Vlad didn't know what to do. For the first time in his life, he was genuinely terrified as Theo didn't respond to anyone at all.

At least, not verbally.

Because even as Theo struggled through a fitful sleep, his emotions were sparking wildly, bouncing around his mind without a second of rest. After Theo's sudden outburst and the young Omega calling himself a monster, Theo hadn't said a word.

Vlad nuzzled closer against Theo, feeling a hint of a reply as Theo's mind calmed for a brief moment. Letting his thumb gently brush against Theo's puffy eyes, the vampire sighed as he cradled Theo as close as he could. Offering him anything Theo needed for relief, both physically and mentally.

Meanwhile Abel was verbally shredding their parents to bits, laying into them without one hint of mercy in sight. Perhaps the Alpha had always been frustrated, forced to observe everything Theo had to endure without a possibility of intervening.

That guilt must've eaten away at him throughout the years Theo had sustained them, worsening when Abel realized that all this time, Theo was suffering because he was keeping them all alive.

If Abel had truly died and hadn't been an invisible strain on Theo's soul, perhaps Abel's Alpha wolf could've settled. Not become a true Omegan wolf but not be influenced by its counterpart that was still present but out of reach.

Now there were two people who believed they should've died and be erased out of existence. Which put both Vlad and Alaric on edge, barely able to restrain themselves.

Fuck, Vlad was sure that several of the chairs had been thrown across the room as Abel had done everything he could to not physically go after their parents. Realizing that even now, Theo wouldn't want them to go after the poor excuse of people they were forced to call parents.

Merely because he didn't want their hands to be stained by any blood or their minds riddled with guilt by erasing those bastards from existence. The only way the fresh Alpha could retaliate, was unleash all the venom that he and Theo had stored away in a deluge of words, shackling their parents with a deep sense of failure and grief.

He's a much bigger man than I would be.

If Theo hadn't needed him here, Vlad... he wasn't even sure what he wouldn't do at this point. Brushing Theo's hairs out of his face, he couldn't help but smile softly when the Omega slightly nuzzled against the gesture.

"How can an angel like you, think that you're a monster?" Vlad questioned out loud, pressing a kiss against Theo's forehead when there was no reaction of his Beloved. "If you are a monster, what does that make of the rest of us?"

Right about now, Vlad felt absolutely monstrous, seeing how just a short interaction with those bastards that birthed his Beloved had reduced Theo's self-worth to dust. All because the pup actually stood up for himself and refused to be stepped on any longer.

A single look of disappointment and anger from his parents had flung Theo into the past, made him act accordingly. Wishing to hide and erase his existence if need be, all so others would have more breathing room.

Seeing Theo's reaction had been bad enough. Feeling him recoil internally after defending himself, only to compare himself with his abusers had set off Abel instantly. Vlad had no doubt in his mind that Alaric would've felt the exact same thing and would act accordingly.

Given how Theo had won the hearts of everyone he encountered, realizing how he had been treated before only spoke of the character of his abusers. Something the Council was reminded of every step of the way.

And given how even Lady Alurea had slowly approached Theo's parents with an intent closer to that of a predator circling their prey, even she was slowly losing her cool.

A soft nudge against his mind made Vlad focus before sighing softly. "How's Abel doing?" He inquired, feeling his fangs ache at the thought that both Theo and Abel were now suffering because of those pack twats.

"Feeling both exhausted and refreshed after letting go of all that." Alaric responded with slight amusement. "I had to physically remove him from the room out of fear of Abel straining his system. He's still not fully used to his new body after all and Hisoka did warn us not to stress it too quickly."

A snort escaped Vlad before he could stop himself, instantly checking to see if he disturbed Theo's sleep. Oh Abel stressed his new body alright and judging from the way his link with the young pup was fuming, the Alpha had quite a bit still on his chest.

"How's my brother?"

Now that was something even Vlad couldn't fully answer. He knew Abel was sensing Theo's distress through their shared bond but none of them had a way to fix this mess quickly. Instead Vlad pressed a soft kiss on Theo's forehead before replying to Abel's soft question.

"He needs time."

The few wisps of thoughts Vlad managed to actually receive from Theo pointed to the same thing; the pup had acted in a moment of bravado, enforced by the time he spent at the Council.

Yet that show of bravery, of standing up for himself and telling his parents off for their abhorrent treatment to him, was not without lack of fear. The young Omega had merely been unable to stop the flow of words and rage from flowing, breaking through his restraints like a long-awaited tidal wave.

And when Theo had finally said what he needed to get off of his chest, having his parents stand in the same room as him had reverted Theo's mindset back to how it was at the pack.

Conditioned to do just that.

Vlad could only presume that Theo had escaped to his inner world to avoid further confrontation or rather, the punishment he anticipated would follow his outburst. Dragging him out would only enforce this mental state, making Theo feel as if he actually was deserving of punishment.

It only made Vlad wonder how often Theo had bitten down on his tongue and swallowed his words, just to placate those around him. Preventing himself from becoming a target by erasing his existence. To allow everyone to trample upon his body and soul, slowly destroying him in the process.

Swallowing down the bile, no matter how bitter it was and let it consume him on the inside if it meant there was a fraction of a chance he'd be accepted.

All Vlad really could do was offer his emotions to Theo. The young Omega didn't respond verbally but Vlad did notice that his scent turned sweeter, ever so slightly.

Vlad's own scent followed soon before he stiffened, gaze turning murderous when there was a knock at the door. Even through the wooden door, he could smell the stress from the guard that had knocked before Vlad took a slow deep breath, pressing a kiss against Theo's forehead.

"I'm going to have a talk with your parents sweetheart. They ought to know how deeply they messed up by throwing away someone as delightful as you and your brother." Vlad's voice was soft and warm as he covered Theo, not even looking up when both Alaric and Abel opened the door and walked past the stressed out guard.

Abel's face was still heated, which made Vlad glad he had reached out to Theo's sibling; judging from the state of his new body, Abel might be straining and potentially risk damaging his soul. He looked feverish after pushing his new body so suddenly yet Vlad had no remorse for tricking the pup to stay at his siblings side.

If Abel were to be badly affected by the aftereffects of his own and Theo's outburst, Vlad knew that his Beloved was going to shoulder all the blame and hate himself even more. Forcing Abel to calm down by staying at Theo's side was the least Vlad was willing to do, if it meant keeping both siblings safe and sound.

The second Abel's blue eyes landed on his brother, his expression became contrite and his citrusy scent soured even further. A low sound escaped him before Abel made his way over to the bed and hesitantly sat down.

"Neither of you are at fault here."

Abel nodded slowly, showing he heard Vlad but didn't comment further, fingers lacing into Theo's hair to offer physical comfort. Undoubtedly he had already reached out over the link, showing Theo that he was loved and safe.

Vlad shared a look with Alaric, who waved him off without needing further instructions. It was only natural that Alaric was going to make sure both Abel and Theo understood that the blame lay with their parents.

Pulling the door to his room shut behind him, Vlad slowly turned to the guard who lowered his head respectfully. "As you undoubtedly know, the rest of the Council has already made it clear to everyone involved that Theo and Abel are staying here. They are giving you full discretion to respond to the demands of their parents."

"Good."

That single word was ominous enough, especially given that Vlad was willingly leaving Theo behind in his room. For a vampire to part from their Beloved, it only meant one thing. Whatever was going to happen was not something they wished their Beloved to witness.

The sound of Vlad's boots echoed through the hallway as his long strides were fuelled by the simmering rage just under his skin. Yet the way Vlad calmly opened the doors made the guard behind him swallow nervously.

"Lord Vladimir, forgive our intrusion." Theo's father murmured, bowing his head respectfully upon the vampire's entrance. Yet Vladimir couldn't even muster a hint of respect for the man.

The entire room was soon filled with the stench of the wolves' fear as Vladimir couldn't even be bothered to hold back the pressure of his vampiric powers. Instead he glared at the couple, eying them both with detached interest.

"The only reason why you mongrels are still breathing is because my Beloved demands it." Vlad's voice was cold as he stared at the pair that had birthed both Abel and Theo. "The only reason why you're allowed this audience is merely due to my and Alaric's gratitude for birthing your sons."

Even those words made Vladimir scoff, shaking his head as if the mere sentence produced a vile taste on his tongue. "Though should we ever honour you with that little respect? After all you gave none to your offspring, be it alive or dead. If either of you had cared, had put but a fragment of interest in your child, you would've noticed something was off."

"We had just lost our other son." The woman hissed through gritted teeth, despite the fear that clung to her skin. Fear that exploded to new heights when, within a blink, Vlad's face was inches away from hers.

"Theo had just felt his soul shatter. As a baby. Break into a million pieces as his Soulbound brother perished in his stead. Shatter again as his own wolf died before it could even be born. That pup, fresh from the womb and covered in blood, was doing the unthinkable by gathering those shattered pieces and holding them close."

An inhuman sound rumbled through the room, causing everyone to still as the vampire Council member slowed his pace to something more calculated and lethal.

"Just imagine; a baby that is oblivious to how the world works, shoved into existence and the first fucking thing he feels, is his soul being torn to shreds." Vlad hissed as the mere thought caused a red hue to shimmer over his sight. "Nobody would be able to help him or stop him, tell him that the decision he was making that very moment would scar him for a lifetime."

A snarl escaped Vlad, fangs elongating as his dangerous instincts were oh so close to the surface. "Even a baby could manage to do instinctively what neither of you were capable of. Theo made an instinctual choice to sacrifice himself and keep his brother and wolf within himself"

Vlad slowly prowled around the pair, extended fangs causing his words to lisp awkwardly yet the sound only added to the danger the werewolves felt. "A baby, forced to carry a burden that none should ever come to bare. But how dare he question you about loss, right?"

Silence rang into the room, only interrupted by the wolves' shallow breathing and Vlad's lack thereof. His fingernails had long since turned to vicious claws and a deep, sadistic chuckle lisped past his fangs.

"Oh, how I wish I could turn you both into an indistinguishable smear on the floor. To make you both experience everything that pup went through, all because neither of you were interested enough to care for your own fucking offspring."

With his vampiric nature, his beast so close under the surface, Vladimir could smell their blood as it pulsed through their body, could hear their hearts thunder like hammers on an anvil. Even the tension in their muscles as they flinched and reacted to his every move, was audible in that heightened state.

"He kept them alive in his body for all those years. Can you imagine the strain and agony it would bring with it? What Theo felt each and every day while you neglected him, told him to try better and be something worthy of loving?"

"You scum threw away the best thing in your lives. Now you get your wish-" Theo's parents glanced up at Vlad as the man continued, "Y'all can pretend you have perfect little lives in that perfect little pack of yours. Pretend you never had a son. After all, you managed to pretend all these years you never had twins. Don't ever consider reproducing again; you've proven yourself unfit to be parents in any shape or form."

Fangs glinted into the sunlight that broke past the curtains whilst Vlad's face was mere inches away from theirs. "I want you both to remember that your very lives are in the hands of the sons you never cared to look for. If my brother and I have so much as an inkling that they wish you gone, you won't see the next dawn approach."

His booth echoed through the room, the sound heavy and ominous as he watched the pair. "It won't even be a thrilling hunt. Just know that I'm counting down the days that I've received the okay. Salivating for the moment either Theo or Abel decide that whatever minimalistic influence you had in their lives isn't worth this continuous harassment."

"And when, not if but when I finally come for you, I'll make sure you'll hear my boots on that lovely cobblestone road at your house so you have enough time to realize you should have never messed with either of those men."

Vlad spun on his heels and left the room, not before he barked a command at the guards present. "These two werewolves are never to be allowed access to either myself, my brother or our Beloveds ever again. If they ever need something from the Council, it'll be after contact through a third party. Now both of you," Vlad paused at the doorway, smiling darky at the people he would've loved and cherished, had they only embraced Theo as their son and shown a glimmer of remorse.

"Please live the lives you both deserve. The Council will be keeping a close eye on you."

The doors slammed shut behind Vlad as he hurried back to his room, only pausing near Lady Alurea's office to poke his head in. The phoenix raised her head at his entrance, the scent of smoke filling the air as she hummed inquisitively.

"Do I have to clean up another mess you created or did you manage to restrain yourself for once?" She remarked, eying how her fellow Councilman was virtually twitching out of his skin, pacing back and forth like a caged lion.

One sniff of the air showed not a hint of blood, making her hum thoughtfully. "It seems you really did manage to keep them alive. Both will be charged with the abuse and neglect they dealt in before being barred from Council grounds." She stated tiredly, flicking through the paperwork on her desk. "Don't worry about any reoccurrences. Lycaon is taking over the pack and finding a suitable Alpha to permanently take in of what's left of those people."

The phoenix gave Vlad one lazy glance before she smirked, "Seems Lycaon was eager to take a few pages out of your book. Some of the higher ups thought they could get physical and fight their way out of rehabilitation. You'll be pleased to know they've achieved a new sense of obedience after Lycaon personally showed them every corner of the room."

At that, Vlad chuckled deeply, realizing just how utterly fucked those brats were. "Good. Lemme know if anyone tries anything else. Once Theo and Abel are fully recovered, we'll move to our respective homes."

That made Lady Alurea smile warmly, offering a soft shake of her head. "Good thing that you and Alaric had the foresight to buy land relatively close to one another. Imagining splitting apart those twins after everything is just..."

Vlad grimaced at that, as he didn't even want to consider that option. Back then he had stumbled upon the sale of the slab of land and had bought it after checking the view of the area. It was by sheer luck that Alaric had been interested in the same area and basically bought the opposite side of the mountain range, only finding that out later when they both spotted each other within those mountains.

"Well, it all depends on them really. If either of them hates the Carpathian Mountains, we're selling the lot and buying something else." The vampire wasn't even joking, knowing that one glance of disapproval from either his or Alaric's Beloved would instantly stop any plans of moving back to their homeland.

Though judging from how Theo and indirectly Abel had been treated here, Vladimir doubted that either of them had any lingering connections to their own homeland. With an eagerness in his step and a hurried wave towards an amused Lady Alurea, Vlad rushed back to his Beloved, grinning like a lovestruck kid when a set of blue eyes was focused on him the second he opened the door.

Gratitude instantly washed away any remaining anger Vladimir felt as the vampire realized Theo was at least responding to him. And when he sent Theo a cheeky wink, only to catch a faint blush and a tentative smile, Vlad couldn't help but grin proudly.

"A man really can get used to this." He murmured to himself, thanking his brother and Abel before scooping Theo in his arms and smothered his Beloved in soft kisses all over his face, just to hear Theo's unique laugh bubble through the room.

"How about you stop trying to eat the pup and come out with us?" Alaric commented dryly, jumping to avoid the half-hearted kick aimed at his shins. "I know that Kaido is an excellent cook but there is something about authentic Italian food that you can't get from mimicking a recipe."

Vlad quirked a brow at Alaric before replying "I figured you'd introduce them to Romanian cuisine first. Are you pretending to be an Italian vampire living in a stronghold under Volterra?"

"Fuck, you've seen too many movies."

That made Vlad flip off his brother, who only smirked before shaking his head. "Truth be told, I can't wait for both of them to have a taste of Matusica Silvia's cooking. You know she'll be heartbroken if we take our Beloveds to some random restaurant instead of her kitchen."

Vlad cringed, realizing that Alaric had saved his hide from a physical and verbal lashing if he had brought Theo or Abel to a Romanian restaurant instead of his aunt. And he knew for a fact that a single tear rolling down Silvia's face would have Dracula on his ass before his nervous system could even fire off to formulate an apology.

"Fine, Italian it is. Let's all get dressed and I'll meet you in the hall." Vlad stated, waving both Abel and Alaric out of his room with a smirk, knowing Theo's reaction.

Like clockwork, his Beloved Omegan mate flushed butdidn't say anything, undoubtedly still processing everything that had happened.But that's okay; it was Vladimir's job to make sure Theo know exactlyhow loved he was.