'The Council would not allow Osei in the Manor.' Nicholae blurted out the truth.
He'd been mulling over the thought of telling Valentina about the swift meeting called in the hall of Vladimir.

'But I thought you and Osei had agreed on becoming allies. Wasn't that one of the conditions you promised.'

He shook his head.
'I promised him access to our facilities. I didn't say it had to be him or when?'

'You slimy bastard.' Valentina wanted to claw at him, he could tell when she curled her fingers. She even tried as she went straight through him. But she didn't give up. He'd seen her move papers. She had the power to move objects and she saw him as just that, an object.
He saw the light flicker in her eyes.

Her anger was a powerful enough fuel. Her hands came up and so did Nicholae.

'Val. Val calm down.' He reached out to her. 'They agreed to allow Semi to..'
But Valentina wasn't listening. She threw him against the stone wall.
The pain exploded in his back upon impact. He then came crumbling down on the ground. Since the air was forced out of his lungs, it took him a second to catch his breath.

He rolled his head on his forearm and winced at the pain in his head. Usually it would have taken him a minute to heal. But recently he'd been too busy to pay attention to his feeding. If it wasn't for Sonya... he'd be lying passed out on the floor or terrorizing the poor inhabitants of the southern valley.

He picked himself off the ground and spoke before she threw another fit.
Her eyes had darkened to an almost black shade.

'Semi is allowed in her. She can choose companions except Osei. Things might change after the banquet.'

She became considerably calm, her shoulders relaxed and she lost the scary look in her eyes.
A knock at the door distracted them temporarily from the discussion at hand.

'Leave me.' Nicholae yelled.

'Sir, the Lords and Ladies want to know if your are fine. They heard something.'

Nicholae slightly opened the door and politely told her to make herself scarce.

'No, they can't hear us. But that was a large enough crash.' Nicholae told Valentina when he recognized the scared look on her face.
His hand went to the tender spot on his head.

'I guess I deserved that for not taking care of the family before making promises.'

He shouldn't expect an apology from her because she didn't look like she would willingly give it.

'I didn't mean to turn out as a liar.'
He was a Tskovosky, and so he could offer his help and allegiance to whoever he wanted. At least that's what he thought but yet again his family showed him how ignorant he was.

'So why did it take you that long.'

The honest reply was he was unsure how his family would take the news. He thought since they were such sticklers for keeping their words that they would have no other reason but to keep his. But all they'd done was remind him that he was meant to be pushed around, had it not been for Sonya, they might have succeeded.

'Politics.' He chose the much simpler answer that didn't make him look like a coward.

'Papa. I heard something.' Niko said, walking into the room with a towel around his hair and his waist.
He could see so much of his mother in him. So much so that it was a wonder no one else knew who his mother was.

'It was nothing Niko. Quickly get dressed then you can come with me.'

His eyes lit up and he quickly forgot about the shattered table behind his father.
'You know where to find your clothes.'

'You can't leave me here alone.' Valentina complained only when Niko left the room.

'I'm not. You can come along if you wish.'

'But I can't I'm tethered to the picture of Aaron. And I can't leave without... it.'
She'd just given him power over her. Unfortunately the realization came a little too late. So Nicholae smiled.
'You did follow me and I brought you here.'

He grabbed his jacket from the other day and retrieved the picture of Aaron upon inspection.
He briefly examined the picture, quickly shoving it in the desk drawer. The picture lit up a feeling of jealousy yet again.
Like really, why was she tethered to a picture of Aaron?
'I just remembered... I can't bring you along.'

'What?'

'I have my reasons. You might try to escape.'
Or fall in love with Osei who looked so much like his father, Aaron. And Nicholae couldn't have that.

Luckily, Niko returned right on time to take his father's mind off of his immaturity.

'Let's go.' He run away before she convinced him to change his mind.

And Valentina had no choice but to stay put yet again.

        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'My,my. Leech. Come to visit us - again?'
Cayden sarcastically welcomed him.
Beside him was a beautiful white and black wolf with glowing yellow eyes.

'Cayden. Always a pleasure.' He greeted cheerfully causing the shifter to narrow his eyes in suspicion.
Nicholae directed a polite nod to the she-wolf who stared at him as if he was going to be her next chew toy.
Nicholae had found out that each wolf had a name and were far intelligent than the ordinary wolves. His first encounter with Osei had taught him that. Besides he was going to need to befriend the wolves so he might as well start with this one.
He slowly reached out his hand to touch her fur.
'Wouldn't do that if I were you.' Cayden warned just as the she-wolf growled at his extended arm.

He hesitated before taking back his arm.
'Well, since you don't like me, you might like him.'
He placed his hands on Niko's shoulders and introduced him formally.

'This is Niccolo. But you can call him Niko for short.'
He saw that his son had the she-wolf's interest and she his.

Niko looked at Cayden, 'What's her name?'

'She doesn't have one.' He lied. The she wolf nudged him twice before he finally told them the truth.

'Fine she has one. Her name is Liza.'
Niko stretched forth his hand to touch her just as his father had attempted to do. Nicholae stopped him.
'No. Son she doesn't like to be touched.'
Liza proved him wrong. She moved forward and placed her large snout in his small hand.

Cayden smirked at Nicholae's surprised face.
'I guess you are the problem.'
Nicholae shrugged, Joking easily with Cayden.
'I guess so too.'

'Is it okay to leave him here with you two? I have to see Semi and Osei.'

He walked in the direction of the main tent and only stopped to look back at the three he left behind.

'I sensed you skulking around my land. What else do you want?'
Nicholae sighed at Osei's hostile tone. And he hadn't even seen Semi yet.

'I need a favor.'
Those words were incredibly difficult to say. It was hard because the favor was personal and it would require some pleading since he already knew what Osei's answer would be.

'Speak.'

'In the sake of our allegiance, I ask this favor as a friend and future confidant. I want you to teach my son how to defend himself.'

Osei frowned and shook his head,
'Don't you have your own guards who can train your spawn.'

Nicholae grimaced. A simple lie would suffice but he couldn't think of anything that would sound believable to the Alpha.
The truth it seemed was the answer this time.
'I don't want him trained in swords or guns. He already has that. I want you to help him train with his basic instinct.' Nicholae said.

Semi stepped out of the tent cradling her belly.
'Hello Nicholae.'
She looked beyond his shoulders expectantly.

'Where's Valentina?' She asked.

'She couldn't come along. And she absolutely hates that unfortunately there was nothing I could do. She only told me about the picture she was tethered to when it got lost. But we'll find it soon.'
Semi nodded.
'We'll see her soon.'

He only nodded.

'Nicholae, why do you need our help with Niko?' Semi asked. She had exceptional hearing for a witch.

'Because he's only half vampire.'
The two of them were genuinely surprised.

'People, supernatural or the otherwise tend to over look his other side because he carries the Tchkovsky name. But if you looked closer, the signs are there.'

Nicholae battled with himself after he disclosed the family secret to them. One side wondered if they could be trusted and the other argued that they could be.
Should they try to stab him in the back, he had a trick up his sleeve as well. A trick that would definitely turn Osei into an enemy.

Yet still, he went on ignoring his doubts.
'My family treats him like a broken doll and refuse to let him learn anything other than the ceremonial arts: archery and the sorts. But I need him to learn how to survive on his own. Without guards. It's a father's plea.'

He added the last part for ethos.

His son's giggles reached them from where he stood with Cayden and Liza.

'He's taken with Liza, Cayden and...'
A new wolf had joined them, as well as... a dog?The wolf's coat was identical to the she-wolf who played favorites.

'That's Lupé, Liza's twin brother and the dog is Rex.' Semi kindly offered.

'I'm not asking that you personally train him, if you could ask Cayden or Liza to help. I'll be in your debt. And this one is aside the one the world will owe you.'

Semi tugged on Osei's arm.
She said nothing but her face said everything. Like they were still talking to each other.

Osei grumbled a little bit Semi eyes were unwavering.
Finally Osei sighed.
'Fine. We'll help you with the boy.'

Nicholae thanked them and went to his son to tell him the news.
In his peripheral vision he saw a group of pups torturing a vampire bat with a broken wing.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was safe to say that Niko was terrified so his father promised to come with him every time.
Before they left, he spoke with Osei once more.
'I'll send two trusted witches to you tomorrow. We're preparing for the banquet so before then, Sonya doesn't entertain visitors. But I'm a man of my word that's why I'm sending my sorceresses ahead. They'll bring the necessary books.'
Thankfully they accepted that explanation and hid them goodbye.

Niko was happy to make new friends it was the thought of training with the huge monsters that had him wary.
'It'll be fine.'

'Papa, can I get a dog.'
Nicholae could only laugh at the oddity of his request.
'We'll see.'
Nicholae was glad his son was happy and he was also glad he had one foot in the den of wolves.