While Theo fed, Vlad slowly started explaining their situation to his Beloved. Fully introducing himself to the Omega resting on his chest and explained the past few weeks, months to the pup. Everything he had missed out on, everything that happened as soon as Vladimir and Alaric had received the call.

He also informed about Theo's ex mate and their own ongoing investigation even though Vlad's heart shivered at the notion. After all, Victor was Theo's former mate, no matter how cruel or how short their bond had been.

Yet Vlad was pleased when Theo didn't even interrupt his feeding and simply hummed to let him know the pup was listening. A smile crept on his lips as he tried to peek at the Omega, only for Theo to weakly hide against his skin.

"Feeling a bit shy after biting me, sweetness?" Vlad couldn't help but tease, chuckling when his Beloved managed a strangled whine. He didn't even need to see Theo's face to know the Omega was blushing fiercely.

His fingers found Theo's nape with little effort, scratching through the soft hairs there until the Omega was virtually purring against his chest. A purr that was only interrupted when Theo's stomach gurgled audibly through the otherwise quiet room.

"Let's see if you can stomach some real food besides my blood." Vlad murmured whilst pushing himself upright, taking Theo with him. The young man leaned back in the vampire's arms, giving him a shy smile that erupted in a fierce blush when Vlad chuckled, "Though I'm always willing to have you bite me, sweetie. I know I'm a snack after all."

Theo's blush reached nuclear proportions before the Omega managed to tuck his face back under Vlad's chin, hiding as the vampire hummed contently. Magic flitting through the air to retrieve a damp rag in order to clean the blood from his neck and with a bit of cooing at Theo, Vlad also managed to get the omega to look at him long enough in order to wipe his mouth.

It also made Vlad realise that Theo's feeding had been messier than he anticipated, as some of the vampire's blood had gotten on Theo's shirt. "Do you have any favourite foods? Allergies I need to be mindful of?" Vlad wondered as he stood up and when Theo feebly latched on, brought the Omega with him to his walk in closet.

"I'll have to massage his body again soon." He thought to himself when he noticed several of Theo's muscles shivering ever so slightly, tensing painfully when the Omega dared to move. Sifting through his clothes and letting Theo pick one of his shirts, Vlad smiled and waited patiently for an answer from Theo.

However, his lips pursed in distaste when all he received was a soft murmured, "I don't mind. I'm not picky." Part of Vladimir wanted to sigh in frustration but he knew how Theo would more than likely interpret that action; the poor pup would think his Beloved got mad at him.

That once again, everything was his fault.

"While I'm glad to hear you're not picky, that doesn't answer my question darling. So let's try again; Do you have any allergies?" Vlad spoke gently as he placed his Beloved down for a moment, removing Theo's soiled shirt and replacing it with the fresh one. Theo blushed as Vlad effortlessly threaded the Omega's arms through the sleeves before he was back in Vlad's arms.

"Not to my knowledge."

"Good." Vlad grinned, retrieving a shirt for himself and brought it with them back to his room. He made sure Theo was comfortable in his bed before he casually removed his own stained shirt. "And your favourite food? Beside myself of course." Vlad added with a wink, gleeful when Theo wiggled slightly with an increasing blush.

It was saddening when Theo took a moment to think and actually struggled to come up with a response. When the silence stretched on, Vlad decided to intervene with a gentle smile. "How about this; we can get all kinds of different food and then you get to discover which ones you like and which ones you don't. Actually, are there things you don't like to eat?"

Now that was something Theo didn't need to think about, as the young man instantly pulled a face and replied with a vehement "Mushrooms."

That made Vlad raise a brow, buttoning up his shirt while mentally praising himself for working out regularly considering that Theo was clearly enjoying the view. "Would that be the texture or the taste? I know plenty of people dislike mushrooms simply because of the texture but don't mind the flavour."

"It's too squishy." Theo murmured over the link after a moment of silence, sounding ashamed as if his opinion was childish to have. The young man tried his best to muffle a yawn behind his hand, whining when his muscles ached at the motion.

It took Vlad no time at all to have Theo relaxing as he gently massaged his Beloved's muscles. Stretching limbs and rubbing the soreness away whilst smiling as little noises of contentment slipped from the Omega.

"I don't mind sweetheart, there are several things I don't like either. Personally I can't stand black olives." Vlad confessed, shivering comically at the memory of having a delicious pizza ruined because the entire thing tasted like metal due to the black olives on it.

"It's probably not the olive."

Vlad hummed curiously, silently urging Theo to continue whilst holding one of Theo's legs against his chest. Forcing his mind to focus on the stretching and not the flush of Theo's face or the softness of his leg against Vlad's body.

Luckily Theo was quick to continue with his explanation. "It's the oil. Oil can quickly take on a metallic taste if kept in a tin, and olives are kept in a brine mixed with oil. If you were to make your own olives or get freshly brined ones that haven't touched a can, it'll taste different." Theo assured with a soft smile that made Vlad grin in return.

"I'll have to try it then." He promised, finishing Theo's stretches before he sat down beside the Omega. "Now for your food... I'm going to assume it'll be more comfortable for you to eat here but I can take you to the dining halls and kitchen if you prefer that, darling."

Vlad didn't need to wait long for Theo's shy "In here please?", making him smile warmly and give Theo's leg a reassuring squeeze. Vlad already knew that eating with the others would be far too big a step for Theo and the only reason he asked Theo was simply to give the Omega a chance to decline it if he wished.

The last thing Vlad wanted, was to give Theo the idea that the vampire was hiding him away from view. As if was a disgusting secret to be hidden from the world, like the pack had treated him.

Instead Vlad inquired about the foods Theo wanted to try, offering some of his own favourite meals to be brought to the room.

"Do you live here all the time?" Theo questioned curiously, eying the room now that his thirst or exhaustion wasn't distracting the young man. Well, as much as he could move, as Theo's movements were barely there and took great effort. Vlad could understand why Theo thought that way but shook his head.

"No, whilst these are my private quarters and nobody comes in here, this isn't home. It's a room for whenever we have to work overtime or are called upon to do long investigations. Council meetings with vampires demand that several representatives are present and those old windbags love to talk endlessly. This is my home away from home. Once you're fully recovered and Hisoka gives you clearance, we can go to my home." Vlad explained, words ending with a warm smile.

It was a home he hardly visited, a home Vlad had designed and ordered to be built from scratch, envisioning the perfect house for when he found his Beloved. That was in his very early years, where he had yearned for and hoped to find his Beloved soon.

But after year after year passed on, when days turned into weeks, then months and eventually centuries, Vlad had stopped hoping. Had stayed away from the home that would one day belong to his Beloved, as the daily reminder he hadn't found them was far too painful. He knew the lore as much as everyone else; finding your Beloved was a difficult, often unattainable feat.

Many a vampire had roamed the world for centuries, mingling with all kinds of intelligent species in the hopes of finding their Beloveds. Not knowing if their Beloved was still to be born... or had passed away without them ever meeting one another.

"But now I have found you darling. And I sure as hell ain't letting you go." Vlad thought to himself as he muffled a yawn before smiling at his Beloved. "Are you in the mood for anything specific? Pasta, meat, vegetables... We can get just about anything here."

The vampire doubted that Theo would be able to stomach much food to begin with, especially not being in control after so long. And the last thing Vlad wanted, was to have Theo throw up after showing some improvement.

Luckily Theo was more than aware of his sensitive stomach, returning Vlad's smile with one of his own as he whispered over the link "I think I can hold some soup... if that's okay?" When Vlad nodded, Theo flushed and smiled shyly, his request lingering in the back of his mind.

"Hmmm, Asian style chicken dumpling soup huh. We can certainly manage that." The vampire reassured knowing that the kitchen staff was highly capable and could even make a simple omelette seem like a dish worthy of a Michelin star. He paused in the middle of reaching for his phone, remembering a bit of Omega knowledge as he added "Do you want anything for dessert?"

Vlad had to bite back a grin but failed miserably at the look of elation on Theo's face. He was grateful that he polished up his knowledge on Omegas, though he already knew they were known to have a sweet tooth.

It was a guilty pleasure most Omegas shared and while some preferred different kinds of sweets or even preferred savoury, it was a generally known fact that an Omega feeling down was helped by giving their favourite treat.

First things first, as Vlad wouldn't want to make Theo sick simply by overloading the recovering Omega with sweets and candy instead of a nutritious meal. Vladimir made sure Theo was comfortable in his bed and clothes before firing off a text to their cook, inquiring if they had a moment to spare.

He knew sometimes there were meetings where the cooks had to make a full course meal for representatives, delegations and whatever else pompous title arrived on the Council's doorstep for complaints or inquiries.

His phone buzzed a second later and Vlad smiled as he heard the man's gruff voice bark on the other side of the line. "You hardly ever call me for food, Vladimir. What gives?"

A smile curled Vladimir's lips, eyes instantly falling on Theo as he chuckled. "You mustn't have heard the news yet, Kaito. I found my Beloved during my last task." He watched as a deep flush settled on Theo's face, especially when there was an audible gasp on the other side of the line, followed with coughing and spluttering as Kaito evidently had taken a sip of his drink at the wrong time.

"For real? Dude, that's- wow." Kaito stammered before chuckling "So you mean to tell me that the one time you call for food, it's for your newly Beloved? Damn... Alright what do they want? Anything fancy?"

Vlad snorted good naturedly, shaking his head even though Kaito couldn't see him. "Theo needs to recover but we're worried that most foods would be too rich and heavy for his stomach. Perhaps some Wonton soup, if you can?"

He could already hear Kaito move about his domain as he replied "Can do. I can still make a flavourful broth that'll be light on his stomach and add enough vegetables and proteins to strengthen him. Any allergies or dislikes I need to be mindful of?"

"No allergies but mind the mushrooms." The vampire settled beside Theo, who seemed to feel slightly awkward at his request. "The last thing I want is have the texture of mushrooms upset his stomach even more."

He heard an affirmative murmur before Kaito hung up on him, making Vlad smirk as he pocketed his phone. Within the next 30 minutes a knock resounded on his door, making Theo swallow nervously while Vlad gave him another reassuring smile. "That'll be Kaito with the food."

"He brought it himself?" Theo questioned curiously as Vlad approached the door with a smirk and a nod. As soon as the doors opened, Kaido didn't even wait for one second and walked inside with a food trolley and a grin at Theo.

Vlad didn't even receive a sideways glance as the Baku brought over a small stand so Theo could eat comfortably in the bed and started assembling a bowl of Wonton soup. "Hello darling and welcome to the family. I'm surprised this oaf didn't start bragging the second he brought you over." Kaido said, finally gracing Vladimir with a single, pointed look.

The vampire sighed and raised his hands in the air as he grumbled, "In my defence, we literally arrived a few moments ago. Theo had to feed first before I would even consider introducing him to everyone."

That made Kaido pause ladling the soup in the bowl, cocking an eyebrow in surprise. "You mean to tell me that you told me first? Not Lady Alurea?"

"Shit." Vlad cursed, shooting an apologetic look at Theo as the Omega curiously listened in. Vlad instantly walked over, grabbing the bowl of soup before Kaido could make the mistake of holding it out to his weakened Beloved and potentially causing a spill. "I forgot I kinda promised to her centuries ago that if I ever brough my Beloved back, she'd be the first to be introduced."

"Boy, you're playing with fire and I mean that literally." Kaido clicked his tongue before smiling as Vlad tenderly started spoon-feeding Theo, much to the pup's embarrassment as a shy flush spread over Theo's face. Yet Vlad could also feel the need and yearning over the bond for a brief second as Theo's Omegan instincts were overjoyed at being cared for.

To be loved and nurtured instead of hated and despised.

It was why Vlad ignored the original embarrassed flush on Theo and instead blew on the soup before holding out the spoonful to Theo. The omega hesitantly opened his mouth and let out a satisfied whine after swallowing the first mouthful of fresh soup. His flush returned with a vengeance, eyes flitting to Kaido who simply smiled and inclined his head.

"I'll take that as a compliment. You'll have to fill me in about the entire situation on a later date, Vlad. For now, enjoy your private time with your Beloved before Lady Alurea shows up to remind you of your broken promise."

Vlad chuckled, waving Kaido out of the room as the Baku chortled and left with a shake of his head. "Lemme know if I ever need to visit in the future." The man offered over his shoulder before the door fell shut, leaving a comfortable silence as Theo hummed and ate what he could.

"What does he mean?" The pup asked hesitantly, making Vlad smile tenderly whilst his senses were keenly aware of any gurgle of protest from Theo's gut. Luckily it seemed the Omega was able to stomach the soup and veggies, even the wonton's that Kaido most likely made from scratch and filled with ingredients that would be easy on a tender stomach.

Motioning with his chin to the door to indicate Kaido, Vlad murmured "He's a Baku, a mythological creature of Japanese origins said to devour nightmares. While he is an excellent cook, regular food isn't very filling for him which is why we offered him a deal. He can cook for us and the people in our care and in return, he can feed on any nightmares that may occur. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved."

Theo relaxed at that, eyes softening before flitting down to avoid Vlad's gaze when he was fed another spoonful. There was a small part of Vlad that wondered how much worse Theo would've been if he hadn't been Soul-bound.

After all, Vlad and the others suspected that was the reason why Theo was still conscious, still able to move and speak albeit extremely limited. By all intents and purposes, a Smothered who had just woken up should've been nothing more than an empty husk.

Not that Vlad was ungrateful, on the contrary! But knowing what was supposed to happen and seeing the opposite occur was quite... unsettling. However, he did notice that while Theo regularly reached out over the link, verbally speaking was still out of the question.

Besides a few barely audibly whispers, Theo struggled to speak. And Vlad could tell that it was making the young man uncomfortable to even try, as each time Theo had so much as whispered a simple 'hi', he had pulled a face and flinched.

Vlad would lie if he said he didn't want to hear Theo speak more. While their contact over the link was precious and something Vlad would happily take, a small part of him longed to hear Theo's voice.

To hear his beloved speak and greet him, to hear the weakened young man in his bed laugh and giggle. The vampire wanted to share his life and memories with Theo but he knew that for now, he would need to be patient.

For now, he'd enjoy the small pleasures in life and watch Theo recover from his abuse. The more Theo could eat and feed from his blood, the better his chances were at making a full recovery without any lasting issues.

Plus, Vlad had to admit to himself that he was incredibly nervous. After all, this was his Beloved. Not some random fling from a club whom he'd never see again or have to ignore for a while until they got the message.

This was his one and only, his soul. And the last thing Vlad wanted to do, was fuck things up by being too abrasive and bold, especially after what Theo had gone through.

Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to call Lady Alurea over in private and have a long conversation with her...