"Save it, Quin! I'm not in the mood," Bash huffed.

"Not in the mood, aye? You know, I wasn't in the mood to be summoned to an emergency council meeting tonight. I also wasn't in the mood to explain why you didn't show up!" Quin was livid.

Fuck! Bash thought. He pulled out his phone and checked it. Sure enough, there were at least fifteen missed calls from Quin. He had left a few voicemails Bash was certain weren't friendly.

Sebastian couldn't rein in his anger at the situation with Gaia to answer Quin in a manner that wouldn't further stoke his fury. Bash was like a hormonal teenager, lashing out at his father.

"It's none of your damn business where I was!" Bash spat.

"Do you think I'm an idiot, Sebastian? I can smell her all over you! I thought you were staying away after last night. What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Quin went toe to toe with Bash, his chest puffed out as he exerted his dominance over him.

Bash shoved him back, causing Quin to lunge at him. He slammed him into the floor with such force, the marble tile cracked beneath Sebastian's back. Quin's eyes were midnight orbs, and his fangs extended long and white. Bash stared up at him in defiance.

"I will not tolerate this insolence, Sebastian! What has gotten into you? Even Margaret didn't elicit such foolish behavior from you!" Quin pressed his forearm down onto Bash's throat with enough force to restrain him.

Bash panted heavily; his brain went to a primal place. All he could see to do was fight, but Quin was too strong when he exhibited the full extent of his strength.

Quin lifted Sebastian's shoulders and slammed him down onto the floor with enough strength to crack open the back of his head. Blood seeped out onto the tile. Within moments, the wound healed as if it had never been there; the only reminder was the blood that stained the marble floor.

The blow was enough to bring Bash back to his senses. His eyes cleared and his fangs retracted, but Quin remained seated on top of Bash while pinning him to the ground.

"Are you through?" Quin growled at him.

Bash turned his head to the side in a show of submission and replied, "Yes—"

Quin roughly released Bash and rolled off, taking a seat beside him on the floor. Quin's heavy breathing slowed as his eyes returned to their natural color. It had been centuries since Quin had to get physical with Bash.

What's wrong with him? He's never shown so little restraint.

Quin was getting worried. Was Bash going feral? He knew he wasn't feeding off donors and had confessed to barely feeding off this girl he was impossibly obsessed with. Quin wondered if Bash was feeding off animals instead. But Bash wasn't stupid enough to be doing that. He recognized the risks. Quin wasn't sure what to expect anymore.

The only time Quin had ever experienced the lack of control Bash was exhibiting, was when he met Livia. The stabbing pain in his chest returned just remembering his lost mate. Quin's reaction was typical though, as most males lose their sense of control while courting their mate. The recklessness typically fades once they're human is turned, and it isn't as bad when the mate is already a vampire since they're less vulnerable. But the council had regulated their numbers for about a thousand years, and finding a mate that had already turned, was rarer than finding a human mate.

Livia—

Quin became lost in thought. She was the reason he swore to never turn another human again. The loss of Livia still sat in the pit of his stomach, threatening to undo him. His mate; lost to him forever. Livia met the true death, and there's no coming back from that. It was a tale he hadn't even shared with Bash. And any vampire alive at the time, refused to even mention the horrific event. Talking about it took everything from him. Quin still blamed himself for not being able to protect his mate and progeny from her fate.

"I command you to explain yourself, Sebastian. Why didn't you show up, and what's gotten into you?" Quin asked as Bash sat up next to him.

"I'm sorry," Bash apologized.

Quin was right to be mad at him. You didn't ignore a council summons for any reason other than fighting for your life. Then, there was the disrespectful way Bash had addressed his sire. It was a position that if carried out to the best of the sire's ability, demanded the progeny's undying loyalty and respect. Quin deserved even more respect. He had taken on the role and responsibilities without being Bash's actual sire.

"When I found you starving as a fledgling vampire, you exhibited a control most vampires twice your age still struggled with. It's the very reason I took you under my wing and convinced the council not to show you the true death. Hunters staked all your siblings, or they met the sun at the hands of the council. They were savages. But you, Bash—even at your hungriest you refused to go on a murdering rampage like the others. So, that's why your recent behavior has me deeply concerned. How are you feeding? Are you resorting to animal blood?"

"Heavens, no! I recognize what happens when you resort to drinking animal blood. I'd rather meet the sun. I feed off of Gaia. You know that." Bash looked down at his feet.

"Yes, but you told me you take very little. And even being as old as you are, you need more blood than that to sustain your strength. Consider finding another pet you aren't so drawn to in other ways, or even a donor, Bash. This obsession you have with this girl is unhealthy for both of you. You should feed sufficiently, from multiple sources if needed." Quin knew a vampire couldn't feed properly from a single human source without making them ill or killing them, not day in and day out. And Bash had been spending his nights with Gaia, and only Gaia, for months.

Gaia's scent and Bash's scent had mingled into one. It was rare for him not to come home reeking of the human. Quin had seen photos of her. She was quite beautiful. And if she was anything how Bash had described her to him, Quin understood why she was an appealing pet. But it was clear she had become more than just a plaything to Bash. She had become special in a way that he'd only witnessed with Margaret. And even then, Margaret hadn't brought about the changes in Bash that Quin was noticing with Gaia.

Margaret would have been a perfect progeny, but as much as Quin knew Bash wanted to save her from age and death, he had stuck to their pact with a will of steel. Who wouldn't want to save their family from death? Quin was well aware Margaret had become family to Bash. She had fallen in love with him, but it was difficult, if not impossible, for a vampire to fall into romantic love with anyone who wasn't his fated mate. And Margaret had not been Bash's mate.

The vampire goddess, Selene, granted them only one mate like that of her true love, Ambrogio, who was the first of their kind. Even so, finding a mate was hard and rare. Quin had been lucky to find his after a few hundred years, but Bash still hadn't met his mate, or so Quin thought.

"I can't, Quin. I don't have the drive or desire." Bash wasn't ready to accept the fact he was denying his mate, and he wasn't ready to tell Quin.

Quin won't understand. I wouldn't have until now.

And Bash would have been right if Quin hadn't already met his mate and lost her. But Bash was unaware, and it made him reluctant to share his nagging discovery. He was sure Quin would just encourage him to stay away from her, mate or not.

There was one other possibility Quin contemplated as the cause of Bash's recent behavior.

"Are you suicidal?" Quin asked, looking at Bash sideways.

"Dear gods—I'm not suicidal." Bash rolled his eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me. It's not unheard of for vampires as old as us to tire of immortality. It's my job to worry about you. You're my responsibility. You get into trouble and it may very well be a stake through my heart. The council will have my head!"

"Look, I'm very sorry for missing the meeting. I care about Gaia, and I only left to check on her. When I got to her apartment, she had gone out for the night. So, I followed her. She was at a club with some frat boy chump!" Bash's anger simmered once more.

"You were at a nightclub, Bash? With no prior plan or preparation? That's exactly the recklessness I'm referring to, Sebastian!" Quin yelled.

Bloody fuck! Why did I mention the club? Bash mentally kicked himself.

"It won't happen again. I promise." Bash crossed his still heart.

"Do you know why the council called an emergency meeting? Hunters staked Salvador three nights ago! They're out looking for us. They're aware we're returning to the city in larger numbers. They discovered where he was hunting because, like you, he refused to transition to donor blood!"

"Donors are so boring, Quin. It's all business and no excitement. If it'll make you happy, I'll compromise and take bagged blood occasionally." Bash stood up and offered Quin a hand.

Quin slapped it away and got to his feet. He loomed a few inches taller than Bash. "You're missing the point! Salvador is dead! You need to be more careful! Don't go to a nightclub when you're distracted by some female. You let down your guard, and that's when they'll strike."

"I'm not a child, Quin! I can take care of a couple hunters."

"They've been traveling in numbers. It happened in mere moments. Salvador's progeny witnessed it. He disposed of a few before they fled. But he said there were as many as ten. Ten trained hunters against one very old vampire caught off his guard can lead to one very old, and very dead, vampire. His progeny was lucky they weren't using silver bullets, or he might have shared his sire's fate. I don't want that to be you!"

Quin wished some days he could care a little less about Bash. He worried himself awake sometimes. But Bash was his progeny, his son, despite not being his true maker. It was impossible not to worry.

"I get it! I'll be more cautious. How can I make it up to you?" Bash conceded.

"The punishment for your insolence will be fitting, but in the meantime, clean up this mess of blood, and make sure Elena calls someone to repair the tiles in the morning. And Bash, the next time you forget yourself, I won't be as pleasant." Quin patted Sebastian on the back.

"Understood—" Bash smirked.

Sebastian made quick work of cleaning the floor before heading to his bedroom. As he closed the door behind him, Bash couldn't stop his thoughts from going to the man who had put his hands on his female. He was lucky he was human, or Bash would have snapped his neck. And Gaia!

The nerve she had to leave him the way she did. Bash was still reeling from it. All he wanted was to put Gaia over his shoulder and bring her home where he could have punished her all night long. Gaia had left him wanting her more than ever before.

As he showered, Bash contemplated how to keep Gaia away from the man. Bash would kill him if he even dreamed of hurting her. Bash had learned the man's name was Oliver. After showering, Bash sat on his bed with his laptop and looked up Gaia's social media profiles. He found Oliver on her list of friends and clicked.

"Oliver Wagner, aye?" Bash scowled at the screen.

The last post told of Oliver's excitement over attending the film festival and hanging out with his friends. He had tagged Gaia in the post.

"Ha! She's going out with him tomorrow?" Bash resisted the urge to throw his laptop at the wall. "What does she see in that wanker? He looks to be a god-awful bore. He'll never be able to make her feel the way I do or bring her the pleasure I can. What's the point?" He huffed like a child.

Sebastian growled low and deep as he thought, Another bloody sleepless day—