The suit feels strange, not something I often wear, and if I do, it's usually a fancy coat rather than something with buttons. Shielded with a longer overcoat on top of my suit, I wrap my arms around myself as I wait in the side wings of the set. 

The hovering spotlights throw down warm rays, leaving me feeling almost normal compared to my usual chill. As tempting as it might be to sit in the audience, I was immensely enjoying the privacy of being off-stage and out of sight. 

Verando slides a scarf around my neck, and I flash him a small smile, still flushed from our previous encounter, as I shift awkwardly at the sensation. "How was the car ride?"

"Lovely." I mock his accent, accepting the scarf gratefully as it smells like him. "How long should this take? I think I will need your prompt service- Well, I'd love for you to have me now."

Adjusting my coat, he considers this. I admire his clean-shaven face, still preferring the scruff but able to admit his jawline was just as lovely. "An hour at most, then a small interview afterward with a private company. I have a lot of questions to answer; we'd said you were dead, and now you're alive and well. It's made quite the commotion."

 I'm unapologetic, as he's seen it fit to torture me for the duration of this meeting. 

"I'll put a rush on it. Would you be up to having dinner with me?"

Allowing him to squirm under my lack of an answer, I nod. "You may buy me dinner." I allow.

 He bends to kiss me, capturing my chin with his index finger. I slip my fingers around his tie, pulling him to me as I lean into the inviting firmness of his body. I feel an intense sensation from adjusting onto my toes and startle into him, clutching him tighter as I gasp against his lips.

 He grins wickedly, and I glare up at him, tightening my hold on the piece of clothing.

 "What did you just do?" I manage against his lips, catching those light eyes, my lips barely parting from his.

Innocently, he holds up his phone. "My part in this fun. It vibrates." I quickly grasp his phone, and Verando shoves it back into his pocket. The toy surges once more, and I opt to bite his neck, sinking my teeth into the space that I know would be hidden under his collar if he tried hard enough.

 Panting against his chest, I clutch his coat for dear life as the sensation fades. 

"You are so in for it later," I murmur against his hammering pulse; our public location fades away as I kiss him once more, only to push him out for the clapping of a crowd. Wide-eyed like a deer in headlights, he holds onto me, refusing to allow me out of his grasp. 

I spy our faces on the big screen and outwardly groan; I didn't need to be broadcasted for all to see in such a state.

"Looks like someone can't wait to tie the knot!" The announcer giggles; a flamboyant man with colorful blue hair and a bright turquoise suit gestures from on stage. I slip out of his grasp and wave him off as I compose myself. 

Tiberius appears as I round the corner, and I don't have it in me for another startle. I want to survive this evening, so I straighten out my coat and greet him with a nod.

The Siren appears amused; he's also dressed in a suit, and his tattoos peek through as if they refused to attend such an event without representation. Gesturing, he guides me to a rear sitting room to watch the show without the prying eyes of the press. 

As much as Verando hated him, I had decided I quite liked Tiberius because he was unbending. He did what he had to to keep the balance, but other than that, he was justice-neutral, making him a constant at the very least.

"You looked happy."

I shrug. "I'm about to be married," I tell him, yet I don't even convince myself with my lackluster performance. In reality, I just wanted my family together. "Any word on Gabriel?"

With a sideways smirk, he raises one shoulder with his eyebrows. "Gone. Forest is repaired. It was as if it never happened." 

How strange. 

Those amber eyes glimmer as he watches me with growing interest. Under most gaze, I feel undressed, but with Tiberius, I feel as though he sees right through me. 

"I like you, Nicolas. Don't know why; we haven't gotten to interact much, but I do like you. I've lived with Loki for a long time, serving as a pawn to the gods, and anything to do with Fenrir is not easy to control-" 

Pausing, he casts a murky shadow onto the table in the vision of the massive wolf. "Fenrir, son of Loki- the god of mischief. Fenrir will eventually devour the earth, but for now, he's under lock and key. He has two sons, Hati and Skoll. They are who created Whitewind and the brotherhood."

So much lore was wasted on me; I would never be able to remember all of this. I feel the toy buzz and glare at the television, only to see that he's leaning, not pressing anything, as his arms crossed in front of him. "You have figured out more than your ancestors since the original. It's awe-inspiring."

The sensation driving me mad makes it hard to see myself as anything but a useless heap. 

"I strive for perfection." I allow, sighing in relief as he straightens and relieves pressure on the button. "What are you hoping to accomplish here, Tiberius?"

A solemn expression overtakes his face, and he stares at the screen momentarily. 

"Peace. I want peace. I will do anything to help this planet survive."

"Because if it doesn't, your gods have no one to govern?" This makes him smirk. "Alright then, Siren. You see into the future; you know the script, what will happen?"

"Within reason. I only knew what could happen; nothing was decided. The gods weren't exactly specific. "

Was he bound to the same laws as Fergus? "Can you tell me where our future currently lies?"

"No, because your knowledge could change the future. It must happen naturally."

Of course, though, it did make sense. 

Verando speaks with this excitable host on the screen about what he'd been up to. His acting ability surprised me as he had never been a social creature. Given the events of last night, I'm surprised he agreed to go through with this. They mostly ask him questions about me and his opinion on the growing magical presence in the United States. 

Considering he was marrying me, the head of that front, I imagine they were hoping for some juicy insight into my plans. The professional, as always, does a good job playing coy and respecting my boundaries; they skip to talking about his hair and clothes as if he were an accessory.

The topic of designers is lost on the man who is too masculine and prideful to dare squander his good name with such information. While he might know it, he'd take it to the grave before giving his manly counterparts more ammunition. This seems to surprise the host, who encourages him that any self-respecting gay man might at least care who dressed him. 

Verando's expression reflects patience, and I find it hard not to chuckle. They proceed into a conversation about the community and how he hoped to go forward with his sexuality and those involved with it.

"Can you do me a favor? As someone who wants to see this world succeed?" I ask the dark-haired man who hums so harmoniously beside me. Tilting his head in my direction, I swallow as I compose myself. "I need you to go into that hotel and get the necessary paperwork. We are running out of time; if you could tell me what was in there, we would be leaps and bounds ahead of Gabriel. Do you think you can do that?" 

Considering his options, he mulls it over in his head, and I gasp as the toy starts up again. The light, cat-like eyes peer at me curiously, and he must hear the ominous buzzing because he giggles like a schoolgirl. I'm so close to the edge; I struggle even to hide the experience I was forced to endure.

"Naughty boy." He teases, and I force an awkward smile, clutching the arm of the couch. "Remote control?" I nod as best as I can, sighing in relief as the feeling fades again. "How fun. Well, Mr.Matesscu, I can not go into the hotel, but-" 

His eyes shift to land on a familiar face in David Malcom, grazing at the concessions table. 

"I know someone who knows exactly what is in that room. I've seen him with Mistress; he has to know something."

David Malcom? My former agent? I can feel the smug expression already. Verando wanted to kill him, and I stopped him. 

"Hmm. Curious. I believe I know him. Do you think you could get him to talk?"

Tiberius mulls this over, clicking his tongue as he leans closer to me, resting on his arm over the back of the couch. "What do I get?"

I would have to bargain with something other than my body; the man was a Siren, he had no use for me, and I had no intention of using that form of compensation ever again. 

"How much is your honor worth? Could we have you immortalized? Restore your good name."

He chuckles, grinning broadly; it almost looks contorted on his long face. The olive skin and facial hair on his slender cheeks look out of place against the bright white teeth. The colors contrast too starkly. "I am not a lycan; honor means nothing to me. But. What I would like, my dear, is a free pass. I quite like this place, and I like you both; I wish to stay. 

But, like a Siren, I must feed on some... souls.." He flips his hand casually. "At my concerts, I get to keep a soul or two... You keep the peace and allow me free passage; I'm old; I won't take in excess."

Lives. Countless lives for the rest of our time on this earth in exchange for information. It seemed like a meager offering for the rest of the world. "I'd have to ask Randy-"

Holding up one finger, he raises his eyebrows. "He listens to you." His voice is calm; he watches me intensely. His tongue rolls over his upper lip, "You decide, Mr.Matesscu." I allow my gaze to fall on David Malcom and reluctantly nod. He was extending his hand only to pause as I did.

"You must deliver. If we get no information, then there is no deal."

Tiberius chuckles, patting me firmly on the shoulder. "I knew I liked you. Deal." 

I shake his hand. Standing up, we approach the infamous agent, who glances up from a mouth full of food with a wave of disinterest. Swallowing, he dusts his hand off on his coat and offers it to me.

"Good to see you, Nicolas. Good to see that you're done pretending to be dead." 

I refuse his hand, and he winks, elbowing me in the side. 

"I'm just kidding. Ya take everything so seriously. Hey, who would have thought that ol' Ronnie would have gotten the golden goose with the gray one, am I right? I bet he's rollin' in the dough. Ya did good for yourself, good ta see. Universe be damned, am I right?" 

A good political leader does not allow their face to convey their plan. A good leader remains composed in the face of idiocy.

Forcing a smile, I cross my arms neatly over my chest. "Quite." I allow, drifting closer to Tiberius for the mental support. "Mr.Malcom, can I ask you a question? For old time's sake?"

"Sure, bird. Whatever ya want." He says over the sandwich he crams in his mouth.

Lowering my voice, I take a step closer to him. "Do you take me for a damned fool? Did you think I wouldn't find out you were working with Red?" 

He drops the sandwich, staring at me before flicking his attention to Tiberius with a hard swallow. Nervously, he starts to laugh. 

"And you show your damn face here as if you own the place? I must say, Mr.Malcom, I wish I had your balls and sense of entitlement."

Tiberius laughs, "Would you like me to get them for you? His balls? We could bronze them, maybe."

The thought amuses me as David tries to slip past me, but I stop him, standing in his way only to have Tiberius block him from the other side. Given my short stature and mass amounts of clothes, it must look quite comical that I'm the one stopping this man's escape.

 But David was no fool; he understood what I could do to him. "So what, you are gonna torture me now?" That accent slips out, and I sigh heavily.

"No, David, we've proven that that doesn't work with you. Instead, I have a better idea. You will accompany Tiberius to the hotel and extract the files I require about Master Gabriel." Rapidly, he starts to shake his head, and in a fit of rage, I grab his tie and harshly yank him down to level.

 "Listen here, you common filth. My patience is at a record low. You will do this; you will do this with a damned smile because if you don't, I will hand you over to this Siren, and he will have you fucking your damn grandmother on Time Square. Do you need a demonstration?"

I sound so sharp that Tiberius gives me a double-take. 

"Do you think you could recover from something like that because I'm dying to be tempted."

Relaxing back from my form, he nods. "Alright, alright. I hear you. Alright. I will do it."

I released him with a firm shove; this sexual frustration was driving me crazy, to the point where my stomach was beginning to ache. 

"Disappoint me, betray my friend, do anything beyond what is expected from you, Mr.Malcom, and I will personally see to it that you're alive to see this universe burn to the damn ground. Now get out of my face." 

Tiberius snags his arm and drags the man away; I run a hand through my hair in frustration, and my body practically quivers from the restraint.

Verando walks off the stage, speaking with the producer about his stage presence. I turn on my heel and cross the short space to him, snaking my arm around his in an attempt to look the part of the doting husband. The producer greets me with a nod. 

"Such a thrilling story, gentlemen. A true modern-day love story..." Clasping his hands, he sighs dreamily. "I wish you the most happiness in France."

I thank him as I drag Verando away, unable to stand it any longer. Verando attempts to slow our pace, but I'm unyielding, pulling him to one of the dressing rooms to shove him in and slam the door. Surprised by my boldness, his eyebrows raise as I tackle him onto the hard couch. 

With a grunt, he breaks the fall as gracefully as he can while I straddle his hips and claim his mouth. Pushing my fingers under his coat, I yanked it off his shoulders and fumbled with the buttons on his suit before giving up and working on my own. 

"Get naked," I growl at him.

With a chuckle, he unhooks the front buttons on his suit before resting his hands over mine. I jerk on his belt. "Are you struggling?"

"Never.Again." I tell him shortly, cursing under my breath as I clutch his face once more and press my lips to his, savoring the taste of him, the feel of his mouth against mine. "I'm not asking."

"I had plans, you know." He manages, panting as he meets my gaze once more. I defiantly grasp his belt and unhook it, working to unzip his fly and pull him free of the confines of his boxers.

"Me too." I can tell by the impressive erection that he wants me just as badly as I wanted him. I stand to unfasten my pants, removing the toy with an embarrassingly desperate noise; I throw it in the trash with as much malice as possible. 

Verando looks at me with such adoration as I stand before me that it brings color back to my cheeks once more. "What?" I manage, climbing back onto his lap to rest my forearms on his shoulders and tangle my fingers in his hair.

With a small smile, he brushes his nose against mine. "I just think I need to get more of those." 

I lower myself onto him and inhale sharply. He curses under his breath, exhaling through his teeth. 

"Absolutely getting more of those. You feel incredible. Your whole body is shaking."

I pull his hair, raking my teeth over the edge of his jaw. I'm bordering on sweltering, having him below me dressed in his suit; my mind wanders to the interrogation of David Malcom. 

"Next one goes inside you, and I get the remote." I retort, unwilling to go through this torment again. I start to move, losing myself in him as I cling to his body. His hands rest on my hips, allowing me to take my revenge as my overcharged body sings. 

I can't help but get caught up in the fantasy, "Question me." I plead. "You look incredible when you dress like this. Make me tell you everything."

His hands grasp my wrists, holding them behind my back so he can see me. I clench my teeth at the restriction. "I saw you talking with the Siren. Were you plotting against me?"

I shake my head, refusing to talk, and he pulls me firmly against him, thrusting deeper inside me; my overcharged prostate throbs and I practically double over from the intensity. Verando moans low in his throat, "You're going to snap my damned cock in half." He manages, "Relax."

I fight to keep my volume low, biting my lower lip as hard as I can stand it. "We were just having a chat-"

"Don't lie to me." His voice is low in my ear; I gasp an airy sigh as I roll my hips down against him, desperate, needing more. 

"I was talking about David Malcom!" This piques his interest, and he tilts his head. 

I feel myself climbing, moving quicker against him as I shut my eyes and savor the feeling.

"Why were you doing that?" He inquires, gripping my hair, forcing my head back to look at him as he captures my lips, invading my mouth with his tongue. 

"He knows something about Gabriel! Tiberius is taking him to the hotel for information." 

I can hardly contain it, my chest heaving. Breaking free of the bonds of his slack hands, I throw my scarf into my lap as I finish; I didn't want to come on his suit and risk anyone finding out about this atrocity. For his trouble, I should have used his face, I think quietly to myself.

Once I come out of the fog, I notice he's not as enthralled with our lovemaking as I am.

 "What?" I pant, brushing my hair out of my face. His expression is complex to read as he watches me with concern, confusion, and frustration that I acted without his approval.

Finally, he unthaws. "And you trust David Malcom and Tiberius to go, together, to the hotel with all this knowledge?" 

When he says it like that, I lose some confidence in myself. He wasn't there to hear the conversation between Tiberius and me. Steadying my breathing, I tried to clear my head and focus on soothing this situation. 

"Did-" He pinches the bridge of his nose with a grumble before sighing, shaking his head in exasperation. "Did you consider what that could do to our plan? For the love of the gods, Nic, I wish you would have waited."

"I was trying to help!" I retort, unable to believe his reaction to what I thought was a good plan. He often did things without consulting me; he should be thrilled. I took this off our plate. "Don't be such a jerk! I'm more than capable of making decisions for myself, even with you torturing me!"

With a scoff, he moves to stand, but I shove him back against the couch, feeling the taut muscle beneath my fingertips. We were stuck in limbo, upset with each other, and yet so close that falling out of the scene, and returning to reality proved difficult. 

He hadn't finished yet; taking him seriously with a weapon like that was out of the question. I can't stop myself from glancing down and he rolls his eyes heavily at me.

"You're a brat. I can't talk to you when you're like this."

"Then stop being an ass!" 

We stare at each other silently when he unexpectedly pulls me to him with my tie, crushing his lips against mine. I push him away, narrowing my eyes at him. 

"You're so... hard-headed!" The complaint falls short on my lips as he spins us, slamming my chest against the wall as he yanks my hips backward. I shove myself onto him as he thrusts into me, overwhelming me with a whole new level of need that brings me to another earth-shattering orgasm. 

The free hand grabs the nape of my neck, lowering me as I use the wall for balance and he uses me for his pleasure. I feel like I'm in a daze, yet my body can't stop responding as he takes me so mercilessly. Sore and aching, I push him backward for an attempt at a break, only for him to throw me over the back of the couch, leaving me exposed to his will.

Bent over, legs forced apart,  I struggle to right myself, and he fills me once more. Clutching the back of the couch, I can hardly glance up at him as he lifts my leg to hook my knee to the top of the furniture. His other hand clutches my throat, kissing the base of my neck as he moans so deliciously in my ear. 

Snaking my hands backward, I hold onto him however I can, gripping at his hair, neck, shoulders, and jacket. "Slower, let me feel you." I plead, gritting my teeth as his hand leaves my knee to grip my hip, pulling me back against him as I feel him getting close. I didn't dare change my position, clinging to him, unable to decide if I was uncomfortable from the depth or losing my mind from the sensitivity.

"I love you." He manages, holding my throat to find my lips. Those strong hands pin me against him so firmly as he loses himself inside of me, cursing, struggling with the concept that maybe I was not too fond of it when he sank his teeth into me. Instead, he opted to nearly crush me with the force in which I'm held. 

My feet weren't even touching the floor; I clung to him for dear life, entirely spent. As he surfaces from the ecstasy, he must realize the position that I'm in, for he puts me down almost too quickly. My legs don't work, and I slump onto the back of the couch, finding him in much the same position, his hands on either side of mine. He bows his head as he rides out the fatigue, and I don't bother trying to right myself. Kissing the base of my neck, my cheek, and the top of my head, I can sense that I'm worrying him.

"Are you alright? I don't know what's come over me.. this, gods, I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Shut up." I manage, cupping his cheek with my hand to kiss his neck. "You can impale me whenever you want; I'm a willing participant. If I die, I'll die happy."

It isn't often I can make him blush; the man widens his eyes and clears his throat as he takes a step back from me to pull up my pants and then create some distance as he attempts to get himself back in order.

My eyes rake over his back, admiring the cut of the jacket. "We can trust Tiberius."

His silence is deafening; I've caught him off guard. He doesn't have a rebuttal, but I'm satisfied with the evident embarrassment I've laid upon him. I'd genuinely caused him to be shy; all of this was worth it. "We're not finished discussing this, but I have another interview I'm now quite late for." Redressing my lower half, I stand to fix his hair.

"Mhm, sounds about right. Nothing to do with your-" He covers my mouth, eyeing me sharply. I giggle against his hand as he releases me. "Well, we will have quite the story to tell them." I hook my arm in his and kiss the point of his shoulder. "I bet good money that we've terrified the staff."

With my favorite look, he kisses the top of my head. "Reassured, my love. There is no question of when you're enjoying yourself. Despite your crude behavior, during and post, I have to say I'm thoroughly smitten."