It would be easier if Owen was pulling his weight, but at least he was self-sufficient, and not an active drain on resources. It just meant it was up to Scott to do all the hunting for the fledglings. Which was fine, he was more than capable. But he had gotten used to a certain kind of luxury, with a coven that looked after itself and a town that offered respectful sacrifices. It had been some time since Scott was a sole provider.

Nighttime cloaked him comfortably, as he moved into the forest, flitting into bat form to swoop over the ravine. He didn't plan on venturing far, just deep enough to snatch a few unsuspecting animals, fill the collection of bottles he had brought with him, and return before the fledglings even knew he was gone. But as he landed in the bough of one of the ancient pines and retook his vampiric form to scent the air for prey, he caught the whiff of something else in the woods. Something human.

There was a human near his Castle. That simply wouldn't do.

He wrapped the shadows around himself easily, disappearing from sight, and begun to move towards the offensive scent.

He was beginning to wonder if it was time to make a proper example of one of the humans, if they were going to keep coming so close to his home with nothing to offer in return. He had put up signs and tried to be civil about it, but if they were going to keep ignoring the polite warnings, perhaps it was time for some good old fashioned heads on pikes, or corpses dumped at the gates of town with threatening messages carved into them. A little gauche, for Scott's taste, but needs must.

His plans shifted a little less murderous, though, when he saw exactly which human was lingering near his home and his fledglings.

Abolish emerged from a small rocky outcropping — too small to even call a cave — with a bag hoisted over his shoulder that Scott could tell was full of freshly mined silver.

Scott had been watching the hunter carefully over the last few weeks. There was something fascinating about him, how unaffected he was by it all. Calm and focused, he slipped under the notice of the panicked humans. But Scott had noticed. He had also noticed, after the first few weeks in Oakhurst, that Abolish's scent had changed.

What had once been a clean and neutral odour (deliberately neutral, by Scott's guess), had shifted to something earthier, and more naturally human. But what had caught Scott's attention was the scent that lingered around Abolish's throat. He had only noticed it the rare chances he got to get close to the hunter, so faint he needed to lean in and breathe deep to scent it. But, after their last encounter in the woods, Scott was certain he had not been imagining it. Abolish had a coven scent.

His initial instinct was that Abolish must be an escaped thrall, like the farmer was, but he had none of the haggard desperation to suggest it. An attack dog, then, perhaps? He had known some covens to keep skilled humans close at hand for easy feeding and to be disposable weapons. Scott thought it was far too much work, especially when you could just turn the skilled ones to keep forever, but to each their own.

"Can I help you, Scott?" Abolish asked over his shoulder, continuing down the path towards town. Scott had to admit he was impressed. That was twice now Abolish had been able to sense his presence, even through invisibility. He slipped out of the shadows in easy step next to the hunter.

"You're the one practically at my doorstep," he said. Abolish shrugged.

"I figured y'all wouldn't be wanting this silver anyway," he said, giving a vague gesture to his bag. Scott hummed, and leaned in. The coven scent was almost entirely faded, but Scott had a sharp nose, and his instincts were clearly telling him that the hunter carried the scent of another Elder vampire, one that Scott didn't recognise. He shifted his steps to move into Abolish's path and forced them both to a halt. The hunter twitched an eyebrow at him, but that was the extent of the reaction.

"Who exactly are you, Abolish? I admit, I cannot figure you out," he said, taking another step into Abolish's space. As always, not even Abolish's heart rate gave a reaction. Scott let a low, almost inaudible growl rumble through his chest. The sort of sound he used to chastise the fledglings, or bring Owen to heel. Abolish simply tilted his chin to maintain eye contact. Definitely not a thrall then, any drop of vampiric blood in his would have caused at least some kind of submissive response.

"I told you, Scott," Abolish said, sounding downright bored. "I have a job to do. I just want to do it, and go home."

"And what job is that, exactly?" Scott asked. He took another step forward, slow and deliberate, just to see what Abolish would do. Abolish shifted his weight, taking a half step back, but not in a way that felt like yielding ground. It almost felt like a dance, Scott leading, pressing Abolish backwards as he followed easily, never breaking eye contact.

"It's irrelevant to you," Abolish said.

"And yet it has you poking around my home, while my fledglings are resting," Scott said, letting the threat hang clearly in the slither of air between them.

"Like I said," Abolish replied, "I was just getting the silver. You weren't using it anyway."

"I should kill you just for the fact you're traipsing another coven's scent through my territory." Scott let his growl build and flair into his words, stepping forward again.

Finally, there was a reaction from Abolish. That last step had pushed him back enough that Scott had him all but pressed against the trunk of a tree. He was not pinned, but he would have to be very quick and clever to be able to get away if Scott decided he wanted him to be. But it was not the scent of fear that rose from Abolish in that moment. Instead, he let out what was distinctly a huff of frustration.

"I was hoping that would have worn off by now," he muttered.

"It mostly has," Scott admitted. "The fledglings wouldn't notice it, I doubt Owen would either. But this is my territory. It's bad enough there's humans here, with their heartbeats and sweat-stink, I don't need someone else's pet getting their scent everywhere too."

He let disdain drip off his words. This close, he could see subtle shifts in Abolish's expression, the way his brow furrowed slightly and the edges of his lips tipped down in what could almost be a frown. Scott wasn't sure what reaction he expected. Humans usually got oh so offended when he spoke of them like that, but Abolish seemed mostly unbothered, if a little confused.

"I'm not trying to mess with your territory," Abolish said, and Scott was surprised by the honesty of the statement. "Like I said, I thought the scent would have worn off by now."

"The coven scent of an elder takes a long time to wear off," Scott said. "I'm assuming you were using something to cover it up initially. I should have scented it the moment I saw you."

"Yeah, but I ran out. So you'll just have to put up with it, I guess," Abolish replied with a calm shrug, like they were discussing the weather. Scott kind of wanted to bite him just to see if he would even react to that. Instead, another idea formed in his mind.

"I have a better idea," he said. "Something that won't matter to you, but will make me much more willing to turn a blind eye to you roaming about my territory."

"And what's that?" Abolish asked, but the slight narrowing of his eyes suggested he at least had some clue what Scott was suggesting. Scott smiled sweetly, and let a gentle purr build in his chest. It was such a soft sound, he doubted Abolish's human ears would be able to actually hear it, but they were close enough he would be able to feel the vibration of it.

There, Scott thought, as he saw Abolish twitch, just slightly. It was the subtlest tilt of his chin, a cut off motion as Abolish locked down whatever habit he had been trained into. Scott wondered how long it had taken the Elder who's scent he carried to train the young man to bare his throat at the sound of a purr without the help of vampiric instincts.

"You want your scent on me," Abolish said flatly, in a way that suggested there was a clench to his jaw as he spoke. Scott purred a little louder.

"Your silly human nose can't even smell it, and your Elder will happily cover it back up if somehow make it out of here," he said, grinning. He watched Abolish scan his face carefully, obviously looking for some kind of threat or trick. Scott waited, still purring softly, as the hunter finally came to a decision.

"Fine," he said, and Scott's grin widened. "But if I feel fangs, I will stab you."

"Don't threaten me with a good time," Scott drawled, and Abolish rolled his eyes. Scott waited one more beat, building the sound rumbling through his chest to it's full volume. Slowly, with the same care he seemed to approach every task, Abolish tilted his chin up and to the side, exposing the soft skin of his throat.

Scott could dive in, drive his fangs into the vein and drain the hunter faster than he could react. He might get a stab in, might even do enough damage to actually hurt Scott, but there was no real threat to his life. Not like there was to Abolish's. And yet, there he was, backed up to a tree and giving Scott full access to his neck.

Scott had heard Owen talk of a moment of trust, between him and the doctor. Perhaps this was something similar.

Scott leaned in, and pressed his cheek against the warm skin of Abolish's throat. He nuzzled in, stepping even closer to press his chest firmly against Abolish's, so he could feel every rumble of every purr that rolled through him. The forced proximity had Abolish resting a hand on Scott's hip, simply because there was nowhere else for it. Scott rubbed his cheek along the line of Abolish's neck and up over his chin, feeling the faint scratch of freshly shaven hair. This close, the unfamiliar coven scent was painfully obvious, and Scott's purr shuddered to a growl as he let himself melt into his instincts, desperate to cover it up with his own scent. His hand came up to press his wrist to the other side of Abolish's throat, coating him at every point where the intruder's scent lingered. The hand on Scott's hip flexed, ever so slightly. Out of concern or warning, Scott wasn't sure. He didn't care either way, he wasn't stopping until he was certain Abolish was drenched in his scent, and his alone.

The heat of Abolish's living flesh added another layer to Scott's scent, an undercurrent of something almost herbal beneath the sweet metallic tones of the Goldsmith coven scent. He ghosted his lips across the line of Abolish's jaw, letting his breath dance over his skin. No was no trace left of the unfamiliar coven scent as Scott breathed in deep through his nose. An edge of tension in his chest began to ease. A threat removed. Slowly, with one last nuzzle against Abolish's cheek, he leaned back.

Abolish's expression was a blank mask. But even someone with such brilliant self-control clearly had limits. It was subtle, but Scott could hear how Abolish's heart rate had stepped up, ever so slightly. Still no scent of fear to him, but for the first time, Scott could see Abolish was not entirely unaffected. He grinned down at him.

"There," he whispered, "much better."

"Are you done?" Abolish asked. Whatever emotion that had pushed into his heartbeat was not audible in his voice, as he maintained eye contact with Scott.

"Yes, yes," Scott said with an airy laugh, finally stepping back to allow Abolish to move away from him. "On your way then, Abolish. I look forward to our next meeting."

Abolish gave him a flat look, re-shouldered his bag that had been discarded on the floor, and walked away without another word. Scott watched him leave, comforted by the way his coven scent lingered in his shadow.

****

"You—" Owen choked, and blinked, and then scoffed. "Fine. Don't let me interrupt whatever this is." He waved a bandaged hand in Pyro's direction, and Scott narrowed his eyes at him. He took in the bony jut of his ribs and collarbones, only just concealed by the loose fitting clothing that all but hung off him. At first, Scott had equated his unhealthy, unfed appearance to the lingering effects of his humanity, but there was something so uncertain in his posture that Scott had to reconsider.

"Owen, dear," he said softly, and the vampire flinched at the pet name, "did your sire not have a coven?"

"That's none of your business," Owen hissed.

"It's not an attack, Owen, it's just important information to know," Scott clarified, after placing his hand more firmly against the back of Pyro's neck when the fledgling had twitched in response to Owen's hissing. "A vampire can survive on their own, but it is in a coven that we thrive. There are things that can be done in a coven, that a vampire alone cannot achieve. For instance, it is better for Pyro to rest here, with the scent of his Sire. He will complete his turning faster this way."

"Complete his turning?" Owen asked, voice turning soft with confusion.

"You truly were taught nothing of this, were you?" Scott chuckled. Owen's confusion turned sour.

"I— we…" he started, and scowled, "there wasn't time."

Scott tilted his head, appraising the vampire before him again.

"Stop looking at me like that," Owen snarled. Scott raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

"Like I'm— like you're trying to… to figure me out, or something," he finished, with another vague gesture of a hand. Scott smiled.

"But I am trying to figure you out," he said fondly. "You fascinate me, Owen. You claim to have centuries behind you, but I cannot see them. You are — for want of a better word — feral."

"How dare—" Owen started, and Scott cut him off with a low growl. Pyro curled closer to Scott's chest, and Scott shifted the sound quickly to a soft purr, fingers pressing firmly into Pyro's neck. Once the fledgling settled again, Scott raised his eyes back to Owen, who was staring at Scott's hand on Pyro's neck like a starving creature being offered a particularly bloody cut of meat.

"Untrained, then," Scott corrected. "Abandoned."

"They killed him," Owen choked, eyes still locked on Scott's grip on his fledgling. Finally, Scott thought, we get to the truth.

"I did not say purposefully abandoned," Scott said. Owen lifted a lip in an attempt at a snarl, but it was weakened by the way his hands were clenched into trembling fists at his side.

"It's none of your business," he snapped again. The anger must have pulled him out of his instincts enough for him to rip his eyes away from Scott. Freed by the motion, he took a staggering step backwards, and then spun on his heel to stalk out the room. Scott could have stopped him. The conversation was not finished, by his standards, but he was patient. He knew that Owen knew, that there was much more still to be said. He could wait, until the other man was ready to continue. He gently released his grip on Pyro's neck, ran his fingers softly through his hair, and returned to his reading.

****

Scott did not have to wait long, for Owen to approach him again. The townsfolk were turning beacons, and it was enough to leave even Scott feeling restless. He was perched on the tip of the framing that shaped out what would become the Castle's roof, once they had the time and resources to properly begin work on it. Owen landed his lunge with the unsteady grace of a freshly empowered vampire.

"The humans are getting bold," Owen said, instead of a greeting. Scott hummed.

"They will learn their place," he said.

"Their place is in the ground," Owen snarled, voice thick with hatred.

"Some of them, yes," Scott agreed, shifting out of his crouch to instead sit, and hang a leg lazily over the side of the support. It was clear this was going to become a conversation, so he let himself get comfortable for it. Owen was still coiled up, like a hunting beast about to leap.

"I don't understand how you can be so… indulgent," he muttered, and Scott rolled his neck to turn a smile in Owen's direction.

"They are meaningless to me, Owen," he explained. "Some can earn my attention, like Pyro and Shelby did, but the rest? They will die. Either you will kill them, or time will. I cannot care for their little grabs at power. I will survive it, and they will not. It is all… meaningless."

Owen frowned.

"You have earned my attention too, you know," Scott continued. "Nothing is keeping you at my side, at yet here you stay."

"The humans—"

"You could kill them all," Scott said with an airy laugh. "You've said as much yourself. It would not be pretty, I'm sure they would put up a fight. They might even kill you. But I think, Owen—"

He let his smile turn knowing.

"— that is exactly what you want them to do."

"You don't know what I want," Owen said darkly. Scott expected him to turn away, to run from the conversation once more. Instead, he dropped his gaze, in a way that was almost submission. Scott felt a purr rumble in his chest.

"Don't," Owen snapped. "You're not my sire."

"I will not claim to be," Scott said firmly. "But I am your elder. I am building a coven here, Owen. There is a place for you in it. But if you do accept it, you will accept all of it."

"And if I don't?" Owen challenged.

It was effortless. He gave Owen no chance to react, pouncing, driving his claws into the meat of the young vampire's shoulders, and sending them both plummeting to the ground.

They hit the dirt at the back of the Castle with a thump that rattled some of the newer foundations. Owen landed flat on his back, Scott atop him, holding him down by his shoulders with a knee on his chest. There was the distinctive crack of ribs breaking beneath his weight. Owen hissed and writhed.

"I do not take kindly to intruders," Scott said calmly, face inches from Owen's. "I will let you choose Owen. Stay, or go. But there will be no halfway. If you stay, you will be mine. And I take care of what is mine. And if you go, then you best be quick in your slaughter, so we can be free of these beacons."

Owen was staring up at him, eyes wide with something between fury and shock.

"Why—" he hissed, cut off by another hiss of pain when Scott removed his claws from his shoulders to sit up, "why let me choose?"

Scott tilted his head in confusion.

"Why wouldn't I?"

Owen blinked up at him.

"You…"

Another beacon turned. Scott felt himself shudder unpleasantly in response. Owen whined. Scott sighed and rolled off him, getting to his feet and carefully brushing the dust of his clothes.

"Go feed, Owen," he said. "Heal, and make your choice."

He did not look back as he walked into the Castle. Shelby was sitting at the long table, scribbling away in a book. Scott smiled at her, walking over to press his cheek against her temple. She nuzzled into the contact, and then pouted slightly.

"Is everything alright?" she asked. Scott purred at her.

"It will be, my dear," he said. "Don't worry about a thing."

****

Owen returned to the Castle the next day. He had fed — on a human, Scott could tell by the lingering scent — and changed into clothes that much better suited his nature and new complexion. He stood in the doorway, as Scott looked up from where he was once more reading on the couch, alone this time.

"Made your choice then?" Scott asked him. There was a pause, before Owen nodded. Scott smiled, and set his book to the side. He extended an arm invitingly. Owen moved stiffly, walking forward into the room. He paused, just at the edge of Scott's reach.

"I… I can accept your… leadership," he said. "And if that means I have to accept all the…"

"Bonding," Scott supplied for him, when he failed to find the word. Owen's lip curled in displeasure, but he did not argue.

"Then, fine," he said. "But I won't call you Sire—"

"I won't ask you to," Scott dismissed.

"And I… I make no promises to… like it," Owen muttered.

"You need not promise," Scott said with an airy laugh. He raised his hand slightly, letting the soft, exposed skin of his wrist hover just near Owen's neck. He did not touch, not yet, did not even let himself begin to purr invitingly. He waited, eyes trained on Owen's face.

"No halfway, Owen," he reminded him, when the other man made no further movement.

"I… don't know how this all works," he finally admitted quietly. Scott smiled.

"I will show you."