnation and Salvation out of their places in my gear and strung the survival knife through my belt and then looped it through my jeans. I held my Beretta in my hand and we headed out without any other gear except that which we brought with us.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

I managed breakfast. I managed not to get sick. I even managed to talk to my mother for the first real time. Without my dad sitting across from her she actually paid attention to the things I said. She kept looking at Michaela then back at me, but I didn’t say anything and I wondered what Michaela had told her.

Jesse was off taking the boys to school. Rather taking them to the bus stop down the road. They went to a normal school. Were normal teenage boys – fully human but they knew about their mother’s hunting. When they were gone I asked, “How much do the boys know about what you do?” I quickly added. “I’m not judging, I’m just curious how much wiggle room I have.”

Leanne looked at me with a frown. “They know what you are. I never hid it from him, or Jesse.”

I dropped my gaze. I didn’t want my mother to see the hurt and anger that were likely flashing through my eyes. “So they know the monster that you believe me to be.” I stood up with little effort and walked out the door. I could have slammed it. I wanted to slam the door closed behind me. I wanted to rattle the windows and maybe even know a few of those precious pictures off the wall. But I didn’t. I just closed it behind me. I was the bigger person.

I readied the gear. We were going hiking in the cool October air. I hated October. I hated everything about it. It meant colder weather was on the way and this was the month that my mother started to hate me. Now here I was up in the same house, with her and her new family and where was I? Brooding in my own mind. I just wanted this over with.

The door opened and Michaela stood in the doorway pushing my mother in my direction. “Talk to him. He’s not going to hate you any less unless you tell him.” I heard her whisper.

I watched as my mother turned around and glared at the much younger woman. But I saw the sag in her shoulders and the triumph in Michaela’s eyes as my mother turned around and headed my direction.

I busied myself with checking the gear for a third time since I’d gotten out there.

By the time my mother said anything I was done repacking my gear bag.

“Nox,” my mother said quietly. “I don’t think you are a monster.”

I looked up and met her eyes. “You could have fooled me. Those are the words that I remember coming out of your mouth. I remember the fire extinguisher you threw at my head. I remember rather clearly the pointed finger, the yelling voice telling me to go to my room. I remember you packing a small bag of things for me and then grabbing me by the elbow and dragging me out of my bedroom. I barely had time to grab Mushu before you took me to the airport. Then you drugged me, and left me with a complete stranger after yelling at him for being late. Dorian told me that you gave him the wrong time. He showed me the itinerary years later cause he’s a paper hoarder like everyone in the Venatori. And then I never saw you, or heard from you again until I was 18 years old. And then you have the audacity to get on to me about the way my fucking brain is wired and how it’s all Dorian’s fault I like men.” I rolled my eyes. “Let’s just do this so I can get out of your hair and you can go back to your happy little life without me.”

Leanne listened to my rant. She didn’t interrupt and she didn’t say anything for a long while after I closed my mouth for the final word. She sighed. “I was afraid Nox. I’m still afraid. I watched as wolves killed my family. I watched them get torn apart. I was afraid you’d do the same thing.”

“I was your fucking son. You should have loved me. You should have helped me. Instead I got stuck with a fucking man who got into my head. He beat me every fucking day for a year in my head. There was no proof, no scars no harm done but what he did to me in my head. The control, I learned it through beatings I received every fucking day. And after that I beat myself at night. My own fucking power fueled by the same fucking nightmare in my head. And still no one believes that he did it. That he was the one or is the one still hurting me. Even if they did there is no fucking proof. So why the hell should I bother.”

I didn’t bother showing her my back, I expected Jesse had told her. I heard the small gasp of horror as I had told my story. And then when I was done she moved to step into me, her around out stretched, “Oh Nox.” The pity and sorrow in her voice made me angry.

I stepped away from her. “Don’t Oh, Nox me now. I don’t need a mother now. You don’t have that right to comfort me.”

I stepped away from her and slammed the Jeep’s gate closed. “Michaela are you ready to go?”

She sighed and nodded. “Yeah, let me grab my bag from inside.”

I turned to my mother. “Get your things, we are leaving now.”

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

I walked into the house and was about to turn around and walk back out because of the smell but Michaela was directly behind me and the twins were in their pj’s sitting around the island in the middle of the kitchen and were hopping of their stools, each taking my hand.

Michaela laughed, “He wants a shower and breakfast.”

“Shower first.” I added. Both of the boy’s faced fell so I added. “I’m all smelly and a little bit cold.”

Laker lead the way, pulling me by my hand. I knew my way around the house. It had only changed in decor but it was still laid out the same. I was holding back the bile that was rising in my stomach from the smell of cigarette smoke and patchouli oil. Not even the smell of bacon could make that hiden putrid smell wane. Rider walked down the hall and grabbed me a fresh white towel and handed it to me. “Shower’s right here.” Rider said as he opened the door to let me in.

Lake smiled, “You can sit in my spot for breakfast I’m done.”

“We’ll see when I’m done.” I said with a smile. “Thank you two.”

I went into the small bathroom and locked the door behind me and I bent over the toilet trying not to lose the contents of my stomach with dry heaves. I wove a sound proof barrier around the room so that my noises wouldn’t be heard. I didn’t want the boys to think I was ungrateful.

It was funny how that had changed. How I didn’t want to upset my brothers even though the sight of them had made me sick to my stomach. It wasn’t their fault. It wasn’t Jesse’s fault. It was my own. I had to man up. I had to grow up and be the bigger person. I had to forget the evil my mother did to me for the sake of her new family. Every bone in my body said I was the bigger person her. But I had to conquer my own fears. The fear of being unloved. The fear of never having been loved. I had to push it all aside.

I turned on the cold water and removed my clothes before jumping into the cold jets. I could do this. I could make the most of it. The cold water made quick work of my anxiety and I was hastily turning on the hot to temper the cold.

Before long I was clean and feeling much more like myself. Though I still knew it would be bad when I let my mind wander but for now I had a job to do, and I wasn’t going to let my past get in the way of it.

I opened the bathroom door letting the steam escape and found the smell of cigarette smoke and patchouli oil assaulting my nose. I wove a filter around me as close to the skin as possible. I adjusted it until I smelled bacon and only bacon. I’d never tried it before, but it had to be no different that any other weave I’d done. I figured it might come in handy when having to isolate a smell to track too. I made that mental note and sat down on a stool next to Rider, he was plating me eggs and bacon and a healthy pile of roasted apples. I didn’t want to tell him I couldn’t eat it. I thanked him and took a forkful of apples and stuffed them in my mouth. It wasn’t awful…

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)

It wasn’t chilly it was fucking cold as the night grew longer. But I didn’t feel the cold. My pocket of warm air and the roof made of air kept me dry and warm as I stared up in the darkness with my sleeping bag. I hadn’t done this in a few months, and was grateful as a child I’d never had an October survival class. I was one of the lucky ones.

I was in the worse place, at the worst time. Sleep was fitful. If I wasn’t dreaming about my nightmare I was dreaming about the night I sparked. It happened every year around this time. Halloween was not my favorite holiday. It was always tinged with hatred and sadness and full blown panic and anxiety attacks. Being here was only making it worse.

My mother was less than 20 yards from me. My mother had a family without me. That stung far worse than anything in the world. And she talked about me, was proud of me like she had any right to claim such feats. I wasn’t her son. She hated me. She threw me away.

The downward spiral had started the moment I’d started recognizing the area. And then the porch. But I couldn’t hate her family for my mother’s actions. Jesse was a nice guy. The boys were my brothers even if I didn’t like it. They were family. Much like Kai was my family and I hadn’t ever known.

4am came earlier than usual with my lack of sleep. I hadn’t even really had my nightmare true and simple. Sleep was fitful. But I got up and put away my things. I was in the middle of downward dog when the door opened. I looked through my legs and saw my mother sitting in the rocking chair watching me. But I didn’t let it bother me. I could feel the desire to drown in nothing welling up inside me. It was early this year. Not by much but there was only one time that my desire to die rose so high. I usually spent the nights leading up to in Sage’s basement drunk or high out of my mind just so I didn’t have to feel anything. Sage was a good host. And an even better friend. Why his parents put up with it I don’t know. I guess they understood more than most being werewolves and all. They probably smelled the anxiety that dripped off of me like toxic sludge.

I stayed in child pose at the end of my normal routine. I didn’t want to look up and see my mother watching me. But she didn’t say anything until Michaela came out. I heard and smelled her before she squatted down in front of me. “You hungry?”

“I could eat.” I mumbled.

“Do you need a shower?”

I sat up on my heels and looked at Michaela then over at my mom. “I have to go into the house don’t I?

She nodded. “And that’s where breakfast will be.”

I took a deep breathe and nodded. “Alright. But if I can’t do it I’m leaving.”

“Leanne understands.” Michaela said as she headed back to the house and sat down beside my mother. Now both women we staring at me.

• Your Father (2/10/2018)
• 3rd Highest GPA (2/11/2018)
• From Adept to Master (2/12/2018)
• Kai Viddens (2/13/2018)
• Getting Ready (2/14/2018)
• My Mother (2/15/2018)
• Dinner at Lenard’s (2/16/2018)
• The Long Walk (2/17/2018)
• Wolf Pack (2/18/2018)
• Not Watching (2/19/2018)
• Watchers (2/20/2018)
• Going Home (2/20/2018)
• Bedtime & Nightmares (2/21/2018)
• Waiting (2/22/2018)
• Sacrificial Rites (2/23/2018)
• Vision Quest (2/24/2018)
• Facing Fears (2/25/2018)
• Assignment (2/26/2018)
• Survival (2/27/2018)
• Dreams (2/28/2018)
• Pre-Flight Flirting (3/1/2018)
• I Hate Flying (3/2/2018)
• Cleaning Up (3/3/2018)
• Landing (3/4/2018)
• Distracting (3/5/2018)
• Hotel Room (3/6/2018)
• Good-Byes (3/7/2018)
• I’m Late (3/8/2018)
• Meeting Michaela (3/9/2018)
• The First Envelope (3/10/2018)
• Whys (3/11/2018)
• Dumpy Hotel (3/12/2018)
• Anxiety (3/13/2018)
• Therapy on the Road (3/14/2018)
• Routine (3/15/2018)
• Ralph Wood (3/16/2018)
• Thoughts (3/17/2018)
• Victims (3/18/2018)
• Mr. Foster (3/19/2018)
• Following Flint (3/20/2018)
• The Sound in the Woods (3/21/2018)
• Horror Shows (3/22/2018)
• My Punishment (3/22/2018)
• Catching Up (3/23/2018)
• Man In My Dreams (3/24/2018)
• And In the Darkness (3/25/2018)
• Dark Delights (3/26/2018)
• The Phone Call (3/27/2018)
• Starting A Family (3/28/2018)
• New Family (3/29/2018)
• Apple Pie (3/30/2018)
• My Brothers (3/31/2018)
• Under the Stars (4/1/2018)
• Resolution (4/2/2018)
• Not the Bigger Man (4/3/2018)
• Into the Woods (4/4/2018)
• Tracking the Bear (4/5/2018)
• Crack in the Wall (4/6/2018)
• The Nice Lady (4/7/2018)
• Family (4/8/2018)
• The Sharp Descent (4/9/2018)
• Save Me (4/10/2018)
• Under the Floor Boards (4/11/2018)
• Best Time Ever (4/12/2018)
• Trip to the City (4/13/2018)
• The Crime (4/14/2018)
• Tracking the Dragon (4/15/2018)
• Killing Time (4/16/2018)
• Dragon’s Fire (4/17/2018)
• Waking Up (4/18/2018)
• Walking Around (4/19/2018)
• Dreaming (4/20/2018)
• The Last Envelope (4/21/2018)
• Good-byes (4/22/2018)
• Driving is Boring (4/23/2018)
• Dire Stakes (4/24/2018)
• To Alexandria (4/25/2018)
• Moving On (4/26/2018)
• The Joy of Power (4/26/2018)
• Frozen (4/27/2018)
• The Kiss of a Vampire (4/27/2018)
• Confessions (4/28/2018)
• The Estate (4/29/2018)
• How It’s Always Been (4/30/2018)
• Unexpected Stop (5/1/2018)
• Along the Way (5/2/2018)
• Oma and Ophelia (5/3/2018)
• Car Troubles (5/4/2018)
• Getting Ready (5/5/2018)
• Family Matters (5/6/2018)
• Crash and Burn (5/7/2018)
• Birthday Visitors (5/8/2018)
• Belated Birthday Dinner (5/8/2018)
• Engagement (5/9/2018)
• Going Out (5/10/2018)
• Vampire Den (5/11/2018)
• Comfortably Numb (5/12/2018)
• Therapy (5/13/2018)
• The Pretty Boy (Alex) (8/30/2018)
• Dad’s Journal (Alex) (8/31/2018)