The Devil's Wolf

During the massacre at the sixth building, whilst she waited pressed up against the wall in order to avoid the blood spray she wondered whether it was the third or the fourth building when she had ceased to be afraid of Cael being injured or killed during the quick paced skirmishes, and whether her mother had been right when she had told Ashlynn that exposure to too much violence would desensitize her too it.

Thinking of her mother, Ashlynn borrowed Alister's phone when he paused by her, mainly to stay out of the way of Cael's sword, and she dialed her mum's phone number. It had almost rung out when her mother answered. "Hi mum," she said.

"Oh my god, Ashlynn!" Her mother cried out. "You have no idea how frantic we have been. Is that... Is that machine gunfire in the background?"

Ashlynn looked up and froze the man with the gun. "Sorry, that was a bit noisy."

"What is happening? Are you under attack?"

"Not really," she heard Cael's berserker laugh ring out eerily over the screams. "We are more attacking them, I guess you could say. Turns out Cael's a bit of a swordsman. We are in Vampire Square. Caleb Roth is the traitor vampire, mum, make sure Elior knows. Serena put something out on social media, but make sure, please. I am here with Cael, Serena, and Alister. Actually," she paused. "It is probably better if I just talk to Elior." She wanted to hear her mate's voice. "Ashlynn," Cecelia protested. "What are you doing?"

"Well, Vampire Square is under attack, so we are rescuing trapped vampires and their human slaves at the moment. Shit," she stepped to the side as a limb landed at her feet. "Mum, you need to scry out dad's location for me. Last I saw of him, Alatar's shop was being raided, and Cael said he saw dad and Alatar being taken away in a car..."

"Oh my god. He hasn't been answering his phone..." Her mother was distressed and distracted from Ashlynn's activities by the thought of her mate in danger.

"Scry him, and then message this phone with where he is, and Cael and I will go and get him and Alatar. We need Alatar's coven to put a ward around Vampire Square to protect the vampires... Look, it's a long story mum. Can you put Elior on?"

"Ashlynn," Elior's smooth voice came onto the line, and she felt the tension coiled within her release. She did not like being separated from him, she thought with increased sympathy for her father's often overbearing near obsession regarding her mother's safety. "I have been... worried," his pause said a lot that the word did not.

"I love you," she said. "I am sorry I didn't tell you where we were going. I am a bit reckless like that sometimes. We are at Vampire Square, Elior, and we are fine. Cael's handy with a sword, and he is carving his way through the human military attack force as we speak.

"Caleb Roth is the traitor according to Serena and Alister, if they are trustworthy, which I am really hoping they are trustworthy as they have both had my blood. We suspect that Caleb Roth is trying to force the vampires into retreating to the stronghold so that he can wipe out all your allies at once.

"We have two plans - one is to find my father and my Uncle Alatar, who is a warlock. They have been taken by the humans. We are hoping we can get Alatar's coven to put a shield around Vampire Square.

"If that doesn't work, or is taking too long, Cael can create a portal into pack lands and will evacuate your allies there - but that is a bit of a problem, as it might attract the attention of his people, and they are not the sort of people you want to attract the attention of."

"Ashlynn, I hardly know where to start," Elior was quiet for a long moment, processing the onslaught of information. "I received Serena's warning via social media regarding Caleb Roth. I believe Serena and Alister to be loyal, they always have been in the past, but I also had believed Caleb Roth to be my ally, so I trust no one who is not my family and advise you to be wary. I wish you would return to me. I love you too," his voice was quiet. "And I fear for you." "Hold on a moment, let me send you a picture that might make you feel better," she took a shot of Cael, standing in a puddle of blood, catching his breath, and sent it to Elior. "I am safe, Elior. I have Cael, and he is pretty kick-ass with his sword."

"F-king lord," Elior murmured. "So, I see."

"Don't worry about us," she assured him. "We have got this. Or Cael does, at least. And he is having a great time, apparently. Getting him to stop actually might be a problem. He is quite bloodthirsty." "Your mother has an address where your father is. I will send it to you."

"Okay, great. I have to go. We are booby trapping the foyers with spells as we go. It will delay Caleb Roth if he attempts to get to the evacuated vampires in the stronghold." "I wish I was there with you."

"You need to stay safe, Elior. Without you, none of this will matter. I love you," she said it again, because she feared that she might not get the opportunity to do so in person. "I love you, too, Ashlynn."

"I am hungry," Cael announced. "And I need to bathe and sleep."

"Soon, my love," she told him as she set the booby trap spell components into place. "We have to rescue my father and Alatar, and then maybe we will get the opportunity to clean up, eat and sleep."

They took the elevator to the top floor, and Ashlynn tapped her toes to the music that played as the elevator rose through the floors. "I always wonder," she said. "Whether there is like a generic soundtrack for elevators, and they just play it on loop, or whether there is a radio stations somewhere that pumps out music specifically to bore you stupid."

Cael looked down at her. "You think about the strangest things."

"You have brain in your hair," she commented glancing up at him. "It is a little gross."

"Hmm," he felt through his hair until he found it and flicked it to the ground. "It was skin, actually, not brain." "Same level of grossness."