Everything hurts as the children climb into bed; I paw around in the sheets and realize that Verando has managed to slip off in my unconscious state. Irritated, I mutter in my mother tongue that he better have a good explanation. As I quietly pleaded to any god that would listen to give me a few more hours of sleep, I had no such luck as Darius bounced excitedly on the bed. 

"Tata! Tata! Where's Daddy?" Darius asks, giggling as he places his hands on my back, shaking me back and forth as I protest. 

If this was immortality, I might be considering my options as my joints reacted less like that of a 20-year-old and more like a man who'd seen to combat much. 

My body might have a heightened ability to heal, but a night of indulgence rendered me relatively useless. My hips, back, and thighs burned with the familiar ache; I could feel every bitemark throbbing as I buried my face in the pillow and cursed the man for leaving me here by myself with these two. 

Xavier whimpers, rubbing at his eyes, "Hungry, Tata." he complains. 

The instinct to provide for my children forces me to open my eyes. The wolf claws at my subconscious; despite not having a biological child, it would seem the creature had truly adopted the boys as its own. 

"Where's Daddy?" Darius demands again.

"He had an errand to run, honey." I manage, slowly sitting up in the mountain of comforters and sheets, yawning only to flinch at my jaw's soreness. A glance in the wardrobe mirror confirms some light bruising around my throat; I shiver at the memory and know I'll find it in my heart to forgive that sinful man. "Come on, let's get breakfast."

Climbing out of bed, I stumble to the closet, pulling on one of his t-shirts and a pair of soft pants to hide the variety of fingerprints littering my legs and hips. He wasn't so rough with me often, though I couldn't find myself disappointed to be so thoroughly marked. Leading the children downstairs, I feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience as I consider my lack of brushed teeth and unkempt appearance. 

The thick strands of my heavy red hair lay haphazardly as I scrubbed at my bangs to bring them in to some sort of order. 

"What would you like for breakfast?" I ask through a groggy yawn as I attempt to dredge up the willpower for such a task. 

Darius had taken to pouting, feeling wronged that his father would leave so suddenly while Xavier was just as out of it as I was. I placed the toddler on my hip, quietly snuggling with the soft gray curls as I waited for Darius to scrutinize his options. It was tempting to close my eyes and doze. I and the younger child felt much the same, obviously, Darius had rousted us both.

"Cereal," Xavier grumbles, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. 

"Daddy would make something." Darius frowns. 

"Dare." I sigh, stretching on my toes to reach for the box, cursing my desire to honor most of his vegetable-heavy requests. Nothing the child would want would be simple, and I was to blame for that.  Of course, our resident tall person had placed it at his height. "Modern problems have modern solutions." While I could agree the food from boxes wasn't nearly as flavorful, they were undoubtedly more convenient. 

"Cereal." Xavier whimpers, more persistent this time. 

"I don't want cereal," Darius demands, adamant as he crosses his arms over his chest. Flipping his hand, he slams the cabinet closed, nearly clipping my fingers as I quickly retract with a frustrated growl. 

"Get bowls, Darius." I dismiss the child, summoning the box to my hand as I give up on any attempt to reach it. The slight breeze tips it over the edge, and I catch it, making Xavier giggle as he buries his face in my neck. 

Darius stomps his foot, storming over to the cabinet, climbing onto the counter as he scrouges for bowls. I roll my eyes heavily, "Darius. Off the counter, use your magic, honey. If your father saw that-"

The glower of the youth is not lost on me. Xavier squirms for the box in my hand as I hold it out of his reach, putting him down only for him to reach for me with a squeal of disappointment.

 "You! I want you!" Xavier demands. 

Verando had hardly been home, and I'd already forgotten how tedious it was without him. Lifting the toddler again, I sigh as Darius knocks a pile of plastic bowls out of the cabinet, still perched on his knees on the counter. No doubt, it was on purpose, a silent protest. 

"Darius! Magic!" 

"Daddy doesn't use magic! I don't want to use my magic."

Pulling the unicorn back onto the ground, I gather the bowls and replace them on the granite counter with a hard glare toward the young boy. 

"Your daddy is a lycan, not a magic user like us."

"You're a lycan, too." He points as I put my hand on my hip in complete frustration.

"I'm.. somewhat a lycan. It's complicated; just do as I ask! For the love, what has gotten into you?" 

Xavier kicks and squirms, demanding cereal as I grab the bowl and place it on the table. Reaching for the cereal, I note that it's gone and pause, turning in a circle as I look to see where I might have placed it. The light-haired unicorn turns his back to me, kicking quietly at the ground as he kicks at the tiles. 

"Dare." I address him patiently. 

"Hungry." Xavier whimpers, starting on a sob, tugging on my shirt as he reaches for the bowl. My head begins to throb; I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling my temper boiling under the surface as I attempt to fathom how I will get through this. 

"What?" Darius demands, making me set my jaw. 

"I'm not sure what you think this is, but I'm not daft. I know you've made the box disappear; bring it back, or so help me-"

A strangled sob comes from the boy's throat; my shoulders deflate as the unicorn hugs himself a little tighter. "I want my Daddy back! I don't want to be here with you!"

"Come off it, we could do without the theatrics. This isn't how we get what we want." My own self had been assaulted, dismantled by a child, wounded by the notion that he didn't want me. There was nothing to fall back on; I hadn't had any sort of coaching for a moment like this. Around this time, a nanny would have come and gotten me, or my brother would have drug me away. 

 Why didn't he understand he was making this harder for both of us? My mother was probably rolling in her grave at such behavior, and the embarrassment festered in my chest like a swarm of failures bubbling up to the surface. I could lead a nation, defeat adversaries deemed unbeatable, and negotiate terms of a cease-fire between long-fought enemies. However, guiding this child to an agreement on breakfast was apparently beyond my capability.

 "If you're going to be a brat, just go to your room."

I regret the words as soon as they come out of my mouth, and the boy runs up the stairs; while I want to go after him, Xavier's screaming in my ear is enough to make me seek out breakfast for the less fussy of the two first. Grabbing a banana, I peel it and hand it to the toddler, who greedily devours the unsuspecting fruit. 

My nerves shot, I brought him into the living room to place him on the couch and turned on the television in surrender. 

Why? Why had I said that?

Collapsing onto the couch, I grip my side with a grimace of discomfort. In hindsight, provoking my warlord into using my body for his pleasure was a poor decision. The news plays quietly. Xavier explains to me the intricate nature of a banana, its color, and its hopes and dreams. He pretends it's an airplane, and I eye the smashed remains with distrust as he considers shoving it into my mouth. 

"The public is asking for answers as vocal artist Verando Mercer continues to not comment on his sudden departure from the erotic rock band led by the man known as 'Tiberius.' Mercer is a multi-talented vocal artist who joined the band under scrutiny, with many saying he could not handle the rock band's range, and it would appear those rumors could be correct. Coupled with mounting drug speculation, rumors of past murder charges, and now, a possible assault charge, he could just be looking to clean up his act and distance himself from a band of.. unsavory.. individuals."

I scoff at the idea of murder charges, running a hand through my hair, knowing that Senator Campbell wouldn't be far behind such allegations. 

"Assault?" The other newscaster asks curiously. 

"We haven't gotten the whole story yet; this is still speculation. A defense lawyer by the name of Jason Wagner has stepped in to stop the public release under some pretty hefty lawsuits. A first of its kind, they're battling the allegations on the grounds of discrimination. While we're all familiar with the war and ongoing confrontations overseas between.. er.. humans and magic users, the opinion is that the law continues to treat lycans and those like them unfairly. "

Unable to stop the mounting interest, I sit up, narrowly dodging the banana. Picking up my phone, I slip away from Xavier to move to the kitchen and start pulling out some milk to make him some oatmeal while I dial the number for my absent lover. When it goes to voice mail immediately, I can't help but roll my eyes. 

"Hello, I'm watching the news.. you're suing who exactly for discrimination? And now we have assault charges...?" My voice trails off as I glance towards the television, overhearing the call for an interview and a statement to be made. "They're talking about the school, and while I'm all for any press is good press, this isn't a great look. Call me. Or better yet-" Sighing, I stop myself before faltering. 

He would worry if I let him know how hard this was so quickly. Yet, part of me needed him to worry because I desperately needed a break. 

"Please come home. Darius is very hurt you left." I click off the phone, shoving it into my pocket. 

A knock on the door makes my heart race, but only momentarily. I inhale slowly; the scent is unfamiliar, and I know it is not my warlord or one of his now-distant family. 

With a glance to check that Xavier is still watching the news, I call the remote to my hand and turn the channel to a cartoon before going to the door. When I open it, I subconsciously check my phone, only to startle when I see Tucci standing before me with his daughter. The dark-skinned man smiles gently, removing his hat with a light nod. 

"Good morning, my fine companion. Do you have a moment? Cassie so desperately wanted to play with your boy. I think we have a few things I'd like to discuss regarding the school?" His blood-red gaze is insistent, yet he stands so firmly at my doorway that I take the hint that I could send him away if I choose. But, considering the unscheduled nature, he was either looking for an opportunity to dissolve the relationship or testing some aspect of it. 

Testing that Rosu was prepared, the wolf mutually agrees as I step back and nod for him to come in. "Sorry, I'm not quite ready for a meeting.." I excuse, smoothing my hair as I take in my lackluster appearance. "But if you want to speak casually, I can oblige. Xavier is on the couch, Cassie." I nod to the younger girl, she was probably closer to Darius's age, he kept from bringing the older daughter to prevent an interrupt I was sure. 

I lead the rougarou into the kitchen, offering him coffee, which he declines as he folds his hands lightly over the crest of his staff. 

"Verando isn't home," I tell him, unwilling to be caught off guard. 

Tucci smirks, almost feline it's slow nature. "Oh, I'm well aware when the lion is out of its den, Nicolas. I have no intention of acting on foul play; I mostly just wanted to talk. The school is only two months away from opening; I wanted to know how you feel about it. Plus, as you've seen on the news, my business partner is making quite a mess for himself."

So he'd been standing around listening, perhaps waiting for the opportunity or confirming that my husband wasn't home. 

"Good to know you came at a purposefully inconvenient time; I'll remember that for the future." I retort shortly, pouring some coffee and taking a sip, wrinkling my nose to dump a few teaspoons of sugar into the dark mix. "I'm confident that people like Senator Campbell will stop at nothing to bring bad press and get the project stopped before it can get started. There will be a lot of red tape and hard-fought arguments, but with the Hero project going so well, I'm sure we can enforce a police system to keep ourselves in check."

Tucci nods, drumming his fingers lightly, "Do you think we fall on the good side of the hero project? Not you, Your Majesty, as obviously, you've led quite the straight-lace lifestyle... I'm speaking of me and your husband. Squashed murder charges, most of which are only drifting off due to politics and lack of evidence, are a hard sell for an ambassador."

Verando had been at the helm of much of our early intervention with possessions and runaway gods. Every destroyed vessel we eliminated had been after us and could easily be linked to our involvement, for we were the ones to dispatch many of them. At his command, Verando insisted that blame be placed squarely on him, for few prosecutors saw him as a worthwhile endeavor to track. 

Our connections in the government were more readily afforded to the gray-haired man, and I stepped aside and let him take the heat. At the same time, my reputation evolved into a soft homebody raising children and waiting for my husband to treat me better. 

While no charges could be placed without reasonable doubt, if they'd been allowed to keep digging, surely something would have stuck. 

"Verando and I started the Hero Project in New York, and the subsequent ones followed with bounty hunter hideouts as their headquarters. Support for The Good King runs deep; yes, Tucci, I believe my husband and I are well protected. As for you... well, you're currently raising my suspicions. Did you truly come all this way to pester me about laws and politics, being a gambling man yourself?"

Amused, Tucci chuckles, shrugging as he carefully strides around the kitchen. He strokes one of the chairs with a slow hand placement, purposefully leaving a scent trail. My wolf snarls in the back of my mind. I feel my hair standing up on the back of my neck, and I resist the urge to reach for one of the various weapons in the kitchen. 

"I think you need to take over as the face of the school. Mr.Mercer and I are not good for the public image, and I feel like my involvement with your husband might need to take a turn in a different direction. Do you know where he is right now?"

"I agree, you're both too busy waving your cocks around to make a good impression. Sign over your public involvement, give it to Haebom, and I'll handle the rest." I snap, purposefully avoiding the fishing he was attempting to do. 

Skirting his fingers over a drawer, my breath almost catches, but he quickly retracts as if it'd scalded him. "Clever bastard." Tucci chuckles. "Mr.Mercer is dealing in my realm, and I must admit, I'm extremely curious about having another power player that threatens my livelihood. Tell me, what did he think about that circle? Did it work?"

My teeth flash; I'd lash out if I didn't think it'd put my children at risk. "You're changing sides? Is that what this is?"

Frowning, Tucci stops to face me. "No, Nicolas, I don't want that. I'm a very powerful man, and I have four children, a wife, and a good life here. But these waters are untested, and when people hide things from me, I get nervous, just as you are right now. When you have as much to lose as I do, it's difficult to trust a stranger who could end it all with a snap of his fingers. Your husband keeps many secrets; you aren't answering me, which means I can only assume he keeps them from you, too."

"So you come in here and boast your power? Do you think your coming over here unannounced will bode well for you?" I seeth through my teeth, wishing to call him but knowing better than to reveal any sort of involvement with the pendant. 

This seems to bring the rougarou pause, and he sighs, turning the red gaze to our children. Much as he might speak in a low tone, and though he slinked around my kitchen like a serpent, I sensed no malice in him. 

"Would you suspect treachery from your neighbor who stopped by to get a cup of sugar?"

Before my lips could part, he smirks and shrugs. 

"Me too. Unfortunately, we need to act like neighbors, Nicolas, because we are, in a sense. I've never been so nervous in all of my years, and I can't risk what I've built. But, if I were to fight either of you, there is a chance I could lose, and I've not been faced with that before. Mr.Mercer has an answer to every challenge; it's quite unnerving, as I'm sure you feel the same about me. It truly was something when he found my puppet in those workers."

"So you sneak around instead of asking us for friendship and alliance? How are we supposed to trust you?"

Tucci gestures to our home, "Your house is filled with artifacts made to kill something like me, and you have the mark of the devil slashed into the foundation of your home. You can paint it, Nicolas, but that mark will never vanish. Hell's gates opened here, and your husband walked through them. So no, sir, I do not wish to open my arms to our friendship. But I need your alliance because we must learn to coexist with some level of comfort. For them." 

Tucci gestures to our children, and I slowly lower my shoulders, swallowing back my discomfort.

"That school is what our people need. Publically, the three of us need to continue as though we aren't prying at each other behind closed doors. But no, I can't say I will stop digging, either. I need to know what Mr.Mercer is up to." 

"You're a shadow man; you deal in dark arts yet find us scary? Blood magic, practically voodoo, but you have the nerve to suspect Verando of the devil's work?"

The tall man must see the irony in that as well. "A novelty. I promise it comes with no ill will, that I won't hurt your children. But.. I also promise that if I feel threatened, I will have to defend myself." Pulling out his phone, the corner of his lips pulled down, expression complex as he pressed them into a thin line. "A predator.. hmm." He muses, clicking his tongue, and approaches with his hands raised in a truce. "Look."

I glance down at the picture to see the siren's tattooed throat, bruised with a large handprint and the telltale veining of an attempt at decay. 

The text is simple. 

"He knows."

"Tiberius turned on him. You made the circle to trap him, and now Verando knows you turned him over to Seth. What did you think was going to happen, Tucci?" My voice is low and calm as if my husband could appear at any moment. "Why on earth..." Frowning back at those worried eyes, I settle back against the counter. "You want me to call him off."

"Can you?" Tucci almost sounds desperate, as if he was unsure if I could even do it. The bravado comes to an end; he's gotten his answer, and that is that I am the reasonable one. "I'm coming to you as a father, Nicolas. I understand that my actions would have consequences, and I didn't think he would live. I never intended to come for you or your children; that promise still holds."

"He almost didn't-"

"Nobody has ever returned from Seth, and there is a rumor in the darkness that Hathor and Anubis have named a new Death. I'm offering my silence in exchange for your forgiveness, not his. I understand he will hate me, but if you will it, I believe he would listen."

"You want me to prove to you that I control him." I snap back, shaking my head in disbelief. "I won't allow you to use my kindness to prove your theories right or wrong. Take it up with him!"

While he was horrified by my denial, I was still playing the game, and this seemed to impress him in some form, for he did not dare approach me. "If he sees me-"

"I can get you a meeting. Shall I pencil you in for the weekend?" I retort sweetly, batting my eyelashes before swallowing more of my coffee. 

Reluctant, the taller man nods, seeming to accept his fate. "You understand that I will be forced to defend myself, whatever that may be? What if I leak what his identity potentially is-"

My wolf lashes out, and I grip my stomach, forcing myself to hold back the beast as I swallow the growl in my throat. 

"All I'm asking for is a cease-fire." He insists, meeting my gaze as I pant from the discomfort. "Please."

The thought of asking Verando to let this man live made my stomach twist. I saw how hard he fought to get away from Seth, and without Hathor, he probably would have never made it. "Actions have consequences, Tucci. If we had attacked you, I don't think you'd be giving us any allowance. I can give you a head start; I suggest you make first contact because I can promise you the siren you aligned with sold your soul for his freedom. He will come here before he comes to you; I'll do my best to explain the information you've given me. That is all I can offer."