Kubra
I stayed true to my word and, the following day moved into Marcus's house or, rather, back to where I used to live. I even had my old room. There were four rooms on that side of the lot. Charlene had the largest guest room at the beginning of the corridor, and next to her was Miné. I didn't mind us on either side of her daughter. It made me feel like we were a family. The last room of the four was Liam and Cindy's, which was closest to the main part of the house at the back of the lot.
Carl and Charlene were sitting on the deck chairs around the pool when I walked through the gate after a long day. I was instantly jealous. I had seen them together so many times, either in each other's arms, dancing, or sitting on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder. How scared she was after Qadir was there that night and how they had slept next to each other. But that day… it felt different because we had kissed for the first time, and they were in an intimate discussion before they saw me, leaning toward each other.
Charlene lifted a hand and waved me over; I reluctantly walked towards them, not knowing how it would be or what Carl would say. I heard Louis and Juliet in the kitchen with Liam and Cindy. Carl and I were always with Louis, but we never crossed that line into friendship. But he knew. I could see it on his face. He was their best friend, and if anyone was going to leave. Wouldn't it be me?
"Hi." Charlene held out her hand to me; she obviously did not have the same issues with the situation as I did. I stared at her hand for a while. She waited patiently, and I took it. She pulled me onto the chair behind her, moving back so she could feel my body against hers. Carl sat back on his own chair with no care in the world, and they kept talking. I forgot that he had been there for more years than me and was so used to her with someone else, and again, I didn't understand why he was so reluctant to start something with her.
My eyes drifted to Charlene's face in front of me. She was animated and smiling, putting her hair behind her ear. They had great chemistry and were so easy around each other. They talked about the school where she enrolled and Louis getting clearance for a teleporter. It had stunned me out of my musings when I heard it, and my hand came up to rest on her shoulder. She turned to me. "Are you serious?" It would mean that she would not live on campus anymore. We would see each other every day. Charlene had planned it, and I wanted to celebrate.
It was such a beautiful night, and the way she looked at me made me smile. The moon was bright, and Juliet came walking up to the small patio. The three of us had seen her and were watching her waddle a little. She still had two months ago, but she carried that baby a little differently than with Caleb.
"Kubra, Carl kissed Charlene yesterday." Juliet blurted out. Carl shook his head, smiling. My back stiffened, but I didn't have time to do anything because Juliet had abruptly stopped walking and tilted her head slightly. She was hearing something. I stood up immediately, knowing her different faces… We both looked up at the moon at the same time.
"Louis!" She yelled like she always called out to Marcus. He came strolling out of the kitchen, pausing … He gripped the doorframe, and our fears were realized when the compound alarm resounded throughout the whole place.
"Carl! Fly, you idiot. A werewolf got out." I spat at him. "Humans are really useless." Charlene spun around to me. All I could do was smile. I didn't classify her as anything. She was just Charlene. Juliet grabbed Charlene's hand and dragged her toward Marcus's room. She nodded at me. I knew I could go. 'She got this.' Liam and Cindy came out with Miné and followed the two girls in quick strides across the grass. We had built a safe room out the back into the mountain. Juliet wanted to be sure she could keep the babies safe if Louis suddenly turned into a monster. It was only a precaution because we had the buttons.
"You going to fight tonight?" Juliet dug at me.
"It depends on who it is." I smiled. "Can you please lock yourselves up now?"
She closed the door a little and looked up at Louis. "Go get him tiger." Louis reached for her upper arms, holding her tight. He reached down and pressed his lips onto hers and stayed there for a moment. "Will you be okay?" She asked. Louis didn't say anything and leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers.
Jessy was already at the gate, ensuring the army's general was safe. Louis saw Jessy and me waiting for orders. There were about twenty more soldiers outside waiting with Jessy. "I think it's time… I faced my fear… Well, kinda…" Louis said.
***
We jumped in the back of a truck. Louis held out his hand to me, and I clasped it. We had formed a good bond over the last few months; even if Charlene and I didn't work out, I would always be there… Somewhere.
"What happened?" Louis asked.
"We don't know. The cages were being monitored. Same as the last few months, everything was great until the locks on two cages broke open. The werewolves fled into the city."
"Which cages?"
"Mateo and Francesco," Jessy answered. "Oh, Frak! Mateo is like a tier-three fighter. Should we go get Marcus?" Jessy asked nervously. He was young and inexperienced.
"I can take them. We have the watchers. If all else fails, they can use that contraption on them that they used on Chris his first night." I countered.
"I'll call Carl and tell him."
"Tell him he has to… Practice," Louis joked. I knew about his past and his father's death. It was no wonder I had never seen him at the cages.
The truck was speeding down the road. A watcher was descending down on us. Jessy slapped the side of the truck for the driver to slow down. It was David. What the heck? He landed on the roof. "You guys have to bring them in… humanely."
"Why?" Louis asked.
"Because one of them is the Queen of Palmyra's son. I had never been decommissioned and have been watching them closely. Someone wants to fish out the real prince. So we have to make this pan out."
"Are you going to tell us who it is?"
He scoffed. "No. Where is the fun in that? And whoever did this. Will hopefully not find out on my watch. Louis… You're fighting tonight. Kubra, you are stronger than Marcus… You will take Mateo. Louis… all you have to do is keep Francesco busy."
David flew back up, signaling with a torch and his hand. The signals went all over in the sky.
"There! Let's go!" David said.
"Just remember, if I die, Marcus dies," Louis suggested.
Jessy and four other soldiers jumped up, taking their guns and jackets off. If they had to. It would be five to one… Louis did the same.
The truck eventually stopped in the dark part of the town. There was just one solitary street out towards Juliet's old house. The cages were built into the mountain. Numerous watchers monitoring.
"We need lights." Louis directed. "Come, Jessy! You guys are failing. Get on top of this." Jessy jumped down and signaled into the air. Two of his men disappeared.
A few minutes later, more trucks. We heard the crunching and breaking of bones. "What are they eating."
"We let some beasts loose. So that we could keep them busy."
Jessy and the other soldiers set up the strobe lights. It lit up the dark backyard of one of the houses. We were trying to corner them. Surround them in a way and make an arena.
"How would this help whoever figure out who the son is?" I asked.
Louis shrugged. Yawning. "Are you bored already?" He sighed heavily… Peering down at his prey. Louis manifested… dove right off the roof onto Francesco's back. Everyone protested. Jessy and the four men manifested. They followed him to the edge, waiting for orders.
Louis was like a machine. He had been training. Marcus trained him in France, and he had been perfecting the art. He moved around Francesco with ease.
We only knew who was who because Mateo was twice the size. I groaned… thinking about the night I had planned with Charlene. We would've had our first evening together as a couple. Vs. Fighting some... boy.
Mateo was getting to the end of his meal, standing back on his feet, towering at the same height as the roof. He caught sight of us, snarling and growling at the lights and the chaos. Long teeth protruding. I dived straight at him. I was a lot of things, but not a coward.
***
Louis got Francesco out so quickly. From the corner of my eye, I had watched him. It was like the challenge was tedious. The watchers dragged Francesco out, going to put him back in his cage. Louis jumped up to the roof. He took a moment, but he was controlling himself. Testing himself…
"You could come and help me, you know."
"What did David say? Where would the fun be in that? We haven't seen a good fight in ages."
It took me a while. Eventually, Mateo staggered and shook his head. He was coming out. I don't know if it was the lights, darkness, or the air, but when Mateo changed, he had a bright green tattoo on his back. A massive circle glowing and sparkling. It had to be the moon… They had covered him in an instant, trying to keep the secret. We heard David swear. Everybody saw it… Something had gone wrong. If there was a leak, it would be the watchers… There were so many… Marcus's men would never talk. With my hands on my hips, I saw Carl next to Louis, watching the whole show. I was almost out. I had nearly lost the fight. I had not been training. I was out of shape, and it was a problem. As soon as I caught my breath, I dropped to the ground.
***
Carl
Louis and I jumped down to go get the vamp off the ground. Jessy and another guy helped us carry him out by the limbs. We put him in the back of the truck.
At home, we carried him to his room. Louis went to tell Juliet it was safe. Everyone was in the yard but her. Their room door was closed, and he went in.
Charlene had followed Jessy into Kubra's room. He had a few cuts and bruises. She was going to take care of him. She glanced over her shoulder at me. Nudged with her head, asking me to come and help. I jumped at the opportunity, not really knowing how I fit into the future of the family.
***
Two hours later, Jessy opened my door and woke me up. I had just fallen asleep. Louis was waiting at the red gates with a cigarette in his mouth.
I was dressed but half asleep. "What's going on?"
"We have to go to Washington… I need you." Louis said.
***
"Show me the footage of last night," Louis said to the first watcher we could get a hold of. It didn't take long. David had already been in Washington. He had already dumped all his files.
"Go to the end." The guy forwards to where Kubra gets Mateo to change. The green hue tattoo that covered his whole back was evident in the video.
"Why would David have left that on." Louis drew in a deep breath.
"Let's go. I need to see the logs at the admin office."
We made our way up two floors. The teleporter customs station. We were quickly helped. Louis scanned the Screen in front of the documentation officer. He tapped on the monitor. "It's not a delivery weekend. How many times has this person come and gone from Palmyra?"
The clerk typed on a few keys. "Every month and then twice a month for the last few months."
"What's her reason for coming the other times. Who gave authorization to her extra entries?"
Another few strokes on the keys.
"It says 'extra quality control.' Authorization…" He scrolled on the mouse button to the bottom of the screen. "There is nothing."
"How did she get through?"
"Is there not supposed to be a watcher with her and her cousins?"
"There's no one assigned. She lives on the compound, and it's not needed. If we know where she is and when she will be back. The flag only alerts if she's not out by a Sunday night."
"I need to speak to your father." Louis clapped my shoulder.
***
My father lived at the office those days for international calls and time exchanges. We made our way to the living quarters, knocking on his door. He opened busy on a call. Louis and I went in and sat down in the little lounge area. I walked to the mini-fridge and threw Louis a little bottle. He took it and thanked me. I was going to make coffee. I was hardly awake.
"We need to talk about Sita… Bertram."
"What about her?"
"She has been coming in twice as much as necessary. How did she get the clearance? There is no authorization signature. That means it can only be you." Louis had to ask to get someone to start rambling and scrambling in their mind.
"You know Louis. The deals we have with Palmyra do not include you. Yes, I gave her clearance. She is on a special mission."
"Does it have to do with the queen's son taking a break on Earth?" Louis got up. "I can't believe it. She is actually setting her sights on another man."
"What does it matter. If she gets into the palace. So much the better for us."
Louis got up and wanted to leave. "There is something else, Louis. Qadir wants to talk to Juliet." Louis's hand gripped the handle firmly.
"Before you say no. Let's hear him out, huh. Rather know what he is thinking than not knowing what he is planning."
Louis and I left again. He had an office there. We both fell down on the couches and took a nap.