SWNOVELS Chapter 33: A Party
Angel’s POV
The fog in her mind cleared after drink three. The first two drinks might as well have been sewer water she swallowed them so fast. She couldn’t remember the last few hours but somehow had found the way to the bar during them.
She recapped to the team of 5 almost everything she learned and what happened. And while she told them Damien had agreed to never take another city dweller by force, she left out on what actual terms that was stipulated. She lied and said it was based on approving her hopefully brilliant idea later. She felt disgust in herself at her mental submission. From one Master to another. She couldn’t dwell on that yet though, she had wolves to fight.
Everyone filled her in on their updates during her almost 72 hours away too. Dai had locked arms around her shoulders from behind and she was thankful for the protective contact. She made sure to keep his scratchy chin on the good side of her neck, consciously hiding the sore opposite side that she felt didn’t belong to her anymore. Castiel kept his distance but was ever-attentive and hung on her words. It was uncomfortable for her to have seen Castiel’s passioned face through the twisted poison-driven orgasm last night, but feel nothing except awkward friendship with him sat here now.
She heard that Syndicate wanted her, and she assumed it was with a result on her mutation. Gabriel quickly offered to bring them to her and everyone agreed. Taala and Alastair had taken places on the couch, literally filling the three seat cushions between them. While Castiel followed, she dragged her Daishkan backpack toward the demons to talk.
“I have an idea I need you to poke holes in. The start of a co-dependant city.” Nods all around. “Can we, like, have a party once a week?” Alastair frowned, Dai and Castiel laughed in surprise and Taala smiled, perhaps seeing where this was going. It was his mention at their first lesson that inspired her after all. “Stay with me here! A free-feed party for all factions. Unlimited food and drink. Consenting live hosts for vamps to incite a neko-style celebration of sins. Demons in attendance could witness and suggest for their quotas.”
Dai smooched her shoulder. “You are one crazy cat! I can see it though! It would be one HELL of a party!” Castiel nodded in agreement and smiled at her proudly.
“Right?! The Tribe parties like that nearly every night with no one benefitting besides us. Why not let everyone play? With a reciprocal relationship between us and vampires too, Coven can stop needless killing and even the laziest cats could have a job. Plus, we may make a new friend or two.” Alastair grumbled and both Taala and Dai laughed.
Dai practically bounced behind her. “Oh oh! They can be Bloody Meow-y’s. Or Sanguine Suppliers.. or.. PLASMA PUSSIES!” He continued job titles to many rolled eyes and laughs.
Logistics and concerns were discussed and expanded on all afternoon. Castiel called in various angels through the day to weigh-in with their expertises too. Suggestions to keep the party in open places, adding blood to menus at the angel bar and demon club, giving Syndicate a way to feel useful as weapons bouncers and the like. It was an idea that would take time to grow and demonstrations by many to build trust. Angel saw a rather fun future for the depressed city.
Clangs at the door announced the arrival of Parker and Marshal. Angel rushed to Parker who smiled wide at her and reached out rather unexpectedly to scritch at Angel’s ear. It was a wonderful bit of affection and Angel leaned into it.
Marshal spoke when Castiel joined them at the door. “Erm, Angel. We wanna discuss what we found in your blood sample. Is there somewhere private ya wanna go?”
Angel looked around at who she would consider safe. Friends even. She shook her head with a smile.
“Right. Well. So we ‘ave a large library of tagged blood. We can cross reference new samples to see species an’ lineages. We were curious t’see what came up in yours. Well, we ran the tests twice. Yer.. kinda special Angel.”
Angel frowned slightly and looked to others. Castiel whispered a soft “Yes she is.” Alastair had come to stand beside her and she could see curiosity in his white eyes. She looked back to Marshal.
“Does the Blackfang Pack ring a bell t’anyone ‘ere?” Alastair grunted with a nod slowly. “And so does Alpha Hurricane then?” Alastair grunt-nodded again and shoved fists into his sweatpant pockets.
Taala had stood now too and stepped in line with a confused face. “I do as well. I granted him a favour before his death.” This caused angry eyes from Alastair. Then Taala raised eyebrows. and turned surprised red eyes on Angel. She admitted to herself she was having trouble keeping up.
“Well, erm. Yeah. Angel is descended from Mister Hurricane. Specifically him an’ a neko.”
Angel coughed when she had forgotten to breathe and looked panicky all around. Dai said something like ‘fluff and crackers!’ Castiel swore blasphemy again. Taala muttered cryptic words like ‘the charm of concept’. All eyes stared at her until Alastair spoke.
“Her name was Kirinn.” He turned to face Angel fully, his face one of warmth which was totally foreign. “Your mother looked like you Angel. White tipped black ears too, but yellow eyes. I- watched over her, and over you.” He shook his head. “The Blackfang was my Pack before I was turned and Hurricane was my Alpha. But I didn’t know Kirinn and him were connected. When she was lost, so were you.”
Angel was already crying and could have collapsed on wobbly legs had Dai not again locked arms around her. Part lycan?! Part wolf?!Dai spoke the words for her. “Dude, how’s that possible? Cats and dogs don’t mix. You humans proved that in pokey tests way back.”
Marshal shook his head. “We did other tests, an’ with Hurricane’s DNA too, but nothing took. Angel’s a one-off an’ we don’t know how.”
Taala cleared his throat. “With a charm of conception. Hurricane came to me for a favour and described infertility in his mate. He said an heir needed to be produced to blend bloodlines and bring peace through the Packs. I granted him a charm of conception for his mate to wear.” He turned to Angel. “I never would have imagined she wasn’t a wolf though. I embedded the charm with other properties to grant the destined child. Angel my dear, this gave you wisdom, fortitude, and adaptability. To survive whatever was thrown at you.”
Angel was at a complete loss for words. So was everyone else until Dai announced there would be a ‘loud-y and rowdy end of the world party’ tonight to lighten the mood and celebrate the return of the ‘lost princess’. She admired his unwavering cheeky spirit. The bar emptied for party planning and invites, save for Castiel and Alastair.
The rest of the day was quiet and sombre. Alastair told Angel all about his Pack and his betrayal to them. He apologized for everything from his young unfounded dislike of nekos, to not protecting Kirinn as much as he should, to never being able to find Angel as an infant. Once the beast started talking he never stopped! Angel teased that she was going to ask a favour in order to hug him quiet, but the big guy seemed to be comforted by the thought of a hug alone. He left under protest to help Taala recruit demons for the party.
She suddenly had a bit of family. A demon and not blood related, but by Pack code they were as good as related. She knew of her mother and father, and their secret love. She knew Hurricane wanted peace between lycans and nekos and believed a hybrid would be the one to bridge that divide. Sat in silent contemplation by the window, Angel knew that the responsibility still fell on her to complete.