Settling onto the stretcher awkwardly, I sighed at the lackluster expression on the EMT's face as he tried to decide if my injuries warranted the look of malice my warlord exuded. Anyone touching me was uncomfortable for both of us, but a man inspecting my body was pushing his tolerance given how close his wolf was to the surface.

"Be nice." I scold him, slipping out of my smudged and stained coat to offer the medic my hands as the first form of this evaluation.

Verando slips past me in the small space near the tiny window, speaking a quick address to the driver who seemed all too eager to take us anywhere but the hospital. The man gets to work scrubbing my hands, his skin an odd shade of pale, I take in his appearance a bit more closely and note that he never got out of the ambulance to greet me, just waited patiently for me to get in. 

"A vampire medic?" I questioned as he carefully removed the grit from the small scuffs in my palms. 

"There are worse things." He muses, glancing up at me with a small smile. "Can't be too careful, we're one of the few ambulances like us. Most humans won't pick up a magic user, let alone a creature. We stay pretty busy, always happy to help the cause." 

It brings me some ease to not have to keep up the facade for human eyes. I allow my shoulders to relax a little as I lay back on the inclined stretcher and let him shove my sweater up. I'd long since gotten past the aversion to showing my chest, at this point, I wasn't beyond much.

 My privacy was all but gone as long as the intentions were pure. I had no concerns with this man, his eyes were too kind. 

Verando settles beside me, I can tell by the way his eyebrows nit down that he's not pleased with my performance, or perhaps he was upset with himself for not being there. 

"Can I have your phone?" I ask him, if he's going to pout then I have more business to attend to. Oh, how the roles have switched. He wasn't pleased with the tasks I'd given him but it kept him out of the line of fire, out of sight of Caspian, and allowed me to enact a plan that I felt less and less confident about as the day went on. 

Verando produces it, frowning at me. "Where is yours? I called you multiple times, Alpha has been going ballistic." 

"I must have left it in the apartment." I tap the screen and type in Tiberius's phone number. "Why's that?"

Bewildered, he rolls his eyes though he spares me the theatrics. "I had no idea where you were and the world had gone to shit? Multiple small attacks were happening at the same time, it was a miracle the response team acted so quickly but you were at the edge of our range. It would have been easier to send you aid if anyone knew your location, thank the gods for Bet's tracking device... where exactly were you going?"

Thinking back, I try to remember but I can't. "I just went for a walk. Tiberius was being especially annoying." 

Since when did it bother him where I went? As if on cue, the Siren answers. 

"Oh good, you're alive."

I don't entertain him, I'm still not pleased with him, myself. The rules of Tiberius's help seemed quite muddy, suiting him wherever convenient. "I'd like to arrange a meeting with the chief of police before the event, and the other bounty hunters as well. We should prepare for the worst after a stunt like that, I have a feeling this isn't over. Please have Bet pull everyone together to meet at the town square in two hours. Is your band ready?"

"Don't you think we're stretching these people thin?" 

I was getting dreadfully tired of that question. 

We needed coverage, eyes more than brawn. Yes, there would be holes, but I could not afford to appear in one of them. "Just do it, Tiberius." I flinch as the medic inspects the cut on my chest, giving me a disapproving look. Hanging up, I hand the phone back to my suddenly concerned husband.

"This isn't healing. It looks old. What cut you?" The vampire male asks.

Pursing my lips, I sigh. "A karambit."

"A what?" The medic raises an eyebrow. Verando frowns, producing his singular blade to hand over for inspection. The undead man traces his thumb over the blade, flinching at the sharpness. "Damn. What the hell kind of blade is this?"

"It's for close combat fighting. Does it matter? Perhaps you should not stroke what you don't understand." 

I had often wondered the same question, why did the man prefer such a short, hooked blade to the broad swords I often saw him carry? Swallowing, I can only assume the short blade was much more intimate. Taking the knife back, he grumbles about needing to replace the set since the smaller piece was missing. I knew exactly where it was. 

Taking a pair of long, nimble teasers, the vampire addresses me now. "I'm going to explore this a bit..." 

As if on cue, the ambulance jumps from the poorly maintained road and Verando shoots the man a harsh glare. 

"Someone should explore this a bit."

I offer him a sympathetic glance and pull my shirt back down. "You've been incredibly helpful. The cause is grateful to you more than you could know. Speaking of which, could I trouble you for one more favor?" The man nods, reluctant behind the smile with my protector glowering behind him at his idiocy for such a suggestion. "Do these machines break often?"

____________

We don't get our chance to look at my wound as I fear we're already running late, the fight had taken place a much more extensive distance from the apartment than I'd thought so given the drive and the terrain, we didn't have much time when we arrived back at the apartment. I changed my clothes into thermals and a more formal-looking attire.

Helen had, kindly, supplied me with more clothes that were much more fitting to my shape and body. I picked a simple button-down shirt and a jacket, enough to present myself but not enough to draw attention. The low temperature tonight would be unforgiving of being outside but if it went as planned it would be worth it. 

Verando dressed much more casually, bringing an extra jacket that I could only assume was for me, he held the door open to allow me to pass through then followed behind as we made our way to the town square. In the distance, I could see the massive setup was already underway. When the Sirens did a concert, no expense was spared. 

Casually, I slid my arm around his, eager for the warmth he provided. 

"Mmm.." I sigh in relief, leaning my cheek on his bicep. "You're so much warmer than Ryan." The words cause him to flinch and I glance up curiously at the frown creasing his mouth. "Sorry..."

"No, it's alright. Ryan's job was to keep you warm, I just really would have preferred it was me doing it. I'm grateful to him." Allowing a small sigh to pass through his lips, he relaxed minutely at the contact. 

I entwined my fingers with his, soaking up as much of him as possible. Once more, I would be handing him over for the cause, I would enjoy him as much as I could while we had a moment. "Are you nervous?"

Verando's cheek dimples, slightly amused. "No. It's not my style but Tiberius seems quite confident it will get the message across. I thought you were seriously injured, this is relatively simple compared to that." 

I hadn't even seen the performance to know what they were planning, given my involvement in every other aspect of this war I hadn't had time to check it over. I'd handed Tiberius my vision and allowed him to run free with it. Then, suddenly, the hint of a frown ticks at the corner of his mouth. "Where will you be?"

"Backstage," I promise. "The concert backs up to the town hall building, so there will be plenty of space to make a getaway if we must. I'm anticipating some form of retaliation from Caspian tonight but perhaps your message will convince him otherwise." 

Verando doesn't seem so convinced. "It's not Caspian I'm worried about, there were human rioters among the magical militia. After this morning, I would bet anyone not on our side will be wearing earplugs. At least, that's my hope. I'd like a team on standby to collect those not affected by the Siren's song for questioning." 

Could that be done? Would it be wrong to claim a person guilty for coming prepared to a well-known, lude concert?

As much as I didn't like the thought, I could understand his reasoning quite clearly. It would be the perfect time to strike for either side. Thinking of this morning brought a flush to my face and I cling to him a little closer. "About this morning- Did you know Tiberius makes a decent impression of you?"

Raising an eyebrow, he regards me curiously. "He's a siren, they feed on lust, I'd imagine if one were feeling lustful he'd be quite capable."

I practically choke, uncertain as to why this caught me so off guard. "Well, one might have been feeling quite lustful during the Siren's song he played to save me." 

His feet plant and his jaw wrenches tight, for a moment I'm bewildered he could be offended at all considering his track record. Sighing heavily, I shake my head before he can implode.

 "Nothing happened, I just..." Running a hand through my hair, I can't figure out why I suddenly feel so embarrassed. My stomach flips and twists, more so from the thought of him under me, at my disposal, than the act of jumping on the Siren. 

"I just really wish you'd been there." I summarise, slipping my hand out of his as we approach the awaiting crowd. 

I receive no more on the subject as we follow the group out of the cold and into the building. The massive stage towers over the surrounding shops and small, iron trees. It takes up most of the square with big, heavy curtains and enormous speaker systems. It was much like the first show I'd seen him put on in the theatrics and grandeur of it. 

If we truly wished to make a statement, this would be how we would do it. Clearing my throat to gain the attention of the patrons, I dismiss Verando to do his routine check as Helen jogs up to take his place. He wasn't much for company today anyway, at least Helen looked happy to see me. 

"As you all know, tonight will be our final event to trigger Caspian to head for the capital of France." I'm reluctant to give too much away, unsure of who is listening. "Any spare man must be ready on the sidelines for when we play the Siren's song for Verando and I suspect that if there will be an attack, it will happen at that moment."

The crowd lacked the murmuring of inexperience. The eyes that looked back at me now looked prepared and experienced mixed with new faces that popped up all the time. We were slowly developing forces that were trainable, that could be developed and molded without a complete meltdown of ranks.

I spy two of the 5 bounty hunters, not including Bet who I knew was backstage. Knowing their range, I knew getting here might be quite a burden so I allowed it for now. 

"Let's make contact with the other three bounty hunters," I refuse to call them slayers, "And prepare to be on the offensive. Every man must be fitted to ear plugs, each human to a magic user, patrol the streets, keep a look out for any feline activity, and first and foremost, keep each other safe. We are on the cusp, we are two short weeks away from assuring our victory." 

I'm met with gentle acceptance and dismiss the crowd, unsure if I made an impact or not on the solemn faces. As I head into the building, I spy Landon and beam at him with the return of a massive grin. "Your Maje- Erm, Nicolas." He greets us with an awkward bow. 

I gesture around us with a smug smirk, "Alright, be honest, are you excited?"

He nods eagerly, "Thank you so much for letting me come, I wanted to meet Bet and... well, yes, I wanted to see this concert, too."

"You've earned it, you've been working hard. I also need you tonight so try to stay focused if you can, keep an eye out for Gabriel to make an appearance on the tracker, and make sure this broadcast is on every screen we can reach. Nobody blocks it out, every news station, every public station, we need to trigger as many magic users as we can with this performance. This is the end game, Landon, we're counting on you." 

We're counting on Lux, counting on him to unite us as Whitewind had promised. 

Helen makes an uncertain face but attempts to appear as optimistic as she can. 

"Did... Tyler come?" She asks hopefully.

With a frown, Landon shakes his head, "No, Miss Helen, I'm afraid he didn't. It was just me, he didn't want to leave Xavier on his own." 

With an excited sound, he fishes into his pocket and produces a picture to hand to me. It's of Xavier and Silvia, his bright eyes wide and interested as he looks into the camera with the sweet girl holding him. 

"I know how much you appreciate actual pictures."

Taking the picture as if it were a precious artifact, I keep my politician's face as firmly as I can stand with a gentle smile. "Thank you, Landon, how thoughtful."

 Don't hug the intern, don't hug the intern, Helen wraps her arm around mine to squeeze me. 

"If you'll excuse me, I need to check with Verando on a status report." I needed to get away from this boy before I invaded his personal space. Clutching the picture to my chest, we walk further into the building, tracking using Helen's nose.

Slipping it into my pocket, I can hear him before I see him, speaking to Tiberius in a rough tone. The melodic yet sharp quip of Keeta's laughter causes my ears to ring. 

"That's a good look for you." she giggles, earning a grunt from Tiberius. 

"It will do. Now. We will sing back up, don't worry about the rougher parts, we don't need to damage your pretty voice with our style of music. All you have to do is look at that camera as if you want to... well..... "

"Make love to it!" Keeta purrs, mocking his accent quite poorly, and Tiberius tsk's her. 

"Sorry. She gets excited when we play Siren music." He pets the vampire as I walk into the room, trying not to grimace from the outlands of the conversation. 

As I round the corner, prepared to scold the group for their vulgarity, I see the man before me in all his leather-studded glory. He's dressed in a way that I'd never quite seen, save for on Tiberius. With the black leather pants clinging to his form, his shoulder bore a leather long-sleeve jacket that had been crudely cut just under the shoulder blades to shorten it. 

His exposed chest covered by his crossed arms, I note the fingerless gloves and eye the black, thinner choker sitting so deliciously above his collar bones. My mouth practically waters as I gawk, unashamed. The piercing blue eyes, highlighted by some sort of thin black liner, fall on me with a hint of embarrassment yet, he takes a deep breath and owns the look as he saunters towards me. 

The heavy clunk of the leather boots makes my heart race with each step, and my hands practically tremble as I reach to seize him by his belt that hangs devilishly low on his sculpted hips. "What do you think?" 

I nod. 

Raising a brow, he appears mildly amused. Tiberius trots over, proud of his creation, gesturing as if he were presenting a grand gift. "If this doesn't send this Caspian into a rage, nothing will. Lust is my game, baby, even a cranky dictator can become a sex symbol. Good thing he's a lycan or he'd just have to freeze tonight." 

Swallowing, I feel at a loss for words. My libido stands on the theoretical edge, threatening to off himself if I'm rejected from the wonderful creation. He's 'Alpha', he's cheating because Tiberius got this image from my very own mind. 

Seeing my realization, he winks at me from behind my increasingly uncertain warlord. 

"Is it too much?" Verando plucks at the bottom of the jacket, wishing it were longer. 

I steady his hands, placing them over my galloping heart. "Tiberius, take everyone out to find their positions, we're starting soon and I'd like to make sure the stage is weaponized in case of an ambush." 

The Siren swoons over my overflowing emotions. Well-fed, he obediently leads the group of scandalously dressed members out of the room with Helen in tow. 

Verando exhales, misreading my silence. For someone so experienced, he could be quite naive. "I told Tiberius it was too much, if you're not comfortable with me looking like this, I completely-" 

Launching myself at him, I melt my lips against his to silence him. 

"Stop talking and kiss me." The command comes out more like a desperate plea, tracing my tongue over his lower lip, inviting him to return the gesture as I part my lips. Obediently, he invades my mouth as I relish in the feel of his warm chest. I grunt as my back shoves against the wall and latch my arm around his neck as I take his hand and guide it to my thigh. 

Verando hitches my leg over his hip, stretching me up onto the toe of one shoe to keep my balance. In one sinful move, he grinds against me slowly, stirring an animal in me that is prepared to unleash itself upon the picture of my darkest wish. 

"Bite me." I plead, needing anything at this point. I missed him more than I could convey. Tilting my head back, I pant heavily as I catch his eyes. 

"Since you asked so nicely." Verando exhales, blazing a trail from my lips down my jaw in a slow line of gentle kisses until finally, he reaches my ear with a rough sigh. "You smell incredible." I shudder beneath his warm figure, groaning low in my throat as his teeth sink into the base of my neck. 

The exhilaration of the feeling, of the thought of him claiming me as his own, sends me sky-high.

"Randy..." I implore him, gripping him impossibly tight. "I want you so badly. This isn't fair." I rock my body against him, desperate for friction after my run-in with the siren song this morning. 

His breathing becomes rough, he pins my hands beside my head as he yanks me against his body. "Nic, I..." The hesitation comes into his voice and I wrench myself free of his loosening grip as I clutch his face. Our passionate make-out session had effectively reopened the cut on my cheek, cursing at himself he passed his tongue over the injury, healing it before placing a series of kisses from my temple to my lips.

I could practically sob, I kissed him once more, pleading with him. Allowing me to slide off his body, he presses his forehead to mine as he struggles to catch his breath. "Believe me.. this isn't easy."

"Do you no longer find me attractive? What, Randy? What about this isn't easy because it seems quite clear that you don't want to."

Unable to believe anything, I settle back onto my heels and come to grips with another rejection just in time for Helen to return. She freezes as she walks in, quickly clearing her throat to turn her back to us. 

Oh. 

My expression is questioning as I search his face and he offers only a shrug, sympathetic to my cause. He didn't want Helen to catch us. 

Sliding out of his grasp, I straighten my clothes only to have him clutch me from behind, he captures my chin to tilt my head back, his lips finding mine as he leans over my shoulder. "Later." He promises before releasing me to Helen, delivering a startling smack to my ass as he passes. 

She shields her eyes from the outfit, dramatically, as he passes. 

"This better be incredible news." I threaten her as I watch the glorious man turn into the hallway, flushed and flustered.