Making the dark council

Exploring: Part 2

Plenty of people milled out about London, giving Linus time to scope out his next target. He hadn't fed since meeting Kenneth months ago and the knot in his stomach slowly worsened. Hopefully he wouldn't need to take more than a pint out of someone. The light outside was starting to dim, giving him the perfect cover.

The sobbing of a woman made him stop and sniff the air. Soon the lady was going to give birth and it looked like no one was in the picture to help. Linus cursed to himself as he felt drawn in to help. She continued to cry as he touched her belly. A paw print literally met his hand under the skin and she wailed heavily.

"Are you human?" Linus asked as he continued to rub until he felt a little fist instead. The woman's pain seemed to lessen almost immediately. "Of course I am!" she said then slumped back to the ground. "But my baby is not, is it?"

She continued to stifle her cries as Linus focused on the contractions. They were almost enough for a woman to give birth.

"After I deliver your baby I will be leaving," he remarked, feeling his fangs grow with hunger. "I will lessen your pain for now."

Nibbling on the wrist, he used one of his fangs to numb her body with his poison. "Oh god," she moaned, touching him. "Please take the baby, that's all I ask."

Before he could object she had already succumbed to sleep. It was only fair to do something in return for what he was about to do.

Letting his fangs elongate further he sunk them straight into her wrists. She only twitched as he began to drink heavily. The kick beneath his hand reminded him to stop to focus on the other task at hand.

"If I do this," Linus mumbled to himself. "The shifter responsible must be grateful for me to raise his child until I find him." As he knew for whoever impregnated this woman would smell their child and want it back. At least this gave him an opportunity to learn about their kind and how to handle them.

Kenneth flipped as soon as he came back cradling an infant in his arms. Linus couldn't bring himself to explain that a baby killed his mother by shifting.

"I'd hate to ask a favor, but can you help?" Linus asked, handing him the child. "Just be careful, it's a little werewolf pup."

"Okay," Kenneth said, gears clearly spinning in his head. "I'll find a wet nurse and you teach me what you did earlier." With a nod the child was in safe hands as Linus and Kenneth trained nearby.

The wet nurse was being used as Kenneth's target to get in her head. Kenneth described her head as a fortress as she was more focused on the child than them. It seemed like he finally got something after a few hours.

"Compulsion only does so much. Getting into a person's head helps find their weak points. And always make eye contact" Linus says. "This will take practice as it took me a few years."

"Of course," Kenneth said rolling his eyes. "I'm still young and untrained compared to you. 29 years old to be exact."

Looking back at the woman, Linus gulped. "I'd rather not divulge that but know that I'm starting to trust you as a friend. The first one I've ever had, " Linus confessed. "I am Linus Crosstrogh."

"Linus," Kenneth said, dancing the name on his tongue. "Yeah, friends, partners, or whatever I make ask of you. Just know that I'm here for you too."