Hooking my arms around his neck, I struggle to use his mouth to stifle me, hungry for him as I kiss him. With a chuckle, he ducks to kiss my jaw, raking his teeth against my skin. "I should have gagged you. You'll wake up the children." He murmurs, cursing as he fills me over and over again. 

It's too much and not enough all at the same time; my body had been craving this reconnection in a way that suddenly made so much sense as to my growing anxiety over the past few days. I'd had no means for release, no way to take out my frustration or reaffirm the side of myself that used to hold so much of my identity. 

I'd been feeling lost to my children, a slave to the grind of being only a parent and caretaker, coupled with the stress and worry of managing without him. Pressing the back of my hand to my mouth, I crane my head back with a groan of defeat, surrendering to the intensity, willing him to use me however he pleased and relishing in the sound of his pleasure. 

"Flip me over." I manage, panting against my hand, "I can't do it; I need something in my mouth."

"Making commands?" he asks, gauging my response and checking in to affirm that I was still getting what I wanted. I shake my head quickly, gripping his hair to capture his mouth, nipping at his lower lip with a low growl in my throat. 

"Come on, you're pissed at Anubis, you've been gone for a month, Tiberius betrayed you... take it out on me. I know you love me.. but I'm not asking you to love me right now. I need it, too." I manage, wondering what depraved side of me had me begging for abuse, yet I feel the wolf in the background and know the creature mirrored my need for animalistic desire. "Make a mess of me." I quote him, shivering as those light eyes meet mine. 

A hint of regret might have flickered across my face as he sat up, running a hand through his hair. "I forgot who I was dealing with." Gripping my hips, he pulls me harshly against him, and I quickly cover my mouth as I move to press my hand against him. It's a mixture between a scream and a moan; my body begs for more while I wonder if my insides can take it. I can feel him so deeply, shoving past my prostate and into my depths. 

Hot and so deliciously good, yet everything in my body tensed, resisting, wanting to pull away from the immense pressure of being so forcefully entered. No amount of preparation could have prevented my body's reaction to this man. 

 "You demand more, and then you fight with me to stop. The only benefit to your behavior is that at least you stay tight." 

Withdrawing, Verando flips me over and pulls my hips into the air. "Lift your ass." He commands, thrusting his fingers inside of me as I yelp, gripping the sheets over my head. "Can you stand to behave until I'm satisfied? Your whimpers do not please me; if you can't even handle my fingers, how to expect to be fucked as you're asking?"

 His voice is low and hard. I swallow and wonder if I've made a mistake, yet my body is on fire. Everything in me pleads. A red-hot blush spreads across my face, and my heart pounds wildly in my chest. His voice, his energy, his possession of me, I was melting and coming apart at the seams for him. 

Smacking me across the ass, I hold my tongue, knowing from the past that my sounds of protest counted as misbehavior. I nod quickly, my chest heaving as he grazes his cock against my entrance. A cold chill runs down my spine as he applies more lubricant; I feel it messily running down my legs and flush at how exposed I am before him. 

"You know, this is one of my favorite sights, seeing you bent over for me. Shame you ruin it with your mouth." Verando exhales, I can hear the restraint in his voice and the roughness of his tone, and I shiver at how he sounds turned on. "Watching your hole take me in is quite intoxicating."

Swallowing hard, I bury my face into the sheets, wishing he'd just get on with it instead of choosing to embarrass me. "Mr.Mercer, you're so vulgar." I manage, "Must you call it that?"

"What would you prefer I call it?" Verando retorts shortly, sliding his cock against me once more, I press back against him and groan as he slides his thumb into me, exposing me to him. "I'd say if it belongs to me, I'll call it whatever I want." Shoving past his thumb, he fills me completely and I nearly scream as I bite the sheets. 

I struggle not to press my thighs together, but he keeps my legs spread with his knees, his large hands moving to grip firmly on my hips, pulling me back against him as he buries himself inside of me. The burn settles deep in my core, yet my body responds without my permission, impossibly hard as I struggle to ward off my completion. 

"Look how hard you are; you're ruining our sheets with your foul behavior. Coming like an inexperienced youth, are you that desperate?" He demands, shoving my face down into the comforter as I cry out against the sheets. "Keep your hips up; if you're going to beg for rough treatment, the least you could do is participate." Obediently, I lift, stilling as his hand massages over my ass, groping and rolling every piece of me that he could palm. 

Skirting his tongue over his teeth, Verando allows for a shakey exhale. "I will say.. it does please me that you've not touched yourself." He takes me so firmly, quickening as I feel my impending orgasm growing ever nearer. "Have I ruined you so thoroughly?"

I was so close, rocking back against him, barely stringing together an apology as I squirmed against him. "Please don't stop," I beg, knowing his way was to torture me, to make me so desperate that I was a mess underneath him. "Please let me come." My voice trembles; he stills as I use him, rocking back against him unashamedly as I finish once more. 

My body feels heavy; I sag against the sheets. Covered in a thin layer of sweat, I groan as he grabs my hair, pulling me up to press my back against his chest. I feel his fingers wrap around my throat, pinning me as I struggle to catch my breath while he hikes my leg up with the other arm.

 It never ceased to amaze me just how strong the man was, how capable he could be when my body was limp and at his disposal, and how easily I bowed to him. I wished to please him, and I wanted him to have his fill. Much as I needed this, I also worried greatly about his mental state.

 Was he bottling it all up and keeping his genuine fear hidden, or was he truly getting a handle on this?

"I don't want to hear a word of complaint from you. Be a good boy and stay quiet." Verando kisses my neck as I swallow back a low moan, "Touch yourself." He demands as he pounds into me.

 I shake my head, making him growl against my ear, tightening his grip on my throat. Arching my back, I resist the urge to panic, a clear threat to do as he commands. "Yes, sir," I murmur, wrapping my hand around my over-sensitive manhood with a grimace. 

Alpha didn't seem to suit him anymore, as it represented our past more than our present. I loved Alpha, but this man was far beyond such a simple title. He'd grown beyond the leader of an army, beyond an infamous warlord, and into something so much more imposing, a being who decided one's fate between heaven and hell. 

Verando now embodied the word "Sir." The god of his universe and controller of my desire, he was no longer my master but passionately my Mister. 

I can feel him grin against my skin, "I like that." He tells me in his cheeky, boyish way, making me smirk as I glance up at him. Capturing my lips against his, Verando groans against my mouth as he takes me. I plead for him as I begin to crave every stroke. Slow, hard, possessive, I crane my head back as I slide his hand from my throat to my chin, taking two of his fingers into my mouth as I sink my teeth into them. 

"You're insatiable." Verando mumurs, "Fortunately for you, I don't sleep."

_______________________________________________

(Verando's POV)

Leaving was more difficult this time than before, and while it was never easy to begin with, leaving our family behind after so few connected days was an uncomfortable weight on his shoulders. It had begun just before his last tour and now resounded in his chest in a way he was not accustomed to. 

Verando had never been one to crave the home life, to want to live in the same place or to desire consistency of ownership. Things, places, people, all of those things could be taken and all they left behind were massive, bleeding scars that never quite healed. He'd long since given those up, save for me. I was worth the pain, the anguish, for I was something he believed in absolutely. 

To my dying breath, I would never leave, and he held onto that beyond all else. 

This time, after showering, dressing, and standing beside the bed while I slept in a heap of sheets from the night before, leaving felt disturbing and uncomfortable. His fingers trailed over the bites and bruises littering my body, cursing at himself for the lapse in control but for also not making the lasting marks more visible to anyone who wished to wonder who owned my person. 

Countless times, after forcing himself to leave my side, he swept the house to ensure its security. Standing in the children's rooms, he checked to see if they were breathing and sleeping peacefully while adjusting their blankets. This only warranted that he make another pass and ensure a lock was latched on every door and window.  Leaving, certainly, had never been this difficult before. 

It was Fenrir who forced him to shut it off, to step away from our small family and return to the task at hand. Pulling the hood over his head, it was a quick thought to transition from our home to a penthouse hotel room where he was sure the Siren was lurking. 

"Don't get attached to progeny you can't keep," Fenrir grumbles in the back of his mind. "The one doesn't belong to you."

Verando snorts, unimpressed with the sentiment. 

With a slow inhale, he glances around the wrecked penthouse, amused with the pairs of bodies covering the floor. Lightly tapping each one with the side of his foot as he walked, some were alive, and some were clearly harvested. Tiberius was attempting to hide from him by taking the souls for himself, but his mistake was the large amount he'd been siphoning off of. A vacancy in souls from regions that smelled of death, the hell beast lurking within him sniffed it out without being asked. 

"I'm starving," Fenrir complains.

 "Behave, and you can have these bodies." Verando retorts back silently; they were fresh from that very night. If he'd spent less time with me, maybe he could have gotten here sooner... but as quickly as the thought came, he banished it. I was worth any expense, people were dying everywhere, it was just these humans time. 

Stalking through the room, he moves to one of the coffee tables, admiring the pane of glass covered in the white substance; a woman lay on her side, and by the look of her, she had been dead since early on in the night. Swiping some of the powder on his finger, he places it on his gums with a shrug and shudder of appreciation before tilting his gaze to see the Siren standing in the doorway before him.

"Fuck." Tiberius exhales. In a swift motion, the Siren raises a gun, firing it off several times in quick succession, only to find the man unmoving. The dark red blood leaked from the holes, yet it was as if the lycan was unfeeling of their impact. "God damn it." Throwing the gun down, Tiberius quickly puts his hands up. 

"Rude," Verando says, examining the bullet holes in the black button-up. "I just got this shirt." The shirt was firmly tucked into his black dress pants, a cleaner look than a suit that offered a bit more mobility. 

"Listen Randy-"

"Mmm.." Verando hums, taking casual strides toward the Siren. "I don't think you get to call me that anymore. Death will do, as it seems you've found it necessary to retire our friendship. Since you like to engage in tomfoolery, I believe it is time for you to become... educated, Tiberius." The sun had barely begun to come up, cresting over the city's horizon. "Funny that you decide to hide in Washington as if somehow I wouldn't find you here. You can be clever when you so wish it, and I'll give it to you... your plan was extremely clever."

"Listen- god... Fuck!" Tiberius shouts, gritting his teeth, eyes wild as he keeps his feet firmly planted. There was no use in running, no situation where he would escape. "Would you let me explain?"

Smiling, only the lower half of his face was exposed beyond the depth of the mask. It was an amusing thing to allow him to explain himself. Fenrir beckoned the man to kill him, yet that was not currently in the plan. "Let me go first." Snapping his fingers, the pair vanish, and when Tiberius opens his eyes, they are sitting across from each other.

The room is large, with overhead lights and one-way windows. One could see out into the main building, but none could see in. It appeared to be a conference room housed in a law firm, but the name was written across the wall, hovering over various screens. 

"I want you to understand precisely what I intend to do to you, should you betray me again, because frankly, I still need you, Tiberius. It's a frustrating situation. I truly don't wish to need you any longer, but alas, we are here." Crossing one leg over the other, Verando dusts casually at his pant leg, the bullet holes since healed but the shirt remained torn. "Besides, I also need you to tell me exactly what Tucci intended."

"It wasn't-" 

Verando's shoulders grow rigid, and the growl that comes from within him is nowhere close to that of a normal lycan. "Don't start negotiating until you know the stakes, Siren." 

Sighing, Verando casually tosses his hand, and a man enters the room. He's tall, in his early thirties, and dressed in an expensive suit, though he quickly removes his coat and begins to roll up his sleeves. His skin is light, though his hair is nearly jet black and his eyes a dark brown; he removes his tie, carefully folding it and placing it on the table. 

Tiberius glances back and forth between the two, "What is this, a threesome?"

"Disgusting." Verando retorts, frowning. 

"That guy can clearly see you," the siren says as the man approaches, body rigid, jaw taut. 

"This is Mr.Wagner. Not important, but it seems rude not to make some introductions. He's a lawyer-"

"You're suing me?" Tiberius scoffs, making the Lycan's shoulders stiffen with restraint. 

"Interrupt again, and I'll-" The darkness in his voice makes him stop, taking a casual glance to see that Mr.Wagner looked about as disturbed as Tiberius. Drumming his fingers on his knee, Verando exhales slowly. "There are rules, Tiberius. I'm a creature of rules, always have been. Let me introduce you to your education." Snapping his fingers once more, a man appears on his hands and knees before them. 

Mr.Wagner's eyes darken, his face growing cold, his body begins to shake as the man on the ground looks up in horror. 

"Jason..." the man manages with a nervous laugh. "What... what am I doing here?"

"Mr.Wagner, do enjoy yourself. This one is slated for hell, so.. you know.. take your time. Do you remember our deal?" Verando asks lightly as Jason nods. 

"I've got all the files you asked for." He tells the hooded man, gesturing to the table. "As many times as I want?"

Verando nods, "Enjoy." Turning his attention to Tiberius, the siren seems uncertain as the floored man begins to stand, attempting to run for the door before Jason grabs him. "Ah ah, keep your eyes on me; it's rude to watch someone else pleasure." 

At first, Tiberius suspected it was some sort of sexual scenario, but then it becomes clear what Jason intended to do. First, the man fought back, for he was truly fighting for his life, and then, with each passing swing, he fought back less and less and began to scream, begging for mercy while people within the building carried on their lives as if nothing was occurring in this room of horrors. 

Jason proceeded to beat the man to death, and when the life began to leave his eyes, Jason glowered at the man known as Death. "Again." He snaps. 

Verando snaps his fingers again, almost bored, and the floored man springs to life with an agonized gasp only to receive much the same punishment- this time, he proceeded to beat him with a hole punch. "Tiberius." Verando snaps, earning the Siren's attention once more. 

"You've lost your mind," Tiberius whispers, disgusted. "This is a gross overuse of your power. This is why I turned you in, you can't do this V-"

The lycan closes his fist, and Tiberius chokes, clutching his throat. "Rich coming from a Siren, who is the epitome of lust. I thought you'd find it romantic to do whatever it is one wants. Do you know what? I'm grateful for your intervention and for sending me to Seth because I realized something. Now now.. don't lose consciousness yet." Opening his hand, Tiberius slumps onto the couch, coughing and sputtering, wide-eyed. 

"I... I almost died. I could feel it.. that wasn't-" 

"Again!" Jason shouts. 

Verando snaps his fingers, bringing the screaming man back to life as he pleads for mercy. 

"I'm missing out on a massive business opportunity. There is no redemption for creatures like us; we all burn and go to that big flaming pit in the ground. But, I suppose I could go ahead and earn my spot there. You've proven to me that I'm not going to live through this.. it won't be today, or even a hundred years from now, but one day, someone will be faster. It's inevitable.. I've.. seen it."

Wide-eyed, the Siren slowly crawls back into a sitting position, grabbing onto the back of the couch as if trying to decide he could possibly run away. "You've seen your own death?"

"Everyone dies, Tiberius. Every god in the world is on the list; it's not as though they're going to be thrilled when it's their turn, and I'm not naive into thinking I could possibly win in every instance. I'm but a man." Sighing, Verando squares his shoulders, glancing around the room as if disinterested in the situation. "The list is absolute, and I must complete it. I'd like to prolong the inevitable as long as possible, keeping in mind, Tiberius, that when I die, there will be someone left to take my body, and that means the world will come to a screeching halt."

"Again!" Jason snarls. Tiberius blinks as the man snaps his fingers once more. 

"So it's either dying now.. die when you hunt me down.. or die in hell fire on earth with every last scrap of existence?"

Verando smirks, dimpling his cheek. "Would you like to guess when your name appears on the list? I'm a man before I am Death, so... you know, I'd say that clock is ticking quite quickly, given the state of our relationship."

"You're such a fucking asshole." Tiberius rubs his throat, shaking his head in disbelief as he watches the scene of Jason beating whatever is left of the heap that was his payment. 

"Again!" Jason practically screams.

Verando runs his tongue over his teeth, snapping his fingers. A gurgle comes from the heap, and Tiberius shudders, putting his hand over his mouth. "Or, Tiberius. I could keep you alive in my basement and skull fuck you for my pleasure whenever I so choose. I'll part you out like a bloody junker and let you feel each piece, grind you up, and stick you back together so that I might do it all again. I'll bring you back over.. and over.. and over until there's nothing less but a stump of what used to be the bloody fucking siren that dared to turn me over to Seth."

The full lips part, his black hair falling in strands around his pale face; Tiberius gawks at the creature before him. "What-"

"What I need from you, Tiberius, is your word that you understand what will happen to you if you dare turn on me again. There is nobody who will save you and nobody who can protect you, lest you happen to guess right and find the god that kills me before I find you. Now. Do we have a deal?"

Blood splatters across the room, an artery struck on the corpse, and Verando scowls as he wipes a smear off his face before licking the remnant off his thumb. 

"What do you need me to do?"

The warlord smiles, his most charming attempt. "I'm going to give you my own list, and you're going to track them down for me and give me their locations. Then, you'll tell me exactly what Tucci was planning, or I'll give you another demonstration by my hand."

With a reluctant swallow, Tiberius nods, and Verando extends his hand as he stands. "This is a business contract, Tiberius. So.. best to do the gentlemanly thing and shake on it."

On shaky legs, the Siren climbs to his feet, uncertain if this is the right decision, but it seems he no longer has a choice. "Is there any of you left in there?" he murmurs, squinting as if trying to see past the hood. 

The lycan pulls his lips into a thin line, "The part of me that was kind to you died with that betrayal, Tiberius. I'm a catty bitch; you've seen firsthand my brutality and thought you were exempt."

"When Nic finds out-"

Verando snarls, gripping the man's throat; in a quick motion, he slams him against the wall, causing the drywall to buckle and the supports to snap and crack. Jason stands abruptly as if he snapped out of his trance, shocked by the intrusion. 

"If you speak of this to anyone, including Nic, there is no description of what I'll do to you. I'll let Fenrir decide, and he can have you as his plaything until the end of time. Do you understand?"

Cracks slowly begin to waiver from his hand, spreading down into the man's collarbone and up his cheek toward his eye; he cries out in pain, struggling against the man's hand. 

"Decay.. I age things rapidly when I'm angry. Hope I can pull it back quickly enough-"

"Ok! Ok... ok..." Tiberius manages. 

Verando releases him with a sharp inhale; the cracks recede as his hand leaves the man's throat. "Pleasure doing business with you, Tiberius. Thank you for the inspiration." Extending his hand again, the siren reluctantly shakes it, dropping to his knees as if he'd been electrocuted while Verando dusts off his palms with mild contempt. "Job number one, clean this mess up, Mr.Wagner has a lot of work to do for me today and needs to bathe."