Damn all those wolves to hell!
Harris hoped the devil was listening and taking notes because these wolves were deserving of burning in hell's fire.
His lungs were on fire, who the hell knew vampires got fatigued!
But he knew the second he broke his flight of escape, the wolves would be all over his sorry ass.

The uphill climb slowed him down but his luck hadn't run out just yet because beyond the hills was the sight of buildings and paved roads in the distance.
The infamous black and red-tiled scrapper of Beaufort enterprises indicated the nearness of the Vampire territory from which he'd seek his refuge, exiled or not.
He preferred his chances with his 'family' rather than the murderous pack of wolves.
The irony of the hunter becoming the hunted.
Menacing snarls closed in on him turning his blood into ice, hitching his breath and sending his heart into an even more frantic dance.
Harris looked over his shoulder and immediately saw the black and white brothers viciously tearing through bushes and bouncing off trees.

Harris knew he couldn't stay on the ground, the trees would be a much safer alternative.
He scurried up the nearest timber and jumped onto the next one.
For a blissful moment, he was home free, until he landed on a rotting branch that sent him spiraling to the hard uneven terrain.
In a heartbeat, he was back on his feet again already scaling up the next tree.
Sharp teeth hooked into his shin and tore him from the bark tossing him like a rag doll.

Malaki was on the receiving end of the throw catching Harris and pinning him down under heavy paws and dangerous claws.

Harris gasped from the pain and the difficulty to breathe due to the weight of the stinking wolf on his chest.
'Get off you piles of horse shit!'

Harris believed he'd come to the end of the road when he caught the black one charging towards him. The white one stepped away and Harris scrambled on his feet, playing into their hands.

Loki knocked him down from behind, throwing him right into a tree. To pull him down Malaki imbedded his claws into Nicholae's back and pried him away from the tree.

Harris screamed from the pain and resorted to lashing out at the wolves he'd soon learn he couldn't wound.
He climbed onto Malaki's back and linked his arms around the wolf's throat in a fierce grip.

Loki tried to get him off his brother Harris but Harris wasn't leaving until he broke a few bones in their body.

Malaki dropped and slammed against the trees and floor to shake Harris off. His actions became sluggish and slower as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

Loki howled in a mad rage.
All bets and games were off, he was going to kill the bastard and that was written all over his furry face.

'You want a piece of me tough guy? You didn't think I was going to make this easy, did you?

Loki growled ferociously snapping and swiping at Harris who dodged and swerved as much as he could. But blood loss and fatigue slowed his progress and that wasn't something he wanted when trying to tango with a rabid dog.

To his back was the rough surface of a mango tree and before him was the fangs of a crazed beast.

The mass of Black Death lunged at him and Harris, once again saw his existence flash before his eyes.
But he opened his eyes, and surprisingly, he was still breathing in Nicholae's body.

'You were going to kill him?' Fauna screamed at Loki who defiantly glared over her head at Harris.

'I'm sorry, I can't let you do that.'

'Fauna. Step away from him.'
Cayden approached them with a number of wolves at his flank.
'Stand down. We only want him for questioning.'

She furiously shook her red hair.
'It's my job to protect Lord Nicholae. And after what I've seen, I can't trust any of you to put his interest first.'

Cayden was shocked by Fauna's behavior.
'What the hell?'

Loki ran out of patience and attacked, sidestepping Fauna and gagging for Harris again.
The others followed him surrounding Harris.

Before any of them were the wiser, Fauna carried Harris with a spell over to the vampire border, effectively putting him out of their reach.
She appeared beside him in seconds.

'Any hostile action on Vampire turf will be retaliated.' Her eyes met Loki's and Cayden's.
'It's better we avoid any hostilities.'

'Good job Fauna.' Harris clamped on her shoulder with his non-bleeding arm.

'Let's get you home my Lord.' She bowed and walked behind him.
When his pursuers were out of sight she stopped him and healed most of his wounds and even mended his clothing so he didn't look too crazy.
It took some time and then they were intercepted by the Vampire guards who doubled as the police and personal security to the noble families.

'Lord Nicholae Tchkovsky, you have breached the conditions of your exile.' Their leader politely said to him once he was out of the case and before him.

'I come seeking asylum, I was brutally attacked by our neighbors so I wish to seek an audience with Lady Sonya.'

The Captain sized his state and although he didn't say it, Harris could see from his body language that he didn't believe him.
That was because all evidence of the attack was gone.
He narrowed his eyes at Fauna who looked innocently at the guard.

'I order you to go after them.' Harris barked.

'I'm sorry my Lord, but I am the Captain of the public police, under the authority of Lady Sonya and her family.'

She hadn't disowned him but the exile had stripped him of his power as a Tchkovsky. So in other words, they wouldn't obey his order.
Harris reserves the brewing tantrum for another moment.
First, he had to rectify this exile thing and the process wouldn't be difficult, for him, in the least bit.

            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Valentina looked at the documents lying face down on the table.
'You're not going to sign that, right?'
Danielle hadn't left? Valentina thought she'd left after Fauna and Edgar the new chauffeur served her with the divorce papers.
'That's not Nicholae's signature. It's not him who's asking for the divorce.'

Valentina already knew this.

'She's right.' Semi said in agreement when she landed at the base of the staircase.

'That's not something Nicholae would want.'

'But its what Sonya wants.' Valentina briefly recounted her encounter with Sonya to Semi. Danielle was still there.

'She wants you dead? That's horrible.' Semi exclaimed.

'So what? Don't give her what she wants. It's Nicholae you're married to, not her.' Danielle supported.

Valentina scoffed at Danielle's ignorance.
'You clearly don't know the Tchkovskys.'
And Sonya showed her she didn't know them as well as she thought.

'Maybe you clearly don't know Nicholae.'

Semi and Valentina did a double-take.
'Excuse me?' Clearly offended by Danielle's ignorant words.

'Don't take this the wrong way. But I know what I'm saying. Sometimes you think you know someone but you only see them how you want to see them.'
She was talking about Osei, but her words held some truth but Valentina wasn't sure she wanted to accept them.

'He really loved you. Enough that he wouldn't divorce you even with the threat of exile. Don't sign those...'

'What do you mean exile?'
Danielle pressed her lips in a thin line, regretting what she'd said.

'But didn't you hear Fauna, she said- he couldn't-'

Valentina wasn't going to let this go.
'How did you know he was exiled? Why didn't I know this?'

Semi held her shoulders.
'Calm down, she doesn't know what she's saying. Right, Danielle?'

'No. Osei and Fauna know too. He wasn't allowed to see Niko. Because he wouldn't abandon you.'

Valentina wasn't listening anymore.

'Osei knew. And he told you?' Those were the only words Semi clung to.

Danielle tried to deescalate the situation.
'No.' She shook her hands.

'Why didn't he tell me?'

'Nicholae didn't want anyone to know.' Danielle tried to explain.

He didn't want her forgiveness born of pity, Valentina knew this.

'And yet you know.' Semi jealously stated.

Osei sighed from the door,
'I didn't tell you because he didn't want Valentina to know. And you're close to Valentina I didn't want you lying to her.'

'Valentina, Fauna is waiting outside for the papers.'
Valentina looked up from the papers her tears falling into her open palms.

'She's still here?'

'She's has orders to take the forms back today.'
Every eye turned to Valentina.

'So what's it going to be Valentina?' Osei asked her.
Her reply, she stormed out of the room without a word.

Fauna faced her with an impassive expression set in her face.
From what Semi told Valentina, it was Fauna who helped Harris escape imminent capture and now she was serving her divorce papers.
Her actions made Valentina really question her loyalty, but she wouldn't bring that up now, it wasn't important. What mattered now was that the papers she wasn't going to sign.

She held the documents before Fauna and Edgar, Niko's new chauffeur so they could clarify what she would do next, and clearly tell their Lord.

'Ashtak Fashmo!' She spoke the incineration spell directing her magic at the forms.

'You can tell that demon I'm not signing these.'
Valentina swore Fauna smiled, but she couldn't really be sure it was a genuine one or a sarcastic one.

'He won't be pleased, Lady Tchkovsky.' The driver spoke,
'It'd be best for everyone if you simply ended the marriage.'

Valentina ignored him.

'Valentina.'

'It's Lady Tchkovsky to you.' Valentina snapped.
Fauna's smug expression was annoying her and the fact that even her snapping at her didn't change her expression.

'Lady Tchkovsky, meeting him face to face wouldn't change a thing.'

'Are you his spokeswoman now?'

She shrugged.
'I not asking to meet him. I'm telling you I'm not giving him the divorce.'

'So you are not asking for an audience with him then.'

'Yes. Yes, she is.' Danielle piped up.
Osei quickly backed her up.
'Tell your Lord she'll be waiting for an answer.'

Fauna nodded.
'Let's go, Edgar, we have nothing else to do here.'

Fauna smiled and sent a small wave at Clarissa who watched beside Danielle.

As usual, a number of wolves followed the vehicle.

Now that they were gone, she could focus on Danielle who now fancied herself to be a nosy bee.

'Danielle...'
Osei stepped forward before anything else happened.

'She was only trying to help.' He said in her defense.

'Well I didn't ask.' Valentina was award how rude she sounded but she couldn't give two shits.

'She must have a reason.' Cayden said in Danielle's defense as well.

Valentina combed through the entire exchange and came back with nothing.

'Am I the only one who realized Fauna throwing hints at us? She was eager to set up a face to face meeting with Harris.'
Danielle spoke up despite the pressure stares from everyone around.

'Meet Nicholae or Harris or whoever, you're the only who can reach out to him at this point Valentina. He really loves you.'

'That's all well and good but we need a solid plan. I don't think Harris or the 'mistress' would sit back and do nothing and while Valentina tries to coax Nicholae out.' Semi added.

'So then let's get a plan cooking.' Cayden said.

'And I can help.' Clarissa pitched in.
'I owe it to Nicholae... Lord Nicholae.'

And like that, a small spark of hope lit up in Valentina's heart and she would let it grow. She couldn't give up on Nicholae just yet.