Exile

It was starting to get sad just how desperate Brayden was becoming. He had never let someone else have this much control over his life before and it was scary for him. He didn’t know how to cope so he held on to the familiar feeling of anger. He wanted revenge on the people who did this to him. Starting with Isabeau Olsen, he had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to do anything to her without getting in trouble with her brother. Although Brayden would never admit it, he could never hurt Kat. But he wanted her to feel the same way he did. He would need to find someone who could do it for him. He was nudged in the direction of Hale Roosa by one of the patrons of his brothel. They promised he would be able to help with his problem. Brayden didn’t care if the man started a war between the realms if it meant that Brayden got the revenge he felt he deserved. He set the meeting at the Manor, he couldn’t afford to take time away and travel. He was afraid something else would happen if he left for even a day. Brayden sat back in his chair when he heard a knock on his office door. It felt like a sign that all of his problems would be solved. Maybe if this worked out well enough Kat would come back to him and he would be rid of his problem. “Come in,” Brayden announced as he got up and walked over to the bar. He opened a bottle of wine and poured two glasses, one for himself and one for his guest. “Thank you for coming all this way. Especially on short notice. I have a problem and I’m pretty sure you can help me solve it.”

~

A part of Kat was scared to meet with Brayden, he had been gone and she moved on. God had she moved on and God was she fucking thriving and loving every minute of it. She saw no point in waiting for him, her life had to keep moving. After all he had finally talked her into eternity and then just left her. Like everyone else did, not a shock.

Brayden wouldn’t know it but he came back to a different creature than what he sired. Someone that wasn’t meek and loyal out of fear. He came back to someone that knew her worth and knew she was capable of actually being his equal. She stood in the door and watched him before stepping in. She didn’t want to sit down. She didn’t want to give him any chance of trying to pull her back in with fear.

For the first time in a long time, the scared girl he had found in the alley high out of her mind with deep dark eyes was now staring at him just as cold and calculated as he did. Her brow gently poised in a raise, “why did you think you deserved a note? I was left with nothing more than my typical responsibilities, I took care of the employees. They’re fine by the way. They work for me now, in my brothel. They chose to leave this place just like I did.”

She stepped closer, “so what do you want? I’m a very busy woman and I don’t have all day to be here. I have people that need me and want me around.”

-

As Kat stood in his doorway he couldn’t help but to think how much easier this was when she was human. When she was human, whenever she got the idea of wanting her ‘freedom’, she usually came crawling back to him. It usually took him a few weeks to get her cleaned up and back to normal. He didn’t know how he was going to get her to listen to him now. Especially now that the bitch was whispering these delusions of grandeur in her ear.  

“I left you here because I thought you could handle it. Had I known that you were going to turn it into a shit show, I would have brought you with me on my trip.” He was not going to just sit and let her stand there and lecture him. Especially not with the door open for all of his new hires to hear. Brayden stood up and walked over to close the door she had left open.

Now that he was standing next to her, he realized just how much he had missed her. That was one of the many reasons he came home. He had been expecting a more joyful return instead of what had greeted him. Brayden could feel just how self assured and strong she was feeling thanks to his special abilities. He was a little disappointed to discover she hadn’t shown any affection towards him.

“I left you in charge because you were the only one I could trust with everything.” He said in a soft voice as he reached out to grab her wrist. He gently brushed two fingers along the inside of her wrist as he called upon his power of pathokinesis. He wanted to feel some love and affection towards him. Maybe if he used his powers to  make her feel for him as she once did, she would remember everything and this whole ordeal would be over.

“I really did miss you kitten. I came back for you. I never meant to leave you forever, you have to know that.”

-💔-

She smirked, at their retort. “Testy are we? You say left, I say abandoned, are they not synonymous in certain cases?” Beau’s shoulders rose and fell. “She’s not shackled. We’re business partners equal in all we do and all we have, and she’s completely an independent person who can go and come whenever she pleases.” While it would be sad it Kat decided to part ways with her, it wouldn’t stop her life. Heartbreak and being left were parts of her life she came to terms with. People weren’t trinkets that stayed for as long as we would like. They were their own entities with their own minds and sometimes they had to go their own ways. 

“Damn, denying customers? Can you really afford to turn anyone away? I mean…go down the block to The Secret Garden Falls edition and business is booming. Or go over to the Heights to the Garden there and well…you get the picture. Pick a realm, any realm and I can assure business isn’t in any danger. And we won’t even close our doors to you. You’re more than welcome to any location of The Secret Garden.” 

Beau burst into laughter at his threat. “This realm? This one? Oh please try. Who will you implore to decree this? How would you stop me? Last I checked, your title said you were just a minor lord. Do you have sway with the High Lord? Would you say you could snap your finger and he would remove me from this realm?” 

She pointed to her face. “Look at my face.” No emotion slipped through her mask of indifference. “Do I look afraid? Of you? Of your threats? Of death? Because you couldn’t kill me if you wanted to. Death doesn’t frighten me, but you’re cute with your little threats.” She frowned. “Why would she need to crawl? She’s her own person, she’s free to make any business decisions or personal decisions she likes. She’s not my territory. Do you think she’s yours? Why wouldn’t you be happy for someone who decided to better themselves, and move outside your shadow?” 

“I can afford to do anything I fucking want. If I want you out of here, then I can kick you out.” Brayden slammed his glass down on the bar top.  She had no right coming in here and messing up everything for him. He didn’t care about his business right now. He would close it himself if it meant Kat came back to him.  He was focused on who she stole from him. Beau didn’t understand the type of bond that Brayden and Kat had. It was more than anything she could comprehend.  All he had to do was destroy Beau and Kat would come back. Everything would go back to normal after that.

“I wouldn’t set foot in any of your establishments, who knows what diseases your escorts are carrying.” He turned to refill his empty glass. “I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before you get shut down. Sure your business might be booming but once people start getting sick, there is going to be an angry mob pounding on your doors.”

This was not the welcome home he expected after his long trip away. Kat was supposed to be here to welcome him back, nothing was supposed to have changed. He had gone away before, why was this return home different? Why did this woman feel she had the authority to come in here and wreck everything for him? She had absolutely no right to his business or to Kat.  Now she was claiming that he held no power within the realm which was a complete and utter lie. He never needed the high lord to enforce anything for him when he could just do it himself.

“Who says it’s the high lord who is going to take care of you? Do you think I’ve lived hundreds of years without killing someone myself?” He smiled and took a sip of his drink.

“I made Kat who she is. I’m the reason she’s still alive today.” Brayden was fuming mad now. There was no doubt in his mind who Kat belonged too. He was her maker after all. Kat was better when she was with him. The both of them knew that. Sure he would let her get whatever this was out of her system but he knew she would be back.

Sometimes Brayden got so unbelievably bored that just the idea of another day just going about their business seemed unbearable. That’s why Brayden left. It wasn’t the first time they had done it, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. But Brayden needed some time away from their responsibilities, they wanted to see what else the world had to offer them. The whole time they assumed that everything would be waiting for them just how they left it when it was time to go home.  But instead Brayden came home to a complete and utter mess. Sure Axel had done her best to keep it all under control and his business was still running. Despite all of this Brayden felt like they had been stabbed in the back. Their one asset, their pride and joy was gone. If they didn’t know better they would have claimed they were robbed. But Brayden knew Kat better than that, no one took her from them, she left on her own free will. She also took several of the other escorts with her.  As soon as Brayden had a chance to calm down and not storm over to her new place in a murderous rage, he sent Axel to summon her.  The main thing they wanted to know was why. Why did she leave Brayden? The music in the club downstairs played throughout the house as Brayden sat in their office waiting for her. When the sounds of high heels on the floor outside the office alerted them to Kat’s arrival, Brayden stood up and poured them both a drink from the wet bar in his office.  They sat the glasses down on the desk and sat down. “Come in,” Brayden said when he heard the soft knock. He breathed in deep when he saw Kat standing in the door way and took a sip from his glass.  “You didn’t even leave a note or anything. I just came back and you were gone.”

It had been a while since he had last seen Isis. Their last meeting had been so enjoyable that Eryk decided that he just had to meet up with her again. He picked the same pub as last time and was already waiting up in his private room for her. There was a bottle of wine and two glasses sitting on a table. He went ahead and opened the wine and poured them both a glass. He heard a knock at the door and rushed over to open it, the bottle of wine still in his hand. 

“It’s good to see you again. Come on in, I was just getting us a drink to start.” He stepped aside to let her into the room and went back to the glasses sitting on the table. He picked one up and held it out to her. “I figured we didn’t need to waste time downstairs.” 

Eryk poured himself a drink before glancing at the clock. Lou had scheduled a meeting with him today to discuss their next move. He sipped his drink as he sat down in his chair. A few seconds later he heard the sound of her heels in the hallway. He finished the rest of his drink and stood up to pour himself another glass and got a glass out for Lou. He was sure that she needed a drink just as much as he did. He held the glass out to her as she entered the room and waited for her to take it from him. He sat down across from her and took a sip of his drink.  “I know you’re angry. So let’s drink before we start plotting our next move.” 

Location: Midnight Manor 

Brayden was in a bit of a pickle. As much as they were a kiss ass when it came to Markus, they also had to keep the goddess of the Devine forest on their side as well. He needed to keep a good standing with the Nymphs to keep the vampire patrons of the manor happy. It was a big part of the business next to the fairies. 

A knock at the door of his office announced the arrival of Iris. Brayden got up from the desk and opened the door to greet the goddess of the forest. “Welcome. It’s an honor to have you visiting the manor.  It’s not often that a goddess graces us with their presence.” 

Location: Farmers market in Eastland 

Kaden took a day away from the palace, he need to get away from the endless meetings and the talk of politics and just breath. Plus it was good to visit with everyone who called Eastland home, not just the pack. Plus with the harvest fast approaching now was the perfect time to get the last of the summer vegetables and fruit for the manor. The pack was always happier when they were well fed. 

He was looking over a stand selling herbs and spices when he caught a whiff of something so familiar. But it wasn’t coming from the stand, more from someone passing by. He turned around in search of the smell to see a face that had been frequenting his dreams more and more lately. He caught eyes with Harmonia as she walked by him and he dropped the bunch of rosemary he had been inspecting. He picked it up off the ground and quickly dusted it off before putting it back down on the counter of the stall. 

“Sorry, er- I’ll be back.” He said to the stall owner before he jogged to catch up with Harmonia.  She was just across the way but it felt like forever until he caught up with her. He had only ran into her a couple of times but each time had left a lasting impact on him. It was big enough to cause him to dream of her. He wasn’t sure what to say with her. But he doubted telling her that he had been dreaming of her was not the way to go. So he decided to lead with something a little less creepy and more simple.  “Hey. How have you been?” 

Location: Amani Fortress 

Kaden had been to the southland realm a dozen times. Although he hated leaving his realm he didn’t feel as uncomfortable when he usually left home. Maybe it was because he knew he was among friends here and that Eastland would be waiting for him when he returned. This meeting with Rowan was important because they had to start planning for their event coming up so very soon. 

The palace was huge and Kaden was sure he would have gotten lost if it wasn’t for the servant showing him around. He felt that it was possible to spend months here and still not see every room the palace had to offer. He felt a bit relived with the servant showed him in to a sitting room where Rowan was waiting for him. 

“It’s good to see you again. You should have sent me a map of your home before my trip. I’m afraid I am going to get lost just looking for the bathroom here.”