Blue Crescent Moon

Chapter 3 - False Alarm

Her eyes flicker with concern, but not enough for him to notice. "How do you know this?" He gestured with his head towards the direction of the lake without getting his eyes off her. "I killed a couple before getting here" he stands up stretching his body. "It was a good warm-up after waking up in the lake."

"Idiot..." she turns her back to him and storms back into her house. She nearly ran over Al if he didn't stand his ground. She glared at her sibling, "I'm guessing you heard everything?" Alister nods and glares out her open door towards Tauren. He held back his instinctual urges and looked back at his sister. "I'll get my family ready" he takes his leave to check on his wife who he had woken up previously. "We gotta get moving Mee-" he stops mid-sentence. Cornell was awake and doing his Mother's hair. "Mommy deserves to be pretty. Prettier than she already is" he says with a smile towards his father unknowing of the coming danger. 

Meena looks at Alister's reflection in the bedroom mirror, "We're almost done here." Cornell did a well done bjorn braid for his Mother who loved it. "That's my kiddo!" she turns around and gives her kid a strong embrace. "Making Mommy look like a viking baddie" she kisses her son on his cheek. "Now get your things together Mister. We got a long way to go" as she sets him back down. After Cornell heads off to stuff a backpack that was given to him by his Auntie, Meena faces her husband. "Tauren was nice enough to give us the heads up."

Meena scrunched her nose confused, "Since when does he care?" Alister shrugs as he goes to take a look out their bedroom window. He spots Tauren doing some stretches out front, "He probably only did it cause he wants another go at me... I won't complain as now we might have to owe him." His wife shivers to hear those words, "You say that so easily... The day I end up having to owe that meathead... Ugh makes me sick."

Teasingly he looks at her from the corner of his eye, "Welp hun... Prepare yourself mentally because it may happen." His sister barges in and sternly looks at her sibling. She changed out of her nightgown into a different victorian jockey outfit. The colors on this one seem to compliment the fall weather. "We need to get moving." He arched a brow, "We?" She nods turning her back to him to lead the way, "I'm not going to allow you to get my nephew killed after I just met him..." she looked at him from the corner of her eye with a cold air around them. "What kind of Auntie would I be if that were to happen?" She disappears down the hall.

"Your sister... I forgot how much of a piece of work she can be" Meena comments casually as she slings her bag over her shoulder. It took Alister a moment to get over that cold stare, but he managed to crack a smile. "That Adeline for ya... Never can take things with ease." He didn't hesitate anymore and followed his sister unless he wanted to face her wrath again.

Now outside he joins up with his sister who was watching Cornell study Taurens stretching exercises. Tauren didn't know he had the kid watching him. It wasn't until he got onto the ground to arch his back when he sees the kid just standing there with curiosity brimming in his eyes. "Oh? You're the kid I said I wanted to kill..." Meena jerked forward to shove her boot up where the sun don't shine, but Adeline held her back with her umbrella by putting it in front of her. "Sorry about that. I have my episodes." It sounded like he gave Cornell a genuine apology.

Cornell shook his head, "I know the feeling. I had a few episodes myself..." Tauren paused his workouts, weighing the words Cornell just exchanged with him. He sensed tremendous sadness from Cornell. 'Is this kid experiencing depression? How old is he? 8?' he thought to himself. Adeline steps over to Cornell and messes his hair up. "C'mon Cor-Cor, don't waste time on this imbecile. We have a long way to travel." He looks up to his Aunt and nods solemnly, "Okay Auntie..."

They've made quite the distance, partly thanks to their lycan heritage covering so much ground, but primarily due to Adelines insistence on only taking breaks to eat and then back on their feet. Alister notices they came across a patch of clear space and asks his sister, "We should make camp-" Adeline snaps her attention to her sibling exclaiming, "We are being followed Al and I want to make it to the next shelter!" He sighs understand the dire situation they're in, "Ad I get it, but we've been walking since this morning and it is almost dusk. Do you really think they're right on our trail after all that we hiked today?"

Adeline scowls at her brother, but one look at Cornell was enough for her. He looked like he's seen better days, so she backs off. "Fine! But the moment it's dawn you better not delay!" Rolling his eyes he sets his bag down and with a smile says "Thanks Sis." Adeline felt like chewing him out, but a soft tug on her hand caught her attention. It was Cornell trying to get her attention. "Thanks Auntie..." That melted her heart as much as she didn't want to admit it. "Anytime Cor-Cor... be sure to eat and sleep early okay?" with a nod he gives his Auntie a quick hug and walks over to his Mother who needed help starting a fire.

"I didn't think I'd see a side of you like that" Tauren, witnessing the interaction between Adeline and Cornell, comments. "Tauren... if you don't want to be missing your tongue I suggest you keep to yourself." Widening his eyes he backs away from her, "Forget I said anything then." He joins Alister in building their tents for the night. Having started a fire Cornell takes a seat on a log his Mother dragged over for them to sit on. "I didn't really have the chance to say this before Mommy... but I'm sorry."

Meena not sure what he was apologizing for sits down next to him putting her arm across his shoulders, "Sorry for what sweetie?" Cornell rests his head against her, but quickly jerks it back as if he shouldn't have done that, "It's thanks to me we're in this mess..." Hearing her eight year old say such that breaks her heart, "No Corey... If it's anyone's fault it's ours." She kisses the top of his head and brings him close to her side. He shakes his head, "How could it be you and Daddys fault? I was the one that sent the kids to the hospital..." 

He lowers his head more in shame when his Mother cups his chin to keep it up, "We should've kept better eyes on you... Your Father and I had similar episodes, but we were with our own kind, so they knew how to deal with us." Speaking up immediately after she was done talking "Mommy? You had blood trickling from your mouth right?" Her blood ran cold as she thought he was too out of it to remember anything from that night let alone notice that detail. "Corey um...-"

CRUNCH!

To the average human hearing that snap of a branch wouldn't have been heard. This group however are anything, but humans. Meena stood up immediately scanning the area she heard the sound come from. Adeline was already peering over at some trees at the other end of the clearing. The air, outside of the cracking from the fire, was silent, dead, as everyone from Cornell to Tauren was glued to the source. Alister nears the trees where the sound was heard from. With the moon out in all it's splendor, it reflected off of Alister beast eyes. 

"False alarm..." Alister defense lowers as a bear taller than he, on all fours, comes out from the trees showing itself. Cornell is awestruck by the massive Kodiak bear that came out. "They can't get that big?! Can they?!" he remembers going over different bear species in school. Alister laughs seeing his boys reaction. "You're right, Kodiaks aren't usually this big, but he isn't your average Kodiak." Looking at the bear, "Ain't that right Kodi?" The bear grunts with nod understanding Alister. 

Alister looks back at his son, "Consider him a guardian. You know? Like Smokey?" The bear gave him one heck of a bombastic side eye when he was compared to Smokey. Meena giggles, "I don't think Kodi likes being compared to Smokey, honey." Raising a brow he glanced at Kodi noticing the look, "Oh c'mon Kodi! You know I don't mean to compare you to anyone!" The bear huffs and Cornell swears he saw the bear roll his eyes before disappearing back into the forest.

"Oh, Papa..." Cornell shakes his head in disapproval, but even he couldn't help laughing at his Fathers shenanigans. "And you're related to me..." Adeline had facepalmed from embarrassment. "I'm going to sleep" and with that she heads into one of the tents that was prepared. Alister having come back to the camp he tries to defend his honor by asking his wife, "You know I wasn't trying to compare him to anyone right?!" 

Meena had this expression on her face saying 'Don't look at me. You dug this hole.'  Yet trying to be a good spouse she kisses his cheek, "Whatever you say sweetheart, I'll believe it." He narrows his eyes towards his wife, "You're doing a terrible job convincing me..." She shrugs innocently with a half smile with the gesture coming off as 'Well I tried.' Cornell tugs on both of his parents clothes, "Sleepy time!"