Kith and Kin

Chapter 2

I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the first part of this story so much! I'm just quickly writing these when I need a break from editing A Demon in My Bed so I apologize if it's not quite my best. Regardless I hope you enjoy! See you with the next one soon!

Chapter 2

Vengeance watched his stride devour the debris strewn ground as he patrolled the Wild Zone. He wasn't an official NSO security officer but Tiger had suggested he continue keeping an eye on things as the Wild Zone expanded. The walls couldn't keep up with the expansion and it was far too easy for human trespassers to wander onto NSO lands.

The rising full moon sent silver shafts of light playing over the ground, every breeze through the trees shifting the patterns. The woods smelled right, the fresh green of new growth mixed with the dark decay of fallen leaves and the cris-cross of varying animal trails. He'd been angry when Justice had first sent him to the Wild Zone, sure that he'd never find a mate if he was stuck in the woods with the other out of control males. In time though it had grown on him. The peace and solitude. The freedom of being outside. The lack of supervision. If he wanted to go for a run in the wee hours of the morning no one was bothered.

He reached down, intending to flick off the crumbling leaf that was caught on his boot lace when a scent caught his attention. He froze, listening intently to his surroundings as he breathed the scent in deep.

Human male.

A growl rumbled in his chest as anger filled him. If the stupid human thought sneaking onto NSO property was a good idea, Ven would make sure he didn't live to regret it. With a vicious snarl he set off to follow the trail, stalking his prey into the darkness.

He'd been tracking it for about fifteen minutes when the trail doubled back on itself, as if the human was unsure of his path. Then it circled the same copse of trees three times before veering off toward the river. Ven slowed, examined the copse for explosives or anything that had been hidden but found nothing. Brushing it off, he followed the trail slower, cautiously watching for traps or anything else the suspicious male had touched.

The sound and scent of the river reached him before he came upon it but it's banks were empty. The river moved fast over the rocks here, drowning out all the softer sounds of his prey. He breathed deep, catching the scent and something else. Something bitter and salty like the taste of sadness and tears with an acrid edge of fright. Had the human male spotted him? Was he even now fearing for his life? Satisfaction ran through his body and he bared his teeth in a feral smile.

A noise to the left caught his attention and he whirled, prepared for the human to try and fight, but saw nothing obvious. He walked forward, trying to figure out where the sound had come from, when the it happened again.

Right behind him.

Vengeance whirled at the sound, teeth bared and fingers clawed, ready for an attack.

A small boy sat in a hollow of tree roots in stunned silence, his eyes wide and his little mouth gaping open.

Ven froze, just as stunned to see the child as the child was to see him. Silence fell over them for a moment before Ven got his wits about him. "What are you doing here, human child?"

The boy's mouth formed a mulish line and he crossed his thin arms, meeting Ven's stare. "What are you doing in my backyard?"

Ven blinked, caught off guard by that question. "Backyard?"

"This my backyard." The boy stated with surety then something seemed to occur to him. "My mom says not to talk to strangers."

Ven wasn't entirely sure what to make of this tiny human. "What is your name?"

"I can't tell you, you're a stranger."

Thinking around the problem, Ven offered a solution. "If we share names we won't be strangers anymore."

The child seemed to consider that a moment before nodding his assent. "Okay. I'm Jamie."

"I'm Vengeance."

"Vennance?" The boy tried.

Ven winced at the mangled name. "Vengeance." He repeated.

"Venjens!"

Ven sighed. "Just call me Ven."

Jamie gave a carefree little shrug. "Okay!" He climbed out of his little burrow and wandered up to Ven. He only came up to Ven's hips and he tilted his head way back as he eyed Ven. "Wow, you are really tall!"

"I am."

"My mom says I'm going to grow up to be big too. She says my grampy was really big and strong." Jamie eyed him speculatively. "Was your grampy really big too?"

"Grampy?" Ven repeated. He felt like this small child was ten steps ahead of him in the conversation.

"You know, your grandpa. Your mom's daddy. We learned that in kindergarten." Jamie informed him smartly.

"I don't have a grandfather."

Jamie's face took on a sympathetic twist and he patted Ven's thick thigh with a grubby comforting hand. "It's okay. I don't have one either any more. My mom says he went away in his sleep. Did yours go away in his sleep too?"

Ven blinked. "I don't know."

Jamie shivered and his little arms crossed over his chest, tucking his hands in. "Are you lost out here?" He asked, previous topic forgotten.

"No."

"Me either. I like my new back yard. It's huge." Jamie gave him a winning smile then startled when his stomach grumbled. "My mom is going to make macaroni and cheese and dinosaur nuggets for supper. Have you ever had dinosaur nuggets?"

"I thought dinosaurs were extinct." Ven pointed out, a little flummoxed by the abrupt conversation changes.

Jamie let out a peal of childish laughter, doubling over and slapping his thigh. The action didn't seem quite natural, like he was copying someone else, but his mirth was real. "Not real dinosaur nuggets! They are chicken nuggets in dinosaur shapes!"

Ven felt his lips twitch at the child's hysterical laughter.

"Would you like to try dinosaur nuggets? They are so good with ketchup. And mom is making macaroni and cheese too! It's the best!" His voice dropped to an excited conspiratorial whisper. "She puts extra cheese in it!"

"I don't know where your home is." Vengeance pointed out.

Jamie became thoughtful, tapping one finger on his frowning lips in another practiced move, before brightening. He bent down and pulled the Velcro closures open on his shoe before stepping out of it. He held his prize up to Ven like a champion.

Ven cocked a brow. "Your shoe?"

"My phone number!" Jamie turned his shoe around and pulled the tongue up, showing off a string of block letters and numbers scrolled in black permanent marker. "My mom wrote her cell phone number in my shoe in case I ever forgot! We can call her and you can come over and eat dinosaur nuggets!"

Ven wasn't sure this child's mother would enjoy having him over for supper but if she was anything like the mate's who were mothers she would probably be thrilled to have her son returned. "I don't have a phone on me. We will have to go to my house."

"Okay!" Jamie stuffed his foot back in his sneaker then reached out and slipped his tiny hand into Ven's calloused one. "Let's go!"

Ven stared down at the small child as he turned them back toward his home. A yawn broke the silence as Ven lifted the boy over a fallen tree. His hazel eyes were alight with interest as Jamie glanced around, taking in his darkened surroundings. A flash of blue appeared with the tiny human's every step and he had to adjust his long stride to compensate for the small human.

He'd never been allowed around a child before, most of the mate's believing he was too unpredictable to be trusted around their young, so this was certainly a new experience. He'd always thought of having a mate, wanted one with single minded desperation, but had never contemplated children. One day he may have a tiny child of his own, a half human half species son who looked just like him.

The thought was startling.

Thankfully, fate had other plans for Ven then letting him stew over that idea.

Beside him, Jamie looked up with honest curiosity. "Ven? What's that noise? Is that an owl? I heard owls hunt at night and have eyes so good they can see in the dark! Can you see in the dark? I wish I could see in the dark. Or shoot lasers out of my eyes. There's a superhero that can do that! I have superhero pajamas. Mom got me them for Christmas. They are Batman and they even have a cape. That's why he's called the caped crusader. What's a crusader? My teacher at kindergarten tried to explain it to me once but it didn't really make sense..."