Tyr grimaced at the memory that surfaced. "Remember that guy in '67? The one who practically lived on LSD?"
"Oh man." Tobi's eyes lit up with mischief. "Timothy. That dude was a trip - in more ways than one."
"LSD?" Beth perched on the edge of the reception desk, clearly intrigued.
"Hippie dude. He hung out at this coffee shop in Greenwich Village," Tyr explained. "Total stereotype - long hair, tie-dye shirts, peace signs everywhere. But he was genuinely one of the most entertaining humans we'd ever met."
Tobi leaned against the wall, grinning. "He'd drop acid and spend hours telling us about how the universe was actually a giant cosmic dance party, and all the stars were just disco balls reflecting each other's light."
"We seriously considered making him Blood Sworn," Tyr admitted. "He was just so much fun to be around when he was tripping. Had this way of seeing beauty in everything."
"But man, that blood." Tobi shuddered dramatically. "It was like drinking liquid rainbows mixed with stale incense and broken dreams. Made my tongue feel like it was trying to escape my mouth and start its own commune."
"We had to give up on the idea," Tyr said. "Even waiting for him to come down between trips, his blood was never quite palatable. Too much acid stored in his system."
"Last I heard, he opened a vegan crystal shop in Oregon," Tobi mused. "Still probably seeing cosmic disco balls everywhere."
Beth blinked. "Vegan crystals?"
"Exactly." Tyr nodded. "Guy's just not right."
Tyr looked around, coming to attention as Dimitri's familiar presence approached the clinic. The ancient vampire's footsteps were nearly silent on the tile floor as he entered through the back entrance.
"What happened here?" Dimitri's keen gaze swept over them, his expression shadowed with concern.
"We had an uninvited guest in the woods." Tobi tucked his phone away, his earlier playfulness evaporating under Dimitri's scrutiny.
"I've left Jochi and Sai watching the pack house," Dimitri said. "They'll maintain guard there while I resume my post here. Tell me everything."
Tyr stepped closer to Dimitri, pitching his voice too low for Beth's human hearing. "We had a solo intruder with a hunting rifle and scope. Military-style gear, but amateur execution. There was no association with a group that I could discover. I planted a strong aversion suggestion before we dumped him back at his vehicle."
Dimitri's jaw tightened with displeasure. "This complicates things. I'll need to speak with Antonio immediately." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "We can't put standard perimeter sensors around the property - too much wildlife would trigger false alarms constantly."
"The guy was watching the clinic through binoculars," Tobi added in the same quiet undertone. "Specifically targeting the front windows."
Beth stood a few feet away, clearly trying to follow their hushed conversation. Her brow furrowed in concentration, but Tyr knew she couldn't make out their words.
"We'll need to adjust our security protocols," Dimitri said at normal volume, his tone carefully neutral. "For now, I'll take over watch duty here. You two should report back to base and file incident reports."
Tyr shifted his weight, hesitating by the door. Something nagged at him, a tactical consideration he couldn't ignore.
"What is it?" Dimitri's attention zeroed in on him.
"I know it's not my place to make these decisions," Tyr began carefully. He glanced at Beth, still standing near the reception desk. "But the clinic sits on extensive grounds, and it's become a focal point for anti-shifter sentiment. One vampire, even one as skilled as you, can't cover all approaches simultaneously."
Dimitri's expression remained neutral, but his eyes sparked with interest. "Go on."
"I'm thinking, once we have more of the clan here, we should have two vampires on duty at the clinic each night," Tyr said.
"Makes sense." Dimitri nodded slowly. "I'll run it through Antonio. With Jochi and Sai here now, we have the personnel to implement dual coverage." He straightened his shoulders. "And Lord Damien is sending at least two more clan members by week's end."
"That would help with rotation schedules too," Tobi chimed in. "Keep everyone fresh."
"Agreed." Approval flickered across Dimitri's face. "Good tactical thinking, Tyr. I'll draft the new protocols tonight."
He turned to leave, but paused at the door. "I want both of you here for the rest of the night. Keep sharp out there. After tonight's incident, we can't assume we've seen the last of them."
Chapter 17
