Marriage is Murder

"You think I will, huh?" Brian laughed. "We'll see. Robert better plan on living forever. I'm gonna need someone to force these kids on when they all hit that teenage rebellion at the same time. Thanks. Tea before bed sounds good."

"I plan on living long enough to spoil the hell out of them," Robert said, coming back with Kate upstairs.

"Do that long enough and they'll all be shipped one way to your house," Brian said.

"Any time, my boy," Robert laughed. "Any time. Alright. Enough for us. We're heading to bed. He and Kate wished everyone good night and neaded upstairs. Robert checked on the kids and found Abbey gone. But he was relieved to see that she had curled up in the middle of Khaat's bed, tight against her mother. Robert could see Brian had attempted to put her back in her own bed but it hadn't lasted very long. Now, though, the child looked peaceful and content. Robert left it alone and went to bed.

Steven laughed at Brian's words then smiled looking at Robert as he spoke " okay Robert sleep well" he said as he moved to settle beside the window and looked out. " any problems and we'll come get you right away" he told Robert as Brant nodded as Tricks popped her head out along with the gray mouse.

" oops sorry they just wanted to say hello" he said smiling as they crawled onto his hand squeaking and then diving away again int his pocket to hide and eat the crumbs that sat in it.

When morning came, Khaat was up. Awake, dressed. Unsettled. There was something not entirely right this morning, and she couldn't put her finger on it. It had uprooted her in the middle of the night, and she hadn't been able to go back to sleep. Now, she put on her leather jacket and apparated outside and started to walk. It wasn't quite light. It was cold this morning. There was frost on the patches of grass that peeked through the snow.

She hadn't walked long before she felt her stone getting warmer on her neck. She stopped and looked but didn't see anything. She tried to use the stone to help her find which direction to look.

She ended up at the caves that Brian and the guards had sealed a long time ago, on the north side of the property. They had been reopened--very, very recently. And she smelled fresh blood and smelled werewolf. Her stone began to glow bright vibrant green. She was about to try to slip inside silently, when someone grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth.

"Shhh," the whisper was just barely audible, even though she could feel the cold breath on her face. "Not alone. They'll smell you." She looked to see Escobar there. "Go home. Tell them. They broke through this side of the cave just a couple hours ago. Clearly, they've been tunneling. And feeding. And I don't want to know what they've been feeding on. Get out of here. Tell them."

She apparated back at the house. "They've got access to the grounds," she said to those who were in the kitchen in the predawn hours. "I know where they are."

Steven came down and stretched seeing Khaat and how she was dressed he frowned deeply knowing it was a bad sign. " okay that's bad we'd better get out there and reinforce the barrier in that sector" he said as Brant walked down yawning a little.

" okay who was the one with the heavy feet this morning, ow hi " he said accioing a cup of tea to wake himself up, next was Jack who frowned and sneezed loudly.

" hes close " he said seeing Khaat and her clothes " okay trouble, when and where?" he asked as he sipped his tea.

"They're here," she said, as she saw Brian, and her father and Edward coming down too, expecting to greet the day with a cup of tea and not a cup of trouble. "They're on the grounds. I...just knew it wasn't right. I followed the stone...."

"Khaat," Robert sighed. "Thats dangerous...."

"I know, but wait.," she said. The caves. The caves we closed on the north face. They've tunneled through from the other side. Escobar said they broke through a couple of hours ago."

"Did they smell you?" Edward asked.

"No," she said. "The smell of blood was too thick. Escobar says they;ve been feeding heavily."

"Good," Edward said. "Let them feed. They've had a long night of fighting and feeding. They'll soon get tired and go to sleep. If we want to invade the caves, we wait until they go to sleep. They'll be too overstuffed with food and sluggish with fatigue and sleep to be so much of a threat. Well done. Don't do it again, but well done."

Steven stood listening as did Jack and Brant both knew Brian and Robert were right " so part two of the fight " Brant said as he sat down at the table and helped himself to breakfast. " can't fight on and empty stomach" he said and Steven chuckled sitting with him.

" has a point , might as well keep things normal even if it is just for the kids sake" he said eating some fresh baked bread and butter from the basket on the table in front of him. Jess walked down in her leather trousers and jacket.

" don't stop me Jack time I got in on this" she said Jack folded his arms and smiled.

" wouldn't dream of it" he said giving her a kiss on her cheek.

"No one is going until I scout this out myself," Edward said. "You lot eat. We need to make sure we're fed but not overly so. And you need to be sure you're warmed up and ready for battle. Besides that, we need to give them more time." He looked at Jack. "If the smell of blood is as thick as she says, you might want to either take extra wolfsbane or stay back this time. I need to see if I can get close enough to see what they're feeding on."

"Let me do that," Khaat said. "I have a plan."

"Escobar," her father said.

"Yes," she said. "They won't notice a bat. They will notice us."

"Indeed. Alright, but you dont' go alone."

"She'll go with me," Edward said. "We won't be long. The longer we stay, the better the chance we'll be smelled." He picked up his coat and put it on. "Hold breakfast for us. We wont' be a moment."

Jack looked at Edward " already on it took an extra dose this morning its what woke me , the smell was over powering but I'll hang back" he said looking at Khaat then Edward then back he knew Khaats plans always worked out in the end and so shook his head " I'll follow your lead Edward" he said Brant looked at Edward and sighed.

" we'll hang here for your command" he added Steven nodded as he continued to eat his food at the table with Jess and Brant. Cassidy walked down and shook her head lightly but just turned and walked back up.

" I'll be with the kids" she said.

Khaat followed Edward's lead and they went quickly to the caves. Escobar met them at some distance off to keep them from going further.

"Its too dangerous," he said. "They're fighting over the last scraps of the meat. Stay back."

"What did they get?" Edward asked.

"Two of the dairy cows," he said. "And either a horse or a third cow. I can't tell. But they're slowing down. They should be sleeping within the next hour or so. Wait." he looked at the clouds. "The wind is shifting. You must leave here now or they will detect you."

Edward waited no longer. He took hold of Khaat and apparated back to the house.

"We wait," Edward said. "Probably 3 or 4 hours--until they are well asleep. The rest of what we know is not good breakfast talk. For now, we eat and prepare ourselves."

Jack watched at the window as he caught glimpses of figures in the distance and when they disappeared he turned to the middle of the room smelling the strong scent of blood as they appeared . " hum..cows or horses is my guess" he said but said nothing more as he saw the look on Jess's face and he smiled sitting to eat his own food though he could still smell the blood and it turned his stomach slightly he smiled reassuringly at her. Steven and Brant nodded to Edward, Brant knowing if his uncle said not to talk about it then it was not to be spoken of. Steven pushed his food then stood up leaving his plate to float to the washer and set itself down in it.

" this is going to be hard I know it" he said softly to himself but Jess sighed.

" yes but we beat him back once we can do it again" she placed her hand on his shoulder and he nodded.