I finally manage to complete this chapter, it wasn't writer's block it was writer's indecisiveness. Enjoy!
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Chapter 5: Take Two.
Bleddyn and Steren both stood before the pyre holding the torches they had used to light the fire that carried their children to the afterlife. The Alpha was worried for his mate, she had stopped talking again. Each time they lost a litter she would stop communicating with everyone. At first it was a few days but the last time it happened she stopped talking for over a year and the Alpha was concerned that she would refuse to talk all together.
The attendants of the funeral had left to allow the Alpha and his mate a final moment with their pups, however this gesture was short lived as the Midnight Pack Alpha Brynjar approached slowly.
"My condolences Alpha Bleddyn," he bowed, "Had I known you were in mourning I would have delayed my visit."
Steren did not acknowledge Brynjar's presence, instead staring at the consuming flames as her children slowly vanished.
"You were not to know, Alpha Brynjar," Bleddyn sighed, "they died during their birth yesterday."
The Midnight Pack Alpha genuinely showed sadness at the passing of the children. Although Weres were, for the most part, immortal the children were susceptible to many dangers and illnesses due to their long childhood. Brynjar himself had lost many siblings as he had grown up which had lead to his mother's suicide and his father's alcohol addiction which robbed him of his title. "My sympathies Alpha Bleddyn, if there is anything I could do to help ..."
"I wish there was," Bleddyn turned to greet his guest fully, "But I suspect I know the original reason why you are here." Brynjar stood stoically as the Dawnlight Alpha approached him, "You, yourself are feeling the urge to mate. You have come for my daughter."
Brynjar nodded, "I have," he lowered his gaze as a sign of respect, "But I will delay for your family are in mourning." He glanced up to try spy her, "Where is the beauty I seek? I do not see her."
"She is still in hiding after the dhampires incident," Bleddyn rubbed his face as the frustrations and worry for his children crashed down upon him, "my trusted knight Gareth has not reported on her condition for over a decade and I am worried she has been lost."
Brynjar's stomach lurched, his mate was lost? "Where did you hide her, I will go and retrieve her." The Midnight Alpha did not like the news that she was missing, he had been patient for years until she was old enough for them to join and now he was fighting with his annoyance and anger at her father.
"You will be unable to," Bleddyn explained, "I have had earth blocked from all outer realms to protect my children. The only one who can reverse it is Bedella and she herself is on earth to help transport anyone from that world who needs it."
"Is there no other way?" Brynjar questioned feeling defeated for the moment.
"None, not even other sídhe can break through her spells. She is unique among her kind." Bleddyn noticed a few of the Beta females collecting his mate and taking her inside. Maybe having her children back would cheer her up. "There is something you can do to help speed up the resolution to my problematic dhampires."
"I could exterminate them for you," Brynjar suggested sarcastically, "bunch of mummies boys anyway."
"You are close with the Midnight vampire lord who is if I remember correctly, a sídhe dhampire himself."
"I am and yes he is," Brynjar acknowledged, "it is only the males born to human females who give any trouble."
"Could you get him to help me?" Bleddyn pleaded, "The vampire lord here is weak and refuses to help as several of the dhampire clan are his sons."
"I would not wish to cause tension between the vampire clans," the Midnight Alpha hesitated, "but if what you say is true than perhaps an intervention from the pantheon would be a better choice."
"I'd rather not," Bleddyn winced at the mention of the pantheon, "If they could guarantee that Brenna would be sent then I would feel better about the situation, but as I understand it she is on assignment in Britannia for the royal court."
"Why would you want her?" Brynjar asked shifting into a more comfortable stance with his arms crossed leisurely across his chest.
"She is an expert in vampire politics," the Dawnlight Alpha sighed, "and this state of affairs is very much built on politics. That and I have no time for Gaël."
"I agree with you on that one," a smooth and seductive voice called from behind the Alphas. "He is a pompous arse."
"Lord Einar?" Brynjar asked, "you followed me?" The wolf's voice was stained with amusement.
The blue haired vampire lord swaggered up to the two wolves and offered his hand to Bleddyn, "my condolences for you loss, Alpha Bleddyn." He bowed his head solemnly, "Now to matters that I can help with, Wade has let his bastard sons get away with too much."
"Has he caused you grief with their actions?" Bleddyn asked.
"No I just don't like him," Einar shrugged, "But his dhampire sons are going to be trouble in the future. Even in Midnight we have heard whisperings of an uprising among their ranks against the vampire Lord Wade. The fool is oblivious."
"Yes, I too have heard such whisperings," Bleddyn acknowledged, "But Lord Wade chooses to ignore it."
"I will see him and inform him of my arrival," Einar bowed to leave, "as a courtesy from one lord to another." The vampire left in the same manor he arrived, swaggering and oozing charisma.
Brynjar shook his head, "one day his confidence is going to bite him in the arse. And if it were up to him I'd be the one to do it."
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Michael sat in his car with a few packed bags silently praying that Michelle would not turn him away. On the passenger seat was a fresh bunch of flowers and the recovered moonstone ring that one of the children had found. He was determined to correct what he did wrong, she was too precious to him to try any less.
Under extreme control he managed to not spin his tires nor receive any speeding tickets during his travel into town. As he pulled up out the front of Michelle's house he saw a police car drive away and a worried looking Michelle closing the door.
With a deep breath to calm his nerves he got out of the car with his peace offerings and quietly made his way to her front door. He rapped softly on the wooden door that was remarkably still in one piece after what his father had done the previous day.
Shell opened the door, her eyes filled with tears. "Please Michael, just leave me alone," she sobbed, closing the door on him.
"Just hear me out," he said, stopping the door from closing completely, "I'm sorry for not telling you what I was, I stupidly thought I would not have to."
