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LYKOS

Third Age

Chapter 19

(Waiting in the Wings)

All effort at hiding in plain sight had been set aside in the wake of the attack on Curtis. Marco felt an incalculable weight as he moved down the hallway of the Clearwater Clinic. The facility itself was no stranger to either comatose patients or the supernatural. A werewolf long thought dead had been nursed to health in these very same walls and an unused annex building had acted as a staging ground for the group after Futurza attacked the box canyon. Marco ran his hand along the wood molding, feeling the warmth of the embedded light strips that cast illumination up and down the walls from the center.

As he approached Curtis' room, he sniffed a bit, smelling... nature. Turning the corner into Curtis' room, he was nearly bowled over by how unusual the space looked as far as a clinic went. There were two beds in the room with Curtis on the right side of the room and Thackary on the left. The blinds had been adjusted so slits of light fell across Curtis and a night stand of plants set by his head. The sill had been covered as well as a cabinet counter. The plants were lush and full with leaves, vines and other protuberances draping over the edge of their pots. Thackary's side of the room looked naked in contrast, undecorated aside from a dialysis machine filtering his blood.

"We thought they would want to be together..." Doctor Woods said from behind Marco. Marco nearly jumped before stepping into the room, making way. The doctor stepped the rest of the way in, looking as tired as Marco felt. The doctor released the door shut until it clicked, giving them some privacy.

"You brought them right here?" Marco asked. Woods nodded, reaching up to run a hand through his gray streaked hair.

"And their case files are sealed. Ren thought it best given the fact that we're not sure who to trust. Few were given information on where Curtis would be and the time between the cafe attack and the attack in the woods was quite short. Even if Thackary had been forced to give up Curtis's location, I'm not sure... Well, I'm not sure about anything." Woods admitted. Marco looked at the Keeper and the Cernos, each one incapacitated.

"The pack is at the station, pulling footage from the cafe. I just had to see them, to check on them." Marco said, looking up at Woods, "What... is the prognosis?" he asked. Woods held his jaw in a grim set as he considered for a moment.

"Thackary should eventually be alright, although there is some risk of organ damage that could cause complications. It'll be a slow recovery though unless Ren is able to provide some healing techniques I don't have access to. Curtis, though, is the mystery. He keeps failing the tests for being a therianthrope but he is managing to interact with these plants and you said he used the plant life to sort of cocoon himself in the woods?" The doctor asked. Marco nodded.

"We thought it was a defense mechanism, or maybe some method to hold on a little longer." Marco said, not speaking out loud that Duncan had been worried it was an act of Curtis making his own funeral mound.

"Every time the plants are tended, his vitals get a little stronger. He's connected to them. We don't know enough about the Cernos to be sure. I've been focused on werewolves my whole career, just a kitsune here or there. I didn't know about all these other therianthropes." Woods replied. Marco reached up to rest a hand on the doctor's shoulder, feeling the physician's weariness as he touched him. Marco gave him a reassuring smile.

"You've helped us all over the years, and part of medicine is taking theories and doing the best you can with them. I think that Curtis held on to a seed of what it was to be a Cernos, and that he's going to heal and get better. I don't think it's just the plants either, I think he's connected to Thackary too. You're right where you need to be, protecting life." Marco said. Doctor Woods gave a bit of a satisfied grunt at that.

"No wonder they still call you Alpha. You're right where you need to be, protecting life." Doctor Woods said. Marco felt that heavy weight on his shoulders lifting, both he and the doctor feeling a little less tired. Maybe perseverance really could provide strength.

****

Rayne Fletcher had spent a good part of his life staring at screens, but it had never felt as intense as it did right then. His caramel colored eyes drank in the grainy, blanched footage from the Echo Creek Coffee Shop. The cameras were several years out of date, remaining just good enough to roll back for quick change artists and petty pickpockets. One camera swept inward and showed the cash register and the counter while another swept outwards, showing the entrance. The small brick room in the police station had been designed for a few officers at a time and was unable to accommodate the entire pack. Ren, Fletcher, Udo and Auel had crammed themselves into the small space, each of them studying one of the screens.

The footage was rolling forward from a few minutes before closing time, a time marker the officers had placed when they were reviewing the footage for their own reports. Ren's presence, along with her advisors, was at the request of the mayor for awesome 'outside perspectives' in assisting with the quick identification of suspects. The four of them watched with grim determination as the coffee shop was closed up and Thackary started to clean up rapidly.

"It's strange to see it locked up so soon after sunset." Auel said. Udo tilted his head at that.

"Did he lock it? Can we go back? Zoom in and enhance?" Udo asked. Fletcher shook his head.

"We can go back, but the rest of that is CSI fiction." Fletcher said. He ran his finger over the control and the footage jumped back about a minute. Thackaary escorted the last patrons out of the coffee shop, turned the sign around and then turned both the upper and lower locks. It was pixelated, but his hands did go to the right positions for both.

"No signs of forced entry." Auel muttered, more for his own benefit than theirs. They watched Thackary clean for several more moments before the door to the coffee shop opened itself, defying the fact that all of them had seen it locked mere minutes prior. The register camera showed a male figure with long black hair enter, striding confidently up to Thackary. All four of their eyes darted to the second screen, looking at the face of the person that had entered. The black and white footage only amplified the pale skin the young man had, sharpening the contrast of his dark clothing and eye shadow.

"Zane..." Udo whispered in recognition.

"Who is he?" Auel asked.

"A vampire from our supernatural support group, kind of prickly." Fletcher said.

"More than prickly, he's an ass." Udo murmured. Ren reached down and brought the footage back to when he entered, studying it in more detail.

"The door was unlocked before he got there." Ren commented, the other young men quieting down and watching. Zane entered the coffee shop and as soon as Thackary turned around to face him, his body went slack. The two stood there for a long moment, Zane talking to Thackary before the keeper started moving around the coffee shop, collecting his own poisons and mixing them before he drank the concoction. Seemingly satisfied with his work, Zane departed the coffee shop. After a few moments passed, Thackary came too and started frantically looking for his antidote. As the Keeper collapsed, he used his magic to send out the beacon, causing the camera to flicker into static before eventually righting itself.

"I thought vampires didn't have a reflection." Auel commented after the silence had lingered for a while.

"Are reflections different from recordings?" Udo added.

"It's gotta be at will or a myth, think of how many times we appear on cameras these days, how many reflective surfaces there are." Fletcher said. Udo crossed his arms.

"Either that, or he's just not that good at it." Udo murmured. Ren ran the footage back to when Zane was standing before Thackary, planting the instructions that would lead the Keeper to try and assassinate himself.

"Or we saw exactly what we were meant to see." Ren said, holding her hand out to the two screens, "The coffee shop is hardly unique. Every store in Echo Creek has security cameras. It's a college town. Theft will never be zero. He could have found a way for Thackary to come to the door, or to wait until he left."

"Unless there are limits to the hypnotism. I know if I leave my nice warm dorm and step out into the snow, I suddenly remember everything I forgot back inside." Fletcher mused.

"What do your books say about hypnotism?" Auel asked Ren. Ren slowly leaned back in her chair.

"Clearly not enough. There are chapters on werewolf pheromones and the influence of an Alpha on their betas, but I've got scraps and riddles about vampires." Ren said. She took a long, reluctant breath, "We may need to do some research with an expert on the subject." Ren said. Udo tensed a bit at that, lowering his arms.

"If Thackary was driven by suggestion to poison himself, what if your expert is in on it? Whoever we send in could be marching directly into harm's way. The entire exchange could be wiped from our memories, or reinterpreted with some subconscious suggestion." Udo warned.

"Then we need some insurance and some evidence." Fletcher said, "I'm sure we could whip up something to record it all." Fletcher said.

"And for insurance, we load up on garlic chicken before talking to them?" Auel asked.

"Oh that sounds so good..." Fletcher murmured. Udo hit him in the shoulder, making him wince.

"I believe we've left our vampire associates in the wings for far too long." Ren murmured.

****

Silver clouds drifted like gossamer across the blue velvet sky, illuminated by the waning moon. There was just enough light out to make the rich, warm red wood that covered the heritage museum look like blood. The gravel crunched beneath feet as they trudged up the path. The cloaked and hooded figure stopped while the smaller figure reached out, rapping on the door. After a moment the door opened to reveal a young man in his early twenties, his straight black hair pulled back into a sharp ponytail, almond eyes looking out. Atsu smiled from beneath the hood while Tychon had a more subdued, reserved look.

"I believe... I was invited?" Atsu offered.

"Yes, of course, please come in." Riku said. With the invitation made, Atsu stepped inside and looked around, his eyes fading from red to brown. He inhaled slowly, filling his lungs with the aroma of history. Old books, photographs, antiques... but all of it had been so lovingly and painstakingly maintained.

"May I take your coat?" Riku asked. Atsu gave a nod and shrugged out of it, revealing a black silk shirt and sand colored pants, leather sandals protecting his feet despite the cool air outside. Tychon had worn a black button up shirt and black slacks, looking more like a waiter than a personal assistant.

"Were you one of the shield bearers during the full moon?" Atsu asked. Riku hesitated slightly.

"I was with the campus pack, yes." Riku commented.

"Very fine work; I was most impressed by your shield." Atsu commented.

"I do hope tonight's accommodations are more comfortable." Ren said from where she stood. Atsu looked up at her, practically beaming, although the corners of his lips turned into an even sharper smile, noticing that she had forgone her typical red garments in favor of black and gold. The blossoms printed on the fabric were more than just unusual. They were mythical.

"Lotus blossoms?" he asked, an eyebrow arching. Ren smiled.

"You really have seen everything in your time, haven't you?" Ren asked. Atsu clucked, clicking his tongue against his teeth.

"No, not everything, for then life would have no more meaning. But that? Oh yes, though it's been some time." he admitted. Riku hung the vampire's coat up on a hook near the door.

"I've prepared some tea for you, a local blend." Ren offered.

"I would be most eager to sample it." Atsu said. Ren gestured into her study, the entrance revealed from what would have been a fairly sturdy looking bookcase that had retracted into the wall. The four traveled down the hallway and into Ren's study, though Atsu's nostrils flared slightly as they approached, a slight grin growing across his lips.

"And we have another esteemed guest?" Atsu asked.

"Marco Iona will be joining us, yes." Ren said. Atsu put on a mock pout.

"And here I thought we'd have the evening to ourselves." Atsu demurred.

"You brought your familiar; I suppose I brought my own." Ren said. Tychon shifted a little uncomfortably at that but said nothing, knowing his master liked to flirt.

The study itself was filled with the same warm, rich red wood that the exterior was. The shelves, desk, chairs and carved molding all had been forged out of the same trees. They had been stained and lacquered for posterity. Marco stood as they entered, looking a bit thinner than he had during the full moon. Atsu never quite got over how flexible the Tanuki were with their presentation.

Tychon pulled Atsu's chair out for him and slipped it back in as the vampire lowered himself. Marco settled back down and Ren took her own seat. Tychon remained standing, his dreadlocks brushing across his fair shoulders.

"If not an interlude, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Atsu asked, getting down to business.

"Our last outing was interrupted by rather unfortunate events... and it left me wanting... more." Ren said. Marco nearly choked at that, clearing his throat and adjusting his posture. He'd never quite heard Ren speak with such innuendo. The words only seemed to please Atsu more, fuel to let his grin grow larger.

"Go on." he all but purred. Ren smiled gently, lifting the tea pot to start filling the cups that had been set out.

"History has been my business, lore my passion. I live in a museum, I instruct others in the ways of the werewolf. I know so much about my corner of the world, but so little about the rest. How much of vampiric lore is fiction? How much is truth?" Ren asked. Atsu lifted his tea cup, holding it aloft, letting the warm herbal scent fill his nose.

"Could you break down the entire history of werewolves in a single evening?" Atsu asked. Ren shook her head.

"No, but I could give you the highlights. King Lycaon, the origin of the werewolves." Ren said.

"Nyctimus." Marco commented without thinking, sipping his tea.

"Master..." Tychon murmured. Atsu held up a hand.

"It is only natural for our allies to want to know about my kind. I am a new variable, a change to a system that has been very stable." Atsu said.

"That may be, but they are the ones that outed themselves. You do not have to take the same risks." Tychon said. Atsu said with a diminished but determined voice.

"You must forgive Tychon, he has been my protector for many, many years." Atsu said. Ren nodded at that.

"Just how many years?" Marco asked. Atsu's lips compressed slightly before he sipped his tea. When he lowered his cup again, he looked at Ren.

"Do you believe that I am responsible for the attack on the students?" he asked. This time it was Ren's eyebrow that arched.

"Unless you have the ability to be in two places at once, you were with me during the last attacks. As you said, it is natural to be curious about our allies." Ren said. Atsu seemed mollified and his smile began to return gently.

"Perhaps you are right. I may have to spend some years writing everything down at some point... A vampire diary, if you will." Atsu smirked, taking another sip of tea, "There are many legends that point to the origin of the vampires, but none of them are true." Atsu replied. Marco's face scrunched up at that.

"Are you saying that vampires have just always been here?" Marco asked. Atsu shook his head.

"No, no my dear boy. Merely that their story is not one that the humans have discovered. Like the Lykos, my kind were reborn out of a curse for defying the limits of humanity and testing the wrath of the gods themselves. We were born out of Egypt, of the god Osiris. The first many vampires were truly immortal, forced to live out their curse or die ignominious deaths. They sired others, who in turn sired others. The bloodlines, if you'll forgive the term, diluted. Most vampires turned these days will live two, three hundred years if they do not fall afoul of hunters or the rays of the sun." Atsu said.

"So that part is real? The light of day and..." Marco trailed off.

"Modern vampires are more... sensitive... than the elders." Tychon supplied reluctantly.

"There was a similar change to a branch of the werewolves." Ren supplied, "The direwolves were mindless, feral beasts that tore their way out of their human hosts in a churning sieve of life and death. When the spirit of one of the founding werewolves tried to reassert himself, the division between werewolves and direwolves disintegrated into a sliding spectrum. There's no clear delineation anymore." Ren added. Atsu smiled. He had been quite aware of how the werewolves had changed after the blood moon eclipse, but it was sweet of Ren to be trying to offer information back and to find a way to relate to the stories.

"Can vampires hypnotize others?" Marco asked. Atsu looked up at that, running his tongue over his teeth in thought.

"Some can, yes. It takes a certain natural talent, practice, and it doesn't always work." Atsu said. Marco set his cup down, crossing his arms over his chest.

"If it does work, can you make them do anything you want?" he asked.

"To link with another's mind is an intimate exchange, one that works in both directions. It leaves one vulnerable to everything trapped behind the eyes of the other. A vampire forced to hunt for food would rather catch a victim completely off guard or seduce them into complicity than to reach into their mind to still them. To feed on a victim in that state would shred what little soul we have left to tatters." Atsu explained. The answer hung in the air for a long moment, the idea of it running through their minds. Ren eventually leaned back in her chair.

"Tychon, have you seen the museum before?" Ren asked. Tychon shook his head.

"We have not." Tychon replied.

"Riku, Marco, why don't you show our guest around?" Ren offered. Marco stood up. Tychon shook his head.

"With all due respect, my place is with my master." he said.

"You got a little time off at the party, didn't you?" Marco asked.

"It would be a good learning opportunity, I think, and it would give me some time with miss Sekimori." Atsu said, smiling again. Marco could almost feel the discontent radiating off of the vampire's familiar but he moved to follow Riku out of the room. Marco followed after, closing in behind. Atsu merely sipped his tea, waiting for them to leave earshot.

"Finally an excuse to have me all to yourself." Atsu whispered, still smiling.

"You are kind to indulge me as much as you have, both here and during the full moon." Ren said. Atsu's smile shifted, looking more like a crack in the mask that betrayed a deeper vulnerability.

"After so many years of lying about who I am, where I came from... it can be rejuvenating to tell the truth." Atsu admitted.

"Then if you'll indulge me further?" Ren asked. Atsu raised his cup.

"Please." he smiled. Ren adjusted her posture slightly.

"Vampires are not the only species that can hypnotize." Ren said.

"That's a statement, not a question." he commented.

"Can Naga?" she asked. Atsu considered.

"Some can, though it is far less common." Atsu said, sensing why Ren had disinvited Tychon from the room. His own posture changed as well, his guard rising slightly.

"Do they have the same limitations? Does hypnotizing someone and attacking them put their well being at risk?" Ren asked.

"I believe so, yes, though I have not met many Naga. I hope that you're not implying that Tychon had anything to do with these unfortunate events." Atsu said.

"There are many things we don't understand right now... We do know that one of the recent victims was hypnotized, forced to poison himself." Ren said. Atsu blanched at that.

"I had not heard of this..." Atsu said.

"It was almost at the same time as the attack on another student. We had to understand more about how the mind control worked." Ren said. Atsu shook his head gently.

"But you could have asked that with Tychon in the room." Atsu replied, "You still suspect him."

"At this point, there is very little we can rule out. You were with me during the full moon, he was not. One of my students became a naga after attending your party at the Mill. Naga, at least some of them, have the ability to manipulate minds. My keepers have been investigating all of our students, alumni, faculty... We've been trying to get to the bottom of these murders and attacks. We can't afford to rule anyone out." Ren explained. Atsu shook his head again, this time more demonstrably.

"I can vouch for Tychon. He has been with me nearly every moment of every night, working himself ill for my needs. Just recently I had to watch over him as he recovered from a fatigue so bad he was listless. He is committed only to me and my safety," Atsu said with true conviction. Ren looked into his eyes, slipping into the dark irises and the soul behind them, weighing him again just as she had before.

"And there's no way he could have bent your mind?" Ren asked. Atsu scoffed at that.

"Even if Tychon had such abilities, I am one of the eldest vampires in the world. No Naga or vampire could sway me." he replied. Ren didn't divert her gaze.

"What about a younger vampire?" she asked. Atsu looked back at her with less certainty at that comment. He tried to puzzle together the outline of what she'd been building all evening.

"The person who was poisoned, you know who hypnotized him already... But you know he is not the one that hurt the others?" Atsu asked. Ren shook her head.

"If we knew that for sure, we'd be having a very different conversation. I needed to know what to expect before we question him and try to determine what really happened." Ren said. Atsu set his teacup down.

"If this vampire truly reached into someone's mind and forced him to poison himself, he's already wounded... and a wounded animal is a dangerous one. You cannot question him alone, not without suitable protection." Atsu said, standing back up, "I will go with you."

"I can't let you do that for a dozen reasons, but I can let you teach me how to protect myself." Ren said. Atsu's lips compressed again at that.

"If that is all I am permitted to do, then that is what I will do." Atsu said with commitment. Ren smiled at that, feeling as if she was finally gaining ground.

****

Eyes as dark as storm clouds regarded the photographs framed and mounted in the display, showing the living conditions of those displaced to the Kooskia internment camp. If the eyes were the window to one's soul, their shutters seemed to be an indeterminate shade between a deep gray with flecks of brown so dark they were nearly black. Tychon was still, his brow slightly furrowed, his expression distant. Marco had remained a close distance behind, but when the vampire's familiar finally spoke it was with so little movement that it nearly startled the tanuki.

"It is honestly a miracle that the werewolves made it this long without being discovered by the larger world." Tychon commented. The faint British accent in his voice was a little more pronounced than it had been at the party. While not nearly as strong as Atsu's accent, it was a thread they shared in common.

"Part of that may have been by design. We learned a few months ago that the curse of lycanthropy worked to keep itself hidden. Attempts to unravel its secrets led to inexplicable accidents and dangers to the people and systems working on it." Marco said. Tychon's eyebrow arched at that as he reached to brush several of his long locks back over his shoulder.

"Truly?" he asked. Marco nodded simply. Tychon looked back at the photographs before them as if weighing it in counterbalance.

"It is strange how similar the species are in form, and yet each origin is unique. Each function we possess is different." Tychon said.

"Like hypnosis?" Marco asked, watching Tychon for any reaction or over-correction he might make. Instead he returned the same subtle nod Marco had moments before.

"Hypnosis, perception manipulation, shields and shrouds... and yet none of it quite enough. I have heard stories of what you went through. I would say that I cannot even begin to imagine, but these glimpses of history tell a similar story." Tychon said.

"Have the naga ever been persecuted or hunted?" Marco asked.

"On an individual basis, here and there. My ancestors were the stuff of legends and fairytales, inspiring myths. In recent times we have been more secluded, hidden away from the ignorance and wrath of the humans." Tychon commented.

"Do you not consider yourself human?" Marco asked. Tychon gave the taller man a pitiable smile.

"Do you count yourself among their number still after they caged you and experimented on you? After they engineered fearsome new weapons to target you?" he asked, his words sharp for a moment before he seemed to try and pull it back in, "And now that you have an ancient magic coursing through your veins, one that can shape reality around you?" Tychon all but whispered, the small, sad smile coming back across his lips, "If there is an end to suffering, it is with our kind... not theirs."

"I'd like to see a world where there is an end to suffering, but our kind are still learning the lessons that ancient crimes forced us to learn. There is a weight that all who live must carry and grow from." Marco replied. Tychon turned his head to face Marco more fully, his movement sinuous and yet holding back a pressure behind his restraint.

"The hope of a young heart is a comforting flame. I hope it burns bright for all of your days." Tychon said before he turned back, walking down the aisle to examine more of the museum. The colorful words hinted at a soul weathered by time, but Marco couldn't help but feel a slight edge that remained.

****

A coy smile played across Dathan's lips as he walked through the foreign language building, the tread of his new shoes gripping the khaki colored carpet easily as sonorous music painted a soundscape between his ears. He absolutely adored his new headphones, the arch curved back and dipping along the edge of his burst fade hair to leave his curls and coils untouched on top. There was a sparkle in his callalily brown eyes, especially as he brought up his canteen and sucked from the straw. The iron rich content brought a sharp tang to his tongue as he sipped on it, thankful for the generous blood donations the hospital received for just such a purpose. The mask of joy started to crack, however, as his thoughts returned to Curtis's condition.

Before Dathan could sink into the depression over what had happened to his friends, he noticed a foreign element in the building that he had not expected. Even the most studious of the sun dwellers were usually out of the building by sunset, so the shock of light blond hair and pale skin set off red flags to the young vampire. He reached up, pulling his headphones away from his ears, letting them rest around his neck. The bass tickled his throat as the music continued to play away unhindered.

"Udo, what are you doing here?" Dathan asked, coming to a stop. Udo looked both relieved and still concerned.

"I sent you a few texts, I'm glad I found you here." Udo said. Dathan's reddish brown eyebrow furrowed.

"I have my phone on do not disturb, I'm in classes." he said, fishing more with his tone than his word. Udo was used to delivering bad news to his own pack, it was harder going outside the circle.

"I wanted to make sure I got you before you went back to your room." Udo said. Dathan's smile, what little of it was left, evaporated.

"Is it Zane? What did he do? He didn't try to hit on you again, right?" Dathan asked. Udo's face was more somber.

"He's... in trouble. They're going to bring him in for questioning. I just wanted to make sure you weren't around when they go to get him." Udo said. Dathan's posture shifted, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"Questioning? Like the police? When are they picking him up?" Dathan asked with concern. Udo met eyes with Dathan.

"Right now."

****

Gentle knocks rapped at dorm doors, ushering forth tired students to come face to face with Marco, Duncan or Artyom. They discussed in hushed tones that the students needed to remain in their rooms or to exit via the east stairwell. Fletcher, Riku, Simon and two other keepers were moving along behind a pair of police officers, pausing every so often to trace chalk lines onto the cinder block walls before continuing again. That left Ren and Marco to approach Zane's dorm room. They had taken every precaution they could, even placing a pair of keepers in the rooms on either side to try and shield the window to prevent escape by flight.

The officers came up behind the two, one of them sniffing the air as a golden tinge colored his eyes for a moment before fading back to brown. Marco looked at Ren. When Ren nodded, Marco brought his hand to knock on the door. The impact of his knuckle against the wood sent the door ajar, letting it slowly curve in to reveal a maelstrom of chaos. The clutter was immediately apparent, drawing the eye. Every folder, every notebook, every textbook had been torn asunder, leaving scraps of paper across everything. Clothing had been tossed haphazardly, strung across overturned desk chairs. The mattress had been pushed up off the bed frame, standing upright against the wall. Their suspect, Zane, sat in the center of the floor, rocking back and forth, wearing only a pair of torn shorts. This was not part of the plan.

"Zane?" Marco called into the room. There was no answer, at least not directly. Ren could hear the vampire muttering to himself. Marco took a breath. He felt more comfort from knowing Fletcher and Riku were right behind them. "Zane, I'm coming in." Marco said before he entered slowly. Mindful of the papers, he traced a route in a semicircle around Zane, moving into his field of vision. Ren's muscles tightened as she watched Marco's face betray his dismay. Marco looked at the man that had been so proud and defiant, seeing dark circles under his eyes worthy of a Tanuki. His left eye was a bright blood red while the right eye was an inky dark black. His bottom lip looked raw and roughed up, his fangs grazing across the skin until it was ragged. Marco slowly crouched down in front of Zane, looking at him.

"Zane... What do you remember?" Marco asked gently, knowing nothing he said in this state would actually be admissible evidence.

"I... I remember..." Zane said, his voice almost hoarse, "I don't remember." he said, his brows furrowing in pained concentration.

"The coffee shop?" Marco asked. Zane looked up at that, his red eye dilating.

"I remember cleaning up, getting ready for..." Zane murmured and then stopped, his face showing how the puzzle pieces weren't right, "No, I went to the coffee shop, I had to do something..." Zane said, tracing claws back and forth across the carpet, slowly fraying the utilitarian textile. In the doorway, Ren felt Fletcher's hand resting on her shoulder.

"This must be what Atsu meant. Zane connected to Thackary, to plant the idea to destroy himself." Ren said with the faintest of voices. Fletcher's eyes widened.

"And it rebounded? He went to destroy himself?" Fletch asked.

"He said he was cleaning up. That was what Thackary was doing before he came in. He's got pieces of his victim rattling around in there." Ren said.

"Zane, what were you doing before the coffee shop?" Marco asked. Zane continued to rock back and forth, though his brow furrowed as he tried to recall. He chewed his bottom lip and clawed the floor. Marco gave him time to think, but as he looked around the chaos of the room, he noticed that the torn up paper wasn't quite as random as he'd thought. Sure, there were pages of notebook paper and textbooks everywhere, but each pile had a red piece on top. Some of them were section dividers, others were pictures that were mostly red. Red meant a lot of things, but there was something that was jumping out at him. Marco started racking his own mind to recall. What red paper surprised him?

"The invitations to the party..." Marco said. Zane looked up suddenly at that, his lips twisting into obscene shapes. He reached out, putting one hand on Marco's shoulder.

"I have to bring them together, I have to bring them together inside..." Zane said. Marco swallowed carefully, reaching to put his own hand on Zane's shoulder in counterbalance.

"What do you have to bring together, Zane?" Marco asked. The vampire's face started to look confused again. "No, not Zane..." he whispered, "Another fragment... What do you have to bring together inside?" Marco asked. Zane's face tightened even more, straining so hard that crinkles were forming next to his eyes, a furrow creasing the center of his forehead. Marco decided to try one more variable, "Who do you have to bring together inside?" he asked. Zane's hand tightened, his claws threatening to cut into Marco's skin.

"I have to bring them together inside me, all the notes of the cosmic harmony, all the otherkin..." Zane said. Marco exhaled slowly. The revelation that there were other species of beings that could transform had been an earth shattering event, but there had been several phrases used to describe them. The campus support group preferred therianthropes to classify them, but Marco knew that Atsu, and by extension Tychon, called them otherkin.

"We need to go back once we take Zane into custody." Marco said to Ren. Marco tried to extract himself, but as he pulled back, Zane's grip tightened. The claws that had been testing the pliability of his skin managed to break the integrity and cut through. The faintest aroma of blood filled the air. Zane's black eye turned red, his muscles tightened for a split second before he lunged. The movement was too fast for human eyes to see and Zane had sunk his fangs into Marco's neck. There was a tingling throb as his flesh was penetrated, some sort of catalyst acting as a blood thinner to enable it to coarse into Zane's mouth.

The air snapped with concussive forces as several different kinds of magic went off at once. Marco felt Zane's body stiffen for half a second before he went limp like a rag doll, losing every motor function he had and sinking into a limp, undignified heap. Ren and Fletcher rushed in, Fletcher supporting the weight of Zane's head as Ren slowly extracted the fangs from Marco's neck. Marco winced and hissed a bit, scooting back when he'd been cleared of the natural weapons. A deep, reverberating growl came from behind the officers, the two parting to reveal Artyom. His eyes were a furious gold, claws emerging from his fingertips.

"Next time we need to negotiate with a monster, I'm going in." Yom said.

"That sort of defeats the point of negotiating. You would have just asked if he did it." Fletcher said. The officers moved in to check Zane, bringing out their radios to call in for a body board to be brought up.

"What's wrong with the direct approach?" Yom asked, moving into the room to crouch down and examine Marco's neck. Ren had already reached into her pocket, extracting a vial of some extract and a cloth, dobbing it onto the bite marks.

"What would you have done if he said he didn't do it?" Fletcher asked.

"I would have called him the liar that he is." Yom said. Marco held up a hand, wincing at the burning sensation Ren's treatment was providing.

"He isn't the one. Someone forced him to attack Thackary because they knew doing so would destroy him. You're sure that he wouldn't do this?" Marco asked Ren, implying Atsu without saying his name out loud next to Zane. Ren didn't meet eyes with Marco, though he could tell she was replaying everything in her mind. When she'd finished cataloging past events, she did look directly at him.

"I really don't think so, even if the person doing this can compel others to take on part of the mission. I just... I have nothing to base it on." Ren said. Marco smiled a little, reaching up to hold the cloth to his neck as a paramedic came in, assembling the body board and helping the officers transfer Zane onto it.

"I trust your instincts, but if they are right that means that the person behind this is willing to not just maim and kill, but to destroy someone else's psyche just to act as a distraction." Marco said, waving away the paramedic as he came to inspect him. The paramedic grimaced a bit but rejoined the officers, carrying Zane out of the dorm room. Fletcher waited until they had disappeared down the hallway before he looked back.

"Is anyone else worried about the part about bringing all the otherkin inside?" he asked.

"I mean we never really talked about our theory behind the attacks, did we? I thought it was some sort of hunt or some way to defile the different therianthropes. Can someone... collect the abilities?" Marco asked. Ren said nothing, the gears turning in her head once more.

"I don't know." she said softly, rising back to her feet, stepping out of the way. Yom looped one arm under Marco's and easily hoisted him up to his feet. Once they were standing, Yom leaned in, brushing his bearded face against Marco's neck, lips grazing the medicated cloth on the wound.

"Mine..." Yom murmured. Marco closed his eyes and turned his head, giving Yom a soft kiss. Placated, Yom moved around behind Marco to rest his head on his good shoulder. Marco reached up to pet his soft brown hair. Fletcher crossed his arms over his chest.

"Whatever we're doing next, we're going to need a better plan than we did going into this. Zane was a half bit forty year old vampire. Atsu's an elder vampire and god knows what his familiar's like." he said.

"God may know, but how long is eternity? Atsu has been answering every question I have and we still haven't cracked the surface. " Ren said.

"Maybe we've been going about this the wrong way." Marco said, looking down at the piles of papers around the room, "Asking them point blank about their lives in scattershot, especially if one or both of them are hiding something, is going to take forever. We need to narrow down what we're looking for to the facts we already have. Where were they during the attacks, how would they get their hands on blood moonstone, and what put them on this path." Marco asked.

"That's... the procedural formula for a crime drama, yes..." Fletcher said skeptically. Marco gave him a snarky glare.

"Yes, but we don't have to ask them for that information. They're rich, they've been spending money left and right. Money talks and money leaves a trail." Marco said. At the talk of money, Yom perked up a bit.

"We also know when the moonstone mine was contaminated... Maybe they seeded it to get what they needed to make the weapons." Yom said.

"See, that's something we can track back." Marco grinned before wincing a little, still feeling the sing in his neck.

"Let's get that looked at by a professional. We don't want you getting any vampire rabies." Fletcher said, coming up on Marco's other side to support him as they headed towards the door. Ren remained behind a moment as the boys vacated, her honey brown eyes looking at the reconstructed invitations Zane had made in his mania. Even if Atsu was innocent, just what sorts of beings had they invited into their town by announcing it as a sanctuary city? She had feared that the declaration would paint a target on Echo Creek and draw the hunters in but she hadn't considered the risk of drawing even more dangerous predators to their town.

****

The harsh buzzing of the air pump filled the confined space of the low ceilinged room, only adding to the consternation on Dathan's face as he sat on the old, battered couch and scrolled through his phone. While every dormitory had a basement lounge, Sycamore Hall was old enough that the lounge had no ground level windows. It was an entirely self contained room and, as such, one of the few safe places on campus for vampires at sunrise. An inflatable air mattress was slowly billowing up in the corner, the vinyl chamber stretching out and holding onto wrinkles like ancestral memories. Udo was focused more on the wrinkles around Dathan's eyes.

"All these months..." Dathan murmured, "Sus texts, never knowing if he was coming back in time for sunrise or not." Dathan grumbled.

"You must have been worried..." Udo said, trying to be empathetic. Dathan looked up.

"I hated him, he was such an ass. I mean he's like twice my age, probably thinks he can do whatever he wants..." Dathan trailed off as the old grievances began to melt, "But you think he was missing because someone was fucking with his brain?" Dathan asked. Udo shrugged a little.

"It's starting to look that way. We won't know more until they find a way to talk with Zane safely." Udo replied. Dathan reached up to rub at his arm a little.

"What if it had been me? What if someone made me do bad things..." he said softly. Udo shook his head.

"We'll do what we can to protect everyone from here on out, but you made it through okay. You're safe down here while the police and keepers examine anything Zane might have left behind and then tomorrow morning you'll be back in your own place." Udo explained. Dathan took a long breath.

"What's it like to have a pack?" Dathan asked. Udo was caught off guard, looking a little conflicted.

"It's good. Having a found family, having people... I know it has to be hard being on the night shift, but that doesn't mean you can't find people. What about that zoo pack?" Udo asked. Dathan managed a small smile.

"Now that Rigo's a 'nuki again, maybe he can stay up all night with me playing games or something... Or maybe I can get a familiar." Dathan said before grinning wide, "Oh yeah, some hot Goth kid that can't help but drool over me, wanting to do my bidding." Dathan said before he broke out into a chuckle. He let his phone drop onto the cushion of the couch, spreading his arms out along the back as he reclined his head. To Udo's surprise, as he watched Dathan the young man's ears stretched into tall, narrow points and fur sprouted, creeping down the length to accentuate his sideburns. The tip of his nose turned up into a point and dark claws stretched from his fingers. His shirt seemed to contort and shift as his chest grew thicker but his midsection thinned out, tapering down.

"You think any boys will like this, Udo?" Dathan asked, lifting his head back up. He was a seamless blend of bat and human, supple and dangerous at the same time. Udo blushed at that, looking up into eyes that were now a rich rusty red.

"I am sure there are dozens on campus. In fact, maybe that's what the support group needs to work on next; exposure." Udo grinned.

"You want me to expose myself?" Dathan asked. Udo chuckled at that.

"When you find the right someone, but I think I can help with that. In fact I-" Udo yelped as a pop sounded behind them, the air hose coming loose from the air mattress. Udo scrambled over, replacing the cap on the mattress before turning off the pump. He patted the mattress to make sure it hadn't lost too much air. Standing back up, he was mindful of the low ceiling. "I'm going to go grab some sheets and blankets and pillows for you. I'll be right back." Udo said. Dathan watched the blond boy go, still draped across the couch.

"Take your time." he said noncommittally. Udo squeezed out of the lounge, shutting the door behind him. Dathan let out a despondent sigh before he coiled an extended finger under the waistband of his pants, withdrawing a toffee colored dick. He wrapped his hand around the length, feeling the leathery callous that had formed. He began to stroke himself up and down, letting the heat in his blood stretch his manhood longer and longer and longer. He felt it stretch and grow beneath his grasp.

The freshman began to fantasize about what sorts of fellow college students he might take on his familiar, watching them gorge themselves on his cum. Maybe they'd let him share a little of their blood too - not too much, of course, but enough to be inanimate. Dathan hissed gently, his fangs growing longer in his mouth as he began to thrust up into his hand. Fur sprouted across his shoulders and arms, spreading down his legs. His hips bucked up and down on the couch cushions as he gave into the fantasy more and more. He'd try to seduce all the guys, fuck his way across campus and claim as many as he could. He'd be a stud, a stallion, a suave vampire... It might not be the same as a pack, but Dathan realized he'd been hiding in the shadows too long. He'd been reacting to his fate like a dejected victim. If Zane had been turned into a victim, Dathan had to make the most of a life without that burden. He had to be a free agent in his own story.

The soft hissing became panting, moaning, and then a groan of satisfaction. Thick webs of pearly white cum splattered across a very narrow, furry stomach covered in wheat colored fur. Dathan traced a clawed finger through it before he lifted it to his mouth and sucked the salty brine clean. He moaned again at how good it tasted before savoring the rest of his juices. The perverse act of eating his own cum only brought his erection back to full mast, a problem that the vampire was all too happy to deal with in the confines of his makeshift shelter.