#royalityweek

Roman didn’t bother with a photograph. His face was all he needed.

“Hey, I’m looking for my brother,” he pushed a smile onto his face as he approached a couple waiting for the bus. “He looks just like me, just with a mustache and—“

“Sorry, can’t help you,” the guy muttered, giving him a brief, tight smile. All lip and no teeth. He wouldn’t even meet his eyes.

The girl hanging on his arm was friendlier but just as unhelpful. “We really wish we could help,” she’d cooed, blown pupils revealing just how high she was. Her head rested on the guys shoulder and her eyes kept drifting over to his as she talked, drawn by a string. Their bus hissed as it slowed to a stop in front of them. “Hope you find him,” she purred, then let the guy usher her up into the bus.

“Thanks,” Roman muttered as he stepped back and the door closed in his face. He waited until the bus growled and tumbled down the otherwise deserted street. Nothing was open this late at night, but this was Re’s favorite time. Cool air, well, as cool as summer got in the concrete jungle.

And quiet. Re liked to joke that after last call and all the bars closed, fewer people in the streets made it easier for him to tell that the voices he heard were coming from his head and not passers-by.

Roman never thought the joke was very funny.

A door opened two blocks down and a splash of light and music spilled out into the night. Something was open. Roman watched a tall silhouette slink down the sidewalk, turning in profile before disappearing into the shadows. It wasn’t Re. But perhaps someone there had seen his brother somewhere? He knew it was a long shot, but he’d already checked every hospital, every morgue. After the second hospitalization, Re signed a blanket disclosure for him, so he knew his brother hadn’t been readmitted.

And the police? Once they’d pulled up his arrest record, the cops had been less than worthless, with the kindest of them hinting that maybe he should take Re’s disappearance as a gift.

As much as Roman didn’t want to find his brother in a fucking bar, it was better than not finding him at all and he hurried to the door. The front was clean, well-kept, and the heavy wood door and the brass handle was polished. The place was old, but not decrepit-old, more like… fine antique old.

He reached for the handle but before his fingers closed around the fingerprint free metal, an impossibly strong hand wrapped around his arm and yanked him into the darkened alley.

“Do you have a death wish?” a voice growled, incongruously soft baby blue eyes glinted back at him in the darkened alleyway.

“What?” Roman tried to pull away but the man’s grip was too strong. He stepped closer and into a pool of light bleeding from the streetlamps across the way. He was tall and… broad, dressed in a long grey trenchcoat and some kind of paramilitary-looking khakis, pockets bulging. He had some kind of knife thing strapped to one thigh, his hand hovering over it like he was just itching to shank him right there in the alley.

“Look, I… I don’t have a lot of money but just take it,” Roman tried again to pull away. The guy stayed centered and when Roman feinted in one direction, he wasn’t fooled, staying on him.

“Money?” The guy suddenly laughed and released his arm. “I don’t want your money. I’m trying to save your life. That’s a vampire’s den.” 

“Those aren’t real, they’re—”

The door opened and the guy pulled him into the shadows, one hand coming up to cover his mouth. “Shh, and watch…”

A man and a woman emerged from the bar—what the hell was a bar doing still open after last call, anyway? They stood right under the streetlamp, giving Roman a good look at them. The man clung to her arm just like the couple from the bus stop, dazed and high, holding on to her like she’d hung the moon.

“Oh, my sweet…” The man whined and tilted his head, like he was enticing her with his neck. “Now, now, not out here… Emile would sooner stake me than let me take you outside.” She traced a line down his neck and the man shuddered under her touch. 

What caught Roman’s eyes, though, were the two puncture wounds her hand revealed. “Let’s get you home, my sweet. I’m getting hungry again.” 

The rest of their words were muffled under a haze of static as Roman sank down to the dirty alleyway. A high pitched keen filled his ears and it took a minute for him to realize that was him.

Warm, calloused hands closed over his and he gripped back reflexively, the guy’s hairy knuckles and the fuzziness on the backs of his hands oddly comforting. “Hey, Kiddo, just breathe for me, okay…” He squeezed his hands, inhaling slowly and deliberately. Roman tried to copy him, but broke into a panting sob.

“That’s good, that’s a good try…” The guy praised him anyway. “Try again now,” he murmured. His voice was low and strong, not whispering, but quiet words just for him. Roman realized he was speaking right next to his ear. He should be freaked out, he should push him away. But he just felt… safe. He tried again to copy his breathing and this time he could do it.

“Very good, that’s it…” he said and Roman slowly nodded. “No bloodsucker’s gonna hurt you with me around, okay?” 

Roman lifted his head and the guy’s eyes widened. “It’s you, but…”

“You’ve seen me before?”

He leaned in, breathing deeply, almost like he was smelling him. The guy shook his head. “Not you…” he said slowly.

“With a mustache?” Roman scrambled to his feet. “You’ve seen my twin? My brother Remus, I—”

“Oh…” His face fell, sorrow and pity crumpling his features. “I’m so sorry. I…” The guy gripped his arms and Roman had the distinct feeling he was holding him upright. “I’ve seen your brother… he…” 

The guy hung his head and the streetlight filtered through his blonde curls, giving him almost a halo. The rough tone clashed with the angelic softness and Roman was suddenly grateful for the guy’s tight grip on his arms as his knees weakened. “The bloodsuckers got him,” he finally said.

“What? No—” Roman shook his head. His face and neck grew wet and he stared back at the guy past blurry vision. “Where… his body? He’s not in the morgues… I checked… I checked every John Doe… No, I—”

“Oh, Kiddo,” he whispered now and pulled him into a big bear hug. Roman sobbed against his shoulder like a baby. After all this? A vamp got him? “There’s no body, Kiddo. They… they turned him.”

Rage burned through Roman’s veins. Vamps stole his brother, his whole family, and they didn’t even leave him a body to bury, to say goodbye to? “How… how do you know?” His voice shook. It couldn’t be true.

“I saw it happen, Kiddo. From the roof.”

"And you just watched!?" Roman pulled back but the guy’s iron grip kept him in place. “Why didn’t you—“

He shook his head. “By the time I saw—“

“How hard is it to see a vamp biting into a man’s neck?”

“You don’t understand… People come here to… to feed them. They… they like it. I thought… I thought your brother…” The guy swallowed hard, like he might be sick. Horror churned in Roman’s guts as realization grew.

He shook his head, rage freezing hard and cold in his chest. “No…”

“Once I realized, I jumped down, but I wasn’t fast enough. V had taken him.”

“I’ll kill him.”

The guy stared at him and Roman just stared back. “There’s nothing you could possibly say to change my mind. My brother and I fought everything together. When Re got sick, we lost everything. Everyone. All we had was each other. Without Re… without Re I have nothing. And nothing left to lose.”

“Not even your life?” The guy’s blue eyes pierced right through him, but Roman didn’t look away.

The guy stepped back but still wouldn’t let him go. A slow smile spread across his face. “Well, if you’re going after the most dangerous bloodsucker in the city, you’re gonna need help, then, won’t you?

Squeezing his hand, Roman nodded to himself. Only five more blocks and they’d be home. He would take care of him, get him warm and fed. By then, Luka would be home, too, and they could fuss over Patton together, cuddling in the den until he recharged.

The pair walked in silence for a few deserted blocks, then waited at a busier intersection until it was safe to cross.

Roman leaned close, nuzzling his cheek. Patton stiffened when he touched near the scratches on his jaw. “Are you sure you’re okay, Pat?” he murmured. The scent of Patton’s blood filling his nose was more enough to trigger a protective response, but it was laced with a sharp, sour undertone, something almost familiar. He couldn’t quite place it, but it smelled wrong.

“Better with you here,” Patton murmured, melting against him. His hands trembled, but then he straightened, smiling back at him. “Much better with you here, cookie.”

Blushing, Roman snuck another kiss against his cheek as the signal changed. His phone rang before they’d gotten to the other side. “It’s Luka,” he said as he picked up.

“Drac took the bait!” The other Hunter cheered as soon as the call connected.

Patton’s eyes widened, Luka’s words clearly audible to his preternaturally strong hearing. Roman grinned at him. “Are you sure?”

“We got him! He was spotted entering the bloodsucker’s den an hour ago. And his spawn followed just a few minutes ago.”

Stopping at the corner, Roman gripped Patton’s hand and nodded. “It worked! They all took the bait!”

Luka grunted quietly and the screech of metal on metal spilled out of the phone. “I’m there now, on the roof. How fast can you get here?”

~

Steam rose up from the Hunters’ fighting forms as they huddled together on the roof of Emile’s. Patton crouched between Luka and Ro, the battle-ready heat pouring off their bodies lending him strength.

When they’d gotten to the roof, Patton had adjusted his clothing and shifted before either could spot the puncture wounds on his neck. Always observant, Ro could tell something was wrong. Patton saw it in his eyes. Even now, those bright green eyes lingered on him, watching him almost as much as he watched the door to the bloodsucker’s little ‘bar.’

Luka watched him, too, sniffing the air. Undoubtedly, he smelled Drac's bite on him, but this close to the swarm of vamps in the bar below, Him included, Luka seemed to dismiss it. Patton wasn’t sure what he would do if the wounds hadn’t healed enough by the time they got home to disguise the stink of the Drac’s bite.

Without really intending to, he’d let his head rest against Ro’s shoulder. A low rumble vibrated through his love, easing the lingering ache in his neck. And the icy chains cinched around his chest.

The bloodsuckers weren’t supposed to be able to enthrall them. The wolf in every Hunter meant they were protected. But there was no other explanation for tonight, no other explanation for how Drac had gotten close enough to touch him, to kiss him, to feed off him…. 

Not without a stake in his chest.

Without warning, Emile’s door banged open and, amidst the chatter and the music pouring out of the club, three voices wafted up from the sidewalk below.

“Thank you,” one of them murmured. Drac’s spawn. His words were followed by quiet kissing sounds and Patton’s lips curled in disgust. "I'm so sorry, he's… He hasn't changed. Not one bit."

“You're not responsible for him, Love.” It was Ro’s voice, but wrong. Sharper, and equal parts too low and too loud. “We know there’s a reason you left him.” 

Ro trembled next to him, a nearly silent whine escaping his lips. Patton rumbled and rubbed their heads together. He knew the pain of hearing a bloodsucker use a loved one's voice. He would've given anything to keep that from sweet Ro.

They peered over the edge and there he was, Virgil and his spawn. The beginnings of his new army. Patton brushed Ro’s arm. “Remember the plan. We wait for Drac—”

With a flash of fur and fang, his love roared and the Hunters’ plan exploded.

Ro leapt over the ledge to the alley below. He landed on the younger bloodsuckers’ backs, clawing and snarling. Virgil tugged uselessly at him, his defensive strength no match for the fury of Ro’s full werewolf form.

“Get off them!” he cried over Ro’s growls. Ro snapped at him, letting go and giving Dracula’s spawn his full attention. But it was an unfair fight and his brother’s corpse slunk behind him.

Grabbing his arm, the vamp twisted back and up. The loud, wet snap and crunch shuddered through Patton and he jumped to the ground.

Luka followed, growling his own rage. Keeping themselves between the bloodsuckers and Ro, they surged forward. When Virgil turned, urging his spawn away, Patton took his chance.

All Luka needed was one clear bite for each.

Too quickly, Drac appeared and grabbed him. Hands that earlier had been so gentle suddenly tore at his fur and tossed him aside like trash. Patton crashed into a dumpster, warping and splitting the welded edge. Its foul contents leaked out as Patton fought to breathe.

His head spun, every word Drac spoke shuddering through his body. No, no, no! Not now!

Like a break in the clouds, a worried trill from his sweet Ro pulled his mind back into focus. Patton pushed up to his feet, shaking off the fire in his back and his head. He rumbled reassuringly to Ro then rejoined the battle.

Patton pushed forward, drawing the vamps' attention when Luka got his teeth into Virgil. He froze when Drac grabbed him.

“You!”

No, no, no no…

Dracula twisted his fingers in his fur and dragged him closer. Golden eyes, earlier so warm and soft, now glinted with a hot rage. “You will not harm them!” he commanded. "Go now!"

Patton struggled, shaking in his grip. He tried to look away, tried to listen to the sounds of Luka’s fighting, to Ro’s quiet pained whine that he fought so bravely to suppress. But all he could hear was Dracula’s voice, soft and shouting at once, those molten gold eyes staring into him.

He returned to his human form. Bones shrinking down and face flattening, he trembled, fighting the compulsion to leave. Patton urged his feet forward, back into the fight, desperate, useless hope. If he grabbed Dracula now, then Luka could get a bite in. They could pick off the spawn later.

But Patton couldn’t still his own retreat. Even as Ro’s outraged whine hit his ears, he marched away.

Luka soon followed, tugging Ro from the scene, and the three Hunters fled together.

~

One foot in front of the other, Roman followed his pack home. His eyes focused on the rain pattering the sidewalk, ears and nose sharp for any more of those bloodsuckers. Not that he could do anything about it if they encountered a threat.

His shattered arm throbbed, but he deserved it. If he had kept his control, if he’d let the others jump down first after Drac appeared, just as they’d planned, then he wouldn’t have gotten hurt. He wouldn’t’ve distracted Patton.

He wouldn’t’ve ruined their plan.

Patton moved close as Roman shifted back to his human form and wrapped an arm around his waist. Roman's bones were already healing, but healing wrong, and he couldn’t hold back the whine at the back of his throat as the jagged edges fought their new configuration. 

Some Hunter he was. Shamed, he clamped his mouth shut, but he knew both could hear his weakness.

After about a block, Patton stroked his back, rumbling quietly. “We’ll fix you up at home, cookie. I promise.”

“But—” he breathed hard through his nose when another pained sound followed his words. Luka moved closer, sharp eyes scanning the street. Laughter, possibly human, possibly bloodsuckers, spilled from around the corner and the eldest Hunter urged them back.

They looped around the back way to their home, hopping fences until they’d reached their tiny yard. Luka punched in the code to the backdoor and let them inside.

“Sit over here, Ro,” Patton murmured. Despite his failure, Patton’s treatment was soft and kind. He pressed him into a soft chair and even brought a pillow for him to rest his arm. 

Once he was seated, Patton helped him peel back his shirt, revealing a constellation of rapidly healing bruises. His arm was painted in purples, greens, and yellows. But the bone was crooked, the radial jutting out at an unnatural angle even as his wounds healed, the damaged bone knitting itself back together in the wrong shape.

It would need to be reset. Patton took his other hand, wincing, then looked to Luka. “Would you—” A sour fear poured off of him, easing only slightly when Luka sat across from them.

Squeezing Patton’s shoulder, Luka nodded and began examining the fractures. Patton slunk away, face drawn down in a scowl. “I’ll bring the supplies,” he muttered.

“Thank you, Pat.” Roman nodded and lowered his head. Patton had barely been able to look at him, retreating from his failure like he needed to collect himself before he snapped.

When he returned, Luka continued to work on his arm and the elder Hunters argued about the thrall. Roman half-listened, distracted by the pain of Luka’s ministrations. What they were saying didn’t make much sense and he suspected he'd missed something in his inexperience.

Roman was shocked out of his stupor by Patton suddenly pounding the table. He clutched his moonstone instinctively, teeth and claws already poking through as he struggled to control his startled reaction.

Patton calmed immediately and after a moment, Roman began to understand their sudden retreat.

It had not been willing.

He looked up at the nearly healed scratches along his jaw. Scratches. Vamps didn’t scratch. Roman's stomach churned, ice crackling just under his skin. That monster had forced Patton to scratch himself.

“He compelled you not to tell us he enthralled you, didn’t he?” He met Patton’s eyes, or at least tried to. Patton wouldn't look up.

Roman turned to Luka. “Did he do the same to you?”

“I… I don’t think so.”

The pack sat together in the same room, but sour fear and mistrust sat with and between them. For several minutes, they all avoided each other’s gaze. 

It was Patton who reached out first. “We have a real problem if we can’t trust each other. If we can’t even trust ourselves.”

Roman nodded and reached for him. Luka was still working on his arm but his uninjured hand was free. Smiling tentatively, Patton moved to his side and, like he had the night they’d met, gently laced their fingers together.

He curled close to his side and brought his hand up for a kiss. When Luka finished his arm, Patton remained by his side, pressing Roman’s hand to his mouth as he held Luka’s gaze. Slowly, he lowered their shared grip to his lap then hooked shaking fingers under his collar. He tugged, revealing two raw puncture wounds on his neck.

Tears welling in his eyes, he looked at both of them. “We’re losing this war. We need a new plan.”

“Oh, Pat… No…” Roman pulled him close and feathered kisses over his neck and his jaw. “He hurt you,” he whispered.

“I let him.”

“No, little pup,” Luka murmured and Roman’s eyes flew wide. He’d never thought he'd hear Luka call him that. But Patton drew close and rubbed his cheek against the eldests Hunter’s palm. “You were enthralled,” Luka said, shaking his head. “We need to tell the Guild.”

“What we need is peace,” Patton insisted. “The Guild is just going to try to build a bigger weapon. What’s next? Vampire hybrids to fight the vampires? That’s what we’ll need because if we're vulnerable, then the only thing that can’t be enthralled is another vampire.”

“Actually…” Luka began.

Patton glared. “You’ve got to be kidding me! No,” he shook his head. “No, I’m done with sharing everything we know just to have the Guild leave us in the dark.”

“Maybe the venom will drive them to talk,” Roman said quietly. Patton and Luka dropped their staring contest and turned to him. “If they can enthrall us, we won’t be able to work together enough to administer it, but maybe… maybe they won’t know that. They’ll think we’re like them, just… animals. And ready to bite them.”

Luka sat back in his chair and dragged his hands through his hair, a low growl pushing past his lips. “This was meant to be our time. The venom…” He sighed and  leaned forward again, eyes lingering on the wounds on Patton’s neck and Roman’s shattered arm. “You’re right. This can’t go on.”

“They can’t come here. We can’t invite them in,” Patton said, pressing Roman’s hand againy his chest. “And we’re not setting foot in their nests. We need somewhere neutral. Somewhere safe.”

“Hmm,” Luka grunted then fell silent, eyes faraway. After a moment, he shrugged and met their gaze. “There’s always The Library.”

~

Patton had been right. The venom spooked the vamps and they agreed to meet at dawn under the shared protection of the Bibliothecari. While they waited for the sun to rise, the pack gathered in the small den.

“I knew I had a reason to be afraid of librarians,” Roman had tried to joke, but his voice shook, worry for his love fraying all other thoughts. He and Luka curled on either side of Patton. With soft touches and kisses, they cleaned his wounds and worked to soothe the deeper hurts of his thrall.

Despite the danger, despite his hatred, and despite the way Drac had left him shaken and violated, Patton still felt his draw. Even as his mind screamed in revulsion, a small, loud part of him longed for the vamp's icy touch and the sharp pain of his bite. Patton trembled in his packmates’ arms, and they held him tight, solid reminders of who his family was, who his pack was.

“It’ll get easier, little pup,” Luka rumbled. “I promise. The talks will be difficult, but the thecari know and they’ll set up extra protection for you.”

Patton nodded against Luka’s chest and Roman curled close behind him, arms wrapped tightly around his body. The physical signs of Drac’s assault were nearly gone. And they would carry him through the rest of his healing.

“I’m scared for you, cookie,” he whispered, drawing Roman’s hands closer to his heart. “They'll probably going to bring their spawn. You’ll see him again.”

“I know,” Roman sighed. “It was… difficult to see Re’s corpse last night.” He buried his face in Patton’s hair, breathing in the confusing mixed smells of burnt plastic and brown sugar. Even in safety of their den, Patton’s turmoil was obvious in his scent. “But I’m not letting you two go alone. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Roman shuddered, not quite able to suppress his low whine. Hurt again.

“I’ll be alright, Love,” Patton rolled onto his back and pulled each of them close. “We’re finding another path. This is the right thing to do.”

Luka smiled, a low, pleased rumble stuttering through each of them. “My sweet, brave pups. With you two, I think this just might work."

~

The thecari recommended the parties stagger their arrivals to ensure they wouldn’t encounter each other in the streets, outside of the protective spells in The Library. But even with those measures, Luka and Patton insisted they entered first.

“No!” Ro protested, reaching for Patton. “I can help!”

Patton looped one arm around his waist, his other hand coming up to stroke his cheek. “Let us grant you a little protection, cookie. Please?” Drawing close, he nuzzled against his neck and the lingering scent of Patton’s wound filled his senses.

“But—”

“Roman, there’s still a chance they’re planning something,” Luka rumbled, one hand on each of their shoulders. “We need to be sure.”

With a quiet whine, he nodded. “I’ll be listening,” he promised, pushing his cheek into Patton’s palm and drawing Luka closer. “Be careful and don’t be afraid to call for me.” He looked back at them with tears in his bright green eyes. “Please?”

“We will, Love,” Patton whispered, brushing one more kiss against his cheek. Then he turned to Ni. “We’re ready.”

It was easier than Patton feared to see Drac again. His breath still caught painfully in his throat and, when he forgot himself, his gaze lingered on those gleaming teeth. But the tremor in hands was manageable, and his fear was… well, not gone, but muffled to a quavering whisper, quiet enough that he could think.

Ni bowed his head and gifted him with a small smile. “Shkran lak,” Patton murmured, one hand over his heart. “Thank you.”

When it became clear that the vamps didn’t dare hide any tricks up their sleeves—Patton did note how Drac was avoiding each of their eyes, they called in Ro. That’s when the other shoe dropped.

“Ro?” the walking corpse blurted out. “What are you doing here?”

Patton leapt out of his seat and put himself between his love and the vamps. “How dare you say his name, bloodsucker!”

True to their promise to provide a neutral meeting space, the thecari dropped a protective shield between them. They could still see and hear each other, but Patton had little doubt the sparkly veil between them would be impenetrable to anyone who intended harm.

The vamp looked genuinely hurt, with guilty eyes snagging on Ro’s sling. No. No, these soulless bloodsuckers are just good at mimicking actual emotion.

Patton struggled to control the growl pushing its way up his throat. V’s spawn stammered and sighed, doing his damnedest to trick his sweet Ro into believing he was miraculously still his brother. It was convincing, all soft words and nervous little glances. Patton even recognized a bit of Ro in him, but it was long known the vamps were master mimics.

And they all knew how manipulative bloodsuckers were.

He tried not to be taken in, but it was impossible to ignore the behavior of the other three vamps. They looked… concerned. Their bodies shouted, leaning closer to the vamp who wore Ro’s dead brother like a suit. The vamp’s admission of delusions shook them, but not with fear. Worry and compassion, impossible emotions, washed over their faces and spilled out in their pheromones. It was as though they actually cared for him.

Ro’s reaction, though, shattered Patton's heart. Quiet tears poured down his face. “My brother never told anyone else why he did all that.”

“Yeah, I know,” the vamp whispered, head hung in shame. “That's ‘cause it’s really me, Ro.”

Then Ro, sweet, sweet Ro, pulled the vampire into a hug. “It really is you. I thought you were dead, Re. It's why I…” 

Patton was on his feet, waiting for the moment the vampire launched its attack. Shaking his head, Ni drew close and touched his arm, the warmth in his touch dancing over his skin. Patton felt calmer. Not… controlled, but the wet, heavy fear smothering his mind cleared enough to think.

The veil would not have allowed them to touch if the vampire had evil intentions.

“That’s what I’ve been telling you, dumbass." The vampire was crying now, too. "I’m just different now… like you.” He smirked, terrifyingly close to Ro’s playful crooked smile. “Just… I won’t need a flea bath every night.”

“Yeah ‘cause you’re the flea.” Roman laughed and cried, clinging to the vamp. Both Patton and Luka rumbled, easing his hurt however they could while he was in the center of the field. 

Sloppily drying his eyes with his hand, the vampire pressed the other against his chest, another of Ro’s sweet gestures. “Excuse you, I am not a flea. I am a sparkly sexy vampire, thank you very much.”

“Oh, shut up,” Roman muttered and hugged his brother again.

The twins’ reconciliation was the breakthrough they needed. Whenever he and Luka grew frustrated with the vampires, they looked to the twins, one on each side of the table. They were their hope. And while the talks, this first talk, at least, ended with only a temporary truce agreement, it felt like progress.

First to arrive, the vampires were also the first to go, but before Drac left the room, he touched Ni’s hand. “lahzatan wahidat min fadlik,” he said quietly, but clearly, as though he wanted to be sure the Hunters would hear and understand him.

“‘One moment, please,’” Luka translated in a low whisper for Ro.

“Ana bihajat 'iilaa 'iislah.” (I need to make amends.)

Drac glanced in Patton's direction and he shivered under even the partial attention, toes twitching in his boots.

“Laqad adhiatuhu. Hal satabqaa limusaeadatih ealaa alshueur bial'amani?” (I hurt him. Will you stay to help him feel safe?)

Ni’s smile stretched across his face and he pressed both hands together. A cylindrical translucent grey column formed around Drac. He reached out with one gloved hand and watched the energy fizzle against his palm. The shield didn’t harm him, but it wouldn’t let him through, either.

He inclined his head to the thecari. “Shkran lak.” (Thank you.)

Ni gazed at Drac, but past him, like he saw through him to some truth just beyond. “Alaetidhar lays siwaa juz' min 'iislah al'umuri.” (Apology is only part of making amends.) His voice was soft but just as commanding as Drac’s ever was.

“Naeam,” (yes), Drac nodded, expression tight. “Shkran lak,” (thank you), he repeated, then turned to face Patton and Luka. Ro shifted next to them, his good arm hooked around both of theirs.

Eyes low and focused on their chins, Drac cleared his throat. Still, when he spoke, his voice wobbled. “I wish to apologize,” he began.

“You? Apologize?” Luka snapped.

“Yes.”

Drac waited, gaze still strangely trained on their faces but avoiding their eyes. Was he waiting for… permission to speak?

“We’re listening,” Patton finally said, glancing over to Luka. He growled quietly, but Patton shrugged and stroked his arm. What will it hurt to listen to him like this?

“Ire”—Luka’s eyes widened at the respectful use of his Hunter name—”We have known each other a long time and… during that time, I have mocked and taunted you with the thrall. Initially I was merely working to protect myself and my—” He closed his eyes and fell silent for a long moment, throat bobbing. Eventually he seemed to recover. Slightly. The shimmering shield made it look like tears had gathered in his eyes. Patton was… pretty sure it was just the shield.

“I apologize.”

“I don’t forgive you,” Luka growled.

Drac bowed his head. “I do not expect you to.”

Patton shivered when he turned his attention to him. “Pathos…”

His good arm curled protectively around him, Ro pulled him close. Patton pressed himself against his chest, his quiet rumble battling the fire in his veins.

“I am deeply sorry for…” Drac’s face crumpled and he shook his head, like dismissing an errant thought or sound. “Deeply sorry for everything I did to you. I… I didn’t understand—”

He shook his head again. “That's irrelevant. I was wrong and I am sorry. The thrall will pass for both of you. I will stay away from you and it will fade and soon. And I…" His hands quivered at his sides and he hung his head again. "I will not hurt you again." 

Rumbling wordlessly, Luka and Ro wrapping themselves around him, shield and comfort in one. After several long moments of silence, Drac bowed to the trio and moved toward the door.

“Thank you,” Patton said to his back.

Turning, he faced their direction, again, avoiding their eyes. His mouth opened, familiar, frightening lips moving silently, but closed again without speaking.

Finally, he nodded once then followed Ni out of the room. The door slowly hissed shut and Patton watched the greyish column around Drac fade as the distance between them grew.

~

At Luka's summons, the city's remaining Hunter packs gathered near the lake in Central Park. They were not happy about the truce. The Hunters were even more unhappy about the secrets the Guild had been keeping.

"What do you mean, enthralled?" A tall Elm pack Hunter narrowed her eyes at Pat.

"What part of enthralled is so difficult to understand?" Luka snapped. "It's quite simple. We are not impervious to Drac and his spawn. The Guild has known for years but was waiting for the venom to be finished before making it known."

"And the vamps have already found a cure for the new venom," Pat said, quieter than Luka but with just as much steel behind his words.

Roman had remained silent while the elder Hunters discussed the terms of the truce. Defensive actions were allowed, but would trigger an immediate meeting at The Library. Long neutral witnesses in the escalating war between the most infamous of the city's supernatural creatures, the thecari were only too happy to set up the necessary tracking to satisfy both sides.

But when it became clear some of the packs were putting prejudice before peace, Roman spoke up. "There is a lot we don't understand about the vamps. A lot we've had wrong. And not just what the Guild had kept from us."

The Ivy pack growled between themselves, snips and low howls in their family dialect. Finally, their elder perked up his ears and scowled. "And what if we don't obey the truce?"

Before anyone could breathe, Luka had knocked him to the ground. Throat held in his jaws, he growled a soft warning.

"Our survival is at stake," Patton murmured. "We will do anything to protect our pack. And yours."

Luka released the Ivy Hunter's throat but kept him pinned to the ground, massive clawed hands digging into his shoulders. "Whatever is necessary."

~

Even after the meeting  officially ended, a few Hunters lingered, murmuring quietly with each of them. A smaller Hunter from the Elm pack approached Roman.

"Is it true?" Eyes wide, they breathed in his scent as though they could sniff out dishonesty. Maybe they could. "Do the bloodsuckers steal the memories of their suits?"

"No!" he growled. "How did you—" Pat moved to his side, rumbling gently, and Roman let his love's presence soothe away his irritation. 

"No," Roman said, nearly calm. "My brother is still my brother, just as we remain who we were before our transition to Hunters."

They frowned, then turned without comment when their elder called.

"That could've gone worse," Pat murmured next to him, rubbing their heads together.

Luka laughed, trotting over to join them when the last of the other Hunter's left. "That might have been difficult, but yes." He nuzzled each of their jaws, then tilted his head at Pat. "How are you? Would heading home like this help?"

"I… Maybe." Pat paused and inhaled deeply, letting the air out in a warm rumble. "I'm… improved. Drac spoke the truth."

"Words you never thought you'd say?" Roman bonked their heads together, the playfulness in his voice beautiful.

"Perhaps. Okay, definitely," he admitted.

Luka circled them, spiraling outward with mischief in his eyes. "Are you feeling well enough for…" In a flash, Luka took off over the bridge, howling after them, "For a race?"

Pressing one more kiss along Roman's jaw before taking off at a trot, Pat laughed. "C'mon, cookie. Let's take the old man down."