Jeremy had been dropped off to the airport early the next morning. Alex and Rider had both said their goodbyes to him, both making promises not to kill each other while he was gone. The next few days at the house had been unusually muted and quiet. They spent time alone getting to know each other better and trained a lot to distract themselves from Jeremy's absence.
It took a fortnight for Jeremy to make contact with them from Aruba, right as the two cats were preparing to do some sparring with weapons.
Rider had noticed Alexia getting short tempered, and had insisted that she do some practice with some short bladed knives. He had justified this to her by insisting that she was getting rusty without her regular practice. In reality he wanted to give her a chance to let off some steam.
Rider slid into a fighting stance and preparing to attack Alexia, who stood in the centre of the gym with a lethal looking pair of daggers. They were just about to launch at each other when the phone rang. Instead of grumbling at the interruption and ignoring it as she normally would, Alexia dropped the daggers into her belt and ran to the phone in the hall.
Rider ambled after her, hoping for the same caller that she was. He leaned casually against the wall, listening to her conversation.
"Jeremy, How are you?" Alex turned stone faced.
"You're kidding. Does that include me?" There was a pause, and he saw a flash of fear run across her face.
"Uhuh." Rider shifted more firmly on to his feet.
"Jeremy, when are you coming home?" This last answer must have not been much to her liking, because she growled and dropped the phone in Riders hand.
He raised an eyebrow as she headed back into the gym, drawing her daggers with something close to hell in her eyes. "Well whatever you just said to her has cost you a punching bag and a nice set of daggers. What's up?"
Jeremy sighed on the other end of the phone. "The Royal family has taken out contracts against the Theris family bloodline. The council is in an uproar, they've been waiting for this chance for a long time. They've put Marcus Louvre and his wolf pack on the job."
The Louvre pack were renown for their fighting and tracking prowess. Recently he had heard rumors circulating that they had a tiger working with them. Rider hadn't realized they supported the Council and Royal Family to the point they would kill for them. Another thought occurred to him.
"Is Alexia tagged as a Devon or a Theris in this slaughter?" Rider asked.
"I don't know Rider. Until we do I suggest you find some supporters. Are you still friendly with your cousin?"
Rider's cousin Gabriel had left Aruba, and a highly sought after position with the Royal Guard, when rumors around the court painted Rider a murderer. He now ran Hunter Enterprises in Paradise City with a group of other shifters.
Rider visited Gabriel as often as he could, they were each others only family. He owed Gabriel a lot, trusted him implicitly, and the older shifter enjoyed having Rider around.
"Yeah we're in contact."
"Good, get Alexia to the city, and make sure you have enough support to keep her safe if the Louvre wolves come for her." Rumbled Jeremy. There was a pause and Rider waited patiently for the news that had sent Alexia off to destroy something.
"I won't be returning to Dartmouth. The Devon's have decided I'm needed here and I can't change their minds at this point. I will get as much information to you as possible from here" Jeremy sounded resigned and Rider wasn't surprised. They had both realized that there was a possibility that this would happen.
"I'm sorry I can't be of more help. Keep her safe." Jeremy finished.
After exchanging more information and their goodbyes Rider passed the phone back to Alex and popped his head into the gym before heading to the study to call Gabriel.
Alex had destroyed an old punching bag, as predicted. He grinned and shook his head in amusement. Red may have been tamed but she was certainly not a well-behaved house cat.
***
Alex was curled in the library with a book on ancient greek politics when Rider found her later that day. He slid into the chair beside her, taking the book and laying in onto the floor before curving around her completely.
Alexia rested her head against his cheek for a moment before asking "what's up?"
"I've just spoken to Gabriel. We're going to be heading down there kinda soon. Like mid day tomorrow. Its too dangerous to stay here. Gabriel intercepted a file with a list of addresses for people the council are keeping an eye on... We were on it. They didn't have the right address, but if they're looking for us then we are in trouble." Rider said into her hair.
"How much trouble? Like wipe all record from the face of the earth trouble?" Alex twisted to see his face better.
"I don't know. We're on the same list as a bunch of anti royalists... There are some names that have been connected with supporting the Theris family too." Rider said heavily.
Neither of them assumed it was a good thing to be on the list.
"I can't figure out what to do with the house." Rider said.
They would be gone for some time, and it would make sense to sell it, but both cats were very attached.
"I think we should keep it. Jeremy's taken care of the titles and stuff. It won't lead back to us, and we can lock it up pretty easily. No one will trip all the way out here to vandalize it.. I'm not sure most of the people from town even know where it is." Alex reasoned.
"Yeah I don't like the idea of anyone else living here. Its home, and I wouldn't mind being able to come back here one day. I know a witch in town who won't mind keeping an eye on the place - she's always wanted to be able to have access to the forest, so I'll see if she wouldn't mind." Rider said.
"Really who??" Alex said, intrigued to know she had been living in the same town as a witch and not realized.
"Marcus's wife Jiena Talbolt. Why else do you think he gave you that job? They're good friends with Jeremy, and how we get most of the information about the rest of the non-human world." Rider explained, wondering again why Jeremy ever let her leave the house alone.. He loved her but she could be amazingly scatty sometimes.
Alexia blushed and shrugged "I don't know I never really thought about it. I was busy being angry."
Rider snorted and tugged her closer. "Ok I'll call Jiena. We both need to pack, and I think it would be a good idea to clean the house. We should probably chuck sheets over all the furniture to stop it from getting dusty... just like the movies."
"I'll do the kitchen, and downstairs. And the gym... The weapons will need to be locked down I guess." Alexia said.
They had designed the gym to conceal the weapons, just in case they ever had human company. Rider decided to take the upstairs areas, and after another nuzzle they separated to begin work.
***
"Three stories, and a gym is so excessive for three people" Alexia grumbled as she did a final check of all the rooms.
They had worked almost solidly since the previous day to ensure the house would be left in good condition. The car was packed, the water had been turned off, and the house was almost entirely locked up. All the plants had been put outside to fend for themselves, and Jiena was more than happy to keep an eye on the house.
"Ready?" Rider asked from the front foyer.
Alex paused in the room she was checking. Was she ready? She had wanted to leave ever since she could remember, but now that the time had come she was reluctant to leave her only home. With a deep breath she switched off the light and made her way downstairs, running her hand along the banister.
