Chapter 2: Chapter2
#Chapter2
The only downside was that Kernal was married to Maddy. They were in love- sickeningly so- and very rarely apart. He owed Kernal. He owed him big and he doubted he'd ever live long enough to pay him back for all the things he had done for him.
/"What does he want?/" Stryker asked reluctantly. His eyes lingered on his empty glass mournfully, already debating heading back inside to fish out another bottle.
/"Just a favour,/" Maddy said softly. His face contorted into a look of innocence, his fine lashes fluttering as he smiled his award-winning smile. /"A teeny, tiny, microscopic favour./"
Which roughly translated to it being absolutely-fucking-huge. Stryker held up a hand, cutting Maddy off as he shifted in his chair. He hadn't thought that he had drunk that much but the movement made the world tilt a little.
/"No. Whatever it is, just know. Find some other idiot./"
/"You're the only one we know,/" Maddy shot back with a smirk before he jumped back to his puppy dog routine. /"He just wants a small favour. It will only be for a couple of weeks./"
/"A couple of weeks?/" Stryker echoed flatly. He already didn't like the way that it was going.
/"You remember Kernal's uncle, Willard, right?/"
A sneer tugged at his lips at the name. Willard Kendrick was a hard man to forget. His name had a way of leaving a taste bitterer than vinegar in the mouth and his presence alone was enough to make the skin crawl and Dettol baths seem like the only logical solution.
He was a merchant. He dealt in slavery and all things taboo. Last Stryker had heard, he was selling young human children by the docks.
Humans, to Stryker's kind, they were the bottom of the food chain. They held no rights. They were slaves or pets. They were killed for sport. For fun.
If Stryker cared enough to sympathise, he was sure his heart would have wept for them. But it didn't. He had enough problems of his own without playing mother Theresa to a dying breed.
/"He died./"
/"Good riddance,/" Stryker muttered. /"I don't care whose uncle he was. The guy was a grade-A asshole./"
/"Agreed,/" Maddy nodded, inspecting his nails. Stryker could tell that it was taking all of the blond's willpower to stay on topic. /"He left Kernal all his property./"
/"And that's my problem how?/"
/"He left him his shop and all his... merchandise. Kernal... he has to try and find a home for a dozen littles./"
/"Huh,/" Stryker said at last, nodding slowly. He hadn't been expecting that.
Littles were a form of slave. Not all, but most were trained from a young age to act like a young child. They had their development stunted, refused an education beside their baby training. Most were human. They were easier and more docile to train, especially when they were little. Not all were, though.
As a stream of sunlight danced across Stryker's knee, he found himself glad that the old tales that the humans used to tell- before the monsters of the world had taken over and forced them into submission- were wrong. Sunlight didn't hurt his kind; he was a vampire. It meant they were the better, more improved version of a human. Faster, stronger and usually smarter, very few of the weakness' that humans had woven into legend were true.
Garlic- though utterly disgusting, in Stryker's opinion- didn't hurt them and holy water touched their flesh harmlessly. Sunlight didn't reduce them to ash, but their bodies adjusted well to night-time, better, even.
/"So what's the favour?/" Stryker asked, but from the way his gut twisted in discomfort, part of him already suspected what the request was going to be. /"You want me to recommend a good exterminator?/"
/"If only,/" Maddy muttered. /"They've wrecked my couch, the little bastards. But no. Kernal, you know how he gets./"
Stryker did know.
The man was terrifying at first glance. Six-foot-three inches of pure terror with muscles of steel and a deadly swagger woven into his stride.
He was also the image that would have been found beneath 'teddy bear' if the dictionary had pictures. His eyes were filled with a warmth that never seemed to fade and his heart seemed to fill every overgrown inch of his body. It never knew when to stop giving. It never knew when to stop caring or when to give up.
Stryker should have been grateful for that last one; if Kernal knew how to give up then he would have washed his hands of Stryker a long time ago.
/"He wants to find them all homes. Good homes. Kind homes where they won't have to worry about being abused or hurt anymore... they're all in pretty bad shape, Stryk. Willard didn't care much for their wellbeing./"
/"Stop pussyfooting around what you want and just come out with it,/" Stryker said flatly.
Maddy nodded and pushed to his feet, brushing his clothes down with a small frown. /"He wants to know if you'll take one-/"
/"No,/" Stryker cut off. /"Not happening. Go and bother somebody else./"
/"There is nobody else,/" Maddy snapped, irritation bleeding through his features. /"Do you think you were our first choice? Our second? You weren't even our fifth. There's twelve of them, though, Stryker. We can't deal with twelve by our self. Blossom has agreed to take one on. Christian has, too. We even managed to get Deacon on board./"
/"Seems like you're doing a fantastic job. Keep up the good work. Now leave./"
/"It won't be permanent. God only knows you're not Daddy material. It's just for a few weeks. Just until we can sort the kid a new home. Kernal is refusing to let them go to anybody who he doesn't trust. One kid. Three weeks, max. It's for Kernal. He's never asked you for a favour before, right?/"
Stryker cursed beneath his breath. Maddy was right. Kernal had never asked him for a favour before. He had helped Stryker time after time again.
So how could he justify turning down the first thing that he had ever asked in return?
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone