The Seasons

Chapter 6

“I don’t need looking after,” Wing deadpanned, scowling as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m a grown-ass man.”

“You’re a child, shut up,” Slaine deadpanned. “The rest of you can deal with this. I have essays to grade.”

Everyone watched as Slaine turned on his heel and left The Seasons' back room. Wing stared at the remaining group members, and his eyes landed on Cairo. Ah, f**k how was he meant to live with someone? He had been alone for the majority of his teenage and adult life. He didn’t like having to share his living space with others.

“I need your help,” Cairo deadpanned. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared at the group.

“With what?”

“With all of this. I’m not supposed to be telling you this, but I can not figure this out myself, and I know what you all pulled five years ago, and if you can break a curse, you can help me find some killers.”

“I’m sorry, a curse? What curse?” Wing asked, frowning.

“It’s a whole thing. But summarised, if Grey, me, Slaine and Levi didn’t break the curse and freed the bodies of the dead vampires and werewolves, we would have all died. But we did it, hence why we are alive right now. So, love that for us.”

“Speaking of Levi, where is he?” Cairo asked.

Jem winced. “Boy, I'm glad you didn’t bring that up in front of Slaine. And if you want to live, just don't. But he left that same night.”

“Left?”

“He lied to Slaine,” Jasper hissed. “And he’s a piece of s**t, and I don’t care if he's a billion-year-old vampire, but the next time I see him, I’m stabbing him with a knife in his heart.”

“Right,” Cairo said, looking around, slightly confused. “Don’t mention Levi in front of Slaine. Got it. But will you all help me?”

Neo sighed. “I don’t know, man. I know it hasn’t been long, but everyone just got out of life-or-death situations. I don’t want them all going back into it headfirst.”

“I get where you’re coming from, Neo. I do. But I have Rex Superno breathing down my neck, and everyone’s going into hiding, people are rebelling, and if I don’t get this sorted, he will most likely kill me.”

“Holy s**t,” Jem yelled, his eyes wide as he stared at Cairo. “You know Rex Superno? Grey,” he said, whacking his mate on the arm. “He knows Rex Superno.”

“Oh, erm,” Wing said, and he was sure if vampires could blush, he would be bright red from embarrassment. “Who is Rex Superno?”

“The king,” Grey replied. “He controls the entire supernatural world.”

Wing nodded. To live, he probably shouldn’t get on Cairo’s nerve, one word from him, and he was sure he could have him killed. He could do this. He would be fine. Fine.

“Last time, it was Micah, Grey and Slaine who did most of the workings,” Neo said, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll speak to the other two later, but Grey, it is up to you what you want to do.”

All eyes landed on Grey, who stared at Jem. His mate gave him a small smile. “Can I have a few days to think about it? I have a lot going on, you know, with running The Seasons in the day, and I’m taking an online course as well.”

Cairo nodded. “Yeah, no worries, that’s fine, Grey. Thanks, I appreciate it. I’ll text Neo my address, so you know where I live.”

He stood up, and Wing’s eyes darted to the man looking at him and smiled. “Right, come on you. I’ll show you where I live, and then you can go to Slaine’s to pick your things up.”

Wing nervously eyed the rest and could see where he could see where Slaine had the urge to kill Jasper from as the human waved goodbye smugly. He sulked as he followed after the man. Wing saw the customers all eyeing Cairo as the two left the bar and out into the night. He looked up from the small alley where the entryway into the bar was, and he hoped he could see some stars, but he didn’t.

The purple lights surrounding the place cut off all access to the stars, and he frowned. He would be so behind in his classes, and what would he tell his friends? What the hell would he say to the attendance team? Oh, fuckkkk.

The duo walked silently until they reached a part of Moonwane he recognised vividly. Not because he lived here but because Thorne, his best friend, lived here. Oh, well, he had six months ago. Ah, f**k, what would he even say to explain his six-month absence?

He relaxed when they went past Thorne’s apartment complex; that lessened the chances of them running into one another. The tall, bricked building blended into one of many that surrounded it. Wing only knew it was that building because of the small store beside it.

“Ahm, f**k I’m lost,” Cairo muttered as he hit his phone on the side.

Wing sighed. “I can help. Let me see the address.”

Cairo showed him his screen, and Wing groaned. Of course, things wouldn’t go his way. “We just walked past that.”

They walked back into the building. Cairo smiled at the man working the reception, and Wing couldn’t believe how decorated this place was. He had been here a few times when he had visited Thorne, but somehow this place had gotten even fancier with the white and gold-trimmed walls, the large white chandelier, the white and gold marble floor, with seating areas scattered around.

They went up to the tenth floor, and Wing winced. He stuck his head out of the elevator to peer into the hallway, and when the coast was clear, he stepped out. They could be on opposite ends of the floor and would never bump into one another.

He relaxed a little when they went down the hallway; Cairo cursed as he eyed all the room numbers and then began walking back up the hallway. Wing wanted to crawl into a ditch and die. But maybe Cairo was wrong. Maybe 876 wasn’t their apartment, but when he slipped inside, Wing sighed, dropping his head and following in after him.

“Well, know that you know where I live, why don’t you go to Slaine’s apartment, pick your things up and then come back here?” Cairo said. Wing nodded as he turned around.

He peaked his head out of the doorway and ran when the coast was clear, he ran. He was at Slaine’s apartment in less than two minutes. He swallowed the urge to throw up, which he knew wasn’t real. Slaine had been teaching him the ways of the vampire, and he was glad he had, although the vampire could be horrible when Wing didn’t get something right.

He still had a key, so he let himself in. He wanted to let Slaine know he was there, so he went to the man’s bedroom, the door was wide open, and he frowned when he saw Slaine looking in the mirror, talking to himself, but what surprised him the most was a ghost of a smile on the vampire’s face.

“Slaine?” Wing asked.

Purple eyes were in front of him in seconds, and he had bared his fangs. “Wing, what the f**k?”

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I wanted to let you know I was here so you wouldn’t try to kill me,” Wing said. “Cairo told me to come to pick up the few things I have up.”

Slaine ran a hand through his short white hair and waved his hand. “Do that and leave the spare key on the dresser before you leave.”

Wing nodded. He went around the apartment, picking up his underwear, socks, a pair of shoes, a few T-shirts and some pants. He needed to figure out a way to get more money. He looked at the notebook in his hand and sighed as he opened the pages. He still had to contact the uni, speak to Thorne, which was now much easier than before, and hope they hadn’t kicked him off his course. Good, he wished they hadn’t. He liked learning about astronomy and astrophysics.

He left Slaine’s apartment slightly confused at the odd sight of seeing Slaine talking to himself in a mirror but said nothing of it, the vampire was an odd one, and he knew that from simply living with him for three days. Who knew what else he did? He didn’t want to see if he was being honest.

Of course, things weren't going his way because when Wing arrived at Cairo’s apartment, Thorne was stepping out of his right next door, and he froze. Thorne looked precisely the same; hazel eyes, dark hair that went to his shoulders, the beauty spot in the corner of his right eye.

“Ah, fuck.”

“Wing?” he hissed, practically running over and throwing his muscled arms around him. “Oh, you f*****g cunt, where have you been?”

“I’m sorry,” Wing groaned as he hugged his cold best friend back. “Some things happened, and I had to leave. It was a whole thing, but I'm fine. I was going to contact you, but I lost my phone.”

Thorne pulled away to stare at Wing. So, that was where he recognised Cairo’s eyes from. Thorne had them too. Ah, so the group back at the bar had been talking about his best friend. But why would Thorne know Cairo? He had told him his father was dead. “Why are you here?”

“What’s all the fuss about?” Cairo grumbled as he stepped out. Thorne stared at the man, and his frown turned into a glare.

“Oh, what the f**k are you doing here?” Thorne hissed as he stared at the taller man, taking a step back, again and once more, until he was pressed against the white marbled wallpaper across the hall.

Cairo stared at him before smiling. “Oh, Thorne! Hi.”

“Don’t you f*****g hi me.”

Wing held his small box of items close, and he looked between the two. “Do you two know one another?”

Thorne scowled as he pointed to Cairo. “This rat is my dad.”

~*~