Levi shoved himself up off the living room floor, almost falling back down when his leg gave out. He swore. Brian jolted awake and looked at him. “Levi, are you okay?”

“No. Something…” He froze, looking at his phone. “Mom!” Levi snagged his phone when he saw the red light blinking. Stumbling to his feet, he opened his phone as he sat on the couch. “Wake up, Declan and Drystan.” Reaching for his cane, he stood as he thumbed through his missed text messages. He found one from his mom, and he sighed in relief. Pocketing his phone, he turned to the stairs. “I need to wake Michael. Wait, Cain first.”

Levi quickly limped into the kitchen, turning the light on as he went.

Brian watched, confused as Levi headed for the office space. He looked at the two males currently looking at him with sleepy, confused eyes. “We apparently need to get up?”

Drystan gave a sleepy mumble just as a thump was heard from the kitchen. “Cain! Wake up, I got a bad feeling! I’m waking Michael!”

Levi was almost out of the kitchen when Cain came out of his room. He was in sweatpants and a tank top showing off tattooed arms. “Someone better be bleeding out.” He growled in sleepy anger.

“Someone will if we-” The lights went out. Levi felt his whole body freeze. “No.” A panicked wheeze left Levi.

Brian walked over to Levi, speaking in a soothing voice. “Hey, let’s just head to the basement and check the breakers. It could just be that something popped the breaker.”

“Brian.” They looked over at Drystan, who was looking out the window. “The whole block is out.”

“Power outage?”

Levi glanced at Cain, who was watching him. Cain must have seen the fear on his face because he muttered. “Enya, wake Michael.” A black cat rushed past them and up the stairs. “You three keep an eye on Levi.” He walked back into the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” Levi asked as Brian tried to lead him to the couch. “We need to leave.”

“I’m barricading the backdoor. I don’t run from Strays.”

Levi quickly hobbled over to the kitchen archway. “What the hell are Strays?” Brian was at his elbow. They both watched as Cain shoved a chair under the doorknob.

“Help me clean this table off.”

“What is going on?” Michael was standing in the living room with Ozy in his arms. “Why is it so dark?”

Levi hobbled over to him, “Would you believe me if I told you I got a warning from someone in a dream?”

Cain stopped moving the few items on the table. Even Brian was looking at him weirdly. Michael crossed his arms and looked to be thinking it over. “Who was in the dream?”

“I don’t know. He looked familiar, like I’ve met him before. He didn’t really give me his name, said it wasn’t safe to.”

Michael rubbed at his neck. Cain growled from where he was at. “Michael, we don’t have time to think on this!”

With a sigh, Michael nodded, “Fine, but I want to know everything about this person when everything is done.”

Levi gave a nod and looked around the house. “I saw the wolf looking in through the basement windows like it was trying to figure out how to get inside. The same one that chased me.” Brian moved for a window, but Michael caught his arm. “It started digging. I don’t know if it can get in, but….” Levi trailed off and gripped his arm. “I’m worried about everyone being here.”

Michael looked at Levi’s lowered head and gritted his teeth. “Alright! Give me a second.”

Levi watched as Michael knelt in the middle of the living room and kitchen. He moved over about a foot before setting Ozy down in front of him. Ozy glanced at Levi. “Time to come clean.”

Ozy stretched and shook his body, his form changing into a smaller, more spotted tan cat. “About time I’ve wanted to talk to Levi again for years.”

Everyone stopped to stare at the talking cat.

Levi slumped in a chair that was near him. “Did he…? You’re an ocelot.”

Ozy’s tail flipped from side to side. “Questions later we need to make wards. I’m ready.” Michael pressed both his hands against the floor as Ozy sat in front of him.

Micahel looked up at Levi. “I need you to sit on the ground in front of me.”

“Why?”

Cain hefted the table up and flipped it over in front of the back door. He walked over, grabbing Levi’s uninjured arm. “No more questions, time to let us do our jobs.” He moved Levi in front of Michael. “Sit, or I’ll make you.” Levi dropped onto the floor with a grumble as Cain walked into the living room. “Which of you two are better at fighting.”

Drystan pointed at Declan, who pointed at himself.

“You go watch the front door.” He motioned to Levi. “You stay with Levi.” Cain looked at Brian, who was watching the large living room window. “Hey, tall kid.”

Brian glanced at him but looked back at the window. “Someone is watching. There’s two.”

Cain looked at the window. “You stay with Levi. Don’t let him out of your sight.” Walking over to the large bay window in the living room, he could make out a man across the street. Another man was sitting next to him on the curb. “What are they waiting for?”

Levi let out a squeak as a glow started up around Michael’s hands and spread around him. “What are you doing?”

“Concentrating,” Michael grumbled.

Weird letters etched themselves around Levi before disappearing. An odd chill settled around him, and he looked at his arms and then his body. “What just happened? Did you just do magic? You could do magic?”

“Yeah.” Michael rubbed his hand over his forehead. “I put a protection ward around you. It should protect you from anything that’s looking to harm you. At least once.”

Cain was back beside them. “They’re just watching the house.”

Michael stood up only to sway, and Cain caught him just as his legs buckled. He helped Michael sit down, and Levi scooted closer, worry crossing his face. “What…? Are you okay?”

Levi got a shaky laugh. “I’m fine. Large wards are not my strong points.” Michael looked at Cain. “They might be waiting on us to make a move.”

Cain crossed his arms, one hand coming up to rest his chin on. “It doesn’t make sense. Strays tend to move in fast because it’s just them working alone. But there are two out there.” He stopped moving as the thought appeared.

Then Brian spoke up, voicing the same thought he had. “What if they’re not working alone?”

A soft knock at the door had Drystan and Michael reacting first. Drystan was across the living grabbing Declan’s arm. Michael quickly lifted his arm just as the front door bowed inwards. Levi let out a shout as Brian grabbed him around the waist. The sound of wood ripping apart reached his ears.

0

He sat up with a groan as he rubbed his forehead. Then, reaching over, he snagged a hair tie and climbed off the small twin he was sleeping on. He walked over to a small bathroom where he tied shoulder-length dark brown hair back out of a fair-skinned and freckled face. The water splashed into the metal sink when he heard the sound of his room door opening. He ignored the person calling for him as he splashed cold water against his face.

Visiting other people’s dreams took a lot out of him. He always felt tired after and not fitting in his skin correctly. When he looked in the small cracked mirror, his green-gray eyes could see someone standing behind him. “It’s time to leave. We’re done here. The Head is willing to send supplies.”

He nodded. “Okay.” Pulling a towel down, he rubbed at his face. “When do we leave with the supplies?”

“Tomorrow.” The person left, leaving him in the small bathroom. “We just need to load them on the plane.” He could hear the door to the small room close.

Turning around, he leaned against the sink and looked at the bed. Then, with a sigh, he walked over to his bag. He could still see the determination on the shorter teen’s face. “He looks like the type to survive anything just to piss people off.”