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Kingdoms of Darkness and Light

Nick blinked as she walked away before smiling as she basically beckoned him. He followed without fail. So, one moment he was approaching her and the next he was pinned up against a wall. Well, this was unusual. Nick glanced down at her as leaned in and pressed her lips to his neck. Nick moved to show his neck to her, wondering if she’d understand the gesture.

Vampires rarely showed their necks to anyone as it was a vulnerable place. There were several meanings to the gesture. In vampire society, they only showed their necks to higher ranking vampires. Weaker vampires often worked under stronger vampires and showed their necks to their masters. Queens are the highest ranking and usually ruled over many vampires, while counts and countesses ruled over smaller covens of vampires. Usually, vampires belonged to a type of grouping, but there were some like Nick and Deathwish who were alone. Usually these vampires were outcasts. Deathwish, being a blood coffin user, would not be accepted into any vampire coven. However, showing the neck could also mean a sign of trust as much as a loving gesture to their intended and boy did Nick mean to make her his intended.

Nick secured her to him with one arm before he leaned down toward her ear. “Thea…” His voice was soft and sweet. He smirked at her as he nipped her ear. “Teasing a vampire is dangerous.” He warned her quietly.


Flower eyed Dominic before she sighed and followed him. “It’s been a long night already, I doubt you could make it longer.” She stated with a small smile before it cleared from her face. She sat down with him as she crossed her legs, her dress slipped back to expose most of her leg. She ignored the looks toward her and looked off to the side while Dominic thought on where to start. She wasn’t in the right mind to lash out at them. She was far from her normal state. She had been for a long time now. Flower was pulled out of her daze when he started speaking.

She watched him as he spoke and her features softened toward him, she grabbed his hand in return. She placed her hands in her lap with his hand trapped between them. Flower stared at him as her light softly glowed and filled the area with warmth. She was contented with his friendship, but she was supposed to protect him. It was a role she would not give up easily. She slowly came to the realization that he would not give up and was fully committed to marrying her…if he had too of course.

“I will concede to playing nice with the vampire queen, but they are faced with Vicente’s existence and training him will not change their minds…not quick enough anyways. They will not accept him, because he is half vampire and worst…he is half Draco.” She stated as she turned to look out the window once again. “I am a rare light elf, and I am the last of my family line. They would not see it ruined by Vicente being my heir, no matter what I wished.” Flower stated in a calm soft voice as she continued to watch the moonlight.

“I am glad that you consider me a part of your family, and I would do anything for you Dominic, but would not love me as a husband should love his wife. You and I have suffered greatly for many things but you are human, and I will live a lot longer than you. Situations change with time, but you do not have that luxury. I beg of you, Dominic, let me protect you one last time if only for your happiness. The elven council will not stop at marriage, they will restrict you and take your title as king, as they have taken mine as queen. Even your lands will become theirs.” Her voice held strength and was as soft as a feather in that moment. She slowly pieced everything together, everything she had somehow missed before.

She knew he would not agree, she knew he would not do it. Flower’s resolve strengthened as she thought of the only solution available. She needed to give Dominic the freedom she could never have. He needed to choose his partner, one that would die with him, one that could love him and have that returned. Flower barely noticed the tear that slipped out of her eye. He loved her like family, but she did not share that sentiment. No…she realized now…she loved him more than that. For that reason, she would marry Ezra. Flower slowly stood up and leaned down as she kissed his forehead. He had been restricted as a human prince, and he will be restricted as a human king, but he did not need to be restricted as an elven king. He might be content marrying her, but she did not want his contentment.

“Please…Dominic.” Her voice pleaded softly. It was a soft whisper, but it carried so much weight. She would rather him drop the suit than what would be done if he did not. She would have to choose Ezra, her herself would choose Ezra.


Alicia watched him carefully before she sighed. “Yes, elves are very high and mighty, but they are the protectors of many species, their rules and laws conserve many across these lands and they probably would not have many of them if not for humans.” She stated as she watched the council. “I don’t have to like it, but I do have to respect it.” She added before she smacked the back of his head for his last comments.

“Laying down like a dog on its deathbed might be easier, but it’s harder way down the road. You’ll never be happy with those thoughts despite what you believe. Geez, you might hate over humans but you sure do act like them, even worst, you’re moodier.” She stated with her nose turned up and her eyes closed. She opened her eyes and looked at him. “Do not think your better than a human, boy, you’re lying to yourself otherwise.”


Deathwish watched her carefully as she snapped at him. He merely raised an eyebrow at her words. She was observing him, so he displayed his abilities clearly, yet here she was yelling at him like he was a child. He only glanced at Olly for a moment before dismissing him. Deathwish continued to remain silent through Lor and Mia’s exchange. It was clear to him he could not separate them, no matter how it would frustrate him later.

He ignored Mia’s comment, and before anyone could notice, his aura was suddenly gone and so was he. He was out of sight as he apparently was not needed anymore. Lor had taken Mia dancing, and he would not stop them. He was on his way out when something small and rather furry latched themselves to his leg. Deathwish blinked before he looked down at a rather young inu pup with big green eyes and one floppy ear.

She had short sandy blond hair mixed with brown at the front and underneath, one straight ear and one floppy ear, tan skin with little brown spots on her arms, and a short tail with long fur. She was maybe 13. Deathwish reached down and grabbed her by the back of the neck before bringing her up to his eye level.

“Y-you’re Deathwish!” She squeaked and he nodded. Was she afraid of him? The answer…was no. “YOU’RE DEATHWISH! EEEP!” Aisha instantly hugged his arm and wrapped her legs around it. Deathwish was thrown for a loop at what to do.

“Oh my gosh! You’re exactly how I imagined you! And wow…you’re tall!” She said as she let go of his arm and awkwardly hung in the air still held by him. “and strong!”

“May I help you?” Deathwish stated and she squeaked again.

“Wow your voice is deep, is it always that deep? Did it get that way by talking a lot? Oh wait, stupid question of course you don’t talk a lot. You’re Deathwish…strong, silent, deadly!”

Deathwish had never had someone act this way towards him. She seemed happy to be around him and even be hero worshiping him. There was no fear at all in her. She already was patting him down.

“Wow…you have faint scars…where did you get those? I thought vampires heal fast.” She instantly tugged at his shirt and managed to pull it up. “Wow...six pack.”

Deathwish growled as he dropped her. That was highly inappropriate and he smoothed down his shirt as he glared at her. “What…are…you…doing?” His voice darkened and his eyes narrowed. Aisha’s eyes widened before her ears went flat against her head and her tail down. She stayed sitting with her legs sprawled out as she bowed her head and whined.

“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to upset you.” She whined again. “It’s just…you’ve been my hero ever since I was little...well littler. My mother use to tell me stories about you.” She said as she looked up at him.

At this point Deathwish was thoroughly confused. What mother would tell stories of him? He was a symbol of fear and hate to many. “Why?” He stated.

“B-because…you’re like me…or rather I’m like you!” Aisha stated as she looked up at him with a bright smile before a smaller aura brushed against Deathwish’s massive one. It was the same, that aura of death that chilled the air and warned all that were around them.

Deathwish’s eyes widened. A Blood Coffin user! Blood Coffin only ran in demon and vampire families, why would this child carry it? He stared down at her and the question must have been in his eyes because she answered it.

“I’m 1/3 vampire…on my mother’s side. She was a blood coffin user...before she died.” Deathwish’s stoic face suddenly softened at that moment.

“Hn.” Deathwish stated and watched as she perked up and her tail wagged rapidly.

“You…did…the thing!”

“You are a strange pup.”

“Thank you!” She beamed at him. “I’m Aisha!”

“It would appear you already know my name.”

“Yep!” She giggled as she stood up and jumped around him in a circle. Much like any other inu pup…she never stopped moving for long.
 
Thea smirked against his neck, gently bringing her hands up to his face as she pulled away. "Oh, Nick," she said, shaking her head as she looked up at him. "When I'm with you, there's no danger too great."

She brought one hand to the back of his neck, lacing her fingers in his hair as she pulled him into a kiss. She was gentle with him, more loving and affectionate than her earlier teasing. She breathed deeply through her nose, enjoying his scent, his closeness. Finally, she was alone with the man she loved, and she couldn't be happier.

She could almost laugh at the kind of rumors that would start if the wrong person noticed their absence. The human princess, pregnant with the child of the defeated enemy, running off with a vampire guard from her own castle staff. Or the other way around. The son of the vampire queen running off with the mother of Draco's child. It could easily turn into a publicity nightmare of they weren't careful, but Thea was always the kind of person to throw caution to the wind when it came to love.

She pulled back from him slowly, not wanting to end the kiss. She looked into his eyes with that piercing gaze she always held. Thea could give anybody a glance and stare right through them. But, this time, she wasn't closed off. She was allowing him to see right back through her. "I love you, Nick..." she breathed, blinking a few times before stating, "I'll be yours if you'll have me" in a more pointed tone. "All yours, for as long as I live."


"Hey, hey, hey, stop right there," Dominic said, rising and grabbing Flower by the shoulders, he gently reached up to her face and brushed her stray tear away with his thumb. He could feel how much it meant to her to protect him. A lump formed in his throat as he squeezed her shoulder. He'd never been the greatest at dealing with others emotions. That was Thea's job when they were growing up.

He abruptly pulled her into a tight hug, gripping her close like he was afraid to let her go. "Flower, this whole situation is terrible, and I'm scared about what might happen," he whispered, leaning down close to her ear as he held her. His heart was practically beating out of his chest. "But Ezra will lay one finger on you over my dead body. And if the council has me marry you instead... well..." He slowly pulled back, brushing hair out of her face and giving her a soft smile.

"We'll just have to give them hell."


"Yeah, yeah, I know. I've heard it before." Marco said, rolling his eyes and brushing off her comment. "The only way I could be worse is if I started kicking puppies. Thankfully that's not on my to-do list or you might be getting a boot."

He slumped forward, pressing his forehead against the bar and letting out the tiniest squeak of a hiccup. "I'm drunk..." he muttered, his voice muffled by his arms covering his face. "I am very... very drunk..."

He sat up again, looking at Alicia with confused eyebrows and big blue puppydog eyes. He looked more like a scared little kid than the moody prince that everyone knew him as. It was easy to see now why his personality was so hard to pin down. He was moody and angsty one minute, but in battle he was powerful, deadly, confident. Deep down he was just a shy kid with more brute strength than he knew what to do with.

Him and all of his siblings had been trained to fight. They were all killing machines in their own rites. But, out of all of them, Marco was the one who was never really expected to use his skills. Dominic was a king who needed to lead armies into battle. Thea needed to be able to defend herself as the only princess. Chuck and Benn and their late brother Ty were all destined to be generals or governing officials who needed to know how to stand their ground in a battle. And then there was Marco. He wasn't even supposed to survive past infancy. The only reason he was trained at all was because the late king thought he would make a good punching bag. Who would have guessed he would become the most powerful of them all?

"Sorry for being a brat, Alicia" he said, gripping the bar tightly with his sweaty palms. "I'm bad at talking to people and you've put up with me all night... Thanks..."


Mia and Lor got some strange looks from the crowd, being that they were two good-looking girls who happened to be marked by two different vampires. Most tried to avoid them at all costs, so they were given a pretty wide berth with plenty of room to move. Lor decided to lead, spinning Mia around and pulling her close in a bouncy two-step meets swing routine.

"You look really familiar," Mia commented. The longer she was around Lor, the more she realized that, yes, she'd definitely seen her somewhere before. She just couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Well, I was in the war, so we could've passed on the battlefield." Lor said with a shrug, "But, before that I was in the circus."

"That's it!" Mia said, almost losing her footing as the sudden realization hit her like a brick. "You're the contortionist, right? With the knives?"

"That's me!" Lor said with a grin and a wink. "I can fold myself in half and hit a bullseye by throwing knives with my feet." She glanced back at Olly and gave him a little wave. The poor man was watching her, smiling gently. He was glad she was enjoying herself, but now that she had a buddy, he was hoping to head home early.

"That's actually how I met Olly. He worked under a Baron or something like that who was hosting a party. He was doing the booking, had me come in for a gig, and it was love!" Lor said, sighing with contentment at the happy sappy memories. "So, how did you meet Mr. Scary-and-Stoic?"

Mia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "It's not quite as charming as yours... I was in tough shape, living a life of crime and stealing to get by. I wanted to get back on my feet, so I planned this big heist of the royal castle. I was just going to steal a bag of gold or two. Enough to get me a roof over my head and a hot meal. But Deathwish was a guard and caught me." She frowned, trying to remember exactly how they got from that point to now.

"We're polar opposites. All we really do is get under each others skin. Every day is a new fight. It starts with grumbling and then me yelling and then punches start flying. I'm sure if any normal person looked at it, it would be abuse. Some kind of toxic relationship." Mia heaved a heavy sigh. "But we can handle the fights and the violence. That's practically a game at this point. It's when things get quiet and he lets his guard down that I know... you know..."

Lor grinned and pulled Mia abruptly into a bone-crushing hug. "You're so in love!" she squeaked before quickly going back to their dance.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Mia said with a little chuckle.

"You just keep fighting," Lor said, unable to wipe the grin off of her face. "Fight for the man behind the walls, Mia. After all, he's made it more than clear that he's got his icy cold heart set on you. Now you've just gotta' punch a hole in the permafrost."

"If only it was that easy,' Mia said, rolling her eyes and letting out a genuine laugh. "He's not just permafrost. He's the entire Ice Age. Frozen tundra for miles and miles."

"And you're the heat wave he needs!" Lor said, playfully smacking Mia's arm before falling into a rock-step and a slide. "And now you've got me in your corner, and there's no way I'm letting you fail."
 
Nick chuckled at her before she pulled him into a kiss. He wrapped his arm around her tighter and used his other hand to stroke her cheek. When she pulled away, Nick looked at her and smiled genuinely as she allowed him to see her without her walls. He slowly observed everything he could see about her and placed it in his memory. It wouldn’t be too often he could see her this way, at least not until she was truly his. He suddenly smiled widely as she spoke once more. He placed one hand on her stomach before he leaned down. Of course, he would have her; he would have no less.

“And I love you, my princess.” He stated as he seemed very serious in that moment, serious and genuine. “And I will have nothing else, no one else, for as long as you will have me as well.” Nick stared at her. There was the man underneath the charm. Serious, calculating, and dangerous, but never to those he wanted to cherish. He had hidden much underneath his mask. He leaned own and kissed her again, using his one hand to tilt her back just a bit. He would not be satisfied until he had all her heart and only he would be the judge of that. Vampires were possessive by nature, and even as a half vampire, Nick was very possessive.

Scandals aside, Nick held very little care for them, but he was still being very careful to listen to any oncoming intruders. He would be watchful for her sake. Besides, he would not have his time shortened by unwanted attention. He wanted this Thea all to himself.


Flower looked at Dominic and gasped as she was pulled into his tight embrace. Flower paused before she blushed lightly. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her nose in his shoulder. She closed her eyes for a moment and calmed herself in his arms. She could wait…just a little longer. She looked at him as he declared Ezra wouldn’t touch her and smiled gently.

“Ezra couldn’t touch me unless it was on my terms.” She chuckled a bit before she smirked mischievously. Dominic truly knew how to get her riled up and out of self-pity. Yes, she could wait, but she knew if they did choose Dominic, she would have to make them let him go. She would not have him suffer on her account. It was not her way. She would free him even if it trapped her. Old habits die hard. She was his protector and he was her most trusted friend. She ignored the fact that their interaction was quite the scene. After all, she would not care if Dominic was smiling. That did not stop her from tripping up a few on lookers with a few well-placed sparks of magic.


Alicia watched in amusement as he stated he was drunk. She had smelled that a long time ago, but he did not seem too inclined to stop, and she wasn’t inclined to stop him. She watched as he looked up at her and her instincts suddenly kicked in. One moment a woman was standing there and the next and big wet nose was nuzzling him. She was comforting him, in a way she thought he would be most confortable with. She nipped his ear as he apologized for being a brat, it was a chastisement. He had nothing to apologize for. Flower was right…Marco needed something, and as usual she was right on the money to send her.

Alicia gently urged him to climb on her back. “Come along, Marco, I will carry you to an inn. You should stay there until you feel better.” She said with a wolfish grin. She was acting very motherly in that moment, very kind. It was instinct that drove her, but she did not object to it. Marco was someone that needed a little motherly caring. Perhaps that is why Flower felt so concerned for him. She did always pick up strays. This boy, this human was certainly a stray.
 
Thea slung her arms around Nick's neck, pulling him in tighter as he kissed her again. She leaned into him, pressing herself as close to his body as possible. Nice really was her prince charming - from his dashing good looks to his strength and his wit. The only thing his persona lacked was a shiny suit of armor and a white horse, but I'm sure he would be able to scrounge some up if the need arose.

It would take an immense amount of work to keep Thea and Nick's relationship afloat. There was the whole matter of Thea being pregnant with another man's child, and the fact that marrying someone who technically worked as your body guard was totally frowned upon. But, worst of all, Thea was concerned about her lifespan. Nick was immortal, and no amount of love for him would change the fact that she was a mere human and her life would pass in the blink of an eye while he lived on. It was a dilemma that she didn't know how to resolve.

But, she also knew that Nick had chosen her and she, in turn, chose him. There was no way that she knew of to escape the heartbreak. So, in that moment, Thea swore to herself to make the most of every moment the two of them had together. Her new duty was to give Nick as much joy in his life as she possibly could before their time ran out.


Dominic held Flower at arms length, giving her shoulders a comforting squeeze. His cheeks flushed a little as he became aware of the scene they had caused. There were plenty of eyes on them, even though they were in a quieter corner of the party.

He brushed a strand of hair out of Flower's face and smiled. "We'll work this out, I promise" he said, his voice low and sincere. He knew that protecting him was her duty. She wasn't going to give that up easily. But, this time, it was his turn to protect her, and he wasn't going to stand down.


"Thank you..." Marco mumbled, haphazardly sliding onto Alicia's back and loosely slinging his arms around her neck. He was too drunk to argue at this point. The alcohol was starting to make him sleepy instead of chatty. The poor boy was ready for a night's sleep, although it probably wouldn't be great.

He would never admit that Flower was right, but in this instance she was. Sending Alicia to him definitely helped him sort out some feelings - some he didn't even realize he was harboring. Sure, it also took a lot of alcohol to do it, but that was a small price to pay for finding some inner peace. Although he definitely wouldn't be thinking that in the morning when the hangover hits.


 
Nick broke the kiss and nuzzled the side of her neck. He nipped down her neck as he slid his hands down her arms. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but it wasn’t easy getting her either. After all they had went through together, all of it was already the worst. What was yet to come, could not compare to what they had walked through. Draco was gone and even if it caused problems for him to marry her, he would fight fang and nail to keep them at bay.

Many thought him a flirtatious fool, but they would learn that if they tried to take her away from him, he could be just as scary as his brother. Nick was not to be underestimated.


Flower smiled as he once again moved hair out of her face. It was a gesture she refused to consider. She grabbed onto his shoulder and smiled at him. “A king should be careful what he promises.” She said before she turned to the others and gave them a deadly look. Quickly they looked away before she turned to Dominic. “We should really make a scene and startle them.” She teased in a mischievous voice with a smirk to match. “Wouldn’t be the first time my line has caused a scandal.” She added as she tapped her chin as if thinking on the perfect one.

Flower had always defied the council. She wasn’t one to lay down for other people’s wills. In fact, sometimes she just went along with them to throw them off balance. It was quite entertaining for her. She was stubborn and always lit by fire. She held her father’s attitude with her mother’s grace. Her anger was something spectacular, but her mischief was more so.


Alicia waited until he was settled on her back before she started moving. She got quite the looks, but once they were outside there was hardly anyone on the white stone streets. Alicia walked along in the moonlight as she gazed at the buildings before her. Elves were masters of construction. They had places their buildings perfectly so they were fall in line with the moon and gleam in its soft light. The moon was perfectly framed by a stone building with an opening at it’s top to surround the sides of the moon. She continued to walk as lamps highlighted the inn.

She stopped in front of the door and lightly scratched at it with one large paw. She blinked and turned to stare at the moon once more. Daylight was close, she could tell by counting the building the moon was in line with. The elfin city pretty much a huge sundial of sorts. Her ear flickered as she heard someone approaching the door. The door opened to show a strange elf. He was not a normal elf, he was a dark elf.

Dark elves were the night owls in the elfin kind. Their skin was dark and their eyes usually bright. Most kept away from other types of elves, but this one owned the inn. His golden eyes peered down at the human attached to the lycan. He stepped to the side and pushed his long fingernails through his short black hair. “When did you become mere transportation?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Pipe down, Uryen.” Alicia said before she glanced at Marco on her back. “Just get him a room.” She stated as she glanced at Marco. “Before he drools in my fur.”

“Maybe it would be an appropriate time for my old injury to act up. Ohhhh the pain!” He smirked as Alicia chuckled at him.

“I will bite you, Uryen!” Alicia smirked showing off a fang before Uryen nodded and turned to grab a room key.


Deathwish stared down at the pup. “Where is your father?”

Aisha pointed to a very nervous looking Inu. He noticed Deathwish looking at him and jerked up. This guy was obviously of a very nervous disposition. Aisha leaned toward Deathwish. “He’s just worried because I snuck away the second I could to come see you.”

“He thinks I would harm you.” Deathwish stated simply.

“Pretty much.” Aisha shrugged before she hopped in front of him. “But you won’t, right?” Deathwish merely nodded and she smiled as she grabbed his hand. “I knew it.” She said before she suddenly started to pull him along toward her father. Deathwish allowed the action.

“Hi papa!” Aisha stated.

“Aisha…” Her father was a pure brown inu with light brown eyes. He tucked his tail underneath him as he stared at Deathwish. “Sir…”

“Hn.”

“Isn’t he cool, Papa?!”

“He’s…intimidating.” Deathwish only blinked at that before he looked down at Aisha who was clinging to Deathwish’s arm “So…” The father stated as he watched Aisha. “You have survived a long time with Blood Coffin.”

“Yes.”

The inu suddenly dropped to the ground and bowed low to Deathwish. “Please, would you train my daughter.”

Deathwish looked down at him. “You wish I would teach her how to remain in control?”

“YES!” He looked up at Deathwish desperately. “I had to watch my own wife slowly loose her mind, I will not watch my daughter suffer the same fate.”

Deathwish looked down at Aisha who looked up at him. Deathwish was younger than Aisha when he first lost his mind. Perhaps it was because she didn’t have that much vampire blood in her veins that she had lasted this long.

“Please…” Her father begged again.

“I will train her.”

“Thank you!” Her father remained bowed as Aisha jumped up and down.

“You’re really going to train me! Cool! What does that mean?” She said as she stopped jumping and looked up at him.

“I will train your mind so it does not bend whenever your power tries to overtake you. I assume you have never used the ability?”

Aisha shook her head no. “Momma told me never to use it no matter what, but…it follows me.” She stated as she looked behind her back as if something was there. Her father cringed at that.

“It will…” Deathwish stated before he turned her head to look at him. “But you must remember one thing…it is not your master you are its.” Aisha slowly nodded before Deathwish nodded sharply. He turned to her father. “Are you prepared to move to the human kingdom?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.” Deathwish stated before Aisha tugged on his sleeve. He looked down at her as she gleamed at him. How much life she held surprised him. She was nothing like him, and he promised he would keep it that way.
 
Thea tilted her head to the side, allowing Nick full access to her neck. Although it was obviously a more symbolic gesture in the vampire community, for her it was a position of vulnerability that she was rarely seen in. She was not a submissive person by nature. But, she had a level of trust with Nick where she felt safe enough to let her guard down.

She ran her fingers through his hair, scrunching it when his fangs grazed her skin. She let out a soft, pleased sigh as his hands ran along her arms. Her body curved against his, her head pressing into his shoulder. The temperature around them rose a few degrees from their closeness and Thea was happy to be enveloped in the warmth.


"Oh great," Dominic said, rolling his eyes. "You're going to get me into trouble, aren't you?"

The look on Flower's face said it all. She was scheming something, and Dominic was probably going to get dragged into it somehow. This is the punishment he got for trying to protect Flower. He got dragged into her mischief-making. Sometimes he had to wonder what kind of chaos would ensue if her and the twins teamed up to wreak havoc. Thankfully, the twins had already shuffled to an inn to pass out with their pockets filled with appetizers and bloodstreams overflowing with alcohol.

Dominic tried his best to read Flower's face and decide if he needed to run for the hills now or stick around to make sure she didn't cause too much of a ruckus. After all, morning was approaching rapidly, which didn't leave much time for the council to calm down before they went back to trying to domineer Flower's love life.


Marco squinted up at the dark elf as they entered the inn and slurred something along the lines of "She's not transportation. She's a good person... dog... person-dog..." before slumping back onto Alicia and burying his face in her fur. His sober-self was cringing from its repressed state and deep down he knew he would regret this whole fiasco immensely by the time he sobered up. But, in the mean time, Alicia was taking very good care of him and he hoped he would remember to thank her later... if he could remember any of the night at all.


Finally tired of dancing and gossiping, Mia and Lor retired back to the bar for a final final drink.

"So, I'm guessing you're living wherever Mr. Stoic and Spooky is lurking?" Lor asked, sipping gingerly from a glass of champagne.

"Yeah... He's part of the royal guard, so I'm kind of stuck in the human kingdom." Mia responded, rubbing her neck where Deathwish had marked her. She still wasn't too sure how to feel about the gesture, being that he rarely showed much affection for her and they were more likely to fight than do anything else.

"Well," Lor said, snatching Mia's hand away from her neck and giving it a squeeze. "Olly and I happen to have just moved to the human kingdom. Since the king is a lot more accepting of his kind now, we can finally really settle down closer to my family." She flashed a bright smile as she downed the last of her drink in one gulp. "I'll be sure to keep an eye out for you. We can go out for drinks and dancing whenever you want!"

Mia couldn't help but crack a smile. "I wouldn't mind that," she said, downing the last of her drink as well.

Lor stood up from her seat at the bar and stretched, finally beckoning Olly that she was ready to go. "I'll be sure to see you around then!" she said, lacing her fingers with her husband's as they headed away from the party.

Mia turned her attention to Maverick who was still bartending as the party quieted down.

"Here," Maverick said, sliding her a pint glass of water. "You're going to be miserable by morning, so drink up."

"Thanks," Mia said, taking a big gulp from the glass. It had been a long night for her, but she wasn't quite ready to head in and rest yet.
 
Nick hummed as Thea allowed him full access to her neck. His instincts were pleased, and so was he. He also kissed her exposed shoulders before he pulled up and smirked at her. He nuzzled the side of her head before turning his attention toward the moon.

“Are you tired, Thea?” He asked as he noticed what time it was. Staying up all night couldn’t be healthy for her, at least not in her current situation. He looked down at her as he held her. He enjoyed the closeness and at least to nonhumans, they would know she was his. He wasn’t sure how the human equation would go, but for now, it was nice just to mix their scents.


Flower smirked as she glanced at him. “Probably.” She stated as she cracked her neck and fingers. She gave their observers a glare before she smiled evilly. One moment there was an elf standing there, and the next she was back into her beast form. The large, mostly canine amalgamate of an animal suddenly lunged onto Dominic and grabbed him in her jaws before she rushed at the people scattering them as light magic sparked on the floor. With loud growls, she whacked anyone who tried to get close. Either to stop her, or save Dominic.

She dragged poor Dominic away as they left the party and headed towards an open field. She didn’t care what people would say about her slipping away with Dominic. Frankly, it was her punishment for Dominic not listening to her. She wanted away from the party and away from spying eyes. Her outburst was clear enough to anyone that she would not tolerate being interrupted again.

“Well…” She stated as she glanced down at her victim. “That was fun.” She smirked widely as she chuckled on the looks of practically everyone’s faces when their beautiful elfin queen turned into a large massive beast with wings.


Alicia’s ears twitched as she looked back at Marco and smiled lightly. “You are so going to kick yourself in the morning.” She whispered before she looked at Uryen who led her to a room. He unlocked it and opened it as he watched her walked in.

“Goodnight then.” Uryen said as he shut the door and walked back to his office.

Alicia glanced at Uryen before she stood next to the bed. Her wolf form standing taller that the bed. She looked back at Marco. “Alright, Prince, off my back and onto the bed.” She stated as she let loose a huge yawn. Her tail slowly stayed behind her as she looked around the room. Unlike many inns she had been too, Uryen made sure there were no traces of old scents in the room. The smell of other people could be irritating when trying to sleep for scent sensitive creatures.

His design was a deep oak wood and coper swirling designs. He had a nightstand, a book shelf, and a small desk that sat in a far corner next to a lamp. This was his humanoid courters. Uryen served many creatures which meant he had many rooms designed around varied species. His dragon rooms were quite large and designed around caves and crystals.


Deathwish discussed where the two inu’s would stay while he was training his daughter. He paused as he watched Aisha sniff around. She apparently scented something. He turned just as Aisha found her way to Mia. Her father watched his daughter carefully. Inu’s were notorious at being protective of their pups. Messing with an inu’s pup was unadvisable as they can turn from calm collective individuals to vicious coldblooded killers when it comes to their young. Had Deathwish harmed Aisha, her very nervous father probably would have attacked without reservation.

Aisha looked up at Mia and tilted her head at her. She observed her before she raised a finger and pointed at her with a wide grin. “You belong to Mr. Deathwish!” She stated happily. She jumped up and down. “That’s fantastic!” She watched as Deathwish and her father approached.

Deathwish looked down at Aisha before she jumped up on him. Deathwish caught her and held her as he tilted his head to the side.

“You belong to someone!” She stated as she poked his nose. “That means I can belong to someone too!”

Deathwish stared before he slowly nodded. “Hn.” He stated as he looked at her father who seemed to be watching him carefully. Obviously the inu was surprised, but he seemed happy about it. Deathwish supposed any hope he could give to this pup would make the father happy.
 
Thea gave a gentle sigh as Nick turned his attention toward the sky. She was, in fact, feeling a bit exhausted. In her state, being up this late took a toll. But, with Nick by her side, she didn't want to sleep. Every moment with him was invigorating enough to keep her wanting more.

"A little bit..." she responded, pulling away slightly so she could wrap her arms around his and lean her head on his shoulder. "Although, you're incredibly skilled at keeping me alert," she teased, giving his bicep a little squeeze.

She looked up at the moon with him and smiled. A light breeze blew through, but his closeness kept her protected from the slight chill. "Would you like to turn in for the night?" she asked, turning her attention to him as he turned his gaze down to her. "Or would you rather just wander around until we pass out in a gutter somewhere from exhaustion?"


Dominic let out a horrified squawking noise as Flower picked him up in her jaws and tore off into the night. He knew she wasn't going to harm him, but that didn't make the abrupt change any less terrifying. One minute he was having a nice moment with her and the next he was being hauled around like a rag doll in the jaws of a beast.

"Maybe for you. But you could at least warn a guy!" Dominic said, his voice ragged as he tried to catch his breath. But, soon enough, he was chuckling to himself, remembering the looks of shock, awe, and who knows what else on the partygoer's faces at Flower's outburst.


"I'm not going to kick myself," Marco slurred, "You're going to kick me. Or maybe Thea.... I'm gonna get kicked by eeeveryone..."

He let out a hiccup as he slid off Alicia's back and haphazardly slumped into the bed. He buried his face in the pillows and said something that was far to muffled by drunkenness and downy pillow stuffing to understand before rolling onto his back and spreading out like a starfish.

He snickered to himself and muttered something about being incredibly drunk before flopping an arm over his eyes.


Mia was startled as the little inu approached her and stated that she belonged to 'Mr. Deathwish'. "Excuse me!" she stated, obviously irritated, but before she could finish her argument about not belonging to anybody Aisha excitedly pointed out that Deathwish belonged to someone.

Mia gave Deathwish a brief loo of confused from her seat at the bar, obviously not understanding the full gravity of Aisha's situation, before quickly covering up her confusion with a more irritated look. She wasn't going to let herself appear like she relied on Deathwish at all, even though he had marked her. She slowly stood up, being careful not to stumble and approached Deathwish and Aisha's father with her usual peeved expression on her face.
 
Nick smiled at her before he chuckled. He would like to stay up the whole night with her, but it was hardly good for either the mother or child. He knew she had to get her rest. He grabbed a piece of her hair and started playing with it as her head rested against him.

“As much as I would like to stay up with you, you need your rest.” He stated as he glanced at her stomach. “I’ve been through this once already. Believe me, sleep deprived pregnant women are not fun to deal with nor is it fun for them.” He snickered as he pulled away just enough to urge her toward an inn they could stay at. The one owned by a dark elf probably would be the best one. That elf tended to mind his own business and will keep his mouth shut if he happens to notice anything from the two secret lovebirds.

Honestly, Nick knew he always had to make it hard on himself for his chosen partners didn’t exactly have the best track record for success and this one certainly wasn’t clean either. Nick nearly rolled his eyes at it. Honestly, nothing could be easy. He supposed it only made their story more interesting…either that or the writer was just evil. He tossed that thought about as he waited for Thea to either comply or attempt to persuade him otherwise.


Flower huffed at him as she thought he deserved the startle. “No, it’s much more fun not to warn them.” Flower was not so tame. She dropped him and shook off her animalistic body. She stretched out and let loose a large yawn before the large beast fell onto her side lazily. Her tail twitched before it swayed calmly in the tall grass of the clearing she had picked out. Somewhere nearby a herd of Unicorns was watching from afar. Their horns taking turns glowing in the night as young fouls played about. It was quiet out away from the party and it let Flower relax.

Even in her beast form, scars riddled her body showing the full extent of the damage done to her. The scar over her eye and the one straight through her chest took prevalence against all the scars trailing along her back which were old and faded. There was a slight discoloration of the skin where Draco had carved his name, but no letters could be made out.

Flowers and fireflies littered the clearing glowing to some unknown melody. Something that crickets and owls put their input into every occasionally. The sounds of owls made Flower’s ear twitch before relaxing once more against her skull. She apparently had no intention of shifting back yet, probably because at least in this form she was free of the dress which was still enchanted so she couldn’t take it off. She really needed to get Hunter and Sky back for that one.

Flower mostly just watched the moon as she counted the hours until dawn. It wouldn’t be long now, but Flower hardly slept anymore. She was in complete silence by which her motivations for it were hidden.


Alicia watched him for a bit before she shook her head. “Note to self, don’t take him to the bar.” She nuzzled his side before grabbing the blanket at the end of the bed and pulling it over him. She felt bad for how sick he was going to get tomorrow. Humans certainly had a lower alcohol tolerance then most other creatures…unless you count elves; they were easy to get drunk.

She nearly chuckled before she shook off her body. Her large wolf form headed to the door before her ear flickered. Alicia shifted back to her human form and stretched out her arms. She opened the door and searched out Uryen. She found his office and opened an old oak door and glanced at the small room inside. There was a desk, a bookshelf, and a shelf with what looked to be keys and bottled magics. What caught Alicia’s eye was a gold piece designed in a bird shape lying on his desk as he wrote in one of his many journals. Alicia knew what the birds were. That was how Uryen could hear whatever he wished in his territory. He was known as the keeper of secrets and even the council often sought what he knew.

“Birds; it is stated that you should always be careful what secrets you tell when you are alone. A bird might hear and tell of your lies.” Uyren finally responded to her appearance as he finished what he was writing and closed the leather-bound book.

“I didn’t think you were into spying on your own friends.” She raised her head just slightly. He only glanced up at her and smiled. “Flower sent me on a mission and this one is certainly a tough one.” Alicia continued to pacify his curiosity.

“A human prince.” The dark elf stated as he rose up and grabbed one of his books of secrets. They were each written in a different language, many of which were spell bound so only he could read them and all others would only see gibberish.

“What?” Alicia eyed him before she leaned closer with a devious smile. “What do you know, Uryen?” Uryen merely smiled mischievously at her before he closed the book. She let it slide since he apparently wasn’t going to tell her what he knew about the young prince.

Uryen chuckled at her irritated look and sat down. “Now, you say Flower gave you this duty?” He asked. “I don’t know the young Queen myself, but there are plenty of whispers about her. She is not a normal elf, but then so many light elves hardly fit what the council would wish of them.”

Alicia nodded before she growled. “The council is attempting to chain her down. I don’t mind her finding at mate, but this is going too far.” She watched as Uryen met her eyes.

“The council has decided on King Dominic.” He finally stated. “What is the next move for you and your kind?”

Alicia smiled. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

Alicia sighed deeply. “I was warned by Hunter and Sky not to go messing around this time. Apparently, they both have their own ideas about Flower’s future.”

“Her guardians? How interesting.”

“I think Flower has enough people messing about anyways. I’m just the friend that lets her have some fun.” Alicia stated as she laughed.

“And what of the boy?”

“You let me work on him.” Alicia smirked.


Deathwish eyed Mia before Aisha hung onto his neck and nuzzled him. It was a simple gesture and one that he allowed from the hyperactive pup. Still, Deathwish knew Mia would be confused over the pup’s phrasing. Mia did belong to him, but he belonged to her. That was the way it was done.

“Mia, meet Aisha. She will be another one of my students. Aisha, this is Mia.”

Aisha’s ears shot up and she hopped down from Deathwish’s arms as she went and got a closer sniff on Mia. “Nice to meet you! Is he always so stoic? Does he ever smile? I want to know because he’s teaching me to be like him! Do I have the look down yet?” Aisha attempted to copy Deathwish’s stoic face but quickly broke down and started giggling.

Deathwish only passively stood by and watched the interaction. He was curious to see how Mia would react to the pup. After all, they might be trained together after all.
 
Thea nodded in silent agreement and took Nick's arm as he guided them to a place to rest. As they approached the inn, Thea couldn't help but smile at the thought that she had, in fact, done this kind of sneaking around before. When she was much younger she had spent plenty of time slipping past guards to escape the castle get to a shady inn on the edge of town. It felt like it was an eternity since she'd been trying to have a forbidden relationship. It almost made her laugh thinking that, after all the trouble she went through to follow the rules and not fall into this sort of situation again, she was right back where she had started.

It was one of the first times she'd been able to look back on those memories fondly. Normally it was a little painful. Her first lover had been a soldier who disappeared in battle and was presumed dead. She would have never been permitted to be with him in the first place, but losing him had completely broken her heart.

But, the difference between that situation and the one she was in with Nick was that, instead of losing him in the war, she was able to get closer to him. The pair of them was able to survive together and the most terrible of their struggles were behind them.

As they entered the inn, Thea decided to allow Nick to take the wheel. She knew they had to be discrete, but she was mostly familiar with making deals with human innkeepers, not Elvin ones.


Dominic plopped down on the ground with a thud as Flower dropped him. He shook his head, chuckling slightly and rose to his feet. He made an attempt to put his rumpled clothes back in order and dust himself off, but there really wasn't much hope for his outfit at this point.

He took a deep breath and looked to Flower. His eyes weren't drawn to her scars at all. He already knew that she had been through hell and back and it didn't bother him in the slightest. Instead, his eyes fell on her face, watching her beast form watch the moon.

He slowly approached her. In this form, she was massive and towering, but he wasn't at all afraid. Taking a seat by her side, he sat so his back was just barely grazing the fur behind her armpit. He didn't want to be disrespectful by using her as a backrest without her permission. His gaze followed hers, drifting toward the sky. The view out in the field was beautiful. He felt like he could see the entire cosmos spread out before him in the sky. The absence of light pollution made the sky appear incredibly clear, and the longer he stared, the more he could see.


Marco murmured one last slurred 'thank you' as Alicia tucked him in and left the room. Before she even had the door completely, he had completely passed out and was snoring lightly.

He didn't dream the entire time he slept.


Mia narrowed her eyes at Aisha for a moment, suspicious of her affection for Deathwish. Sure, she was just a kid, but it was strange nonetheless. As the pup approached her and peppered her with questions, she felt a little twinge in her chest. Her gaze softened and she squatted down to be more eye-level with Aisha.

"Deathwish always has a stick up his ass. It's insanely irritating, but if you can get him to smile, remember it well because you'll probably never see it again. And if you can help it, stick to your own facial expressions. They're much, much better than his." she said, giving Deathwish a pointed glance as she badmouthed him to his new student. She was ready to teach this kid a few things herself if she was able.
 
Nick entered the inn as Alicia and Uryen were coming out of an office. Nick watched Alicia for a moment with curiosity before the lycan drew her attention to the pair. Nick smiled and waved to the Dark Elf.

Uryen grabbed a guestbook before he turned to the pair and smiled lightly. “Ah, Princess Thea, and her flirtatious guard Nick.” He quickly wrote their names in. “I’m pleased you’ve chosen my little establishment, but I am not surprised.”

“I see you’ve familiarized yourself with us.” Nick glanced at Thea before he leaned toward her. “This is Uryen, but in certain circles he is known as the keeper of secrets. It is said there is not a single thing that happens in this city that he doesn’t already know about.”

“At your service.” He stated before Alicia leaned over the counter. Uryen turned to grab a room key. “And do not worry, anything seen in this inn stays in this inn. That is the nature of it and all my guests keep it or else.” Uryen glared at Alicia. She simply ignored it.

“Princess? Would that make you Marco’s sister?” Alicia asked with a smile to Thea. “Quite the interesting pup he is.”

“Pup?” Nick chuckled at that.



Flower slowly lowered her gaze to Dominic. She slowly thought on all that had been through together. She remembered the few times he had seen her as the Knight. She chuckled at that and watched his face now.

“I remember when we first met. You had that same look in your eye when you saw me.” She stated as she nudged him with her forehead. “It seems so long ago now.” She stated as she closed her eyes. The Moonlit Knight whose family line took a blood oath to protect the human royal line in exchange for protection for all magical species. That oath was broken and torn a part, but Flower still felt the need to protect them.

In the emotion of the memories, Flower’s magic danced around in the moonlight as it glowed on her fur. It accumulated and dripped like water onto the grass and flowers below. The flowers took on a golden glow. The moonlight soaked into her fur in white light before changing to a golden color and dripping off her.

Flower made a purring noise as she remembered Dominic back then. They both seemed so much older now with all the tragedy, pain, and loss. Trinity’s memory still burned in Flower’s mind along with Rave, and many others that had suffered when Draco took the Kingdom.

“If I remember correctly, you were quite obsessed with the Knight.” She teased, letting the memories flow off her like her magic that dripped into the ground.


Aisha looked at Mia as her one straight ear twitched and her other floppy attempted the same movement. She smiled at Mia before she grabbed onto Deathwish’s sleeve. To Aisha, Deathwish was her hero, her only hope when her mother passed away. Her body could not take the strain of Blood Coffin and her emotional distress only made it worse. She looked up at Deathwish with a bright smile before she let loose her own smaller death aura as it clashed with Deathwish’s much larger one. “So you do smile?”

Deathwish raised an eyebrow at Mia before he looked down at Aisha. He nodded lightly before Aisha looked at Mia and smiled.

“Okay, I’ll stick to my own.”

“Good.” Deathwish thrummed in before he turned to the male inu. “It is late.”

“Yeah, we should go home, Aisha.” The male inu stated as he eyed Mia curiously.

“Awwwww.” Aisha stated before her tail wagged wildly. “But I will see you soon?”

Deathwish nodded. “I shall be sure of it.”

“Then it will be fine.” Aisha stated before her father squeezed her shoulder. He kneeled and nuzzled her hair. Inu’s were affectionate creatures and openly loving. It was why Aisha was so affectionate with everyone and held no problems practically using Deathwish as a jungle gym.

“It was a pleasure, Deathwish. I do thank you…” He stated as he looked up at him. “I am in your service shall you require anything.”

“Hn.” Deathwish required nothing in the exchange, it was simply a matter of saving the pup from the curse he carried. As long as she was able to remain who she was, then perhaps Deathwish had some hope as well.
 
Thea eyed Uryen, slightly suspicious about the fact that he already probably knew more about her than she would like. Part of her wanted to ask for some details on what exactly he knew, but she held her tongue and her composure. After he explained the nature of the inn's secrecy policy, she relaxed a bit and gave the elf a polite nod.

She could feel Alicia's gaze even before the lycan addressed her. Obviously she had something to say. As she asked about her relation to Marco, she couldn't help but raise one eyebrow. Sure, she had seen Alicia at the party and was vaguely aware that she was somehow acquainted with Flower, she wasn't exactly sure why she was so curious about her youngest brother. The protective older sister came out as she straightened her back ever so slightly.

"Yes, Marco is my brother." she stated, her grip on Nick's arm loosening ever so slightly as she spoke. "What's so interesting about him, if I may ask?"


Dominic chuckled and let his hand fall onto her arm. His fingers gently intertwined with her fur as he shook his head and smiled at the thought of himself before the war. He seemed so young and naive looking back. The fight against Draco changed him deeply, although it might not be too apparent to those who didn't know him personally.

"You saved my life," Dominic said, "After so many years of thinking this vigilante hero protecting my family was just a myth, you saved my life. Just the proof that you actually existed meant that I needed to repay you for everything you'd done for me and my family. The countless times you've protected us without even the slightest thanks." He turned to look at her face and smiled gently, although his eyes looked tired as he remembered a past that felt ancient to him. "You deserved to be thanked, even if I was the only one who was going to do it."

His body subconsciously slouched into her, despite his determination to keep a respectful distance. Her dripping, glowing magic drew him in like a trance. Maybe it was the sparse remnants of the protective magic she'd imbued him with, or just the warm glow of the light she omitted, but he unwittingly drew closer.

He sighed lightly and turned his attention back to the moon as his memories swirled. His hair grazed Flower's fur before he found a comfortable spot to rest and leaned into her more. It all felt so distant... a time where his only goal was to find the mysterious Knight. So many people from back then were gone now. Most of the castle staff was dead. People that had served them dutifully for as long as he could remember left this world suffering from Draco's experimentation. Rave, their loyal doctor. So many soldiers and volunteers.

Even his own family had been affected. The twins weren't exactly identical anymore, being that one had some facial scarring from burns. Marco still didn't have feeling in one arm, although it was a miracle he could still use it. Thea would never admit to it, but she couldn't get to sleep unless she knew Nick was close by. And then... there was Ty...

His throat tightened as he thought about Ty. After the explosion he had caused, there wasn't even a body for them to recover. With all of the other remains of other soldiers, whatever pieces there might have been left were indistinguishable from the others. That unchanging stare he always had that looked like he was trying to decide what you were going to say before you even said it was erased from the world forever. Sometimes Dominic still couldn't believe that he wasn't there, just sitting in his room playing chess against himself for the millionth time.


Thea waved a little goodbye to Aisha as her father toted her away to bed. Sure, she was still irritated with Deathwish, but something about Aisha's constant enthusiasm was infectious and lightened her mood ever so slightly.

Turning her attention to the stoic man, she raised an eyebrow and smirked ever so slightly. "Cute kid." she stated matter-of-factly as she slowly sauntered up to him. "Were you ever that pleasant? Or have you always been a stoic little s**t?" she teased, finally getting within arms reach of him. She bumped him in the side with her elbow before slowly meandering toward the exit, obviously expecting him to follow and continue the conversation.


As Mia and Deathwish were some of the last patrons leaving, Maverick gave the pair one last look before cleaning up his bar setup and loading what wares he had left back into his cart. It was a bit of a struggle with his bum leg, but he managed the best he could. He'd worked out a few methods to get everything he needed done without any help, since he was too stubborn to depend on anybody else.
 
Alicia smiled at Thea as she recognized all the signs of a protective older sibling. Lycan’s and other animalistic creatures could pick up body language like no one else and right now Thea was speaking very loudly to Alicia whether Thea knew it or not.

“Flower was worried about him, so she sent me to help him have a bit of fun.” She stated before she stood up. “Lycan’s are very open creatures, we have no restrictions on general behaviors, so it doesn’t always make sense to us when other cultures hide away their true selves. He hides a lot, but it isn’t the first time I have seen something like this.”

Nick raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh?”

“Flower was not much different from him as a child.” Alicia stated.

“If anyone can MAKE someone have fun, it’s Alicia.” Uyren stated before he pushed his nails through his short hair. His golden eyes turned to Alicia as she giggled. Uyren pointed up the stairs. “He’s sleeping in one of my rooms.”





Flower opened her eyes as he looked at her. He looked so tired just then, but she probably did too. She shook her head lightly before she curled more around him. Her tail swept over as the massive thing waved in the air. It was long with long fur hanging off it. She placed it around his legs as she thought on all the anger and hate she held back then. She hated humans, hated what they did toward many creatures. Dominic had changed her heart and he had saved her and her kind a lot more than he knew.

“And you have saved mine and many of my people.” Flower stated in a quiet voice. “A lot more than you realize.” She watched as he leaned back into her. Flower didn’t mind and as he returned his gaze to the moon, she followed suit. Her magic washed over him once he fully relaxed. It was comforting glow of warmth and it did wonders to comfort Flower herself. They both were wounded people just taking comfort in each other as many were probably doing after the war.

Dominic’s hurt was shared by Flower when it came to his family. Flower herself took many of the deaths and injuries hard. She was sworn to protect them, but at her failure Draco had wrecked everything. It was her job to protect them, but she had not seen Draco coming. She knew something was off when she had first met Draco, but little did she know it would lead to such heartbreak. Had she seen it and ended Draco, well Ty would be alive, and Thea would not be carrying his spawn. Even the twins would be back at their “guess which is which” shenanigans. It was a thought process Flower had been on many times before. Still, Flower was warring with herself on it. She couldn’t fully take it all back, not when Vicente existed now.

Flower had not gotten that close with Ty, but she did enjoy their small competitions of intelligence. She knew they all were hurting, and she could practically smell the sadness coming off Dominic. She pulled herself closer to him before she decided to try and cheer him up.

“You know, Trinity would have been so happy if she’d known we were stuck in courtship.” She smirked. “She would never let you hear the end of it.”



Deathwish watched Aisha leave before he turned to Mia as she once again teased him. He watched her head toward the exit before he followed her. “I may not have been as hyper, but yes, I was once a normal child.” He answered rather seriously despite her teasing. He took his place at her side as he began to think on all the training he would do with Aisha, and even with Mia once they returned to the human kingdom.

Deathwish of course straightened up further once they were outside. In the darkness he was on high alert. He wasn’t expecting a threat, but it was drilled into him as a child to never let his guard down. It was what makes him one of the best guards and a deadly assassin.
 
Knowing that Flower had sent Alicia to take care of her brother allowed Thea to relax again. If there was anyone she could trust to handle her brothers, it was Flower, and in Marco's case, she was one of the few people who actually was able to connect with him.

"You probably learned pretty quickly he's terrible at having fun in the conventional sense." She said, tilting her head slightly so a few flyaway hairs brushed against Nick's arm. She could only imagine what kind of nonsense Alicia had to pull to get Marco to let down his guard, let alone enjoy himself - if she had even been able to get that far.

She thought back to the last time she'd seen Marco genuinely have a good time. Being the youngest of six, he was picked on a lot as a kid. He was, for lack of better words, the runt of the litter. Small and sickly when he was young, he wasn't able to have a normal childhood. Because of that, it was hard for her to really remember him really enjoying himself, even as a kid. Probably the last time she really saw him genuinely and openly enthused about something was when Chuck and Benn helped him sneak a fat old barn cat into the castle for him to keep as a pet when he was about ten years old. The cat went everywhere with him until the day it died. They'd all been terrified about how he might react after his beloved pet passed, but he actually handled it incredibly well. Sure, he was sad, but he was also at peace knowing that he had been able to give the cranky old animal the best years of its life.

Her mind sprung back to the conversation when Uryen mentioned Marco was staying in the same inn. "If there's any trouble with him, you'll know where to find me." she said, although she doubted he would cause any issues with the innkeeper.


Dominic let out a soft chuckle. Flower's comment pulled his mind away from the depths of despair. He knew he couldn't dwell on the loss of his brother forever, but it didn't change the fact that it hurt.

"Really..." he said, cracking a small smile. "I honestly think she'd be harassing you about it much more than me, Miss 'I refuse to accept this plan'." He shook his head then tilted it a bit to the side so his cheek was pressed into her fur. "You seem to be the only one who won't accept that I don't mind being stuck with you at all. I've come to terms with the possibility that this whole scheme might go awry and we'll end up married. After all, it's not like there's a ton of eligible bachelorettes pounding down my door."

He'd been contemplating this situation a lot since the war concluded. As King, he was supposed to marry for an alliance with another kingdom - not for love - so marrying Flower wasn't much different to him than the alternative. He would most likely be marrying someone thrown at him by some council or King anyway. That's how his parents had been brought together. His mother was practically sold to his father for a land deal. His grandparents and great grand parents and the majority of his ancestors had been the same way, but still their family line continued and each new king had to learn to love his wife rather than fall for her. He knew that Flower was much too stubborn to succumb to those kind of ideals, but he had accepted it and was content with his fate, no matter what happened.


Mia turned and started to walk backwards so she could stare Deathwish down. "You know, I think you could learn a thing or two from your new student." she said, before stepping closer to him, pausing their walk in the middle of the street. "Like, you could learn to loosen up a little bit. Actually enjoy yourself. Smile for me since you're so insistent that I belong to you now."

She pulled up the hem of her dress and pulled a small flask from her thigh. She wiggled it around to double check that there was still a bit of alcohol in it before unscrewing the cap and taking a shot. She held it out to Deathwish with a raised eyebrow and a teasing smirk. It wasn't enchanted alcohol, so it would have little to no effect on him, but she didn't care at this point. Having him feign a little interest was better than drinking alone.
 
Alicia watched Thea and chuckled. “Perhaps, but he does relax around animals. Thankfully I happen to be more wolf than human.” She leaned forward for a moment and observed the two of them. Nick she found really interesting. His stance pretended to be relaxed, but there was a tension in everything he did.

“You two a mated pair?” She asked as she tilted her head.

“No.” Nick stated as he glanced down at Thea. He looked back up to Alicia. Alicia glanced down at the pregnant belly of Thea, but said nothing. It was not unusual for lycans to adopt another’s young or take a mate who recently lost theirs. To Alicia, it was perfectly normal. Everyone helped to raise pups.

“Ah, more complicated human rules?” She stated with distaste.

“Something like that.” Nick added.

Alicia scrunched up her nose at that. “I will never understand the reasoning behind it.”

Nick chuckled before he nudged Thea. “Let’s get you up to a room.” He gently placed a hand on her back. Nick was constantly keeping physical contact. It was probably a vampire thing. Either way, he felt comfortable enough to stay close and make it known he wanted to stay close.


Flower blinked before she stared at him. She nipped at his ear with a fang as a mother would do to a pup. She huffed. “Protecting you and being your wife are two conflicting roles. Honestly, I’m still young when it comes to elves. I am not sure why they won’t wait until I’m 100, but I guess with only two light elves known to exist…” She trailed off as she looked to the side. There were many reasons for it, but it mostly came down to the fact Light Elves were so rare.

Even so, the council was hedging their bets anyways. Flower might go through a whole marriage with Dominic and still not have children. Humans were much more fertile than elves and other creatures with long lifespans. That would still leave her open to marry Ezra should he not have another mate in that time.

She didn’t understand much in the ways of high class. She was trained, sure, but she did not live it. She was primarily a warrior. She supposed Dominic could accept it because he was primarily a king and was always raised that way. She still wished he could marry for love, it was something important in her own family line. The council couldn’t seem to catch on that despite who each of her ancestors married, each line produced very powerful light elves. Flower had done some digging and found a large majority of light elves disappearance had started because of a mysterious vampire. Flower could only assume Draco had used light elves for generations to fuel his castle.


Deathwish paused and turned to look down at Mia. He raised an eyebrow when Mia mentioned about learning from his student. Perhaps he could, but he wouldn’t let Mia know that. Again, she brought up how she belonged to him and again she seemed to be missing the point to that. Still, Deathwish would not explain it to her. No, he wanted to see if she could learn how it worked. After all, it was fully in her rights to mark him as well. She was not his property. He might relent to smiling more at her, but again he kept his thoughts to himself.

Deathwish only blinked when she pulled a flask out. He found it curious she would even carry that about when her goal had been flirting her way to free drinks all night, despite how it might displease him. Once she held it out to him he took a quick sniff. Deciding to indulge her he took it and took a sip. It wouldn’t affect him, so he did not see the harm.
 
Thea appreciated Nick's closeness. She felt safest when she was around him and didn't mind his protective nature. If she wasn't pregnant, it would probably be a slightly different story. She's very adamant about making it clear that she is perfectly capable on her own. But, with how close she probably was to giving birth, she was basically defenseless in a fight.

She gave a polite nod to Uryen and Alicia as Nick escorted her to their room and was relieved when they finally walked in to their private quarters for the night. Immediately she sat down on the bed and kicked off her shoes, stretching her legs out, she released a relieved sigh.

"So," she said, her gaze landing on Nick. "How much does that dark elf know about us?"

Dominic held back a little chuckle at Flower's reaction and shook his head. Her response was exactly what he had expected. "So, if we end up stuck together you get sixty or so years of diversion before this problem comes back up again. I'll keel over and maybe by then you'll have a better shot at actually marrying someone you like. Doesn't seem like a bad deal to me."

He shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, allowing her magic to wash over him in waves. It was warm and comforting, drawing him closer to her with each breath. He could tell that Flower didn't like the idea of their rolls switching. As a husband, he would be given the duty of protecting her. She had been protecting his family for generations and having their places swapped would be genuinely jarring. But, maybe that was just what they needed. Dominic could, in a small way, repay her for all she had done for his family by protecting her from marrying Ezra for a few decades. Maybe even give her time to find someone she actually loves to bring before the council. If that meant his potential for a love life would be halted, then so be it.


Mia flashed a toothy grin as Deathwish took a swig from her flask. "That's the spirit!" she said, putting her hands on his sides and vigorously rubbing them up and down, as if heating up his abdomen would somehow make the alcohol actually affect him.

She turned away from him and continued walking down the street, a little bit of sway in her step from how inebriated she was. "Come on, cranky-pants!" she called behind her. "I need to get out of these heels and take a bath, and you get the job of making sure I don't black out and accidentally drown."
 
Nick looked around the room before he moved toward a window and look out onto the night. He glanced at Thea as she asked how much Uryen knew of them. Nick seemed to pause for a moment as he looked out onto the beautifully crafted Elfin Kingdom. Nick only shrugged before he closed the curtains to the window.

“No one can say. As much as Uyren may or may not know, he will not tell a soul.” Nick smiled lightly at Thea. “He could know nothing at all.” He moved over to Thea and grabbed a piece of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. “Do not be concerned about it. You need to rest.” Nick stated as he smiled charmingly at her. He knew Thea had trouble sleeping without him nearby, but he never said anything about it. He had been surprisingly serious when he got back into his guard duties, perhaps without all the wasted energy he used to flirt, he had plenty of it to do his job.


Flower laid her head down as he seemed to take the negative and flip it around again. She sighed deeply before scooting her head closer to him. She watched as he relaxed in her magic, and seemed even drawn to it. Flower closed her eyes and continued to let it wash out. Her nerves had been so shot recently she had not had time to soak in her magic. It was her therapy and almost essential to her continual function. She was so connected to it and thrived off it.

She supposed that was another reason she hated Ezra, how could one such as him feel anything about his magic and how deeply it lies in him? Did he ever soak in it; let it calm his spirit. She guessed not. She would rather die than marry him, but wasn’t that a death sentence for Dominic? Sure, he would die anyways, but would he be unhappy? He says he would now, but what about later?

Flower slowly extended a wing and tucked Dominic to her side to protect him from the night chill. She was tired and the huge yawn that escaped her caused her to stretch out and shift. Most the unicorns were asleep now, and Flower wasn’t too far from following them.


Deathwish raised an eyebrow at the physical touch before she continued back toward whatever destination she was leading them too. The strong scent of alcohol and the sway in her step did not go unnoticed, but it went uncommented on. Deathwish only stared blankly as she called him names and told him it was his job to keep her from drowning. He of course could tone his senses to her to make sure she doesn’t fall asleep and quite easily do it without having to physically watch her.

Deathwish followed behind quietly as he contemplated the woman before him. He moved in complete silence despite the slightly drunken steps of his partner before him. He kept a close eye on her and their surroundings. A few vampires were out and about after the party, but they did not dare to approach him, and that was how Deathwish liked it.
 
Thea tried to stifle a yawn as Nick brushed a strand of hair out of her face. Her face tilted toward his touch and she rolled her stiff shoulders. "You're probably right..." she said, rising carefully to her feet and giving his arm an affectionate squeeze as she brushed past him.

She silently slipped into the attached bathroom and pulled a provided bathrobe off of a hook on the wall. The material was silky and shiny - Uryen really went all out to treat his guests. She slipped out of her formal gown and into the robe before taking a look at herself in the mirror. No matter how comfortable she was with Nick, she was still self-conscious about how swollen she looked. She didn't really want him to see her changing, just because she was unsure of how to feel about her appearance. She had an awkward waddle to her walk and her entire body seemed disproportioned. To her, she looked more like an over-filled balloon on the brink of bursting rather than a regal matronly figure.

She folded her clothes nicely and left them on the counter before quietly returning to the other room.


Dominic could tell that Flower was ready to fall asleep, and although it may seem a little scandalous, he didn't want to leave her alone. He was very little use as a protector, but he also knew that she was exhausted for multiple reasons, and maybe having a friend nearby would help her relax.

As her wing draped over him, he shifted to his side, allowing his outstretched legs to curl up closer to his body. He was content resting there, the rhythm of her breathing rocking him to sleep. Before he finally slipped into slumber, he quietly muttered one last statement.

"Flower... don't worry about me..."


Mia led Deathwish into, you guessed it, Uryen's inn. She guessed that, being with one of the royal family's head guards, the bill for their stay would be covered, so she decided to indulge in something a little fancier than her usual dive hostels and pay-in-cash rooms. She sidled up to the front desk and gave the dark elf a charming smile. "I need a room with a bathtub." she stated, propping her elbows on the table and watching him write her down in his little notebook. She was too drunk to care that he didn't have to ask her name before writing it down.

She was handed a key and she quickly led the way to the room. Upon entering, it was unlike anything she had ever seen. It was cool and dark with thick velvet curtains and dark wooden furniture and dark grey stone floors. The color scheme was a deep purple and, upon further inspection, the bathroom was more than she could have dreamed of. A deep, circular pool was filled with steaming water like an elegant hot spring. The room was dimly lit and beneath the water was some kind of enchanted purple light that made the dark stone walls ripple with the soft glow.

"Holy s**t..." she breathed, absolutely amazed before quickly stripping down and dropping into the steaming pool. Her entire body sunk down until only her eyes were above water. Mia sighed, releasing a stream of bubbles from her mouth before popping her whole face above water and grinning. "I feel like f***ing royalty!" she exclaimed, kicking her feet out. There was enough room in the pool for at least ten people, if not more. Mia's short legs didn't even reach the other side when fully extended.

 
Nick had taken off his jacket and untucked his shirt before he laid the jacket nicely over a chair. He turned and examined the walls. Each one was enchanted so creatures with higher senses could not scent or hear anything outside the rooms. There was powerful magic sustaining this inn. It probably had a magical power source hidden away to be sustaining all these magical properties.

Nick watched as Thea came back in and put on his usual smile. Thea’s appearance was no shock to him. In his extended years he had seen many pregnant women. Not to mention he had bared the full blunt of fury when it came to his own pregnant x-wife. There wasn’t much that could surprise him on the subject.

“Glad all that flirting paid off, I finally have you in an inn alone with me.” Nick teased before he winked at her.


Flower’s ear flicked at his last comment. Flower raised her head to look back at him. She stared before she took once glance at the moon. She released a sigh before she rested her head and closed her eyes for sleep. She let the moon wash over her.

Flower was racing down hallways that shifted and changed before her. She looked as a wall came at her and she jumped to the right through another passage. The wall slammed and blocked the way she came. She raced down the hallway as panic rose in her chest. She was running from something, but what was it? She gasped as the floor fell away in front of her. She stopped and stared down at the abyss below. Her panting breath and rapid heartbeat was all she heard as she desperately looked for another way out.

“FLOWERRRRR!” A voice sang tauntingly from somewhere behind her. “Come ouuuuuuuut!” The voice was haunting and caused a shiver to run down her spine.

Flower lunged for the abyss and reached for the edge of the other side. She just barely gripped it before she pulled herself up and raced down that hallway. She busted through double doors before she pushed them closed with her shoulder. There was one thing on her mind, and that was too hide but there only was an empty room. She looked around at the scorch marks and blood that splattered the ground.

“No…” Flower whispered.

“Found you!” Flower barely had time to yell before sharp nails pierced her side. Flower cried out as her body was lifted. She looked over into eyes of black and hair of blood red.

“Draco…” Flower yelped as he tossed her to the side. She slowly dragged her body to move but he stomped on her back. His nails entered her vision before in one quick jerk he slashed through her eyes.

“Did you think you escaped me?” His voice taunted her as his hand gripped her side and squeezing painfully at the injury there. Flower blinked as she tried to clear her eyes of blood. She looked and saw Draco’s bunt face and skeletal arms. Whatever skin was there was covered in blisters and the smell of burnt flesh entered her nose.

His laughter filled the air as Flower started shaking. She couldn’t move as he held her down. She felt trapped and the room was getting darker, or was her vision just fading? Flower tried to use her magic, but it would not listen. It was locked away with all her fear as Draco punched through her stomach.

Flower awoke with a startle before she instantly rushed away from her spot. She transformed back into her humanoid form as she tripped and landed on her knees. Her eyes were wide, and her body was shaking. She gripped both arms as she tried to calm her breathing. With a shaking hand she tried to summon her magic. Panic set in when light did not come to her call. She tried again and again before a small fizzle of light finally made it into palm.

Finally tears broke through and Flower shifted as she tucked her head to her legs which were pulled up to her chest. Her body did not stop shaking, but the light swirled around her hand faintly. It was dim and flickering almost flashing with each tremor that went through her.


Deathwish remained quiet throughout their trip, but he stared down Uryen as Mia took the lead and asked for what she wanted. He knew of Uryen by stories that Nick had told him, but he was uneasy with the inn keeper. He didn’t like when someone knew more about him than he knew of them. He didn’t miss how Uryen knew her name. He also didn’t miss the smirk on Uryen’s lips as the dark elf’s eyes followed them. Deathwish only sent a glare, which was met with indifference.

Deathwish considered the room before examining it carefully. He noted every detail of it and ignored Mia’s outbursts about the bathroom. He only examined the magic used on the rooms and cleared it of any spying magic. He soon decided to sit by the bathroom and enter a meditative state as he kept his senses toned on Mia so she couldn’t drown herself without him knowing. He had a lot to balance out in his mind and go through, but his attention never came off Mia. He would keep her safe; that was his job.
 
Thea rolled her eyes as she sat back down on the bed. "Nick, you're such a charmer." She said in a sarcastic tone. "How did you know I would never be able to resist your advances?"

She shifted so her legs were stretched out on the bed and her back was leaned against the pillows and headboard. She wiggled her toes a little bit, her feet obviously swollen from her pregnancy. She was amazed by her own biology, how much she'd changed since becoming pregnant. Her stomach wasn't the only thing that was swelling up. Her feet and her chest were the most noticeable, but. her appetite and need for sleep had both increased dramatically while her bladder felt like it had shrunk to a quarter of its former capacity. Part of her couldn't wait for her body to return to normal (or as close to normal as one could ever be after giving birth), but she couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever miss these quiet moments with her baby literally living inside of her instead of off on its own. It was a level of closeness that she would have for only a little while longer, and would never have again with this child.


Dominic was abruptly awoken by Flower jolting upright, transforming, and running away at top speed. His body that was completely relying on her for support, collapsed to the ground with a heavy 'thunk'. He groggily blinked, looking up at the sky, and was momentarily confused as to where he was before he remembered relaxing with Flower in her beast form.

Suddenly he bolted to his feet, his head rapidly turning every which way to see where she had gone. Had she been kidnapped? Was it Ezra? Some unknown villain? What had happened while he was peacefully sleeping at her side?

He caught a quick glimpse of white and ran as fast as he could in that direction. He wasn't as agile as Flower, but eventually, he caught up to her and stopped a few yards away. She was... crying... Her magic flickering around her with every shutter of her body.

He didn't want to startle her, but he was worried, so he quietly stepped into a place where she could hopefully see him in her peripheral and said, "Flower... It's me... Can I help?"

He wasn't really sure what else he could say. She was obviously in distress, but he also knew that he didn't know anything about what was upsetting her, and he didn't want to pressure her into opening up, even if it would be for her own good. If she told him to leave, he would give her space. If she wanted company, he would be there for her for as long as she needed him.


"Deathwish!" Mia called, splashing water with her feet. "You need to try this!" But, when no response came, she rolled her eyes and leaned back against the edge of the circular tub. He was obviously being Mr. Stoic and wasn't going to have any fun.

After her fingers and toes looked like white raisins, she finally exited the steamy bath and dried off with a crisp, white towel. She wrapped it around her with a smug look on her face. "Deathwish will either be internally abashed by your nudity, or grateful that you put on a towel, but either way he probably won't do s**t." She thought as she exited the bathroom.

Her first sight was him meditating, to which she rolled her eyes. What else could she have expected? She snatched a sheet off the bed and quickly wrapped it around her like a weird toga/cape/dress before tossing her damp towel at Deathwish's head. "You've gotta try that tub." She said. "I'll even be kind enough to give you a shoulder rub if you ask nicely."
 
Nick smirked at her before he sat on the side of the bed and patted her legs. “I didn’t it, but that’s what makes it fun.” He soon turned to look out the window. He turned to watch her examine herself. He knew the changes would be daunting. Frankly he was glad he didn’t have to go through that. He just tried to comfort her in his own way to remind her that she is still beautiful to him. He tried, but there was a lot on his mind…and on his heart.

He stroked her legs as he smiled at her. “You better get some sleep.” He stated as he shifted so he sat beside her. “I will be here.” He mentioned as he stoked her hair.

Nick seemed in his own world by that point. He was thinking, but he was thinking about his own son. The pain nearly choked him out and weighed him down. It suffocated him sometimes; the throbbing wound he tried desperately to ignore. He put up a face in front of Thea and others, but when he was alone, that’s when he fell apart again.

He had lost his son once, but now it was final. There was no going back. There was no saving him. There was no Peter. All Nick was doing was surviving from day to day. That’s all he could do, survive. Thea made it easier, but he was in a lot of pain and only time will tell if it will be the end of him.




Flower heard him coming as her ear twitched at the sound of footsteps. She curled herself tighter as her fear grew. “Draco….it’s not Draco!” Her mind race until Dominic spoke. “Dominic!” Flower shot her head up and looked at Dominic. Her light calmed, but still twitched and was faint. Flower’s body continued to shake.

“I’m…sorry…” Flower stated rather brokenly as she squeezed her legs closer to her chest. She couldn’t control it. It just happened. The nightmares of Draco never went away. He had done so much too her that she feared her own fear would never go away. He was a monster and one that had always been ten steps ahead. Even now, he felt close. His body was gone, but that meant nothing. Draco’s monsters, his creations were more than enough proof there was almost nothing he couldn’t do.

When she had faced him, he torn her down, carved his name, and made sure to leave his mark on her psyche. She had always been afraid of him, ever since Nightshade had turned up as a new personality implanted by him. She had been afraid.

“I can’t stop shaking. It’s never stopped since…” She had been shaking while with Draco. The very mention of his name made her hands shake. She’s been hiding it. She’s been hiding that she can’t sleep, hiding that her hands shake, hiding that she has these panic attacks. She supposed it was only a matter of time before someone found out.



Deathwish had not opened his eyes since she stepped out of the bath. He continued his meditation until she threw her towel at him. His hand shot up and grabbed it before it hit his head. He finally opened his eyes and look emotionlessly at Mia.

“I have no need to bathe at this time.” He stated honestly before he placed the towel neatly at his side. He didn’t comment on the shoulder rub. In all honesty he wanted to put Mia to bed. She was drunk and would probably be feeling sick in a few hours. He also had to prepare to treat the symptoms in the morning.
 
Thea could tell that Nick was falling into the depths of his own mind again. He was an expert at covering his tracks when it came to his emotions, but she could spot the cracks in his facade and she had a pretty good guess as to what he was thinking.

"You know..." she said, shifting her position so she could comfortably rest her head on his shoulder. "Even the best parents can fail miserably."

She closed her eyes and gently grabbed his hand, giving it a little squeeze. There wasn't a lot she could do to comfort him at this point. He had lost his son and he blamed himself. She could barely comprehend how agonizing that must be for him. But, she also knew that the only way to truly heal is to learn from the past and move forward. Dwelling on mistakes and regrets, no matter how grave, wouldn't lead anywhere good.


As Flower calmed down ever so slightly, Dominic took a few cautious steps forward and took a seat in the grass about a yard away from Flower. He thought to reach out to her at first, but about half way through the action he changed his mind and placed his hand palm down on the ground between them. He decided that he would not touch her without her permission. Even a comforting touch in a situation this precarious might just make things worse. Especially since he still wasn't completely certain on what was happening.

"You don't have to apologize," he said, his voice steady even though her entire body was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. "You don't have to explain either, if you don't want to. You don't even have to talk if you don't feel up to it."

An idea struck him and he dug around in his pockets for a moment before pulling out an off-white handkerchief. He held it out to her in a silent gesture that said "You can breathe. Wipe your tears. I'm here for you."


Mia groaned with exasperation. "Of course you don't need to take a bath, but there's this wonderful thing called enjoying yourself where you do things because you can."

She sauntered up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning most of her weight on his back. For once, instead of reeking of blood sweat and alcohol, she smelled like whatever fancy soap the enchanted bath was filled with. Something that smelled vaguely like amber and ocean air. "Come on" She crooned, leaning in close to his ear. "I promise I'll be nice and behave myself all day tomorrow if you just loosen up a little tiny bit tonight. Cross my heart and all that s**t."

Of course, that was a promise she would regret while nursing a hangover and having limited patience in the morning, but she was drunk and having a great time and desperately wanted Deathwish to experience it with her.
 
Nick blinked a few times as Thea’s voice brought him back. He looked over as she rested her head on his shoulder. Nick seemed deadly silent as she seemed to read his mind again. There were not many who could read him, not the real him. Sure, anyone could guess what Nick was going to do, but that was just a face. Thea seemed to be capable of reading what was under the mask.

He supposed it was only natural. After all, she had seen more of him than anyone in centuries, not including Deathwish. He sighed though as her words brought him little comfort. This was not just a failure; it was a disaster. He tempered down the rage that threatened to rear up. Thea…did not understand and for now. That was fine. She didn’t need to understand, and he hoped she never would have too.

He moved the hand she was holding from her grip before shifting and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He gently set his chin on her head and squeezed her shoulder.

“Go to sleep, Thea.” He gently urged her again. His usually bright violet eyes suddenly looking hazy and tired. There was an age in his eyes that wasn’t there before. If a hundred years had a face, it would be in his eyes.


Flower blinked as she looked over at him. Her body tremored, but she slowly gained control over her breathing. Her elfin ears twitched nervously before she sat in silence. She tightened her hold on her legs and pulled herself until the usually tall elf suddenly looked very small. Her shivering finally calmed until it only happened in small intervals.

When he offered the handkerchief, Flower looked over at him before she gently took it. Her light swirled around her hand as she gently grasped it before it slowly traveled up his arm. Flower’s eyes suddenly looked tired, but calm. She finally gained control over her magic and the light of the moon engulfed her and spread a comforting aura once again as if her magic was comforting its master. She just clutched the handkerchief for a moment before she managed a small smile.

“Thank you, Dominic.” Flower stated before she wiped her tears away. It felt foreign to her, since she never used one before, but it was a gesture she didn’t want to waste.


Deathwish eyed her and raised an eyebrow as she brought up enjoying himself again. He failed to see how a bath could be considered enjoying one’s self. Sure, it was good for many sanitary reasons, but he never considered it “Fun” or “Enjoyable”

He did not move as she leaned over his back. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and ignored the fact the only thing she was wearing at that time was a sheet. He nearly released a sigh and opened his mouth in preparation to tell her to put something decent on.

He paused as he caught her scent, and despite his stoic face his pupils dilated for a second. She smelled very pleasant and it wasn’t overpowering unlike many grooming practices of human royalty. As she crooned in his ear, he stared stoically forward. He sighed and reached back before he pulled her down, so he could have access to her neck. He placed his forehead on the spot where he had made a mark.

“I believe I already have, Mia.” He reminded her as he looked at her and his stoic eyes stared and his raised eyebrow dared her to disagree.
 
"I'll only sleep if you do too." Thea said, draping an arm lazily across Nick's torso. Her fingers barely grazed the sheets on his other side as she snuggled close, her eyes still closed. "And after a good night's rest, maybe you could tell me what you're thinking so I don't have to keep trying to read your mind." She added, but the tail end of her statement was cut off by a yawn.

It was hard for her to see him suffering in silence. She didn't understand what he was going through, but she was going to need him to open up a little more if she was going to try. And letting him stay awake and continue thinking himself into a spiral of emotions wouldn't make it any easier.

After all, he had helped her through so much already. Now she believed it was her turn to repay the favor. If that meant staying awake all night to keep him anchored to reality, then she was more than ready to do so. And Thea was too stubborn to let Nick prevent her from facing his demons alongside him.


"Don't mention it," Dominic said, giving Flower an encouraging smile. Seeing her calm down was all the thanks he needed. Noticing that she'd stopped shaking for the most part, he slowly rose to his feet and stretched. He offered her a hand to help her up and said, "How about we take a walk. Thea always says it's the best way to clear your head."

Deep down inside he was worried for Flower. He knew that she was tough enough where her having a complete breakdown meant something serious. He'd never seen her look so... small... It reminded him a bit of his brother Marco when he was younger - always trying to be tough, but really he was just terrified. Maybe that's why he had related to Flower so well. Maybe he had seen that in her all along when everyone else, even Dominic, had missed it.

Whatever Flower was afraid of wasn't important for him to know, though. Not if she didn't want to tell him. What was important, now that he knew that there was something deeply bothering her, was helping her feel safe and strong again.


Mia practically melted as Deathwish pulled her down toward him - something that her sober self would try to avoid doing at all costs. She wrapped her arms tighter around him, giving him a squeeze as she felt his breath against her shoulder. "Mmhh...." she breathed, putting a hand on his cheek.

"You had your kind of fun," she pointed out, running her thumb down from his cheek to his jawline. "But now that you've made it perfectly clear that you like being stuck with my bossy, b***hy a**, I want you to try doing things my way for once." She finished off her statement with a teasing smirk that silently reminded him that, if things went her way tonight, she had already promised to follow his rules and behave in the morning. And if he didn't comply, the next day there would be nothing stopping her from being a complete terror.
 
Nick chuckled lightly at her as she bargained for him to sleep as well. “As you wish.” He stole the popular phrase from Deathwish as he shifted to be more comfortable. Nick and Deathwish didn’t sleep too often. Deathwish of course slept far less than Nick did. He supposed since they were children they had a habit of not sleeping particularly because of their father.

Nick mused over his own mother as he was reminded that she still had the staff of their father’s head covered in gold. He was honestly surprised she wasn’t carrying it around. He shifted so he could brush his fingers through Thea’s hair. All these thoughts on parenting and children almost had him dizzy. He was reminded once more of the nature of his species. They kill or be killed and he supposed that children were especially susceptible to their harsh reality. Had Nick and Deathwish been any weaker then they are, they would have been dead as young as 12 years old.

He glanced down at Thea and was once more mortified to realize this child would be no different. He would suffer the vampire world just like they all did. He was Draco’s child. His only comfort was that his mother had decided to care for the child and not kill it. Honestly, any other female vampire would have murdered Thea by now and Draco’s spawn.

He closed his eyes and sighed. “My thoughts would only worry you more, Thea. You need not hear them.” He whispered before sleep bore down on him and he was out. He must have been way more tired than he thought he was.


Flower looked up at him and sighed deeply. She slowly grabbed his hand and pulled herself up. She dusted herself off before she looked out at the quiet elfin city. “Yeah, this way.” Flower stated as she started heading to the one place that always could clear her mind, the forest.

She paused before she looked at Dominic for a moment. Her magic drew in close as the chilled air made her shaky breath visible. She closed her eyes as she walked and tried to make sense of her troubled mind. If anyone she could tell, it would probably be Dominic. Steeling up her resolve, she finally spoke.

“I have nightmares ever since the war. More than that, nightmares about Draco.” She rubbed her arms. “I…don’t sleep because of it.”


Deathwish watched her for a moment before he calculated the benefits of having her behave tomorrow. A bath wasn’t really punishing, so why shouldn’t he take advantage of it? It was a win either way. He supposed she might try to pester him, but he could be done in two minutes thanks to vampire speed.

He stroked her hair before he stood up and began unbuttoning his shirt. “As you wish.” He stared at her from the corner of his eye with a hooded gaze. “I will hold you to this promise, Mia.” He warned before he turned to the bath.
 
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