Chapter 7 #3
"We don't mind if he helps," Tobi murmured.
"We can find some simple tasks for him - holding flashlights, sorting cable ties, opening the boxes.
Nothing dangerous." He smiled reassuringly.
"Trust me, at his age, he won't last long once the excitement wears off.
And this way, he'll go to bed feeling like he contributed something important. "
Layla hesitated, her eyes moving between her hopeful son and Tobi's earnest expression. "You're sure it won't be a bother?"
"Not at all." Tobi's voice remained gentle. "Sometimes having a mission makes bedtime easier, right?"
Layla's shoulders relaxed as she looked at her son's hopeful expression. "Alright, but only for a little while."
"Yes!" Yousuf pumped his fist in the air, practically vibrating with excitement. "I get to help the vampires!"
"Inside voice, ibni," Layla reminded him, but her smile was fond.
They moved into the spacious living room where a stone fireplace dominated one wall, family photos arranged across the mantel in frames that ranged from sleek modern to hand-carved wood.
Exposed beams crossed the ceiling, contrasting with the contemporary sectional sofa and entertainment center.
The room balanced function and comfort—clearly designed for pack gatherings while maintaining a homey atmosphere.
Tyr knelt beside the scattered boxes they'd brought in, methodically arranging the equipment into organized piles on the area rug. Yousuf hovered at his shoulder, eyes wide with fascination as Tyr opened the first box.
"Here." Tyr handed the boy a package of zip ties. "Can you sort these by size? We need the small ones separate from the big ones."
"I can do that!" Yousuf plopped down cross-legged on the floor, immediately focused on his task.
Tobi started unpacking the cameras while Tyr sorted through the sensors. The quiet sounds of equipment being organized filled the room, punctuated by Yousuf's occasional questions about what different pieces were for.
"This goes by the windows?" Yousuf pointed to a motion sensor Tobi was removing from its packing.
"Exactly right." Tobi nodded at the boy approvingly. "You've got a good eye for this."
Layla settled into an armchair nearby, her hands wrapped around her coffee mug as she watched them work. The tension had eased from her posture, replaced by quiet contentment as she observed her son's careful concentration.
Tyr noticed Yousuf's movements becoming slower, his earlier boundless energy fading. The boy's eyes drooped slightly as he sorted the last few zip ties, though he fought valiantly to stay awake.
"I think that's enough for tonight," Tyr said softly, catching Layla's eye. "We've got everything organized for tomorrow's installation."
Yousuf's protest was interrupted by a massive yawn. "But I'm not tired..."
"You've been a huge help." Tobi ruffled the boy's curls. "We couldn't have done all this sorting without you."
"Really?" Yousuf's sleepy smile lit up his whole face.
"Really." Tobi helped the boy to his feet. "Now go get some rest. We've got more work tomorrow."
"Okay." Yousuf shuffled over to his mother, leaning against her legs. "G'night."
"Come on, habibi." Layla stood, gathering her drowsy son close. "Time for bed."
Tyr and Tobi moved their equipment outside to begin the exterior installations.
The night air was crisp and clear, perfect for camera work.
Tyr adjusted the camera angle, ensuring it captured both the front door and side window while remaining discreet.
The moon cast enough light that he didn't need additional illumination.
Soft footsteps approached from inside - Layla returning from putting Yousuf to bed. She wrapped her arms around herself against the cold as she stepped onto the porch with him and Tobi.
"Are you really coming back tomorrow?" Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
"Of course." Tyr secured the final screw. "Tonight we're just handling the ground floor entry points. There's much more to do."
Tobi handed him another mounting bracket. "A house this size needs comprehensive coverage. We'll need to map out camera placements for all the hallways, entry points, and exterior perimeter."
"Plus installing sensors on every door and window." Tyr gestured at the stack of equipment they'd brought. "Motion detectors throughout, especially in blind spots."
"That sounds... extensive." Layla's brow furrowed.
"It is." Tyr moved to the next mounting point. "With ten bedrooms, we're looking at twenty to thirty cameras minimum. Then there's running cables through the walls and attic to connect everything to the central hub."
"And setting up the network for remote monitoring." Tobi grinned. "That's where it gets fun. The whole system will feed into both the pack's security network and our monitoring station at Shadow Guard."
"All that just to keep us safe?" Layla's voice wavered slightly.
Tyr paused in his work, meeting her eyes. "You and everyone else here deserve to feel secure. We'll make sure of it."
Tobi hefted another camera mount, his expression turning serious. "Better to have security and not need it, than need it and not have it." He gestured at the peaceful neighborhood around them. "Think of it like insurance - you hope you never have to use it, but you're glad it's there just in case."
Tyr noted how Layla's shoulders tensed at his brother's words, her arms wrapping tighter around herself. He shot Tobi a warning look before turning back to Layla.
"There are no plans for the wolf shifters to go public," he assured her quietly. "Joe runs a tight ship here, and there's no reason to think the pack house is on anyone's radar."
The moon slipped behind a cloud, casting deeper shadows across the porch. Tyr adjusted the camera angle one final time before stepping back.
"But having precautions in place is just smart planning," he continued. "Like locking your doors at night or having smoke detectors. You probably won't need them, but they help you sleep better knowing they're there."
Layla's posture relaxed slightly as she absorbed his words. "I suppose that makes sense." She glanced through the window where they could see the pile of equipment waiting to be installed. "And Yousuf is very excited about helping tomorrow."
Tyr chuckled, remembering the boy's careful attention to detail while sorting components. "Maybe we've got a future security expert on our hands."
"Speaking of safety," Tobi's expression grew more serious, "were all the men running that compound in Morocco caught?"
The question hung in the cold night air.
The change in Layla was immediate and startling.
Her uncertain posture vanished, spine straightening as steel entered her voice.
Gone was the worried mother from moments before - in her place stood a survivor, someone forged by fire and emerged harder.
This was the caracal shifter who had endured hell and emerged victorious.
"Yes." Her voice carried grim satisfaction. "The ones who survived the raid were captured. Or killed."
"I don't know where they imprisoned the ones caught in Morocco," she continued. "But the ones who escaped and came here to America?" Her lips curved in a cold smile. "They're in the Sanctuary in Ohio now."
"All of them?" Tobi pressed.
"All except Mahmoud." Layla's voice carried no grief - only savage pleasure. "He was the last one. Their leader." She lifted her chin. "He came to try to get me and Tamera when we were staying at the West Side Inn. The solid earth beneath his feet turned to quicksand and swallowed him."
The words carried such weight that even the night seemed to still around them. Tyr caught the flash of satisfaction in his brother's eyes, matching the fierce light in Layla's.
Tyr frowned in puzzlement. "Quicksand? In upstate New York? That's not exactly common in this part of the country."
A sly smile spread across Layla's face, transforming her features from uncertain mother to someone far more dangerous. "Let's just say... one should never wander the grounds around the West Side Inn with ill intentions."
"Oh!" Tobi's face lit up with unholy glee. "Now that's a story I have to hear! Did Angus and Renee-"
"We have work to finish," Tyr cut in, though his own curiosity burned. He gestured at the remaining equipment. "The cameras won't mount themselves."
"You're no fun." Tobi grumbled but picked up another mounting bracket. "Always so focused on work."
"Someone has to be." Tyr handed his brother the drill. "Otherwise we'd still be standing here at sunrise swapping stories."
Tobi muttered something unflattering in Old Norse as he lined up the bracket, but his movements remained precise despite his complaints. The quiet whir of the drill filled the night air as they returned to their task.
Layla's laughter echoed softly as she headed back inside, the door closing with a gentle click behind her. Tobi called after the retreating caracal shifter, "I want to hear that story later!"
Tyr shook his head at his brother's antics, but couldn't suppress his own smile. Seven centuries together meant he knew that expression all too well - Tobi wouldn't rest until he'd heard the full story about Mahmoud's demise in mysteriously appearing quicksand.
"Focus," Tyr muttered, tossing another mounting bracket to his twin. "We've got three more cameras to install before we can call it a night."
"You can't tell me you're not curious." Tobi caught the bracket one-handed, his movements fluid despite the awkward angle. "Quicksand? In New York?" He whistled low. "That's some serious magical manipulation."
"Of course I'm curious." Tyr checked the angle on the camera his brother was mounting. "But unlike some people, I can wait until after we finish the job to satisfy my curiosity. A little to the left. Yeah, that."
The next hours flowed in a steady rhythm of installations - cameras finding homes in shadowed corners of the entry areas, sensors nestling against window frames, and cables threading their way through walls like electronic veins.
They moved from room to room, then outside and back again, their work illuminated by moonlight in the yard and soft amber lamps within.
The house seemed to breathe around them as they worked, creaking and settling in the dark night while their security web grew more intricate with each passing hour.
Finally, with the eastern sky still dark but holding the first hint of pre-dawn grey, Tyr connected the last component.
A soft chorus of electronic chirps echoed through the quiet house as the system came online, devices blinking to life in sequence.
"That should do it. Tomorrow night we'll have the stuff to do the outside and the perimeter. But this is it for tonight. "
Tobi stretched, his fair hair catching the moonlight. "Awesome. You're headed to the deli?"
"Yeah. Dimitri's on the clinic tonight."
"Cool. Okay, I'll be here. It'll be good when the others come up from the city and we can have a bit more breathing room."
Tyr snickered. "We don't breathe, idiot."
He easily dodged the punch his brother sent his way, but his thoughts had already drifted to tomorrow evening. Perhaps he could find a reason to visit before heading to the pack house. The memory of Beth's smile when he'd explained about their raptor forms lingered pleasantly.
"Earth to Tyr," Tobi waved a hand in front of his face. "You're thinking about her again, aren't you?"
Tyr didn't bother denying it. "We should get going."
Tobi's knowing laugh followed him down the porch steps, but Tyr didn't mind. For the first time in decades, he found himself looking forward to tomorrow with genuine anticipation—not just for the work to be done, but for the possibility of Beth again.