Thorn and Jonah opted to remain with Ramon and the girls. They had nothing to lose, and much to gain. Therefore, they were shocked when a month later, a youngster of fifteen or so showed up on their doorstep. He had white hair, piercing green eyes and was the spitting image of Eduard before he'd turned down that deadly road.

"I'm Ethan Alaric Vanguard." He offered his hand to the shocked brothers. "I'm from a mountain branch on the east coast."

Stunned, they glanced at Ramon who nodded. "I double checked. He's come out here to further his education." He smiled. "Welcome to the Fuego home."

Ethan inclined his head to them. "Thank you, I appreciate it." He hesitated. "I heard about the pa.s.sing of an ancestor. I regret I wasn't able to arrive in time to meet him." His shoulders slumped. "Oh, but I found this in one of the old family alb.u.ms." The picture he preferred stunned all of them.

In it showed three young men, in old fas.h.i.+oned outfits. Clearly labeled, it showed Jonah, Thorn and Eduard. "Someone found this and asked me to bring it to you." Ethan shrugged uncomfortably. "I thought it was strange, but I did it as requested. Grandma Melinda can be quite crotchety. Great-grandma Delores and aunts, Rebecca and Sheena were quite insistent that I bring it to you two." He gazed at them curiously. "I hear I've cousins?"

Stunned speechless, Thorn and Jonah nodded slowly. "Err, yes, but they're taking naps right now." Jonah murmured.

"Ah, well I don't want to interrupt their schedule." Ethan turned dull red. "I hope I haven't disrupted any of your schedules either?" He watched them carefully.

His question snapped them out of their daze. Jonah and Thorn moved so they weren't blocking the opening. In fact, they went to different rooms immediately so that they could have a moment to digest the newcomer's appearance. "Oh, not at all, please come in." Ramon gestured for him to come in through the door. He smiled at Ethan. "This is just a bit of a shock. I didn't warn them of your impending arrival." His eyes narrowed. "You knew the number but didn't call. Why?"

Ethan's shoulders hunched. "I lost my phone. I had a bit of trouble on my way here." His gaze became very nervous and uneasy. "There are weird things happening and I was told point blank not to mention anything until I came here or went to some pack or other that is holed up in a mountain stronghold."

Ramon grunted. He didn't enjoy mysteries or inflicting misery upon anyone. This was fishy indeed. He exhaled slowly. "I'm going to suggest you not go to the stronghold just yet. This is going to cause some problems for the men and women up there."

Ethan nodded. "It is because I look like Eduard?" He sighed when Ramon froze. "I know the entire story and what happened here as well." He folded his arms. "Trust me, if I'd received another option, I would've not arrived here and stirred up so many painful memories for everyone around here." He grimaced. "I most certainly don't plan on going up there either." He s.h.i.+vered. "Heights aren't my thing." He swallowed convulsively.

"You must've had one h.e.l.l of a time getting up here then." Ramon was skeptical of his story to say the least.

Ethan shrugged. "You don't have to believe me. I'm just telling you what I've been through to a certain point." He sighed. "Give me a few days and I'll find some place else to reside. I don't want to bring misfortune back onto you all after what happened."

Hmm, Ramon sighed. He wasn't pleased at all with what he heard. However, he could tell that something indeed haunted him, literally, and probably roughed him during his sleeping periods. "Let me check you over?" He could remove haunts if they didn't attach to anything physical, he didn't want to give up.

The boy eyed him suspiciously. Then he sighed. "I was told this would happen. Just not this soon." He shrugged. "Fine, I would rather find out what is going on now rather than the hard way down the road." His grouchy mood made Ramon feel better about what he was going to do.

Rose and Jessie hurried in and stopped in speechless shock at the sight of Ethan who removed his s.h.i.+rt. He froze at the sight of them and pulled his s.h.i.+rt back on. "No girls!" He squawked. "I don't know what is going on here, but I'm not stripping down in front of them." His acute horror and dismay in facing them half-dressed surprised Ramon.

The girls stared, sputtered, and stomped off in a huff.

Ethan grumbled inaudibly.

"Do you not like females?" Ramon found the situation rather amusing.

"I just don't believe that wandering half dressed to prance around in front of females is decent." Ethan mumbled. "I wasn't exactly brought up in a modern household."

Well that certainly explained his discomfort. Ramon sighed. "Eh, well, this might present a problem." Especially since the girls did exactly that at times when they first awoke.

"Uh, should I even ask?" Ethan regarded him unhappily. "Never mind, I think I get your drift." He was beet red from embarra.s.sment. "I'll make sure to find somewhere else to reside." Obviously, this wasn't the place he wanted to remain.

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While Ramon realized that it was uncomfortable the boy, he knew the granddaughters were downright angry at his prudishness. "This is going to be interesting." He examined the boy quickly. He used his other vision as well to ascertain there was nothing else wrong with him. Then he discovered odd markings on him that didn't look good.

Right then Jonah and Thorn reappeared. "What on earth?"

"I need you two to come here." The marks he'd seen resembled what he'd briefly seen on Eduard's shoulders and back. He hoped it was not what he thought it meant.

"Ah, birthmarks." Thorn blinked. "We've got them as well." He grunted. "You're looking at the ones only seen by other vision?"

"Yes." Ramon nodded. "I wasn't sure what I saw."

"They're normal. He'll have an interesting future, but since he's kinda with us and other people of similar natures, he'll acclimate. I'm guessing he's already had a few brushes with weird ent.i.ties that didn't end well."

Ethan growled in frustration when he overheard them carefully speaking about the birthmarks. "Not for them anyway." He shrugged. "Can I put my s.h.i.+rt back on already?" He s.h.i.+vered from the drafts the two men caused with their entrance.

"Oh right." Thorn frowned. "What did some of them look like?"

Ethan pulled his s.h.i.+rt back on. "The ent.i.ties? Some weird a.s.s female with black coals that were supposed to be eyes. She looked as if she just came through a portal and was severely p.i.s.sed." He grimaced. "She tried latching onto the birthmark, but I dumped her right back into the portal along with that weirdo who'd come with her." He frowned. "Dunno if I was able to seal it shut right or not."

Ah d.a.m.n. The men looked at each other in dismay. Not again. They didn't need that creeper returning just when their lives normalized.

Ethan sighed. "Did she have something to do with Eduard's death?"

They nodded.

He grimaced. "Huh. Oh well, I did manage to burn an image on her. One that'll be difficult to get rid of. No one will go near her with the sigil of death bringer attached to her face and body." Ethan shrugged when they gaped at him. "She stank of death, pestilence and everything nasty." He shuddered. "Why would I want to allow something like that to come into this world?"

Ramon smiled. "You did the right thing. Eduard would be proud." Maybe he should get to know the pack at some point. For now, he would give the lad some time to rest and decide whether he wanted to remain or not. The choice would ultimately be up to him, but it sounded as though he'd quite the adventure when arriving there. No need to chase him out right away. As for any specters, well the new year and latest Beltane would be arriving once more. It was the time when all spooks of all kinds gained a freebie to enter. That didn't necessarily mean they'd remain or depart in once piece though.

Finish