Genetics

Chapter 15

The sound of voices outside drew me away from writing in my journal. It was early morning and I had decided to go to my office. Caleb was still sleeping in our bedroom, so I knew it was not him outside.

After nearly four months of waiting for the group sent to Illinois, we had managed to prosper a little. Nefari had some griffins working with the werewolves on making a garden. We had vegetables and fruits growing beside the house and Cole had even begun organizing groups to go find deer and rabbits in the woods away from the town.

Azra had not reached out in the last four months either. I was beginning to wonder if perhaps Mark had gone to the lengths of disposing of her knowing that she was an ally of mine. Then there was this whole business with Mark's inside man close enough to Michael to spill information to Mark.

Mark refused to see me every time I had gone to his place to the point that I had pretty much given up on any communication between him and me. Jasmine was nice enough to talk to me during these pointless visits to my brother's house and I did get to meet my three nephews. It still shocked me to know I was an aunt now.

Derrick, the first born had ginger hair like his mother and his eyes were blue much like Mary's had been before the R2A. Dennis, the second born had black hair like me and Mary. He also had hazel eyes, which seemed to have a hint of gold inside them already. Kendrith, the last to be born out of the triplet, had brown hair and green eyes. He looked just like his father before the R2A had claimed him.

They were all very spirited young boys and had already begun to walk and were learning to talk pretty quickly. Jasmine had even noted how shocked she was at the progress they had made in walking. It made me worry that sooner or later she would find out what her husband, children, and sister-in-law were. When that happens, it would turn her world completely upside down unless Mark took his kids away from her to train them how to control their forms.

The noise from outside had me on my feet and moving to the window. Peering down at the gathered group of people, I noticed that Nefari and Cole were standing by a group who looked like they had been caught in a fight. I sighed and made my way outside.

"What happened? Are these the people who were sent to Illinois to kill Ophelius?" I asked Nefari and Cole.

"Ms. Winter, we have killed Ophelius. He refused to tell us where the rest were located. We have nothing else to run off of. We couldn't even locate a single vampire from here to Illinois after we killed Ophelius. It's like they sensed we killed him and went back into their woodwork to avoid us." A middle-aged looking griffin spoke.

"Unless they knew someone would go for a weakened vampire council member and knew that we were going to head back to April's location afterwards. I told you we should have stayed in Chattanooga a little longer to avoid any possible vampires from tailing us." Ragna spoke up as she crossed her arms.

I frowned as I considered what the two said. It was clear that killing Ophelius had been too easy for them. I would have assumed Ophelius, and the other vampire council members would have made sure security was beefed up and the entire place was swarming with vampires to avoid any more council members from being killed. Obviously, that was not the case.

Then there was the possibility Ophelius was just bait for me to go there. Maybe when they realized I was not among the group there, they decided to hang back and watch. If they watched and hung back as the group slaughtered Ophelius, then there was not even a fraction of a chance they wouldn't take the opportunity to seek out my location by following the group back.

"Nefari, Cole, go wake everyone up. We're going to leave this place and head for the Secluded Forest Witch Coven's home. There is no way they were not followed back here at least not while Michael is trying to find me." I said as I turned around and started heading inside.