Chapter 1

Everything hurt. 

He had no idea how long he had been walking, or how many suns had set and risen within that span of time. Everything was a blur of darkness and pain. Most people would have already tried to end their lives, but he knew that he deserved to suffer. It wouldn’t take too long, just one more day, or hour, or minute. His body was decaying from the inside out, rotting away from the silver that flowed through his system like water. 

His lungs quivered with each inhale and exhale, struggling to accommodate enough oxygen within their damaged tissue. 

With only the faint rasp of his breathing and the shuffling of his feet within the leaf litter meeting his ears, Marquise continued his trudge through the dense forest around him. 

It wasn’t that he hadn’t come across any threats since he’d left his former home, either. He had most definitely been found quite quickly by all manner of creatures. He had no doubt that they had been attracted by the smell of decay coming from his body, but most of them must have been scavengers, because they simply followed him, curious as to why he wasn’t dead yet, but not willing to try and deliver a final blow. 

Even some wild werewolves had found him a while ago, and while they had growled and griped about him intruding on their territory, not a single one had dared to get close enough to bite. 

They didn’t trust him, and he wasn’t surprised in the least. He smelled like death, yet for some reason, somehow, he was still walking. They
had
 followed him for quite some distance, though, only stopping after he evidently crossed into a different territory.  

He had also removed his shoes some time ago after tripping one too many times as he dragged his aching feet. His long coat had been discarded some time later as its weight had been too much for his deteriorating body to continue carrying. Now, his right hand was completely black, likely planning on being the next item he left behind. 

An extended period of time passed before he realized something and finally slowed to a stop near a large lake. 

Ah… a storm about to begin. 

He hadn’t noticed it while deep within the dense forest, but now that he had wandered into a large opening, he could just-barely see the darkening clouds and hear the faint rippling of water on the surface of the lake before him as it was whipped up into little waves by the wind. 

Licking his dry, cracked lips, Marquise slowly inched his way down the slight incline leading to the water. His bare toes brushed against tall grass and moist dirt as he got closer to its edge.

This seems like a nice place to rest forever. 

He inched forward a few more steps before glancing downward. He was already missing his right eye, and with his left one absolutely exhausted from his refusal to sleep, it was barely able to make out the soft, watery mud he’d walked into. 

With his mind momentarily distracted from the constant pain he was in, Marquise carefully lowered himself into the cool water and dirt mixture settled just beneath its rippling surface. 

The water from the lake flowed just close enough to where he was to keep a few inches of it above the mud, but that was perfectly fine. He’d just needed to sit and for some reason, he chose the wet spot over the dry. 

It didn’t matter either way in the long run, so he didn’t care if he finished ruining his dirty clothing. 

Licking his lips again, he lifted his right hand close to his face in order to look it over. Its bandage had fallen off some time ago, revealing dark skin and the rotting flesh just beneath its surface. The discoloration had already begun to travel up his wrist, too. 

At least I will likely die before I lose my entire arm. 

A few droplets of water tapped against the top of his dark-haired head a moment later, drawing his attention upward as the sky began to release the rain it had been consolidating. 

“Mmm,” he hummed as he slowly leaned back until his body settled within the mud. 

It felt good. Not simply because he had always enjoyed the feeling of rain on his body, but because, for the first time in as long as he could remember, no one cared what he did. No one was watching him, expecting something
more
. He was not an alpha that had to be careful with his every move. He didn’t have to watch his back or care about behaving unprofessionally for fear of whispers. 

In fact…

Allowing a rare, tired smile to grace his chapped lips, he let his exhausted body slowly roll onto its side, closer to the deeper mud, then with a little more effort, onto its belly for a brief moment, then back onto its back. Mud immediately soaked through the remaining dry portion of his messy shirt and cooled his skin as he minutely moved his head back and forth, making his already-dark hair look like quite the sight.

When he had been a young pup his wolf had absolutely
loved
 rolling in mud. Of course, his parents had stopped that habit with a few well-placed bites and loud snarls, but every once in a while he’d allow his pup to take over and enjoy itself for a very brief time when no one was around. 

When he’d moved to the city, however, those little escapes had been quashed altogether. Being an alpha was nothing to scoff at, and being one that assisted other packs while still fully managing its own large one was daunting and exhausting. 

Not to mention that he’d had to force his wolf to accept silver injections in secret, too, in order to procure their safety. Even though it hadn’t helped in the end…  

“Take this one moment of peace. You don’t deserve it, but who is around to care enough to stop you?” he told himself as he slowly rolled onto his side and nuzzled the left side of his face into the soft mud. 

A close-lipped smile tugged his lips upward again as he rolled back onto his other side and kicked his bare foot into the mud as his left hand did the same, sending a bit of water and mud flying. 

He rolled around for quite some time before settling onto his back again to catch his breath and stare up at the darkening sky after wiping off his left eye and right eye patch.

“I haven’t done that in years…” he whispered as he panted, the sound of the increasing rainstorm swallowing his words with ease. 

“I’m sorry that you can’t be here for this,” he added as he searched inside of himself, but knew that he would find nothing. 

He had intentionally crippled his wolf. Even though he had done it for the greater good, his wolf didn’t understand that, and it definitely didn’t have to forgive him for it, either. Hell, he didn’t forgive himself, because starting those injections had lead to a lot more wolves suffering and several even dying when he could no longer handle the experiments by himself. He deserved to lose his wolf and die a slow, painful death. 

Marquise remained where he was until the storm began pushing the water from the lake higher and higher on his body, eventually getting close to covering his mouth. 

Forced to move, because drowning was still the one thing that terrified him, he groaned as his body protested. The mud had been fun while he’d been rolling around, but after lying in it for the better half of an hour, it had sunk its claws into his clothing and wrapped itself around his tired body with ease. Thus, sitting up took nearly all of his remaining energy. 

He was just teetering from side to side, doing his best to stay upright as the water level continued to slowly rise, when he noticed something in the corner of his eye that he was sure hadn’t been there before. 

Blinking as the pouring rain tried to obscure his vision further than it already was, Marquise did his best to focus on the blurry figure that was now slowly moving toward him. He was just about to try his luck getting out of the mud again when he felt something suddenly bite his leg! 

He jumped, but even being startled didn’t give him enough energy to free himself as the water settled around his midsection. 

He tried to catch a glimpse of whatever had nipped at him, but the storm was churning up the water, making it impossible to see beneath the surface. 

“They never pass up a chance to feed on rotting flesh.” 

The calm, cold timbre that met his ears immediately drew Marquise’s attention away from the water and up to the person he had seen from a distance moments ago. Except, the man had moved
much
 closer and was now staring down at him from only a meter or so away, a silver umbrella held perfectly above his head. He was just far enough away, in fact, to not get mud on his shoes. 

Marquise tried to piece together exactly what the man had said with his muddled mind as the wind howled and the torrential rain tried to drown out every other sound, but he didn’t get the chance before he felt something bite his leg again, then immediately snap at his badly damaged right hand! 

He quickly swiped his left hand down into the thickening mud to try and scare off whatever was biting him, then, after a few more failed attempts to free himself, he managed to turn his body enough to at least get onto his knees and lift his rotten hand out of the water. 

“I’ve never seen such a rotten dog…” 

Marquise had managed to hear the man’s words well this time since the rain was beginning to subside to a normal shower now. He didn’t exactly have anything to say in response, though. He wasn’t going to ask for help, and he doubted that the man standing before him planned to offer any. 

Forcing himself not to simply give up yet, he reached toward the less muddy land a foot or so away and dug his dull fingernails into the dirt. He even used his rotted hand, though it barely gave him any purchase whatsoever, it felt like a waste if he didn’t at least try. He no longer had any sensation besides pain in those fingertips, but when that hand reached forward a second time and somehow found a risen tree root within the tall grass and dirt, he forced his fingers to try and wrap around it. 

When that failed, however, he pushed that hand a tiny bit farther, then used his wrist bone, which had begun to protrude because he hadn’t eaten for quite some time, to slip behind the root. It wasn’t ideal and hurt like hell, but with his left hand digging into the ground and his right wrist partially pressed behind the wayward tree root, he managed to kick and squirm his way out of the muddy water just far enough to collapse beyond the fishes’ reach. 

The frustrated splashes that occurred right after he got out of range made him give a pathetic, silent chuckle as he nuzzled against the cold grass. 

His pathetic celebration was quickly cut short when his exhausted body tensed and pain radiated from his rotten hand. He looked up with his blurry left eye and saw that he had unintentionally crawled directly toward the other man, who must have squatted down and grabbed some sort of small, sturdy stick and lifted his damaged hand once he’d gotten close enough.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen wolves intentionally poison each other. Your species is more or less the
tear it apart
 type when it comes to disputes… so why are you rotting from the inside out?” the man asked, though clearly didn’t really expect a response since he didn’t even bother to move in order to look him in the eye. 

“My lord?” 

He considered trying to see the newcomer, but Marquise had already shut his one eye a moment earlier and let his body give up trying to move any further. He was completely spent, so what would it matter if he saw the other man or not? There was not a single ounce of energy left in his body to react to anything they might do. 

“Report,” the man closer to him said to the other, though he seemed distracted as he continued to examine Marquise’s hand with the stick. 

The other man gave him a quick rundown of the patrol he’d evidently just gone on. There were no wolves in the area… for more than twenty miles in any direction. There were no scents, no marks, and no traces of them at all. 

“Good. I think they’ve finally figured out that stepping into my territory is an immediate death sentence.” 

As the man closest to him spoke, he used the firm stick to bend Marquise’s damaged fingers backwards, perhaps to emphasize his mistake in coming to his territory. It hurt, but thankfully his body had just had enough and the pain dwindled into numbness within a few short moments. 

The man seemed to become bored without any kind of reaction, so he let his hand fall back down to the ground and tossed the stick away as Marquise heard him stand up in one smooth, fluid motion. 

“I’m heading back. Throw him into the lake… the fish look hungry.” 

He heard some sort of affirmative response, but his hearing was going in and out as his consciousness began to slip. The thought of drowning terrified him, but at least he would likely pass out before it happened. It would be an okay way to die. 

Right as he finished those thoughts he felt a strong hand wrap around his upper arm and easily lift him off the ground. His entire body sagged. Not a single muscle dared to try and resist, but for some reason, instead of being thrown away into the water, his body just continued to hang there, his life suspended by what felt like a single, tiny thread. 

As his mind finally drifted off into complete darkness, he felt his body begin to move again, but his lungs didn’t fill with water, and nothing was biting at him. He wasn’t sure what the other man was doing, but considering his own condition, he just couldn’t find the energy to care anymore. If he never woke up again, then so be it.

Chapter 2

Ouch.

Marquise slowly began to come around as he felt something digging into his damaged side.

“Ah, there you are.”

Who…?

There was no way he was going to be able to open his eyes or move much, so Marquise tried to focus on other things. Mainly, there was something stabbing into his side that hurt terribly.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I thought I had used enough numbing agent. Give me just a moment,” the unfamiliar voice said as the pain in his side lessoned a good bit with the withdrawal of the tool the man had been using.

A few moments later he felt something cold press against the injured area, then, blissfully, it went completely numb. His tired body relaxed the slightest bit in response, making the other person respond calmly.

“There we go. Sorry about that, I honestly thought that I’d used enough but it seems like the rot has begun to eat away at your ribs,” the man said as he started scraping away the damaged flesh again.

“I honestly thought that you would never wake up again. You surprised me.”

He had surprised himself, too. Waking up had not been part of his plan.

“I can sense some of your emotions, but for some reason I can’t hear what you’re thinking. I’ve never not been able to hear the thoughts of another living person,” the man stated.

It was no surprise to Marquise that he couldn’t get into his head. Having been an alpha, he had
years
of practice restricting access to his thoughts. Not even his most-trusted subordinates had been able to just search his mind for thoughts.

I suppose my inner defenses are still solid, though for what reason, I’m unsure.

“This is the first time I have ever disobeyed my master in my one hundred and twelve years, too,” the man said quietly as he continued working.

Marquise could just-barely feel a slight tickling sensation as a knife scraped against his left ribs, but thankfully he felt little else.

“I’ve already cleaned up your left leg and bandaged it. Your foot was thankfully spared, so that’s good.”

Was it? Marquise wasn’t a fool. Yes, he’d managed to wake up, but that didn’t mean much in the long run. His body was still dying, and no matter how much rot the man scraped out, it couldn’t remove the multitude of silver from his bloodstream.

“Do you want to know why I actually went against my master to save you?” he asked, though clearly didn’t expect any sort of response from him.

“Well, while you definitely smell like a wolf, or really, you have several of their scents on you, I realized that not a single one of those scents was as strong as it should be. A werewolf that’s close to dying will usually smell more like its animal form, or even shift for its remaining days.”

He wasn’t wrong. Considering the terrible condition his body was currently in, he should have shifted back to his wolf form long ago to ready itself to die.

“I’m still ninety-nine percent sure that you’re a werewolf, because I’ve never met one nice enough to let a human live amongst them, but at the same time, there’s that one percent that has me curious. Perhaps you
are
that one human that had been granted some sort of leniency and yet, your blood is heavy with silver and your body is rotting away from within. There are some very rare diseases that can cause such issues, but the silver in your bloodstream makes it nearly impossibly for me to consider you human,” the man said, then continued to mumble to himself as he worked for a long while on Marquise’s left side.

By the time he sighed and withdrew his tools, he’d worked his way all the way up to Marquise’s shoulder.

“These scars are quite interesting, too. You’ve clearly had to hold your own, wolf or not, more than a few times. Oh how I wish to be able to search your mind right now,” the man said quietly as he began cleaning up his things.

“Do you think you could drink something? I know that it’s probably not going to stay down, but the doctor in me can’t help but want to try.”

Marquise, of course, didn’t respond, but he could feel his painfully chapped lips aching and his empty stomach twisting into constant knots. He was willing to try.

“Let’s see how water works first, hmm?” the man said as he walked over and, after adding another pillow beneath his head, brought over a chair or stool and then grabbed a container of water.

“Alright, here we go,” he said cheerfully as he reached over and gently settled some sort of small glass item against Marquise’s lower lip.

“It’s just a little eyedropper. We’re going to go really slow to start, alright?” he said as he very gently squeezed a single drop of water out.

The moment he felt it slip into his mouth Marquise put every single ounce of effort he had left into moving his tongue just far enough forward to touch that tiny droplet.

“Wonderful!” the man exclaimed in excitement as he squeezed another single drop out of the eyedropper.

It took Marquise a bit more time to retrieve that one, but he did finally manage to move his tongue again and lick the tiny droplet.

“There you go. You are truly amazing,” the man said as they began to slowly work together on their current goal.

It took quite a long time, but he managed to get through three droppers worth of liquid and about three ounces from a
very
carefully tipped cup before exhaustion overtook him and he stopped responding completely.

“That’s okay. You did wonderfully. Rest now,” the man said happily as he adjusted the pillows a bit more, then walked away.

Marquise was already half asleep when he heard the sound of something being opened. Then he smelled something that he hadn’t expected to ever again.

“Ah, it seems like they are making more apple pies down the street at the bakery. They smell fantastic,” the man said as warm air drifted in through the window, bringing the delicious scent with it.

Unwillingly, Marquise’s stomach gave a pathetically tiny grumble. He had never admitted it to his pack members, but he’d had quite a bad sweet tooth when he’d been young. Of course, that all stopped when he’d taken over his pack, though it was impossible to hide while in such terrible condition.

“I totally understand. They’re amazing, even though I really shouldn’t eat them since I’m a vampire. It doesn’t process all that well, but every once in a long while I can’t help myself.”

He couldn’t argue that. If he had been able to move at all, he would have likely gotten one just because he could. Except, he probably couldn’t. He’d given up all of his money and possessions before he’d left. He had not a single penny to his name.

“I’ll tell you what. Next time, I’ll bring you some of that pie filling. How does that sound?” the man asked as he walked closer and tucked a light blanket in around him.

I want it…

He heard the man begin to speak again, but his mind was no longer able to process his words as it sank back into darkness.

“M-my lord, please wait!”

Marquise’s mind tried to pull itself together and wake up, but he couldn’t make it work any faster than it already was.

“Please let me explain!”

The doctor from before…

The door to the room he was in suddenly swung open so hard that it slammed against the wall behind it as two sets of footsteps hurried toward him. One was sure and determined while the other fumbled about nervously, trying to keep up but not overtake the other.

“My lord, please let me explain! We have been tasked with keeping all humans safe, and I understand that he appears wolfish, but look closely, please! The scents of wolves have been fading by the hour and while he is rotting, there could be another explanation for such a thing,” the man said, trying his best to brook an argument that was, unfortunately, likely to fail.

A hissed growl was the other man’s response, and just like that, the room fell immediately silent.

A few moments later and a set of cold fingers were grasping his jaw painfully tightly, its claws digging into his pale skin in several places. He expected the man to break his neck and be done with it right at that moment, but instead of killing him, Marquise felt long lengths of hair settle against the right side of his face as the other man leaned down towards his neck.

He’s trying to find my wolf’s scent…

Somehow, some way, the man gave a quiet, frustrated growl and leaned away a few moments later. He refused to release his jaw yet, but for some reason, he was hesitating killing him.

“He reeks of silver and is rotting away just like a wolf would if it got badly poisoned,” the vampire lord said with a slight slur.

He has his fangs extended.

Marquise felt his stomach twist a little with nerves, but he would have honestly laughed if he were able, because that nervousness had nothing to do with being killed. He wanted to taste that apple pie before he died and was worried that such a thing might not come to fruition.

“He smells like an entire pack of wolves and his mind is sealed so tightly that even
I
can’t get into it! Tell me, how can he
not
be a wolf?”

There was a long stretch of silence before the doctor walked closer, speaking as he moved.

“I understand, my lord, but I just can’t be sure yet. Is there really such harm in leaving him be for now? I can guarantee to you that there is no way for him to fully recover. If he truly is a werewolf, he will die very soon on his own. I just… something is off. Several things are off.”

He couldn’t argue that. Even
he
knew that he should have been dead by now. He wasn’t sure what to make of his wolf’s scent completely vanishing, either, since it technically
was
still inside of him, but if that bought him enough time to get a taste of that pie…

How far I have fallen from an alpha werewolf in charge of a massive pack to a fake human simply desperate for a taste of sugar before he passes away.

Finally, the man’s fingers fell away from his face.

“You’ve cleaned up his left side,” he said, stating the obvious as his hand found its way to one of the bandages.

Since it had been a while, the numbing agent had worn off, making Marquise flinch inwardly as the pressure began to hurt quite a bit.

“U-um, elder Vrasje, I—”

The other man must have made some sort of gesture to silence him, because the person who had been looking after him immediately quieted.

Marquise strained his ears to try and hear what was going on as both of them moved about the room, but he must have gotten some mud in them, because his hearing was beginning to give him trouble.

Perhaps they’re infected…

It wouldn’t surprise him. They also had been hurting a bit, too, but he had much worse pain to worry about and had probably just pushed the small ache to the back of his mind. He was just considering those thoughts again when he was startled slightly by a soft, wet towel pressing against his throat.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you, but it’s good to know that your conscious again,” the doctor said as he began wiping along Marquise’s warm skin.

“You’ve got a bit of a fever and I’ve kind of neglected cleaning you off completely. My focus has been mainly on taking care of the rot first…” the man said right as another damp cloth pressed against his right arm, much harder than the first.

Those strong, cold fingers soon grabbed the spot right above where the rot stopped above his right wrist, then held it firmly as he scrubbed off the mud Marquise had rolled in previously.

Compared to the doctor working on his left side, the man on his right was ruthless and clearly annoyed with the job he was currently doing.

No one is forcing you…

“He could use a real bath, but I’ll need to get this fever down first. Don’t want to make it worse,” the doctor said with a hint of cheerfulness to his voice as he thankfully shifted his attention to check Marquise’s aching ears.

“Ah, my bad. Let’s clean up these ears, too,” he said calmly, clearly trying to get the other man to relax a little and not be
too
upset with his decision to save him, but when all he got in response was another growl, he relented back into silence.

Marquise remained awake the entire time they worked together cleaning him up. Surprisingly, the more aggressive man had gotten much more done, and even cleaned up his face decently well as the doctor worked on cleaning his ears with thin little tools.

“Thank you for your assistance, my lord,” the doctor finally said as he stepped away, likely to set aside his tools to wash later.

The other man was still holding onto his right wrist, but he’d stopped cleaning him a short time ago. Marquise could sense his attention on him, but there was nothing he could really do about it. Nor did he really care to even try. He honestly had a feeling that the guy had only helped clean the mud off of him because he was trying to see if his wolf’s scent would become stronger without the barrier. It hadn’t.

“I know you’re a wolf. I’m not sure how you got past the three packs that border our territory, but if you show even the slightest hint of animalistic behavior while you’re here, I’ll break your neck immediately,” he said, his voice absent of any kind of leniency.

Marquise ignored the man’s threat and, instead, focused his attention on what the doctor was doing.

“I’d like to try a transfusion,” he said, more to himself than to the other man it seemed, since his voice had quieted greatly. He almost hadn’t heard him.

The hand holding his wrist tightened its grip significantly at that moment, making Marquise finally show an outward reaction as he gave the most pathetic, near-silent gasp.

It had been enough, though. The doctor hurried to his right side and quickly but carefully unwrapped the other vampire’s hand from around his sore wrist.

“He’s been conscious, my lord. He’s not pretending anything, just extremely exhausted with everything he’s going through. I also haven’t given him anymore numbing agent since I dosed him so much earlier. Please be understanding,” he said quickly as he hurried away as soon as the other man’s hand was removed.

The elder vampire was silent for a long while, his gaze focused completely on him. He knew that he was contemplating either questioning him or just killing him and getting it over with but, eventually, he gave out a frustrated huff and walked away. He only stopped when he was over by the door, then turned.

“I don’t care what you do with him. Just don’t forget why we’re here in the first place, Taru,” lord Vrasje said before turning again and walking out the door.

The doctor waited quite some time before heaving a stressed sigh and returning to Marquise’s side.

“I was hoping that he wouldn’t find out that you’re here so soon, but I suppose that was just wishful thinking. This is his home, and while it’s massive and he rarely ever pays this side much attention, a new heartbeat and scent would be hard for him to ignore.”

As he spoke, the man got some things ready, then pressed something metal against the bottom of Marquise’s lower lip.

“I ground up a little chicken earlier and lightly cooked it. Would you care to try some? I know I said that I’d try to get you some pie filling, but by the time I got out there it was already sold out. I promise I’ll do my best to get some tomorrow.”

Marquise would have smiled if he had the energy to do so. Yes, he’d really wanted the sweet treat, but that was really all it was. A treat. He was dying and, for some reason, a vampire in a town that hated werewolves was trying to save him.

Testing his sore throat, Marquise swallowed slowly, then flexed his jaw the slightest amount. He could eat. It would be tedious and a little painful, but he could do it.

So, wanting to repay the man for his kindness, and also wanting to stop the twisting pain in his stomach from worsening further, Marquise accepted the tiny morsel of food from the spoon.

They settled into a comfortable silence over the length of an hour or so as the doctor fed him bit by bit. They both ended up surprised by his appetite.

“Very good. You exceeded my expectations again,” Taru said as he offered him a few mouthfuls of water.

Marquise tasted something bitter mixed in with it, but he wasn’t surprised.

“Just a little medicine for that fever and the infections you’ve got going on,” the man said, then offered him a little more.

This time it was a tad sweet, making it far more bearable as it washed away the bitter taste.

“I added a bit of sugar to that one. I know that medicine doesn’t taste the best,” he said as Marquise finished what he was offered, then sighed, content.

He heard the doctor begin bustling around the room again and began to drift in and out of consciousness.

“I’m going to get you some more numbing medicine later, then try to get a transfusion going. Maybe we can get some of that silver out of your system. And don’t worry, lord Vrasje is going to be pretty busy this week. He shouldn’t bother you. Get some rest for now, if you can.”

Oh, he could.

It didn’t take long at all before Marquise was out cold. His body wasn’t hurting too badly and his stomach wasn’t rejecting what he’d been given to eat. He also was no longer covered in mud, but he wasn’t too sure if he was happy about that part.

Either way, somehow, someway, things were actually looking up.

Chapter 3

The next time Marquise awoke, he felt surprisingly better. He wasn’t healed by any means, but he could breathe much more easily and his mind wasn’t fighting against him to rest more. 

My head doesn’t hurt much, either. 

With that thought, he considered opening his eye, but hesitated. 

“Ah, are you awake again? I was getting worried, even though you were showing improvement. A lot of times people suddenly improve a lot right before their body gives out for good,” the doctor said as he walked over, then began checking his vital signs. 

“You’ve been out for three days, but I got you two transfusions and the last time I checked a sample of your blood the silver scent coming from it had greatly decreased,” Taru said, clearly excited that things were actually working out well. 

Marquise listened as the man moved around him, then, finally, tried to see if he could move his own body. It took a few moments to get sensation back in his left hand and feet, but to his surprise, they responded somewhat well to being moved a tiny bit beneath the light blanket covering his lower half. His right hand was still unresponsive, but he hadn’t really expected anything from it. 

Surprised he hasn’t cut it off by now. 

“Oh, yes, see if you can move a little here and there. You’re probably going to be really sore, but the new blood in your system has definitely helped heal some of the damage the silver had done,” the doctor said as he gently began helping him sit up just enough to slide a few more pillows beneath his back and head. 

These are really comfortable pillows…

He’d rarely ever gotten to sleep back when he’d been in charge of his pack, so his bed usually went unused most days. It honestly felt strange to be so comfortable. 

“Here here, just like I promised,” Taru said, snapping his attention back to the man as his left eyelid finally lifted like a curtain at the beginning of a much-anticipated play. 

He couldn’t see much, at first. Everything was extremely blurry, but as he blinked several times over the next minute, things began to take their own forms. 

The first thing he saw completely was, of course, the overly-excited doctor leaning over him with the biggest smile he’d ever seen this close up. The man couldn’t have been more than twenty-eight or so. At least, that was likely his age when he’d gotten changed into a vampire. 

He did say something about being over one-hundred…

“Your eye color is absolutely gorgeous! I’ve never seen a beautiful green like that,” Taru said as he clearly fought himself not to move any closer. 

Marquise let the man fawn over him for a short while as his vision finished clearing, then realized something as he took in a deep breath. 

I smell pie.

Turning his head against the pillow it lay on, he quickly found his target sitting on a small table next to the bed he was lying in. 

“Oh, right! I did promise you some pie and luckily I managed to get there just in time yesterday to grab the last piece,” Taru said as he went and retrieved the treat. 

Marquise made sure that he was ready to eat it, too. He managed to push himself up a little bit more on his stack of pillows and his tongue even licked across his dry lips once in anticipation. 

“I’ll help you eat, here,” Taru said as he sat down beside the bed and, after nudging away the crust of the pie, took a decent spoonful of the filling and lifted it up to his lips. 

Marquise didn’t hesitate to open his mouth, and as soon as the sweet apple and cinnamon concoction touched his tongue, he moaned. 

“Yeah, I can’t blame you for that response. It’s truly heaven, isn’t it? And you’ve been so sick lately that you’ve struggled to even stay awake, let alone eat much,” Taru said as he gently slid the spoon forward so that Marquise could take the remaining filling it held into his mouth. 

It took him quite a long while to eat all of the filling from the large piece of pie, but he’d been determined and
very
 hungry. 

“Very good,” Taru praised as he finished the last spoonful, then, surprisingly, reached up and pat Marquise gently on the head. 

It took every ounce of willpower within him not to tilt his head up and nuzzle into that hand. Instead, he gave his head the slightest shake, sending the message that he didn’t appreciate the childish attention. 

“Ah, sorry. You are a grown man, so that was quite rude of me,” Taru said as he quickly backed off and went to take care of the remaining fragments of pie. 

“Wait.” 

The doctor froze immediately, his body tensing for a split second before he turned back around with wonder in his eyes. When he didn’t speak right away, though, Marquise took his chance. 

“I want the rest,” he said in a quiet, rough voice. 

Taru looked between him and the remaining food a few times before frowning and shaking his head. 

“I’m sorry, but it’s going to be too tough for your throat and stomach right now. How about this? Drink some honey water and see how well the filling settles in your stomach, then later I’ll break the crust up a bit and we can give the rest a try?” 

He wasn’t a fan of his suggestion, but what else could he do but agree with it? He doubted he could even stand on his own right then, let alone get past the other man if he didn’t wish him to.

Closing his eye for a moment, Marquise took a deep, calming breath, then sighed it out as he opened it again to stare at the man. 

“Fine.” 

He could see the Taru’s mind working behind his eyes… and he wasn’t a fan. Turning his head to the side, Marquise broke eye contact. It was a submissive gesture to wolves, and to most people, but he didn’t care anymore. He was no longer an alpha and no longer had wolves watching his every move, looking for any possible sign of weakness. 

Well, here are all your signs of weakness
, he thought sarcastically to himself. 

“So, um… since you’re fully awake now. Could I ask for your name, sir?” the doctor said, clearly curious about who he really was. 

Of course, if he gave them his name, they’d easily be able to track down that he wasn’t a local human. That much was probably obvious, though, since he’d walked quite a long way to get to… wherever the heck he currently was. Wild werewolves didn’t often bother with names, either, so not having one would be a dead give away, too. 

Deciding not to play the game the man likely expected, Marquise smiled slightly and replied. 

“My name is Marquise and I am a werewolf.” 

The straightforward response seemed to stun the doctor, because the man simply stared at him for long,
long
 while before finally seeming to remember to respond, himself. 

“You… you’re really a werewolf?” Taru asked with only a hint of disbelief in his voice. 

He had considered it possible, or even likely, before, so it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise to hear the words straight from his mouth. 

Marquise gave a quiet hum of agreement as he slowly rolled onto his side, then tried to push himself up into a sitting position. His arms began to shake immediately as their tired, damaged muscles tried to complete the task they were given. Of course he failed and was forced to fall back down to the stack of pillows, but it had been a good test of his current strength. 

He could sense the other man watching him, unsure of what to do about the situation now that he’d revealed himself. What he did actually end up doing a few moments later, however, wasn’t what Marquise had expected. 

Taru promptly walked right up to him and pressed a hand to his forehead. 

“Your fever is gone and you feel normal. Werewolves run hotter than humans, but you’re relatively cool.” 

Before Marquise could even consider a response, Taru gently but firmly pressed a finger against his bottom lip and lowered his jaw enough to look inside. 

“Your teeth are also very normal. Werewolves tend to have more pointed canine teeth, though it’s not always that way.”

Marquise couldn’t argue either of those things. No one would believe him if he said that his wolf had had itself sealed up within him permanently by choice. Evidently, doing such a thing had also sealed away any characteristic it had brought to his human form. 

“Do you want to die so badly that you’re lying to me?” the man asked, his tone turning far more gentle as he removed his finger from Marquise’s lip and leaned away, a frown on his face. 

Marquise wanted to answer affirmatively, but he had to correct one thing. 

“I am not a liar. I am a werewolf and am already dying. What does it matter if I try to save myself some pain and end it sooner?” 

He knew that it was the easy way out, but his body was already rotting away. Was that not enough punishment? Honestly, he didn’t think so, but he was also, evidently, a coward. 

Looking back up to meet the doctor’s eyes, Marquise was just opening his mouth to tell him to just let him die when their attention was abruptly taken by the sound of footsteps coming closer from down the hall. 

They both looked at each other a moment later, their expressions matching ones of surprise. 

“He shouldn’t be back this soon…” Taru whispered right before they both looked back to the now-opening door. 

“My meetings ended quicker than expected, my sweet heir,” Vrasje said as he calmly strode right up to Marquise and raised an eyebrow. He had clearly heard what Taru had just said.

“It’s awake,” he stated with a hint of disgust to his words. 

He was more than happy to help the man rectify that, though. Marquise met his eyes and gave a tired smile. 

“Lord Vrasje, I—” Taru’s words were silenced with a simple raise of his master’s hand. 

The elder vampire took a moment to calm his already-flaring temper, then turned to his heir with a surprisingly-gentle expression on his face. 

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t save him, Taru, I really am, but this person is not him. He does look very similar, but he’s not your little brother, and helping him is only going to hurt you, and possibly others in this town,” Vrasje said, allowing Marquise to finally put together the situation. 

He didn’t help me because he thought I wasn’t a wolf. He helped me because I look like his little brother from so long ago. 

It was sad, but it also made him a tiny bit jealous. He’d never had any siblings, and before he could even make friends amongst his pack, he’d been singled out for constant training in order to be alpha one day. He’d never gotten to be a normal pup. 

“But master, he doesn’t have a high standard temperature, and his teeth are normal…” Taru tried to argue, though his voice was already moderately quiet, as if he knew that he wouldn’t win even if he pointed out a thousand things. 

Vrasje sighed but didn’t reprimand him. Instead, he walked over and tugged Taru into his arms for a gentle hug. 

Marquise tilted his head slightly against the pillows and watched the two interact. It might have been considered rude to stare, but he was going to die anyways, so what did it matter? 

“Go downstairs and eat something. You look like you haven’t had any blood since I’d left,” Vrasje eventually said as he gently led the other man to the door, then quietly closed it behind him. 

That is the door closing on my life,
Marquise thought solemnly but contently. He had been around long enough. So, when the elder vampire turned around to settle his narrowed gaze upon him, he didn’t feel anything but relief. 

“You are smiling on your deathbed, wolf,” the man said as he calmly walked closer. 

When he stopped beside him and sat down on the edge of the bed, Marquise allowed his smile to widen slightly as his one eye squinted a bit with the gesture. He truly was happy that he was going to die soon. Not only did he deserve it, but he was honestly suffering, and while Taru had tried his best, stopping the rot that was rampaging through his system was a lost cause. 

Closing his single, tired eye, Marquise relaxed his aching body. 

“I have lived long enough,” he stated simply as he felt the man lean closer. 

When he felt cold, firm fingers begin to wrap around his neck, he tilted his head back a little in order to give the man more room. He wanted it to be done smoothly in one go. 

He waited for several moments as the man got his grip situated where he wanted it, but when he not only
didn’t
snap his neck, but began to rub his thumb along the steady pulse in his throat, Marquise became nervous. 

He was just about to remind the man that he should finish his task when he felt that hand suddenly slip away from his skin. Confused, Marquise
did
 open his eye then, intent on speaking, but his words got caught in his throat when his gaze met Vrasje’s. 

Why is he looking at me and not killing me? 

They stared at each other in silence for far too long before he felt cold fingers ever-so-gently nudge his lips apart and press his lower jaw downward the slightest amount. 

 
He’s checking my canine teeth? 

He couldn’t believe it. 

“Kill me,” he rasped, seemingly snapping the vampire out of the thoughts he’d evidently got lost in, because he quickly blinked a few times, then moved his hand back down to Marquise’s neck. 

“I was just curious,” Vrasje stated coldly, making Marquise roll his one eye. 

He got an immediate hissed growl for his efforts, making him refocus on the vampire leaning over him. 

“You dare, dog?” Vrasje said, his words dripping with venom. 

This man is so frustrating and I’ve only been around him for a few minutes altogether. 

Narrowing his own eye, Marquise jerked his head to the side and, surprisingly, Vrasje let his hand fall away from his throat with that one simple gesture. He then turned it back so that he could face the man. 

“You ramble and complain about me being a wolf, yet you can’t even kill me because I look like someone who has long-since died?” he said, hoping that his words made the man mad enough to finally get the job done. 

Well, his words definitely got the man’s attention, and anger, but while he reached for him again, he didn’t grab his throat, but redirected his hand toward his jaw. 

“You think I’m hesitating for Taru’s sake? Killing you would be much easier on him than letting you live another second longer!” he growled. 

So he is hesitating, and if not for Taru, then that would mean…

Narrowing his eye again, Marquise pushed past the ache the man was causing by squeezing his jaw so tightly and spoke clearly and calmly. 

“Then you’re hesitating for yourself.”

Chapter 4

The vampire had not taken kindly to his statement… at all. Unfortunately, Marquise only had a scratch across the left side of his face for his efforts instead of a broken neck. Not only that, but instead of giving him a chance to make him more upset, and possibly
finally
kill him, the man dismissed himself with some worthless excuse of being needed elsewhere.

No wonder he’d tried to have me dispatched immediately at the lake.

Pursing his lips, Marquise looked around the decent sized room. It seemed like it had original been a nursery or small sewing room. Everything was tidy and there was nothing unnecessary lying around.

Except for me.

Smirking at his own poor joke, Marquise slowly rolled back onto his side, then, with the help of the pillows, managed to get himself partially sitting up. It had taken all of his effort and remaining energy, but the task had been completed and he was honestly quite proud of himself.

Baby steps.

He wanted to get to the small balcony past the single door at the far side of the room, but while the distance was nothing to most people, and likely wouldn’t even be an issue for an infant, he knew that it would be a monumentous task for himself. With a useless right hand and two legs that were rotted to the bone, he knew that getting outside and over that small railing would be the biggest challenge of his lifetime.

I don’t even know if I have any energy left to push this blanket off of me, let alone crawl across the floor.

He was just considering his next move when his mind suddenly grew hazy and he drifted off to sleep, just like that.

The next thing he knew he was hearing faint voices nearby and the rustling of different items on a table. He thought that he could feel a small pinprick in his right wrist, but considering how bad the rot was there, he was probably just making it up. Most of that area had already gone numb a long while ago.

“I’m not sure what’s going to happen this time, but I can’t not try. Even if master disapproves of saving you, I just… I can’t let you go just like that.”

Ah, he came back.

He was glad that it hadn’t been the elder vampire, to be honest. If the man was just going to stare at him and not kill him, but not bother trying to help him, either, what use was he?

“Oh, I can sense you a little bit. Are you awake, hun?” Taru asked as he pressed a cool hand to Marquise’s forehead.

Not wanting to be rude, since the man treated him well, Marquise slowly opened his left eye, then blinked a few times to clear his vision.

“I went and got a few more pieces of pie after I fed yesterday, would you like to try some other flavors?” he asked, then added, “I also ground up the crust from the other one, so that’s available, too.”

You’re such a sweetheart, unlike your stubbornly-aggressive sire.

“I asked my master if I could try his blood in a transfusion, too, since things weren’t progressing well enough with just human blood,” Taru said, making Marquise frown.

I appreciate the effort, but please just let me die… and now I know why that transfusion is making me shiver.

He was just about to voice his concerns when the scent of sweet cherries met his nose. Swallowing, he looked past Taru until his eyes landed on a small container that had its lid partially open. Inside of it were three pieces of pie.

I… think I can stay alive for a little longer. What was the harm, anyways?

“Do you feel anything from the blood yet? I’m trying to see if I can get your right hand working again, though I know that it’s a longshot. I did scrape out some of the worst of the rot and bandaged it up while you were asleep, though,” Taru said as he reached over and gently checked it.

His sad expression left much to be desired, but Marquise wasn’t worried. Nothing had ever truly reversed damage sustained by silver in werewolves. Hell, most of the time that damage was fatal before anyone could even try, and even the rare few cases he’d seen that managed to get to a hospital weren’t correctable. If the wolf managed to live, it had permanent muscle or neurological damage. If certain areas weren’t as badly affected, they might heal up a bit, but there was only so much that could be done.

I should have been dead long ago. My wolf taking on the majority of the silver illness is all that has likely kept me going, but after being sealed away, I’m getting what I deserve.

He paused for a moment in his thought, then looked up at the doctor.

“How did you get your master to donate blood?” he asked.

Taru quickly looked away, then turned around altogether and picked up the box of cake.

“Do you want any?” he asked, changing the subject, like Marquise had figured he would.

If you don’t want to tell me, then that’s fine. You’re not blushing, so at least it wasn’t anything like that.

“The cherry one, please,” he said, allowing the man to shrug off his previous question.

Taru quickly took the piece of pie out of the box and set it on a waiting plate, then settled himself on the edge of the bed and began helping Marquise slowly eat. It took him nearly an hour, but he managed to finish the entire piece, much to Taru’s delight.

The man set aside the empty plate once he was done, then turned back to smile at him.

“Would you like to bathe, by chance? I know that you’ve been stuck in this bed for a while, and perhaps some warm water will help your damaged muscles?” he said, clearly a little nervous that he might decline, but also hopeful that he might accept.

A bath actually does sound nice. I’m sure I could use one.

“Sure, if you wouldn’t mind helping me. I’d really appreciate it,” he said honestly.

Besides dying, a good bath seemed like the next best thing.

Taru quickly got the food he’d brought put away, then set it off to the side before walking over with a big smile on his face.

“Alright, is it okay if I carry you? I’m not sure if you can start walking on your damaged legs quite yet,” he said, making Marquise have to hold back a bit of laughter.

I’ll never be walking on these legs again, love, but it’s sweet of you to think I one day could.

“It’s okay, thank you for the trouble,” Marquise said.

Taru gave a quick nod, then carefully removed the blanket from on top of Marquise, as well as the transfusion line that had finished a short time ago. After a few moments of hesitant rearranging, Taru had Marquise’s frail body in his arms.

Wow, I didn’t realize I was this thin.

He’d lost a
ton
of weight, and where he’d once been decently-muscled, only pale skin and protruding bones remained.

I’m a skeleton. Even with the pie and transfusions, there’s no way I can come back from this.

He was just beginning to allow his mind to wander off into unintended depression when his body was shifted around a bit, then a firm hand began rubbing his bony back. No words came from the man carrying him toward the stairs. There wasn’t really much to say, anyways. Once downstairs, they took a turn, then headed down a short hallway before stopping in front of a door.

“Here we are,” Taru said as he carefully opened the door, then stepped inside.

Oh, wow.

It was definitely a bathing room, but instead of having a normal tub, there was a large depression carved out of the floor and a beautiful pond-like structure built within it. He had never seen anything like it in his sixty-some years, and doubted he’d ever see another, even if he somehow lived to a werewolf’s full life expectancy of nearly two-hundred.

“My master liked to play around with architecture quite a bit when he built this house. He wasn’t impressed with the regular sized tubs, so he had this one built with a specific pump to allow it to fill without needing servants to run back and forth for an hour,” he said as he carefully walked over to the pumping device and got it started.

Once the water began to come out, he looked over toward the door just in time for a servant to step inside. They had a large pan of sizzling coals in their hand and quickly went down a tiny staircase to slide it into its spot beneath the tub.

Such an odd room.

Even so, Marquise stared at each and every little thing, a bit in awe of the planning it must have taken to complete such a strange area.

“Is there a full room down those stairs?” he asked as he tried to lift himself a little higher in Taru’s arms in order to see better… but failed miserably.

Feeling the doctor give a quiet chuckle where their body’s were pressed against each other, Marquise tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

“You have the cutest facial expressions,” Taru said instead of answering his question.

Marquise scowled, but the man didn’t seem bothered. Instead, he carefully stepped down into the tub using a small set of stairs built into the inside of it.

“I probably should have rolled my pants up but I doubt it will matter,” Taru said as he gently sat Marquise down on a sloped, carved seat.

“Do you think you can stay upright for a moment? Oh, and there is a little room down there, but it’s not attached to the basement,” he asked as he held his right shoulder with one hand while reaching behind him to get a pillow situated for his neck.

“I’ll be okay, thank you,” Marquise said as the warming water began to rise toward his knees.

The pump was slowing down as Taru turned back around to climb out, so he gave it a few more good pumps, then got out and retrieved a small bucket of soaps and a few washcloths. He watched him as he gathered his things, but right before the man returned to the tub, Marquise felt a sudden lurch in his chest as his heart gave a surprisingly hard thump, then stopped altogether.

I…?

His vision began to blur as a massive headache pulsed between his ears, making his body sway. He did his best to keep himself from falling into the rising water, because if this really was the end, he didn’t want it to be by drowning. He was just beginning to black out when he felt an arm tightly wrap around him right before a hand firmly pressed against the back of his head.

“I’ve got you, hun. You won’t drown,” Taru said as he held him close, even though his voice sounded like it was so terribly far away.

Marquise struggled to pull himself out of the encroaching darkness, but he knew that it would be fruitless in the end. His heart had stopped, and since Taru wasn’t trying to restart it, he knew that it wouldn’t be of any use.

At least someone’s here for me. It’s more than I deserve.

With that final thought, he settled against the other man and finally stopped trying to fight. Within seconds his mind was pulled into darkness and not a few moments later, most of his senses abruptly vanished. The last thing he felt before everything ended were Taru’s gentle fingers softly holding the back of his head.

“He’s still not responding. Is it really too late?”

“Sometimes it just doesn’t work. You forget, a body has to be strong enough in the first place, and you know that his was already nearing its end. Besides, he’s a wolf. No one has ever tried it with a wolf… or wanted to,” a familiar voice said.

Ah, the elder vampire.

The sound of sniffling echoed around the area, as if someone were crying. It was an odd thought. Surely they weren’t crying for him?

Why can I still hear, anyways? Am I not quite dead yet?

“Taru, come here.”

Marquise listened as he heard someone walk across the room, figuring that it was the doctor obeying his master. He waited for several moments, curious about what else they intended to say, but then something caught his attention from within.

A strange, twisting pain enveloped his midsection, then began spreading outward. It was an extremely odd sensation, as if someone were pulling all of his veins inward, trying to remove most of them from his body and stuff them all into his stomach. The pain got so bad that he was finally forced to give a near-silent gasp.

“Master! He’s back!”

Before Vrasje could even respond, Marquise felt the bed dip suddenly on his left side, then warm fingers press between his lips.

“Bite down, Marquise,” Taru said, eagerness and excitement in his voice.

He didn’t really want to, but there wasn’t anything he had to lose by listening to the man, either. So, with as much effort as he could, he bit the man’s palm.

Oh… right, I have zero energy.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ve got it,” Taru said as he quickly removed his hand, then did something before putting it back between his lips.

At first Marquise was confused, but when he felt the familiar tang of blood drip down onto his tongue, he furrowed his brows and tried to turn his head away. He felt another set of hands gently grasp either side of his face at that moment, making it impossible to remove the palm partially tucked between his lips.

“Taru, there are going to be consequences for doing this to someone without their permission,” Vrasje said, making Marquise’s tired mind finally begin to put the pieces together.

He’d had a feeling because of the blood the doctor was force-feeding him, but he had really hoped that his hunch had been wrong.

“I understand,” Taru replied calmly, though a hint of excitement was still audible within his words, too.

“Master, to think that we could actually accomplish something like this, though. Is it not incredible?” the man continued as Marquise began to feel a strange chill spread throughout his limbs.

Wait a second…

He was breathing, but it was much slower than he was used to.

I need to breathe. That’s probably why I’m not feeling well.

Of course, that was obviously the wrong idea, but he was beginning to panic, so whether it made sense or not, he was going to try and rectify it.

“Oh, hang on, sweetheart. You don’t need to worry. It’s okay, calm down,” Taru said as he moved his other hand up to gently pat his hair.

He could hear someone sighing nearby and figured that Vrasje was becoming even more unamused by their little situation.

“Wait a second… have you bitten him yet to solidify your claim to him as your heir? His body won’t accept a change if that isn’t done.”

They really are trying to turn me into a vampire.

It was a humorous idea, at best. He was a werewolf, not a human. Granted, he’d never heard of anyone trying to do such a thing to a werewolf, because he doubted that one would just willingly be changed… let alone approached without a fight.

“N-no, I didn’t want to scare him,” Taru said, his voice suddenly nervous and unsure.

Vrasje gave another sigh. This time, however, it was louder and quite annoyed as he removed his hands and, surprisingly, grabbed Taru’s and removed it from his mouth, as well.

“You needed to bite him before you did the exchange!” he growled out in frustration.

He’s trying to change me into a vampire… but he did it backwards.

Marquise figured that it was just his luck.

He heard Taru fretting out a bit of gibberish before his head was gently guided to the side, then teeth awkwardly pressed against his skin. The guy seemed hesitant to bite, which wasn’t a surprise. He
was
skin and bones, after all. There probably wasn’t a decent bit of blood left in his body that didn’t taste like silver and death.

Even so, those teeth carefully took hold of a small bit of skin after he’d licked it a bit, then, finally, bit down hard enough to break through. It stung a little, but with all of the other forms of pain he’d been going through recently, it didn’t really amount to much. He’d probably used his saliva to numb the area, too.

“You need to drink, then cycle the blood through your body before feeding it back to him,” Vrasje said right before he felt the bed dip on his left side again.

He also felt Taru nod where he continued to drink from his shoulder. The entire task took nearly an hour to complete, but by the time he’d been fed his blood back, Marquise was honestly feeling a tiny bit better. Not to say that he was doing well by any means, since his heart was still just-barely beating and his insides felt like they were being churned together like butter, but his panic had ebbed and his mind had cleared well enough.

“That’s all you can do. Now you have to wait and see how his body handles the change,” Vrasje said.

Taru gave an affirmative mumble, then crawled off the bed.

“I’m going to go feed again, can you watch him for just a few minutes, please?”

“Yes, go,” Vrasje replied calmly.

Marquise felt the man’s gaze on him as the other left the room, but something just didn’t feel quite right. Yes, he could sense all of the changes going on within his body, but for some reason, some areas of his skin was beginning to burn instead of cool, like the rest of him.

“I figured this would happen,” Vrasje said as Marquise felt the man grab his left arm with both hands and lift it slightly, then turn it this way and that.

“Didn’t take you long to reject his blood, did it?” he said as his thumb ran over a particularly hot spot on his skin.

“I knew it would happen, so it’s a good thing that my heir got hungry after completing the ritual,” he said as he let the arm he held drop back down to the bed without much care.

Silence took over for quite some time before the man reached up and ran his thumb over one of the two holes Taru had left in Marquise’s throat.

“I fully intended to let you die, even though I didn’t have the willpower to break your neck myself. I knew that Taru was considering changing you, but when he asked for my blood to help further the process, I knew that you would pass away soon. Besides, such a little amount wouldn’t make any difference. Hell, it probably hastened your decline, in all honesty. Especially since he forgot to bite you and cycle your blood before doing the transfusion,” he said, then gave a quiet chuckle.

“Such a foolish heir I have chosen, don’t you think?” he said as he pressed three fingers from his other hand against Marquise’s lips.

What are you doing?

“Open your mouth, dog.”

While the order had been rude and the tone of it annoyed, Marquise felt his mouth moving to obey before he could even consider responding. The man’s bloody fingers slipped between his lips and after just brushing against the top row of his teeth twice, Marquise felt his jaw clamp down upon them as hard as it could. It was honestly quite pathetic since his strength was still nonexistent, but the reaction was evidently what the other man had wanted, because he then turned his attention back to the two wounds on his neck.

“I am not interested in taking another heir, nor does this town allow such a thing. I will make this clear right now, dog. I am doing this for Taru, and you will belong to him, stay at his side, and do anything he asks of you. Don’t
ever
seek me out, no matter how much your blood calls for my attention. I am only giving his ritual enough support to allow you to pull through… possibly.
If
you wake up after this, you will belong to him.”

Before Marquise could figure out what else the man intended to do besides simply feed him more blood, he felt his long hair faintly tickle his nose as the weight on the bed shifted slightly.

He’s leaning over me?

Another moment later and he flinched the slightest amount as sharp fangs bit down on the exact two spots on his neck that were already bleeding from Taru’s careful bite.

The man didn’t wait before he began sucking up his blood, and before Marquise knew it, the flow from the man’s slowly dripping fingers had doubled and become tinged with the taste of silver. He expected it to burn as he was forced to steadily swallow the tainted blood, but it seemed like it had been nearly purified after going through the elder’s system, because, not only did it
not
burn at all, it actually tasted somewhat… sweet.

By the time they had finished, Marquise was teetering on the edge of sleep with an overly-full belly. He was just-barely awake enough to sense when Vrasje retracted his fangs, then leaned away and withdrew his fingers.

Not a minute later, footsteps came in through the doorway, then stopped next to his bed.

“Master left? I thought he said that he was able to watch you while I ate?” Taru asked no one in particular, since he clearly didn’t expect a response from him.

“I guess he had something important to tend to,” he eventually said as he leaned over and carefully tucked Marquise in after applying a small bandage to the wound on his neck, then pet his head softly before retracting his hand.

“I can tell that you’re about to fall asleep. Get some rest, I’ll watch over you until you wake up,” he said with a smile in his words.

There were quite a lot of things Marquise wanted to say, but Taru had been right. He was definitely about to pass out, and trying to stay awake would be a lost cause. So, feeling somewhat better for the first time in a long while, Marquise allowed his tired body to relax and simply focused on his heartbeat. It was very slow, but steady, and as time stretched on and he slowly drifted off, he could almost feel it pushing and pulling the blood from his belly out into his body instead of downward toward his intestine. It was a
very
strange feeling, but since it didn’t really hurt and was following the same tempo as his heart, he didn’t fret.

What happens will happen. Until then, time to rest.

Chapter 5

(Sorry I totally forgot to reply to comments last chapter. Been sick and kind of out of it recently lol)

Something wasn’t right.

Marquise was just conscious enough to sense the strange changes going on within his body. It was like the flame that had always been burning within him had suddenly turned into a roaring fire.

The thing that had provoked it into such a state, even when he was on the brink of death was expected, though.

Ice. Frigid, heart-stopping waves of it. It crawled through his veins and bones alike, freezing its way through his body with one target in mind. The warmth that kept his heart beating.

The fight between fire and ice felt like it dragged on forever, with neither side giving way to the other. His entire body shivered from the cold that suffused ninety-nine percent of it, but that last single holdout, his aching, feverish heart, refused to be extinguished.

Gasping abruptly, Marquise’s eye opened painfully wide as he began to pant in order to find the oxygen his body was now starved of. Before he even understood what was going on, a wrist was pressed into his gaping mouth.

Without a single ounce of hesitation, he bit down on that wrist, then chewed the skin feverishly until he was able to taste blood.

“It’s okay, take as much as you need,” a familiar voice said as Marquise began to swallow partial mouthfuls, having no patience to wait for the slowly flowing blood to accumulate.

His stomach growled loudly as he swallowed for the fifth time, then hesitated. He was no longer thirsty.

Hungry…

“Don’t worry, young one, your stomach doesn’t understand that it no longer needs food. It will hurt for a while, then calm itself,” an unfamiliar voice said as Marquise felt the faintest pressure against his upper chest.

“The heart, however, I am confused about. It is not unheard of for it to still beat slowly within a vampire’s chest, especially to aid in circulation when they are low on blood, but you have already completed the ritual two days ago, yet it still pumps as if you have overexerted yourself greatly,” the voice continued.

“Is everything okay besides that, elder Kova?” Taru asked, his voice hopeful but nervous.

The other man sighed quietly as his thumb moved against Marquise’s skin slightly.

“I want to say that it is, but you know how much of a risk it is to change someone, let alone a person in such terrible shape,” the elder replied calmly.

Even Marquise understood that changing someone into a vampire wasn’t just a bit of biting and drinking. Their body had to be compatible and in good enough shape to handle the abrupt change. His was definitely not in good shape, and whether or not his body was compatible was completely up to the werewolf still sealed inside of him.

Wait a second…

Blinking his tired eye a few times, Marquise turned his now-bandaged head to the left, then slowly to the right, trying to remove the wrist that was still settled between his teeth.

“Should I really let him stop already? He couldn’t have gotten much yet,” Taru said as he kept his wrist firmly but gently between Marquis’s lips.

The other man seemed to think through Taru’s question for a moment before evidently making a gesture that Marquise couldn’t see. Either way, whatever he did had Taru removing his wrist from his mouth, allowing him to close his aching jaw and lick the remaining blood from his lips.

“Marquise? How are you feeling?” Taru asked as he leaned closer and reached up, feeling his forehead, then cheek.

“He’s still a little warm,” he said as he looked over at the man on Marquise’s left side.

Now that he wasn’t distracted by blood, Marquise looked toward the new person curiously.

Ah, another elder?

The man was dressed sharply but was in no way overbearing. As soon as their eyes met he offered him a small smile and nod.

Oh, right. Taru asked me a question.

Licking his lips once more, Marquise tried to form words, but just ended up in a coughing fit that had to be calmed by more cold blood.

“I think it’s time to give him some human blood. You’ve already been feeding him for two days. Maybe he needs some blood from a live person earlier than others would,” the elder vampire said as he stood up from the stool he’d been sitting on.

Taru fidgeted where he remained on the bed beside Marquise, but didn’t seem happy with the other man’s decision.

“Where is your master, by the way? Is he not involved with this process? I would think that he’d be overjoyed that you have finally decided to take an heir,” Kova said, making Taru even more apprehensive.

Of course, the other man easily caught his nervousness, but the exact reason for it likely still eluded him.

“Young one, what is wrong? You have read the scriptures many times and have helped many others work their way through changing their heirs… why are you unsettled about your own?” the man said as he watched the other vampire closer.

I might as well scream that I’m a werewolf and the change is evidently not working all that great for me, but my voice is also not working for me… at all.

“I don’t know, lord Kova. He’s just, its not… I know that it is not likely to help, and can even cause newborns to vomit the blood they have received, but might it be okay to try and feed him some soup or honey water, too?” he asked, making Marquise blink in surprise.

You’re skirting around the issue, and his questions, quite well for someone who looks about ready to faint from worry.

Of course, the other vampire could easily sense that there was more to the story, and he had no doubt that he could smell the rot beneath his fresh bandages, but to both their surprise, he simply met Taru’s eyes for a few moments, then gave another quiet sigh before looking away.

“I do not recommend it, but he is yours. You may do as you wish.”

While the man’s words were pleasant enough to the ears, there was a hint of disappointment to them that clearly made Taru upset. The younger vampire managed to hide his disappoint quickly, though, and after giving Marquise a gentle pat to the head and reassuring him that he would be back soon, hurried off the bed and followed the elder out the door.

Having been left alone, Marquise took stock of his body and tried to move his limbs a little.

I’m actually getting a better response now, but I’m still oddly hot and cold.

He tried to push himself up higher on the stack of pillows and actually managed it reasonably well. Curiosity had him lifting his right arm so that he could look at his hand, but of course, it was bandaged up tightly. To his surprise, however, the rot that he would normally see crawling up his wrist had faded a bit.

Lost in thought, he ended up staring at those faint purple and black marks until he heard the two vampires return.

“It’s amazing, right?” Taru said as he hurried over and set two bowls down on the nightstand beside him, then reached up and gently held Marquise’s damaged hand.

“It’s never going to be perfect, but I think that you might be able to use it again one day,” he said with so much excitement that Marquise couldn’t help but give him a tired smile.

That one little smile made the man’s eyes light up as he looked back at the elder vampire, who had stopped a few feet away and clasped his hands calmly behind his back.

Upon receiving Taru’s consideration, the man immediately returned his beaming smile with a gentle, small one of his own, then nodded toward the bowls of food he’d brought.

The smell from them alone had Marquise’s stomach growling loudly again as his head, then eye, turned toward them.

“I brought two different things that the kitchen had already prepared for the servant’s lunches today. If you don’t like either, I can have them make anything you want,” he said as he picked up the first bowl and brought it closer, then lowered it so that Marquise could see what was inside.

“We got lucky and it was actually chicken soup, but it also has some garlic dumplings in it. I asked them to shred the chicken into tiny bits and they actually did a great job, so I think you might be okay to eat it,” he said, making Marquise lick his lips in anticipation.

At that moment, however, he caught the other man’s stare and swallowed.

He’s already suspicious, likely because of all my faint scars, the odd rot smell, and me being so hungry for real food, but he doesn’t seem willing to bother Taru about it.

“Would you like some, hun?” Taru asked, drawing his attention back to the man as a spoon half-full of soup was brought close to his lips.

Marquise looked up at his sire and melted a little as he stared into those warm, hopeful eyes. He’d never really thought much about vampires. Yes, he’d worked with them sometimes, and he had respected several that he used to know, but he wasn’t much for intentionally interacting with them…

And yet now you have your own little bloody sire.

Internally laughing at his strange predicament, Marquise carefully leaned forward an inch or so and opened his mouth. Taru didn’t wait another second before carefully slipping the little bit of food into his mouth.

This tastes fantastic.

It might have just been his empty, gnawing stomach, but that little bite of soup had tasted like the best thing he’d even eaten.

“Here, let me get you some more. I’ll feed you as much as you want,” he said as he brought the entire bowl closer and dipped the spoon back into the hot mixture.

Marquise didn’t hesitate to inhale that spoonful, then the next and the next. When the spoon didn’t return some time later, he frowned and looked up at Taru’s grinning face.

Ah, I ate it all already?

He was still
really
hungry, though…

“Don’t worry, I’ve got something else you might like, too,” Taru said happily as he grabbed the other bowl and moved it closer, then dipped the spoon into it before lifting the food toward Marquise’s mouth.

The spoon paused right before it touched his lips so that he could see and smell it again, but it didn’t take him long before he eagerly opened his mouth and leaned the slightest bit forward to take the morsel.

The stewed beef was extremely tender but flavorful. He barely even had to chew it since it had been shredded and cooked so well. It practically fell apart on his tongue.

Absolutely delicious.

“Taru, where has your master gone? Why is he not here guiding you?” Kova asked again, his voice still gentle, though it held a small bit of sternness now, too.

He wants answers.

Granted, Marquise had no idea what standing this elder had compared to Vrasje, but considering that he was in the other elder’s home without him being present, he must have some sort of good relationship with Vrasje and his heir.

“He is out on business at the moment, but he will be back shortly,” Taru finally answered as he gave Marquise another spoonful of shredded beef.

Kova slowly nodded, then tilted his head slightly.

“Also… did you and lord Vrasje purchase a dog recently?”

Uh oh… he’s tired of playing

coy,

I guess.

Thankfully, Taru didn’t play along. They both knew that it would be pointless. Only certain things rotted a body in such a way.

Instead, he set the mostly-empty bowl of beef aside and reached over to pet Marquise’s head gently. Full and finally content, Marquise didn’t bother fighting the urge to nuzzle into that gentle hand as he closed his eye.

“We did not,” Taru finally said calmly.

There was silence for a long moment before Kova spoke again.

“Lord Vrasje knows that you have brought a wolf into his home…
and
somehow managed to at least partially change it into a vampire?” he asked, his words still deceptively calm.

Taru’s hand slowed in his hair, then tightened a little bit, making Marquise feel a strange sensation in his chest as frustration pulsed through his system.

“My master is aware of the situation,” Taru replied as he blinked several times, trying to keep his emotions under control as he stared down at Marquise, refusing to look at the elder speaking to him just a few feet away.

I don’t like it.

Marquise felt his heart slowly pick up its tempo the more stressed his master became. Before Kova could decide on his response, Marquise was forcing his skeletal body to move.

The blanket that had been covering his lower torso slid to his lap as he pushed himself into a strained sitting position, then did something he never thought he’d do to an elder vampire, let alone
for
another vampire. He bared his fangs.

While said fangs were no longer the size or length of a wolf’s, they
were
sharp and extending to pinpoints, ready to bite the person making his new master upset.

Kova seemed to think that his little display of aggression was hilarious, because he brought a hand up to his mouth and turned his face away as he gave a mute chuckle. While he
was
technically laughing, the temperature in the room dropped dramatically with each passing second until he returned his attention back to them with an amused expression on his handsome face.

It was clear that he wanted to say quite a few things to them, and more specifically, him, but for some reason, he bit his tongue on all of it and swallowed his words.

What is with this guy?

Marquise was just about to fall over trying to continue posturing, so when he suddenly felt Taru’s arms wrap around him and gently lift him from the bed, he fumbled a little, then wrapped his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist before turning his head back around to stare at Kova.

The man seemed less than impressed as Taru quickly found a small blanket to wrap around Marquise’s middle so that he wasn’t flashing a certain elder vampire, then headed toward the door, intentionally giving the other man a wide berth.

The frigid chill followed them a decent distance before they heard Kova speak again, raising his voice just enough to be heard without yelling.

“Lord Taru, what on Earth are you doing with him now?” he asked, his voice showing just the tiniest hint of exasperation, though it was probably unintentional.

Taru gave a quiet sigh, then partially turned so that they could both look at the elder vampire several yards away who had silently followed them out into the hall.

“I am taking
my
heir to bathe. Do you have an issue with that, too, elder Kova?” he asked, his own frustration finally taking over his previously-nervous words.

Before the other man could even respond from the sudden backbone his master had shown, Taru turned back around and began walking.

Marquise quickly turned his head so that he could continue to watch the other man over Taru’s shoulder, and for good reason. The elder vampire was scowling as he rubbed his hand down his face, then narrowed his eyes on him.

He honestly thought that the man might somehow try for him, even while in his master’s arms, but instead, he managed to swallow another round of frustrated words and, instead, hurried after them. His footsteps were surprisingly-audible, considering most vampires could easily silence theirs if they so chose.

He wants Taru to know that he’s coming with us… but why? Perhaps he’s trying not to be rude… even though his behavior already was.

“Young lord, you aren’t thinking of cleaning him yourself, are you?” he asked as he slowed down about a yard away, then matched their pace. He didn’t seem to want to crowd them.

Wait a minute…

Kova turned his head away from his prying eye as Taru responded, but didn’t even bother sending the man a glance over his shoulder.

“Of course I am. He’s my heir and he needs my help. Why, do
you
want to do it, elder Kova?”

I… please don’t get me killed. I know that I was trying to die quite a bit before, but this guy doesn’t look like he’d be nice about it. I think he’s the torture type. You do have quite a few servants, too. How about one of them?

He silently examined the man’s expression as he
somehow
considered Taru’s words seriously while following them down the stairs.

Wait a second… is he actually going to help? Do I get a say in this?!

He narrowed his eye and felt his heartbeat begin to thump faster as his fangs itched to extend again, but then it stumbled in his chest and his mouth nearly fell open when he saw something he
definitely
should have been able to put together sooner.

You! You swallowed all of those words and kept yourself calm about me being a wolf because you think you have a chance with my master!

Settling down as close to Taru as he could get, Marquise growled quietly and glared at the other vampire with his single narrowed eye, not happy in the least that the man was blushing slightly while ignoring him and now staring straight at his master’s back.

He didn’t have to think too much to understand what that blush was for, either… the guy was probably eager to see Taru without his shirt on!

Don’t even think about it. You’re not getting him, you rude, deceitful leech!

Chapter 6

He just wanted to growl at both of them at this point. Yes, he was crippled and it took a lot of effort just to not fall asleep at any given moment with his full belly, but as Marquise sat in the tub, waiting silently as the water began to fill up, he couldn’t stop wishing that his wolf would lend him its voice for just a few darn seconds. 

Whether it was the heir-sire bond, or just the guy’s sweet personality in general, he wasn’t sure, but he knew that he would do
anything
 to make the guy happy. However, evidently, his patience had limits. 

Taru and lord Kova have been arguing for nearly twenty minutes on who was going to wash him, and the few times he’d tried to get a word in, they’d completely ignored him. Although, that was probably because his voice was terribly weak and barely audible, but that wasn’t the point!

I wonder if they’ll noticed if I fall over and drown? 

“What are you two doing?” 

Oh… no. 

Marquise immediately looked away, not wanting to risk triggering any kind of response like the pull he had with Taru. He was more than happy nuzzling against the younger vampire once in a while, but he
refused
 to even consider intentionally moving closer to the elder one, even if it were just an inch. 

Besides, Vrasje had said right off the bat that he didn’t want him bothering him and that he was only helping to change him into a vampire so that his heir wouldn’t be upset. 

I’m more than happy to leave you completely alone, so please move along… unless you plan to remove these two so that I can finally scrub all of this grime off of myself. 

Finally seeming to have heard someone, both vampires turned their attention toward the doorway, then Taru stuttered as Kova gave a respectful, silent nod. 

“M-master, I’m sorry if we disturbed you. We just had a disagreement and have been struggling to solve it,” Taru said as Marquise heard him hurry toward Vrasje. 

“From what I could hear as I was walking down the hall, you’re fighting over who will wash the mutt,” Vrasje said, making Marquise scowl at the wall. 

He couldn’t argue, though. He definitely was a weird combination of things now. 

Wouldn’t I technically qualify as a zombie, too? I’ve got the rot going on and I look like I’m already dead. 

He wasn’t exactly sure if zombies even existed, but he did fancy reading horror quite a bit, and in a world that had vampires and werewolves, surely there was at least a tiny bit of extra room for some other odds and ends, right? 

“Then it’s decided. I’ll do it. Both of you have other things to tend to, anyways,” Vrasje said, making Marquise pause, then turn sheet-white. 

He stayed facing the wall even as he heard the two people he thought would drive him crazy exit the now-steamy room, leaving him alone with the one person who
didn’t
 want to have anything to do with him again. 

“Well? Are you really so incapable that you still can’t clean yourself with your own hands?”  

How did you end up with such a sweet heir like Taru? You deserve a drunken old man with a vocabulary of only curse words and the scent of a dying skunk. 

Fighting back the urge to shake his head disapprovingly, Marquise, instead, slowly turned around in his seat, then reached a hand up out of the water that had stopped filling around his midsection. 

His hand shakily managed to wrap its fingers around one of the three bars of soap nearby, but it took nearly all of his focus to actually hold the item, then bring it closer to himself. 

He was honestly a bit surprised that it wasn’t harder to keep his eyes averted from the other man, but he also had a feeling that it might get
much
 more challenging if he didn’t take it seriously, so he didn’t dare look up. 

“I can do it,” he eventually rasped, then coughed a few times, making the soap slip from his unsteady fingers and disappear beneath the water’s surface. 

 A deep sigh that was likely accompanied by an eyeroll was heard to his left before the sound of clothing rustling began. 

Wait…

More clothing-related sounds met his ears, making him finally sneak a peek toward the other man. 

 
Why are you naked?!

“What’s that look for? Do you honestly think that I’m going to get into a bathing tub fully clothed?” Vrasje asked as he slowly began descending the steps into the warm bath. 

You could at least leave your undergarments on! 

Exasperated and, quite frankly, becoming more exhausted by the moment, Marquise returned his attention to the soap he had dropped, but the moment he began leaning forward to retrieve it, his vision began to darken and blur. 

“Alright, alright. Just behave and don’t drown yourself,” Vrasje grumbled as he promptly shoved Marquise back into his seat right before the tip of his nose could dip beneath the surface. 

Unable to do much about the man’s stubborn determination, Marquise slowly leaned his head back and was actually surprised to find that a few towels had somehow found their way right where he needed them to be to not strain his neck. 

Vrasje was just as curt and quick as he had been the first time he’d helped clean him up with Taru, but he was at least thorough and careful around his more severely-rotted areas. He also scrubbed his hair down to the roots, getting all of the grime that had built up. 

It actually took the man quite some time to clean him correctly, but considering that Taru had really just wiped him with damp rags a few times, it probably shouldn’t have been too surprising. 

“Jesus, alright. I’m going to turn you around now, can you lift your arms up over the edge?” Vrasje asked. 

Marquise gave a quiet hum in response, because honestly, he’d been dozing nearly the entire time. Once he was sure that Vrasje wasn’t interested in torturing him, that is.  

“I’m going to take that as an
okay
 to turn you, but also that you’re probably not awake enough to complete the arm task,” the elder vampire said as he gently grabbed Marquise’s waist just beneath the water and quickly but carefully turned him around until he was kneeling on the seat. 

The man’s assumption had been correct that he just didn’t have any energy remaining to lift his arms more than a few inches out of the water. 

“Darn dog,” Vrasje mumbled as he grasped both of Marquise’s elbows and easily lifted both arms out of the water. 

The moment his arms were set on the edge of the floor Marquise grinned sleepily and wrapped them around the small stack of towels he’d already rested his cheek on, then sighed contently. 

“Enjoying yourself?” Vrasje asked, his tone nonplussed as he began working on cleaning Marquise’s lower half. 

He didn’t get very far before he gave out a frustrated huff and grumbled, “this clearly isn’t going to work.” 

Hmm? 

Marquise was just about to snuggle into the towels a bit more when he was suddenly lifted right out of the water and placed on top of that stack of towels!

He definitely woke up a bit with that abrupt action. 

“Behave,” Vrasje repeated as he held him still until he stopped trying to curl up and warm himself. 

“You’re a vampire. Get used to being cold, because you’re never going to be warm again,” he said sternly, but with just the slightest hint of sympathy to soften the blow. 

Marquise gave him a pathetic scowl that quickly morphed into a tired frown when the man actually laughed at him!

Well, it was just a quick chuckle, but still.

“I try to pretend to care the slightest fraction and you give me such a sour face,” Vrasja said as he reached up and, before giving Marquise’s sluggish brain enough time to verbally respond, began scrubbing the hell out of his lower half. 

It was awkward, at first, but the man really was completely focused on cleaning him up. It didn’t matter where his hands touched. He didn’t hesitate, skimp on attention, nor waste time on areas that were already fine with just a brush of soap. 

Marquise tried to stay still, but after about ten minutes he began to sway on the stack of towels in between shivers. Even giving his head a shake to try and wake up couldn’t save him from falling forward off the small stack of towels.  

He was caught, thankfully, but the cold chest he landed against didn’t exactly help the chills currently running up and down his spine.   

Grumbling, he tried to squirm his way free, but in all honesty he most likely just looked like a tired, wiggling worm. 

He stopped struggling rather quickly once he was lowered back into the warm water. He settled on the seat he’d used previously and was just beginning to relax again when he felt a cold hand press against his forehead.

Will you stop already? Your hand feels like ice!

But that hand 
didn’t
stop. Instead, it lowered to press against against his right cheek, then moved even farther south until it rested against the faint pulse in his throat. 

Vrasje leaned closer as he tilted Marquise’s chin up slightly, clearly looking for something. When he didn’t seem to find what he wanted, he scowled and looked toward the doorway. 

“Why is he still alive, Kova?” 

The creepy elder is back? 

Before Marquise could even care enough to turn his head and look, he jumped slightly when a flame suddenly roared to life in Vrasje’s hand that had been lifted up close to his face. 

“He’s still got color in his cheeks and his body is somewhat warm. The heartbeat I can understand, as some vampires end up needing it on a continuous basis instead of just during strenuous times, but…” 

His words trailed off as the fire dimmed, then went out completely. 

“How much blood was he fed today?”  

“Taru gave him a reasonable amount, but then he asked for human food,” Kova said as he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb calmly, the motion finally drawing Marquise’s attention. 

Vrasje didn’t look pleased, but he thankfully didn’t take out his frustration on him, either. Instead, he simply sighed and removed his hand from beneath Marquise’s jaw. 

“How much did he eat?” he asked after a few moments of silence. 

“Taru brought a serving of each cooked meal made by the servants today. I believe it was chicken and dumpling soup and beef stew,” Kova replied. 

Vrasje’s brow furrowed as he stared confusedly at Marquise. He probably should have looked away instead of turning his head back ot face him, but he just didn’t even care anymore. 

Now that his body was finally clean and his stomach was still working hard on digesting his previous large meal, all he wanted to do was sleep. 

Seeing that they were going to get nowhere questioning him, Vrasje turned and unplugged the tub, then had Kova bring him a small bucket. He used that to rinse off Marquise once the dirty water had drained away, then used it for himself before setting it aside and taking the large towel Kova had retrieved. 

“He doesn’t seem to like you very much,” Vrasje said nonchalantly as he gently grasped Marquise’s jaw with the towel and turned his head so that he was no longer glaring at the other elder vampire. 

Oops…

He hadn’t even realized he’d been giving the guy a dirty look. 

Kova gave a quiet
humph
in response, making Vrasje chuckle as he began to dry Marquise’s damp body. 

“My shy little heir has finally gotten used to you being around him more often now that you have studied dozens of medical texts in order to speak with him on a subject he loves, and now he’s gone and gotten himself a guard dog that doesn’t like you,” he said with humor to his words as he finished drying Marquise’s shaggy mop of hair. 

“Hmm, this definitely needs cut,” he said as he tugged on a long strand of uneven hair, then flicked it aside and carefully helped Marquise to his unsteady feet. 

He didn’t even bother trying to help him walk, which was a good idea, because it would have been comical and an absolute failure. Instead, he quickly secured a towel around his own waist, then allowed Marquise to lean against him as he fastened a soft towel around him, then lifted him up into his arms. 

“He’s actually not that bad looking. It’s a shame that his body has deteriorated so badly because of the silver,” Vrasje said as he watched Kova walk back toward the door. 

Once out of the tub, he followed him, but as the other man turned to the left, Vrasje paused and turned to watch him. 

“You know, if Taru does eventually decide to accept being courted by you, you’ll have to care for his heir, too. Whether it’s a dog or not,” he said, surprising Marquise a bit. 

He actually wanted to see what expression the other man wore on his face in response, but he was too tired to bother opening his eyes again. Instead, he waited in the silence that followed before he heard Kova simply turn and walk away. 

They must have spoken telepathically… or he’s just that much of a snob.  

Right as the elder vampire’s footsteps faded another familiar set hurried toward them from the other direction. 

“Master!” 

Taru…

Right before the man could stop beside them Vrasje began walking back toward where Taru had just come from. Having no other choice, Taru quickly turned and followed after him. 

“Thank you for cleaning him up for me, master. He looks much better and I’m sure that he feels better, too,” he said as a soft, warm blanket was slipped over Marquise’s shoulders as Vrasje slowed for only a moment. 

“I can take him now,” Taru said a moment later. 

To both their surprise, however, Vrasje just shrugged him off as they began ascending the stairs. 

“I’m already carrying him. I’ll just bring him back to your room. You’ve already changed all of the bedding, correct?” he asked right before Taru’s footsteps paused abruptly, making Vrasje slow to a stop, then turn slightly to look over his shoulder. 

“This is the person that you have chosen to carry on your ideals and vampiric identity. Will you not even show him the courtesy of fresh linen after going through so much already?” he said, his voice actually sounding the slightest bit disapproving. 

Taru stuttered for a few moments as words failed him, then he hurried up the stairs to amend his mistake. 

Marquise expected Vrasje to remain silent as they finished ascending the steps, then headed down the hall, but he actually gave his back a light pat as he spoke quietly a few moments later. 

“Do forgive my foolish heir. He cares too much, and sometimes gets distracted from the simpler things that need tended,” he said, making Marquise give a quiet hum in agreement. 

He didn’t think that he could ever be upset with Taru. His instincts were already hardwired to accept the man exactly the way he was. It was strange for him, especially since he was an alpha previously, but he decided to simply take whatever changes came his way in stride. 

At least I don’t feel any kind of pull towards Vrasje, thankfully. 

“Good, because I don’t want to have to de—”

A long, awkward silence stretched out between them until Taru returned to retrieve him. This time, Vrasje didn’t say a single word and simply handed him off, then turned and walked away. 

“Did… something happen while I was gone?” he asked, dumbfounded.

When Marquise didn’t respond, because he
really
 just wanted to pretend that he was already asleep, Taru sighed and turned back around. 

“Let’s just get you back to bed before anything else strange happens.” 

Please.

Chapter 7

The next two weeks flew by far too quickly… mainly because he was either asleep or eating the majority of the time. Both elder vampires were absent during that time as well, allowing him to truly begin recovering without having to worry about that stubborn peacock, Kova, and the frustrating Vrasje he considered quite comparative to a porcupine. 

Stretching beneath the thick covers Taru had tucked him in with, Marquise gave a wide yawn and content growl before turning and nuzzling into his soft pillow. 

He had somehow gained a bit of weight during the previous two weeks and actually felt well enough to finally try getting up on his own. 

Of course, he knew that Taru would likely tell him that he wasn’t ready to be moving about just yet, but perhaps the man wasn’t around right th— A soft pat to his head immediately told him otherwise. 

“Good morning, Marquise,” Taru said cheerfully, his excited voice making Marquise finally blink open his eye. 

That’s when he realized something and lifted one hand to press against the other side of his face. 

“Is it okay? I couldn’t save a lot of your skin or tissue around where your right eye used to be, so I put you under a bit of anesthesia while you were already resting and did some grafting. There shouldn’t even be very noticeable scars once it heals up,” Taru said a bit nervously, as if he might be upset that he continuously tries to help him get better. 

“Maybe we can even try a prosthetic eye if you get tired of patches.”

Marquise glanced at him for a moment before refocusing his attention on where his right hand was skimming along surprisingly-smooth skin. Taru had managed to keep his eyelid and the general shape of the area, but he could tell where the grafts had also been stitched in closer to the bridge of his nose all the way up toward his forehead. 

Once he was done checking on the area, he tilted his head on the pillow and smiled. 

“Thank you, master Taru.” 

The man’s nervous expression immediately morphed into a beaming smile as he moved forward to sit on the edge of the bed, then reached up to rub Marquise’s hair like he were petting a dog. 

“I’m glad that you like it. I tried to save as much as I could, but while most of your other injuries are slowly healing, that area just wasn’t showing enough improvement and the rot was starting to cross the bridge of your nose toward your left eye. I was really worried that you might end up losing it, too, if I didn’t do something soon,” he said, his voice quieting gradually as he moved his hand down from Marquise’s hair until it came to a rest just to the side of his left eye. 

“I might need to do one or two more small surgeries, but I think you should be good if we keep track of the remaining rot there,” he said, then grinned. “I don’t want you to lose your good looks, after all.” 

Unable to help himself, Marquise burst out into a fit laughter, his lips turning up as his voice rose beyond its normal raspy quietness. 

He laughed for a surprisingly-long amount of time. Even to the point where his eye began to water and his stomach started to hurt. It felt good. After so many years being the one who dealt with every issue from bottom to top, as well as poisoning himself to try and help others, and then facing the fallout and consequences of that decision, he had honestly needed a good, real laugh. 

I can’t even remember the last time I thought something was funny enough to laugh out loud at. 

“You’re a good pup,” Taru said as he wrapped his arms around Marquise’s neck, having leaned over from where he’d been sitting to complete the action. 

Marquise expected the hug to last only a few seconds, so when it stretched on for quite a bit longer, he tilted his head a little, trying to see his master’s face. 

He tucked it against my neck… and while I’m not a hundred percent sure, I think he’s sniffling, but trying to hide it as best he can. 

Marquise was just about to say something to question his actions when he caught himself and clamped his mouth shut. 

Vrasje said that I look like your little brother… 

He didn’t need much explanation to draw conclusions from the simple sentence. Instead of talking, he slowly reached up and wrapped his arms around his master’s back, then squeezed gently. 

They stayed like that for several minutes before Marquise decided to move one arm upward until his hand could gently sift through Taru’s soft hair. 

He wasn’t the greatest at comforting people, but he hoped that his decision was a reasonable one. He liked getting head-pats, so perhaps his master might not mind one when he was feeling stressed. He would have honestly liked to pull the blankets up and over the man, too, but there were two problems with that line of thinking. 

One, he was mostly naked beneath them. And two, he would have to move quite a bit to do that, or even ask Taru to move, which he didn’t want to do. So, he remained where he was, holding his master as he did his best to sooth him. 

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but at some point he heard a faint sound approaching and tilted his head the slightest bit so that he could look toward the door. 

Ah, the porcupine is here. 

He felt an abrupt shock jolt through his mind and winced right as the elder vampire walked through the doorway. The man looked just about ready to chastise him, but his words clearly died on his tongue when he noticed the situation at hand. 

When he realized what was going on he quickly walked over and, with the utmost care, untangled Taru’s arms from around Marquise’s neck. then lifted him up into his own arms. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Vrasje whispered gently while rubbing Taru’s back with one hand as he walked over to where two armchairs were situated across the room. 

Marquise watched as the man sat down, then allowed Taru to adjust himself however he wished until he was comfortable snuggled into his arms with his own wrapped around his master’s neck. 

Behave and stay there
. 

He hadn’t even realized he’d been about to try and get out of bed until Vrasje’s voice in his head snapped him back to himself. 

Settling on the edge of the mattress with his bandaged legs hanging over, Marquise watched the two with an unpleasant feeling in his belly. 

I was doing fine comforting him
, he eventually replied, hoping that his words got through their new strange bond. 

It didn’t feel nearly as connected as his previous wolfish ones, but he
did
 at least sense it in the back of his mind. 

He could also immediately sense Vrasje’s frustration with him, but the man seemed to quell his anger rather quickly before he gave his response. 

Behave and stay there. You did what you needed to, but he is my heir and he needs me right now. 

Marquise bristled at his words, but realized that he truly didn’t know his new master all that well yet. He wasn’t even completely sure what had triggered his upset, though he did have a feeling that it had something to do with him looking so much like his brother. 

What… happened to his little brother?
Marquise eventually asked once Taru had settled down and drifted off to sleep in Vrasje’s arms. 

The elder vampire was silent for a long while, prompting Marquise to lay back down as his body began to exhaust from sitting. Once he was comfortable again, he felt the man’s presence within his mind again. 

Smallpox. Both him and his brother had been students of mine at university. Taru was the more reserved brother, and due to having to help raise his little brother after their mom passed away, he’d held off on starting college until his brother was ready, too. 

So they were both your students in the same year…
Marquise thought. 

Did you… fall in love with him then? 

Considering how old Taru looked, being changed around college age seemed about right. 

No. 

No? Marquise furrowed his brow as he stared at the man holding his master so gently in his arms. 

No?
he questioned through their bond, honestly confused. 

Vrasje pursed his lips, then licked them once before looking away from him and at the faintly glowing fire in the fireplace to his right. 

I fell in love with his little brother. 

Marquise nearly choked on his spit. That was
not
what he had thought the man would say, at all! 

But then, how did things turn out in such a way? 

The door linking their minds together suddenly slammed shut, startling Marquise and making him jump slightly as he pushed himself back up into a sloppy sitting position, using his left arm to hold himself steady.

He wanted to growl at the man quietly to at least get the point across that he wasn’t happy with being suddenly cut off like that, but his grumble died in his throat when he saw that Vrasje had shifted a bit in the large seat the two were sharing. He now had his legs crossed on the seat and had bent his own head down to hide his own face against Taru’s soft hair.  

Frustrated, and now honestly a bit worried, Marquise closed his eyes and focused inwardly until he found the faint connection linking them together. He tried to nudge the door open again, but it was sealed surprisingly-tightly. 

His curiosity boiled within his body as he continued to try and figure out how to gain access to speak with the other vampire again. He wanted to hear the rest of the story. The ending was clearly not what anyone would have expected from the little bit of information he’d willingly given.

Why is it Taru that’s here while his brother is gone, when the brother was the one who had garnered Vrasje’s interest? 

He was just about to ask when he heard another set of footsteps and scowled. 

This really isn’t the time. 

Whether it was the time or not, Taru’s peacock, elder Kova, stepped into the room with a flourish of black and silver coat-tails. Of course, when he saw the situation at hand, he stopped in his tracks and looked rather upset. 

“Take the pup for a walk,” Vrasje said quietly, his voice nearly inaudible as he whispered against Taru’s hair. 

Marquise frowned and immediately looked back at Kova. He didn’t expect the man to do as he was asked… frankly because his love was being coddled in another’s lap, but to his surprise, the man immediately walked up to him and leaned down without a word. 

Figuring that he, once again, got no say in things, Marquise didn’t bother trying to put up a pathetic fight and, instead, allowed himself to be picked up
and
 even wrapped his arms around the other man’s neck once his legs were situated around his waist. 

Glad I’m at least wearing pants. 

They were rather loose and generally used as undergarments, but they covered what mattered, none-the-less.  

The two of them left without a word, giving the other two privacy. Marquise watched the doorway to the room slowly shrink in his vision as the distance between them grew. When they finally disappeared around a corner and began descending the steps, he hunched a little and settled his chin on Kova’s shoulder. 

“Just leave me somewhere downstairs. I don’t want to go outside,” he said. 

He wasn’t exactly dressed to do so, and his legs didn’t work quite yet, so
walking
 wasn’t going to happen, anyways. 

Instead of getting any kind of response, the man simply ignored him. They quickly finished descending the steps, then headed toward the back of the large home before stepping out into a warm, sunny day. 

Marquise immediately groaned and buried his sensitive eye in the crook of Kova’s neck as the hot sun began warming his bare back. 

Okay, this actually feels really good. 

He remained silent as he allowed the man to carry him through the backyard, and even sneaked a few peeks here and there when they passed beneath a shade tree. 

My eye has gotten so sensitive after being inside and asleep for so long. 

He began trying to look around more, forcing himself to blink away tears so that he could get used to the light more. 

They walked quite a bit, making Marquise realize that Vrasje’s second home was not only spacious on the inside, but also had a massive expanse of greenery surrounding it. 

The entire area was well-planted with flowers of all kinds, as well as several different trees. He was just looking around again, this time straightening up a bit to get a better view, when he spotted something that made his empty belly grumble. 

Oranges. 

He didn’t think that orange trees could survive in such an area…

“That’s lord Vrasje’s. He’s worked hard to keep that alive and treats it with the utmost care, especially during the harsh winters,” Kova said, responding to his clear curiosity and interest. 

“You may not have any. It rarely produces more than a few fruits. Even if you were to steal one, he would know immediately.” 

Why so much fuss over a simple tree? Could he not just buy some imported oranges at the market? 

Marquise pursed his lips and swallowed a mouthful of saliva as they continued to walk. He stared over the man’s shoulder until the tree was completely out of view, then sagged in his arms with a huff. 

His stomach growled in matching dismay as the treat disappeared from his line of sight. 

“Such a dramatic mutt,” Kova chastised as he finally slowed to a stop about five minutes later and, surprisingly, jumped right up into a large oak tree! 

Huh? 

Confused, Marquise unwrapped his arms as the man carefully grabbed his waist and removed him from around his body, then lowered him downward. He was soon settled on a decently-sized branch. He wasn’t sure what the man was planning, but as soon as he let go and hopped back down to the ground, a strong gust of wind blew through the canopy, making the branch sway and shiver beneath him.  

Marquise shifted his body here and there, trying to balance, while at the same time doing his best to scoot closer to the main trunk of the tree as fast as he could. It was 
very 
hard to manage not falling off, and within two pathetic minutes he was beginning to tire and still had another two feet to go before he would have something to hold onto with his shaky hands. 

His entire being focused on just making it those two meager feet, though. 

You were an alpha. One of the strongest and most revered. 

Sure, he was definitely nothing special now, but he still had a miniscule percentage of that stubborn determination that saw him rise to the top of three packs. 

Gritting his teeth in determination, Marquise continued his journey while ignoring everything else around him. He swayed several times when the wind rushed past him and shook the branch he was on, then nearly fell when a bird flitted right past his nose, but he finally managed to reach his destination and embrace the tree’s tall trunk after nearly ten minutes of struggling. 

I… will protect my dear master… from that vile beast. 

His muscles spasmed and ached as he leaned his whole body against the firm bark and worked on catching his breath and calming down. 

“Not bad,” Kova said from twelve or so feet below him. 

Marquise squinted his eye open after a few moments just to glare down at the damned peacock. 

He even looks like he’s preening on the inside!

A frustrated growl rumbled within his chest, but right before he could release it a loud clap of thunder startled him enough to make him slip right from the branch! 

 Of course, he expected Kova to at least catch him, but when something cold and firm slammed into him instead, he winced and clawed at the chest now pressed up against him. 

Useless dog, tearing holes in my clothing. 

Marquise blinked as he felt them land, then, in less than two seconds he was passed to more-familiar, gentler arms. 

“Sorry I lost myself a bit back there,” Taru said as he hugged Marquise’s shivering body to him. 

He actually wasn’t cold. His muscles had just been worn out by the simple bit of exercise. Balancing on the tree branch had exhausted his unused muscles quickly. 

“While it was entertaining watching the dog stuck up in a tree… why?” Vrasje asked as he turned to a quite content-looking Kova. 

The man gave them a calm smile and nodded up at the tree. 

“He needs to start using his muscles again, but he definitely can’t walk yet. Balancing is a good way to work some of the muscles he’s going to need to use in order to walk properly,” Kova said as he stared directly at Taru. 

You guys keep calling me a dog but I feel like this guy is begging to be told that he’s a good boy for knowing more medical stuff. 

Unfortunately, Taru’s eyes lit up when Marquise glanced up at his master’s face. 

Please don’t fall in love with him, master Taru. He was torturing me, your poor, crippled heir. 

A stifled laugh echoed within his mind as another rumble of thunder vibrated the ground beneath them. 

“Alright, let’s go inside before it starts raining. I still need to feed him and then maybe we can work on more balancing stuff inside,” Taru said, making Marquise smile, then frown. 

He was about to begin complaining that he didn’t want to do anymore therapy that day when he noticed that they were approaching a
certain
area of the massive yard. 

The oranges…

There had only been three on the tree in total, but they had looked absolutely delicious. 

A surprisingly strong gust of wind battered them with tiny droplets of water, warning them that they were running out of time to stay dry. Taru sped up as soon as Kova did and easily blurred past the oranges Marquise had his heart set on. 

Wait… I need a new reason to live today,
he thought pathetically as he resigned himself to just hanging onto his master as he ran. 

They were inside a few moments later, and thankfully, not too wet. Kova disappeared after a moment, likely to go change out of his fancy clothing since they’d at least gotten a bit damp. 

His master, instead, stayed by the door and even turned to look back outside as the storm began to pick up. Marquise looked up and turned in order to see, too. 

Huh? 

A dark form blurred through the rain too quickly for his single eye to keep track of until it was right upon them! 

Vrasje came skidding into the room, completely soaked through and dripping like… well… a dog. His long hair was draped over his back like a soaked curtain and several strands had fallen across his face and gotten stuck there by the clinging water droplets. 

He straightened slowly as Taru hurried over, but before his master could get close, Vrasje was already walking toward them. 

The vampire barely paused long enough to reach out and grab one of Marquise’s wrists, pull it closer to himself, then shove something into his hand before muttering “storm knocked it off,” then brushing past them and heading up the stairs in a blur. 

What the heck was that? 

And more importantly…

Looking down, Marquise stared at the bright orange fruit now in his hand for a moment before his brows furrowed and he looked back toward the now-empty stairs. 

“It looks like you’ve got yourself a delicious snack. Let’s go change clothes and then how about going down to the dining room for some lunch today?” Taru said as he began heading up the steps, too. 

Marquise would have been a bit nervous about going to eat in the actual dining area, because that meant a whole new level of challenges for his mending body, but his attention was so focused on the orange he was lifting to his mouth that he simply made an affirmative sound of agreement as he was carried. 

The moment he bit into the juicy fruit, skin and all, he nearly wiggled from excitement. The orange wasn’t
quite
 ripe, but it was exactly the way he’d always liked them when he was younger. It had been years since he’d had one, but the familiar mixture of sweet and sour made him grin from ear to ear as he happily took his large bite of fruit into his mouth and began to chew. 

“Eating the skin, too, huh? I might have to agree with them this time that you resemble a canine, but I don’t think
dog
is quite the right word,” Taru said as they got to the top of the stairs and turned toward his room. 

Not a dog? Do I get to finally be called a wolf?
he thought as he began to take another big bite of the delicious fruit he’d been given. 

Taru grinned at him with a hint of mischief in his gaze that made Marquise hesitate completing his bite of orange, making a little line of juice run down his chin as he blinked his one eye at his master’s strange expression. 

“You’re an adorable puppy.” 

P… puppy?

Chapter 8

That’s a lot of fruit. 

Sitting at the table by himself, Marquise eyed the large spread of food laid out before him. He had been brought down by Taru the last few days, but the man had been called away to the hospital for an emergency this time, leaving him to dine alone. It still took a bit of effort to stay upright the whole time, but he knew that he could manage it well enough. 

Well, there were two servants present if I need help, but—“Young master Marquise, would you like some assistance?” the young blond servant asked as she suddenly appeared beside him with a smile. 

“Ah, um, I’m okay. Thank you for offering, though,” he said quietly as he hurriedly reached forward and grabbed a plum. 

It was a bit too firm, signaling that it wasn’t quite ripe… but that was perfect. It would be a little sour. He quickly began to eat as the woman stared at him, a slight frown on her face. After everything that he had faced in the past, he just didn’t feel comfortable around others anymore, especially if his new master wasn’t present. 

The woman didn’t seem to get the hint, or verbal declination, because she quickly turned toward the table and grabbed a few different cut-up fruits before setting them down on his plate. 

Oh? 

Marquise waited for the woman to lean away first, but then he quickly reached toward the slices of grapefruit that now sat on his plate. He worked on them for quite a while before finally finishing everything with a content sigh. 

“Um… master Marquise?” 

This time the speaker was the male servant who had stood back as to not crowd him. 

“Yes?” he responded, trying to sound slightly authoritative… even though his belly was full and he was ready for a nice long nap. 

The servant bowed respectfully, then spoke again. 

“As one of the main servants to lord Taru, I wanted to ask… just out of curiosity…” 

Ah, of course. 

Grinning, Marquise leaned against his chair and nodded. 

“I am, or well, I
was
 a werewolf. My wolf is no longer here, though, so I suppose I’m just a rotten little vampire now,” he said with a shrug. 

The servant immediately bowed again, then returned to his position by the wall after giving his thanks for the information. The woman, however, simply stared at him with a curious expression on her face. 

Either way, he didn’t want to deal with anymore people for a while. 

I really need to rest some more. 

However, his master still wasn’t back to help him get upstairs and neither the porcupine, nor the peacock were present, either. 

I’ll just have to do it myself. 

Licking his lips, Marquise carefully got to his unsteady feet using the heavy chair he had been sitting on. The task was reasonable enough, but there was no way he’d be able to walk unassisted. 

“My lord, would you like some assistance?” the male servant asked as he walked a little closer. 

Instead of waiting for him to respond, the woman still standing a bit too close stepped up and abruptly lifted Marquise’s arm over her shoulder. 

“Don’t worry, Damian, I got him,” she said as she quickly began walking away from the table, practically dragging Marquise’s frail body with her!

He might have just accepted the uncomfortable help,
if
the woman had been dragging him in the right direction. As it were, they went right past the stairs and began heading down a long, dark hallway. 

Hey, um, can anyone here me?
he thought, then pushed his words outward like he used to when he was a werewolf. 

He wasn’t too surprised when silence answered him. 

Just Vrasje, then. 

The woman finally stopped near the end of the hallway, then opened a door that had a staircase behind it. 

Okay, I guess we’re going down instead of up. 

He paused for a moment as he realized something, then inwardly fidgeted. 

Her hand is cold. Even though she’s a servant, she’s also a vampire. 

Of course, he should have guessed that as soon as she’d grabbed him, but his mind had been a bit preoccupied. 

“Can we talk? I don’t think my master would be very happy if I suddenly disappeared,” he said quietly, figuring that she already knew that Taru might not be happy. 

Yet she’s still dragging me away. 

The woman remained silent until they finally stepped into a surprisingly-nice room in the basement. There were no windows, of course, but that didn’t stop the area from being decently well lit with candles and decorated beautifully. 

Oh… friends. 

“Why did you bring that down here, Olivia?” one of the men present said immediately as he got to his feet. 

The woman who had dragged him all the way downstairs, Olivia, evidently, simply chuckled and threw him onto the nice plush rug in the middle of the room. 

“You all know that this
thing
 is going to hinder our master for the rest of his life,” she said sternly, seemingly not caring at all that the three others in the room were all men. 

“It doesn’t matter. Our master chose him. Heirs cannot be revoked. It is a one-time thing,” another man said, though he didn’t look happy about it, either. 

Olivia stepped forward, nearly kicked Marquise as he struggled to sit up. 

“He’s not registered yet! And hell if the governor would even consider it! Even if he barely smells like a dog anymore, he was still clearly a werewolf. If we kill him before master Taru can register him as his official heir, then he will be free to choose an appropriate descendant!” 

I mean, I can’t really fight back, so go ahead if you feel you have to, but I really don’t think Taru is going too be happy about it. He really likes giving me head-pats… and I was kind of hoping for a belly rub one day, too. 

The group of vampires looked less hesitant now, but they still didn’t become aggressive. 

“All you men are the damn same,” Olivia growled as she reached down and grabbed a handful of Marquise’s shaggy hair, then yanked his whole body up by it until he was forced onto his knees. 

“I’ll just deal with it, then get rid of the body before master Taru gets back,” she said as she yanked his head to the side and knelt down. 

 Marquise scowled as his head began to ache. He was going to just let her kill him, but instead of getting it over with, she began to spew a long monologue about how men can never do what needed to be done and that she always had to step in when something important needed handled. 

At this rate I’m going to die from boredom… and dammit, my head hurts. 

She gave his hair a particularly hard yank as she spouted off several degrading points, making one of the male vampires roll his eyes and walk into an adjacent room as the other two glanced at each other, clearly contemplating the same thing. 

Take me with you, please. 

“Alright, you worthless mutt. Time to get what you deserve,” Olivia finally said as she gave his head a hard shake, making Marquise wince and let out a near-silent whine. 

“Let’s start with breaking your neck. That way you won’t be able to retaliate while I drain your blood,” she said with a haughty laugh that made Marquise want to puke up the meal he’d just eaten. 

I already can’t do anything against you, you moron. 

But honestly, now that he was in such a ridiculous situation, and quite annoyed with it, too, Marquise decided that he
would
 try to do something. 

So, as soon as she reached around to grab his jaw with her free hand, Marquise felt his fangs extend as a feral instinct welled up in his belly for the first time in weeks. It didn’t quite feel like his wolf, but he also knew that vampires weren’t their own entity within a person. Heck, werewolves normally weren’t, either. His wolf having completely split from his mind to form its own identity was not something that normally happened. 

Either way, he didn’t mind… at all. 

Allowing that instinct to take control was the easiest thing Marquise had done in a long while. Before the woman could even contemplate what was going on, he had her fingers between his teeth. 

The sound of crunching bones mixed with the vampire’s screams as Marquise’s fangs clamped down, then retracted abruptly, only to be replaced with thicker, stronger ones. 

Two sets of fangs. That’s an interesting little trick. 

He honestly lost himself a bit as the scent of blood and terror swept over him a few moments later. Sure, he could feel her trying to respond to him, but no matter how hard she hit him, he refused to let go. 

If I’m going to die here, I’m at least going take your fingers with me, you annoying leech. 

 The two men that had remained were, surprisingly, not doing anything. He wasn’t really sure if they were watching, or if they’d left already, but either way, he didn’t care. They weren’t interfering. 

“Olivia.” 

Blinking once, Marquise’s vision immediately cleared from its red haze as he allowed the woman’s shattered fingers to slip from between his bloody lips. 

The two male vampires still in the room stood immediately, then bowed and greeted their master. Olivia, however, was still screeching and crying as she scooted away from him on the floor, holding her decrepit hand against her chest. 

She seemed to realize that her master was present a few moments later, then began screaming for him to do something about his terrible dog! 

Marquise spat out a mouthful of the woman’s blood as she squawked, making a face when the flavor finally caught his attention. 

Disgusting. Master’s Taru’s was much better. 

He then turned his attention back up to Taru and fidgeted before immediately looking down at the bloody carpet. 

 
He doesn’t look happy. I probably shouldn’t have bitten his servant. 

He nervously waited for the man to decide what he wanted to do, and when he heard his footsteps walk farther into the room, he tensed and licked his bloody lips. 

Taru knelt before him a few moments later, then gently settled a hand beneath his jaw in order to raise his head. The moment their eyes met Marquise looked away, not daring to play the dominance game when he knew his place well. 

His heart hummed in his chest as the man examined him, then nearly stopped as Taru’s free hand settled atop his head for a gentle pat. That abrupt halt to his heartbeat coincided with a rush of pain from his evidently-bleeding scalp. 

A line of blood actually slipped from his hairline and drifted downward along the left side of his nose not a second later, leaving a long stain of pale pink along its path. 

He wasn’t positive, but Taru actually looked extremely upset with this new discovery. More-so than he thought he’d be. Before he could figure out anything to say, his master simply lifted him up from the floor, then turned and walked out of the room. 

Marquise could hear the two other vampires that had seen the whole thing begin to move, as well as a snarled shout from Olivia, but by the time they were back upstairs, the sounds had faded into silence. 

His body was just beginning to relax in Taru’s arms when they turned toward the main staircase and something caught his attention, making him lift his aching head. 

Oh… Vrasje is back, too. 

They met each other’s eyes for a brief moment before Marquise quickly hunched down against Taru. 

He doesn’t look happy…

A gentle pat to his back snapped Marquise out of his nervousness and brought his attention back to his master. 

“Don’t worry, that kind of thing will never happen to you again,” Taru said firmly, his voice more stern and cold than he could ever remember it being. 

Either way, the man had helped him, yet again, so he wasn’t going to worry about the situation any longer. If he got reprimanded, so be it, but he was beginning to think that he wasn’t the one in trouble. 

In fact, when he looked back up to check on Vrasje, the man was already walking toward the hallway they’d just come from. Before he even go halfway there, though, his figure blurred forward, then vanished. 

He
did
hear another shrill scream about two seconds later from that direction, but then, nothing. Bone-chillingly cold silence was now the only thing that followed them up the stairs.

Chapter 9

Stumbling for the fifth time, Marquise quickly moved his new cane out in front of himself, using it to just-barely avoid falling on his face again. His deteriorated body was already crying out in pain and he’d only been practicing for ten minutes so far. 

You can do this. 

His arms shook as he rested his weight on the cane while trying to use it to balance at the same time. He knew that walking wouldn’t be easy, but he refused to believe that he should remain in bed any longer. 

Besides, relying on someone else was never something he wanted to do, anyways, so having been incapacitated for so long had truly driven him a little mad. 

Now that his master was finally away again and the two elder vampires were nowhere to be seen, he’d finally pushed himself to try walking again. 

I’m glad he at least allowed me to request a cane for future use… and got it specially crafted within a day. 

Grinning at the thoughtfulness of the man who had given him a new life, Marquise quickly straightened as best he could on his damaged legs, then pursed his lips and carefully took another step after moving the gold-handled cane to his left side. 

He was technically right handed, but if he couldn’t see where he was adjusting the cane when falling, then the device was far less affective in preventing a mishap. 

Keep going. Slow and steady is perfectly fine,
he told himself as he carefully took another tiny step forward. He actually managed to get a little shuffle going as he focused everything he had on his task. 

It was honestly quite a surprise when he noticed the windowsill in front of his toes a few minutes later. 

I did it? 

Looking up after making sure that he was balanced well enough, Marquise stared out of the open window with a dazed expression on his face. 

I really did it. 

Grinning widely, he looked out onto the street and took in a deep breath as a warm gust of wind brought the scent of savory meals with it. 

Whatever’s cooking nearby, it smells absolutely amazing. 

“What are you doing?” 

Hmm? No dog at the end of that sentence? 

Looking over his shoulder, Marquise eyed the man standing in the doorway with his arms crossed and a pout on his face. 

You look more like a dog than me right now with that expression. 

“Standing,” was Marquise’s eventual answer as he turned back to continue looking outside. 

 He heard an annoyed huff from behind him as footsteps began to approach, but it didn’t really matter. He’d been in his current situation long enough to know that Vrasje wasn’t going to harm him. At least, not for simply standing up without anyone there to help. 

“Taru is going to reprimand you,” the elder vampire said as he stopped at his side, then reached up to grasp his jaw and turn his head toward him. 

So what if I fell a few times. I’m not going to break
. 

Well, he didn’t know that for sure considering how rundown his body was, but so far he’d only gotten a few scuffs and a little nick on his lower lip when a fang had clipped it during the last fall he’d taken. 

The man observing him seemed to immediately zero in on that mark, too, because he was soon leaning closer as his eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

Reaching up, Marquise quickly brushed aside the man’s hand that was holding his jaw, then bowed his head slightly before lifting it to look him right in the eye. 

“What business do you have with me today, elder Vrasje? My master is out for the evening and I wasn’t expecting any guests.” 

Sure, his words sounded a bit rude, especially considering who he was talking to, but he just honestly didn’t care. His master was Taru, not
his
 master. Yes, he’d be respectful, for the most part, but there was only one person he planned on obeying. 

“And here I was going out of my way to see if you wanted to go eat out for the first time since coming here,” Vrasje said, his voice tinged with cockiness as he folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall beside the window. 

If the man had said
anything
 else, Marquise probably would have just shrugged him off and continued working, but… 

Food is my one true weakness. 

Steeling his nerves, Marquise pushed aside his false bravado and looked toward Vrasje. Except, right when he was about to open his mouth, the other man walked away and toward the small closet on the other side of the room. 

“At least Taru thought ahead and picked out some clothing for you,” Vrasje said as he quickly went through the small amount of items hanging up until he found something he liked. 

Marquise was just getting back to his bed to take a rest when the man walked over and, with a knowing smirk, gave his shoulder the gentlest of nudges. 

That was all it took for Marquise to fall back onto the bed with an exhausted grunt. 

“Maybe you aren’t ready for this after all,” Vrasje said as he eyed him curiously. 

Marquise mumbled something too quiet to hear, then slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position again. 

“I’m going,” he said sternly, even though his arms were shaking just trying to hold him upright. 

He could tell that Vrasje was contemplating pushing him over again, but thankfully the man seemed to decide against it and, instead, quickly rolled up part of the shirt in his hands after setting the other items down. He then lifted it over Marquise’s hand before tugging it down so that it settled over his thin upper body. 

“A little too big, but considering that you can still eat human food, I think your body will fill out more. It should fit well in a few weeks,” Vrasje said quietly before turning around and grabbing a pair of pants. 

Marquise lifted his legs a little in order to help with them, making the situation pass much quicker than it likely would have if he didn’t. Vrasje even left him alone to zip then up, then buckle the few belts that were fastened to the fabric. 

These actually feel pretty nice. And the tan color looks good with the white shirt. 

Of course, it was a
very
 simple outfit and didn’t stand much of a chance against Vrasje’s suit and gold and black striped tie, but he would look decent enough to walk beside the man. 

He stood up as soon as Vrasje finished slipping a simple pair of shoes onto his feet. There were thankfully no laces on them, but they still fit snuggly enough to not slip off. 

Marquise managed to stay upright on his own for a full five seconds before he was forced to lean forward and grab at Vrasje’s suitcoat. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled as he quickly but carefully reached down to retrieve his cane. 

There was silence from Vrasje until he was comfortable enough to straighten back up and give the man his attention. 

“You look like you’re about to die. I can just carry you,” he said, making Marquise frown and look down at his hand gripping his cane. 

His knuckles were white and he was sweating the slightest bit, but that didn’t stop him from looking back up at the vampire in front of him with determination. 

“Once we get outside, I want to walk.” 

Vrasje raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. Instead, he leaned over and gently lifted Marquise into his arms, then turned and walked out of the room. 

Marquise was practically vibrating with excitement as he was carried down the stairs, then,
finally
, out the front door. The moment the fresh air hit him he was carefully set down, then given Vrasje’s right arm to hold onto. 

He gladly accepted the assistance without a word and wrapped his arm within his. Using that and his cane on his left side, Marquise actually managed a reasonable, albeit slow, pace. 

The cool early evening breeze rustled his scruffy hair as the fading sun brushed everything with a golden glow. 

I have missed being outside so much.

He did his best to hurry along, but his body just wouldn’t have a change in pace. Eventually, even Vrasje slowed to a stop, forcing Marquise to halt, too. 

When he looked back at the man with his one good eye, confused about why they’d suddenly stopped, Vrasje reached up and patted his messy hair. 

“Calm down. We will be there shortly, but what is the rush? Are you not enjoying your time outside?” he questioned, making Marquise immediately shake his head.

“I am enjoying myself, my lord!” he said, his words hurried and unplanned. 

He realized his little slipup after a moment of silence. 

“U-uh, I really am enjoying myself. I suppose I just got too excited,” Marquise said quickly. 

“Alright then, behave. I am the head elder for this town,” Vrasje said as he began to walk again, making Marquise stumble for a moment before he managed to fall into step correctly. 

He’s really the head vampire here? 

Of course, he knew that elder vampires weren’t all that common to begin with, but really…

Glancing sideways at the man walking beside him, Marquise gave a quiet sigh. 

I’m not so sure he’s cut out for that job. 

“My dear
friend
, have I not told you be—” Vrasje’s words were abruptly cut off when a certain familiar peacock stepped out in front of them, halting their progress quite rudely. 

Marquise felt Vrasje’s muscles tense beneath where he held his arm and figured that it was best to keep his mouth shut this time. 

“Elder Vrasje, what an honor to see you out and about on such a delightful evening,” Kova said as he gave a little mocking bow. 

It was a well known fact that most vampires weren’t the friendliest, but they managed to tolerate each other well enough to live amongst humans. Two elders, however…

I thought you guys were on good terms, though?

Vrasje glanced sideways at him for a moment before returning his full attention to Kova. Instead of responding right away like he thought he would, however, the elder vampire simply narrowed his eyes the slightest fraction, then moved to walk around the other man. 

To his surprise, Kova let them, but he then fell into step at Marquise’s side, drawing quite a few whispers from the humans whose attention was now fixated on them.  

He was
not
a fan of such attention. Heck, even when he was a seriously strong werewolf, he didn’t like people staring at him. Now that he was an undead mutt of some sort, he was honestly a little terrified. 

Humans never really liked wolves, even when I lived in a town that was learning how to accept them…

“Why are you taking lord Taru’s heir out of the house without his permission?” Kova asked, making Vrasje’s arm immediately warm beneath Marquise’s. 

His escort didn’t bother answering as they stepped into the restaurant they were evidently eating at. 

It smells amazing in here. 

It was just a little tavern with only eight tables total that were all full, but when an older man immediately greeted them and told them to follow him to the back, they obliged. 

He… has his own table. Why am I not surprised? 

Marquise quickly sat down, then heaved a loud sigh as his body began to finally relax its sore muscles. He hadn’t been paying much attention to his aches and pains while they’d been walking, but now that he was sitting down, he realized that he might not be able to get back up after their meal. 

“Scoot over, pup.” 

Blinking out of his thoughts, Marquise looked up with a frown. 

What are you still doing here? 

In fact…

“You weren’t invited,” Marquise said firmly, making Vrasje let a little snicker slip before he could catch himself. 

Kova spared the man a brief glance before narrowing his eyes on Marquise. 

“You should know better than to leave without your master’s approval,
Marquise.
”

Marquise looked across the table at Vrasje, then shrugged one shoulder as he returned his attention to Kova. 

“If my master has any issue with me leaving with his own master, then I will handle the situation when we return. As it is, I’m hungry and elder Vrasje offered to take me out to get something. If there is nothing else bothering you, please let us eat in piece,” he said with an authority he no longer had, but felt like using anyways. 

Kova seemed at a loss for words, and when Vrasje leaned forward on an elbow and gestured him to move along with his other hand, the man’s face turned vicious for a split second before he forced the hostile emotions away and replaced them with a fake smile. 

“You have a long way to go with that personality if you truly want to court my heir. Now leave so that I can take care of his little one so that he doesn’t come back to an empty house,” Vrasje said with a hint of frustration to his words. 

Kova bristled in response and nearly bared a fang, but managed to keep his cool this time and simply nodded, then quickly dismissed himself. 

Once they were finally alone Marquise grinned and looked down at the menu that had been waiting for them on the table. He grabbed it eagerly, licking his lips as he began scanning the lengthy options. 

“Get whatever you want. If you order more than one thing or can’t finish anything, just take it home and eat it tomorrow,” Vrasje said as he opened a smaller menu and began to browse it casually. 

Their waitress arrived after a few minutes and while Vrasje just ordered a rare steak and a goblet of spiked blood, Marquise ordered fried fish, a baked potato with butter and bacon, and a huge piece of dark chocolate cake. He wasn’t too sure what he wanted to drink, but decided on getting a regular glass of blood, along with a cup of water, just in case. 

The silence that took over once they’d placed their orders was awkward, but understandable. They weren’t friends, and to be truthful, they were barely acquaintances, if that. Sure, he’d been given a bath by the other man while they were both naked, but it had strictly been cleaning… and had felt amazing. 

He was about to think about asking the man to help him bathe again, but then caught himself when he remembered that he should be capable of doing it himself now. 

“I’ll help you whenever you want,” Vrasje said, surprising Marquise. 

Evidently his surprise had showed quite a bit on his face because Vrasje was now smirking at him as he leaned on the table with one arm.  

“Why would you?” Marquise asked after a long pause, honestly confused. 

He understood that the man was his master’s sire, but why was he willing to help him so much when he hated werewolves enough to intentionally hunt them? 

Vrasje hesitated responding long enough for their food to appear in front of them. 

This… is the fastest restaurant I’ve ever been to. 

Granted, he hadn’t been to many unless he was on official business to help assist the local packs he’d been in charge of, but anyways. With such amazing food in front of him, his mind immediately turned away from their pathetic conversation as he hastily dug into his meal. 

He could sense Vrasje watching him as he sipped his drink slowly, but who the hell cared. 

This food is fantastic! 

He couldn’t manage to stop smiling as he quickly but respectfully went through his meal. The fish vanished first, followed by the cake second. The last thing that remained was half of the potato, and by this time the cheese had completely melted and merged with the chopped bits of bacon that had been generously heaped on top of it. 

The best part…

While most people, and wolves, rather enjoyed sweets, he was more of a savory and sour guy. He was also one to save his favorite for last. Or, at least, half of his favorite. 

“Would you like another potato to bring home?” Vrasje asked, finally drawing Marquise’s attention across the table for the first time since their food had arrived. 

Without really thinking, Marquise immediately nodded, then realized that he had a little food smudged on his face. 

“Here,” Vrasje said as he picked up a large cloth napkin and reached across the table. 

It almost seemed like he was going to wipe off whatever was around his mouth himself, but at the last second the man hesitated, then redirected his hand so that Marquise could take the proffered item. 

I already have a napkin, but I guess I’ll just take yours since you’re offering. 

Once he had finished wiping off his face, Marquise looked down at the napkin, then felt his face warm slightly at the mess he’d made of himself. 

“It’s fine. You’ve been cooped up for a long time and fed very simple meals. It’s perfectly normal to get a little carried away with some real food,” Vrasje said before finishing the last bite of his small steak. 

Licking his lips self consciously, Marquise wiped his mouth one more time before setting the napkin aside and looking down at the table. 

Their waitress arrived a moment later with the bill, but that was evidently just on a tab, so Vrasje simply ordered an extra potato to go, and when it was brought a few minutes later, they got up to leave. 

Oh…

His legs were partially numb and partially trembling from overuse. 

“Here, hold this and your cane,” Vrasje said as he handed Marquise his little container with the potato in it, then leaned over and carefully scooped him up into one arm. 

Marquise quickly wrapped his legs around the man’s waist, then moved a little here and there until Vrasje was comfortable holding him. Once content, the vampire took his container, leaving him with just the cane that had a little loop around the head of it, allowing him to simply slip his hand through it to hold it. 

Needless to say, he was drifting in and out of sleep before they even got back outside. 

“You can rest, I’ll put you to bed,” Vrasje said as he calmly began walking back toward his home. 

Marquise mumbled something inaudibly, then nuzzled against Vrasje’s neck before trying to speak again. His words came out staggered and not that clear, but they were at least loud enough to be heard this time. 

“Your pulse is weak… porcupine vampire, are you okay?” 

He actually had no pulse at all, but when he felt the man slow to a stop, Marquise gave a small yawn, then snuggled in against him more and lifted his free hand to grab at whatever it could hold onto… which was the collar of the man’s fancy dress shirt. Then he smiled sleepily when he heard
it
. 

Vrasje began walking again a moment later as his heartbeat quickened within his chest, eventually setting a pace that perfectly matched Marquise’s… and lulled him right to sleep.

Chapter 10

He’d never gotten such a good night of sleep in his entire life. Whatever happened after they’d left the restaurant was a simple blur in his mind, but the food he remembered intimately. 

Just the thought of the delicious fried fish, baked potato, and cake made him lick his lips. Except, when his tongue slowly swiped out of his mouth, it came in contact with something… 

Curiously, Marquise let his tongue slip from his lips again after having retracted it. His mind began to clear as he continued to lick, rather enjoying the rhythmic sensation that his former half often partook in. It was a bit odd doing it as a human, but the habit, evidently, was still ingrained. 

By the time he was content with his work and opened his eyes, he was in quite a good mood. 

Uh…

His brain took a full minute to piece together what exactly was going on. Well, thankfully, it was more like what 
wasn’t
 going on. At least at that moment. 

I might actually die today. 

Marquise wasn’t sure what he could really do in such a situation, either. Somehow, someway, Vrasje hadn’t woken up when he’d turned his neck bright red with his tongue. However, there was no way for him to sneak away from the situation, unfortunately. The man’s right arm was wrapped comfortably around his lower back with his hand gently grasping his waist. 

I’m partially on top of him, too. What the hell is wrong with me and why is he here? 

It didn’t take him long to answer his own question. The collar of Vrasje’s nice fancy dress shirt was scrunched into a wrinkled mess by his right hand. It looked like there’d been a bit of frustration on Vrasje’s part, too, because he had a few red spots on the back of his hand as if pressure had been applied for a while to try and loosen his grip. 

It’s… been a really long time since I’ve done that while sleeping. 

He usually only held onto a pillow when he was extremely comfortable, and even in his previous life, that kind of situation had occurred quite rarely. 

Slowly unfurling his fingers from the man’s shirt, Marquise winced a little as his joints began to ache. 

Yep, definitely been holding on all night. 

“You can move, he won’t wake up.” 

Feeling a faint warmth rush to his face, Marquise looked over to where Taru was sitting with his legs crossed and a grin on his handsome face. 

How long have you been sitting there? 

“Not too long,” Taru replied, making Marquise nearly choke on his own saliva!

You can?! 

“Yeah, for a while now, but I didn’t want to startle you so I wasn’t sure how to say it. I guess I still did anyways, huh?” Taru said as he silently got up, then walked over to the other side of the bed closer to Marquise. 

“Come here, hun. He won’t wake up after having drank while you were out,” he said as he reached toward him with a smile. 

After a brief glance back down at Vrasje, Marquise carefully unwrapped himself from his arm, then silently moved across the bed until he was lifted up into Taru’s waiting arms. 

They walked out of the room in silence, but as soon as Taru nudged the door shut, Marquise felt the man’s arms tighten around him considerably in a strong hug. Taru also buried his face in the crook of his neck. 

“I’m so glad I didn’t listen to him,” he eventually said in a quiet, raspy tone. 

Marquise wasn’t really sure what he meant by that, but he figured that the man would clarify his words eventually, so he simply settled in for the attention and even got a gentle pat to his head as a reward for his patience. 

As Taru calmed down he began to walk, eventually bringing them back downstairs to the bathing room he’d used before. 

Ah, good idea. I could use another bath. 

It had been a few days, after all. 

“Marquise?” Taru asked after he gently set him down on the edge of the tub, then actually sat beside him, letting their legs hang over the edge. 

Not wanting to be rude, Marquise immediately replied with a quiet, “yes sir?” 

Taru seemed like he wanted to reach over and touch him again, but he kept his hands to himself and simply smiled.

“Are you happy here? I know it’s not the best situation right now, but things are going to change… and far too quickly for my liking,” he said, making Marquise tilt his head curiously as he stared at the man beside him. 

“I am very happy here, master Taru. What do you mean, though? What things are going to change?” he asked, a little confused but also a little worried. 

Taru pursed his lips and looked away for a moment, making Marquise want to tug
him
 into his arms for a tight hug. He held himself back, however, and waited patiently until Taru turned back to face him. 

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but several people reported smelling the faint scent of a werewolf on you last night as you passed by them on the street and in the restaurant. 

Ah, it was only a matter of time. After all, my scent is still there, no matter how faint it might be now. 

Before Marquise could come up with a reasonable response to calm his master’s worries, Taru had climbed into his lap and wrapped his arms around his neck as he hugged him again. 

“I promise I’ll protect you, so don’t worry. Just be good and make sure to stay with me or master Vrasje, okay? Don’t go wandering around until people get used to you, okay? You have to be good for a while and stay close to us.” 

Smiling calmly, Marquise returned the hug and began rubbing Taru’s back gently. 

“I’ll be good. I know that humans don’t care for wolves, and even if mine is gone, I’ll still technically be considered one. I won’t leave without one of you with me,” he said, hoping that his words brought his master comfort. 

Taru seemed to calm down after a few moments, then leaned back enough to reach up and muss up Marquise’s already messy hair. He seemed to realize something a moment later, however, and his hand froze as it lifted away from his head. 

“U-um, it doesn’t hurt anymore, does it? Is it okay?” he asked, suddenly nervous. 

Marquise gave a quiet chuckle and leaned forward, nuzzling his head against his shoulder. 

“It has healed. It doesn’t hurt, and I love it,” he said honestly as Taru’s hand quickly returned to sift through his shaggy hair. 

“If I ever do something that makes you uncomfortable, please tell me. I’m not used to being around other people unless I’m working, and a werewolf…” he shook his head slowly as he looked down, clearly trying to figure out how to finish what he was trying to say, but honestly…

So adorable. 

Unable to help himself, Marquise reached up and gave Taru’s hair a gentle pat. 

“I will. I never thought I’d be in this kind of situation, but I don’t think I could have asked for a better master,” Marquise said with a warm smile. 

When Taru hesitantly looked up at him with wide, nervous eyes, he couldn’t help but give a little chuckle and rustle his hair. 

“You’re a good master, Taru… though I’m not sure how you turned out so well with Vrasje as your sire,” he said with a smirk. 

“Oh?” 

Oh…

Licking his suddenly-dry lips, Marquise slowly turned his head toward the opening of the room where a certain vampire was now leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

The area he’d licked previous was angrily red and glaringly obvious to the eye, even in the poorly lit bathing area. 

 “Good morning, master Vrasje,” Taru said as he hurried move out of Marquise’s lap, then stand up. 

It was obvious that something was about to go down, and it was likely his fault, but they both kept calm and waited as the elder vampire slowly made his way into the room. 

Surprisingly, he didn’t even walk up to them. Instead, he stayed back by the large length of counterspace and watched them for a tense moment before finally speaking. 

“Taru, get ready to leave. There’s a new pack trying to settle near the southern border that needs to be removed.”

There’s a new pack trying to get in? 

“How far away is the southern border?” Marquise asked, curious.  

When Vrasje turned his attention to him, Marquise felt a shiver run down his spine and he quickly lowered his gaze. 

“Forty miles,” was the vampire’s eventual response, making Marquise’s head immediately snap back up to look at him with his wide eye. 

Forty miles?! 

“When are you coming back?” he asked abruptly, seemingly surprising Vrasje enough to make his expression soften the slightest amount. 

Instead of answering his question right away, though, Vrasje tilted his head slightly and asked one of his own. 

“Are you not worried about the wolves I plan to murder?” 

Shrugging, Marquise slowly turned, then crossed his legs so that he was able to sit more comfortably and also see the man better. 

“I have no control over that situation,” he answered honestly. 

Whether he cared about those wolves or not wouldn’t make a difference, so there was no use in voicing it. 

“That’s right, you don’t have any control. Not over that situation, not over Taru, and most
definitely
 not over me,” Vrasje hissed out, making Marquise frown. 

Hadn’t we just been talking about the pack of wolves? Why did this conversation suddenly shift to me being an issue? 

“I don’t understand,” Marquise eventually said. 

He expected Taru to question his master, too, but when the man just gave a stiff bow, then dismissed himself to go get ready, Marquise realized that he would be the only one dealing with this situation. 

Vrasje watched his heir go, then walked over and closed the door before turning back around to stare him down with a narrowed glare. 

I thought we were doing pretty well last night… and I really didn’t mean to lick your throat. That was just an old wolfish habit. Please don’t kill me, I still want to eat that extra potato at least, first. 

Vrasje’s expression relaxed abruptly before his brow furrowed and he pressed two fingers to the bridge of his nose. 

“You really are a dog,” he whispered quietly, more to himself than to anyone else. 

Marquise couldn’t argue, though. He
was
 a dog, or really, a wolf. 

“Get the water going,” Vrasje said as he slowly began to walk closer. 

Not wanting to cause anymore problems for himself, Marquise quickly turned back around and pumped the filling lever several times. 

Taru must have already had someone set up some coals beneath the tub because he suddenly realized that it was quite warm in the room. 

Looking forward to the nice bath, Marquise leaned forward again to get the water going a little faster. Except, he couldn’t quite reach the lever this time because there was something holding the back of his shirt. 

Um…? 

Behave
, was Vrasje’s curt response, making Marquise raise an eyebrow and look over his shoulder. 

Behave? But you’re the one grabbing my shirt. 

Frowning a little, Marquise tried to nudge Vrasje’s hand away with his own, but that just succeeded in making the guy’s grip tighten. He also got a hiss after a few tries, making him roll his eyes. 

“What are you doing that for? Didn’t you tell me to get the water going?” Marquise said, honestly confused as all heck. 

Vrasje was silent for so long that the spigot for the bath pump slowed to a drip. 

“You don’t feel anything, do you?” he finally said after many minutes had past. 

Feel anything? I feel your hand trying to choke me with my own shirt…

“I shouldn’t have fed you while Taru was changing you. I should have just killed you myself and been done with this whole situation when I found you rolling around in the mud at the lake,” Vrasje said, ignoring Marquise’s mental response. 

“Well, um… since that didn’t happen, can I take my bath now?”

Vrasje scowled at him, but Marquise only felt nervous for another moment or two before he returned the expression with an added fang, then slid backwards abruptly right when Vrasje’s grip loosened from surprise. 

The action worked perfectly and within seconds Marquise had slipped free of his sleep shirt and away from the frustrating vampire! He then promptly fell over the edge of the tub beside him and right into the warm water. 

Not exactly what I had planned, but at least I’m awa—
His thought was abruptly interrupted by the feeling of cold hands wrapping around him, then lifting him up and out of the water. 

Grumbling, Marquise wiped at his eye until he was comfortable opening it, then glared up at the man now staring down at him.

Your suit is all wet…

“And whose fault is that?” Vrasje ground out as he trudged over to the edge of the pool and lifted Marquise out of it. 

Hang on a damn minute. 

Turning around, Marquise let his legs fall back over the edge of the large tub before crossing his arms over his damp chest. 

“It was completely
your
 fault for jumping in! I didn’t ask you to help me, and I didn’t
need
 your help, either,” he said truthfully. 

Vrasje stared at him for a long moment before replying in a surprisingly-calm voice. 

“You always need our help.”

Marquise tilted his chin up slightly. 

“I won’t always. As soon as I’m strong enough I’ll leave. That way I won’t bother either of you. Maybe I’ll even find my own heir to ch—”

A finger pressed firmly against his lips, silencing him faster than any words had ever been able to. Vrasje now stood right in front of him, his slim-but-toned body situated right between his spread legs with part of his lower half still submerged in water. 

“I won’t allow it. Taru gave you everything. A vampire is only allowed to change one heir throughout their entire lifetime. And here you are saying that you will abandon him the moment you are able?” 

The frustration in his voice was as clear as day, but Marquise could also hear the slightest hint of worry. Feeling a little more unsure, he quickly backtracked a tiny bit. 

“I won’t just disappear. I’ll talk to Taru first, when I’m feeling a lot better and I’m able to take care of myself,” he said, hoping that his words would reassure the man that he wouldn’t just walk out on his heir without talking to him first. 

His reassurance seemed to calm the man a little bit. Vrasje even took a slow, deep breath before reaching up and tugging at a long length of Marquise’s bangs. 

“You still need a haircut, too…” 

He never really though of about one. His hair was always scruffy and never really grew super long. The fur of a wolf on grew to a certain point before it was shed, and some werewolves carried over that ability into their human forms. He thought about mentioning that, but when he opened his mouth, the only thing he said was “okay.” 

“You need to get some decent clothing, too. Stuff that’s actually fitted to your body,” Vrasje added as his fingers slipped from his hair. 

Marquise licked his lips and looked down at his bare chest, then nodded. 

“You need to learn how to be a vampire, too. Not to mention that you still have to go register as Taru’s heir and have your fangs measured, and—” 

“Fangs measured?” Marquise asked, cutting off Vrasje’s rambling. 

The elder vampire quickly nodded, then gave a tiny hint of a smile. 

“This town has a funny little tradition it does for all new vampires, since we don’t really have a large population of them. They like to measure the newly turned vampire’s fangs.”

That… seems kind of childish. 

“It is, but you at least have to do the registration and measurement, for Taru. You probably don’t have much in the way of fangs, but it’s the principle of the thing,” he said as he glanced down at Marquise’s mouth, then reached up with a curious expression on his face. 

“Actually, let me see first. Show me what you got,” he said as he gently pressed down on Marquise’s lower lip. 

Holding back from rolling his eyes, Marquise let the man slowly open his mouth, then focused on extending his vampiric fangs. 

“Ah, figured they wouldn’t be too long. You were pretty sick when you were changed, so your body was likely trying to save as much energy as possible,” he said as he gently nudged one of Marquise’s little fangs. 

You sound like one of those young college boys fresh out of grade school that’s still obsessed with having the biggest item between their legs
, Marquise thought as he retracted his fangs… then allowed his other set to descend. 

Vrasje immediately removed his hand and jumped back a step, clearly startled by the second set of teeth. 

“Y-you have two sets?!” he exclaimed, then quickly leaned back in to examine them. 

“These are much thicker than normal vampire teeth, and there are even two matching ones on the bottom row, too,” he said to himself as he poked at them for several moments. 

When Marquise had had enough, he retracted the larger fangs, then leaned away enough to send the message that he was done playing show and tell. 

“I think the second set was from my wolf. I guess I’ve always had them in my human form, but never really paid attention to them as much. I wasn’t really expecting to see them in this form since I got vampiric fangs now,” he said with a half shrug. 

“I think I used my wolf fangs to crush your servants hand the other day,” he added, making Vrasje lift a hand to his own chin in thought. 

“That makes sense. Vampire fangs aren’t strong enough to crush bone. They would probably break,” he said before seeming to realize something and leaning forward again. 

He quickly lifted his hands to Marquise’s head and forced him to lean over slightly. 

“You healed from what she did, right?” he asked as he sifted through his shaggy dark hair, clearly looking for a scab or general damage. 

Marquise quickly shook him off, then leaned away a little before raising an eyebrow. 

“Weren’t you about to go hunting, oh great vampire lord?” 

Vrasje scowled at him, but before he could retort Taru called from the doorway. 

“I’m ready to go, master. Uh… is everything alright?” 

Good timing. Perfect timing. 

Vrasje scowled at Marquise before looking over his shoulder at his heir. 

“I’m just going to help him finish bathing, then I’ll be right there,” he said calmly. 

Except, Marquise wasn’t interested in help anymore. 

“I can actually do it myself this time. You guys can go ahead,” he said as he looked back at his master with a smile. 

Taru looked hesitant to allow such a thing, since he still wasn’t close to one-hundred percent, but when he didn’t outright decline, and instead looked toward his master, Marquise turned his attention to Vrasje. 

“I can clean myself, and the tub is only half filled. I’ll be fine,” he said before the man could speak. 

Vrasje bristled at being cut-off, but Marquise held steady. 

“I’ll do it myself. If I need help I’ll call for a servant, but I want to do it alone today.” 

The man before him was clearly unhappy with his decision, but instead of arguing, he relented and climbed out of the tub. 

“I’ll station two staff members outside the door,” he said quietly as he tugged off his soaked suit jacket while heading toward Taru. 

Marquise turned a little to watch him go. 

“I will definitely call for them if I need anything,” he said with an excited smile. 

He was finally being allowed to do something on his own! 

Taru chuckled a little once his master had left, then told him that they’d be back late and gently closed the door most of the way. 

Finally free of all prying eyes, Marquise quickly slid back into the warm water and dunked his head beneath the surface. 

This feels great!

He remained underneath for a bit, then straightened back up. Except, when he tried to lift his head above the water, it didn’t quite reach. 

Huh? 

Confused, he tried again, and even pushed with his back feet to get higher. His nose just-barely managed to break through the surface, allowing him to suck in a much-needed breath of air. 

I swear this tub wasn’t that deep, and I didn’t fill it all the way, either. 

Unsure and a little nervous, he quickly looked for one of the sitting ledges and crawled up onto it, then tucked his tail around his paws as he sat down and caught his breath. Even sitting on the ledge, the water was up to his chest. 

The sound of the door creaking open a minute later made his ears flick in that direction, then had his head turning to follow them. He couldn’t quite see over the edge of the tub, so he lifted himself up on his hind legs and settled a paw on either side to help him balance. Only then was he able to manage to just-barely look over the side to see who was there. 

Oh, it’s one of master’s servants! Good, they can help me get out. 

The man seemed surprised at what he saw for a moment, but then quickly began walking toward him with a strange look on his face. 

Maybe this isn’t the right person? I think I might be better off staying in the tub till Taru gets back… 

Did all of his master’s servants dislike him so much? 

Worried for his safety, Marquise quickly dropped back down into the water, then jumped into the deeper end to swim across to the other side that was bordered by a rocky wall. There, he settled on another ledge before turning at the sound of a different set of footsteps. 

Oh, the peacock is here? 

But weren’t his master and his sire gone? Why was he here now? 

Tilting his head, Marquise watched as his master’s stalker cut in front of the servant, who was nearly to the tub. The man didn’t look happy, but he didn’t dare try anything, either. Kova probably wasn’t supposed to be there right then, but the man was an elder. Regular vampires clearly knew better than to try and challenge him. 

“Elder Kova, the masters are not home right now,” the man said, trying the only thing he could in order to get the man to disregard the current situation and leave. 

Kova didn’t even seem to hear him at first. His full attention was zeroed in on Marquise. 

“Such a frustrating problem you are to my sweet love,” he said as he grabbed a large towel, then knelt down at the edge of the water. He then waved a hand toward to the man behind him. 

“Leave.” 

Marquise watched as the servant sent him one more displeased stare, then walked out of the room without another word. 

Um… 

“I think it’s time to finally take care of this situation. So, either you swim across to me now and I’ll consider being nice, or you can stay there and make things worse for yourself.”

Chapter 11

I’m sorry, but please give me more credit than that. I might be a mutt, but I know that you wouldn’t dare get that suit wet. My old friend was a master of fashion and he’d have a heart attack if someone got his nice designer suit even the slightest bit damp. So, I’m just going to chill here until my sweetheart and porcupine return. 

The guy just stared at him, shocked that he would even say such words. 

Wait a minute…

Looking down, Marquise stared at the fuzzy paws beneath the water. Confused, he slowly lifted one closer to the surface, then partially turned it over so that he could see some of the bottom. 

No way. These are not my toes! Where is my giant monster paw?! These pads look like tiny pink pinto beans! 

“What is your problem? Can you not even hear me? Get your butt over here before I—” Marquise shut him up with a narrowed glare and an abrupt splash of his little paw that had Kova jumping back even though the water didn’t even come close to him. 

 
If you’re going to threaten someone, at least have the balls to back it up. 

Returning his attention to his paw, Marquise lifted it out of the water and booped his muzzle gently. 

Dear god, it really is mine and I’m super tiny. 

Ignoring the elder vampire glowering at him, he slipped back into the deeper water, then swam across the large tub before finding another ledge and hopping out. It actually took some effort. 

I really should just drown myself at this point
, he thought as he looked down at his sopping wet little body. 

And I’m… what the hell color am I? It looks like someone just dumped a bunch of paint on me and got distracted until it dried!

Frustrated, he sat down and tried to get a better feel for his new other half. It definitely didn’t have the unbridled rage and raw aggression of his previous wolf, and it
definitely
 didn’t have its bulk, either. 

I bet I don’t even weigh thirty pounds, even with all of this water soaking my fur. I want a damn refund. 

“Alright, enough messing ar—” Kova’s words were cut off again as he stopped coming closer abruptly, then hissed when he was forced to jump back because Marquise began shaking out his coat. 

Once he was done, he looked up at the other man with a bored expression, then flicked his tail and sauntered out of the bathing room with an air of authority that didn’t fit his tiny frame. 

Of course, Kova hurried after him, silently fuming and glaring daggers, but he didn’t care. 

Where did Vrasje put my potato. I need to drown my new sorrow in food. 

He was just sniffing his way toward the kitchen when he was suddenly lifted by a towel wrapped around his body!

“Alright, we’re going out,” Kova said as he tucked him under his arm like a fuzzy man-purse. 

Marquise glared up at him for a few moments before rolling his eyes and allowing the man to carry him. The guy wasn’t the brightest, but there were plenty of eyes on them already. If he tried to do anything to him, there’s no way he’d be able to hide it from Taru. Sure, the servants didn’t like him either, but they also weren’t going to take the fall for the guy. 

So, it wasn’t too surprising when he was carried out the door, but then set down once out of view of the house. 

“You, what can I do to get you to leave Taru alone? What do you want? Food? Money? Why did he change you?” 

Sitting down, Marquise settled his long, bushy tail around his paws, then looked up with a raised eyebrow. 

I’d love to have a nice long chat with you, but you see, I’m a wolf right now and you clearly can’t hear me, so…

Standing back up, Marquise walked a few steps toward a rose bush, then lifted his leg. 

“I can’t believe that he changed you. There has to be something else. You
had
 to have done something to him to make him save you,” Kova said as he began to walk, mumbling to himself every few moments. 

Once he’d finished his business, Marquise debated if he wanted to stay with the peacock or return to the house. Unfortunately, the answer was obvious quite quickly. 

I’ll take the fretting bird over the murderous waitstaff. 

So, he hurried after him, then began walking at his side, though just a fraction farther in front. Kova’s rambling died down as they walked into the busier section of town. The smell of cooking food immediately pulled his attention in twenty different directions, but he knew better than to get too distracted. 

Lots
 of eyes were on him. Most of them were quite hostile already, too. 

“This is what your life is going to be like until someone catches you off-guard, you know? Then you’ll be dead and Taru will be devastated. Not to mention that he won’t be allowed to create another heir if he registers you, too.” 

He knew how the heir system worked. It had been employed at the other city he’d lived in. He also knew that Kova’s words weren’t wrong. Hell, he was walking right next to a
probably
 respected elder vampire, yet people were still not hesitating to send him menacing glares. 

I would be skinned alive if he wasn’t beside me. 

Inwardly sighing, Marquise gave his coat one more shake after letting Kova walk a few steps ahead, then tilted his head. 

I guess there is one benefit to being this small. You dry really fast. 

“You hungry, dog?” 

Hello, yes, I am dog and I am hungry. 

He would never pass up a meal, no matter who was paying. 

Actually, I think there is someone I wouldn’t dine with. That Olivia woman who pulled my hair. That actually really hurt. 

He flicked his tail as he followed Kova into a surprisingly bustling market area.

I wonder how she’s doing… 

“L-lord Kova, what… why do you have
that
 with you?” 

Marquise looked up at the person standing behind the first stall on their left and twitched his nose. 

First I’m a dog, then a mutt. Now I’m a that? 

He wasn’t a fan of the continuous downgrades, but at least he couldn’t get much lower, hopefully. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Kova said with an air of authority Marquise hadn’t heard from him before. 

Sure, the guy acted haughty and stuck up, but he’d never heard him sound so mature. It was usually just flaunting and frolicking around his master, trying to garner his attention. 

The man immediately changed his expression and smiled at the elder vampire. 

“Of course, of course. What can I do for you today, elder Kova?” he asked as he quickly gestured to all of the dried meats he had hanging around his stall. 

I’ll take one of everything, please. 

Kova looked down at him and raised an eyebrow. 

“What do you want?” 

Marquise was a little surprised that he actually got to choose, but at the same time, he wasn’t really sure what some of the meats were. Kova seemed to catch on to his confusion and quickly began pointing out each item for sale and describing the flavors. 

By the time he finished talking about a fried turkey leg, Marquise was literally drooling. 

“I think he wants the turkey leg, and I’ll take some chicken jerky,” Kova said as he turned his attention back to the seller. 

The man quickly got their order packed up, then took Kova’s money with a grateful “thank you, my lord!” 

They wandered for a few more minutes before Kova found another stall to buy drinks from. It was technically a little restaurant with a few tables and chairs behind it for patrons. Marquise hopped up on one of the unsteady chairs and waited until Kova walked over to him with a glass of lemonade for himself and a bowl of water for him. 

A large piece of apple pie joined their meal a minute later before the owner of the booth quickly dismissed themselves. 

Pie and lemonade… no wonder you’re after my master. You have a sweet tooth. 

The turkey leg was absolutely fantastic! He was definitely the loudest eater in the entire area, but to his surprise, some of the people who had been glaring at him when he’d first been walking around were just quietly laughing at him now. He didn’t mind laughter. That
usually
 meant that they weren’t planning anything nefarious anymore. 

“Here, let me at least cut that up so you don’t sound, and look, like you’re tearing apart a carcass,” Kova said after a minute of his loud crunching. 

But I am tearing apart a carcass. A delicious one, at that. 

Marquise still leaned away and licked his muzzle as he watched the man cut up his food like one would do for a child. 

“There, now it at least won’t be as loud. Here,” he said as he stabbed a nice sized piece with a fork he’d taken from the owner of the stand, then offered it to him. 

Not minding being fed, Marquise quickly opened his mouth and took the proffered piece. It was chewed and down his throat in seconds, but Kova was ready and waiting with another. Then another. By the time he had finished his entire meal, with Kova’s help, the man had barely touched his own. He’d just chewed on the small bit of jerky he’d bought and sipped his drink. 

That pie is probably cold now…

“Don’t worry about it, it’s still delicious,” Kova before cutting into the juicy desert. 

“Here, open up,” he said to Marquise after taking the first bite, who obliged immediately. 

The warm filling tasted like honey, apples, cinnamon, and a hint of vanilla. 

Damn this is so good. 

When he’d finished that bite, Kova was waiting with another on the fork after having taken a second one of his own. 

Okay, this guy isn’t terrible. People who buy me food can’t be bad, right? 

Once they had finally finished everything Kova got up and stretched a little. 

“It’s been a while since I’ve been down here but the food is always great, no matter which stall you pick to eat from. Ready to go, pup?” he asked as he looked back at Marquise just in time to watch him fail as a werewolf and fall right out of his rickety chair. 

I… think I ate too much. I’m so tired and my paws clearly aren’t paying attention to where they should be going. 

He quickly got himself up and shook out his coat, pretending like he hadn’t just made a complete fool of himself. 

“Marquise!” 

Hmm? That sounds like—
before he could figure out what was going on, Marquise was swept up into Taru’s arms and held a tad too tightly against his chest. 

Oh, hello master Taru. We went out for some food and I ate a lot of it,
he thought to the man with a little wag of his tail. 

The pie was really good, too. 

Taru remained silent as he looked down at him, making Marquise realize that he was still in his wolf form. 

Ah, about this. I’m really an alpha, but there was clearly some issue and something went wrong so now I’m kind of… a tad smaller than I used to be. 

“Did you find him, Taru?” 

Uh oh…

Taru immediately turned around with Marquise in his arms and grinned widely at the person who had just spoken. 

“I’ve got him, master Vrasje!” 

Oh boy, the look at Vrasje’s face was one of utter horror. 

Marquise snuggled in a little closer as Vrasje silently walked over to them. He stopped barely a foot away, and his expression had only soured further. 

“You… not only did you pick a werewolf as an heir, but the… the smallest possible omega that’s ever lived?!” 

Hey now, I’m sure you could find one smaller… that was just recently born. Maybe in a den in the wo—
Marquise suddenly tensed up as Taru gently handed him over to Vrasje all of a sudden!

Master, where are you going?! Don’t leave me with him, he doesn’t like cute fuzzy things!

Instead of being worried, Taru just reached up and pat his head softly. 

“Master would never hurt you, no matter how poorly he speaks sometimes,” he said, making Marquise pin his ears back in disbelief. 

But he smells like wolf blood…

Taru actually grinned at that as he lowered his hand back to his side. 

“We got into a little fight with that pack, but no one was killed. They retreated.” 

They retreated? 

Looking up at Vrasje as the man glared down at him, Marquise tilted his head and flicked an ear. 

You let them leave? 

He was having trouble believing that. The guy was literally named
murder
, and his attitude toward wolves tended to match it quite well. 

Except, Vrasje didn’t bother even replying to argue. Instead, he simply watched as Taru walked over to have a quick chat with Kova, then, surprisingly, the two began heading farther into the market area, side by side. 

“The hell?” Vrasje said as he finally began to move, unwilling to let his heir be alone with the peacock. 

I agree, follow them. He did buy me a nice lunch, but that doesn’t mean he gets alone time with my master. Chaperoned only. 
 

Surprisingly, however, the two actually ended up talking about what had happened after they’d left to go hunting. Marquise couldn’t hear them too well but Vrasje seemed obliged to give him a play by play as he heard each paragraph. 

He was actually considering hurting me too, though
, Marquise finally replied once the majority of the story had been told. 

Vrasje held him a tiny bit tighter in response, but then replied out loud. 

“I figured that he didn’t like you, but I knew that he wasn’t stupid enough to risk killing you. His end goal is Taru, and if he hurt you in any way, that goal would be forfeit immediately.” 

Taru really does care about me quite a bit, huh? Even as a wolf? 

Vrasje actually scoffed at that thought. 

“Care about you? The moment he saw your wolf I felt his relief nearly knock me over. Not to mention that he was immediately thinking how adorable your dog form was and how cute you would look with a good grooming.” 

G-grooming? I’m a wolf! We don’t go to the groomer!

“Master Vrasje! Kova knows of a really good groomer a little ways down this street. Let’s go check them out!” Taru yelled as he waved at them from twenty or so yards up ahead. 

Looking up at Vrasje again, Marquise gave a quiet little whine and lowered his fuzzy ears. 

“Nice try, but I’m not having you shed all over my mansion,” Vrasje said as he sped up toward the other two. 

I won’t shed that badly, it’s just that—wait a minute. Your mansion? You mean Taru’s home? 

Vrasje remained silent until they were just about to the groomer’s, then paused right outside the building to look down at him as Taru and Kova went inside. 

“No, after what happened today, and the other day with that female servant he had, you will be staying with me at my home. If Taru would like to live there as well, then he is free to do so, but you will no longer be allowed out of my sight.”

You… you mean his sight, right? 

Instead of answering him, Vrasje just lifted him a little higher in his arms, then ducked his head a tiny bit as he stepped inside of the groomer’s shop.

Chapter 12

“Are… are you sure this isn’t a fox?” 

Marquise stared at the wall as he stood on the examination table. Evidently, the groomer was also the local vet. Lucky him. He could see Kova smirking out of the corner of his eye and knew that the man was now getting his revenge for having to be nice to a werewolf. 

Hmph, I can handle this. It’s just a basic doctor visit and brushing. Maybe a bath, too. 

“He’s definitely a wolf. I just wanted to ask if you would be open to grooming him for me? He’ll behave,” Vrasje said before adding a pointed looking toward him. 

Yeah yeah, I’ll behave as long as he behaves. 

Vrasje lifted a hand and began sifting it through Marquise’s thick fur as he returned his attention to the groomer. 

“He’s pretty malnourished but we’re working on that, and I understand that this situation is a bit odd, but he’ll be staying with me for a while so I’d like it if he didn’t shed too much.” 

The groomer seemed a bit startled, at first, but when Marquise simply remained standing still and kept his eyes averted, the man slowly calmed down. 

“I suppose I can help you since he doesn’t seem aggressive,” the man said as he nervously began getting his grooming tools together. 

Thankfully, he didn’t see a need for a bath, which left him to simply check his teeth, structure, and then get busy on his coat. 

“This… is an impressive amount of fur,” the man said after a short fifteen minutes. 

He’d decided to start from the front and work his way back, but to everyone’s surprise, Marquise’s fluffy neck just wouldn’t stop producing fur!

“This might take awhile. He seems like a reasonable fella, would you care to leave him with me?” the man asked as he continued to work. 

He wasn’t a huge fan of the brush the man was using, as it was some sort of rake and was pulling at his undercoat a bit, but he couldn’t argue that the fur was really piling up.  

“I’ll stay,” Vrasje said immediately, then added, “Taru, Kova, you guys can leave if you want. I’ll bring him back to my mansion when we’re done here.” 

Taru seemed hesitant to leave, but Kova somehow managed to convince him. Marquise wasn’t exactly a fan of being left alone without his master, but he honestly didn’t mind it as much as he thought he would, either. 

So, resolved to have to earn the food he’d eaten, Marquise tried to relax as the man worked. Vrasje tried to calm him with a head pat every so often, too, but eventually Marquise just nudged his hand away and flicked an ear. 

I am not a dog, lord Vrasje. 

Yes, he liked head pats, but the guy was practically
petting
him instead of just tapping his head. He was already in a stressful enough situation, he didn’t need to be given any extra attention right then. 

Thankfully, Vrasje seemed to understand and backed away a few steps to give him some much-needed space. The groomer, however, didn’t seem to be reading the situation all that much and just continued with his work, which was preferred. The faster he got done, the faster he could go home and rest. He
had
 eaten quite a bit right before being brought it. 

“Alright, I’ve got the first part done. You’ve got quite a coat on you, little guy,” the groomer said as he began working on his midsection. 

Thankfully, most of that fur was thinner, except for the area leading down to his belly, but even that portion didn’t hold nearly has much fluff as his chest and neck had. 

So, within twenty minutes, he’d moved on to the last area. 

Marquise hadn’t really thought much about having his rear end groomed, so when the man began pressing against certain areas while brushing out the feathers of his fur, he actually lifted his lip a little. 

That little action quickly morphed into a quiet whine, then a warning growl. The man backed away immediately when the growl started, allowing Marquise to catch his breath. He hadn’t even realized he’d begun to pant. 

“I don’t think he likes me working there. Can’t really blame him, though,” the groomer said as he took a few more steps back and leaned against a counter, seemingly needing a break anyways, too. 

“I don’t know much about werewolves, besides to steer clear of em’, but consider how similar they are to dogs, I’d bet this guy still had his winter coat. That’s why I’ve been getting big clumps of fur off of such a small frame,” the groomer said.

That actually makes sense, but then if he’s been here since then… 

Marquise slowly settled himself down on the table and began licking at one paw as he sifted through his thoughts. It actually made sense, to a point. If his wolf truly had abandoned him, then he wouldn’t have been able to walk so far as just a human, and those other wolf packs probably would have attacked him, silver scent or not. 

They probably just thought that I was a poisoned omega trudging off to have a quiet death deep in the forest. 

It all made sense now. 

Well, not
how
 the little wolf came to be, but the rest of it was relatively logical. Even the fact that he had been enjoying rolling in the mud. A human wouldn’t exactly enjoy such a thing… in most cases. There had been a bit of nostalgia in it for him, but there had definitely been something else nudging at the back of his mind to do it, too. 

The thought of pushing Vrasje down into that huge bank of mud he’d previously rolled in made him give a wolfish smirk that drew the man’s narrowed eyes towards him. 

“Should I ask what you’re thinking?” he questioned as he walked up to him and poked his muzzle, earning a snort in response. 

“U-um, elder Vrasje? Would it be too rude of me to inquire on why you suddenly have a werewolf at your side?” the groomer asked, clearly nervous about questioning someone so much higher above him in status. 

The question, evidently, seemed to stump the vampire, however, because he didn’t seem to have any sort of response ready. The groomer didn’t hesitate to clear the awkward air and step forward again with his brush, but right before he could begin working again Marquise swung his head around and lifted his upper lip. He’d had enough and was getting tired of having to show it. 

“I think we’re going to call it a day. Let me pay you for the help, and I’d also like one of those brushes,” Vrasje said as he took one of the brushes down from a small stand a few feet away. 

The green one looks better…

Vrasje glanced over his shoulder at him with an eyebrow raised high. 

What does it matter? It’s just a brush with a dyed wooden handle.

Marquise wrinkled his nose and tilted his chin up. 

And the green handle looks better. 

Sighing, Vrasje put the black-handled brush back, then grabbed the green one before turning and placing it on the counter. He chatted with the man for a few more moments about how to finish the grooming at home, then paid and turned to face him. 

Except, Marquise was already at the door, his ears up, tail swishing, and butt still extra fluffy. 

“He… looks so weird with most of his body shed out besides his back end,” Vrasje mumbled as he gave another quiet sigh and bid the groomer a good day. 

By the time they finally stepped out of the little shop he was surprised to see that it was already past midday. 

“Are you hungry?” Vrasje asked as they began to head back through the bustling market. 

Marquise, keeping close to the man for protection, shook his head. 

Kova fed me earlier, remember? 

Vrasje scowled as he continued walking, though Marquise wasn’t sure why. 

You can get something if you want. I’ll wait with you
, he said, trying to placate the vampire, who evidently had a thing for human food. 

“Not hungry,” he grumbled as he sped up a little, making Marquise pause for a moment in confusion before hurrying to catch back up,
extremely
 glad that his new body didn’t have his human one’s current rot issues. 

Why are you mad all of a sudden? Did I do something wrong? 

Vrasje didn’t even bother looking at him  as he replied with a blunt “no.” 

Then what’s wrong? You suddenly look upset. Are you mad that I didn’t let the groomer touch my butt? 

Vrasje bared a fang before running his hand down his face, clearly trying to hold back his frustration. Before Marquise could try to question him again, the man blurred in front him, turned around, then scooped him right up into his arms like a two week old puppy! 

What are you doing?! 

Vrasje ignored him until he had him situated against his chest and had begun walking again. 

“You were going too slow.” 

Too slow? You were going extra fast!

“Just behave. I’m going to speed up in a few moments, so don’t fall,” Vrasje said as he began weaving his way free from the crowds milling around them. 

You’re already walking pretty fa—uck!

Before he could even finish his thought everything around them blurred and the wind buffeted his face so badly that he had to tuck head! He felt a firm hand press against the back of it as soon as he completed the action, holding him firmly in place until everything suddenly stopped. 

“We’re here,” Vrasje said as he began calmly walking again. 

Gonna puke. Head spinning. 

Vrasje stopped walking and gave his back a gentle pat. 

“Hasn’t Taru done that with you before?” he asked, clearly confused about his response. 

Yes, but I just ate a ton of food, then was annoyed by that groomer guy for the last hour or seven. 

”…I suppose. You are an omega, so most things are probably just going to affect you more,” Vrasje said, making Marquise finally look up at him with his ears pinned back. 

“What? Don’t give me that look! The groomer thought you were a fox, alright?” 

I don’t care what the groomer thinks. I’m an alpha. 

Of course, he knew that wasn’t the case anymore, but evidently his pride had been healing along with his body. Vrasje didn’t seem to think that his joke was funny, however, and lifted him up in the air like a tiny puppy. 

“Oh yeah, I see it now.”

Marquise gave a quiet growl but didn’t fight the man. Mainly because he already looked pathetic enough being held like baby. He didn’t need to make himself look worse by trying to take a swipe at someone who would easily be able to dodge it. 

What do you see?
he asked instead, taking the bait when the man didn’t finish speaking. 

“The alpha in you. Or really,
on
 you. You had enough fur for three alpha wolves, and maybe even a beta depending on the season.” 

You…

“Elder Vrasje? Why do you have a wolf with you?” 

They both looked up at the same time to see a servant standing in the massive doorway, a look of pure shock on his face. 

“Ah, Lonnie, I’ve returned home a little early,” Vrasje said as he simply walked right past the astonished man and carried Marquise inside. 

Holy money…

Don’t get him wrong, he’d had a huge pack house when he’d been an alpha in charge of a massive pack, but that still didn’t even come close to comparing to
this
. 

I kinda wanna run around and explore. This place is crazy big. 

“After I finish brushing you out,” Vrasje said, making Marquise turn his attention back to the man and give him his best puppy face. 

Vrasje immediately looked away and sped up his pace, making Marquise twitch an ear and tilt his head. He hadn’t really expected a reaction besides a glare or scowl…

Did my face look weird? Do I have something on it? 

Marquise lifted one of his paws away from Vrasje’s shoulder to swipe at his muzzle. 

“Fur.” 

Huh? 

Looking back up, Marquise tilted his head the opposite direction. 

What did you say? 

Vrasje rolled his eyes but still wouldn’t look at him as he turned down a long hallway. 

“You asked if you had something on you. I replied honestly,” he said, making Marquise frown and think for a moment. 

Then he realized it. 

You and your terrible jokes today. Do you have indigestion? Did you drink from someone who was drunk? 

Vrasje ignored him until they stopped in front of a large set of double doors.

“This will be your room until Taru’s servants are evaluated and those who cannot conduct themselves properly are let go,” he said before pushing the doors open with his free hand. 

The wood sighed quietly as it was nudged open to reveal a massive room decorated in dark reds ands golds. 

Wiggling excitedly, Marquise squirmed his way out of Vrasje’s arms and hurriedly ran around the giant area. He checked every single thing out with a sniff, nudge, and sometimes even a lick as his tail swung wildly behind him. 

This is actually pretty nice!

He quickly scoped out the entire room, then pushed open a slightly cracked door in the left side wall. 

Oh, wow. 

It slowly drifted open to reveal an even
bigger
 room. It wasn’t a bedroom, but it
was
a very nice sitting room with a fireplace, several filled bookcases, and a few leather wingback chairs. 

I can totally see myself cuddling up in one of those chairs and reading the day away…

He actually loved to read, which was a bit odd for a werewolf, since most of his species still preferred to hunt for their entertainment. Good thing he was a strong believer in the phrase
to each their own
. 

The black and red color scheme is a tad too dark for my tastes, though. 

“This is my sitting room.”

Ah yes, that makes sense then. 

He began sniffling around, but then slowed to a stop as his head tilted curiously to the side. After a moment of thought, he looked over his shoulder at Vrasje. 

Your scent in a lot stronger in here than in the other room. 

The man had moved to lean against the entryway to the room, and, of course, crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Of course my scent is stronger in here. It’s my room and it connects to my bedroom.” You are welcome to use it whenever you would like to, though.” 

Ah, okay. That’s makes sense. 

Marquise gave an understanding nod before beginning to sniff around more, but then he stopped again. Instead of turning back to look at the other man again, however, he instead kept his attention on the dark red carpet beneath his paws.  

This is your room, and my room is…

He couldn’t  even finish his thought. 

“Is something wrong? I wanted you next door to me in case any of my servants decide to try anything, though I highly doubt they would even consider it,” Vrasje said calmly. 

That makes sense
, Marquise replied after a few seconds of silence. 

He wasn’t really a fan of the man living directly next door to him, but he knew that he didn’t really have a choice. Except…

Turning around, Marquise sat down and calmly wrapped his fluffy tail around his paws, then looked up at Vrasje. He was just about to send him another thought to ask if they could keep the door between their two rooms locked when he felt his body abruptly shift, leaving him sitting naked on the plush carpet with a growing blush rising to his cheeks. 

His request forgotten, Marquise quickly turned around again to avoid the eyes that were now narrowed on his naked body. 

“Sorry, it wasn’t intentional,” he mumbled awkwardly. 

He expected Vrasje to try for another joke, but instead of words, he heard the man’s footsteps quickly move away, then return a few moments later as a warm blanket was draped over his shoulders. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he finally said as his he carefully helped Marquise to his feet, then led him over to sit on the bed. 

“It’s been a long day. I’m not surprised at all that your pup wanted to rest after being locked away from so long,” Vrasje said as he moved to sit beside him. 

Locked away… 

He had no idea how the little wolf had actually come to exist, so he decided to bite his lip on voicing those thoughts. It didn’t really matter where it came from. It was there now, and that was that. 

After making sure that he was snuggly wrapped up in the red blanket he’d been given, Marquise looked over at the man and nodded.  

 “Yeah, you’re right. Besides, it’s not like you haven’t seen me naked plenty of times,” he said with a grin, then a surprise yawn. 

Giving his head a good shake, Marquise tried to fight off another yawn but failed miserably. 

“Alright, get some rest. I’ve got some business to tend to, but if you need me just reach out with your thoughts,” Vrasje said as he slowly stood from the bed, then turned to face him. 

Marquise met his eyes with his own single one, then raised his eyebrow slightly when the man didn’t make any further effort to leave. 

“Is something wrong?” he eventually asked, confused about their current situation.  “Did you want me to invite you to bed?” he added after a few more moments of silence, hoping that the joke would break the tension. 

The temperature in the room suddenly rose as Vrasje’s eyes flashed black for a fraction of a second before cooling back down again. 

Not the right joke? 

There was silence for another ten or so seconds before Vrasje gave an exhausted sigh and rolled his shoulders a few times as he turned to face away from him, seemingly trying to release some tension. 

“Sorry, I’m just a little out of it today. I’m going to go. I’ll send someone up to wake you later for dinner?” he asked as he moved toward the door while keeping his attention facing forward. 

Marquise frowned, but figured that the guy was just needing a break from him. He
was
a werewolf, after all. He was probably just at his limit for dealing with him for now. 

“Sure, I’ll see you later, then,” he replied as he scooted farther into his bed, then laid down. 

Vrasje didn’t say anything else as he stood facing the double doors, so Marquise decided to just relax and take a much-needed nap while the man saw himself out. Except, during the entirety of the four minutes it took him to fall asleep on the super comfy bed snuggled up beneath his new warm blanket, he only heard Vrasje move again and the two main doors quietly drift shut during his last few moments of wakefulness.

Chapter 13

“He’s not… up.”

Hmm?

“Did you try… him?”

Marquise was dozing in and out of consciousness like a wave drifting onto a beach in the early hours of the morning only to recede back into a comfortable slumber again and again.

“…this.”

He was suddenly pulled out of his oncoming dream as he felt a firm hand quickly but carefully begin to rub his belly through the thick blanket overtop of him.

He immediately stretched out, trying to offer as much area to that hand as he could.

“Told you this would work. No pup can resist a good belly rub,” Taru said as his voice became more clear.

Marquise couldn’t argue. He was absolutely in love with the attention he was getting. He hadn’t had a good belly rub in years, and he was surprisingly happy with his first one as a human.

“Sorry to wake you, sweetheart, but master couldn’t seem to manage it. He thought it would be rude of him to touch you, and none of his servants were able to rouse you from the door,” Taru said cheerfully as a second hand gave his messy hair a gentle pat, finally spurring him on to open his eye.

As soon as he saw his master looking down at him with that familiar warm smile upon his face Marquise immediately sat up, then leaned forward into his waiting arms.

“Mm, master Taru… are you here for dinner?”

Taru gave him a gentle squeeze before reaching up to play with his hair.

“Of course, hun. I’ll be over as much as I can until my staff are retrained and the unprofessional ones are removed,” he said, making Marquise smile happily as he finally leaned back a bit.

“Is my master treating you well? You seemed quite content with this big bed,” Taru said with a pleasant grin.

“Come on, dinner is going to be cold by the time we finally get downstairs,” Vrasje said, making Marquise jump slightly as he looked over his master’s shoulders toward the vampire leaning against the wall by the doors.

Frowning, Marquise turned his attention back to Taru.

“Yes, he’s been there the whole time,” Taru said with a quiet chuckle as he stood from the bed, then turned to face him with an outstretched hand.

Marquise gladly accepted it and stood, testing his legs for a moment before he heard Vrasje walking toward them, making him lift his gaze just in time to see what the man was now holding out to him.

My cane! Now I don’t have to ask either of them to let me lean on them or carry me!

Vrasje’s expression soured slightly as Marquise took the item and settled it at his side with a relieved smile. When he turned that smile toward the elder vampire and thanked him, however, Vrasje’s expression immediately softened again.

“Let’s go,” he said after a moment of silence as he turned and headed for the open doors.

Marquise hurried after him as quickly as he could, overly-excited that his body was actually working reasonably well at the moment.

Maybe shifting for the first time in a while had helped. The new wolf was perfectly healthy, so maybe it’s helping me a bit.

“New wolf?”

Marquise inwardly fidgeted as he noticed Taru matching his pace with a curious smile on his face. He was a bit hesitant to go into details about his past life, but the absolute basics should be alright…

“I wasn’t joking when I told Vrasje that I was an alpha earlier. I also had a wolf to match that title. It was pitch black and bigger than anything you’ve ever seen,” he said solemnly, his chest aching as he described his former other half.

“You really had such a creature?” Taru asked, his voice filled with wonder instead of doubt.

His excitement made Marquise a little less stressed about the discussion.

“Yes, I had a giant wolf, and it ruled over a massive pack, as well as watched over two others. Unfortunately, I made some terrible mistakes and ended up poisoning him to the point where he tore his soul away from mine and sealed it away within me. I haven’t heard or felt anything from him since,” he said as they got to the steps.

He intended to simply descend them on his own, but
very
slowly, when he felt himself being lifted.

“Isn’t it better for him to get the exercise in his human form? We can help him if he needs it…” Taru said as Vrasje easily carried Marquise right down the stairs.

“Not waiting any longer. If he’d woken up earlier, we could have played on the stairs, but he needs to eat before the food gets cold,” Vrasje said as he got to the bottom of the steps and turned left down a lavishly decorated hall of reds and golds.

It was pretty, but Marquise was too distracted fuming over his lost chance at a useful workout to bother looking around.

“It’s okay. We’ll get you some exercise after dinner,” Taru said, clearly trying to cheer him.

He knew he should have just shrugged off his upset, but because he was feeling quite a bit better, his stubbornness was beginning to push through his former exhaustion and stress.

With a scowl that could match Vrasje’s normal expression, Marquise glared over the man’s shoulder at nothing as he said with a curt tone.

“Not hungry.”

Vrasje stopped walking. His previously gentle grip on Marquise’s waist tightened the slightest fraction.

“What did you say?” Vrasje asked, making Marquise fight back an embarrassed blush… because his stomach
was
growling loudly, as if to protest his words.

Clenching his jaw, Marquise was about to growl when Taru hurried forward and carefully took him from his master, then set him down on his feet.

“Please don’t be upset, he’s not trying to make you mad. He was just worried that you weren’t feeling well. He was about to bring food up to your room if I couldn’t wake you, myself,” Taru said, making Marquise furrow his brow.

He wanted to say that he didn’t believe him, but Vrasje
had
been a lot nicer to him recently, for some reason.

In fact…

Looking up at the elder vampire with a narrowed gaze, Marquise straightened as best he could using his cane.

“Why are you suddenly being so nice to me? I belong to Taru. You don’t have to bother yourself with my safety or feeding me. You said that you didn’t want anything to do with me before, so what gives?” he asked in frustration.

Vrasje looked about three seconds away from snapping his neck, so Marquise was a little relieved when Taru stepped a litlte more between them and settled one hand against Vrasje’s chest and his other one against Marquise’s messy black hair.

“Okay, there’s clearly some miscommunication going on,” he said as he looked between the two of them.

When he noticed that Marquise only wore a confused expression, but Vrasje looked about ready to bite both of them, his master seemed to realize something and actually turned a slightly-annoyed stare back toward his master.

That
got the older vampire to finally calm down a little bit… and abruptly look away with pursed lips and a scowl.

Why does he suddenly look like a pouting dog?!

Vrasje tried to flash him a fanged warning after hearing his thought but to both their surprise, Taru actually snapped his own fangs and hissed, immediately halting his master’s expression and making the man look away again.

“Master, have you spoken a single word to him about what you think might have happened? Have you asked him
anything
?” Taru said, clearly frustrated for the first time since he’d turned him into a vampire.

Vrasje looked like he was wanting to flash his fangs again or growl, or do both at the same time, but the man miraculously kept his cool. He didn’t say anything in response, however, making Marquise bristle with annoyance.

“He doesn’t need to ask me anything! He’s clearly just been trying to be nice to me to make you happy,” he said, making the elder vampire send him a glare that Marquise just brushed off.

“What? Tell me that I’m wrong!” he shouted, growling his last word as he grew more frustrated.

He honestly expected his wolf to show up and make his anger even worse, but it seemed like the poor thing was quite scared of the situation and perfectly happy staying hidden within him.

Vrasje looked like he was about to simply storm off when Taru grabbed his wrist and huffed.

“Enough of this, master. Just… just come and listen if you don’t want to say anything,” he finally grumbled before turning to face Marquise with a forced smile.

Not wanting to make his own master anymore upset, Marquise quickly forced himself to calm down and turned his full attention to him. Taru looked like he was about to reach up and pat his head in response, but he quickly caught himself and gave a quiet cough to clear his throat, and the awkward air.

“This isn’t exactly the best place to have this conversation. Would it be alright if we at least go sit down at the table?” he asked after a few moments of silence.

Marquise immediately nodded his agreement, making his master smile, relieved that he hadn’t argued. He doubted that he ever would, to be honest. Taru was one of the nicest people he’d ever met and never made him do anything he didn’t want to.

“Thank you, sweetheart. Let’s go sit down and chat,” Taru said as he calmly led them both to the dining room. He’d honestly expected a giant dining hall with chandeliers and what not, along with twenty or so servants, but when they walked
through
a room that fit the majority of that description, minus eighteen servants and went through another door, he was kind of surprised and a tad confused.

When they stepped into a much smaller room with dark red velvet seats and thick white curtains hugging two massive windows that looked out upon a huge, beautiful garden, Marquise lost his focus for a moment.

Neither vampire bothered him as he drifted off into thoughts of running off into those many different plants and grasses.

I wonder if there’s any spot that gets muddy out there…

“There can be.”

Blinking out of his daze, Marquise turned toward the two vampires now sitting at the table. Vrasje was still looking away, and sitting at the farthest seat, but he at least looked a little less frustrated.

Taru must have said that.

His master just smiled at him and nodded to the seat across from him at the table.

Marquise immediately walked around and sat down, then focused his attention fully on the man across from him as he folded his hands in his lap.

“Alright, I just want to ask a few questions to get to know werewolves better, if that’s alright?” Taru said, making Marquise tilt his head slightly but nod anyway.

He wasn’t expecting the questions they wanted to ask to be on that topic, but it was honestly a relief. He should be able to answer them pretty easily.

“Okay, perfect. So, let’s start with something I was really curious about. Do werewolves have specific mates?”

Marquise shrugged one shoulder and nodded.

“Of course, it’s pretty much like how humans mate,” he said nonchalantly.

Taru nodded in return, then continued speaking.

“That makes sense, so the next question I have relates to that. Do you guys have a destined mate? Like, do your instincts pull you to a certain person, no matter how much you might not consider choosing them normally?”

Marquise frowned, then shrugged again.

“Yeah, we do sometimes, but it’s more complicated than that.”

Taru smiled and nodded a few times, clearly appreciating the little bits of information he was being given.

“Okay, that’s good to know. You said that it’s more complicated, but is there a simple explanation for what it involves?”

Thinking for a few moments, Marquise sifted through the information he had, then chose what he thought waere the most useful parts for their conversation.

“Well, it all depends on the specific wolf. Some go head-over-heels for another, while others don’t feel a whole lot, if anything.”

Taru leaned forward with his arms on the table, clearly interested as his eyes lit up with curiosity. Wanting to please his master further, Marquise leaned forward a little, too, ready for his next question.

“So, has my handsome heir ever had any interest in another wolf?”

Marquise leaned back slowly as his smile turned slightly downward.

“U-um… no, that’s not possible,” he mumbled awkwardly as he averted his gaze for a moment.

He could sense his master’s confusion at his response, then his hesitation to ask what they both knew came next. Not wanting Taru to feel uncomfortable, Marquise quickly shook the nervousness from his mind and forced his smile back into place.

“I’m sorry, I should have clarified. Alpha’s never feel the bond. It’s only omegas and betas that sometimes develop it, and only if their wolf is just as interested as they are,” he said, speaking a little quicker than he normally would so that he could get the words out as fast as possible.

Once he had finished, he noticed that his master seemed lost in thought, so he kept himself quiet as he mulled over his words.

It was torture. The man could have had an entire conversation in his head by the time he finally spoke up some five or so minutes later.

“So… you mentioned that you’re an alpha if I remember correctly, right?”

Marquise nodded immediately.

“I am, though this new wolf of mine is somehow an omega.”

He could practically sense Vrasje rolling his eyes from where he sat several feet away, but decided to ignore the man in favor of his amazing master.

“Okay, so if you’re an alpha, you won’t feel the mate bond even if another person does?” he asked, trying to confirm the pieces of what he’d told him.

Marquise nodded in response.

“That’s how it works. Someone could fall in love with me just like that, but I would never know unless they said something to my face,” he said, his tone of voice quieting a little towards the end.

“That has never happened, though, and honestly, I probably wouldn’t accept anyone as a mate, anyways. It’s not like I’m exactly a great catch now,” he added in a near-whisper as his shoulders sagged the tiniest amount.

Taru hurried to turn the conversation away from that little bit of sadness.

“I’m sorry for bringing up something that’s upsetting. That was really all I wanted to ask,” he said, making Marquise raise an eyebrow.

“I thought you guys wanted to ask other things, too…”

Shrugging, Taru looked toward the door at the same time a single servant came in with a tray holding glasses of blood.

“Would you like a drink before we got work on some stairs?” he asked as he took a glass for himself, then tipped it slightly toward him with a warm smile.

Glad that the stressful situation had ended rather quickly, and without anymore hostility, Marquise gladly accepted a glass from the servant and quickly began sipping it as he leaned back and lifted it to his lips with both hands.

Did elder Vrasje not have anything he wanted to say?
he asked through their bond as quietly as he could so that the other vampire might not be able to hear.

He heard Taru’s faint chuckle in the back of his mind in response, then a few calm words.

Nah, he’s fine. He was just curious about the same thing, but didn’t know how to ask you.

Marquise finally snuck a glance toward Vrasje as he sipped his drink a bit more and was surprised to see the man staring right at him. Except, he actually didn’t seem to be staring at
him
, or really focusing, since he didn’t react to him returning his stare.

Curious, and a little amused, Marquise slowly lowered the glass away from his lips and watched as Vrasje’s eyes followed its movement perfectly.

Another faint chuckle in the back of his mind had his attention returning to his master’s right as the man slid his seat back and stood up, his glass of blood already drained.

“Let’s go play on those steps, then maybe, if you’d like, some dinner afterward?” he asked as he walked around the table and offered him a hand up.

Marquise gladly accepted the assistance and gave a hum of agreement in response as they headed toward the door. He was a bit confused when Taru suddenly stopped there, though, and looked back toward his master.

“We’ll be back in a bit for dinner, if you’d like to join us,” he said with a smile that made Vrasje sigh as he turned his head to look out the windows, then lean back in his chair, seemingly intent on waiting for them to return but unwilling to say so.

Chapter 14

The next few days went by in relative peace. As in,
almost
 peacefully. Besides being awoken up at ungodly hours of the day for breakfast… mainly shortly before noon, Marquise constantly had to weave around Vrasje. The man had evidently changed his work schedule to make sure that he was able to check in on him
far
 too often. He was just
always
 there, like a damned servant waiting on him hand and foot.   

And thus, they were at another impasse come Friday evening. Taru was working late at the hospital, and unfortunately had been most of the week. He’d stopped by for lunch once, but he wasn’t around enough to notice that Marquise’s bandages were becoming itchy and needed to be tended. 

He’d done the few that he could reach easily, but he knew that the area where he’d lost his right eye would need more attention than he was able to give. 

And now…

“Just let me take care of it. I have some medical knowledge, too. Stop being so stubborn,” Vrasje said as he tried to step closer for the fifth time, only to receive a third warning growl and, finally, a bared fang from where Marquise sat on his bed. 

He could tell that the man was losing his patience, too, but that wasn’t his fault! If he didn’t want him touching his face, then he didn’t have to let him. 

“I’ve never met such a stubborn dog,” Vrasje grumbled as he turned around to continue pacing the same partial lap he’d done of half of the room for the past forty minutes. 

“I don’t know how you haven’t, because I’m looking right at one,” Marquise fired back immediately, making Vrasje stop abruptly and lift shaky hands up to yank at his own long, raven-black hair before whirling around and pointing a finger right at him. 

“You need your darn bandages changed before the rot on your face begins to spread again!” he yelled, making Marquise scowl before kicking his legs up on his bed and lying down with his arms folded behind his head, dismissing the man with a huff. 

He could sense the temperature in the room immediately begin to rise again. It was already too warm because of Vrasje’s frustration, but now it was beginning to make him sweat. 

He knew that he was literally playing with fire, but he was
really
getting annoyed with the man’s constant attention. He’d left his former pack because of his terrible mistakes, and had intended to die as a lone wolf in the woods, but now… 

Now I’m dealing with an annoyingly obsessive vampire when I really belong to his heir, not him. 

He heard a huge sigh from the man in response to his thought, but when no words followed the sound, he glanced toward the doorway. He was still there, now leaning against the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest. 

Your hair is a mess
, he thought to him with a slight grin. 

For an elder vampire, the man sure lost his temper at the slightest provocation. 

“And whose fault is that?” Vrasje growled, making Marquise roll his eyes and lower his head back down to one of his pillows. 

Silence stretched between them for another few moments before Vrasje decided to speak again. 

“Taru is going to be very upset next time he comes back and sees that his precious heir’s injuries have worsened.” 

Marquise felt his heart twitch in his chest as the right side of his face ached slightly. In all honesty, it had begun to hurt a few days ago, but he’d just brushed it off. Hell, he even hid it from Taru the day he had been over for lunch. 

“Listen, just let me change the bandage and clean up the wound if needed, then I’ll leave you alone until Taru comes by. You won’t see me at all,” Vrasje said, making Marquise slowly push himself up onto his arms to stare at the man. 

Freedom from the guy suddenly showing up every other moment until his master visited next? It… was actually not a bad deal.

“Fine, I accept,” he said as he finished sitting up. “You better keep your word, though.” 

Vrasje was beside his bed in a flash, making Marquise blink several times to register the sudden movement. Before he could respond physically, his ankles were grabbed and swung over the edge, putting him into a normal sitting position. 

The man got busy without another word as he pulled out several pieces of gauze and even a tiny bottle of disinfectant from his suitcoat pocket. 

Not wanting to prolong the annoyance, Marquise stayed still and allowed the man to direct his head with his cold hands. In fact, those frigid hands eventually had a shiver running down his spine as Vrasje finally managed to remove all of the bandaging. 

“Ah, sorry,” the man said before removing his left hand that had been holding his jaw, only to return it a few moments later. 

It was no longer frigid. In fact, the warmth it now gave off was pleasant as it spread through his jaw and face, eventually soothing his nerves enough to draw his left eye closed. 

Vrasje was extremely careful as he began to gently clean out his injury and did his best to keep his warm left hand against his skin the majority of the time as it moved higher and higher until it was able to partially assist with the task the other was working on. 

“It looks much better than I thought it would,” he whispered as he gently brushed a piece of gauze along the damaged upper side of Marquise’s nose to remove a tiny bit of dead skin. 

He then went over the same area with a gentle scrubbing rhythm, adding an antibacterial medication to the damaged flesh. Vrasje cleaned a few more small spots as he checked him over, then, surprisingly, bandaged everything up comfortably but snugly, then leaned away, removing his warm hand. 

The loss of heat had Marquise’s eye sleepily blinking back open, then looking up. 

“All set. That should do for at least a few days, but if it starts to hurt again, I’ll help you clean it and change out the bandages,” Vrasje said as he straightened up and packed up the dirty gauze and bandages in a disposable bag. 

Wait a second, you could tell that it was hurting? 

“Of course I could. I’m an elder. I’ve been around a while. Noticing that someone is in pain is second nature at this point,” he said, making Marquise give an indistinct grumble and flop back over on his bed. 

“Whatever, just keep your end of the deal. Go away until master comes by again,” Marquise said with a dismissive wave. 

He expected Vrasje to say something about his attitude, but what the man
did
 say in response had Marquise jerking upright in less than a second!

“Taru is coming over later tonight?!” 

He almost got lost in his excitement before he realized something. 

“Wait a damn minute! You said that you would stay away from me until Taru came over again… but he’s going to be here really soon anyways?!” 

Vrasje raised an eyebrow and shrugged a shoulder. 

“Yes? I didn’t say that he wasn’t going to be here soon when I had made that deal,” the man said in a matter of fact tone. 

Marquise felt unbridled rage mix with his little wolf’s confused terror beneath his skin and eventually heaved a long, frustrated sigh as he let his anger go so that he didn’t stress his wolf out too badly. 

It was a bit annoying, especially since it reacted more like his old larger wolf than an extension of his own mind, but he couldn’t be upset. He appreciated that he had somehow been given another wolf. 

 “How is your wolf doing, by the way? I haven’t seen it all week,” he said, making Marquise scowl as he slowly crossed his legs on the bed. 

“It’s fine. Go away.” 

Vrasje clearly wanted to say more, but he managed to bite his tongue and simply nod. As soon as he had slipped out the doors and nudged them closed Marquise let go of the breath he’d been holding while waiting for the man to make a decision and fell back onto his bed for the thousandth time. 

The hell is your problem, you fluffy midget? 

His wolf perked up in the back of his mind, but didn’t seem to understand what he was talking about. 

Don’t give me that. I wasn’t going to let him touch my bandages. Why did you push me to let him? 

The pup gave a quiet whine and began to walk circles in his mind, making Marquise glare up at the ceiling.

“I really don’t get that guy. It’s weird how he hates werewolves, yet now that I’m here everything is different. He didn’t even kill any on his last hunt when he’s literally known as the best wolf hunter all over town.” 

Marquise contemplated their awkward situation for several minutes before he felt himself being pulled into his body as fur suddenly sprouted from his skin and he shrunk into a wiggling ball of fluff. 

Hey now, this is getting ridiculous. I get that we can’t always agree on when to shift, but you can’t just take over like this. 

Of course, he hadn’t exactly been very fair with allowing the pup out. In fact, he hadn’t let it out since that time he’d first shifted into it. 

His wolf seemed to ignore his rambling as his fresh bandages fell away from its face and body as it straightened out, then gave a good stretch before hopping off their big bed and nonchalantly walking up to the double doors. While they were already pretty big in Marquise’s human form, they towered over his tiny wolf. 

You want to go out? That’s not a good idea, and you probably can’t even reach the han—
The little brat jumped up and easily grabbed one of the long handles with its teeth and yanked it downward. The door slowly inched open in response. 

You… are going to be a problem. 

The little wolf quickly wiggled out of the shirt still clinging to it, then padded out the doors. 

Okay, what do you want? Are you hungry? Do you need to run around a bit? 

Unfortunately, the little guy completely ignored his questions and went about sniffing its way down the hall, seemingly without a care in the world. It didn’t even seem to bother with the servants nervously trying to get its attention as it began wandering its way down a winding set of stairs that Marquise couldn’t remember having ventured to yet. 

We really shouldn’t wander around too much. Let’s just go back to our room, okay? 

His coaxing, once again, fell on deaf ears. 

I guess I’ll just wait and see where you go… and pray you don’t get us into too much trouble. 

And
go
 it did. 

They explored for what felt like hours, though he doubted it was more than forty minutes or so, until they came across a room that had its door slightly ajar. Not hesitating to take the silent invitation, his little wolf stuck its nose into the darkness beyond the mostly-closed door and sniffed once. Then twice. Then three times. 

Something smelled good… or at least interesting enough to check out. 

His wolf carefully nudged the door open a tiny bit more,
just
 enough to slip through the crack. The room beyond it was lit by a dwindling candle set upon a desk stacked with paperwork and several open books. A few more sniffs in the air and his wolf was wandering closer to the heavy wooden furniture. 

While his pup was focused on something clearly edible, Marquise was busy noting all of the bookshelves that lined the walls. Not a single space went unused, and there were even stacks of books neatly settled on top of some of the lower ones, too. 

Hurry up and eat whatever is there, then let me have control back,
he told his wolf, who gladly obliged with the first request. There had evidently been a cup of cinnamon tea and a few pieces of beef jerky left on the desk. It barely took his wolf ten seconds to devour the morsels, then lap up the bit of remaining tea before knocking the delicate cup onto the floor where it fractured. 

Okay, you got your treat and explored. Let me have control again, okay? 

It just ignored him as it sniffed around more, but the second they heard the door behind them creak open, Marquise found himself sitting naked on the plush, dark red rug in front of the desk. 

You… 

Looking over his shoulders, Marquise was about to scowl at the man now standing in the doorway, but his expression faltered when Vrasje began walking toward him with a strange expression on his face. 

Oh wait, I just broke his nice tea cup. 

“Sorry about that, he doesn’t listen to me very well y—” he suddenly felt his face warm and quickly looked away as Vrasje shrugged off his jacket and tossed it on the desk, then unbuttoned his dress shirt before removing that, too. 

A faint shiver ran down his spine with the absence of his fur as he nervously waited for Vrasje to do something. Except, when the man did finally do something besides pull off his clothing, it wasn’t what he’d expected. 

“Your bandages fell off…” Vrasje said as he knelt behind him and draped his warmed shirt over his shoulders. 

Marquise quickly tugged the shirt around himself, not minding Vrasje’s light scent in exchange for the added warmth the man’s ability had provided. 

“Would you like me to have a servant go get your cane?” he asked quietly. 

Marquise licked his lips and thought for a moment before responding. 

“Is master Taru not here yet?” 

Vrasje moved away from him as he replied, “he should be here at any time, but no, he’s not here yet.” 

Marquise glanced over his shoulder as he watched the man pull a big cream colored down blanket from a chest next to the doorway. 

That looks so soft…

“It is,” Vrasje said quietly as he knelt back down beside him and gently wrapped the blanket around his now-shivering body. 

“I’ve never really been cold after shifting back from my wolf form before,” Marquise whispered as he tugged the blanket around himself eagerly, trying to quell the shivers that were taking over. 

Once he was settled within the thick blanket, Marquise looked up at the vampire now sitting beside him. 

“You’re… not mad that I broke your teacup?” he asked nervously. 

In all honesty, the guy shouldn’t have even come into the room since they’d had an agreement about him not being around him until Taru came by, but he couldn’t make himself be upset that he’d showed up. 

Vrasje shook his head, his long hair moving with the action and drawing Marquise’s inner wolf’s attention. 

Don’t even think about it. His hair isn’t a toy. 

That was all he needed. To pull out an elder vampire’s hair because his pup wanted to play with it. Sighing, Marquise instinctively moved closer to the nearby warmth, then quickly straightened back up when he realized that he had nearly let himself fall against Vrasje!

“I don’t mind. You’re cold and I can create heat,” the man said with a careful smile that made Marquise even more suspicious.  

Narrowing his eye, Marquise gathered the big blanket around himself tighter and just stared. 

“I understand how you can be so untrusting of me. I am a werewolf hunter, and the best in town, too, but I didn’t kill any the last time I went out…”

Marquise leaned the slightest bit closer and glared. 

“And how many did you kill on the hunt before that?” Marquise asked without missing a beat. 

Vrasje’s expression immediately fell as he looked away, but then he seemed to pull himself back together almost immediately and return his attention to Marquise, meeting his gaze with his own steady one. 

“Fourteen.” 

Marquise felt his heart drop into his stomach as his body began to shiver again. He did understand that werewolves were usually not friendly, and hell, he’d even killed several while defending territory and what not, but fourteen in one go…

“But I’m not going to hunt anymore,” Vrasje said quickly. 

He didn’t buy that for a second, and Vrasje seemed to realize that he wasn’t being fooled, because he calmly turned himself to fully face Marquise. 

“I didn’t kill any of the wolves during the hunt a few days ago. We even got hurt a bit during it, but every single one walked away alive. Does that mean nothing?” he asked, his voice teetering on the edge of sounding overly stressed. 

Why would you want it to matter? You’re not my master!

“But it matters!” Vrasje snapped back after clearly having heard his thoughts. 

“Why?!” Marquise snarled back, not interested in playing these games anymore. 

Vrasje looked just as frustrated, but he was clearly trying to hold himself back. 

“Spit it out!” Marquise growled. 

 Vrasje ran shaky fingers through his long hair as he tried to calm himself down, which only made Marquise more frustrated as his wolf howled in his mind. 

Stop making so much noise, you brat. I’m trying to deal with something important right n—
and then he was a wolf again. 

Oh shit!

His little garlic, dust, and mud colored wolf wiggled its way free from the large blanket that had suddenly buried it within its depths and before Marquise could even tell it not to, it sank its little teeth into Vrasje’s lower arm with the most pathetic growl he’d ever heard. 

He could tell that it was just reacting to his building stress and trying to protect him, and thus, itself, too, but…    

Marquise turned his attention away from the situation, knowing that they were likely about to be punished, but when nothing happened, he hesitantly returned his focus out of his pup’s eye. 

“It’s okay, little one. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stress you out so badly. You’re so brave coming out to protect your human self,” Vrasje said as he remained still, even though the wolf was still holding onto his arm with its teeth. 

Marquise could feel the confusion from his pup, but he didn’t really understand the situation, either. They’d been yelling at each other, and then his wolf had bitten him. Vrasje should have at least tossed the little beast, yet he wasn’t doing a single thing except apologizing.

What the heck is going on? 

His little wolf waited a few moments, but when Vrasje still didn’t do anything, it hesitantly loosened its grip, then nibbled a tiny bit before releasing his arm entirely. 

“Thank you, little one,” Vrasje said with a smile that had the little wolf tilting its head curiously. 

To Marquise’s surprise, the little wolf slowly crawled into the man’s lap, then sat down so that it could look up at him more easily. 

“Hello there, you’re a pretty guy,” Vrasje said, making Marquise roll his eyes internally. 

He knew that the man was joking, because, come on! His wolf looked like it had rolled in mud, then a spice cabinet, but he bit his internal tongue when he heard an abrupt
shh!
in the back of his mind. 

“You’re a beautiful guy, don’t listen to him,” Vrasje said as he lifted a hand for the wolf to sniff, then gently settled it against its fuzzy left shoulder for a brief pat. 

Marquise scowled. 

He couldn’t understand how a wolf with a missing eye and a coat colored like vomit could be any kind of nice to look at, but Vrasje just kept peppering praise upon the now-wiggling pup in his lap. 

 It was pathetic to watch. 

Don’t be jealous, I can pet you if you want to switch back to your human form. 

I’d rather die. 

His wolf, however, was more than happy to accept some attention now that the danger had seemingly passed. It was all up in Vrasje’s business, nuzzling here, licking there, and just being an all-around nuisance as it tried to bite at his long hair. 

The guy actually, somehow, seemed to be enjoying the little ball of overly-excited fur, though, and Marquise wasn’t sure how. 

Well, either way, he wasn’t interested in snuggling up to the vampire, so Marquise decided to just let himself rest for a while. That would give his wolf full control, but honestly, the thing was already pretty much in charge at the moment anyways. 

Look after it for me for a while, I’m taking a nap. 

Vrasje frowned a little as he hugged the wiggling wolf to his bare chest. 

“Really? You’re just going to go to sleep with him out?” 

Yes. You seem perfectly capable of handling him, and I don’t like watching you pet my other half, so I’m going to sleep. I’ll wake up when Taru gets here. 

The elder vampire didn’t seem too happy with the idea, but he didn’t fight him on it. 

“Alright, I’ll look after little Garlic until you decide to grace us with your presence again.” 

Gar… You did not just name my wolf that. 

“Have a good nap,” Vrasje said with a renewed grin as he stood up, easily lifting the little pup in his arms. 

“Let’s go outside and play in the mud until your master gets here, little guy,” he said as Marquise bit back a few choice words he wanted to yell as he turned his attention inward so that he no longer had to see what was going on. 

Those words he chose not to voice were something along the lines of:
That name is terrible, stop carrying me, a
nd
 I want to go play in the mud, too…

Chapter 15

The playing didn’t exactly happen. Neither did his little nap, either. Vrasje had just-barely stepped outside into the cool evening air when they both sensed something to their left. 

Vampires? 

They were dressed in pretty nice clothing, too. 

“Elder Vrasje,” the taller man said as he walked up to him cautiously. 

Marquise watched through Garlic’s eye as the man moved, catching that he was quite nervous about approaching them. There was evidently good reason to be wary, too, because Vrasje snarled before the man even got within ten feet of him. 

“My apologies, my lord, b-but as the working magistrate and his assistant, we had to come investigate once we got several strange reports…” 

Vrasje didn’t seem surprised, and after a few moments of holding Garlic tightly against him, he relaxed enough to retract his fangs. 

“You have confirmed that the reports are true,” he finally said, making the man across the yard from him quickly nod his agreement. 

“Except, you have also trespassed on my land and, for some reason, were unable to simply knock on my front door like a civilized vampire,” Vrasje added, making both men flinch. 

“I apologize for our poor choice of addressing this situation. We just…” the man looked over his shoulder, finally making the other hesitantly step forward. 

“We didn’t think that you’d ever bring a live one back.” 

Marquise felt his wolf react by snuggling in closer against Vrasje’s bare chest and giving a pathetic whine. That near-silent sound seemed to trigger him more than Marquise had ever managed to. 

“This wolf belongs to my heir! Taru chose him and changed him, and we will be registering him shortly,” he said assuredly. 

Both vampires looked like they were about to faint from shock, but they managed to pull themselves back together at the last moment and give a few coughs behind their hands to try and brush away the awkward tension. 

“Ah, so that is how it is,” the magistrate said with a nod, though he still looked rather disgruntled about the situation. 

“Well, um… what made lord Taru consider changing a werewolf, if I may ask?” the man inquired as he looked his wolf over with a slight bit of curiosity. 

Vrasje managed to calm down again and actually moved to set Garlic on the ground, but his wolf was having none of that. Before its front paws could even touch the ground it was pushing back up with its hind ones, trying to keep from being abandoned!

You’re a damn drama queen. He’s not going to pick you back up just bec—
and he picked him right back up. Even gave him a few whispered praises and an added hug before returning his attention to the two pale men in front of them. 

“You’ll understand when you see his human form, but I stand behind my heir’s decision,” Vrasje finally replied. 

The man who was still standing a little farther away inched closer until he stood shoulder to shoulder with the magistrate.
 
He looked a good deal younger, and also still had a faint glow of youth to his features, but also the shadow of sickness. He must have been changed recently… Perhaps he even belonged to the magistrate as his own heir. 

“Elder Vrasje, I apologize if my words seem rude, but there are laws about wolves in this town, and even though that one is quite small and doesn’t seem aggressive…” 

That makes sense. Most towns outlaw wolves, and honestly, most wouldn’t even want us there, even in our human forms, anyways. 

Well I want you here and you’re staying. 

“I am the one who wrote those rules. I will reconsider them and discuss the situation with you right now, if you two would like to come inside?” Vrasje said, surprising Marquise as much as the two other vampires. 

Without waiting for a response, Vrasje turned and headed back up the steps and through the intricately carved double doors. Marquise watched as his pup looked over Vrasje’s shoulder at the two vampires, its little chin tucked between its paws. 

The two men began speaking amongst themselves as they followed them inside, then down a long hall until they stopped at the farthest room in that wing of the mansion. 

It was evidently a massive meeting room with a long wooden table, some sixteen or so chairs, and huge floor to ceiling windows. Since he’d lost his chance to go outside and play, Garlic finally decided that he wanted to get down and wiggled a bit in Vrasje’s arms. 

When he was set down a moment later, he gave a quiet grunt and hurried over to hop up onto a dark purple velvet-covered lounge chair nestled up against one of those massive windows. Right as he got settled little droplets of rain began to tap against the glass, making Garlic lean back on his hind legs and tap at them here and there, mimicking the actions a cat might make in the same situation. 

“Are… you sure that’s not a fox? Do werefoxes exist?” the magistrate asked as the two took seats across from where Vrasje had settled. 

Of course, their attention was clearly still on Garlic, but his little pup didn’t seem to care in the least. Raindrops were evidently far more important than discussions of life or death. 

“He is a werewolf, and an alpha, to my knowledge,” Vrasje said, finally drawing Garlic’s attention as his wolf flipped its head around, and partially sideways, to look at the man. 

Yes, I am an alpha! Even if my new wolf is a pipsqueak. Emphasis on squeak. 

“An… alpha, huh?” the magistrate mumbled as he openly stared at the tiny creature. 

“Does he have a name? Do they name themselves? I’ve only ever heard a few werewolves that dared to interact with people,” he said, clearly curious but also sounding a bit incredulous. 

Vrasje nodded as he looked back over at Garlic, who gladly gave him a swish of his long fluffy tail in exchange for the attention. 

“His name is Marquise, and I suppose he used to be a well-known alpha, but something happened with his larger wolf and now he’s got this little guy going on,” Vrasje said, making the two vampires across from him look at each other, then back to the little wolf. 

“He’s
that
 Marquise? I’ve heard of an alpha going crazy and poisoning himself with silver, but the details of the situation haven’t been easy to find. They had been readily available when the situation first occurred, but I suppose it was later that the new governor, with agreement from the three wolf packs that somehow live within the city, decided to sweep it all underneath the rug, so to speak. You can’t even find the medical documentation that went along with the evident experiments and what not,” the other man said, making a curious light brighten Vrasje’s dark eyes. 

“He probably is the person you mentioned, but I wasn’t really wanting to barge into his past, since he doesn’t seem to want to share it,” Vrasje said with a faint smile. 

That smile seemed to coax Garlic from the lounge, as the little guy hopped down and padded over to him. Vrasje, of course, picked him up without a word and hugged him against his still-bare chest. 

“Has he caused an trouble for you since he’s been here? Do you know what happened to his eye?” the younger vampire asked curiously. 

Vrasje gently ran his fingers through Garlic’s soft coat. 

“No trouble, and to my knowledge, it was destroyed by rot. Likely from the silver, I’d imagine.” 

That was pretty much the case. 

“If he was poisoned so badly that his eye had to be removed, then how can he still be alive and in such good health otherwise?” the magistrate asked, clearly stumped by the situation. 

Vrasje looked down at where his pup was snuggled against him, but Garlic didn’t seem to have any interest in answering their questions. 

I’m not really sure how it works, either, but it seems like my wolves have the ability to affect my human self. If he gets cut I would usually get cut, and so forth, but when I started the silver experiments, things changed. I’m not completely sure how it happened, or why he did it, but my wolf seemed to take the majority of the poison’s affects onto its own body. My vision did end up becoming damaged in my right eye, but it failed completely and fell out because the right side of my wolf’s face had rotted to such an extent. 

Vrasje gave his head a gentle pat. 

“It seems like his wolves are different than others. I’m not sure how it happened, and he doesn’t know, either, but his alpha wolf took most of the poison damage upon itself, and I guess when it sealed itself away, it returned a majority of that damage to his human body.” 

That’s pretty much the basics of it. 

The two men were silent for a long moment, seemingly conversing between each other telepathically. When they turned their attention back to him, they seemed a little more at ease. 

Hmm? 

Garlic gave an excited whine as it stood on Vrasje’s lap with its front paws on the armrest, wiggling a little as it watched the closed doors leading to the hallway. 

“It seems like his master is here. Excuse us for a moment,” Vrasje said right before the doors were pushed open and Garlic bolted from his lap!

Taru immediately set down the two large bags he’d been carrying so that he could scoop him up as soon as he got close enough. 

“Hello there, sweetheart. I’m sorry it’s been a while, I’ve been way too busy.” 

He didn’t care at all. As long as Taru came home at some point, he would always be happy to wait for him!

Master Taru, Vrasje named my wolf Garlic. You should name it something better.

Taru gave a quiet chuckle as he carried him over to the table, then sat down next to his own master. 

“Garlic, huh? I don’t know, I think it’s pretty cute. Your fur looks like a mixture of different spices, with the majority being garlic-colored, so I think I’d like to keep that name if you’re alright with it?” 

Utter betrayal. 

Okay, it’s not too bad. 

With that discussion easily resolved, Garlic snuggled up in Taru’s arms as the man looked across the table with a smile. 

“Hello, gentlemen, I see that you’ve met my new heir,” Taru said without an ounce of hesitation. 

The magistrate gave a calm nod, but then seemed to become more serious. 

“We were discussing him with your master, and while he doesn’t seem to be dangerous right now, there
are
 rules against having wolves in town. Now we know that elder Vrasje has helped us establish those rules, so we would like to see if we can come to a compromise for this situation,” the man said, earning a nod from Taru and Vrasje. 

“I think the first thing that will need to be done, and as soon as possible, is the signing of documentation that confirms him as your heir. That leads me to wonder, though… is he now a vampire? Or is he still a werewolf? Is there a possibility that he’s become a mix of the two?” the man’s heir asked. 

Taru looked at his master at the same time Vrasje glanced at him. 

“A mix of the two, I’d think. He’s still able to gain weight but he needs blood every so often to survive. He also has two different sets of fangs,” Taru said as Garlic turned around in his lap and promptly bared his disturbingly-sharp set of canines at the other men, only for those teeth to abruptly retract, then be replaced with thicker, longer fangs. 

Not exactly what I’d have chosen to show off when we’re trying to seem less threatening, but I guess our size would probably make any other possibly dangerous part of us seem miniscule, at best. 

The bite on Vrasje’s arm from earlier was already sealed over and barely visible against his pale skin, too. 

They look impressed, but not afraid… in the least. 

Heaving a sigh through Garlic’s mouth, Marquise sat down, then flicked an ear as he realized something. 

I can control him again!

Taru gave his head a pat as he kept his attention on the two men across from them. 

“We will be setting up an event here for him after we sign the paperwork. We were planning on doing it earlier, but he’s been healing really well recently so I didn’t want to stress him out by making him go into society yet, but if you recommend completing the documents sooner, we can get that done,” Taru said with a content smile. 

The magistrate returned his smile, seemingly relieved that the situation had been easy to handle all around. 

“I think the sooner the better. If he’s doing alright tomorrow, would you consider coming down to the courthouse and signing the paperwork?” the magistrate asked hopefully. 

Marquise could understand the man’s reason to nudge things along. Mouths talked and talking eventually turned into action if enough people talked and the situation wasn’t corrected. 

“I think we can manage to get him down to the courthouse tomorrow,” Vrasje said as he turned his attention to his heir. 

Taru looked a little nervous, but after a few moments he smiled at his master and nodded his agreement. 

“We will bring him to you tomorrow morning,” Taru said, making Marquise narrow his gaze at the floor. 

Morning… gross. 

“Sound perfect! We will see you at the courthouse. Thank you for sitting down and speaking with us on such short notice, and we apologize again for rudely intruding, lord Vrasje,” the magistrate said as he and his heir stood from the table and bowed respectfully, then were lead out by a servant. 

Once they were gone, Marquise quickly turned to face Taru, then returned to his human form, straddling his master’s lap with an excited smile on his face.  

Except, before he could even lean forward and hug the man he was yanked to the side and back into Vrasje’s lap! 

“What are you doing?!” he growled up at the man as he was settled in
his
 lap,

“It is not appropriate to sit in his lap naked,” Vrasje said simply. 

Marquise felt his eye twitch at the man’s words as he squirmed his way around so that he could face Vrasje, and was about to give him a piece of his damn mind when he felt a soft fabric partially wrap around him, stealing his attention. 

“Arms please, sweetheart. I got you some nice new things to wear on my way over,” Taru said, making Marquise instinctively lift his arms a little so that Taru could slip the light blue shirt on one side, then the other. 

The fabric was extremely soft and silky as it glided over his skin. As soon as it settled Vrasje was lifting his own hands to fasten the buttons. 

Once that was done Taru carefully helped Marquise stand, then supported him as he stepped into a pair of undergarments, then, finally, a nice pair of black dress slacks.  

After being given his cane, Marquise carefully stood on his own and looked in one of the large windows at his reflection. Ever since he’d come to live with Taru, every time he’d seen himself in a reflection he’d looked like a ghost of his former indestructible self, but now…

Leaning his cane against the table, Marquise straightened his shoulders and body as he took several determined, pained steps toward that window before pausing a foot or two away from it. Closing off his mind as best he could, he licked his lips and let himself drift off into thought. 

Alpha Marquise… The former ruling wolf of the three London packs. 

His heart swelled with a delicate pinch of pride as he stared at his own determined gaze. 

You managed to survive in the wild, fighting tooth and nail for your pack, then you tried to save everyone by mistakenly signing a deal to be poisoned by someone who only cared about himself in the end. And now…

He tilted his head, watching as his dark hair swayed with the movement. His mind wandered to how the two men, the magistrate and his heir, had dealt with their situation. They hadn’t been very worried about him being a wolf because of his size and temperament. 

Maybe there’s a reason why I didn’t die from poison. Maybe there’s a reason why I am here now. 

He felt his little wolf wiggle inside him, curious but confused. It made him smile. The little guy hadn’t been around for his past tumultuous life. It hadn’t been attacked relentlessly or poisoned continuously. 

I’ll protect you, little one. I have made terrible mistakes in the past, but I think now is the perfect time to begin working towards a new goal. I’ll show you how beautiful this world can be, and perhaps we can convince another town that not all wolves are bad… the right way.

Chapter 16

Marquise stood as still as possible, but things were getting a tad ridiculous. He’d been woken up at the ungodly hour of seven A.M., but he couldn’t just get up and get dressed, then grab a bite to eat before leaving. Nope, they were still stuck on the
getting dressed
part. Evidently Taru had bought him quite a lot of new clothing yesterday, and the two big bags that he’d brought into the meeting room the other evening had been just a sample of what was waiting for Marquise back in his room.

He’d glanced through them briefly last night, but the need for sleep easily won out, which left him with his current dilemma.

“He should wear dark colors, I don’t want people thinking that they can pick on him because he’s a werewolf,” Vrasje said as he held up a black silk shirt.

Taru, on the other hand, didn’t look impressed in the least.

“No one is going to make fun of my heir. He’s handsome and smart. How can anyone not like him?” Taru said as he picked up the discarded pink shirt he’d tried on ten minutes ago.

He honestly wanted to make Taru happy and just put the pink one on, but at the same time, he could understand what Vrasje was saying. There was no way people weren’t going to try and take a swing at him… or worse. He’d already had two servants go for his throat, so to speak, and Taru’s peacock hadn’t been very happy with him, either, though he hadn’t had the balls to do much more than squawk about it.

Glancing at the growing stack of clothing on his now-cluttered bed, Marquise sifted through the items for a minute before pulling out one of the first things he’d tried on.

“I want to wear this one. Is it okay, master Taru?” he asked as he held up a navy blue long-sleeved dress shirt.

Vrasje quickly nodded his agreement as Taru pursed his lips, but then seemed to give in with a quiet sigh.

“Alright, that one did look really good on you, so that’s fine,” he said with a small smile.

Marquise quickly pulled the shirt on, then grabbed one of the three long-coats Taru had gotten him earlier. They were the one thing he’d hung up immediately before bed.

Now, he slipped his arms through the soft black leather and tugged the coat satisfyingly over his shoulders. It fit perfectly and hung down to just below his knees.

“Um… I got a few other things that you might be interested in. If not, I’ll just return them, but I wanted to give you the option to at least check them out,” Taru said as he reached into the last bag, which was much smaller than the rest.

When he pulled out a black eyepatch and matching leather gloves, Marquise couldn’t help smiling widely. He quickly stepped forward and took the eyepatch. Since Taru had redone his bandages before he’d gone to sleep, he simply lifted the item up and settled the band around his head before pulling the patch into place.

Once that was done, he accepted the gloves and eagerly pulled the right one on first. He wasn’t embarrassed by the rot covering parts of his body, but he knew that it would already be a main focus, so he didn’t want to give anyone
too
much to look at.

My face is already bad enough. That’s plenty to look at,
he thought to himself as he flexed his fingers in his new pair of gloves. Even with his minimal sense of feeling in his right hand, they still moved relatively well. There was no stiffness in the materials.

“They’re perfect. Thank you for the gifts, master,” he said as he reached over and tugged Taru into his arms for a hug.

Taru returned it with a big smile that showed some adorable dimples.

“You look fantastic, and you’ll do very well today, I promise. The signing is nothing big, and then we’ll head back home for a welcoming party and introduction get-together,” Taru said as he took Marquise’s hand and
finally
began leading him out of his bedroom.

Vrasje followed silently, but then blurred ahead and disappeared. Marquise ignored him since Taru didn’t seem worried. They took their time walking arm in arm while Marquise used his cane to practice balancing. He had made Taru agree to let him walk on his own for the paperwork signing and afterparty, though he had also promised that he would rest if he began to have trouble.  

When they finally got to the front door Vrasje was there waiting for them, standing next to a chair that had clearly been moved there recently.

Marquise stared at the setup for a moment before realizing what was going on.

He’s got a box in his hands.

It clicked pretty quickly now. Marquise hurried forward, only limping a little before dropping down into the waiting chair. Vrasje knelt down immediately once he was settled and set the box on the floor before opening the lid.

Oh, hell yes!

The pitch black boots were absolutely gorgeous! The leatherwork was fantastic and they gleamed with polish as they were removed from the box. Vrasje set them aside once they were both out and retrieved a pair of black socks that must have been nestled beneath the footwear.

Marquise didn’t move an inch as he watched the elder vampire delicately slide each sock onto his feet, being extra careful with his left one since the skin there was still purple from rot damage, but thankfully healing well.

The socks felt amazing on his cool skin, but Marquise didn’t focus too long on them when Vrasje finished his task, then reached for those beautiful boots again.

The man was extremely careful as he undid each buckle hiding the laces running all the way up the tall boots, then undid the ties. Once that was done he tugged the tongue open and, with Taru’s help, guided Marquise’s right foot into the first boot.

“They might feel a little snug, but I didn’t want them to be loose and risk tripping you. The store owner said that they should loosen up a bit while you walk, too. Just let me know if we need to exchange them or have them altered a bit,” Vrasje said, making Marquise quickly nod his agreement.

He couldn’t hold back his giddy smile as he flexed his toes in the right boot, loving the feeling of it. His left foot took a little longer to get situated in the footwear, but when it was finally settled and the ties and buckles were fastened, Marquise didn’t hesitate to stand up… then fall right into Vrasje’s arms as he tripped on his own darn feet!

“Sorry,” he mumbled awkwardly against the man’s fancy shirt.

“It’s alright,” Vrasje said as he helped Marquise steady himself with his hands on his shoulders and a warm smile on his face.

“I figured that you wouldn’t want to continue walking around barefoot. At least, not during your introduction party,” he said, making Marquise nod in agreement. 

“Thank you, I love them,” he said as he carefully straightened up, then looked down at his new shoes.

They matched his outfit perfectly, and were also high enough to help him with his mobility a little. They wouldn’t let his left leg buckle as easily if it began to get tired. Of course, he didn’t intend to wear it out so badly, but it was nice to know that the high boot would act as an impromptu brace, too.

“I think we’re all set now?” Taru asked as Vrasje nudged the empty shoebox aside with a foot, then nodded.

The walk down to the courthouse was surprisingly lively. Perhaps word had gotten around already, because there were quite a few groups of people lining the road to get a good look at the new heir… and werewolf.

Marquise walked on his own with his cane, but he had to focus the majority of his attention on his footsteps so that he didn’t trip too often. Thankfully, the few times that he was about to fall Taru on his right, or Vrasje on his left, managed to catch him by the shoulder each time, easily averting embarrassment.

By the time they finally got the courthouse stairs Marquise was pretty winded from having walked nearly two miles on his own.

“Want some help for the steps?” Taru asked as he held a hand out to him.

He really didn’t want to be seen needing assistance so soon, but he couldn’t really ignore the fact that he needed help, either.

Oh well, if people want to think that I’m weak, they can go right ahead. Garlic could probably beat up any of these people, and he’s scared of his own shadow,
he thought as he gratefully accepted his master’s assistance and began ascending the stairs.

Halfway up the steps, however, he noticed that Vrasje had slowed his pace a little, then slipped behind him a few steps down.

What are doing?
he asked as he kept his attention focused on going forward.

They’re staring at you
, Vrasje replied immediately, seemingly frustrated about it.

Of course they’re staring at me. I’m a werewolf, a new heir, and still a bit rotten
, Marquise replied with a hint of humor to his words.

Vrasje didn’t seem interested in laughing at the situation, however, so Marquise just dismissed his strange behavior and continued until they were finally at the top of the stairs.

None of the townsfolk were allowed in the courthouse without an appointment, so they were thankfully able to leave the mass of people behind. They were escorted to a large room in the back that was actually pretty nice.

The magistrate from the previous day was sitting behind a large desk with a stack of paperwork in front of him.

“Welcome, welcome! I’m so glad that you guys were able to make it so soon. Please, have a seat,” he said as he gestured to the three chairs across from his desk.

They calmly took their seats with Marquise in the middle and a vampire to either side, then got down to business. The paperwork was actually surprisingly easy, as it was basically just a contract about how one should conduct themselves as a vampire living within society. It was actually quite similar to the one from where he used to live in London, except theirs also pertained to werewolves.

He actually finished it pretty quickly with Taru’s help, but when they returned it to the magistrate, expecting to do the little fang measuring thing Taru had mentioned before, then head back home, another packet was handed to them, making Marquise frown in confusion.

Taking the papers, he set them down on their side of the desk and began looking through the documents. He didn’t even manage to get through the second page before Vrasje grabbed the papers and slammed them down on the desk in front of the magistrate, a ferociously-loud warning growl emanating from between his bared fangs.

“L-lord Vrasje, you have to understand that this situation is extremely delicate. The governor, as well as almost every single noble in town, demanded that I draw up extra documentation restricting him to the highest of my ability…” the magistrate said, his words dying off into silence as he looked everywhere but at Vrasje.

Marquise was worried that Vrasje might actually begin attacking the man, but when he reached over and took his hand, Vrasje slowly managed to calm himself down.

“I am one of the head nobles in this city, so creating documentation without at least sending me a copy to review and approve first is against the rules established by
all
of the council members, thereby voiding everything within that second packet of papers.”

The magistrate’s face was so pale that he looked like he was about to pass out.

“B-but lord Vra—” Vrasje slammed his palm down on the desk, easily splintering the heavy wood.

“Am. I. Wrong?” he hissed, pronouncing each word with a hostile growl.

The magistrate quickly gathered the papers back up with shaky hands.

“N-no sir, you are absolutely correct. It was my mistake for allowing them to coerce me into drafting these documents. I have seen his shift and I do not believe that he is a risk to the public,” the magistrate said, seemingly trying to salvage the situation.

Luckily for him, Vrasje was able to calm down again, then sat. The magistrate quickly followed suit, though it looked as if he collapsed into his chair instead of just simply sat. His legs must have been on the verge of giving out.

“The heir paperwork has been signed and I am sure that a council meeting will be called for the other set,
correctly
, and then we will discuss possible further stipulations due to the odd circumstances of the situation,” Vrasje said, quickly earning an agreeing nod from the magistrate before he stood back up on less shaky legs and reached across the desk.

Vrasje moved to stand for the handshake, but to everyone’s surprise, Marquise was on his feet first and, after releasing Vrasje’s left hand, reached across the large desk with his right one. The man seemed startled for a second, but then managed to calm his nerves and reciprocate the handshake.

“It is nice to meet you, Marquise. I must say that I never thought I’d see the day that I would be shaking hands with a werewolf, let alone speaking to one, but I can humbly say that I am very impressed with your behavior. I also would like to apologize for presenting those papers to you. It was very poor judgement on my part and I hope that we can put that behind us and work towards helping you settle here with as little obstacles as possible,” he said, making Marquise give an honest smile.

“I appreciate your words, sir, and I will do my best to exceed your expectations,” Marquise replied in a sincere tone that brought a smile to the other man’s stressed expression.

“Very good, young man. Enjoy your eve—oh wait! Hang on just a second. Let me measure your fangs,” the magistrate said before releasing Marquise’s hand and grabbing a measuring stick from the drawer in his desk.

Marquise pursed his lips and glanced sideways at his master, raising an eyebrow.

Taru returned his look with a smirk.

Marquise read the man’s expression loud and clear. When he turned his attention back to the magistrate, he waited until the man lifted his measuring stick up before lifting his lips away from his teeth and allowing his wolf’s fangs to extend.

The man gave a startled yelp… and Vrasje gave a stifled chuckle.

Taru didn’t bother hiding his own laughter as the magistrate marked his stick the highest it had ever been.

“A-almost one and a half inches long. H-how?”

Vrasje reached over and mussed up Marquise’s hair before giving a slight nod to the magistrate.

“Good luck to anyone who tries to beat that record,” he said before grabbing Marquise’s hand and turning.

He slowly lead them out of the courthouse, refusing to release his hand even though it forced him to walk much slower than he had clearly intended to. Right before they got to the large exit doors Vrasje finally released him, but then turned and met his eye with his own narrowed ones.

“There are far more people out there now, waiting to see the first werewolf allowed to step foot in Bastion. Are you ready?” he asked as Taru stopped beside him, drawing Marquise’s attention.

His master was smiling with excitement, both with his mouth and his eyes. He was ready to show off his heir to everyone…

Returning his attention to Vrasje, Marquise gave a stern nod and allowed a smirk to slip onto his lips.

“An alpha is always ready,” he said before tightening his hold on his cane and stepping forward.

Taru slipped to his right while Vrasje stepped up to the door on his left.

Straightening his posture as best he could while still using his cane to balance, Marquise held his head high and took one final deep breath.

“Let’s go home. I have a party to attend soon and I have no interest in being late.”

Chapter 17

That… is a lot of people. 

He had expected a good crowd, but not something
this
 crazy! There were people as far as the eye could see, lining the streets, hanging out of windows, and some, likely vampires, were even sitting on top of houses to get a glimpse of him. 

It was a bit overwhelming, but he managed to tamp down his nerves well enough. His inner wolf, on the other hand, was howling at the top of its lungs as it paced frantically inside his mind. 

It will be okay, little one. I’ll protect you. 

His pup slowed to a stop in his mind but continued to whine with worry. 

You’re a good boy.

Garlic calmed a little further, but then began to pace again, making Marquise give a silent sigh. He couldn’t blame the little guy from being stressed out with so many eyes on them. 

I’ll handle this situation.

He wanted to tell it that there was nothing to worry about, but that would be a lie. So, he decided to just let him pace, if that was what helped him in their current situation, then it was fine. 

It made him a little more nervous, but he was a master at hiding his emotions… especially since he was feeling a lot better than he had been when he’d first been brought to the town. 

Licking his lips, Marquise began descending the steps with a vampire on either side. It was a little easier going down, but he had to be very careful that his left leg didn’t give out on him with each step. 

Once he was sure that he wasn’t likely to fall, Marquise focused his attention on the massive crowd before him. Now that he was actually paying attention, he noticed that while most of the people were just staring curiously, quite a few others were sneering or baring their fangs. 

Taru and Vrasje aren’t responding negatively, so I’m just going to roll with it. 

And so he did. It was probably because he had two well-respected vampires with him, but as he finally got to the bottom of the stairs, the sea of people parted to either side, opening up a pathway all the way down the street. 

Holding his head high, but not disrespectfully-so, Marquise began leading the way back to their home. He tried to greet the few people who actually risked stepping out of the raucous crowd, but each time he went to shake hands or try to speak over the noise it felt like his wolf was literally stomping on his brain!

It’s okay, little guy. We’re heading home right now. 

Marquise quickened his pace and only greeted a few more people before finally stepping out of the massive throng and taking a deep breath. 

Taru was immediately at his side, hugging him and giving him, what he thought, was a well deserved head pat. 

Figuring that Vrasje wanted to say or do something, too, since he’d stopped on his other side, Marquise looked over his shoulder at him with a boyish grin on his slightly flushed face. 

When Vrasje
did
 actually do something, it wasn’t what Marquise had expected. Instead of a pat to his head or even a partial hug, the man simply reached over and adjusted his eye patch the slightest amount, then leaned away with a satisfied nod. 

It was a bit… underwhelming. 

Blinking as his face heated, Marquise quickly turned away and began to walk again. 

Why the hell did I think that? 

Garlic perked up at that moment, giving an excited huff as he padded closer to the forefront of Marquise’s mind. 

What are you doing, you little troublemaker?
he teased, smiling as he felt the pup looking through his own eyes. 

Oh? You want to look around now that most of the people are behind us, huh? 

Even though he was making fun of his pup a little, Marquise still granted its wish and looked here and there as they passed different shops. Eventually, his gaze fell upon Taru, making his pup wiggle a little with interest. 

You know your master, good boy. 

Taru gave him a smile in return for the attention, making Marquise grin at him back. 

After a few moments of looking at his master, his attention turned to his other side. The moment his eyes fell upon Vrasje’s profile Garlic gave such an excited whine that it nearly made him wince. 

Why?! He’s your master’s master, not ours,
Marquise groaned in his mind, even as his pup continued to dance excitedly around his head. 

Pushing aside the frustration of being misunderstood, Marquise continued leading their little group until they were finally getting close to home. 

Well, he could see the beginning of the entry gates and the ridiculously long cobblestone road beyond it. That road… had been
terrible
to traverse with his cane earlier. 

How did I forget about it? 

“It’s been a busy day. Would you like me to carry you the rest of the way?” Taru asked right as Vrasje was opening his mouth to say something, too. 

He quickly clamped it shut a moment later, however, so Marquise figured that he was probably just going to offer the same thing. Taru was definitely his preferred mode of transportation, though.

Marquise quickly turned to his master with a tired smile and nodded. 

“Yes, please. If that’s alright with you,” he said, already relieved that he wouldn’t have to try and hobble his way over that mess again. 

Taru picked him up right after Vrasje reached forward and took his cane. 

“You’ve been gaining weight, I see. I’m glad,” Taru said as he walked through the gates. 

Marquise wrapped his arms comfortably around his master’s shoulders, then rested his chin on his shoulder as he watched Vrasje follow them from a little ways back. 

He’s talking to some servants…

As soon as he seemed to finish speaking with one, two more would show up. By the third interruption Marquise felt Garlic’s hackles rising, but shrugged off the pup’s odd interest in the man. 

“How is Garlic doing?” Taru asked as they finally neared the house. 

Marquise pursed his lips and gave a tiny shrug of his shoulders. 

“He’s okay. He was really nervous, but I managed to get him to calm down enough to not act out,” he replied, but then continued. “He doesn’t seem very happy right now, though.” 

The little bugger was pacing again, and each time it glanced out through his eyes it seemed to get more frustrated. 

Taru was beginning to reply, himself, when Marquise felt his consciousness suddenly falter, then withdraw abruptly into his mind! 

Garlic? Why did you suddenly take over? 

Of course, he wasn’t
that 
 surprised, since the pup had been extremely stressed, but damn…

Sorry Taru, he took over abruptly. 

He watched through Garlic’s eyes, expecting his master to just cuddle him and finish their walk inside, but when there seemed to be a bit of a struggle, he became confused. 

“U-um…” Taru mumbled as he was forced to set Garlic down. 

He doesn’t want to be held? 

Marquise squinted as Garlic fell, but then he noticed something strange. 

Is that… a hand? 

Taru hadn’t fallen, though. 

Before he could finish pulling his thoughts together they were stumbling toward a surprised Vrasje. The man had been set upon by two more servants since the last time he’d looked, but he quickly waved them away and knelt down as Garlic got closer. 

Why are you fumbling so much? 

“Little one?” Vrasje questioned as he reached out right as they were about to fall again. 

Vrasje easily scooped them up into his arms, but again…
why are there hands? Those look like mine. 

“Taru, do you know what’s going on?” Vrasje asked as he hugged him gently to his chest as he hurried to catch up to his heir. 

“I’m not really sure. Marquise, you said that Garlic was a new wolf to you? Has this ever happened?” Taru asked as he reached over to gently pat his head. 

Considering their reaction, Marquise finally realized what had happened. 

This… is so embarrassing. 

Garlic didn’t seem to think so, though. He was plenty happy nuzzling Marquise’s forehead against Vrasje’s nice dress shirt and suit. He wasn’t happy about the sudden excessive attention he was giving the vampire, but it was definitely making his pup happy. 

It can happen when a wolf first changes into a human form. It is especially common in omegas. Normally, the wolf is the first to exist, so the human has to learn how to manage against the beast. That is normally not too hard, but some omegas struggle with it at the beginning…

It was so embarrassing. 

“I suppose that makes sense. Since he’s intent on staying with me, do you want to go ahead and start getting ready for the gathering later? Will you be okay to return to your body by then, Marquise?” Vrasje asked, speaking to Taru first before asking Marquise the last question. 

Yes, I should be good by then. Garlic was just overstimulated. He should be good as long as he’s able to relax a little. 

“Well, I wouldn’t mind relaxing for a little bit. Want to go take a nap, little one?” Vrasje asked as they finally stepped inside.

Marquise fidgeted internally at the man’s words, but Garlic seemed more than content, if the constant nuzzling and little hums of appreciation were anything to go by. 

It’s so weird making me nuzzle him in my human form. Just shift to your wolf. Do it with your own body…

Feeling a hand on his head, Marquise felt his body immediately react as Garlic closed his eyes and snuggled in closer. 

“Sure, that works. You two get some rest and I’ll come get you later,” Taru said before heading down a hall and disappearing around a corner. 

I’d rather take a nap with master…

He was snapped out of his thoughts as his body was abruptly hefted a little higher as Vrasje began climbing the stairs.

Scowling on the inside, Marquise watched with frustration as Garlic simply wiggled with more excitement and, to his horror, began to tug on a long loch of Vrasje’s hair with his mouth!

We are going to be doing some serious training once you let me have control back,
he grumbled. 

Vrasje seemed to disagree that he needed any training, however, because he was soon coddling Garlic and whispering sweet words against his hair as he rubbed his back. 

“You’re a good boy. You’re other half is just jealous that you’re getting so much love,” he said as they walked right past Marquise’s room before stopping at Vrasje’s. 

Wait a second, we should at least rest in my room. It’s not appropriate for me to be in your room
, Marquise said, though Vrasje didn’t think that it was an issue in the least. In fact, he actually gave a quiet laugh as he walked inside and gently set Garlic down on the bed. 

He was extremely careful with him, and even waited until Garlic released his length of hair nearly a minute later before finally straightening. 

“That’s a good pup. Wait here a moment,” he said as he turned and walked away. 

Marquise was, of course, forced to watch him, because heaven
forbid
 Garlic have eyes for literally anyone or
anything
 other than the frustrating elder vampire. 

“Don’t be jealous, love,” Vrasje said as he removed his suit and hung up the coat, then folded and put away the pants and dress shirt. 

Once done, he pulled on a pair of more comfortable pants and turned to face him, but…

Put on a shirt. 

The man raised an eyebrow at him. Garlic seemed to think that that attention was for him, though, because Marquise felt their shared body immediately wiggle as Garlic got him onto his hands and knees, trying to get closer to Vrasje without falling off the bed. 

“He doesn’t seem to mind that I’m not wearing a shirt,” the vampire said, making Marquise honestly feel uneasy. 

Vrasje’s expression changed immediately as he turned back around and pulled on a long-sleeved shirt. The action had Marquise relaxing with an internal sigh of relief.     

Seemingly sensing that he’d calmed down, Vrasje walked over and finally sat down on the bed. Marquise could tell that it was taking everything Garlic had to not jump the man and lick him to death. 

They watched in silence, minus a few quiet whines, as Vrasje got himself comfortable at the head of the bed, then tugged his blanket about halfway up his body. Once that was all done, he looked back up at Garlic and reached out a hand. 

“Come here, little one. Let’s rest for a bit, hmm?” 

As much as he didn’t want to cuddle with the guy, Garlic had been incredibly good while they were out. Even the massive crowd of people hadn’t made the wolf act out. 

You know what, go ahead, bud. You’ve done really well today, and if you just want to snuggle with him for a quick nap, then you can… even though you’re using my body. 

The moment he finished that thought Garlic was lunging into Vrasje’s arms, ignoring his hand altogether so that he could get closer, quicker. 

The guy literally had to catch him, and even though he managed to, for the most part, he still grunted from the impact! 

“I’m glad your other half let you cuddle, too,” Vrasje said as he hugged him tightly and allowed Garlic to immediately grab another length of his hair and tug playfully. 

Marquise fidgeted as Vrasje’s arms settled around him, withdrawing internally a little at the uncomfortable sensation it caused. 

“Is it okay, Marra?” Vrasje asked, clearly sensing his discomfort. 

No, not really…

He didn’t really mind being carried around by the man if it was just part of helping him with his disability, but he had never really been a cuddly person. Hell, even if he might be, he’d never gotten the chance to even try to be around someone else in such a way.  

Marquise felt his body being lifted as Vrasje gently moved Garlic off of him, making the pup give out a confused cry through his human mouth. 

Hey now, stop being mean to him
, Marquise chastised, making Vrasje pause with his hands holding Marquise’s upper half just above his chest. 

“But you’re not comfortable…” he said, sounding quite confused. 

So what, I’ve lived my life being uncomfortable. Garlic behaved very well today, and if your attention is the only reward he wants, then so be it. 

Marquise watched the man’s expression change several times as he contemplated his words, then, eventually lowered him back down to rest against his chest. 

Garlic immediately had Marquise’s arms wrapped around Vrasje’s neck in a hug, making the elder vampire reach up and pat his head gently. 

“Ready to rest a bit, pup? I’m sure you’re probably tired,” he said, making Garlic give a quiet mumble in response as he finally settled down. 

Marquise drifted in and out of sleep for a while once everything quieted, but never quite passed out. It was a good thing, because after about twenty minutes, Garlic fell completely asleep and slipped back into his mind, allowing him full control of his body once again. 

He quickly pushed himself up and off of Vrasje, then slid to the edge of the bed to swing his legs over the edge. 

I need to take this coat off before it gets even more wrinkled. 

“Marra?” 

Blinking, Marquise looked over his shoulder with a furrowed brow. 

“Marra?” he asked, confused about the nickname. 

Vrasje pushed himself up off his pillows and gave him a sleepy grin as his long dark hair drifted partially into his face. 

“It’s your new nickname,” he stated as if it was perfectly fine to just rename someone!

Marquise’s brow smoothed into a more dead-pan expression as he leaned slightly closer. 

“Do I get a say in this new name?” he asked, partially sarcastic. 

Vrasje tilted his head, making several lengths of silky hair drift in front of his left eye. 

“It’s up for discussion.” 

This man…

Rolling his eyes, Marquise turned back around, only to jerk abruptly when he felt Vrasje poke his back!

Grumbling, he glared over his shoulder at the man… who was nonchalantly sitting in the
exact
same spot he had been. 

Damn vampire speed. 

“You said that it was up for discussion. I want you to change it,” Marquise said with an unimpressed look. 

Vrasje’s grin turned into a full-on smirk as he leaned a little closer.

“Key, Q, Isse, Mari, Qis—” Marquise couldn’t handle anymore. He’d reached over and pressed his palm to the man’s babbling mouth, thankfully silencing him. 

Except…

Marki, Qiqi, Chaos—
“You’re definitely creating chaos!” Marquise growled as he yanked his hand away from the man’s mouth, then spun around, intent on getting the hell out of the room. 

“Your pup will be sad if he wakes up somewhere else,” Vrasje said, making Marquise stop right as he was about to stand up. 

You…

He hated it, but the guy wasn’t wrong. He said that he’d let Garlic rest with Vrasje, and now he was trying to get out of it since his pup had fallen asleep. 

Dammit. 

Giving a defeated sigh, he slowly turned and lifted his legs back up onto the bed, then realized something and put them back over the edge. 

Leaning over, he quickly got his boots undone, then slid them off before straightening up again. He then took off his long coat and set it aside on the nightstand to his left. There was no way he was taking off his pants, but at least he wouldn’t get the coat wrinkled. 

When he was finally more comfortable, Marquise got himself situated on
top
 of the blankets, then forced himself to curl up and close his eyes. 

He felt some static from Vrasje’s thoughts as he laid there, but he couldn’t figure out what the man was thinking. At least, not until he was beginning to doze off and felt something that drew him back to full consciousness… though he pretended not to be awake. 

Vrasje had moved closer and gently lifted his head up just enough to slide a pillow beneath it. He then lowered his head carefully back down until Marquise felt the cool, crisp pillowcase press against his cheek. 

He felt the bed shift a little next, but to his surprise, the man was actually getting up. His footsteps were mostly silenced by the rug surrounding his bed, but after a few moments Marquise realized what he was doing when a light blanket drifted down to rest overtop his body. 

It was far lighter than the man’s normal heavy covers, but it was honestly perfect for him. He’d been a tiny bit cold, possibly because he was a little hungry, but the blanket helped keep in what little heat his body was giving off. 

A minute later and Vrasje was back in bed, but thankfully he kept to himself after dowsing the two lit candles in the room. 

“Rest well, Marra. Don’t worry about the party. You’re an alpha. You’ll do amazing… but if you need a shoulder to lean on, at any time, and Taru is not available, I’ll be ready and waiting. Whenever, wherever… forever.”  

Marquise heard most of what he had said, but he ended up falling asleep before Vrasje had finished speaking. He’d gotten the idea, though. The guy would be available if he needed him at the party. He didn’t think that he would, but the gesture was still appreciated.

Chapter 18

So warm…

Marquise gave a quiet groan as he stretched out his stiff arms and legs, then yawned wide enough for his fangs to extend, then retract again as the action finished. He knew that he had a party to attend soon, but he didn’t want to get up. It was nice and toasty beneath the thin blanket he’d been gi—an abrupt chill ran down his spine as he gave a little shiver. 

Huh? 

His body was cooling off
very
 quickly, making him panic and push himself up in confusion. His heart was also struggling in his chest, skipping beats, then beating extra fast to try and make up for the loss. 

What is going on?!

He was just about to shake Vrasje awake when he noticed something and looked down. 

His hand? 

He followed that hand up to its arm, then to its owner. Vrasje wasn’t lying close to him, but his long arm had reached over and his hand was lying palm-up right next to where he’d been curled up sleeping. 

His eyes narrowed on that hand, a bit miffed that the vampire had likely been touching some part of him while he’d slept, but then his attention was ripped away as another chill swept through his system, making him wince as a tiny whine left his lips and he reached up to grab at his chest. 

I… I can’t breathe!

A blurry shadow appeared as he was glaring down at the blankets, forcing himself to breathe even though it didn’t feel like it was working. He had no time to worry about whatever was causing that shadow. He was just trying to keep himself from passing out!

“It’s going to—” 

Huh? 

His hearing was going in and out as a loud ringing took over the majority of sound he could process. There was one thing he was able to focus on, though. 

Warm…

Marquise immediately tried to get closer to that warmth, and his struggles evidently earned him a reward as a flare of heat suffused through his aching, shivering muscles. 

He could also feel a firm hand gently press against his back and begin to rub, but because that hand was also generating heat, he paid it no mind. It was more than welcome to be there. 

“I think it’s beginning to—.”

Who…?

Marquise felt something gently tap against his lips, then retreat, making him instinctively lick them.  

Blood? Am I bleeding? 

“Master, are you okay to feed him more?” 

Taru? 

His mind was beginning to clear, but he still couldn’t find the strength to open his eyes back up yet. 

“It’s okay, Marra. Just relax and drink,” Vrasje said, making Marquise realize that it hadn’t been his blood that he’d been licking. 

He didn’t really want to, but since Taru wanted him to drink, and Vrasje was evidently already feeding him, he just shoved his minimal pride aside and leaned forward. 

Ah.

He really had been drinking from him. His lips came into contact with warm blood almost immediately, making his fangs itch to bite. 

“Do you know what’s wrong, Taru?” Vrasje asked as Marquise hungrily bit down, then began to drink again. 

“I think it’s just his two systems conflicting with each other. He’s not really a vampire, but he’s definitely not just a werewolf anymore, either. It also doesn’t help that his body has been trying to repair so much rot, which doesn’t allow for proper blood circulation within the severely damaged areas,” Taru said. 

“You know how vampires usually dissolve most of their internal organs once they change? Well, his body might be trying to do that, but his werewolf half is still in need of those things, so it’s trying to preserve them. That could be causing strain on his heart and his temperature to drop.” 

Silence took over as Vrasje considered his words, giving Marquise a chance to drink more and calm himself down without having to try and focus on anything else. His breathing was becoming steady again and his body was now warm. It was a huge relief. 

He finally retracted his fangs once he was comfortable, then leaned back a little so that he could look up at Vrasje, then over to Taru, who was kneeling on the bed beside them. 

“Hey sweetheart, how do you feel?” he asked as he reached over to press a cloth to either side of his mouth, then chin, removing the bit of mess he’d made from his meal. 

Marquise waited until he was done tending to him before he licked his lips and replied in a rasp. 

“Better. Sorry to have worried you.” 

Taru gave him a relieved smile and reached over with his free hand to pat his messy hair. 

“Are you still up to coming downstairs for the event? We can postpone it if not,” he said, making Marquise frown. 

He didn’t like events in general, but it was obvious that Taru had been looking forward to showing off his new heir. 

“I think I’ll be okay. You guys will be there, so if I need any help, I can just come to one of you.” 

Taru’s smile widened a little and he nodded. 

“Absolutely, we will both be available the entire time if you need anything at all. I’m going to head back down now to help Kova and master’s servants finish setting everything up. Stay with Vrasje and warm up a little more, then come down when you’re ready, okay?” Taru said as he pressed a hand to Marquise’s cheek, then leaned away and slid off the bed. 

The moment he was gone Marquise wished that he would come back. He was still a little shell-shocked from what had just happened, but he knew that he shouldn’t bother his master more than necessary when he was clearly busy. 

Turning his attention slowly back to Vrasje, Marquise met the elder vampire’s eyes. 

Ah, they’re glowing? 

Looking down for a moment, Marquise suddenly realized two things. One, he was a terribly messy eater. And two, Vrasje had just helped him by warming up his body… and not
just
 his body, but he’d also warmed his own blood and fed it to him to help him recover from whatever had just happened. 

“Um…” 

Marquise realized that he was fiddling with the fabric of the man’s shirt and quickly moved his hands to press against his chest, instead. Then he felt his face heat as he moved his hands upward to his shoulders, because that was a safer location. Err, was it really, though? 

He was just about to try and wiggle his way out of Vrasje’slap, and arms, when he felt Garlic stirring within his mind. 

Oh no… please behave!

Marquise quickly hunched down and pressed his forehead to Vrasje’s chest, trying to focus on keeping his little wolf from taking control again. 

“Garlic, love? Please be good for right now,” Vrasje said as Marquise felt the man place his hand gently atop his messy hair. 

“Marquise has something very important to do tonight. If you behave, I’m sure he’ll let you out once things have finished up later, right Marra?” 

This pup is exhausting…

“Yes, I’ll let you out later. We have something very important to do soon, though, so please don’t come out yet,” he said, pleading with the overly excited brat. 

“I slept with him for you, see? We’re still here,” he said as he moved a little in Vrasje’s lap, trying to get a little more comfortable. 

Why did he suddenly tighten his arms? Aren’t we getting up in a minute? 

Now leaning against him with his left side, Marquise looked up at the elder vampire in confusion. 

U-um…

Evidently, Vrasje had already been looking at him, and his eyes had darkened considerably. 

“Vrasje?” he questioned as he felt Garlic watching the man through his eyes. 

The vampire seemed unfocused, and when he didn’t respond, Marquise lifted up a hand to gently tap two fingers against his jaw. 

“Vrasje? Are you okay? Do I need to start making terrible nicknames for you, too?” 

Carefully, Marquise twisted his body until he was able to face the man again, then got up on his knees and grabbed either side of his face. 

“Okay, you asked for it. Your nickname is now Jey. And don’t think I won’t use it in front of all those snobby vampire friends you probably h—”

Why… are you smiling all of a sudden? 

“Why do you think I’m smiling?” Vrsaje said, finally seeming to have returned to his senses. 

Marquise narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips as he tried to figure out the answer, but before he could come up with something he wanted to say, Vrasje began to chuckle. 

“Why are you laughing? What’s so funny? Why are you being so weird?” Marquise questioned, making Vrasje only laugh harder. 

This guy has gone insane. Certifiably insane. 

When Vrasje continued to laugh for nearly two full minutes Marquise was finally at the end of his rope of patience. Instead of yelling, however, he decided to let his frustration out physically and simply shoved the man down onto his pillows with a warning growl. 

“Why. Are. You. Laughing?!” 

His snarl thankfully,
finally
, did the trick and Vrasje slowly calmed himself down enough to open his watery eyes. When those eyes met his, Marquise felt his heart twitch in his chest. 

“What?” he asked after several moments of tense silence. 

Vrasje turned his head away, but Marquise reached up and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at him again. 

“What is going on, Vrasje?” 

He didn’t want to play this game anymore. Garlic was already pacing in his mind and he was beginning to get a headache from the little brat’s whining. 

“He’s not a brat, you are,” Vrasje said, surprising Marquise enough for him to release the man’s jaw. 

Me?! What did I do?

“Marquise, why do you think Garlic is so attached to me?” Vrasje asked abruptly. 

Um…

Marquise slowly leaned back until he was settled on the man’s lower torso, which unintentionally allowed Vrasje to push himself up onto his arms. 

“He just likes you,” he eventually said, making Vrasje tilt his head just enough to make his hair slip in front of his left eye. 

“Mm, he definitely does seem to
like
 me. Let’s try a different question. Why do you think I let you live? And I’ll give you a hint. Taru is not the answer,” Vrasje said, making Marquise’s body tense up. 

 That question had honestly been on his mind ever since he’d begun to recover. Why
had
 he let him stay at his home and recover? Why was he taking such good care of him, when he was normally what the guy hunted for a living? 

He thought about it, and thought about it,
and
 thought about it for several minutes before finally heaving a stressed sigh and looking back up into the vampire’s eyes. 

“I can’t think of anything that would make a wolf so addicted to another person besides the mate bond, but that’s so unbelievably rare and only happens between a wolf of lower rank and an alpha. And that alpha can’t even sense it, so most of the time the lower ranking wolf just has to deal with feeling like shit. I’ve only seen it a few times, and only one of the bonds actually ended up working out. The other lower ranking wolves ended up leaving the pack to get away from the situation.” 

“It rarely works? Why?” Vrasje asked. 

Marquise shrugged one shoulder as he began to absentmindedly fiddle with the man’s shirt again, finding a button to clasp and unclasp over and over. 

“The alphas can’t sense it, so what do you think they would think? That a little omega or beta was trying to get in good with the head of the pack. Even if the alpha was somewhat interested, the rest of the pack likely wouldn’t be on board.” 

The look on Vrasje’s face had fallen to one of nervous worry, making Marquise a tiny bit curious. He was just about to ask why the man was asking about such a thing, but then he remembered something that Taru had asked previously while Vrasje was sitting in the room before. 

Taru had been the one to ask… but then why is Vrasje the one who keeps bothering me? If Taru had formed a mate bond with me, then why is it that—

Marquise felt all of the blood begin to drain from his face as he stared down at the man he was sitting on. He couldn’t think of a single thing to say. All of the words in his head had just up and disappeared into nothing as he continued to stare.

“You’re… not my mate,” he eventually whispered, unable to raise his voice any higher. 

Vrasje slowly pushed himself up until Marquise was forced to slide backwards into his lap, then the man leaned forward just enough to nearly press their noses together. 

”
I am your mate, Marquise,” he whispered in return, though Marquise was already looking away, refusing to listen. 

Whether or not Vrasje had somehow formed a mate bond with him or not was obsolete. They were rarely ever reciprocated, and in all honesty, he knew that his chances of being accepted into society were pretty nil. 

“You’ll crush Taru’s heart if you leave,” Vrasje said, clearly reading his thoughts, even though he hadn’t intentionally projected them.  
 

Marquise clenched his jaw, refusing to return his attention to the other man. 

“Do you honestly think that this town will accept me in the end? Two people have already tried to kill me. I’m sure there will be plenty more.” 

Marquise carefully climbed off of Vrasje after he finished speaking, then sat down beside him, giving the man his back. 

“Besides, I know for a fact that you didn’t choose this. If you are affected by the mate bond somehow, then me leaving will give you back your normal life. I’ll go back to wandering once I’m decently healed up and my body has decided what it wants to be, and you’ll go back to being a werewolf hunter. It’s simple and easy.”

Vrasje slowly moved behind him until he was sitting near his back left side. 

“You’re going to leave Taru? A vampire only gets one heir, and you have already been registered as his.” 

That was a slightly sticky situation, but he’d thought about it already. 

“I’ll write to him, and maybe come visit every so often. Garlic seems pretty good at running away, so I think I’ll be fine going back to the woods. I’ve honestly been thinking about it quite a bit. I think it will work out well,” he said as he finally looked over his shoulder with a small smile. 

“I don’t.” 

A pair of cool lips froze his faltering smile in place as they pressed against his forehead the slightest amount, then disappeared less than a second later as Vrasje got out of bed and began doing… something. Marquise wasn’t sure what and couldn’t find it in himself to even bother looking. He was still frozen in place with his eyes as wide as saucers and his lips slightly parted from shock.

Chapter 19

(Don’t forget to read yesterday’s chapter first)

“Here.”

Marquise slowly shut his mouth, then turned his head and looked down at what had been set on the bed beside him.

Oh?

A little curious, he carefully scooted to the edge of the bed, then grabbed the top article of clothing beside him. Holding it up, he couldn’t help but be honest.

Absolutely gorgeous.

It wasn’t anything crazy, just a midnight blue shirt with a faint bit of black fur around the collar, but he
really
liked it. Deciding not to bother wasting time since Taru had already come up to check on them, Marquise set the shirt aside, then tugged his own over his head.

He soon replaced it with the dark blue shirt, then looked at the other items waiting for him. The gold watch slid onto his wrist and clasped easily enough, then he stood up and slid on the pair of black pants after removing his own. Thankfully, they weren’t really dress pants, but more leather with a few pockets and belts here and there. His old friend would have been proud to see such a thing on him.

Once his pants were bottomed correctly and the belts were fastened, he sat down and pulled on his boots, then grabbed the long coat he’d left on the nightstand and draped it over his shoulders.

“Hang on, I’ve got two more things,” Vrasje said, making Marquise finally turn around and acknowledge the man.

“Here,” Vrasje said as he reached over and slid an earring into Marquise’s left ear.

He was just about to turn and look in the large mirror the man had above his dressing table when Vrasje gently settled three fingers against his jaw.

“Wait a moment. Close your eye, please.”

Marquise immediately recoiled, but Vrasje just rolled his eyes.

“If I wanted to do something to you, I could have done it plenty of times already.”

He… wasn’t wrong.

Giving the man a scowl for his attitude, even though
he
was the one that clearly had one right then, Marquise closed his eye. It didn’t take long before he felt Vrasje patting a slightly cold substance here and there, making him confused and curious as to what he was doing.

“Alright, see? Didn’t take long at all,” Vrasje said as Marquise squinted his eye back open, then looked toward the mirror.

Wow…

He’d never been one to mess around with makeup before, but as he approached the mirror, Marquise couldn’t help but lift his hand up toward his now unblemished skin.

That hand was thankfully caught by Vrasje, who gave him a look when he glared at him in response.

“Don’t touch it or it will come off.”

Oh, right. That is how it works, isn’t it.

“Ready to go?”

Marquise turned around, then blinked, a bit surprised. He hadn’t noticed that Vrasje had already cleaned up the bit of blood he’d gotten on his neck, then changed clothes. He looked
really
good in his black suit and blood red shirt.

Those braids on his left side, too…

Quickly grabbing his cane that was leaning against the wall, Marquise licked his lips and nodded. When Vrasje reached out a hand toward him, Marquise bristled, but bit back the quiet growl he wanted to release. He had just taken a nap so he
was
feeling pretty good, but he knew that it wouldn’t take much to wear him out again. So, biting back his frustration, he allowed Vrasje to take his hand and lead him from the room.

“I’m just letting you do this because you helped me earlier,” he said after a few tense moments.

Instead of returning his attitude with his own, Vrasje simply lifted their joined hands a little, then squeezed gently.

“I accept your gratitude,” he said instead, adding a content smile to his words.

Marquise bit his tongue and yanked their joined hands back down… and just in time, too. His left leg dropped his weight abruptly, forcing him to grasp Vrasje’s hand tightly and use his assistance and his cane to keep from falling.

Embarrassed, Marquise cast aside his previous frustration and walked appropriately, not daring to let himself get distracted again. He could have caught himself easily enough, but he had been too annoyed with Vrasje to react quickly enough.

He could also tell that Vrasje wanted to say something, but the man thankfully held his tongue. By the time they got downstairs he was panting quietly but still reasonably steady on his feet. They could both hear the music faintly coming from down the right hall as they turned towards it. After a few moments they began walking forward, but with each step they took Marquise could feel his heart speeding up.

Soon there was no differentiating between the extravagant violin tune and the nervous thumps of his heart. He didn’t normally get stressed in front of a crowd, but for some reason he was feeling quite uneasy about walking out in front of a bunch of people right then. Especially since he’d be representing Taru at that moment.

When Vrasje stopped a good ways back from the open door in front of them, Marquise glanced at him.

“I need a minute,” the elder vampire said as he finally released his hand and walked over to one of the large open windows lining the long hall.

When the man didn’t say anything further and just continued to stare out the window, Marquise took a step closer.

“I’m a little stressed, but I’m fine. We should just go in and get it over with.”

When Vrasje didn’t respond, and instead leaned on his hands and lowered his head as a faint breath of wind blew in, Marquise frowned and walked a bit closer.

“You don’t have to pretend to be worried for me. I can handle this,” he said, trying to get Vrasje to see that it really wouldn’t be an issue.

Except, when the man turned around and sat up on the windowsill, watching him with red-rimmed eyes, he realized that he had misread the situation.

“You really are a bit of a brat,” Vrasje eventually said, making Marquise scowl and glare at the wall beside the vampire.

“Why do you look so stressed out? I’m the one who might get eaten alive tonight,” Marquise said, stealing another glance at the man before averting his gaze.

Shaking his head, Vrasje met his gaze with his own solemn one for a brief moment, then gave a painful smile.

“Marra, this is not only your introduction to society and your confirmation party as my sweet Taru’s heir. This is also a celebration of the young man I saved, then raised as my own for nearly a century.”

He… had a point.

Looking down, Marquise rubbed at the back of his neck.

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” he eventually said, apologizing for thinking that the situation was all about him.

Looking back up, he felt his heart fidget in his chest at the sad smile on Vrasje’s face. Garlic, especially, took note of the expression and gave a quiet whine in his mind.

It’s okay, little one. I’ll do my part.

He’d asked the pup to stay put for the time being, so he would take responsibility for the situation.

“It’s not your fault,” Vrasje eventually said.

Relaxing a little, Marquise walked the rest of the way over, then hopped up onto the windowsill to sit beside Vrasje. Their legs were nearly touching, but the vampire’s attention remained on his face. When Vrasje lifted a hand up and moved a length of hair away from Marquise’s eye, Marquise blinked several times, then looked out the window as he felt his face heat the slightest amount.

“He saved me because I looked like his brother, right?” he asked after a few moments of silence.

Vrasje turned to face forward, giving him some reprieve from his despondent gaze.

“Yes, he did. I was spiteful about it, at first. I had loved his brother, and seeing you, a rotten werewolf rolling around in the mud looking almost exactly like him… I wanted you to drown in that lake so much, but I couldn’t do it.”

Marquise pursed his lips as a cool breeze rustled his hair and the bit of fur around his neck.

“But I am here,” he said, earning a nod from the other man in his peripheral vision.

“You are.”

Marquise looked back at Vrasje as his heartbeat picked up again.

“Why is he not? Why is it Taru who is here, and not his brother?”

He knew that it was likely rude to ask, but he had been curious for a long while, and considering how special tonight seemed to be, he really wanted to know what had actually transpired to create their situation.

“It was terrible… but there was nothing any of us could have done. I was already a vampire at that point, but Taru and his brother were humans. During the middle of the semester several students at the university began to get sick with something. At first, it didn’t seem that bad. Just an elderly death here and there out of a hundred sick within the town. But then things began to change. Soon there were four dead, then eight. The university closed and the town fell under a strict quarantine, but it wasn’t enough. People don’t like being told what to do, and young ones? Especially not. Taru’s brother was the more mischievous of the two and snuck out several times to run around with friends.

I had kept in touch with the brothers out of concern, but by that time I was already rather smitten with True. Of course, I was worried about him running around during the quarantine period, but what could I do? I was just his professor. I had no right to chastise, especially since I was a vampire and did not have to adhere to restrictions, since the sickness could no affect the undead.”

Marquise swallowed down his growing anxiety. He had asked, and even though the answer was making him uncomfortable, he refused to tell him to stop.

“Things ended up as one would expect. True began to not feel well soon after returning from one of his raucous trips around town. He soon fell ill, and since the brother’s shared a room at their parent’s home, Taru also got sick rather quickly.”

Vrasje took in a deep, calming breath, then exhaled as he looked up at the ceiling.

“They would both soon be on their deathbed. True was worse, his skin terribly marred with pustules, but Taru was not far behind him in sickness. He just had less outward signs. Neither would survive, unless…”

Marquise looked back at him.

“Unless you changed one of them. Would you not have chosen True, though?” he asked quietly.

Vrasje gave a sad, quiet cough of laughter as he continued to stare at nothing.

“Yes, I chose him. I
wanted
to choose him. I was very fond of Taru, as well, but True had my heart in the palm of his hand. I wanted to use my ability to choose an heir and change True. I wanted to save his life the moment I received the letter about their declining health. Their parents begged me to change one of their sons, and it wasn’t just them who sent me letters, either. Every vampire in town that didn’t have a registered heir was hounded with mail every single day, but my heart never wavered. As soon as that letter came, I immediately went to their home.

The boys were in terrible condition, with Taru having taken a turn for the worst faster than True. It was hard to watch him suffer, but I had already set my mind to changing True. Not wanting to draw things out for fear that True might begin struggling worse, too, and not being able to survive the change, I walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge, then took his hand in mine. I was going to tell him what I was going to do at that moment, but he beat me to speaking.

His voice was frail and barely audible, but I heard him perfectly through his and his brother’s ragged breathing. He requested a favor. I thought for sure that it would be to save his life, so I agreed immediately to grant whatever he wished of me.”

He knew what he was going to say next, but he stayed quiet and let Vrasje finish speaking. He also reached over and gently settled a hand on the man’s arm, then squeezed softly.

“True requested that I save his brother. I wanted to argue, because to be honest, Taru’s chances of surviving the change in his state were close to five percent, if not closer to zero, while his brother’s chances might have been closer to fifteen, but when True just smiled and stared up at me with his exhausted, black-rimmed eyes and pox-mottled face, I couldn’t find any words to say.

I did as he requested… and Taru somehow survived the change. I had him registered as my heir the next day, and after making sure that he was beginning to recover at my home, I returned to True’s side. Minutes after I sat down on his bed and took his hand in mine, he passed away.”

Marquise had no words.

Even Garlic was silent and still.

So, when Vrasje didn’t say anything else, and didn’t move a muscle, they just seemed to silently decide to sit there for a little while and let the evening air drift around them. The party could wait as long as it had to.

Leaning to the side, Marquise settled his head on Vrasje’s shoulder, then closed his eye as he hugged his arm to his chest. He wanted to apologize again for thinking that tonight would only affect him, but he knew that words weren’t what were needed right then. So, he just sat there calmly, patiently, and silently.

Quite a length of time passed before Marquise felt a hand gently rustle his hair, drawing his eye open.

“It’s time to go, Marra. Our Taru is waiting,” Vrasje said as he slowly stood up, then turned and helped him down from the windowsill.

The man quickly helped him straighten his coat, then handed him his cane with a warm smile.

“Let’s go make your sweet master proud, hmm?”

Marquise met his smile with a smirk of his own.

“Let’s,” Marquise said with a determined nod as they both turned toward the open doorway before them, then started forward with their backs straight and their heads held high.

Chapter 20

The music stopped. 

Actually, not only had the music stopped, but the talking, dancing, and general revelry, had all fallen silent when he finally stepped into the massive ballroom. 

His heart was hammering hard against his ribs, but he refused to show his nerves as he kept his back straight and calmly walked forward with sure, even strides. His shoulder-length hair lifted gently on an invisible breeze and his cold green eye met the gaze of almost every single person staring at him. 

To his surprise, several of them even averted their eyes when they met his, showing clear signs of being uncomfortable. They were signs of submission, and they went straight to his head as an easy grin slid across his lips and he felt himself calm down a little. 

Of course, Garlic was a whole other story. The poor fella was just about to piss himself, and probably would have if he’d had control of a real body. 

Your vampire is right behind us. He won’t let anything happen to you, little one… and neither will I. 

Garlic gave a shrill whine and danced on his paws for several moments, making Marquise inwardly sigh before looking over his shoulder.

See? He’s right there. 

Garlic grunted a few times, then whined again before nudging himself forward until he could see through Marquise’s eyes. By that time Vrasje had caught up to them and now stood right at his side, looking slightly down at him with a calm yet-stern expression on his face. 

Are you being a good pup, Garlic? 

The little wolf immediately quieted its complaints and settled down, earning a
good boy
 from Vrasje and a slight grin from Marquise. 

You are a good boy. Just rest there and watch how your other half handles all these people. 

The first person who approached them was, of course, his adorably-handsome master. Taru was dressed to a T in a black tuxedo and light purple dress shirt. His hair was also styled a bit. Messy but cute. 

That smile, though, outshines all of his fancy clothing instantly. 

Marquise stood a little straighter and gave his best smile in return. 

“Welcome, sweetheart,” Taru said as he reached out and took Marquise’s free hand in both of his, then squeezed gently. 

“I’m so glad that you’re here. I’m so glad that I could bring you home.” 

Damn, his eye was getting a little watery…

“You did well, Taru. I wasn’t sure at first, but I am positive now. You couldn’t have picked a better heir to continue our line,” Vrasje said, his voice loud enough to easily carry across the still-quiet room. 

Those words seemed to be enough to thaw the ice that had previously held everyone silently in place. Soon, whispers started up around them, turning quickly into murmurs, then regular chatting. 

Everyone
 was talking about him now. Most of it had to do with Vrasje’s approval of a werewolf, while some of the other things he caught mentioned Taru no longer being available as a sire, worries about having a werewolf around in general, and, to his surprise, curiosity about when
he’d
 be willing to take an heir!

“I knew they would like you!” Taru said as the band finally started up again, drowning out a lot of the conversations as he was tugged down from the slightly raised area they’d walked in on and led over toward the dance floor. He was definitely
not
a dancer, and even if he wasn’t partially rotten, he had never been good at pretending to be a human in that aspect.

I’m not sure if like is the right word, but at least there haven’t been any openly hostile reactions. 

“Don’t worry, hun. We’ll just go slow and do a little bit. Just for face,” Taru said as Vrasje took his cane, then his master seamlessly guided him in a simple, yet surprisingly-fun waltz. They were the slowest ones there, by far, but Taru didn’t seem to mind, and to his surprise, no one else bothered or bumped into them, either. 

By the time they stepped off the dance floor, Marquise was quite a bit winded. 

“You did very well,” Taru said before giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. 

He’d noticed the guy reaching toward his head, but he’d redirected quickly since they were in quite a big crowd with more than enough eyes on them to make any kind of attention awkward. 

“Here,” Vrasje said as he stepped back up to his side and handed him his cane. 

Marquise immediately thanked him, grateful that he had something to lean on again. He was a bit startled when he felt the man’s arm wrap around his own free one, then begin leading him forward, though. 

At least Taru is walking with us. 

“Lord Vrasje?” 

Marquise quickly turned his attention back to facing forward and was a bit surprised to see an older gentleman waiting a few steps ahead of them. 

“Good evening, lord Vrasje and greetings, master Taru. I give you my congratulations. You have chosen a fine heir for yourself.”

Marquise felt a little strange hearing such a compliment, but he bowed his head respectfully nonetheless, then blinked in shock as he noticed a long line of people forming behind the man before them. 

Do I… have to greet them all? 

Vrasje grinned at his side and began leading him forward. 

We will walk along the line instead of waiting for everyone to come to us. It will get the greetings over quicker. 

That sounded reasonable. 

So, they spent the next half hour doing introductions, then one more quick dance, this time with Vrasje, before he was finally able to sit down at one of the long dinner tables set up around the edges of the room. 

“Here, Marra,” Vrasje said, drawing his attention up to him as he handed over a flute of spiked blood. 

He also held a normal glass, in case he didn’t want to drink alcohol. Normally, the regular one would be his choice, but tonight was a special occasion and he’d already interacted with more than enough people to last him till the end the year, so a little liquid courage was honestly appreciated.  

Marquise actually downed three flutes before Taru brought him over something to eat. Already being drunk by then made the night a
lot
more fun. Time flew by faster and faster as he nibbled at this and that, and drank a bit more. Everyone wanted to talk to him and everything they said just seemed so much funnier than it should have. 

Even Vrasje, who had taken a seat beside him, was somehow making him laugh without saying anything intentionally funny. 

“I think it’s about time to wrap things up. At least for our heir,” Vrasje said, making Marquise groggily look over at him with a blank pout. 

“That stare is definitely telling me that it’s time for you to go get some rest,” Vrsaje said as he turned his attention toward the still-full table of guests watching them. 

“If you’ll excuse us. He’s still recovering from some injuries and I believe I might have allowed too much alcohol this evening. Please, stay and enjoy yourselves,” he said before helping Marquise to his unsteady feet. 

He nearly fell as the man wrapped one arm around his waist and held his other hand, trying to keep him close, but all Marquise could do in response to nearly face-planting was let out a few quiet giggles. 

“Alright, this clearly isn’t going to work,” Vrasje said as he handed Marquise’s cane to Taru, who had hurried over with Kova right behind him. 

He then carefully but quickly lifted Marquise up into his arms and carried him toward one of the back doors. 

“Mmm, pumbal ah wadging,” Marquise mumbled as he wrapped his arms around Vrasje’s neck and settled his chin upon the man’s shoulder. 

He felt Vrasje’s arms tighten around him as they finally ducked through a door, leaving the numerous gazes of curious onlookers behind them. 

“Jeya, emeon as wadging. Soonun ah pigd me ub,” Marquise said, making Vrasje finally respond with a hum of agreement. 

“You drank a bit too much, love. You weren’t able to walk. I had to pick you up.” 

Marquise heaved a loud sigh that ended in a drunken groan, earning a quiet chuckle from the man carrying him. 

“You going to be okay, love? Do you need me to stop?” Vrasje asked as he gently but firmly rubbed Marquise’s back in a soothing circular motion. 

Another quiet groan was Marquise’s first response, which was soon followed by a mumbled, “please.” 

They stopped in the next washroom they came across, and after relieving himself of what felt like a river, Vrasje helped Marquise wash up, clean off the makeup, then clean his teeth. 

By the time he was back in the man’s arms, he was already half asleep. 

“You can rest, hun. I’ll bring you to your room,” Vrasje said as they finally headed up the stairs. 

Marquise snuggled in, his eye already closed as the rhythmic pace of Vrasje’s footsteps relaxed him further. At some point they got to his room, but he was honestly a bit warm, and Vrasje was currently running pretty cold, so even mostly asleep, he refused to release the other man. 

He heard him say something about this or that a few times, and also felt a few tugs on his arms, but alas, he was going nowhere without a lot more force. 

“You’re a strong brat when you want to be,” Vrasje said, his words finally managing to get through Marquise’s fuzzy mind. 

Except, when he finally turned his head to rest on its side so that he could look at the man partially glaring at him, having evidently lied down with him situated partially atop his chest, Marquise didn’t really seem to care. In fact, he reached up with one hand and pressed a finger right to Vrasje’s pursed lips. 

“Shh.” 

Vrasje scowled at him, then replied into his mind. 

You need to let go so that you can go to sleep. This is your bed. 

Marquise let his fingers curl and slide down along Vrasje’s jaw until his hand thumped lightly against his chest as he contemplated those words, trying to piece together their meaning through the haze of alcohol clouding his mind. 

When he finally seemed to understand what he said, the only response he got was an “ah,” before Marquise settled down again and nuzzled his cheek against the man’s shoulder. 

“Marquise?” 

Silence. 

“Marquise, I’m going to lift you up, okay?” Vrasje said as he reached down and gently grasped his waist. 

He seemed to be about to do what he said he would, but then the pressure that was being applied above his hips faded away slowly. 

“You need to tell me to leave, love.” 

Marquise gave a quiet groan and licked his lips, but didn’t bother opening his eye. 

“Garlic wus good… behabe.” 

He could sense Vrasje’s frustration in his mind, but after a few minutes of stewing, the man gave out a long, audible sigh before his body shifted quite a bit beneath him, then settled. 

“I suppose he does deserve a reward. He behaved better than you did,” Vrasje said, earning a near-mute “mn,” from Marquise. 

“Tch.” 

Marquise felt one of the man’s hands drift up along his coat until it settled against his upper back and began to rub, while the other stayed at his waist and gripped it firmly but gently. 

“Fine, I’ll stay here tonight, but this is Garlic’s reward for behaving, not yours. He better be what I wake up to,” he said with a huff, making Marquise giggle the tiniest bit more before he finally began to drift off. 

Vrasje said a few more things during the next couple minutes, but he didn’t really hear anything besides murmurs and mumbles. The last thing he remembered feeling, however, was a faint brush of fingers as they moved his bangs out of the way, then a barely-there press of something against his forehead.

Chapter 21

Marquise yawned and stretched his arms out as far as they would go, taking great pleasure as several muscles popped in his back as they were pulled taut. Giving out a content hum, he allowed his body to relax again after a few moments, then licked his lips a couple times before finally opening his eye. 

Huh? 

He wasn’t surprised to see Vrasje still snuggled up with him, but he
was
 surprised to see that his fancy clothing from the previous evening seemed to have been shredded. 

Garlic? 

The pup didn’t respond, making him even more confused as he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position to get a better view of the damage. 

“I woke up when I felt something cutting into my skin, but you were still somehow fast asleep when I checked on you,” Vrasje said, making Marquise jump slightly as he whipped his head up to look at the vampire. 

Said vampire was actually pushing himself up to sit beside him, but instead of giving him a head pat or something similar as a
good morning
, he reached over and tugged on Marquise’s shirt. 

The movement drew his attention, making him look down until he saw what the man was trying to show him. 

My shirt is torn…

Not just his shirt, but his pants were also split!

Marquise quickly turned to face away and tug his coat around himself, glad that he’d at least fallen asleep fully clothed and his undergarments hadn’t been shredded. 

“Could it have been Garlic?” he questioned, even though he didn’t think that the pup was capable of the specific kind of damage. 

The claw marks on Vrasje’s chest were also much too large for Garlic to have done. 

“My baby? He would never do such a thing to me, even by mistake,” Vrasje said, making Marquise send him a narrowed glare. 

Your baby, huh? 

“Yes, my baby. In fact, I want some love,” Vrasje said before reaching forward and gently settling a hand against Marquise’s cheek, making his eye widen in surprise. 

“You were well behaved yesterday, little one. Come on out so that I can give you some attention,” he said sweetly, making Marquise’s eye twitch. 

When Garlic
still
 didn’t respond, Marquise brushed off the man’s hand with his own. 

“He’s still asleep. Besides, shouldn’t you be worried about what happened to us instead of trying to play with my wolf?” Marquise asked as he tugged his coat tighter around himself. 

Vrasje just smiled in response before reaching over and wrapping his arms around Marquise’s middle, then tugging him all the way backwards until he was settled in his lap!

“What the hell has gotten into you, you stubborn vampire?!” Marquise growled.

The other man
still
 didn’t seem to heed his words as he reached up with one hand while leaving the other firmly wrapped around his waist. When his cold fingers grasped his jaw and turned his head a little more toward him, Marquise gave him one hell of a glare!

Vrasje ignored the clear warning and tilted his head as if he saw something worth being curious about. 

Still confused, and now a tiny bit nervous, Marquise looked to either side, then back to Vrasje. 

“Lord Vrasje?”

The man’s thumb gently brushed just beneath his eye, and for a split second, he thought he might do something else, but then his hands suddenly moved up to his messy hair and mussed it up so much worse than it already was!

“Hey!” he grumbled as his confusion dissipated and he swatted at the man’s annoying hands!

His own hands began to move surprisingly fast, pushing away Vrasje’s each time they started to try a new route towards his hair. 

“Not bad, brat, but you have quite a lot of work to do before you can catch up to me in skill,” Vrasje said, taunting him with a smirk that Marquise wanted to wipe off his face so badly!

Sensing that Garlic was still likely asleep, Marquise focused on his vampiric side for the first time. His speed increased considerably, somehow allowing him to meet most of Vrasje’s attempts with a block of his own!

He seemed to have surprised the man, too, because he even got in a few of his own actions, which happened to be yanking on the man’s long hair. 

They sparred like little kids for who knows how long before Marquise finally managed to catch him by surprise one last time and pin him down after winding his hands through his long hair on either side, then shoving him down and using his weight to hold him against the bed as he straddled his chest. 

He was panting heavily as he held the man’s hair tightly while also leaning on his shoulders with either hand, but he soon realized something…

You’re not even panting. Hell, you’re not even breathing at all!

 He should have known better than to think that he could wear out a vampire, much less an elder!

“It’s okay, love. I had fun,” Vrasje said as he tilted his head slightly against his pillow. 

That’s… my pillow. 

Marquise mumbled several inaudible curses before releasing the man’s silk-like hair and moving off of him and off of the bed entirely. 

He quickly got busy picking out clothing to go out in, drawing the man’s attention enough to evidently make him sit back up. 

“Where are you planning on going?” he asked, then added. “You need a bath. You haven’t had one in a bit.” 

Marquise stared down at the clothing in his arms. He knew that he probably needed to bathe, but he was technically a werewolf… it wasn’t as important to him as it would be to a human. He was also technically part zombie, even if that might be a made up race. He
really
 doubted they’d care about cleanliness. 

Before he could put forth his findings and decline, Vrasje was at his side and gently grabbing his left arm. 

“Come on, you. A little water and soap won’t hurt.”  

Marquise was about to argue that he could absolutely slip on the water, and thus, get hurt, when Vrasje looked over his shoulder at him as he tugged him along, raising an eyebrow as if to say
go ahead and say it, I dare you. 

Marquise kept his mouth shut. 

It’s just a bath. I’ll just clean up real quick, then go out. 

He expected them to simply walk out of the room and find a bathing area like the one at Taru’s home, but to his surprise, instead of tugging him toward the door, he redirected them and walked over to the room that joined his and Vrasje’s. 

“Where are we going?” he asked once they stepped inside, then headed straight for the opposite door. 

“I have a bathing room within my own. You may use it,” he said, making Marquise immediately put on the brakes right as they crossed the threshold to the other man’s room. 

“W-wait! Isn’t there a big bathing area like at Taru’s somewhere downstairs? I can just wash up there,” Marquise said quickly, trying to pull his arm out of Vrasje’s now vise-like grip. 

The vampire turned toward him after a moment, an unreadable expression on his face. 

“I don’t want you bathing down there. That bath is open to the entire household,” he said sternly, making Marquise frown and furrow his brows. 

“What does that matter? I’m part of the household right now so it should be fine to use it, shouldn’t it?” he asked, not quite understanding what the man was trying to say. 

He asked him to stay with him, even said that he was his
mate
, and now he’s not allowed to use the household bath?

Weird vampire. 

“Fine, just let me go do it. I’m guessing you already had someone bring up water?” he asked as he walked across the man’s large room and through a door at the far side. 

As he’d expected, the bathing tub was hot and ready, and surprisingly-large. 

Who needs a tub this big? 

“Alright, ready?” Vrsaje said, making Marquise look over his shoulder just in time to watch the man tug his tattered shirt up and over his head. 

Hang the hell on!

Vrasje let his ruined shirt drop from his fingers before looking back up at him. 

“What? I need to clean off, too, and there’s plenty of room.” 

This guy…

Marquise was just about to tell him to get his cocky ass out of the bathing room and wait his own damn turn when he suddenly shrunk several feet and gained about thirty pounds of fur. 

You little…

“My handsome Garlic love!” Vrasje said as he immediately walked over and scooped up the wiggling terror. 

You’ve been out cold forever and now you suddenly want to take over without even asking?! 

Garlic completely ignored him, of course, because what was more important than him? Vrasje, obviously.

Pretty soon, they were both settled in the tub with Garlic snuggling in Vrasje’s arms and, of course, Vrasje doting on his pathetically-obsessed other half. 

He was just about to slip to the back of his mind so that he didn’t have to watch, when he suddenly felt himself being shoved back into his normal body!

Wh-what are you doing?! 

Garlic gave a nervous grunt and wandered off into the back of his mind, leaving him completely naked in Vrasje’s arms. Against Vrasje’s
very
 naked body. 

Before he could manage to say
anything
, Vrasje was gently setting him aside. 

“Let’s wash up now that I’ve had my Garlic love,” he said before scooting away a little bit to grab some soap. 

Marquise watched him for several moments, but when the man simply began washing his long hair, he realized that he actually
did
 intend to let him be. 

Since he was being left alone, Marquise got busy taking care of his own body, and finished in record time. His hair wasn’t long and his body wasn’t really dirty, so it took almost no effort at all to scrub himself from head to toe. 

He realized once he was done that Vrasje was still working on his long, dark hair, and raised an eyebrow. 

It’s all tangled…

“I regret nothing,” Vrsaje said, making Marquise tilt his head in confusion until his face began to tint pink. 

From us wrestling earlier…

Sighing, Marquise scooted a bit closer to Vrasje’s back, then gently tugged the long length of hair he was working on back over his shoulder. 

“Just let me do it. You’re taking forever,” he mumbled as he grabbed some of the detangling soap and got to work. 

And work it
was
. He wasn’t sure how they had managed to tangle the man’s hair so unimaginably badly, but they’d somehow done it!

“We need to be careful not to get carried away annoying each other again,” he said absentmindedly as he continued to work. 

“But I liked it,” Vrasje said after a few moments of silence, making Marquise’s fingers still in his hair. 

He’d had a feeling that the man wouldn’t mind the attention from before, but he still wasn’t sure how he felt about their situation yet. So, he simply gave Vrasje’s hair a good tug, earning a quiet growl in response, before getting back to work. 

He actually didn’t mind the monotonous task, and even as the thankfully-soapy water grew cold, he continued right up until he could run his fingers cleanly through the man’s hair without a single snag. 

“There we go. Finally got it all done,” he said as he ran his fingers through it a few more times, just because he could. 

“Hey Marra?” 

Marquise quickly dropped his hands from Vrsaje’s hair. 

“Yeah?” 

“Did you feel anything strange earlier, right before we got distracted messing with each other?” Vrasje asked calmly. 

Marquise immediately tensed up, sending an obvious signal that he had, even though he hadn’t responded verbally yet. 

“You mentioned that you’d had another wolf before. Is it possible that it is still within you?” Vrasje asked before calmly turning to the side and standing up. 

He was clearly just going to get out of the tub, but for some reason Marquise couldn’t help but stare. 

“Marquise?” 

Blinking out of his daze, Marquise quickly spun around on his backside to face the opposite direction. 

The hell am I doing staring at him?! 

 “He’s still sealed within me, but I don’t know whether he’s alive or not. I did feel a familiar surge of rage earlier when you were messing with me, but it dissipated as fast as it had appeared, and I didn’t feel his presence like I do Garlic’s. Maybe it was just a ghost feeling? Like when someone looses a limb but they sometimes still feel that it’s there? Maybe I was just so used to him beneath my skin that I lost control a bit.” 

Vrasje was silent for a few moments as he contemplated his words and got dressed. Marquise chanced another look over his shoulder once it seemed like he’d be done, and was relieved to see that the man was now completely clothed, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and a dry towel draped over his shoulder to keep his still-damp hair from wetting his shirt. 

“I think he’s still there. You said before that you poisoned him with silver, and that’s where your current injuries came from?” he finally said as Marquise moved to the edge of the tub and climbed out. 

He intended to go grab his own towel that was hanging a few feet away, but Vrasje was already picking it up, having blurred to its location. Thankfully, he brought it over without comment, his mind still clearly focused on their conversation. 

He did stay close, however, in case he lost his footing with his bad leg, but thankfully it held up well enough for him to climb out on his own. 

“Yes, my injuries are from him. He was the one who was poisoned and during that situation, he took all of the rot upon himself. Once he was sealed, however, it began to affect me. It didn’t take long, either, before my body began to show severe rot. I was rolling in the mud the day you found me because I felt like I owed it to him. I wanted to give him a chance to be happy again, because I was the one who completely destroyed his life. I figured mine was also close to ending, so why not enjoy my last few moments?” 

Vrasje kept his attention on the far wall as he stood beside him, allowing Marquise to hold onto him when he dried himself off, then whenever he lost his balance a bit trying to put on his undergarments and pants. 

“Did he enjoy it? Did you sense him before I found you?” 

Marquise shook his head. 

“No. I didn’t sense him at all.” 

Straightening once his lower half was properly clothed, Marquise looked up at the same time Vrasje looked toward him. 

“I think your other half is still there. Maybe us helping heal you has helped him recover, too.” 

It was definitely a thought, but at the same time, it sent a cold shiver down Marquise’s spine as he reached for his shirt. 

“As happy as I would be to see him well, he’s not a wolf that you can trust around humans anymore. They tortured him… and I allowed it, but he won’t tolerate being near a human. He will kill them without hesitation,” Marquise said, his heart hurting at the thought of his big wolf still alive being alive in this world. 

He’d forced it to stay inside for most of its life, and the rare times that he’d allowed it out, it got poisoned and burned until its flesh rotted away. 

“I deserve what I got… and more,” Marquise whispered, then looked up. 

“But if he still
is
 somehow alive within me, he can never come out again. I’ll be more careful and pay attention what I’m feeling, especially if I get unreasonably upset. If he is somehow able to escape from the seal my old friend had put on him, I’ll consider waring a silver collar to keep him inside.” 

Vrsaje had been staring at him the entire time he’d been speaking without much of a reaction, so he expected that he would agree to his idea, but to his surprise, the man immediately frowned and gave his head a slight shake. 

“I disagree. There will be no silver collars, and there will be no forcing him to stay inside if he wishes to come out.” 

What…? 

“Did… did you not hear what I just said? He’s extremely aggressive towards humans! Whatever positive view I’ve somehow managed to etch out in this town toward werewolves already is going to disintegrate if he gets out for even five minutes!” 

 Vrasje reached up to likely pat his damp hair, but Marquise quickly swatted his hand away with a frustrated growl. 

“You’re not listening! My other wolf is no joke! He can even take on vampires easily!” 

Instead of looking nervous, like he
should
 have, Vrasje simply shrugged one shoulder and took the shirt from Marquise’s hands, then lifted it up and over his head. 

“I don’t care who he can
take on
, if he’s part of you, then he’s also my baby and I’ll take care of him,” Vrasje said as he tugged Marquise’s shirt down a little more so that it settled correctly over his upper body. 

Marquise brushed his hands away before they could withdraw, then began stalking toward the door to leave. 

Of course, he heard Vrasje calmly walking behind him, making himself known even though he could easily move silently. 

“Where are you planning to go today?” Vrasje eventually asked once they had walked all the way back to Marquise’s room, then stepped out that bedroom door into the hallway once he’d pulled on his boots and grabbed his cane, and money pouch. 

Figuring that he wouldn’t get rid of the man until he answered, Marquise grumbled a response. 

“Out to get Garlic some things to chew on and play with.” 

Vrasje immediately sped up as he tied his hair up into a messy bun, making Marquise’s eye twitch as he watched. 

I just spent so long untangling that…

Resigned, he faced forward again and started down the stairs. He actually didn’t heart Vrasje following, and once he got to the bottom of the steps, he looked up. 

He left? 

He hadn’t expected him to, but he was definitely glad that he h—and he was back. 

“Why are you holding such a large money purse?” he asked as he turned back around and headed for the front door. 

Vrasje fastened the purse to his waist, then proceeded to match Marquise’s slow but steady pace once they got outside. 

“To spoil my baby, of course.”

Why had I even asked? 

“Because you were curious and you wanted me to use a little bit of this money to spoil you, too. Don’t worry, I think a nice hearty lunch sounds great before we go shopping, since it’s already close to eleven?”  

He… couldn’t argue. 

“Lunch it is! What color did you say your bigger wolf is?” 

I don’t think I have ever mentioned his color? 

Marquise raised an eyebrow but answered cautiously. 

“He’s black. Completely black.” 

Vrasje nodded, his grin widening. 

“Then after lunch we’re going shopping for my adorable Garlic and Pepper!” Vrasje sang happily as he nonchalantly slid his hand into Marquise’s free one and continued walking, swinging their arms gently back and forth. 

Huh?

“You… you named my giant, bloodthirsty, alpha wolf Pepper?!”

Chapter 22

Marquise hadn’t expected Vrasje to spend so much, but the man had evidently not been joking about spoiling his little wolf! Lunch was already quite expensive since he’d ordered a lot of dishes for them to share, but then they began wandering through the bustling market… 

Through greetings and questions from the locals, now that most knew who, and more-importantly,
what
 he was, Marquise was dragged from this booth to that booth, group to group, then into stores and down street after street. 

It didn’t take long for him to become tired, but he refused to allow the other man to pick him up. 

“Do you think he’d like this?” Vrasje said as he held up the biggest bone Marquise had ever seen. 

This guy…

Lifting up one of the two bags he was already carrying, Marquise raised an eyebrow. 

“Are these not enough chew bones and toys? He’s not
that
 big.” 

Vrasje gave him a look that quickly had him closing his mouth. Evidently his baby deserved more than eighty dollars worth of bones and toys. 

Marquise remained silent until the man had paid for the giant bone… as well as a few other things. Vrasje then joined him by the door and, after taking his two bags, moved all of the bags he was carrying to his right hand, then took Marquise’s free hand. 

How can he carry that much? That has to be at least twenty or thirty pounds altogether. 

“Not a problem! I can carry much more than this if you need a lift,” Vrasje said nonchalantly as they continued on their way. 

He knew that he wasn’t going to request to be carried, though, so he didn’t bother him much about it anymore, thankfully. He just shrugged off the joke. 

“Hey, how about we look in here?” 

Marquise turned his head as they slowed to a stop in front of a little candy shop. 

“I don’t like sweet things. Did you want something from there?” Marquise asked right before he was tugged inside anyways. 

“Let me show you something. You might like it,” Vrasje said as he set their bags down near the side of the counter, then led him to the back of the small shop and opened one of the containers lining the wall. 

Once he’d taken an item out, he turned and, after Marquise lifted a hand up, set a tiny little piece of hard candy in his palm. 

Hmm? 

“Give it a try. If you don’t like it I’ll take it. There’s a couple things in here I think you might actually like,” Vrasje said, making Marquise shrug one shoulder and lift the little candy to his mouth. 

Err…

It wasn’t super sweet, but he soon found himself taking it out of his mouth anyways. He wasn’t a fan of grapes. 

Vrasje hummed in thought as he took it from him and popped it into his own mouth. 

“Let’s try something else,” he said as he walked a few more steps, then opened another container with his clean hand. 

He then handed over a small piece of soft candy. 

Figuring that he might as well just keep trying things until the man was satisfied, Marquise lifted the item up to his mouth and took a small bite. 

It was a little better, but still not something he’d eat intentionally. 

“Not a fan of that one either, huh?” Vrasje asked as Marquise quickly took the opportunity to hand it back to the man… who promptly popped it into his own mouth again. 

They repeated that process three more times before he lifted a piece of yellow hard candy up to his lips. 

Oh? 

Vrasje seemed to be waiting for him to hand it back, but when he didn’t, he grinned and reached up to grab a small pouch hanging near the containers. He then scooped a good amount of the little round candies into it before tugging the string closed. 

“We’ve got our winner,” he said as he held up the little bag. 

He couldn’t argue. The candy tasted almost exactly like a sour lemon with just a hint of sweetness every once in a while. It was pretty yummy. 

He took the proffered bag, then watched as Vrasje filled himself one with some sort of chewy candy, then they both headed over to the register. Vrasje paid for everything, of course, but also took care of the items they had tried, too. He even gave a decent tip, though it clearly wasn’t necessary. 

By the time they finally stepped out of the shop clouds had drifted in from the nearby sea, creating quite a nasty looking sky. 

“Looks like it’s time to head back, love,” Vrasje said as they finally began heading toward his home. 

Unfortunately, the clouds were much quicker than they were, and pretty soon thunder was beginning to rumble through the sky, quickly clearing the marketplace as people hurried to pack up before the rain began. 

Marquise had to focus on his breathing as they got towards the end of the market. He almost didn’t notice when Vrasje came to a stop beneath a small overhang. 

“Let’s wait here for a few minutes, love,” he said, drawing Marquise’s attention just in time for him to step beneath the small shelter. The sky opened up not a moment later, drenching the surrounding area and anyone who hadn’t managed to get to shelter in time. 

He felt Garlic begin to run around his mind as thunder boomed louder and louder and lightning struck just a short distance away behind some buildings. 

It will be alright, little one. We’re safe here. 

“Storms come and go quite quickly here during the summer months with the sea being so close,” Vrasje said as he gently set down their bags, then lowered himself to the ground before leaning against the building behind them. 

It was currently closed, so they couldn’t take shelter inside, but the overhang was decent enough if you were positioned just right. 

Unfortunately, there was only one spot that didn’t get too wet, and that was right where Vrasje was sitting. 

“You can shift to Garlic if you’d like, but you really need to get away from the rain,” Vrasje said as he looked up at him with a calm smile. 

If he weren’t so tired he might have argued, but there was no way he was going to be able to stay upright much longer, so, without a single word, Marquise walked over and after leaning his cane against the wall, settled right down into Vrasje’s lap with a content sigh. 

Soon his head was pressed against the man’s shoulder, his forehead tucked comfortably against his cool neck. He wasn’t sure what happened next, because his consciousness slipped away rather quickly as the patter of rain drowned out every other sound. 

“It’s a good thing everyone else has already gone inside.” 

Vrajse gently pet the massive wolf curled up against him, being careful to avoid the faintly glowing seal upon its fuzzy forehead. 

You look adorable in Marquise’s clothing, though you’re already tearing them apart because you’re such a big boy. 

Holding the giant pup against him with his free arm, Vrasje licked his lips, contemplating his options. The rain was beginning to drift off to the east, but that was only a tiny part of his current problem. 

He wanted to free the wolf from its seal immediately, but he knew that such a thing wasn’t plausible. If anything, he needed to get home first. There he could set up a barrier so that the beast wouldn’t have the opportunity to hurt anyone before they got properly acquainted. 

“Ah.” 

The carriage he had requested telepathically was finally pulling up to the overhang. 

Thankfully, the large wolf didn’t weigh a whole lot. It was still partially translucent, so he didn’t doubt that it was still a partial projection. Rustling its fur one last time, Vrasje nodded to his valet at the man hopped down from the covered carriage and hurried to retrieve their bags and Marquise’s cane. 

As the man worked, Vrasje carefully lifted the big pup is his arms and carried it to the carriage. It thankfully remained asleep during the brief walk through the rain, and as Vrasje settled within the carriage, he realized that the seal was more than just some basic spell. 

“You can’t feel the rain, either, can you?” he asked as he brushed some raindrops from its gorgeous pitch-black muzzle. 

Its breathing was still even as its massive chest expanded and contracted every few moments. 

“You can’t wake up even if you wanted to,” he said as he stroked one of the wolf’s soft ears. 

It didn’t stir at all. 

Vrasje relaxed on the floor of the carriage with the wolf in his arms until they arrived back at his home. His valet kept quite a distance from him as he got out of the carriage with his wolf, but he didn’t mind.

He dismissed the man to bring their things up to their rooms, and the servant was
more
 than happy to oblige!

“Don’t worry, they’ll fall in love with you just like I have once they get to know you,” he said with a grin… that quickly faltered. 

“They aren’t allowed to love you as much as I do, but you can get along with them. That’s all they’re going to get. Don’t go looking for belly rubs from someone else, alright?” 

After getting the wolf settled on Marquise’s bed, he was about to turn toward the bags his valet had just brought up when he decided to turn back around. 

“You don’t look too comfortable. Let’s fix that first,” he said as he added a pillow beneath the wolf’s head, then frowned when he noticed something. 

Reaching forward, he tugged on a translucent piece of fur and frowned. 

Blood? 

He nearly picked the pup up right then and there and carried it into his room for a bath and to check for injuries, but he held himself back at the last second. 

It makes sense that he has dried blood on him, especially if he wasn’t known for being the nicest wolf. 

Remembering something he’d noticed earlier, he sat down on the bed above the wolf’s head after quickly removing what remained of Marquise’s clothing. 

“Let me see that poor paw, my Pepper,” he whispered as he scooted a bit farther onto the bed, then gently took it in his hands. 

His heart sank as he looked at the mess of what used to be a paw. The poor toes were hanging on by tendon that had clearly rotted to the point of being useless. It looked like they’d tried to heal, perhaps as Marquise’s own body was being mended, but there was no way that it would get to the point where it would ever be useable again. 

Taru? Can you hear me, hun? 

He waited for a few moments, then heard a response. 

Yes master, how are things going? 

Vrasje got to the point quickly. 

I need Kova’s assistance with something. Marquise’s other wolf finally showed itself but it has a bad paw. Could you ask if he would be able to make a brace for it? I can get all the measurements needed. 

Taru seemed surprised, but he quickly responded. 

Of course. I’ll ask him right now. 

Vrasje felt his brow furrow slightly as he continued to hold Pepper’s giant paw. 

“He’s with him right now?” 

He said that he would be glad to help. Send him the measurements and what you specifically want done later and he’ll get to work. I’ll also come see him as soon as you think I should.

Vrasje sighed in relief. 

Tell him I said thank you, and I’ll let you know when I’ve got things under control. 

He felt an affirmative sensation in his mind from Taru, but his heir didn’t reply anymore than that. 

Shaking his head, Vrasje closed his eyes and calmed himself. Once he was perfectly relaxed, he began to whisper a strong barrier spell. It took some time, but he was more than patient enough to finish it all in one go. 

He felt his ability crawl outward in every direction from his body, then began sealing every inch of Marquise’s room, then their conjoined sitting room, before, finally, taking care of his own bedroom and bathing room. 

When he opened his eyes sometime later, everything had fallen into darkness. It had taken nearly six hours to set up everything correctly. 

Looking down, he grinned and gently patted Pepper’s mangled paw. 

“I think we’re all set. Hopefully Marquise won’t be too mad at me for allowing you to wake up. I can’t just let you sleep away your life when you weren’t given a fair chance to live it,” he whispered as he slowly lifted one of his hands until he was able to press three of his fingers against the glowing mark on the wolf’s giant head. 

It took him well into the night before he finally managed to begin unwinding the spell holding him captive. After running through just about every drop of his energy, Vrasje removed his hand from Pepper’s now-normal forehead. 

The wolf was still breathing rhythmically, but he knew that he had to do the actual hard part now. 

“Sweet Pepper, can you hear me?” 

The wolf didn’t react. 

Hmm…

Hopping off the bed, Vrasje walked over to the bags from their earlier shopping trip and dug and dug until he found the one he wanted. 

Pulling out the giant bone, he carefully unwrapped it, then got up and walked back over to the bed. He then set it down a few inches away from the giant wolf’s nose. It had likely been taken off of a cow that had been butchered earlier in the day, because it still had quite a bit of meat on it. Any dog would have been absolutely obsessed the moment they saw it. 

He waited a bit to see if that would work, but it didn’t seem to help. Right before he was about to try and find something else, however, he noticed the pup’s adorable dry nose flare slightly.

There you are, sweetheart. 
 

It was only another five minutes before that big, fuzzy head began to tilt a tiny bit here and there. Then, after a short time a faint, deep grumble joined the movements every so often. 

Vrasje decided to back away until he was closer to the window, then calmly sat down and watched as his new baby slowly came back to life before his eyes. 

Even your body is becoming more opaque. I’m so glad I was able to bring you back. 

He waited patiently and simply watched with a smile as the huge wolf flicked an ear, then tilted it toward him. 

“Hello, sweet one. My name is Vrasje, and your other half has brought you quite close to the Irish Sea. I apologize if you had not intended to wake up, but I couldn’t help freeing you when I saw your form faintly projected over his,” Vrasje said, trying not to bombard it with too much right off the bat. 

He calmly fell back into silence as the wolf slowly lifted its giant head and began licking at the bone in front of its nose. It didn’t take Pepper long before he was tearing into the chunks of meat still left on it, revealing quite a bit of oral damage, too. 

At least it looks healed up enough to not require surgery, though I’ll definitely have to have Taru take a good look at you once we figure out your personality. 

It was a bit strange that the wolf wasn’t acting aggressively, but at the same time, he wasn’t a human, either. 

Wait a second, if we had used his fangs instead of Garlic’s during Marquise’s fang measuring during registration…

A low warning growl quickly snapped him out of his thoughts, making him blink away the slight haze before his vision. 

“I apologize for losing focus,” he said immediately as he bowed his head in respect. 

The wolf was thankfully still lying down, but its one eye was now open and focused solely on him. 

Such a beautiful soul. 

The eyes truly were the window to one’s true self, and since he already knew Marquise and Garlic somewhat well, it was no surprise that Pepper was a beautiful soul, too. 

He was just about to ask if he could get him anything when the giant wolf gave a quiet grumble and lifted one of its back legs. It tried to reach up toward its ear to scratch, but just couldn’t seem to complete the action very well. 

“Your body is probably just a bit stiff from being confined for so long,” he said, eager to help, but restraining himself. 

Even if the wolf understood him, it didn’t mean that it wanted help… or would tolerate it. He’d seen plenty of alphas while out hunting. They were viciously stubborn, but also extremely powerful.  

Another growl refocused his attention, but it actually wasn’t directed at him. The wolf had switched to its other leg, but the result was the same. 

After a few more moments of failure, it shook its head once, then twice. 

“Would you like some help? Or maybe, care for a bath?” he finally asked. So much blood stuck in its coat couldn’t have been comfortable. 

He didn’t expect the beast to really respond positively, but to his surprise, Pepper gave a slow, but clear, nod. 

I… am kind of surprised. 

Happy and cautious, but surprised. 

Standing up, Vrasje calmly walked over to the wolf, but stopped about a foot or so away. He felt the beast watching him curiously the entire time, but kept quiet and waited for some sort of response. 

“Vampire, you must be my mate.” 

Vrasje froze. 

Not only had the wolf before him actually
spoken
, but it had already somehow guessed their situation, too?! 

“I have heard of you,
Wolf Killer
.”

Oh…

He was just about to try and explain how things had changed when the wolf gave its head another good shake, making him wince as he heard fluid within its ears. 

“Yes, I am a werewolf hunter and I’ve killed hundreds, if not thousands, but I’m not going to hurt you, and I don’t want to kill wolves anymore.”

The wolf gave a gruff, deep laugh before slowly pinning its ears down against the back of its head and baring its teeth. 

“Do not lie to me, vampire. You care not for other wolves, and you would have already skinned me alive if I had not had some unimaginable value to you.” 

 It hurt to be called a liar by his love, but he couldn’t argue. After only a brief few moments of thought, he knew that he was right. If he had to, he’d kill every single wolf within a sixty mile radius…
except
 for Pepper and Garlic. 

Licking his lips, Vrasje was just opening his mouth to try and fix his poor choice of words when he slowly let it close again as his eyes widened and his brow furrowed. 

“G-Garlic?!” 

The little brat had taken back control and was now wiggling with undeniable enthusiasm upon the bed where the massive black wolf had been lying less than a second ago!

Chapter 23

Mmm…

Marquise slowly began to feel his body reforming. He tried to stretch out a bit, but it felt like someone was holding his legs…

Hmm? 

“Hey there, love.” 

Vrasje…? 

Nuzzling against something cool, Marquise opened and closed his mouth a little a few times, then blinked open his eye. 

Ah, he’s carrying me. 

Now that he was more awake, he could also feel his legs slightly wrapped around the man’s midsection and his hand…

Under my naked ass. 

Said hand flexed slightly, though it felt like more of a flinch, as Vrasje continued to walk, making Marquise realize that he’d likely heard his thought. 

“I’m sorry, it honestly wasn’t intentional. I was spending time with Garlic when he got tired and wanted to be carried. I’ve been walking around with him in the back garden for nearly an hour,” Vrasje said, making Marquise’s eye widen as he finally leaned back enough to look around. 

We’re… outside. 

And more importantly, he was
naked
 outside. 

“Don’t worry, I told all of my servants to find things to do inside, and the hedges are all plenty high. Just in case, however, I also put up a barrier.” 

He was a bit surprised. 

“Would you like to go back inside and get dressed?” Vrasje asked as he slowed to a stop near a large fountain.  

Marquise was about to answer
yes,
when he noticed his refection in the faintly rippling water. 

“Can you set me down, please?” 

Vrasje did so immediately, carefully helping him down until he was steady on his feet. He then stepped back, but remained just close enough in case he was needed. 

Marquise carefully walked up to the fountain and looked down into the water. 

It’s a little dirty…

“I’ll have them clean it tomorrow,” Vrsaje said, reading his thoughts again. 

Marquise tilted his head one way, then the other as he considered what he wanted to do. He felt that same strange sensation in the depths of his body that he’d had when he was messing with Vrasje earlier. 

My leg still isn’t that great, but maybe…

Reaching for that strange feeling, Marquise felt his blood suddenly pump through his system at twice its normal speed! 

An excited grin slid onto his face as he felt a strange kind of strength surge through him. Without hesitating, he leaped up onto the ledge of the fountain. He immediately winced as he felt his leg spasm from the strain of the abrupt action, but it soon faded into a dull ache as he slowly stood up. 

Not bad. 

Flexing his left hand, he felt a perfect response. Hell, better than perfect. Focusing, he watched as his fingers began to blur before his eyes. 

He’d been so caught up in all of his problems that he hadn’t really thought about exploring his new vampiric side much. 

Turning his attention to his other hand, he tried to flex his fingers and tensed. 

Ouch. 

Undeterred, he focused on moving his darkened fingers slowly inward, then outward. It hurt for the first minute, but then it began to change again. A dull ache took over as he excitedly lifted his hand up toward the rising sun. 

He was just about to really start seeing what he could do with it when Vrasje suddenly appeared beside him and gently clasped his damaged hand between his own two. 

“Be careful, love. Your vampiric side is amazing, and I definitely want you to explore it, but the rules for you will be a little bit different than a normal vampire,” Vrasje said as he gently massaged his hand. 

“You still have your wolf half, and that keeps your body alive. If you strain your damaged hand before it can properly heal as much as possible first, you could make it much worse.” 

Ah, that makes sense. 

Looking down, Marquise pursed his lips and, hesitantly, let his hold slip on the new power he’d felt within himself, allowing it to settle back into the depths of his body… for now. 

“I’ll be more careful,” he said as he looked back up at Vrasje. “I guess I just got a little too excited.” 

The man gently guided him to sit down, then slipped off his own shoes before setting his feet in the dirty fountain water. Marquise watched him, a bit surprised that he would do such a thing. His pantlegs were even getting wet.  

“It’s nice and cold,” Vrasje said as he gave him a lopsided smile that made Marquise blink a few times before looking down at the water. 

No harm in it, I guess. 

Since he was already butt naked, Marquise simply lowered his legs into the water and immediately shivered a tiny bit. It
did
 feel refreshing, though.

Smiling, he kicked his feet a little, stirring up the dirt and leaves that had settled to the bottom of the fountain. He could feel Vrasje’s eyes on him, but he didn’t really mind. If what the man said was true, and it was beginning to dawn on him that it was, then he couldn’t blame him for staring. He’d only seen a mate bond situation once before, and that poor pup had been completely smitten even after it had been rejected. 

“Hey Vrasje?” he asked quietly, nearly mumbling his words as he continued to watch his feet kick up the dirt beneath the surface of the water. 

“Yes, Marra?” 

Leaning back on his hands and not minding that his back was a bit hunched, Marquise glanced sideways, then quickly averted his eyes back to the water. 

“How much do you love me?” 

It wasn’t easy to ask such a question, but this was only his second time seeing a mate bond, and he was curious to see how it actually worked. 

“I’d die for you, and kill for you,” Vrasje said without an ounce of hesitation, making Marquise look back up at him in wonder. 

The vampire’s expression was calm, but just beneath the surface he could see how sincere he was about what he’d said. 

“What about other wolves?” he asked as he returned his attention back to the water again. 

“I don’t care about them,” was Vrasje’s immediate response. 

It made him grin a bit, but his smile didn’t last. 

“Would you kill them again? I know you said that you didn’t kill any during your last hunt at the border of your territory, but does me being a werewolf really mean that you won’t kill any others?” 

He honestly wasn’t against the man’s hunting, because some wolves really were
that
 bad, but definitely not all of them. 

“You know, that’s exactly what Pepper had talked with me about earlier,” Vrasje said, surprising Marquise enough to make him immediately straighten and look over at him. 

“He came out? You met him?!” 

His heart was thrashing around his chest like a tornado had abruptly been locked inside. 

“It’s okay, love. Yes, he did come out, and I broke the seal on his forehead so that he could speak with me,” Vrasje said, making Marquise become light-headed from stress. 

Evidently seeing his distress, Vrasje reached up and gently tugged him against his side. Marquise was grateful for the support and quickly rested his head against the man’s shoulder and closed his eye. 

He soon felt a hand softly patting his head, allowing him to calm down enough to open his eye again after a minute or two. 

“I am sorry that my actions have caused you stress, love. I got ahead of myself and should have asked you before I unsealed him. I did put up a strong barrier sealing off our rooms, but I apologize for acting without your permission,” Vrasje said.

Marquise sighed and kicked the water a little. 

“Did he do anything besides talk to you? It doesn’t feel like I’ve been asleep for too long…” Marquise asked nervously. 

Vrasje replied with a hint of wonder to his voice, “we just talked and he nibbled at the big bone we’d gotten him. He was honestly very calm and just wanted to chat for a little bit.”

Marquise began processing what he said, but then Vrasje added something. 

“Oh yeah, he was also very itchy. He had dried blood all over his coat. I was actually going to help him wash it all off when Garlic suddenly took over.” 

Garlic, took control from my alpha wolf? 

Garlic immediately wiggled in his mind and tried to take over again, but Marquise quickly pushed him back. 

I’m sorry sweet one, but I need to stay out for now. Besides, weren’t you tired? You had Vrasje carry you around for quite some time before I finally took over again…

The pup paused in its wiggling for a moment and flicked an ear, then hurried to turn tail and wander away. 

That’s what I thought. 

“What’s so funny?” 

Oh, oops. Guess I had laughed out loud a little. 

“Garlic just tried to come out again, but it’s my turn.”

Vrasje lifted a hand up to his lips to try and stifle a chuckle, but it clearly failed. 

“I love him to death,” he said with a cheeky grin on his face. 

Marquise slowly sat up straight again, then rubbed at the back of his head. 

“Um, well… what are your goals in life? Like, what are you future plans?” he asked awkwardly, trying to start up a different conversation. 

Vrasje’s face immediately lit up in the dim twilight. 

“I didn’t really have much thought toward my own future until you came along. I’m already over two-hundred years old. Most people these days struggle to hit sixty, so I’d honestly just planned to live out the remainder of my days protecting this town from werewolves and making sure that Taru was well taken care.” 

That’s… kind of sad. 

He could understand wanting to look after his heir and the town, but was there nothing else besides hunting that he enjoyed any longer? 

“I enjoy being around you now,” Vrasje said, making Marquise quickly looked back down at the water… then suddenly feel a tad self-conscious. He was naked in front of a guy that evidently
really
 liked him. 

“I don’t mind!” Vrasje said abruptly, making Marquise give him a side-eye before he decided to just slide into the fountain. 

Holy hell it’s cold! 

He felt strong arms tuck beneath his own not a second later, but before Vrasje could pull him back up and out of the water, Marquise lunged forward, making the vampire slip and fall in, too. 

Unfortunately, he hadn’t exactly planned out the situation all that well. Sputtering as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, Marquise shook his now-dirty mop of dark hair like a dog, then coughed out a small mouthful of water. 

He would have sat back and taken a few deep breaths to calm his shivering body, but he was a bit stuck at that particular moment because of a firm hand was pressing against his belly. 

Looking to the side, he stared at a curtain of Vrasje’s long hair as it hung beside his face. The man above him was actually panting quietly as he held his body with one hand and used the other to hold himself up off of him. 

 “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” he asked, making Marquise a little nervous that his first try at playing around with the man had somehow backfired. 

Vrasje moved his hand after a few moments and his breathing thankfully calmed back into nonexistence, allowing Marquise to scoot away a little bit, then turn around. 

Oh… he’s mad. 

Feeling his heart drop from the top of his throat to the bottom of his stomach, Marquise slowly lowered his eyes down to the water and hunched his shoulders. 

I shouldn’t have tried to mess with him. 

Vampires and werewolves were two
very
 different species. He’d also never really played much after he’d begun training to be an alpha. That was when he was six, so… 

Lifting up an arm, he rubbed at the back of his neck and sighed as his teeth chattered. 

I really shouldn’t have done that. 

He could sense Garlic watching the situation through his eyes, wiggling a little at the idea of playing with Vrasje, but there was also something else all the way at the back of his mind, too. It remained there patiently waiting and watching, not seeming very interested in the current situation at all. 

My alpha really is back… 

It was also acting how it used to, before it went crazy and murdered several humans. It was subdued, quiet, and overall unwilling to make itself known. It didn’t feel right that his enraged alpha had gone back to being a tamed kitten. 

Marquise gave out a surprised squeak as he was hoisted up out of the water and into Vrasje’s arms. He flailed for a second until he was able to wrap his own arms and legs around the man, then settled with his chin on his shoulder. 

“Sorry, love. You seemed like you were communicating with your pups and unable to hear me but you were also shivering very badly. I couldn’t leave you sitting there,” Vrasje said, making Marquise give a quiet grumble of acknowledgement. 

He then tucked his head a little more against the man’s soft hair. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Vrasje began rubbing a hand against his bare back as they stepped inside, then hugged him a little closer as they suddenly blurred forward. 

Marquise squeezed his eye closed until they had slowed to a stop, then blinked it open as he leaned back to look around. 

Ah, his bathroom. 

It made sense. They had just fallen into the dirty fountain. A bath was only logical. 

Vrasje gave him a few more moments to understand the situation before he carried him over to the already-filled tub and gently set him down. The water was a bit cold, but Vrasje quickly heated it with his ability to a comfortably-warm temperature. 

Once he had stopped shivering, Marquise scooted himself to the back of the large tub so that Vrasje could climb in and wash up, too. 

Except, right as the other man was about to climb in after removing his wet clothing, Marquise felt his form waver and his vision go dark. 

“Sweet Pepper!” Vrasje cheered as he knelt beside the now rather-full tub and smiled. 

“Welcome back.” 

“Vampire,” the large wolf replied as it slowly bowed its massive head in acknowledgement. 

Vrasje could already see little flecks of blood and dirt drifting off of the giant beast’s coat and immediately lifted his hands to the edge of the tub. 

“May I give you a bath, Pepper?” 

The giant wolf flicked an ear twice, then tilted its head to the side like it was about to try and reach up with its back leg and scratch it, but it caught itself before it could accidentally fall over into the water. 

Returning its attention to him, it slowly nodded, then dropped its chin to the edge of the tub. 

“Awesome! I’ll just try my best to get most of the gunk out of your fur first, then we can go downstairs another time and use the household bath that has a pump attached and do a thorough cleaning then,” Vrasje said as he bustled around the room with a huge grin on his face, collecting soaps and brushes, and just about anything else he could find that Pepper might want. 

Once he had everything ready, he lifted up two containers of shampoo after opening the lids to each. 

“Do you have a preference? I don’t have unscented, but these aren’t too strong.” 

He waited patiently as Pepper turned his head slowly and sniffed the lavender, then nudged his head in the opposite direction to try the other one. 

“Lemon,” he eventually said before closing its tired-looking eye. 

Just like your other half. 

With the shampoo all picked out, Vrasje got busy wetting what he could of the pup with a large pot he’d brought up the other day for Garlic. It proved invaluable now, allowing him to rinse out a good amount of the blood before beginning his work scrubbing his mighty love. 

While the wolf looked formidable on the outside, it had clearly only shared some of the healing Marquise had been treated to during his stay with them. 

You’re all skin and bones. No wonder you went for that bone right away, even though you seemed so tired. 

Splitting his focus for a moment, he sent down a request to his kitchen staff to prepare a large meal with whatever they had on hand. He also gave a few others instruction to go to the local butcher shop as soon as it opened and load up on as much meat as they could store. 

With that done, he returned his full attention to his task. It took him nearly an hour to scrub everywhere after draining half of the tub.   

Thankfully, Pepper did whatever he needed to do in order to get cleaned up. He even rolled over onto his belly once the water was mostly drained. It was incredibly hard not to give him a good belly rub at that time, but he knew that he had to stay focused and get his task done before the giant wolf lost interest. 

Once he was content with his scrubbing, he walked out and retrieved several large tubs of fresh water another vampiric servant had brought up and carefully rinsed his baby’s coat until it was as clean as he could get it. 

Next was conditioner! 

Since Pepper still seemed content to be groomed, he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to do it well. Just in case, however, he grabbed his large comb at the same time and began combing through his coat part by part as he added conditioner to each area. It was a hell of a lot of work, but he happily did the job to the best of his ability. 

By the time he finally got through the majority of his coat he’d had to clean thick clumps of fur off his comb more times than he could count. 

Dear god… you are absolutely gorgeous. 

Now that all of the blood had been cleaned from its fur, the ebony black color shone incredibly in the faint morning light coming in through the window. 

He allowed the pup to rest for a few moments and quickly used the last bucket of clean water to clean himself off, then returned his attention to Pepper. 

“I think we’re done for today. May I dry you off, sweetheart?” he asked as he gently ran his fingers through the wolf’s soft, smooth fur. 

He heard a content grumble from his large fuzzy friend and took that as its agreement. Thus, Vrasje quickly hopped out of the tub and retrieved an armful of towels. 

Not wanting to waste time, he heated them with his ability, then got to work. 

It took nearly twenty minutes before he was satisfied. 

“I could be a dog groomer,” he said with a chuckle, only to have his humor silenced by a quiet warning growl. 

Huh? 

Looking toward Pepper’s face, he only managed to meet the wolf’s eye for a split second before it finished turning its head to face the opposite direction. 

“Um… okay, sorry that wasn’t funny I suppose. Would you like me to help you out of the tub?” 

He got another growl in response, and now even Pepper’s ears were tilting backwards. 

I’m so confused!

Pursing his lips to keep from grumbling, himself, Vrasje hopped out of the tub and got dried off, then loaded up all of the towels into two laundry baskets and brought them to the hallway. Once that was all done, he got himself dressed in a pair of loose black pants but decided to forego a shirt. 

He was just about to go back and check on Pepper when he heard a light knock on his door. 

Ah, the food must be ready. 

“Oh wow…” 

His cooks had outdone themselves.

He got everything inside after saying his thanks, then set it all up on one side of his bed. Of course, he probably shouldn’t allow the wolf to eat on top of his bed, but he could always have the bedding washed tomorrow. It would definitely be more comfortable than the floor, too, and his baby deserved to be as comfortable as possible. 

Hmm, maybe he’s cooled off a bit by now. 

Deciding to try his luck again, Vrasje wandered back into the bathroom. 

Oh my god. 

He was about to self combust from the adorableness! 

Pepper still didn’t seem too pleased to see him, but it was just too cute seeing him just-barely glancing over the edge of the bathing tub at him. 

He actually looked like he was about to duck his head again and dismiss him when he big nose flared slightly. 

“Hungry, love? I had my servants make you something to eat,” Vrasje said with a knowing smile. 

That
 got the wolf’s attention! 

Pepper stood up on shaky legs and tried to climb out of the tub, but without the use of his right paw, he was struggling quite a bit. 

“May I help?” 

The wolf immediately grunted and sat down, then looked away. 

This pup… is getting to be almost as stubborn as his human half. 

“I suppose everything will just get cold then. Maybe I’ll have a nibble, too, since I rather enjoy human food,” he said as he slowly turned around on his heels, exaggerating the movement just to try and annoy the wolf. 

It worked. 

He heard the pup scrambling to get over the edge of the tub, but even with its best efforts, it failed to climb out. 

“Okay you stubborn boy, I’m not sure what I said to make you upset, but you need to eat so just put up with it for a moment,” he said as he walked over and helped carefully but quickly lift Pepper out of the bathing tub. 

He immediately set him down once he had cleared the edge, then jumped back as the wolf lunged to nip at him! 

Such unruly behavior. 

Of course, Pepper didn’t bother pursuing him, and he likely didn’t have the energy to even try, anyways. So, Vrasje just waited and watched as the giant pup gave him one more frustrated grunt before turning toward the bedroom and limping away. 

Vrasje waited a few minutes before following, then stopped in the doorway to observe the situation. The poor pup had managed to shimmy its way up onto the bed and now had its face buried in one of the overflowing trays of food. 

It would have looked funny, and that side of his bed was definitely going to be an absolute mess, but he didn’t mind at all. In fact, as he watched the poor pup down as much as it possibly could, as fast as it possible could, he could hear something he hadn’t expected to between all of the bone crunching and raspy breathing. 

I need to have a serious talk about this with Marquise once he is back in control. 

Pepper was clearly trying to hide the sound, but his ears were far too sensitive not to hear it. His sweet wolf was whimpering like a day old pup that was starving for its mother’s milk. It nearly choked itself several times just trying to eat faster than it was capable of. 

You’re so hungry… even after we’ve been feeding your other half well for so long. 

Something was definitely wrong, and he did not like it one bit.

Chapter 24

His belly felt far too full. 

Groaning, Marquise tried to roll over but just couldn’t find the willpower to do so. 

What on Earth did I eat? 

“Three full course meals.” 

Marquise was about to try and respond verbally, but when he opened his mouth a ground-shaking belch rumbled through the room. 

“Nice.” 

Feeling at least a little bit better now, he finally rolled over and opened his eye. 

Oh…

“Is everything okay?” he asked, his voice nervous. 

He knew that something was wrong. Heck, he remembered what he’d done in the fountain had made the man frustrated, too. Before he could begin to dissolve into worry, though, Marquise was promptly tugged up into a surprisingly-warm lap. 

“Marra, I might be upset with you, but that doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop loving you and treating you well. I’m also not mad about you trying to play with me in the fountain. I actually really appreciate that you tried to get a little closer to me in your own way, and I’m more than willing to work on that with you,” Vrasje said, making Marquise’s heart fidget uncomfortably in his chest. 

He was never good at receiving reprimands, and as he grew they became fewer and further in between. 

I don’t really remember the last time I was chastised before coming here. 

“Let me answer your previous question,” Vrasje said as he settled a hand against Marquise’s belly and channeled some of his warmth into it. 

Okay, that actually feels good. 

“I’m sure you have guessed this already, but Pepper took over again when you passed out. He let me give him a bath even though he was a bit grumpy towards the end,” Vrasje said as he tugged up a blanket to cover part of Marquise’s mostly-naked body as he leaned them back against a large mound of pillows. 

“When I was bathing him he seemed pretty thin, but once we were done I figured I’d just feed him. Well, it turns out that he wasn’t thin underneath all of his fluff for no reason…” 

Marquise pursed his lips as he turned his head against Vrasje’s chest. He hadn’t really thought too much about his alpha wolf besides feeling remorse for what he had done to it. 

“Your alpha is no longer a part of you, Marra. When he was sealed, the rot he was keeping from your human body was forced onto you. His consciousness was also sealed, evidently severing your connection nearly completely.” 

Carefully moving onto his side with Vrasje’s help, Marquise settled with a shaky sigh and blinked back tears. 

“I’ve been starving him,” Marquise concluded, his voice raspy and uneven. 

The hand that wasn’t keeping his belly warm lifted to settled against his hair. Instead of enjoying the head-pat, he lowered his head until that hand fell away. He didn’t deserve that kind of positive attention. 

He expected Vrasje to try and comfort him right away, but when the man simply continued to hold him and warm his body in order to aid in the digestion of the extra food his wolf had eaten, and evidentially partially passed to him, he relaxed and eventually drifted off back to sleep. 

The next time he awoke it was sometime around evening. Unsurprisingly, his stomach was still quite full. There was one thing that was bugging him a little, though. 

Drink up, love. I’m just resting my eyes. 

Marquise did as told. It only took a tiny bit of adjusting where he was already lying against the man before he was able to reach his neck and nibble just enough to get the blood flowing. 

Tastes so good…

They remained quiet for a short while as he fed, but the moment Marquise retracted his fangs and leaned away, Vrasje opened his eyes and looked up at him. 

“Oh.” 

Marquise frowned at the single word, confused, but then felt his eyes widen as the man slowly reached up and brushed a thumb across his lower lip. 

Frozen in place, he watched as Vrasje withdrew his slightly blood-stained finger, then slipped it between his own lips. 

It was suddenly
way
 too hot in their room!

Hurrying to the edge of the bed, Marquise tossed the extra blanket aside as he felt even his ears steaming uncomfortably. 

“Did I warm you up too much, love? I apologize if so, I got a little bit distracted,” Vrasje said as he scooted to the edge of the bed to sit beside him. 

Needing to change the subject immediately, Marquise quickly licked the last tiny taste of blood from his lips, then looked up at the other man. 

“It’s fine, um… did you want to do anything today? I don’t sense Garlic and I’m sure after eating so much, Pepper is probably going to be asleep for a long while,” he said. 

Vrasje gave him a calm smile, relieving some of the tension that had been building between his shoulder-blades. 

“Taru actually wanted to come by with Kova. Would that be alright with you?” 

He didn’t have to say that twice! He was extremely excited, even if the peacock was coming, too. 

Eager to get ready, Marquise jumped up… then ran toward the wastebasket, making it just in time to begin throwing up. 

There was soon a warm hand rubbing his back firmly as his stomach emptied its remaining contents. He honestly felt terrible because it was Pepper’s food, too, but Vrasje didn’t seem worried about that at all. In fact…

“He ate much more than what you have, love. You probably just got stuck with the extra that he couldn’t digest, himself,” he said, making him feel a little bit better about not being unable to keep it all down. 

Damn, the blood I just drank came up, too. 

“I’ll feed you again later once your stomach settles. Don’t worry about anything,” Vrasje said as he gently held Marquise’s hair away from his face. 

He was honestly grateful for the assistance. His hair had grown a surprising amount since he’d begun healing. He probably needed to get it cut soon. 

“I can take care of it, if you’d like. I’ve done Taru’s ever since his parents passed away,” Vrasje said. 

Marquise slowly leaned back after a few moments, panting quietly and a little dizzy, but feeling much better. 

“Here sweetheart,” Vrasje said as the edge of a cup gently pressed against his lips. 

Marquise took a big gulp and swished it around his mouth, then spat it back into the wastebasket. He did that two more times before Vrasje set the cup aside and guided him backwards until he was settled in his lap, leaning against his chest. 

A few moments later he felt something else press against his lips and slowly opened them. Vrasje gently brushed his teeth for him, erasing the nauseating flavor of vomit. Another rinse a minute later and he was feeling
much
better. 

“I’ll be more careful about how much I feed him tomorrow, sweetheart,” Vrasje said, making Marquise blink out of his tired daze and look up at the man still holding him. 

“Tomorrow?” he rasped, his throat sore from throwing up. 

Vrasje nodded, his expression cooling the slightest amount as he brushed Marquise’s bangs aside gently, then settled his palm against the side of his face. 

“Yes, tomorrow. Before you wake up each morning I’d like to feed Pepper. I’ll be careful not to let him eat too much again, but he deserves to be just as spoiled as you and Garlic,” Vrasje said, making Marquise avert his eye. 

“But he’s really dangerous. Maybe the mate bond has him calm when he’s around you, but he—” his remaining words died on his tongue as Vrasje gently took his jaw between his thumb and pointer finger and tilted his head up the slightest amount. 

The action drew Marquise’s eye right back to meet his warm ones. 

“It will all be okay, hun. I will
never
 let Pepper harm anyone. I can’t just look the other way when he’s suffering. He is a part of the person I want to protect, and he’s hurting and hungry.” 

Marquise felt a tear slip from his eye as his heart shivered in his chest. He could feel Garlic curiously staring through his blurry eye. To his surprise, however, the pup wasn’t interested in taking control. It actually felt like it was settling over him somehow. Like a blanket of reassurance.   

He suddenly snapped back to attention when he felt Vrasje nuzzle his nose against his cheek, then ever-so-softly, lick away a teardrop at the very edge of his eye. 

A warm feeling suddenly diffused throughout his body, calming his nerves and relaxing his erratic heartbeat. Before he realized what he was doing, he was pressing his own tongue against the man’s smooth cheek. 

It was the briefest action, completing itself before he even registered what he’d done. It even took him nearly ten full seconds before he put the pieces together, too. 

Uh…

He was just about to have a mini meltdown of embarrassment and blame Garlic, even though the pup hadn’t really pushed him, so much as just made him a little more comfortable with the situation in general, but before he could begin spiraling into a puddle of stress he felt Vrasje lick all the way from the bottom of his jaw up to the edge of his eye!

Scoffing out a growl of surprise and annoyance, Marquise reached up and shoved the man’s face away, though he didn’t put too much force into the action. It was more of a light nudge than anything else. Just enough to get Vrasje’s face to turn away from his own. 

“What are you doing you—” he straightened abruptly up onto his knees in the man’s lap, lifting himself just out of reach of that darn tongue as it tried to lick him for a
fourth
 time! 

Vrasje grinned up at him with a mischievous look in his eyes after his swift dodge.  

Marquise scowled in response, but for some reason he just couldn’t stay mad. 

Garlic, you stubborn dog. What are you doing to me? 

Garlic gave a quiet grunt in response, but Marquise couldn’t pinpoint the pup’s actual form within him. It was somehow melded with his own right then. 

He was zoning out again. Thankfully, he
did
 notice a faint brush of air against his right nipple and immediately snapped back to attention to look down with a warning growl!

Vrasje looked up with a cheeky grin as he leaned forward the slightest amount, allowing his nose to faintly brush against his chest. 

“Hi sweet love.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked as he reached up and tugged at a bit of Vrasje’s long black hair. 

The man gave a quiet chuckle and leaned forward to press a kiss to the middle of Marquise’s chest. 

“Showing my pup some love.” 

Marquise tugged the length of hair harder. 

“Are you blind now, Jey? What part of me looks like Garlic?” he asked, more than a bit miffed. 

The man’s grin widened as he straightened his back and looked up at him. 

“All of you. You have his eyes, and his sweet personality. Your hair is just as soft as his fur and you both love being held by me.” 

That last one was a bit of a stretch… except, he 
was
 currently being held by the man. And he did tend to be carried around a lot without getting upset.  

Scowling, Marquise turned around and sat down on the guy’s right leg, crossing his arms over his chest in the process. 

Of course, even though he was clearly fuming, Vrasje didn’t seem bothered in the least as he wound his arms around Marquise’s waist and tugged him closer. 

This man…

Glaring over his shoulder, Marquise nudged an elbow against Vrasje’s chest. 

“Why are you so handsy? Do I need to get you a doll to hold?” 

Vrasje’s eyes sparkled at his poor joke as a smirk slid across his lips. 

“Why didn’t you get out of my lap if you don’t want me to hold you?” Vrasje replied, making Marquise fidget as his ears reddened and he quickly looked away. 

Instead of poking fun at him, Vrasje hugged him a little closer and pressed a kiss to the lobe of his left ear. 

“I love you, Marra.” 

Marquise felt his heartbeat skip in his chest as he nervously peeked the slightest amount over his shoulder. 

Vrasje immediately leaned a little closer and pressed a kiss to the base of his ear. 

“Marra, I love you.”

Marquise lifted his shoulder and nudged the man’s jaw gently.

Vrasje stopped kissing his ear, but redirected downward to his bare shoulder, since it was practically being offered. A shot of something that felt like adrenaline mixed with excitement zipped through Marquise’s body in response, making him shiver a little. 

“Marra, I wanna kiss you,” Vrasje said as he lifted his lips from his shoulder and brought his eyes up to meet his. 

You are kissing me…

Of course, he knew what he meant, and honestly, it shouldn’t have been a big deal. 

This isn’t a big deal. He’s your bonded mate, even if you can’t feel it. 

Garlic definitely could, and considering how Pepper had acted around him, even his alpha probably didn’t mind the possibility. 

You know what? Fuck it. 

Reaching up and turning more, Marquise grabbed Vrasje’s jaw a bit too tightly, then yanked it forward as he leaned in. He saw the man’s eyes widen from surprise but paid his expression no further mind as their mouths pressed together awkwardly. 

Okay, that’s done. 

Spinning back around in a blur, Marquise moved to get out of the man’s lap when he felt the arms around his waist tighten abruptly, pulling him right back up against Vrasje’s chest. 

Turning, since he was now trapped, Marquise glared at Vrasje and opened his mouth to grumble at him, but before he could even get words out the man had lifted his left hand up and settled it against the side of his face, making him turn toward him a little more. It was the perfect angle. Vrasje leaned forward and sealed their mouths together again. 

The man’s hand soon slipped away from his cheek to settle on his waist, but Marquise didn’t even notice. He was too busy trying to fend off Vrasje’s damn tongue! 

Although, after only a few moments, it became oddly easy to overpower it, making it retreat back into Vrasje’s mouth as Marquise’s tongue followed. His full attention was focused on his task, making him completely oblivious to the overall situation until their mouths finally separated as Marquise lifted his head up. 

He was panting a lot harder than Vrasje, but to his surprise, the man that was now beneath him also seemed to be a bit winded. He was also… not looking at him? 

Instinct immediately drew his head downward again, making him nuzzle against the man’s bared neck. Pretty soon he was nipping at the same spot he’d drunk from earlier, easily opening the barely-healed wound. As he began to drink, he was a bit surprised that he didn’t feel any hands on him at all. 

He waited a few more moments, but didn’t hear the man speak, or talk to his thoughts, either. 

Once the worst of his thirst was sated, Marquise slowly leaned away again, pushing himself up to check and see what was really going on. 

Oh…

Vrasje wasn’t not touching him because he wanted to. 

I’ve been pinning him down? 

The elder vampire didn’t seem interested in fighting him on it, either. The man lay completely still beneath him, his neck bared and bloody, and his head turned away. The behavior was completely submissive! 

Not knowing what to do, Marquise hurriedly got up and went into the washroom, then shoved his face into the cold bowl of water that was available there to wash his face. 

He heard Vrasje get up a few moments later, glad that he made the effort to be audible. 

I’m going to go get ready for Taru downstairs. Take your time. 

He felt the man blur around the other room for a moment, then the sound of the door opening and closing met his ears. 

He’s gone…

For now. 

Heaving a long sigh, Marquise leaned on the counter in front of him and just let himself calm down. Once he was comfortable, he got busy taking care of himself. Besides, he could worry about his situation with Vrasje later, his master was coming over and he wanted to greet him with a smile on his face. 

Looking up into the mirror after scrubbing his face more and brushing his messy hair, Marquise felt his face warm as he noticed how swollen his lips had gotten. 

I suppose even smiling will garner some uncomfortable questions. 

Shaking his head, he ran his fingers through his bangs, then gave out a quiet bit of laughter. 

“I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll have to talk with master about this new development.” 

For some reason, he didn’t feel nearly as nervous as he thought he would about it, though.

Chapter 25

“Sweetheart!”

It felt like heaven being in his master’s arms again. The head pats were the best, and the quiet coos of praise made his heart soar.

When they finally separated Marquise was all smiles.

“You look like you’ve been very well. Ah, Kova has been working on something for you all night. It’s just a prototype, but it might help!”

Marquise watched as his master excitedly took the item from Kova, then presented it to him right as Vrasje walked into the room. He’d been keeping track of his servants as they set up a large lunch for them and said that he’d be a few minutes late.

“Ah, the brace. You are truly gifted with your hands, lord Kova,” Vrasje said as he walked over and gently took the item from Marquise with curiosity.

“Let’s eat first, then perhaps we can see if Pepper would like to try it on?”

Ah, that makes sense. It did look a bit too large for my leg.

He was a little upset at first, since he wasn’t too sure about Pepper yet, but then used the calm Garlic was still wrapping him in and just silently sighed the stress away before it could build.

“That sounds good,” he said before following Vrasje into the dining hall with his master and Kova chatting with him happily at his side.

Oh wow.

“Are others joining us?” he asked, confused about the insane amount of food present.

Vrasje shook his head as he grabbed a plate.

“It’s buffet style. Take what you want. My servants will be allowed whatever is leftover,” he said, making Marquise relieved that the food wouldn’t go to waste.

He eagerly filled his plate, then sat down at the small table that had been prepared with goblets of blood, water, and wine. His master took the seat to his left while Vrasje settled to his right, with Kova directly across from him.

Neither of the vampires had much on their plates, but they gladly partook in the wine and blood as conversation started up. They spoke about all sorts of things, starting, of course, with the weather, but then quickly changing topics to the device that Kova had made for Pepper, and how to fit it correctly onto the large wolf. They then switched directions again and, to his surprise, asked him if he wanted to begin attending some of the upcoming social events.

Searching for an heir of his own was mentioned, but Marquise quickly dismissed that route. He was still struggling to maintain himself. He didn’t need to bring another person into his world. He eventually agreed to go to a few get-togethers, but nothing specifically to meet possible heirs.

The discussion eventually returned to current events, and as time went on Marquise zoned out here and there as he poked at Garlic inside his mind. He was trying to nudge the pup back into its own body within his, but he just couldn’t figure out how to detach him.

He wasn’t really upset with the situation, but it made him feel kind of… awkward. Differently awkward. He wasn’t used to having a wolf influencing him. Even back when he had Pepper as his main wolf, he still subdued it enough to keep it from affecting his decisions.

Are you okay, love?

Marquise snapped out of his thoughts and looked up, then relaxed when he noticed that Taru and Kova were still deep in conversation. That left him to turn his attention to a clearly-worried Vrasje.

The response he wanted to give was an obvious
yes
, but he really wasn’t sure.

I’m not sure, but it’s nothing bad
, he eventually said, making Vrasje’s expression calm a little.

Alright. Just let me know if you need anything.

Marquise nodded as he picked up a glass of water and began to nurse it, trying to relax.

“Hey Marquise, would you like to see if we can get Pepper fitted with the brace Kova made?” his master asked with a smile.

Marquise fidgeted a little as he looked around.

There are no humans. I dismissed them for a few hours. They will report back later,
Vrasje thought to him, making Marquise calm down.

“Sure, let me see if I can get him to come out,” he said as he stood up and tugged off his shirt and pants, then sat back down and leaned back in his chair before closing his eyes.

He’d never intentionally tried to contact the wolf after it had been unsealed, so it took him a bit to find the big guy. It was
way
in the back of his mind, licking at his its good paw.

Pepper?

The wolf slowly lifted its head, then turned its blurry face toward him.

Why have you sought me out? I can do nothing more for you.

Marquise felt his heart squeeze in his chest as he settled a short distance away.

I’m here to do something for you. Our master has brought you something that you might like. I came to get you for him.

His wolf was, unsurprisingly, distrusting. It gave a warning grumble before lying its head down on its good paw as its figure began to fade further.

Wait, please! I know that apologizing isn’t going to mean anything to you now, and I totally understand that, but I am truly sorry that I’ve put you through so many terrible things. I’ll understand if you can never forgive me, but our master is very sweet and has been eager to meet you. Could you not spare him just a moment?

The wolf flicked an ear as its form solidified slightly, making Marquise lean forward a little with hope.

He is a very nice vampire. He loves our other half and as soon as he knew that you had a bad paw, he had his friend make you a brace so that you could walk normally again.

He waited for a response, but when he got nothing, he smiled softly and tried again.

Vrasje is here, too. Just in case anyone tries to bother you. He also said that you may eat whenever you are hungry. He will always have food for you. There is even food available for you right this moment.

That seemed to get the wolf’s attention a little better.

I’m sure they would be more than happy if you ate your fill.

Finally, his wolf slowly rose to its feet.

Be gone
, it rasped before Marquise felt his consciousness abruptly pulled away.

“There’s my beautiful wolf,” Vrasje said as he settled a large plate of pork, beef, and mixed greens in front of Pepper.

The massive pup slid from the chair with as much grace as a drunk octopus, but it didn’t matter. His heart was already full just watching the wolf settle down to eat.

Once he was sure that Pepper was okay with Taru and Kova, he sat back in his chair and looked over at the other two. Both had looks of utter disbelief on their faces, but that wasn’t too surprising.

“He’s a big boy, but he’s super sweet,” he said, bending the truth a tiny bit.

“He just needs to be kept away from humans.”

Taru nodded as he slowly got up from his seat and walked a little closer. He was being careful, and was clearly a bit nervous, but Vrasje could also see the excitement in his eyes, too.

“I have such an amazing heir,” he eventually whispered as he sat down a few feet away from the munching wolf.

Kova was not nearly as adventurous, but he did turn his chair toward Pepper and scoot to the side so that he could see better, even though his face looked much more pale than normal. After a long while, however, the man’s attention began to drift toward the wolf’s mangled right paw.

“I think I got the measurements pretty close. It’s adjustable, so if he’s comfortable, we can test it out, then change what needs to be fixed,” he said, returning to his normal assured self.

Vrasje nodded, then waited until Pepper had finished his entire plate, even including the greens, before settling down beside him with the device in his hands.

“Hey there, sweet one. I asked your master’s friend to make something for you. It might help you walk better. Would you like to try it on?”

His pup looked between the three of them before returning his attention to Vrasje and tilting his head slightly.

“Why?” it finally asked, breaking Vrasje’s heart right in two.

“Because you deserve to be able to walk without pain. You’re going to be spoiled now that I’m here. You’re going to be fed until you’re fat, and you’re going to have a bed to sleep on and all the mud you could ever want to roll in,” Vrasje said with so much enthusiasm that Pepper actually seemed to scoff out a faint laugh as his damaged lips turned upward into what could have been perceived as a slight smirk.

Instead of responding to him verbally, Pepper slowly turned his attention back to his so-called master.

“What is your name, vampire?”

Taru quickly gave the large wolf a warm smile and replied, “my name is Taru. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

The giant wolf nodded slowly, then looked down toward its damaged paw.

“May I try to put the brace on for you, hun? Kova taught me how to do it so it shouldn’t take but a few moments,” Taru said, earning Pepper’s attention again before it redirected to Vrasje.

“He’s trustworthy, and I’m right here if anything happens. I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again,” Vrasje said, making the pup slowly look back down at its damaged paw, then gently lower its pinpoint straight ears to a more relaxed position before, finally, settling its head down on the floor.

Taru was eager but careful as he scooted closer, then reached over to gently settle a few fingers on the wolf’s damaged paw where a tiny bit of fur still grew.

“So cool…” he whispered as he moved the brace closer, but then set it on the ground a few inches from the wolf’s nose.

It was no surprise to them when Pepper lifted his head back up to sniff at the device, but when he realized that it was simply leather and a few metal buckles, along with a metal plate and some wooden pieces, he settled again.

“Alright, let me know if it hurts at all. I’ll try to be as gentle as I can,” Taru said as he finally closed the remaining distance between them and began working.

Vrasje stayed close by and even settled a hand against the big pup’s back, but didn’t do anything else to distract from the situation. He understood that it was sometimes a good idea for humans to be distracted during stressful situations, but distracting a wolf, then unintentionally hurting it, could be disastrous. Especially with one as big as Pepper.

Thankfully, with Kova’s helpful guidance the device was quite easy to secure around the pup’s damaged leg, and pretty soon Taru was scooting away, then standing up with an excited smile on his face.

Vrasje moved to the pup’s front side, acting as support as Pepper shakily got to his feet. It was clear that he wasn’t sure about the brace yet, but he didn’t hesitate to try it out. The first few moments were okay, but as soon as he tried to walk with it his face contorted in pain and Vrasje and Taru quickly moved in to help adjust the straps as Kova even came over and held the beast’s weight off of it so that they could work easier.

Kova backed away first once they were done, then Taru stepped back and Vrasje let go.

“Try again, love.”

Pepper looked up at him nervously, but he did as told. When he didn’t whimper this time, Vrasje grinned and began following along as the wolf worked on using the device to balance.

“You’re already a natural at this. Is it okay so far? Do you need more padding or anything else adjusted?” he asked right before Pepper did a little hopping bound forward, running a few steps with the most beautiful gate he’d ever seen on any animal.

The wolf gave out a little excited, gruff yip, then turned and ran back toward him. Vrasje knelt down just in time to hug the big fuzzball as it ran into his arms. It was growling quietly, but he considered it more of a purr that a cat might make since his pup seemed like it had a bit more healing to do when it came to its throat. Either way…

“You are so amazing!” he said as he hugged his big baby happily.

Pepper pressed his head against Vrasje’s chest, earning an ear scratch for his efforts.

“I did not think that he would ever care for me in such a way,” Pepper rasped.

Vrasje held his big pup as it practically fell into his lap, then began rubbing its thick fur soothingly.

“He knows that what he did to you was not okay. He is now worried that you might attack humans if you see them, but he still wanted to let you come out today and eat, then get your brace fitted,” Vrasje said quietly.

“Humans…”

They both looked up as Taru made his presence known at that moment, then sat down beside them. To his surprise, and slight jealousy, Pepper immediately got up and resituated himself in Taru’s lap… even though he didn’t really fit.

His heir was over the moon as he hugged the pup to him and even got a lick!

You never gave me a lick before…

Pepper turned and pressed his head against Taru’s chest to stare at him.

You haven’t earned it yet.

Vrasje’s face fell into dismay at the same time Pepper’s wolf gave a quiet scoffing laugh.

Heartless!

Vrasje turned to face away, trying to keep his frustration from his heir who was doting on
his
mate. Pressing fingers to his furrowed brow, Vrasje closed his eyes and pursed his lips to keep from baring his fangs.

I’m not being fare. He’s not just mine.

Forcing himself to calm down, Vrasje counted all the way to seventy-seven before he felt something abruptly yank on his hair! Flailing backwards, he fell to his back just in time for the culprit to lie down right on top of him! To add insult to injury, Pepper still had a thick length of his long hair between his teeth as he settled his head on his chest and huffed a breath right into his face.

“You are a brat,” Vrasje stated resolutely.

His words earned a curious head tilt from Pepper, then a tap to his forehead with a massive paw.

Vrasje grabbed that paw and slowly lowered it back to his chest before meeting the pup’s eyes.

“Pepper, would you really attack humans if you saw them again? They aren’t all bad. They definitely aren’t all good, either, but I have several servants here who would be happy to help take care of you, but I don’t want to put them in harm’s way…”

The giant wolf gave a quiet grumble before climbing off of him. Vrasje quickly sat back up, but before he could figure out what the pup was going to do it circled back around and grabbed another length of his hair to tug on.

He wasn’t too happy with the wolf’s silence, but at least it hadn’t outright said that it would attack any humans it saw. He would take it as a positive for now.

“Hey Kova? Is the brace washable? Can it get wet?” he asked as he noticed the rain outside the large windows coming down harder.

Kova nodded as he sipped a glass of blood back at the table.

“It can get wet as long as it’s cleaned and dried in a reasonable amount of time. I can also replace anything on it that gets damaged.”

Vrasje grinned and looked at the pup still gently tugging at his long hair.

“Hey there, my stubborn love. Would you like to go find some mud to roll in? It looks like there’s going to be plenty of nice spots to choose from…”

Pepper’s ears went up and he immediately dropped the length of hair he’d been pulling, allowing Vrasje to stand up. The pup was hot on his heels the moment he began walking toward the back double doors. The clicking of the brace as the steadying plate hit the floor told him of his approach like a parade drum announcing royalty. He couldn’t help but laugh out loud as the wolf went flying by him a moment later, then slid to a stop at the door with a whine.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Vrasje said as he tugged off his nice shirt as he walked.

To his surprise, Taru was at his side a moment later without his own fancy shirt and jacket. Kova was even following, but instead of taking off clothing, he’d picked up Taru’s and folded them neatly in his arms, then opened an umbrella he had brought with him.

The moment that door was opened Pepper bolted out into the backyard, completely ignoring the heavy rain. Vrasje watched as he eagerly splashed through puddles, though his movements were still quite stiff. He was making the absolute best of what he now had.

For a pup who has been locked away for so long, and with such a severe injury, he sure is running around like a puppy.

Before he could think about joining him, Vrasje noticed something blur past him.

Taru?!

His heir excitedly slid into a large puddle, splashing the already-soaking wet werewolf romping around nearby. The splash got Pepper’s attention right away, and pretty soon they were actually play-wrestling together!

“I don’t think I could be any prouder than I am right now,” he said to himself as he sensed Kova walk up beside him.

The man was silent, at first, but then he gave a quiet sigh and turned to look at him from beneath his umbrella.

“I can’t say that I’ll ever get used to having wolves around, but since this pup belongs to Taru, I can’t find myself able to see it in anything but a positive light.”

Vrasje straightened his shoulders and grinned at the man beside him.

“I never thought I would get used to them, either. Honestly, I’m probably not going to do to well with other wolves, but Marra is an absolute sweetheart, and both of his wolves are well mannered… if a bit grumpy sometimes.”

Kova nodded as they both returned to watching the show. Poor Taru was completely covered in mud, and Pepper wasn’t making things easy on him, either. The wolf had spread itself out over its master, holding the vampire down even though Taru could have easily moved him.

When his heir noticed them watching, he grinned excitedly right before Pepper licked all the way from his chin to his forehead!

“I better go save my poor heir,” Vrasje eventually said as he walked forward.

He thought that he’d solve the situation simply by nudging the wolf off of Taru, but it turns out that Pepper could get quite possessive of his playthings, and unfortunately for Taru, he was said plaything at the moment.

That led to quite the wrestling match between Vrasje and what
should
have been a feeble, emaciated wolf!

How are you so strong already?!

They messed around in the mud for so long that Taru and Kova ended up being called away for other matters, then the rainstorm slowed to a stop.

Utterly exhausted and completely soaked through with mud, Vrasje lay staring up at the gloomy sky with Pepper contently settled atop his chest. It was panting hard, too, and looked to be able to lean forward and probably grab at more of his hair, but before the wolf could complete its intended action, it’s form wavered and faded away.

Vrasje immediately sat up and tugged Marquise into his arms for a tight hug. It took the man a few minutes to come around, but when he did, his expression was absolutely priceless.

“Pepper… was playing in the mud?” he finally asked as he looked around at the muddy landscape, then down, at his own excessively dirty self.

Vrasje simply slipped the brace from his arm and fastened it to his belt with a clip, then stood up with his love in his arms.

“Yep! We had a good time. Would you like to reenact it?” he asked excitedly, no longer feeling the least bit tired!

Marquise looked like he was about to roll his eye when a gloop of mud fell toward it, forcing him to shut it.

“Let’s just go wash up, I think I have mud in places I never should…” he mumbled, making Vrasje chuckle as he pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“Alright. A nice hot bath, then, perhaps, a nap with your favorite vampire?” he said as he began walking back toward the house, carrying his love with a content smile on his face.

Marquise wiped away the mud from his eye before settling with his arms wrapped around the man’s neck.

“But master Taru has already gone home for the day,” he eventually replied, making Vrasje pause at the back doors and scowl.

Heartless!

Chapter 26

Marquise sat on the edge of the giant carved bathing tub that had been installed in the floor on the lower level of Vrasje’s home. He’d thought his master’s fancy bathing tub had been impressive, but this one was easily three times its size!

There were also no humans around, so he felt a lot more comfortable not having to worry about guarding against his larger wolf. 

He’s been doing surprisingly well since meeting Vrasje, thankfully.

“I’m going to run upstairs and grab some things. Wait here for me please,” Vrasje said, drawing Marquise’s attention toward him. 

He quickly nodded his agreement, then returned his attention to the water slowly rising in the carved tub. It soon reached his feet, and thanks to whoever had prepared the room for them, it was already beginning to warm up due to the pans of hot coal settled beneath it. 

This is going to be nice. 

Marquise kicked his muddy feet in the water and watched as the particles of dirt drifted off his skin. 

Hmm? 

The pump had stopped. 

Looking over his shoulder, he noted that the door was still shut. Closing his eyes, he focused on trying to pinpoint Vrasje within the house, and was a bit surprised to sense that he was still upstairs. 

I guess I’ll do it. It seems simple enough. 

And it was. He easily got the pump going again, then sat down next to it and reached over to run his dirty fingers through the gently flowing water. They, too, came clean after just a short amount of time. 

Holding that hand in front of him, he calmly brought his other still-dirty one up to settle beside it. 

Such a difference a little water can make…

Smiling, he used his clean hand to wipe his dirty one, thus removing the soil from it, too, before rinsing them both. 

Maybe it really is this simple. 

He sat there for quite a while, pumping the water every time it stopped until the tub ended up completely full. And yet…

Looking over his shoulder again, Marquise frowned at the closed door. 

I guess I’ll just bathe by myself. 

Glancing around the area, he located a small container of soap that must have been left by one of the servants. Getting up, he walked over and checked the contents. 

They all smell pretty good. I’ll just borrow a little of the liquid one. 

Taking the small container, he walked back over to the pool and, finally, slid completely into it. 

Oh man, this feels great. 

Especially after having been covered in cold mud. Since no one was around to watch him, Marquise happily dipped under the water and swam around the large bathing pool. 

He surfaced by the far wall after a few moments, then shook out his now-soaking mop of dark hair with a dopey grin on his face. 

I wanna howl…

He hadn’t had such an urge in a
long
 time. 

Wait a second…

Swimming over to the edge where he left the soap, Marquise settled on a ledge, then focused internally. 

I knew it. You little brat. 

Alphas rarely howled, since theirs was the most important signal to their pack. It was extremely unprofessional for an alpha to howl without dire importance, because it would call all of his packmates to him without fail.

He didn’t have a pack anymore, anyways, so what good was his howl?  

Garlic perked up in his mind.

Why are you so determined to stay stuck to me? Aren’t you your own wolf?
he asked it, a little frustrated that the need to howl was still building within him, no matter how hard he tried to push it back. 

He heard a little huff in his mind, then let that sound unintentionally slip through his lips.

You!

Grumbling under his breath, Marquise got busy cleaning himself with a handful of the barrowed soap. It smelled a bit like roses, but wasn’t very strong. 

Once his hair was nice and soapy, he began working on scrubbing off his body. He even got between his toes after getting up out of the water, and every other nook and cranny he could find. 

Darn it, how can there be mud in these places? 

Next time Pepper decided to take a mud bath with their master, he was going to have to stay and get scrubbed up himself! 

A quiet yet-audible sigh slipped from his lips as he began to feel anxious. 

You stop it. I should not have to repeat myself. I’m not howling. 

Besides, what good was it anymore, anyways? Who would it attract besides, maybe, Vras—“You brat! I don’t need to call him down here. I can clean my own body!” he growled, getting frustrated now. 

He wasn’t as against the man being in his personal space as he had been, but that didn’t mean that he wanted to specifically call him back downstairs to scrub mud out of his bare ass!

Though this has been the first bath I think I’ve actually taken by myself since Taru picked me up. 

The thought had him grinning immediately… then frowning. Then scowling. He was about to reprimand the pup again and try to peal it away from his own thoughts when he suddenly tilted his head back and closed his eye. He just-barely managed to keep the howl from coming out, but it took a lot of effort! 

A wave of frustration swam over him, making Marquise roll his eyes as he quickly slipped back into the warm water to rinse off. 

“This is my body, too. I don’t have to call for him whenever
you
want me to.”

Ducking under the water, Marquise quickly scrubbed the soap from his hair, then ran his hands over his body a few times to remove any excess left on his skin.  

When he finally surfaced again he could barely feel Garlic’s presence. 

About time you gave up. 

He hadn’t wanted to be mean to the pup, but pushing him into a relationship wasn’t fair. Swimming over to the edge, Marquise lifted his arms up out of the water and crossed them before resting his chin there. 

It wasn’t that he was completely against the man being his mate, but he definitely wouldn’t have been on board with their rough kiss last night if Garlic hadn’t nudged him into it. 

Frustrated, he tilted his head and began to lick at the moisture on his left arm to try and calm himself down a little bit. He was so engrossed in grooming himself that he didn’t even notice when someone came in, then knelt down beside him. 

The only thing that snapped him out of his worry, and made him jump a little, was when Vrasje settled a hand against his damp hair. 

“Hey sweetheart,” the man said quietly as he got into a sitting position. 

When Marquise slowly looked up, Vrasje let his hand fall away from his hair, but instead of going back to his side it redirected as he scooted closer to the edge of the water and slid his legs in. As he dropped down onto the little ledge that Marquise was kneeling on, he took Marquise’s left hand in his own, making him turn to face him as he slid back into the water, too. 

“What are you doing?” he asked as the vampire gently ran his free hand over the spot that he’d licked… a little too much. It was angrily red, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. 

“It’ll heal,” he said as he tried to withdraw his arm. 

Vrasje refused to release it, earning a scowl. 

“Why did you get in the bath, anyways? You still have your clothing on,” Marquise said with a frustrated tone to his voice. 

Vrasje looked down at the water, blushed, then quickly looked away. 

“I apologize for taking so long to return. I was speaking with one of my patrols.”

Hmph, ignoring my question. 

He would let it slide, though, because now he was curious what had held up the vampire. 

“Werewolves?” he asked, already figuring that they were the most likely reason for the man’s delay in returning. 

 Vrasje nodded. 

“A new pack is trying to move in near the sea. They slipped past my scouts and are already only a few miles away. It won’t be a safe situation if they come any closer.” 

Marquise pursed his lips, then licked them as he felt the man finally release his arm. 

“You’re going to intercept them?” he asked, hoping, just the slightest bit, that the man didn’t have to go. 

Vrasje gave him a slightly lopsided smile. 

“I sent two of my men out to confront them. They are ordered to withdraw if the pack tries to attack. At that point, I will go myself,” he said, making Marquise relax the slightest bit. 

Of course, he knew that the pack would likely attack. He’d rarely come across friendly wolves. Even his own hadn’t been the easiest to transition to living like humans. He’d even had to leave some behind in the forest, though it had hurt him greatly to abandon them.  

“Let me come with you,” he said without an ounce of hesitation. 

Unfortunately, Vrasje replied immediately afterward. 

“No.”

Marquise bristled, but before he could complain that he was perfectly capable of going, and it would probably help to have a werewolf there to help communicate, Vrasje pulled him into his arms. The abrupt movement had water sloshing over the edge of the tub, but neither of them paid it any mind. 

“I know that having you there would definitely help, but I can’t put you in such danger. You know as well as I do that wild wolves are not easy to deal with. If I brought you it c—” a faint sniffing sound took over abruptly, followed by a quiet growl. 

Uh…? 

Before Marquise could question the man’s strange actions Vrasje had released him and was up and out of the water, stomping toward something that he must have brought in with him when he’d returned. Once he picked it up, he turned back around and brought the bag over. 

“What is that?” Marquise asked as he moved to lean his arms on the edge of the pool again. 

Vrasje sat down and settled his legs over the edge again, but instead of slipping into the water, he set the bag aside and grabbed the hem of his soaked shirt. A moment later and it was being tugged up and over his head. 

He couldn’t look away. 

In fact, he was so entranced, partially because of the little pup now suddenly pressing against his mind, that he didn’t even notice the man reaching into the bag. A moment later and Vrasje’s strong hands were working soap into his already-washed hair!

“Wh-what are you doing?!” Marquise squeaked as he tried to swat the man’s hands away!

To his surprise, Vrasje suddenly grabbed his hair so tightly that he immediately stopped struggling and winced slightly. The man must have noticed his discomfort because he immediately relaxed his hold, then gently continued working the new shampoo into his hair. 

“I’m sorry, I overreacted,” Vrasje said, his words slurring slightly because his fangs were fully extended. 

I totally get that you overreacted, my head still hurts a little, but I have no idea why. 

“You smelled like someone else. That rose soap belongs to one of my vampiric servants…” Vrasje mumbled, now looking quite remorseful. 

Oh. 

Well, the reaction kind of made sense then, but still. 

“You know that I’m not interested in other people,” he said, earning Vrasje’s attention as the man looked back up at him. 

What is that grin for? What are you thinking you stubborn vampire? 

“I’m thinking that my sweet wolf likes me a whole lot.” 

Marquise rolled his eye but didn’t bother replying. Instead, he turned and slipped back into the water, then ducked beneath the surface to rinse the new soap out of his hair. 

He finished that task faster than he’d intended, then surfaced and wiped at his eye. When he looked back toward Vrasje, he noticed the man staring at him. 

Well, that wasn’t much of a surprise. 

“Not going to wash up? You have some mud on you, too,” he said, his words an indirect invitation to join him. 

Vrasje seemed to contemplate his words for a moment before his attention appeared to turn inward. 

Is he getting another message about the wolves? 

Marquise swam closer and stood on his tiptoes, waiting. The longer the man remained silent the more anxious he grew. It didn’t help that Garlic was making him fidget, either. 

When Vrasje
finally
 snapped back to himself and looked down at him, Marquise tilted his head slightly. 

“They aren’t withdrawing but they aren’t attacking, either,” he said, making Marquise furrow his brow for a moment before climbing out of the water and sitting before the other man. 

“So… do you plan to go?” he asked as he leaned closer. 

Vrasje thought for only a moment before giving a slight nod. 

“Yeah, I think I should.” 

Marquise jumped up at the same time Vrasje stood, making the man give him a suspicious look.  

“I’m coming with you!” Marquise stated without an ounce of hesitation. 

Unfortunately, Vrasje didn’t look ready to backdown, either. He’d expected as much, though. Before the other man could decline again, Marquise stepped forward and leaned up just enough to press his lips against his vampire’s. 

The man immediately fell silent, clearly stunned. 

He hadn’t really wanted to have to resort to doing such a thing, but for some reason he just felt like he
needed
 to go with him to meet those wolves. 

You are being extremely stubborn about this,
Vrasje finally replied within his mind, not daring to break their kiss to answer with his mouth. 

Marquise smirked against his lips as he felt the man’s hands slide down his damp body before settling on his hips. The kiss lasted for quite some time since neither of them were willing to submit to the other, but Marquise eventually won when he nudged one of his legs between the other man’s, making him gasp and lose just enough of his focus for Marquise to take over. 

Before he realized how far he was pushing the situation, however, Marquise had Vrasje pinned on the floor again with his fangs buried in his throat.   

Garlic…

Retracting his fangs once he realized what he was doing, Marquise quickly sat up on Vrasje’s chest and wiped the man’s blood from his lips as he tried to catch his breath. 

Darn you, my heart’s racing and I’m hard. 

It didn’t help that Vrasje had a solid grip on his right thigh, either. 

He expected Garlic’s excitement to surge through his system at that moment, but when he felt a calm, steady interest instead, he swallowed nervously. 

Pepper…?

Marquise felt the wolf moving just beneath his skin. It almost seemed like it was getting more comfortable instead of trying to come out. 

What are you doing? 

He snapped out of his thoughts as Vrasje slowly sat up, making him slide backwards until he was settled in the man’s lap and their mouths were pressed together again. 

I like this vampire,
Pepper replied. 
 

Marquise winced as he felt Vrasje nip at his lip enough to draw blood, but instead of growling like he thought he would, his body decided that a moan was the more logical response. He was just about to lift his hands up to delve into the man’s long hair when Vrasje suddenly leaned away, allowing him to clear his thoughts enough to quickly lower his hands back down again. 

“As much as I’d love to spend the night with you, love, I need to go,” Vrasje said, his words sounding quite strained. That was probably because Marquise could feel something beneath him within the man’s pants that seemed quite
strained
, too. 

He quickly scurried off the man’s lap and grabbed a nearby towel to wrap around his waist before giving his face a few smacks to try and clear his perverted mind. He heard an annoyed grumble in the back of his mind in response before Pepper’s presence disappeared completely. 

Thank god. 

Noticing movement by the door, Marquise looked over and immediately ran after Vrasje! 

“Hey, I’m coming too!” he grumbled as he finally caught up to the man’s long strides. 

Vrasje only spared him a brief glance before blurring up the stairs.

Think you’re getting away so easily?!

Marquise focused on his vampiric half and immediately blurred forward to slam right into the steps with a rather pathetic yelp!

Ow… geez. That definitely didn’t go as planned. 

Before he could shake off the shock of the impact he was being lifted into familiar arms and carried up the stairs. By the time they were back in Vrasje’s room he had come back to his senses… and was quite embarrassed. 

Vrasje settled him on the bed, then blurred around the room getting dressed in a matter of mere moments. When his form finally stopped in front of him again he was fully clothed in a pair of loose black pants, black boots, and a form-fitting tank top that made it hard to look anywhere else. His hair had also been pulled up into a messy bun, likely to keep it out of his face in case there was a fight, but…

Marquise stood from the bed and walked behind the man as he reached up to undo the tie holding his hair. 

“This won’t do,” he mumbled to himself as he gently combed out the long strands with his fingers, then carefully twisted it up into a more reasonable look. 

It was still kept out of his face, but it looked more like a high ponytail now rather than a sloppy bun. 

Once done, Vrasje turned around with a calm smile and leaned in for a quick kiss. Marquise turned his head at just the right time, making the vampire hesitate a mere inch away from him. 

When Vrasje straightened back up, Marquise looked back at him. 

“I’m coming, too.” 

Vrasje didn’t look happy with his stubborn determination, but after a full minute stare-down, he gave a long, stressed sigh before walking over to a solid wood armoire and swinging the double doors to it open. When he stepped aside and looked back at him expectantly, Marquise hurried forward. 

Holy… where had all of these clothes come from?!

“Get dressed. You have five minutes to meet me downstairs or I’ll leave you here… with guards,” Vrasje said right before he walked out the door, making Marquise grin with excitement as he yanked down an easy outfit and got ready in two minutes flat! 

He hopped out of the room as he tugged on his second boot, then ran down the hall with a decent limp as he straightened his long-coat on his shoulders. 

His feet paused at the tall staircase, but he wasn’t deterred. Instead of walking down it with his limp, he hopped up onto the railing and easily rode it all the way to the bottom floor. He was just getting ready for the fast landing when Vrasje suddenly appeared at the bottom and easily scooped him into his arms as he slid from the railing. 

The man didn’t look impressed as he stared down at him, but Marquise could only grin up at him. 

“Three minutes, yeah?” he asked, making Vrasje roll his eyes before turning and carrying him right out into the night without a single word more.

Chapter 27

Blood? 

Marquise took in another deep breath just to be sure. 

Someone is definitely bleeding, or has dried blood on them. 

They weren’t too far away from their destination, he’d imagine, so it wasn’t too surprising to smell such a thing, but he’d thought that Vrasje had ordered no one to attack. 

No one has. Several of the wolves are injured. 

Marquise frowned as he held on a little tighter where he’d wrapped his arms around Vrasje’s neck. 

Probably a fight with another pack near the border
, he pondered. 

They slowed to a stop a few minutes later and Vrasje carefully set him down on his feet. After a quick stretch Marquise looked across the clearing to the shadowy figures hunkered down in the forest beyond. 

Hello?
he thought, projecting the word toward the group of wolves. 

It had been quite a while since he’d talked to his own species in such a way, but it seemed easy enough to pick back up. 

He immediately felt a cautious wave curious whispers swim through his mind, making him smile as his invisible tail swished with excitement. He was just about to begin walking forward when a firm hand grasped his wrist, stopping him before he could take a single step. 

Looking over his shoulder, he wasn’t surprised to see his vampire staring at him disapprovingly. 

“I’ll be okay. They aren’t interested in attacking, just like your men told you. They’re really nervous and stressed.” 

Vrasje tugged him back against him and settled an arm around his waist. 

“Stressed animals tend to be the most vicious. Did they tell you why they are here?” Vrasje asked, not willing to let him wiggle his way free. 

Holding back a pout, Marquise looked back toward the pack of wolves and was surprised to see a few poking their heads out from the lower vegetation. 

Hello, my name is Marquise and I live in this town. The person beside me is named Vrasje and he’s normally a hunter, but he’s willing to talk since you guys aren’t being aggressive. Is there something specific you came her for?

He waited in silence as the pack considered their words, then, finally, a massive male walked out from behind a large thorn bush. 

Brown? 

He didn’t know the wolf’s real name, if it even had one, but he’d definitely come to blows with it before. It was obvious right away that the wolf was injured, limping with its back right leg held up, but what took Marquise’s attention almost immediately was what he saw between the large wolf’s jaws. 

A pup?!

Shoving away Vrasje’s arm, Marquise hurried forward with only a slight limp. 

The other alpha paused for a moment to consider the situation, but when it didn’t retreat Marquise continued until he was only a few feet away. He then carefully lowered himself into the tall grass, making himself the least imposing he could. 

He normally wouldn’t get so close to a wolf he didn’t know well, but there were plenty of vampires behind him with silver crossbows pointed toward the pack. They wouldn’t dare start being aggressive just because he got a bit closer. 

Alpha Marquise.

There he was. 

“Brown wolf,” Marquise said as he bowed his head in greeting. 

The wolf returned his greeting with a slight bob of its own head, but there was clearly a rush to his actions. 

Alpha, I do not know your situation or how you came to be as you are, and at this time, I do not care. Are your vampires able to heal this pup? 

Marquise glanced over his shoulder and was a little startled when he saw Vrasje only a few paces away. 

“Are we able to help the pup, Jey?” 

Vrasje looked behind himself, drawing Marquise’s attention until he saw his master arrive!

“Taru!” he greeted happily as the man approached. 

Taru smiled warmly at him, then turned that sweet grin toward the nervous wolf in front of them. He stopped right at Marquise’s side, then calmly sat down beside him before speaking. 

“Hello, I’m one of this town’s doctors. I’d be happy to look at your sweet pup for you.” 

The alpha flicked an ear, then limped the remaining few steps separating them before, ever-so-gently, setting the little bloody pup in the grass in front of them. 

Marquise quickly but gently picked up the bloody bundle of fur, then turned slightly as he held it out so that Taru could look it over easier. 

Several wolves from another pack slipped into our den while our hunters were gone. They killed three of the guards and severely injured two others before we got back to defend the pups. He’s the only one left. 

Marquise nodded and relayed the important bit of the information he was given.

“Another pack got to him. Killed all the others.” 

Taru nodded as he looked over the pup closely, his previous smile slipping downward into a frown quite quickly. It didn’t take him long before he was looking back up at the panting alpha  before them. 

“I might be able to help him but it will not be easy. I need to take him back to my home as soon as possible. Will you allow that?” he asked as the wolf lifted its lips away from its teeth a few times. 

“Of course, you are welcome to come along. I would be willing to look at your injuries, too, but the townsfolk here aren’t too keen on wolves so I can’t extend that invitation to your entire pack at this time,” Taru added, his words seemingly calming the large beast some. 

The brown wolf limped forward until its massive muzzle was able to nuzzle the pup’s limp body in Marquise’s arms. 

I will follow you, alpha Marquise,
the wolf said after a tense moment of silence. 

Marquise nodded and carefully got to his feet after handing the pup off to Taru. Before he was even able to straighten Vrasje was beside him, lifting his shaky body into his arms. 

Didn’t realize I was shaking so much. 

Vrasje held him close as he wrapped his legs around the vampire’s waist. 

Remember, Pepper ran around with Taru earlier, then you bathed and were running about getting ready. You’re still not completely healed, you need to be more careful
, he thought to him, chastising even as he rubbed his back with one hand. 

The alpha followed them silently, his attention completely focused on the little bloody ball of fur in Taru’s arms. 

Once they were able to get an understanding on how fast the injured alpha could travel they made their way back to Taru’s home as quickly as possible. 

As soon as Taru walked in the door he was all business. They went to the familiar room where he’d initially been treated. To his surprise, though, there were quite a few more things inside of it now. 

I was ready in case anyone else tried to hurt you,
Taru thought to him as he busied himself wiping off the pup with a damp cloth to reveal several deep puncture wounds around its neck and chest. 

He made sure to keep the pup on a cloth spread out on the side of the bed where he intended to treat it so that the alpha could stay close. 

After securing an IV to its little paw he got busy cleaning up the wounds one at a time, then sewed them each up with care. 

“Phew, I think I’m just about done,” he said as he cleaned up the last bit of blood from the top of its coat. 

It would definitely need a bath at some point, but at least it didn’t look nearly as bad now. In fact… 

A quiet, miniscule whine squeaked from the tiny bundle of mussed fur as its little paw flexed the slightest bit. 

“There you are, little one. Don’t worry, you’ll be feeling better in no time,” Taru said as he gently added a little medication to the spot behind its head that was likely to help with any fleas or ticks that had wandered onto it. 

The alpha had been resting on the floor while Taru worked in order to stay out of the way, but it now stood and licked the pup’s little muzzle. It gave out another exhausted cry in response, making the alpha grumble back and swish its tail a few times. 

My thanks to you and your vampires
, it thought to him, making Marquise smile from where he’d been forced to sit down by Vrasje. 

“Would you like to take a bath while you’re here? I can look at your injury, too,” Taru said as he turned to the alpha. 

The brown wolf quickly shook its head, its entire focus on the little pup in front of its nose. 

“Alright, what about the rest of your pack? Do any of the other wolves need tended?” Taru asked right before Marquise pushed himself back up to his feet and walked closer. 

“You need to let Taru look at you. If your leg is broken you won’t be much good to your pack for very long.”

The other alpha raised its hackles slightly, but the gesture was miniscule. It knew that he was right. To his surprise, and likely everyone else’s in the room, instead of just lying down to allow his master to examine him, the wolf’s form wavered, then blurred until a thin, dirty young man sat leaning against the side of the bed. 

It was now easy to tell that he was in severe pain since there was no longer fur covering his features. His leg had clearly been torn up by another wolf. There was even a bit of bone visible that had punctured through the layer of skin previously containing it. 

Taru didn’t hesitate to sit down beside him with some of his medical supplies and begin working. The alpha’s leg took much longer to mend than the little pup he’d brought with him. 

It clearly hurt a lot, too, but he kept his lips sealed and didn’t lift a single finger toward Taru no matter what the man did. 

Marquise was honestly surprised that he had shifted at all, but it definitely seemed to make it easier on Taru dealing with a human leg instead of a giant furry one. 

By the time midnight came around Taru was just finishing up. 

“You’re going to have to use a crutch for a bit, but your leg should heal as long as you’re careful for a little while,” Taru said, earning a tense nod from the man as he finally looked over at him with his bright gold eyes. 

It’s a good thing that Kova isn’t here. That stare would not make the man very happy… at all. 

Heck, he wasn’t very happy with it, either, but the man was behaving as well as they could hope. Better, even. If he wanted to look at Taru in such a way, what did it really matter? So long as he didn’t act out at all. 

“Alright, it’s bed time for you,” Vrasje said suddenly as he picked Marquise up and began heading for the door, drawing everyone’s attention to him. 

I could have walked out myself…

Either way, he only grumbled a bit as he wrapped his arms and legs around the man now carrying him down the hall.

“You’re not allowed near him without me there,” Vrasje said, making Marquise lean back just enough to glare at him. 

“He’s not going to do anything to me. We fought some in the past over territory, but he’s clearly injured and knows he’s not going to win anything here.” 

Vrasje returned his glare with a harsh one of his own as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. 

“And what are you? Are you not injured? Do you not have permanent disabilities that would make you an easy target for him if he decided to try anything?” Vrasje hissed, clearly angry that he wasn’t taking the situation more seriously. 

Marquise wisely shut his mouth, but that didn’t stop him from scowling against the man’s shoulder.   

 “I love you, Marra. I’m sorry I’m overprotective,” Vrasje eventually said as they walked out the front door and turned in the direction of their own home. 

Marquise pouted for a few more minutes before the smell of something delicious caught his attention and he sniffed the air a few times. 

“Hungry, love? I think there’s a night market going on this evening,” Vrasje asked as he gently set Marquise back down on his feet, then took his hand. 

“Would you like to stop by on the way home?” 

Marquise was already following his nose, making Vrasje chuckle quietly as he followed along. They spent a good hour at the market, sampling pastries, meat pies, and even each others’ mouths a few times. 

It was the first time in a long time that he’d been able to relax and just have fun. Of course, they had quite a few sets of eyes on them the entire time, especially since Vrasje was in his hunting outfit, but no one ended up bothering them. 

By the time they had finished their last bite of food Marquise was becoming dizzy with the need to rest. Vrasje noticed immediately, and with practiced ease simply lifted him back up into his arms and carried his sleeping form all the way home with a content smile on his face.

Chapter 28

He’d woken up horny… the one time Vrasje was sound asleep, curled up in front of him.

 Stretching a bit beneath the blankets, Marquise watched the man breathe calmly in and out, his tempo nearly perfect. 

Now that he thought about it, Vrasje hadn’t been breathing when they’d first met unless they had gotten worn out. Recently, though, he remembered that the guy had been breathing pretty regularly. 

Mm, I like it.
 

He rolled onto his belly, then propped himself up on his elbows and leaned forward to nuzzle his forehead against the other man’s gently. He quickly got distracted by Vrasje’s long bangs and grabbed a length to tug on. 

When his vampire still didn’t awaken, he leaned closer with the length of silky hair still between his lips and pressed his nose into the crook of Vrasje’s neck.  

“Jey…” he half whispered, half groaned. 

How could he sleep so deeply? Don’t vampires rarely need to rest? 

He was just about to give up and just let his body calm itself down when he heard a barely-there chuckle. 

You…

Scowling, Marquise released the length of hair from between his lips and sat up. Not a second later and he was tugged back down by Vrasje’s strong arms. Another moment passed and he was now sitting on top of Vrasje’s firm chest with a deep blush on his face. 

“I’m sorry, love. You were being so adorable and seemed quite content with your exploration. I couldn’t interrupt.”

Of course not
, Marquise grumbled in his mind even as his fingers flexed against Vrasje’s smooth skin. 

“I’m hard,” he eventually mumbled. 

Vrasje gave another chuckle and raised an eyebrow as he stared pointedly at Marquise’s lower bits. 

“Clearly. Are you in need of assistance from a
very
 handsome, skilled, vampire?” Vrasje asked, never taking his attention away from a certain taut item. 

Marquise scoffed immediately as he looked away, glaring at the wall. 

“What
Skill?
” 

In the blink of an eye Marquise was on his back with Vrasje’s cool body pressed comfortable against his own. 

Long tendrils of the man’s hair settled against his shoulders and the right side of his face as he leaned closer, a knowing smirk on his face until it vanished as his face moved past his own to nuzzle into the crook of his neck. 

“I have been around a
very
 long time, love. I’ve not had many partners, and they’ve all been female, but I’ve learned quite a lot. I believe I will be able to please you,” he said with such sure words that Marquise’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest with how fast it was now beating. 

Aren’t you half dead? Why are you beating so fast?!

Marquise was snapped out of his thoughts as one of Vrasje’s hands reached up to settle against he back of his head, then gently pressed down, guiding him forward until their mouths touched. 

The next several minutes were quite a blur of motion and some awkward bantering about how he didn’t even bother to prepare Vrasje’s poor backside after switching their positions again and shoving himself inside!

His ingenious response when hissed at? 

Werewolf. 

Wolves clearly didn’t prep in the wild, so he hadn’t exactly known that he should have done so with a vampire! The man was his first try at physical intimacy, too. Being an alpha hadn’t really allotted him much time for relationships.

He was just considering pulling out and letting his body cool off in the fountain out back when Vrasje grabbed his shoulders, holding him in place. 

“Stop being so stubborn. Just because I’m correcting you doesn’t mean I don’t want to continue,” Vrasje said as he gave his shoulders a gentle squeeze. 

Marquise pursed his lips as his fingers flexed slightly against Vrasje’s chest, but he couldn’t bring himself to argue anymore. 

Sighing out his frustration, he nudged his hips forward a tiny bit, silently telling the man to get on with his lecture if he intended to teach him what he evidently needed to know. 

Vrasje turned his head where it rested against a pillow and nodded toward the nightstand. 

“There are a few bottles in the drawer there. Grab one, please.” 

Marquise did as told, taking the first one he could reach. He then handed it to Vrasje before returning his hand to the man’s chest with a pout. 

Vrasje just grinned at him before unscrewing the top of the bottle. After tapping it a few times against his palm, his hand came away quite wet. 

Once he replaced the bottle on the nightstand, that hand reached right between his legs where they were still connected and grabbed Marquise! The cold chill of the thick liquid made him jump slightly, startled. 

“It will warm up quickly as you begin to move again, love,” Vrasje said calmly as he coated what he could of Marquise’s length with the strange fluid, then gave it a gentle tug. 

“Let’s try again, shall we?” he asked with a grin as he reached up with his clean hand and pressed it against the side of Marquise’s cheek. 

Marquise didn’t hesitate to begin pressing forward again, and, to his surprise, it was much easier to maneuver inside of the other man now. He quickly settled on an even rhythm as he felt Vrasje’s legs wrap around his waist, hugging his body closer and goading him on with the simple gesture. 

As soon as Marquise leaned close enough Vrasje reached up with his arms and wrapped them around his shoulders, hugging him even closer and guiding Marquise’s head into the crook of his neck. 

He didn’t need another hint. Sinking his fangs into the man’s neck, he picked up his pace as shivers began to run up and down his spine and his breathing picked up, turning into pants. 

Soon he felt Vrasje’s fingers intertwining in his hair tightly, making his hips move even faster as the man
finally
 began to make some quiet sounds of pleasure. 

He was just about to lose himself and Vrasje was
just
now getting into it enough to make noise… 

You will learn, love. I am enjoying myself very much, I am just not normally one to make sounds. Nor have I ever been on the bottom of such an exchange. You are bringing out quite a new side to me, Marra. 

Marquise felt his face warm as he arched his back and groaned against the man’s cool skin. His body released as he tensed and Vrasje’s arms and legs tightened around him further. 

Feels good. 

He’d felt a very simple version of what he was now feeling every once in a while when his length became oddly hard in the morning, but those times didn’t even come close to comparing to the intensity of the current sensations he was going through. 

It took him a few moments to come down from his hazy orgasm, but when he finally returned to himself and retracted his fangs his arms felt like Jell-O and he gladly allowed Vrasje to guide him downward until he was lying on the man’s chest.   

Hmm, wait a second…

Vrasje was still hard. 

“It’s alright, you did very well. It’s time to rest,” Vrasje said, making Marquise scowl before looking up at the man. 

When Vrasje simply tilted his head slightly, smiling contently, Marquise’s scowl deepened. He didn’t really want to touch the guy right then, especially since he was a bit shaky from what they’d just done and he really didn’t want that thick liquid on his hands…

Pushing himself to the side after pulling out, Marquise rolled off of him until he was on his back. As he moved off of him Vrasje pushed himself up onto his elbow and turned his naked body to face him. 

“Go ahead, it’s only fair,” Marquise said before quickly turning his head to face away. 

He was pretty nervous, but Vrasje hadn’t seemed to mind his show of affection, so surely it wouldn’t be too bad for him, either. 

Vrasje didn’t seem like he was for the idea, however, and he was likely about to decline when Marquise turned his head back to face him before pointedly looking down at the man’s stiff length. 

“I’m an alpha werewolf. I can handle a little sex.” 

Vrasje raised his eyebrows, but instead of hesitating further, he actually moved until he was overtop him on his hands and knees. 

When Marquise just closed his eyes and swallowed once, Vrsaje leaned down and began nibbling at his neck. 

It took a few more moments before he settled his body on top of him, and even though he knew it probably wouldn’t hurt much, since Vrasje had been fine, Marquise couldn’t help but hear his heartbeat thumping hard in his ears. 

“I’ll be gentle,” Vrasje eventually said as he moved a bit here and there. 

When Marquise finally felt his length press up against his backside he fidgeted slightly. The man had reapplied the cold liquid from that jar. 

It’s probably for the best. Just in case. 

“Just shove it in. I did it to you and you were fine pretty quickly,” he said, keeping his eyes closed. 

Vrasje waited a few more moments, kissing him and rubbing a hand firmly over his hips before replying. 

“I’m a vampire, love. A lot of my nerves have died long ago, yet it still hurt. Let’s take it slower.” 

Marquise blinked open his eyes and glared up at the man. 

“I’m part vampire, too. I’ll be fine. Let’s get this over with. You’re not gonna hurt me.” 

Vrasje didn’t look convinced, but he eventually sighed and positioned himself better. 

“I will get you some medication and compresses once we are done,” he said, making Marquise open his mouth to respond… only to end up squealing like an angry three day old baby when Vrasje abruptly thrust himself completely inside!

And that was how their first time went. With him enjoying himself quite a bit inside Vrasje… and Vrasje making him faint before he could even come close to his own orgasm.

Chapter 29

(How are we already almost at chapter 30 >.> I wanna switch off the PoV to brown wolf at some point so this one might end soon and be taken over by the new lead. We shall see.)

It doesn’t hurt… 

The gentle rhythm of a cool hand rubbing up and down his bare back slowly pulled Marquise out of his dreams. He allowed the hand to continue for several minutes until it began to go farther south, making his eyes jerk open as he tilted his head up to glare at a contently smiling Vrasje. 

He was about to ask the man where he thought his hand was going, but then caught himself and settled down again. 

You know exactly where your hand is going. 

A faint chuckle vibrated the body beneath him as the arm holding him tightened slightly and the hand that had been heading south settled comfortably on his bare backside. 

“I do, love. Are you being shy? Even after we had such a lovely evening together?” Vrasje asked, the inflection in his words making Marquise’s face burn. 

So embarrassing…

He was just slipping into a bit of depression as he thought back on how poorly he’d done with his first time mating when he felt a kiss press against the edge of his ear. 

“Mistakes were made. It happens, love. I still enjoyed our time together and I hope that you will grace my bed with your presence more often from here on out,” Vrasje said as he gently guided Marquise to roll onto his back on top of him. 

He was about to ask the man what he was trying to do when Marquise’s mind immediately dissolved into mush. 

Belly rub…

He instinctively stretched out on top of him as Vrasje’s hand blurred up and down against his belly so quickly that it felt like his entire body was being rubbed at the same time! 

Heaven. 

He didn’t even mind when he felt a damp tongue lick at his right ear, then sharp fangs begin to nibble there. 

Marquise enjoyed the attention so much that he didn’t even realize everything else the man was doing until he felt his body suddenly heating up, then a firm hand squeeze him just the right amount for him to arch his back and moan as he released. 

U-uh… 

That had gone a
completely
 different direction than it normally did. 

“Is it not okay, love? Would you like more time to get used to such attention?” Vrasje murmured near his ear as he returned his clean hand to settle against Marquise’s belly and gently rub his thumb over his hot skin. 

Marquise struggled to find words. He was just a bit taken aback by how quickly that situation had escalated to being sexual. As a werewolf, physical attention was pretty common. At least, amongst his pack. He hadn’t really gotten much over the past few years considering how he’d had to hide his wolf the entire time, but his point was that wolves didn’t normally turn physical attention sexual. 

The faint motion of Vrasje making himself breathe caught his attention and began to calm him down as he closed his eyes and followed the faint rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. 

They were soon breathing in unison and Marquise’s flitting anxiety had dissipated. 

He slowly began to roll over and noticed something pressing against his lower back as he turned, making him carefully scoot off and to the side before looking back down at Vrasje’s stiff length. 

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I was lying on him while he was…

His face hurt with how hard he was blushing. 

“Shall we get ready to eat? I am sure our new wolfish friend will be wanting our attention soon,” Vrasje said as he sat up. 

Marquise watched him, feeling a strange acidic sensation in the pit of his stomach begin to bubble up as the man spoke. By the time he was scooting to the edge of the bed Marquise was
very
 unhappy, but he didn’t understand why. 

He was evidently so caught up in his thoughts that he jumped a little when Vrasje reached over and pressed a hand to his cheek, turning his head so that they were able to lock eyes. 

“Love? What’s wr—!”

Marquise felt Garlic
and
 Pepper pushing him to act, but he couldn’t deny that his actions were also largely his own decision. 

He hadn’t hesitated to pin his vampire back down on their bed and move on top of him with a low growl vibrating up from within his chest. 

Vrasje raised a brow at his abrupt actions, but then smiled calmly. 

“Sweet one, are you jealous?” he asked as he brought his hands up to gently grasp Marquise’s bare waist, no longer minding that one was still a bit dirty. 

Marquise quickly looked away even as his growing claws dug into the man’s shoulders almost enough to make him bleed. 

He’d never liked the look of jealousy on others. To him it was a useless emotion spurred on by insecurity in oneself. 

Oh how the mighty have fallen. 

A hand against the side of his face snapped him out of his self-deprecating thought quickly. 

“You are still mighty, love. In fact, I believe you are far stronger than you were in the past. You have gone through so much recently, and come out on top
and
 with two beautiful wolves to call your own,” Vrasje said, making Marquise calm down as he moved to straddle the man’s waist instead of looming over him. 

“And I am
very
 content with you being jealous over me, love. If anyone dared to sniff after you I would gladly bear my fangs in warning of what I hope is now considered mine, too,” Vrasje added, making Marquise furrow his brow slightly. 

His? 

He never thought that he’d like the idea of being below anyone, especially while he was an active alpha, but to be considered belonging to such an impressive elder vampire… he wasn’t
completely
against the idea. 

“You are thinking far too hard, love. Things will fall into place as they should. To put your mind at ease, however, I will say that I have no interest in that other wolf, at all. I belong only to you. My association with him is strictly professional. You are the only one I want in my bed and in my heart.” 

Marquise made a face at that last line, making Vrasje crack a grin before the man laughed outright. 

“Alright, alright, that was bad, but I believe that I have gotten my point across? I only want you, and I will only
ever
 want you. Now then, shall we get ready for our day now that that is settled?” he asked with a reassuring smile as he tilted his head against the blankets. 

Marquise seemed to consider his words, but then glanced out the windows for a moment before returning his attention to the vampire beneath him. 

“I have something better in mind,” he eventually said, turning Vrasje’s smile into a confused frown. 

Instead of waiting for the man to question him, Marquise reached over and opened the drawer with the glass jars of cold, thick liquid. 

Before he could get his newly-lathered fingers into his backside, however, Vrasje grabbed his wrist with a displeased look on his face. 

“I just finished healing you,” he said sternly, clearly not happy with Marquise’s sudden choice of activities. 

Marquise, on the other hand, wasn’t worried in the least. 

“I’ll take it easy this time. I learned my lesson,” he said, not making Vrasje’s uncomfortable expression any more favorable. 

Marquise pursed his lips as he pressed his free hand against the man’s bare skin. 

Hang on… Garlic? Lend me an ear real quick. 

Well, ears. 

The guy could never say
no
 to Garlic, so maybe…

Marquise was glad to know that he could still partially transform as two fuzzy, sandy brown wolf ears appeared within his messy black hair and wiggled a little as they finished forming. 

There was no denying the affect they had on Vrasje. The man was
immediately
 engrossed in his little additions and within seconds was leaning up on one elbow and reaching forward to gently grasp one of them between his fingers. 

“These…” 

Marquise’s smile turned into a knowing smirk as he leaned forward, sealing their mouths together. 

They kissed for quite some time as Marquise slid his wrist free of Vrasje’s loosened grip to slip between his legs. The moment he grabbed the man’s length he heard his vampire groan in response. 

Their second try at intercourse went quite a bit smoother, and much to his own surprise, Marquise found himself rather enjoying being underneath his lover. He also got a bit carried away with his biting and ended up getting flicked on the nose more than a few times as a reprimand… not that it did much to deter him, though. 

He’d let Garlic come a bit too close to controlling him, and then Pepper decided to step in, too. The result was a myriad of marks all along Vrasje’s upper body. 

Well, at least no one will question that he’s taken… 

“No one would question it, anyways,” Vrasje sighed as he finally rolled off of him with a tired huff. 

Marquise was definitely aching between his legs, but it was thankfully much more manageable than his previous failed attempt. They’d also just gone three rounds, too. 

That liquid might have been pretty cold, but it definitely helped. Going slower was also a good idea, too. Maybe we can do a little more l—
his thoughts were interrupted as he was tugged against Vrasje’s chest. 

“Calm that sweet mind of yours, love. You need to rest. I postponed our meeting with the other wolf until tomorrow, but we can’t do that again. Sleep now,” Vrasje said, making Marquise pout a little before snuggling in. 

He wanted to keep going, but he understood that there were limits. His body was still recovering, and some of it would likely never fully manage that. It was wise to not overdo things. 

He was also a little hungry, but he’d fed from Vrasje during several of his reprimanded nibbles, so he would be fine for a while. 

“Hey Jey?” he mumbled quietly, already feeling his body relaxing. 

The arms around him tightened slightly in response to his words. 

“If anyone asks, I’m the top, okay?” 

There was silence for a moment before he felt Vrasje begin to chuckle quietly. 

“I will surely tell them that if they ask, but I don’t think that they will believe me. You tend to limp a lot, love.” 

He… wasn’t wrong. 

With a quiet exhale, Marquise snuggled in a bit more, dismissing their little conversation as he closed his eyes to rest a bit. He wasn’t too interested in sleeping, but it didn’t take him long at all before he was snoring quietly against his vampire.

Chapter 30

(In case anyone missed it, here’s the spin-off for brown wolf: 
https://www.wattpad.com/1374254738-adrift-mxm-coming-soon-chapter-1/page/3
This story will likely take over Alpha to Omega
very
soon.)

He was getting tired of having that other wolf around. 

The pup, he didn’t mind, but the alpha stalking about constantly?
And
 around his master? He was just beginning to lose himself to his frustrated mind when he felt familiar lips press against his cheek, snapping him back to himself right away. 

“Would you like me to remove him from our home? I have no issue ordering his dismissal, as his injuries have mostly healed and his pup is recovering well, too,” Vrasje said as he moved his lowered his free arm to wrap around Marquise’s waist gently but firmly. 

They were at a function held by one of the other local higher-ranking vampires, and while it wasn’t really interesting to him, Vrasje was at least keeping most of the overly excited crowd at bay.  

Thankfully, it was clear that there would be no chance for a love interest heir anymore, so now most of the crowd were reconsidering how to go about getting into his favor. 

“I honestly feel like going to find the most underwhelming homeless child that’s old enough to change and giving them the option as opposed to all of these annoying vultures,” he said without bothering to lower his voice any. 

Unsurprisingly, Vrasje simply laughed before turning his beautiful smile towards him. 

“Whomever you pick, no matter their status, will be treated with the utmost respect and be spoiled rotten by a certain elder vampire,” he said, making Marquise shake is head. 

“So, what are your thoughts on everyone in this room? Anyone good enough?” he asked, half-joking. 

Vrasje, however, didn’t seem to catch the jest as he spared the gathered gawking gaggle the briefest of glances, then returned his gaze to Marquise. 

“No. None.” 

“E-excuse me, lord Marquise?” 

Hearing the odd title, Marquise and his vampire turned their attention toward someone they truly hadn’t expected. 

A little old granny? 

The woman had clearly tried to dress up, as the evening’s event was meant to be impressive, but poverty was clear in her clean but old garment, thin frame, and sunken eyes. 

“Yes ma’am? How can I help you?” he asked, putting on an honest smile as he leaned a little closer so the poor woman didn’t have to shout over the boisterous crowd. 

They both knew what she was likely to request, but it never hurt to hear out an honest person. Especially one that wasn’t throwing herself at them or gossiping from afar like many of the others did. 

“You must get similar requests quite often, but could I trouble you for a spot of tea at my humble home? You see, my grandson is quite fascinated with werewolves and begged me for days to try and simply bring him along to meet you. I feel that his enthusiasm would have been a bit too much for this kind of gathering, though,” the lady said, clutching her little purse with both knobby hands as she looked humbly up at them.

Marquise tilted his head as he looked at Vrasje. The man seemed to be contemplating the request rather seriously. 

“Is he not well?” he eventually asked, clearly wanting to weed out if the woman was just trying to trick them into going to her home. 

The lady quickly shook her head. 

“Oh no, my lords. He is in perfect health! I even told him to weed the garden while I’m gone since he wanted stew for dinner tomorrow evening,” she said, her eyes lighting up with love as she spoke of her grandson. 

Marquise couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. 

I think I like the idea of going to visit a kid over standing here all night in this stuffy room,
he thought to Vrasje as his love grinned at him. 

I completely agree. Let’s get out of here. 

Returning his attention to the woman, Marquise gave her a slight bow and a smile. 

“We humbly accept your offer, ma’am. Tea sounds lovely.” 

 The woman looked like she was about to faint from sheer disbelief. 

Marquise quickly stepped forward and took hold of one of her frail elbows to steady her. 

“Don’t get too excited. I might not be what he expected,” he said with a calm chuckle as he carefully tucked her little arm into his, then slowly began leading her toward the stairs with Vrasje hot on his heels. 

“Oh no, I believe he will absolutely love you. He used to go to the top of the hill outside of town to enjoy the view, the one that looks out over the gorge that stretches for several miles. That’s where he saw his first wolf a few years ago. Of course, our amazing hunter, lord Vrasje, has kept our land safe from feral packs, but now that you have come with the elder’s blessing, you’re all my grandson talks about.”

His blessing, huh? 

That was a strange way of saying the guy became obsessed with him. 

“Ah, yes. He’s been a great help,” he said with a forced chuckle as they made it to the bottom of the stairs. 

Of course, all eyes were now on them, but that was no surprise. Most of them already had been, anyways.

You should hear the flurry of words being shoved into my mind right now, love. It is quite humorous. 
 

Marquise frowned over his shoulder as his vampire fell into step beside them on the other side of the old woman. He even took her other arm, giving the surrounding vampires and humans quite the spectacle. 

I bet they’re howling warnings as loud as they can to stay away from the little old human grandma,
he thought to Vrasje, earning a half-grin. 

Oh yes, everyone says this little old lady is just an elderly widower with a ward grandson left behind by parents that died young to disease. Clearly she’s trying to get in our good graces and change her ward before she dies. 

Even if she were trying to do that, they wouldn’t change their mind. The little old lady was beaming and blushing with their simple agreement and careful assistance while the people behind them were sipping spiked blood and hissing all sorts of foul thoughts to his vampire. 

There was no comparison, at all. 

They walked slowly but comfortably out into the crisp evening air, then followed the old ladies directions for quite some time. 

She walked this far just to ask me to come meet her grandson?

“It’s just up ahead, sweethearts. Oh, he will be so excited!” she said as she hurried along a fraction of a bit faster. 

Are you doing alright, love? 

Marquise smiled at him over the little lady’s gray hair. 

I’m okay. I remembered my cane so it’s not too bad right now. 

Vrasje didn’t look entirely convinced, but that was alright. If the guy wasn’t happy with him limping later, he had no doubt that he’d just lift him right up and carry him all the way back home. With or without permission. 

“Leo! My sweet Leonardo!” the little old lady called as they approached what appeared to be an extremely rundown home. 

It
did
 look like they were trying to keep it up, but repairs cost money, and it was clear that such a thing was in scant supply for them. 

Oh?

Marquise felt both of his wolves perk up as a young boy that appeared to be around fifteen stepped out from around the side of the tiny home. He was completely covered in dirt from head to toe and quickly earned a chastising click of his old grandma’s tongue as reprimand. 

“Here I am walking so far on my little old legs to request his lordships to come visit at your behest, and you greet them in such a way!”

This lady has quite some spunk. Even after having walked all that way. 

Marquise nodded his agreement to his love’s words, but his attention was honestly focused elsewhere. Both of his wolves were vying for viewing rights and neither seemed willing to cede to the other. 

Of course, he was fighting back extra hard against Pepper, too, because god knows the wolf likely wanted to end the old lady and boy as opposed to joining them for a nice little cup of tea. 

I do not wish to kill them. 

Marquise frowned at that as he hesitated with his restraint and, of course, Pepper immediately took advantage of the distraction he’d caused.

Before his cane could even clatter to the ground his body had sprouted black fur and much larger teeth. 

“Ah, Pepper. I was expecting Garlic, but you’re a sweetheart, too,” Vrasje said, making Marquise nudge at his mind. 

This is definitely not the right wolf for this job! 

Vrasje walked forward and placed a hand on the panting fuzzball before leaning down to pick up Marquise’s cane. 

Nonsense, he’s being very good. Not even baring his teeth or anything. 

He… had a point. The wolf also hadn’t locked his consciousness away, either. 

Garlic quickly cut off his train of thought as he began spinning circles around him excitedly. 

You were the wolf that was supposed to go out, 
he said, chastising the overly-hyper brat even as Pepper was fitted with the little contraption Kova had made for him in order to walk better… because, evidently Vrasje brought it everywhere just in case.   

 “Oh my!” 

The little old lady looked scared witless, and he couldn’t blame her. While Pepper had healed up quite nicely under Taru and Vrasje’s care, he still had some bits of bone visible along his ribs and right arm. The worst part, however, was clearly the right side of his face. 

Internally distraught, Marquise waited for the boy to run for the hills, or at least pass out from shock, but when he simply stood there, still covered in dirt with a surprised expression on his face, something within him slowly settled down. 

Eventually, Pepper made his way closer, ignoring the old lady in favor of the young boy. It wasn’t until he was within reach of the child that the kid seemed to snap out of his daze and realize what was going on. 

“You… actually brought him? He really came all the way here with you Nana?” he asked as Pepper finally got close enough to nudge his damaged wet nose against the boy’s hand. 

The little old lady quickly gathered her scattered wits and held her head high. 

“Of course I did! I told you I would bring you the lord Marquise, and I most certainly have!” she said with about as much force as a puppy passing gas. 

It was an
A
 for effort, at least. 

 “You did. You really did say you would get him to visit, but I didn’t think…” 

As the boy’s words drifted off into silence his lips turned upward into the biggest smile Marquise had ever seen. 

“You are so damn cool!” he squeaked out right before falling forward to give Pepper a huge hug. 

“Leo, language!” his grandma said in reprimand, though her voice wasn’t quite as chastising as before. 

Pepper, to his surprise, took the attention with a much better attitude than he’d expected. Not only did his grumpy, dangerous alpha wolf accept the boy’s hug, and soon after, excessive pets and even a kiss to the forehead, but he also didn’t bother going after him, or his grandmother, at all. 

Not even a growl? A grumble? A huff? 

Pepper flicked an ear at the same time Garlic’s form settled contently against Marquise’s ethereal one. 

Behave,
was Pepper’s only response for him. 

Behave?
Him? 

Marquise bristled but before he could start grumbling at his stubborn black wolf Vrasje stepped forward and knelt down beside him and the boy. 

“Do you like him? His name is Pepper. He’s had it a bit rough, but he’s a sweet pup,” he said as the boy looked up at him with Pepper’s giant head settled in his arms. 

“Yes, I love him! He looks so cool!” the boy replied as he stroked his wolf’s fur happily. 

They talked for a few minutes before Marquise felt Garlic nudge his way forward. In the blink of an eye the giant black wolf was replaced with a tiny coffee and dust colored one. 

“Wait… you,” the boy stuttered, having trouble finding his next words as he stared at the new arrival. 

His grandmother, surprisingly, managed to find hers first. 

“His lordship has… two wolves?” she rasped out in sheer aw, then added; “I like this one’s size much better.” 

 Marquise couldn’t blame her. A wolf was nothing to scoff at, and one as big as Pepper wasn’t seen very often. Let alone one with such a grizzly set of features. 

Flicking an ear, Garlic gave a quiet whine, clearly wanting his allotted attention. 

Instead of speaking, the boy simply reached forward and pulled Garlic into a tight hug. Of course, that wasn’t quite enough for the little attention sponge. Before Leo could even react he was on his back with slobber all over his face!

Uh…

Marquise wanted Vrasje to intervene after the poor kid’s hair began to stick up at weird angles from slobber, but his vampire had evidently sauntered away to the side to speak with the grandmother, leaving the boy to his fate. 

Garlic didn’t finish his masterpiece until about fifteen minutes later, and even after he had, he didn’t bother getting off of Leo. Instead, he settled down on his chest and crossed his paws as he panted quietly. He was quite content with his work. 

Embarrassing… 

“Alright, I suppose the introductions are over. Go get your backside in the house and wash up while I prepare the tea for our guests,” his grandmother finally said, making a stunned Leo blink up at the dark sky, then slowly push himself up after maneuvering Garlic back into his arms. 

To both their surprise, the tea was actually amazing. Sofia, the lads grandmother, had grown the leaves for it herself. And, who knew, but Garlic absolutely loved it, too!

The crazy pup drank so much of it that he had to run outside several times to relieve himself. Of course, the moment he returned each time he hurried to settle right back into Leo’s lap like the cat he now thought he was. 

While Leo was mostly engrossed in the wolf that still wanted his undivided attention, Vrasje and grandmother Sofia talked about all sorts of things. The woman might have been poor, but she’d had quite the life. 

From a little girl begging on the streets to a happy grandmother that grew tea for a meager, yet-happy, living. She truly was an awe-inspiring lady. 

By the time they had finished quite the amount of tea, it was getting close to sunrise. Leo had already drifted off to sleep with Garlic just-barely hanging onto consciousness in his arms. 

Vrasje finally decided it was time to go and gently retrieved his pup from the sleeping boy, then whispered a few more words to grandmother Sofia before handing her something, then bidding her a good night. 

Marquise was curious about what he had just said, but couldn’t even find the thoughts to question him. 

“Just taking care of future family, love,” his vampire said as he began rubbing a hand along Garlic’s fuzzy back. 

Hmm? 

Vrasje chuckled quietly at his muddled mind. 

“Do not worry, Marra. We can talk tomorrow. Get some rest now,” he said contently. 

He didn’t need to be told twice. Within seconds he was asleep, quietly snoring through Garlic’s little nose as he rested in Vrasje’s arms.

Chapter 31

“He’s going to get himself killed.” 

Marquise looked up from where he sat at the table across from him. He’d been reading the book of laws for the town, since he was going to be a permanent resident. Their relationship had kind of taken off quite quickly, and let’s just say that if he had been a female and Vrasje hadn’t been undead, there would have already been plenty of pups on the way. 

“You mentioned that the vampire who has been stalking him is a pirate, right? Why would he kill him if he deals in werewolves?” Marquise asked, curious. 

Vrasje pursed his lips, then sighed as his attention returned to whatever he could see through the rain pattering against the window. 

“He deals in werewolf… parts. No one is dumb enough to try and take such a beast as a pet, but the claws, teeth, and especially the pelts, can fetch thousands with ease.” 

Marquise felt his heart ache in his chest. 

“Why isn’t he afraid of him, then? Werewolves aren’t normally okay with other species,” he said, suddenly worried that their go-between with the pack at the edge of the forest was about to disappear for good. 

Vrasje finally sat back down, but instead of staying across from him at the small table, he pulled his chair around and settled right next to him. Within seconds he was guiding Marquise’s head forward with a gentle hand against his hair. The kiss was careful, but nervous. 

You won’t let him get me. 
 

Vrasje hesitantly broke the kiss and leaned back in his chair as he spread his legs comfortably and looked up at the ceiling, clearly stressed. Even one of his fangs was poking out from beneath his upper lip. 

“I would hunt him till the ends of the Earth if he dared to even look at you, but…”

Marquise knew what he was thinking. 

“I won’t blame you for not acting. I’m also a wolf, and I don’t care for those who aren’t my pack. Having him around is strictly contingent on the pup’s wellbeing. Besides, have you not already warned him earlier? He’s an alpha
and
 he’s not stupid. At least, I don’t think he is. He’s a damn good fighter either way, so if that pirate decides to try anything, he’s going to at least have to earn it,” he said, drawing Vrasje’s attention back down from the ceiling. 

“You are correct. I have warned him and forced the vampire to leave once. I can do nothing more for him. If he decides to play into a pirate’s clearly-visible plan, then so be it,” Vrasje said before standing up and offering Marquise a hand. 

“You have studied for long enough today. Perhaps Pepper might want to come out?” Vrasje said, making Marquise cautiously curious. 

His love simply gave a quiet laugh at his expression as he reached down and picked him up… since his proferred hand had gone untouched. 

“I-I was getting up,” Marquise mumbled even as he wrapped his arms and legs greedily around Vrasje’s neck and waist.

“Mhm,” was Vrasje’s simple, agreeing response. 

He knew that he would have gotten up, but he’d probably told him about wanting Pepper out first so that he’d distract him and give him a reason to hurry things along. Thus, simply picking him up himself. 

“Anyways, I was wanting to see if I could groom Pepper today? We’re going over to see Leo again and I’d love for my sweet pup to look a little less… scraggly.” 

Marquise felt both of his wolves immediately perk up at the mention of
their
 boy’s name. 

It’s only been a couple of days, you two. We haven’t even had him sign the paperwork. And, he’s not even old enough to change yet!

As if telling him to behave,
again
, Pepper suddenly took over and pressed his tongue to Vrasje’s chin. 

You should be spoiling our mate and heir, not grumbling about nonsense. 

The… the audacity of this dog! 

You don’t love lord Vrasje enough, and now you are trying to deny me his attention because you don’t want an heir so soon. 

Marquise bit his tongue on a haughty response, mainly because Garlic was influencing him with his overly-excited happiness. 

I feel like I’m being double-teamed inside my own mind. 

It was exhausting. 

At least he hasn’t locked you away again. We can still communicate freely… and I get to groom my sweet Pepper,
Vrasje thought to him, making Marquise inwardly roll his eyes as he was carried through the house and up to their bathroom. 

A low table was set up with several towels already draped over its surface, but, of course, the first place he put Pepper was the bathtub. 

To his surprise, though, he was actually able to control most of the wolf’s movements. It had been
years
 since he’d been in control of his alpha wolf and the feeling was still just as exhilarating as the first time he’d shifted. 

“I told you he was a good boy. Just like you, love,” Vrasje said as he knelt besides the tub and began gently wetting his coat with a pot of water. 

Marquise wiggled excitedly, the action partially spurred on by Garlic… and partially just his own honest excitement. 

“That’s my sweet love,” Vrasje cooed as he happily began his task of scrubbing, rinsing, drying, then trimming, his excessively messy coat. 

He wasn’t sure how long they were in there, but after he’d been dried Vrasje got his prosthetic fitted to his bad leg, allowing him to stand much easier for the hair cutting portion of the grooming. 

I feel like you might have snuck over to the barber a few times when I wasn’t paying attention to learn how to groom me…

“That’s possible,” Vrasje noted without even sparing him an embarrassed glance. 

You…

“Are handsome, wise, and the best mate an adorable pup can have,” the man noted without an ounce of hesitation to his words. 

Thankfully, they were just about done, so the second Vrasje finished evening out his black coat Pepper ceded full control. Shifting back to his human form, Marquise quickly reached over and shoved his lover’s shoulder. 

With a beautiful smile on his face, Vrasje lifted his own arms and gently grabbed Marquise’s shoulders, spinning him around before tugging him backwards so that his back was to his chest.

“Time for your own haircut, love,” he mused as he quickly but carefully began measuring his hair with his fingers. 

I’m sitting against you completely naked on a table and a haircut is the only thing you can think of doing? 

He was feeling a little frustrated. 

A cold brush of fingers against the side of his face snapped him out of his brooding a few moments later, though. 

“I will gladly ravish you this evening, love, but we said that we would go visit sweet Leo today. As they say,
business before pleasure
.” 

Now he was grumpy again. 

“Let’s go out for supper afterward, hmm? Maybe take our little one to eat. He could use some more meat on his bones,” Vrasje said as he tugged gently on his hair here and there. 

I do like food…

They were finished in no time, allowing Marquise to get up and look in the mirror hanging above the wash basin. 

 
Uh…

Glancing over his shoulder, Marquise raised an eyebrow. 

“Isn’t this hairstyle a bit too
cute
?” 

It didn’t scream alpha, at all. 

It did, however, say omega rather well.  

Returning his attention to the mirror, Marquise slowly felt his lips turn downward and his shoulders sag a little. Before he could really begin to despair, however, Vrasje’s arms snuggly wrapped around his middle and tugged him backwards into a tight hug. 

“I gave you this haircut because I thought that it would look amazing on you, and I promise you that it does, but if you aren’t keen on it, I will gladly change it as soon as it grows out a bit more,” Vrasje said as he placed a kiss against his cheek. 

Marquise looked in the mirror again, giving his new haircut another chance. He still wasn’t much of a fan, but if Vrasje liked it so much, he could just deal with it for a little while. 

He was just about to ask if he could do his love’s hair as a bit of payback, but he immediately quieted that thought. He
loved
 Vrasje’s long hair. Especially when they were in bed. It was extremely nice to tangle his fingers in and yank on while they were getting hot and heavy. 

With a deflating sigh, Marquise nudged the man with his elbow, silently telling him to move aside so that he could go get dressed. 

“I’ll leave it alone for now, but I want it changed once it grows out more.” 

Vrasje followed him like a puppy, beaming with excitement. 

“Absolutely!” he chirped before blurring ahead and picking out several outfits for him to try on. 

Each one was cuter than the next!

“Where did you get all of these?” he grumbled as he lifted a pink silk dress shirt up with a frown. 

Vrasje had a folded checkered long-sleeved shirt draped over one of his arms as he smiled back at him. 

“I ordered all of this from the seamstress after she got your measurements!” 

All… of this? 

Now he was
really
 beginning to feel like a doll. 

Vrasje set the clothing he was holding aside on the bed and stepped forward, pulling him into his arms again. 

“Love, you are the light of my life. You saw how I was before I understood what you meant to me. You are my lover, boyfriend, husband… whatever title you wish to have, I will give it to you without hesitation,” he said, his tone completely honest. 

“I only purchased these items because I wanted to make sure that you had enough to wear until we could go out shopping together. There are a few other outfits I haven’t laid out, too.” 

Marquise watched as Vrasje walked over to one of the closets, then stepped inside with a wink. 

This man…

Biting back a scowl, he hurried after him, stopping right before he would have stepped into the large room. 

 
Oh wow. 

Dark colored shirts, pants, and coats hung everywhere while boots in all shades of browns, blacks, and grays sat beneath them. There were easily twice as many garments in the closet than there were currently waiting for him on their bed. 

But I thought…

“Just teasing you a little, love. I would never force you to wear something you dislike… no matter how adorable you would look in it,” Vrasje said as he rustled his soft hair and gave him one of the smiles the man saved only for him. 

This guy.

Grabbing Vrasje’s shirt collar, he yanked him closer and pressed their lips together. It was an extremely brief kiss, but it got the point across. 

He was annoyed, but still appreciative.

To show it further without having to jumble up a mess of an embarrassing sentence or two, he simply stepped around his vampire and began getting dressed. In the end he decided on a pair of comfortable black pants, black boots, and to both their surprise, a stylish light blue shirt with reddish-pink ties going up the left side. His old friend would have been proud of his choice. 

He hadn’t intended to wear anything the man had put out for him, but he couldn’t ignore the light of excitement that flared to life in Vrasje’s eyes when he simply
glanced
 toward the clothing he’d selected. 

He could spare a tiny bit of his masculinity to please his lover. 

And thus, as soon as he was ready they were off! The visit to Leo’s little house didn’t last too long, but that was because they ended up going out to eat the second Vrasje noticed that the boy had, in his words,
lost way too much weight
. Even though, to Marquise’s eyes, he’d gained at least five pounds. 

Vrasje had been sending the little family of two food so often that they’d started giving some of it away to the other locals who were struggling. The entire neighborhood was benefitting from his love’s excessive generosity. 

 At the current moment they were sitting with Leo and his grandmother as the two devoured a large rack of ribs, two cheese and bacon potatoes, and a giant bowl of salad. 

It was entertaining to watch, and honestly a bit endearing, too. They weren’t slobs, in the least, but they were clearly quite hungry. 

Or, more than likely, the food was just
that
 good. 

Marquise remained silent throughout most of the meal as he, too, really enjoyed what the restaurant had to offer, but that seemed perfectly fine. Vrasje, on the other hand, spoke enough for all of them!

He had made sure, first and foremost, that Leo would be interested in being changed once he came of age. The boy gladly agreed, so that opened quite a large can of worms for their mealtime discussion. 

The grandmother was actually the one who looked a little nervous about the proposition, but Vrasje made sure to tell them that it was not an official contract until the day of the day he officially became a vampire. They had plenty of time to change their minds. 

One of the funniest parts of the entire lunch was the amount of compliments he got on his outfit and haircut as other regular patrons came and went. It actually got to the point where Vrasje had slipped his hand beneath the table to grab his inner thigh tightly, clearly jealous.  

It was absolutely adorable. 

After they ate they all leisurely walked through some of the upper class stores downtown. Him and Vrasje fit in perfectly with the growing crowd, but their two tagalongs didn’t… at least, not right away. 

Within an hour Vrasje had gotten both Leo and his grandmother three sets of clothing each… and ordered three more for delivery by the end of the next week. 

Marquise had even picked out one outfit for his little one, as well as a pair of soft fur earmuffs for when it gets cold out. In fact, as they were on their way out of that store he also picked up a pair of warm gloves and fur-lined boots. Make that two pairs of boots. 

He had just paid when his eyes wandered to a really nice long-coat hanging up across the shop. It would look fantastic on Leo once he finished growing. 

I should stop spending all of his money. 

Before he could even turn away from the register completely, Vrasje had already taken down the coat and walked over to throw twice as much money as it cost onto the counter, then draped it over his shoulder before taking Marquise’s arm within his own and heading for the door. 

Spend as much as you wish, love. I am not hurting for money. Especially when it comes to spoiling you both. 

They turned their attention to the young boy and elderly woman waiting for them outside of the store. Both of them had been apprehensive to accept so many gifts, at first, but the more they were given the more accepting they became. 

They had likely never been spoiled in such a way in a very long time, if ever. 

By the time they had finally all returned back to their little home, everyone’s arms were worn out from carrying so much… except for Vrasje’s. The man had taken nearly all of their bags, yet he didn’t seem to struggle in the least during their entire trip. 

They had planned to let the two rest for the remainder of their evening and head home, but while Leo’s grandmother did wander off into the only other room in the house to sleep off their long day, Leo quickly intercepted Marquise and tugged him over to his straw bed in the back corner of the tiny main room. 

“Can I see Mr. Pepper, by chance? Or Garlic?” Leo asked, his eyes wide with hope and excitement even though he also seemed tired, too. 

Marquise didn’t mind, and when he looked back at Vrasje, the man had already taken his seat again and was sipping from a small cup of tea. 

Pepper it is, then. 

He stepped behind a small dilapidated screen and removed his clothing, then let Pepper take over. 

The wolf didn’t hesitate to limp around the screen and right into the boy’s lap… even though he didn’t exactly fit. 

Leo didn’t seem to mind, and after a good bit of petting, cooing about his new clean, soft fur, and a blissful belly rub, they were both out cold, snuggled up on the tiny bed of straw.

Epilogue

(Gonna hop over to Adrift now since I’m pretty content with how this story went and I really wanna get the other moving XD) 

Somehow, things just happened to fall into place as time went on. Unsurprisingly, their furry guest had disappeared quite quickly after the pirate lord had paid them an uninvited visit. The pup he’d left behind, however, was safely returned to its pack once healed. 

The pack hadn’t seemed all that worried about their missing alpha, which had Marquise questioning whether a possible takeover hadn’t been in the works for a bit. Of course, they could also just have that much faith in their leader, too, since their alpha was definitely not a pushover. 

He had plenty of scars from him to prove it. 

“Master Marquise, does this look alright?” 

Marquise blinked out of his thoughts and refocused his attention as he stepped forward and lifted his arms in order to straighten his heir’s tie. 

They’d started having him and his grandmother over each night for dinner to get used to the staff and get an idea of what his future would be like. 

Leonardo had been hesitant, at first, but he quickly became more confident as Marquise, and more specifically, Pepper and Garlic, showed him the ropes while Vrasje was busy working. 

He always arrived in the morning and played for hours with Garlic, then ate and napped with Pepper before attending some lessons in the early evening. Afterward, a carriage was sent to pick up his grandma for dinner. 

Tonight was supposed to be a bit of a practice run for an official heir ceremony so they were dressing up a bit. He’d never actually gotten one since he’d been changed so abruptly… and technically against the rules, but it seemed like a fun little thing to do to celebrate adding a new member to their family. 

And, of course, grandma Sofia was also added automatically. 

In fact, Marquise tilted his head slightly as he heard a frail knock on the front doors downstairs. 

“Your Nana’s here, hun,” he said as he finished straightening out Leo’s suit, then stepped back with a smile. 

His heir quickly shouted his thanks as he hurried out of the room and down the stairs to greet his grandma. 

“I think I’m finally obsessed. He’s so sweet but mature, but also still a kid in many ways.” 

It was no surprise when he felt his love’s arms slip around his waist and tug him backwards against his firm chest a moment later. A gentle kiss to his cheek soon followed, and he could even feel the smile on those lips as Vrasje completed the action.

There was also a hand suspiciously sneaking beneath his previously-tucked in shirt, heading south at an impressive speed. 

He gently swatted it away as he looked over his shoulder. 

“I thought you were working late tonight? Were you just waiting to ambush me once Leo went downstairs?” he asked as he felt his vampire nuzzle into the crook of his neck, already knowing that the answer to his question was an obvious
yes. 

His body was honestly reacting from memory, thinking that it was going to get some intimate attention momentarily. 

Not tonight. Err, well, at least not right now. 

“Behave. We have to go downstairs,” he said as he finally nudged Vrasje’s face away, only to receive a nip to his ear before his man stepped to the side and took his hand with an innocent smile. 

“I always behave, love. What would I do if any of the townspeople found out that their master hunter and council head was a pervert for his sweet werewolf husband?” 

Aren’t you supposed to be a pervert for me?

“Hmm, true. I suppose I can go make an announcem—” Marquise sealed his lips with his own. 

Of course, that was evidently exactly what Vrasje had wanted. He gladly deepened the kiss as he returned his arms to their spot around Marquise’s waist. 

You think you’re so smooth,
Marquise grumbled into his mind even as he kissed him back. 

You know that I am, love. Our bodies have slid together more than enough times to understand that, no? 

He wanted to scream. 

Instead, Marquise gave a quiet growl, the sound making Vrasje immediately step back and remove his arms from around him. 

They’d come to understand certain signals from each other during their time together, and his biggest one was that specific growl. It meant that he was done with whatever situation was going on and that it needed to be ended immediately. 

He rarely used it, but it had just sort of developed into an important communication tool for them when he couldn’t figure out the right words he needed to say. 

Had he liked the attention? Absolutely. Was it the right time for it? Absolutely not. 

He was about to just grab the man’s hand and tell him that they were going downstairs when he heard someone else at the front door and immediately perked up. 

Taru! 

Vrasje was left in the dust as Marquise ran, limping but determined, down the hall, then stairs, and straight into his master’s arms!

“Hey there sweetheart,” Taru said as he hugged him tightly and patted his head. 

Best master!

He could sense Vrasje’s slight jealousy from where he was calmly walking toward them, but he didn’t bother giving him any further attention. Taru was there and he rarely got to see him anymore! His master needed his attention much more right then. 

“Hello, master,” Taru said in greeting to Vrasje as he finally walked up to them. 

Marquise could sense the tension from the older vampire, but they both knew that Taru had no interest in him. That was one of Vrasje’s quirks that he’d learned more recently. The man hated when other people touched what was his… which was pretty much him. 

He hadn’t realized it at first, but the man tended to block just about everyone besides Leo from touching him unless absolutely necessary. 

He was still cordial and did so without really being noticeable, which was why it took him a while to realize it. 

My vampire is extremely clingy. 

As if to prove him absolutely correct, Vrasje reached over and gently tugged him out of Taru’s loosening arms and directly into his own. 

“Good evening, Leo and his grandmother are already situated in the dining hall,” Vrasje replied as he settled a hand on Marquise’s waist and began guiding them in that direction. 

How are you doing, Marquise? Is he behaving?
Taru asked telepathically, skirting his overly-protective master by not speaking out loud. 

Of course not, but I’m making him. 

He heard Taru’s faint laughter in the back of his mind as they ducked into the dining hall. Leo and his grandmother were already at the table, sipping waters and conversing with smiles on their faces. 

Most of the household servants were also seated at the table, and as they stepped into the room everyone’s attention quickly turned to them and the talking quieted. 

Vrasje had wanted to make the official ceremony a family affair, and since he’d had most of his personal servants for years, he’d wanted to include them in the festivities and had hired a set of professionals from a well-known local company to serve during the actual event. 

“Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming to the rehearsal, and thank you for helping us welcome my love’s new heir,” Vrasje said as he guided Marquise and Taru to the head of the long table. 

Marquise took the seat to his left as Taru settled into the one on his right. 

Vrasje then began a short but meaningful speech about his own heir, and how they had come to welcome Marquise into their family. Of course, he redacted a few key parts, but Marquise and Taru simply grinned to each other whenever he skipped over certain things. 

After the speech, he walked down to the middle of the table and spoke with Leo and grandma Sofia, then returned to his spot at the head as the dishes began to be served. 

Marquise ate a bit before going over to talk with his heir, too. He stayed standing beside them for quite some time, discussing the previous week and their hopes for a comfortable future. 

Leo wanted to eventually go to school and learn architecture, while grandma Sofia wanted whatever was best for her grandson… and maybe a little vegetable garden to tend to if she eventually moved to the estate. 

The two really were a sweet pair, and he was extremely happy that they’d met Sofia that evening at the party they’d attended. 

Sensing a specific set of eyes on him, Marquise looked up, only to see Taru tugging at a length of Vrasje’s hair and nudging a grape into his scowling mouth. 

They really do make the best heir and master pair. 

Even though they didn’t spend a whole lot of time together, and when they did they’d begun to frustrate each other off and on, they still were clearly family that deeply loved one another. 

With a pleased grin Marquise dismissed himself and walked back to his seat, which had somehow, miraculously, been moved
much
 closer to Vrasje. 

Miss me already, Jey?
he asked through their thoughts, not bothering to hide the humor in his words. 

Every second of every day that you are not at my side
,
Marra
. 

The man’s honest response had Marquise blushing, suddenly glad that the food had been served and no one was paying them much mind any longer. 

A faint chuckle sounded in the back of his mind before he felt Vrasje’s hand settle atop his hair, drawing his attention back up to him. 

A warm smile was waiting for him, and it immediately melted his nervous heart into a pile of goo. 

“I love you, Marra. Let us have a splendidly-long, beautiful life together,” Vrasje said as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the tip of Marquise’s nose. 

Marquise couldn’t manage to get a single word out in response, so instead of mumbling a bunch of gibberish as his face burned brighter than the sun, he simply leaned forward and stole a tiny kiss, then turned back to face the table and promptly dug into his meal in silence. 

His vampire was going to drive him crazy—er, but somehow, he just couldn’t be mad at him. He was sweet, handsome, and pushed all the right buttons for him in bed. 

I’d love to push even more for you tonight, love. 

Marquise felt his eye twitch but refused to look away from his plate of turkey and mashed potatoes. He really shouldn’t have responded, but perhaps elder Vrasje was rubbing off on him in more ways than one.

You better not run out of energy… 

He felt the man’s faint laughter in the back of his mind as Vrasje reached forward and picked up a turkey leg from his previously-untouched plate. 

I will eat tonight just to be sure that I can sate my love later. 

Marquise’s ears burned darker but he refused to not have the last word. He wanted to be the one who wore the pants in their relationship… even though he was also the one who was pounded into their mattress every single night without complaint. 

Good.

 
He cut off their connection at that point and silently laughed to himself as he continued to eat, a smile on his face. 

Now I’m hungry, and it’s definitely not for food. 

His vampire was such a cocky brat sometimes, and he honestly kind of loved it… because he, himself, was exactly the same!

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