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Post by Thea on Aug 16, 2022 2:49:22 GMT -5
Every time Jewel saw that dimple, it gave her a little start. A good kind of start, mind, but it was as if she saw it for the first time. She remembered a time when it never showed its presence, even with her. Especially with her. She couldn't help but think briefly about what it would have been like had they not fallen in love. Or if that terrorist attack hadn't happened at the school she had taught at. She would have never seen that dimple. That so charming feature of his. Her heart squeezed in pain, and she tightened her hold on him just as he did, making sure that this wasn't some sort of dream.
"Oh, Fancy, I love you too," she responded before returning that kiss with such fervor and nuzzling her face into his neck. His scent, even in her haven, enveloped her in a tight embrace as she breathed in deep. He smelled like cooking herbs, the same ones he used to create his mouthwatering concoctions for dinner. "More 'n' anythin'."
The wolf that had been alongside her since birth pressed her head against Nathaniel's thigh, mouth slightly open with her tongue lolling out in an imitation of a smile, tail going faster. Jewel had to smile. She had been fighting with her animal half since Drethinov in a battle of wit and will, thinking that switching bodies with Queen Laina had made the wolf upset. And maybe it had. But she had a suspicion that Sapphire was protecting her from this figure. At least, as much as she could have.
Jewel pulled away just enough to look at those purple-and-yellow eyes of his, taking note that the purple was overpowering the Constantine trait slowly but surely. She didn't know what had happened in the house, how Nathaniel had found out that his ancestor was a vampire king and that his bloodline was the reason why the imperial color was taking over. As much as she loved the color, how it suited Nathaniel like a second skin, she had a sneaking feeling that it heralded a whole world of change for her family. She was ... scared, to say the least. "You act as if I intended to be spirited away by a shadow figure that looked like it came out of a horror movie. Please, have a little more faith in me. Besides, I think you have it backwards. You're stuck with me."
Her attention to his eyes was pulled away by his hand raising, palm up. She watched with fascination as it glowed brightly, the light coalescing into a manifestation of a golden eagle feather. On a phantom breeze, it flew from her soulmate's hand and landed a ways away. Her animal side took off after it with the exuberance of a puppy; she slid to a stop beside it, sniffing it with interest before plopping down in the grass beside it and closing her eyes in content.
How...?
Another question for a different day, she thought to herself, hearing the promise of home. "Yeah, lets do that," she murmured, closing her own eyes as she felt herself regaining feeling of the physical world. Distantly, she heard Luc's and Thea's worried voices. She couldn't help but smile, and when she opened her eyes again the smells of her estate and what had transpired flooded her nose. Burnt flesh and ash singed her nose hairs, the blood threatening to dispatch her stomach contents.
Still in her wolf form, she shook her whole body, lip snarling in distaste. Her eyes went to her normal warm brown color, and with the arrival came the events of what had led her to this point.
She had killed tonight.
***
Hallie brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, chin resting in the valley that her knees created. She had to ignore the way her chest tightened hearing how close he had been to death, not wanting to think about a future without him in it. What she couldn't push aside was how much of an impact Davion was having on her already. Images of them together ran through her mind like children at a playground, whether because of the ring or herself she wasn't sure but would love to blame the former if asked. Either way, she quite enjoyed them. "Is that so?" she hummed in thought, not being able to help the small smile playing on her lips.
She didn't interrupt him once, taking note of every stipulation he had for her. She found it intriguing that he had some of his own, and laughed outright in delight when he upped the one-date-a-week to a bare minimum of three. She could handle three, she was sure. At the mention of his age, she would have fallen to the floor in shock if she hadn't been standing in the first place. She wasn't even ten in human years, herself, due to the shifter blood that ran through her veins. What an age-gap, she thought to herself. It wasn't uncommon between shifters to have age gaps in relationships, sure. Hell, even her own parents had at least a couple decades between them, not including his time with Death. But three hundred years? It was daunting to say the least.
What was even more daunting was his talk of the marking. She knew what shifter mates did, but usually it wasn't until after they had established a relationship. She didn't know what she was more worried of - what vampires did to mark their mates or the fact that he wanted to do it immediately. Hallie wasn't the type to rush into things such as that. It was too ... commitment-y. Coupled with the unknown portion of vampire culture as a whole? She was walking into dark waters blindly, not knowing if there was an undercurrent that she had to worry about. He had no reason to lie to her, but she had no reason to trust him either.
As if he could see her, she nodded. Hallie was the same way; when she had been in the relationship with her ex, as much as he annoyed her sometimes she had always expected uninterrupted loyalty. After all, that was what she had given him. And the few dates she had been on since then, it had always been with the same man. She never understood how other women could juggle different men at the same time, thinking it too tiresome and plain aggravating to have to worry about more than one guy. If she dated someone, she saw potential in having a life together with him. Whether or not said someone would live up to that potential, she would let them decide. So far, neither did. And so she moved on, content with just herself.
She didn't speak until long after he was finished, his last words ringing in her ears as if he had shouted them directly into her eardrums. The she-wolf held herself tighter, making sure to not fall apart. A sigh escaped her lips unbidden, rubbing her eyes against her knees before pulling away and groaning in displeasure. She had forgotten that she had been wearing makeup, and black smears from her mascara painted her lime-green pants. That wasn't she cared about. It had been the fact that she probably looked like a raccoon now. Glad he can't see me right now. It would be embarrassing if he could.
"I'm putting a lot of trust in you," she finally murmured. "For someone I only just met, and I don't trust easily." If there was anything her aunts Lue and Ve taught her, it was that. "If you ever so much as think about betraying that, I won't hesitate to finish what Dad started. Mate or no." As harsh as she sounded, even to her own ears, it was true. She wouldn't ever forget this night, even if she was slowly starting to forgive him. This was her beginning of not-normalcy, even if she so desperately wanted to cling to some semblance of it by sticking with her idea to go to college. Her future of being a fashion designer might very well have gone into the toilet, but what was she if she didn't even try?
"Convincing my family is going to be hard," she continued, thinking about how she was going to soften that blow. "Dad is a tough nut. Mom? She can be tougher. I've only been able to crack her once. Hopefully I can do it again." She sighed again, this time feeling weary. She was so tired.
"So what does being mated to a vampire entail anyway? What's the ... marking like?"
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Post by Ventia on Aug 18, 2022 1:00:27 GMT -5
Nathaniel gazed at his wife sweetly and beyond her Sapphire who was finding peace with a little piece of his soul. How he had done it, how he had found himself in here in the first place, was something Nathaniel didn't have all the facts about, he hadn't bothered to think about it just willed it so, a power within him giving him exactly what he wanted.
And he had wanted Jewel. To be safe. To get into contact with her when all else proved futile. He didn't want to waste time and the power inside of him had clicked, forming into place in a snap of a finger, to please him. Watching her now, gazing at him as if he was the best thing in her life, being safe again, even if the beginnings of fear grew in her eyes afraid of what was to come, was all worth it.
He shared her fear, understood it all too much, had felt for months now that their life was going to start shaking from all sides, forces unseen attempting to destroy the Constantine Family and the precious life they each led. His siblings shared that fear. The amount of times they each met up or made phone calls together had increased tenfold in the last two months especially. They all had known had felt that something big, for all of them, was about to go down.
It definitely was happening to Nathaniel now, smacking him in the face and letting him know his family was not safe. Well he wouldn't have it. He refused to let anything harm what was his. There was too much to lose and Nathaniel wasn't a losing man. He vowed that when this was over, things like fate destiny gods and races will remember to not disrupt the Constantine's Peace. If they dared, they would have him at the frontlines to deal with, and Nathaniel wouldn't leave any last man standing.
He refocused back in his body, still close to Jewel, he searched her eyes, seeing the dark shadows creeping in, grief's haunting already showing. His chest burned with anger, his eyes glowing purple with only a fierce glint of bright angry yellow. How dare they do this to his Jewel. His sweet girl. He would give them hell. There will be many consequences to come.
"It's alright love," he knew she would still hurt but it was the most he could do. Stroking her coat, his fingers sliding through her fur's softness easing her body and dusting her off. "We should do the ward and call for another mage if we need to. The kids are hurt and Jasper is still missing. Let's get this done quickly." He smiled at her, his eyes still filled with rage and concern, but softening all the same for her.
He kissed her cheek then the side of her muzzle before pulling back and patting the top of her wolf's body, threading his fingers in her fur for a moment to steady his himself for what was to come and while doing so, taking in the damage that was his front lawn.
"You should sit down Thea, after helping her get some robes Luc and then come back out and help me start cleaning up the yard." As if he were asking his son to help him out whenever they mowed the yards back home. And not moving vampire corpses down the fucking drive.
"Dimitri?" He turned around and found his son over by the fire extinguishing it, raising his voice he said. "When you're done with that look for your sister."
"If you're talking about me, I'm right here." Harley turned the corner from the side building of the tall estate house, her face looked tired she was clutching to her torn arm too weak to urge the healing process to go any faster than it was already going. Having only a echo of the pain she had felt before she met her birth mother Lurne was probably the only reason why she was able to smile at her family, relieved and happy to see everyone right where they needed to be.
"Don't we all look like crap." She giggled, unable to help herself and let her body sag towards the wall for a second, as she found herself laughing again.
Lucian chuckled as well, wanting to ease the tension in the air, wanting to ease his family's feelings especially his mother's. "I don't know, those training sessions when Dad and Uncle Killian start to get a little too serious and then everyone else starts to join, well I've gotten more beat up by Thea than tonight."
Dimitri chuckled under his breath by the last section of the magical fire, those 'lessons' did tend to get out of hand. Harley was giggling as well, not bothering to lower her half scoffs half laughs. Before long everyone there started to chuckle a little and there Nathaniel stood, hearing his family's laughter for a few precious seconds, unable to stop himself from giving them a self satisfied smile, and chuckling lightly along with them.
They would be alright, Nathaniel was sure of it.
-
"I know you are Hallie, I know this is a lot to ask when we've only met tonight, a few hours at max and you've seen more bad than good from me in that short time. Betraying your trust is the last thing I want to do, and if I do, my life is in your hands to do with as you please." His voice was soft agreeing with her, his fingers behind his back touching the smooth wood, wishing he could be touching her arm or her knee instead, to let her feel some of his softness and sincerity.
Not being able to see her, he concentrated on what he could hear from her, the soft tiredness in her voice, her everchanging tempo of her heartbeat, the way she sucked in a breath or let it out over a sigh. He was consumed with the need to note each and every little sound, trying to find out as much of who she was as a person in what little he was being given.
"It must be done. I will try my best to gain their favor as well. After all, I do intend to have happy in laws." He chuckled lightly and shifted a little to the side, angling his face towards the wall where his mate sat on the other side. He wondered what kind of face she was making now, wondered if she would ever allow herself to be happy with him. If only he had known earlier, if only he had chased after her sooner back at the club and learnt her name, even her name would have been enough to have gone about this in a different way. Alas, it wasn't like him to ponder on things he couldn't change. He let the thoughts drift away.
"It is similar to shifters, a bite with a exchange of blood and flesh by both parties for it to be wholly completed. It works best when our feelings are mutual but as long as you're sound of mind, it will go into affect. There are some differences, vampires do not feel the tingle that shifters feel when in contact with their mate. Instead we tell by the taste of their blood. A mate's blood is said to be like none you ever tasted before, one of a kind made only for their respective mate. The vampire bond is also different, I'm not a expert in shifter mate bonds, but I'm sure vampire mate bonds go a level deeper. For instance, you will be given access to some or all of my current abilities and I will be more perceptive to receive the same from yours."
"We will become bonded in spirit, if one were human merely being bonded to a vampire can lengthen their life spans especially with regular intake of the vampire's blood. You and your family may not know it but I expect you all to live for centuries yourself far longer than usual shifters since you all are anything but normal. Each bond has their own quirks, I only know the general idea of vampire bonds myself, the only mated pair I know about in my circle is my mother and father and they aren't the type to have casual talks."
"If you choose to break the bond later I'm sure it can be done, there might be some lingering effects but I'm sure with enough time and space the bond will wither. Even if it doesn't, I will not involve myself in your life if that's what you decide. Though I will do my upmost best to convince you otherwise."
He half smiled and paused, waiting to see if she would say something, when she didn't he continued in a teasing tone. "It wont hurt, a vampire's bite can be as pleasurable for the receiver as the one doing the biting. I will give you only pleasure never pain if I can help it."
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Post by Thea on Aug 18, 2022 11:13:24 GMT -5
Jewel's large head swung from Luc and Thea to Nathaniel at his words, staring into the deep pools of purple that had taken over his eyes. They were striking, to say the least; she felt herself falling in love with the kingly color. It was just a different facet of her husband, something that she would explore along with him. Right now? She clung to those eyes, trying to shake the gripping claws of guilt she was all too familiar with. At least for a little bit until she and her family can get the estate back into order.
I know just the person, she said, her words vibrating through their newly reopened mate link. It hadn't been until she had been cut off from it that she missed the unique feature, and now she saw it in the same light as when she did while it had been newly forged. Excitement, happiness. In awe. She closed her eyes, selfishly taking the comfort he gave her with his strokes and kisses.
In silence, she watched Nate give orders to their children, too tired and weak to say anything to add. She didn't give up her wolf skin yet, but along their shared link she sent slight amusement and relief that everyone could laugh after such an event tonight. She guessed it was better than being somber and doomsdayish, even though it was getting increasingly more difficult to ignore what she had done earlier. She could still taste the blood of her victims on her tongue, feel their skin tearing against her teeth, and see the light of their eyes fade into nothingness before she went on to repeat her actions with another vampire. To her, it didn't matter if they had been intruders. And while her pup had been in danger, she was still a healer. A certified doctor. Her hands were meant to help, not harm. Until this night, she had stood by that.
"Hey now," Thea defended herself, an impish grin on her face, "it's your fault thinking you can take me down in a sparring match. You know I don't hold back."
Yeah, and I blame Tim for that, Jewel said wryly but didn't mean anything else by it. She was grateful that her brother-in-law had watched over Thea during the Arena. If it hadn't been for him, her daughter wouldn't be alive. C'mon, hop-a-long. Harley, you too. Let me get you patched up inside.
**
There was no question that she loved her family. They meant everything to her. One stipulation for her to be in a relationship with anyone was for her potential partner and her family to get along; her family was what made her into who she was today, and if the person she was seeing couldn't see or appreciate that, she was wasting her time. So when Davion said that he would try to get into their good graces, hope soared within her chest. Surely someone that wanted to use her wouldn't try to appease her family.
Hallie took his following information in like a sponge, her eyes going distant as she processed it. She figured that vampires didn't have a tingling sensation simply because of his lack of reaction to her back at the club. However, she shouldn't be surprised that since vampires were known for consuming blood that their mating situation would be surrounded by that. She recalled the look of pure ecstasy on his face when he had licked his hand. How it had sent a thrill of excitement through her. What did my blood taste like to him? she asked herself, the desire to know pushing against the barrier she had between her brain and her mouth. She knew that his scent was anything but ordinary to her, and in a crowded room she knew that she would be able to pick him out anywhere. Earthy, with just a bit of spice.
As he continued speaking, she made contemplative noises to let him know that she was there and listening, paying attention to everything he was saying. The abilities bit was intriguing. Shifter bonds didn't do that. As far as she knew they only had an intimate link. And the living for centuries longer than what a normal shifter would had her breathing a sigh of relief. Occasionally, during a particularly happy moment with her family, an intrusive thought of her parents' death would have her fighting back tears. Her parents would live long lives, that she had been sure of. But unless there was a freak accident, they would pass away before she and her siblings. To be honest, she didn't want to live in a world where she couldn't eat her father's cooking or lay her head in her mother's lap and feel her fingers through her hair. Her parents were her rock. Her role models.
Her siblings, too, were very much a part of her as anything. Especially her brothers, who had shared the womb with her. She didn't know who she'd be without them. Whoever that Hallie was, she didn't want to know. They made her tough, unable to take shit from anyone without dishing it back tenfold. She knew that they would come to her aid without a moment's hesitation. Even Demi, who had been distancing himself ever since his shift.
When he made the mention of him not being in her life if she so chose, her stomach tightened with a feeling of denial. There was no question that she was attracted to Davion. That she wanted him with every fiber of her being. Back at the club, when she thought that them meeting was a freak chance and she would never get to see him again it had her heart breaking. Now that it was evident that he was very much going to be a part of her life, thinking about him leaving was scary. She didn't want to think about it, and wanted to reassure him that he wasn't going anywhere. But she couldn't promise that. Not right now. Not when she didn't know him.
"Oh yeah?" she murmured, her mind going from serious to flirty on a dime. "I don't know, I like a little bit of pain every now and then. It can be just as pleasurable if done right." As if on cue, she thought of his hand around her throat, squeezing just right as his other hand roamed, exploring every inch of her love-bitten body. It had her toes curling into the lush carpet of the library. Hallie didn't know what had gotten into her to be thinking this way about a perfect stranger, but she wasn't complaining.
"So what's court life like?" she asked as if she wasn't thinking about him naked on top of her. "You said that I would have to make occasional appearances. What do I need to know about that? I'm also going to need to know any social etiquette before I make my first appearance. First impressions are important."
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Post by Ventia on Aug 31, 2022 5:33:34 GMT -5
Davion chuckled lightly at her flirty tone, she was a little minx teasing him like that, giving him the go ahead that he didn’t need to have that many restraints on when they made it to that level of intimacy. Already the ideas and scenes flew to his mind, and with that, the tightening in his gut and lower member.
He didn’t comment on it, referring to her question to try and tame his growing desire and shoo away the wet and pleasurable images. Despite his age and control, it was more difficult than Davion thought it should have been. When he spoke, his voice was a octave lower and hotter, as if his breath was on fire.
“First impressions are important.” He paused, clenching his fists, already seeing the way he wanted to introduce her into the Court. “A ceremonial gown, impeccable manners, a team of guards at all times, it’s a rigid hierarchy the Court and Clans, with my father and mother sitting on the top of them all. There are many do’s and dont’s, I’ll teach you about it all, it’s not much once you get used to it. Less freedom. Rigid. Cold. Empty.”
Davion smiled, hating that, “They will try to convince you to stay and be worshiped as their Prophet. Your every need will be met. Your prophecies recorded and revered. This will still be same with you living elsewhere, you’ll probably be called for meager meetings and worries, those ranked high wanting a prophecy of their own. Of course unless it’s the King or Queen demanding it, you won’t have to show for every little summons. You decide whether or not a prophecy is safe to be told. Silvan would be a perfect teacher for you, he’s great, most of his prophecies can be found in his Constellation room, there’s some he’s even hid in there that not even I can find, I’m sure there’s some he’s never spoken about, the one I told you earlier I’m sure was one he only told me, I always found it strange but now it makes sense.”
“He was wise, knowing exactly when and where and who to tell things to, I’m sure a lot of that wisdom came from the ring. I’m sure you’ll be just fine even without my guidance as long as you have that ring. Ask and it will show, it will guide, it will be your greatest weapon and your greatest weakness. Silvan once said it was like having the world’s textbook in the palm of his hands.”
Davion chuckled, missing the old vampire, but then his thoughts turned sour remembering the void the man left in his absence. Remembering his parents. Davion closed his eyes, he knew what he had to do, he had to kill them, just as they killed every high ranked man and woman to get to the throne. Heads of opposing Clans. Most of Silvan’s Council. Just for power.
It had to be done. It would look bleak for a few moments but Davion was sure he could do it. Yet there had always been something holding him back. Despite all their horrors, they were his parents. The two people who brought him and his siblings into their world. He couldn’t say he loved them. Nor could he say he hated them. Davion was numb to them, only the respect that had been beaten into every fiber of his being remained for them, and that was what kept them alive.
Having the Eye of Solomon was his way around that last resort, and yet Davion felt it still would fall short. He would have no choice but to do the unthinkable. He thought of Hallie’s love and loyalty to her family, so fierce it was already apparent to him, and wondered if she would hate him for having such thoughts about his own family.
His fists clenched tighter, he would try his best and if that didn’t work, well he hoped at that time Hallie would understand. “Can I ask you a question?”
-
They went to work quickly after that, Harley and Thea getting looked at by Jewel while Nathaniel Lucian and Dimitri continued to work on cleaning the front yawn.
By the time Nathaniel had made his sixth trip back and forth from the gate to the front mansion, he was working up a sweat and another temper. Had the fire still been going, he would have been tempted to throw the rest in there. Be that as it was, every time he dropped two bodies at the gate and came back with two more, the previous bodies were already gone.
The itch to smoke was killing him, Nathaniel hadn’t smoked in years and yet craved for the nicotine punch. Instead he glared down the road of the estate gate, trying and failing to spy any non-living creature of the night.
He had lingered by the gate as the boys went back to grab some more corpses and grumbled when they came back with equally unhappy faces.
“Dad seriously, you can’t just stand there, let them take the bodies I can’t stand looking at them.” Lucian grumbled as he placed the one in his hands down gently next to another body. Killing someone was one thing, seeing bodies lining up next to each other with pale faces was another entirely. It made his stomach drop-in the worst ways with disgust and threat of puke if it kept on going.
Dimitri wasn’t so careful when he dropped the body on top of another, earning a narrowed eyed look from his brother, “Don’t be a baby. Plus I’m with dad, I don’t like how they’re close they’re staying. We should turn that guy in, then they’ll go away.”
“They won’t.” Nathaniel grunted under his breath, “since their Prince doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.”
“Hallie got a mate now huh?” Lucian had been filled in, he smiled amused to know his little sister had found hers, that was always a good thing in his book.
He rolled his eyes at Dimitri’s disgusted look, “Now who’s being a baby? You really don’t want to meet your mate? Why? That’s so stupid, you’ll be missing out on a love story that was made for you.” Lucian chuckled, turning his back to the row of corpses and looking down the road leading to the estate. He couldn’t understand his brothers thoughts, when Lucian found his mate, he would do everything in his power to make it known how interested he was.
“That sounds so stupid.” Dimitri fired back, “Mom and Dad aren’t mates, both their mates were assholes, why would I want that?”
“Dad and Mom are a exception. Most mates are your true love. They’re everything you want and everything you need to be complete.”
“Well I need more than just a fucking mate to be complete now don’t I Lucian?!” Dimitri shouted, his voice angry and raw, this choice of subject always bringing out his rage, “I’m not fucking perfect like you, I’m a walking time bomb just waiting to explode and a girl is going to fix all of that? What is she gonna do? Wave her little wand and fix my shift? Heal my broken heart? Save me the pity talk and be realistic.”
“You want me to be realistic? Alright. Boohoo you can’t fucking shift. Get over it dude. Or fucking do something to try and fix it. You’re just accepting it and acting out like a little baby. You’re not weak. You’re not no fucking time bomb. I’m sick and tired of seeing you acting all depressed and angry at the world, thinking you need to push everyone away that gets too close, including your future mate. She’s gonna be family. What is family for if it can’t help you through your dark days. You gotta get out of your head, Demi. Alright. There. How’s that for realistic shit.”
They stared down at each other for a tensed moment before Dimitri stalked off, his face growing darker in his anger and pain. Lucian groaned, rubbing his face with his hand and finally peeked over to his father.
He was silent and watching the two of them, first Demi’s retreating back and then Luc’s tired expression. “What?” He asked his son.
“Do you disagree?”
Nathaniel turned his gaze to watch Dimitri who was stalking down the property in a breakneck pace. “His deformity is your mother’s and my fault. I knew there would be risks, a eagle and a wolf? I hoped the stronger gene would prevail, but it didn’t with Dimitri. He was stolen of the one thing that made him a shifter, that tied him to everyone else around him, his family his Pack. I don’t blame him for lashing out Luc. I don’t blame him for being angry or depressed. I would rather he direct it all at me, and still have hope for a happy life with his mate.”
Nathaniel moved away from the gate, wrapping a arm around Lucian’s shoulders, “Give him some slack, he knows that his thinking is wrong, but it’s the only thing that’s keeping him sane. If that sanity breaks, he’ll probably try to shift. To prove that he could be like us. It could cost him his life. I don’t think you want that, do you?”
“I don’t.” Lucian’s reply was instant and gruff, hating the thought.
“Then let it be. I haven’t stopped trying to look for a cure and I don’t plan to now. One day we’ll get to see your brother’s happy and completed self, I promise. I’ll do anything for you guys.” Nathaniel urged Lucian onwards and went down the path, letting Lucian go to clap Dimitri on his back as he passed with another set of bodies over his shoulder.
They finished the rest of the clean up in silence.
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Post by Thea on Sept 17, 2022 0:12:26 GMT -5
Less freedom.
Rigid. Cold. Empty.
Those five words rattled around in her head, like coins in a glass jar. Hallie refrained from gagging, but couldn't help the look of distaste on her face. She was thankful for the barrier between her and Davion - even though he didn't sound like he was too happy with the way things were back in court, she didn't think that he would much appreciate her almost childlike reaction.
Yet it was no surprise that Hallie loved her freedom. She was her mother's wild child. She danced to the beat of her own drum and made her own rules. When Hallie went through high school she hated the strict set of standards she and her brothers had been forced to follow, the only thing that made it bearable was Jade, who made sure that she didn't get in trouble for telling off a teacher or beating the shit out of bullies. This was different, though, wasn't it? If what she was going to experience with Davion is like the occasional fantasy book she's read, she was going to be thrust into a whole world of political intrigue and shifting power.
The mentions of being worshipped would probably have had any other person excited and chomping at the bit. To be heard and taken seriously, having everyone hanging on the edge of their seat with rapturous adoration and reverence? Hallie had to admit, it was tantalizing. But that wasn't what she wanted out of life. The attention she got as Aunt Lue and Aunt Ve's bartender was at times suffocationg, and she was still trying to shake off unwanted advances from Melchior. And to be summoned like a dog for personal matters? At least she would have some say in that. She didn't expect to be able to say no to the king or queen, but hey.
As for Silvan?
Hallie looked down at the Eye, turning her hand this way and that and getting a closer look at the piece of un-assuming jewelry that is about to turn her world upside down and inside out. The opal caught the soft glow of the library and reflected it off the door of the vault. If she were smart, she'd try to make an analysis in comparison to her own life. Hallie was sure there was some sort of irony or simile to be had. Though she was too tired, too frazzled to think of one. Though much like Davion, she wished that Silvan was here. Not only would she love to meet her supposed ancestor, she wouldn't mind a crash course of some kind or an instruction manual. She felt horribly lost and in the dark, blindfolded with only her mate to guide her. The anxious part of her brain just had to remind her that she was putting trust into someone that she didn't even know. That he very well could stab her in the back.
Did she really have a choice, though?
"It would have been nice to meet him," Hallie murmured, and that was the only words she said for a little bit until Davion spoke again.
She had to admit: she was curious. And she admitted to her self that it was warranted for him to ask her something. It was only fair with how much she's interrogated him. So she said, not has animated as she was before, "Sure."
***
Maddox helped with the cleanup in the house, carrying two bodies at a time with one over each shoulder to be dropped off at a place in the yard where three of the Constantine men were cleaning up. And by the time the last body was out of the house Jewel had already popped Harley's arm back into place and was tending to the worst of Thea's wounds: the claw marks.
She was silent in working on her two older daughters, almost working on autopilot as thoughts seemed to boil in her mind. Guilt riddled her in holes, threatening for those thoughts to spill out her sides. Not to mention her worry for Jasper and Jade was creeping back, riding on the coattails of the fear she had for the shadowy being haunting what she called her haven. If Jewel consentrated, she would feel a part of her husband with her, residing right beside her wolf-side. But there was also something there that wasn't natural. It had to be that thing, she thought to herself. She wouldn't doubt it. When Archard had grabbed her and Thea bathrobes from the guest bathroom, embroidered with the d'Guillory crest, she noticed that in the center of her chest was a marking that looked suspiciously like an eagle feather.
It had to be a physical manifestation of what Nathaniel did. So it would stand to reason that her gray-shaded fingertips was something that the being had left behind.
Oh she noticed the concerned looks her daughters were giving her. But did she address them? No. What was more important was Thea and Harley getting treated. Not once did her fingers shake as she sutured the worst claw mark on Thea's face, glancing every once in a while to make sure Harley still had the ice pack Archard produced for her pressed against her shoulder. All the while Archard gave them a crashcourse of what had transpired while she had been outside with Lucian.
Jewel was silent in the few minutes Archard took to explain everything. But when she did, there was barely contained anger in her face as she asked, "Why is the fucker still on my territory then?"
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Post by Ventia on Oct 29, 2022 21:31:27 GMT -5
Davion smiled lightly, hands still tied at his back, at hearing her soft voice on the other end of the door. Davion was convinced Silvan still lived despite the Clans insistent claims that he was dead, and he wanted to tell this to Hallie, to tell her that she would meet him one day but Davion wasn't fond of making promises he could keep so he stayed silent. Tired of having his arms behind him like some criminal, Davion raised his arms, feeling his shoulders protesting at the awkward slant he was forcing them in, he kept going feeling both his shoulders pop, a fresh spray of pain filtered through his senses yet so minor that Davion barely registered it as he let his arms rest comfortably on his lap, rolling his shoulders back into place Davion sighed and leaned against the wall, much more comfortable now.
"Do you have a boyfriend? A lover? Have you've loved before?" He was curious to know more about Hallie, not as the new bearer of the Eye of Solomon but as the girl she was. Of course there were many other questions he had, but Davion was most curious to know if she had feelings for anyone at this moment. He was sure he could win her over even if she was in love with someone, but still he would be lying if he said that it wouldn't bother him if she did.
He had waited a long time to find his fated mate and was already feeling jealous thinking there had been others in her lifetime that had the privilege of being hers. Did they kiss her? Touch her? Dance with her? Did she smile at them with that flirty twinkle in her eyes as she had smiled to him back at the club? He swallowed hard, gripping his hands together at the images popped into his head, he didn't like it at all, not one bit.
-
Harley winced at her mother's colorful choice of words, a very clear sign to anyone who knew Jewel that it meant her lovely mother was very angry. Let's put it this way, both her parents were scary when they were angry but her mother would always be the scariest. She shared a look with Thea, the coldness of the icepack numbing her shoulder. She felt for Hallie too, to have her mate be the one to throw the family in chaos wasn't the best even on a good day, and today was definitely not a good day.
First Jasper and Jade and then the vampire attacks, to top it off Harley had met with her past life's mother spirit and the warning about the darkness was still bothering her. Her head hurt more than her shoulder to be honest, but she tried to keep a clear face focusing on what was in front of her.
"He's Hallie's mate isn't he? That definitely complicates things." She said softly, wondering how her mother would react when she finally knew the truth about Ludin and her. If she was this angry about Hallie's mate, how angry would Jewel be when she realized Harley had been lying to her for these past few years and hiding her relationship with Jewel's great grandpa basically. Harley still didn't want to have that confrontation even though she knew she wouldn't be able to hide it forever. And she didn't want to either.
She hated going behind their backs just so that she could be with the man she loved. Harley looked up, seeing the men coming in, Dimitri had a dark face as he passed and then Nathaniel came strolling in, checking up on them.
"How's everyone?" He asked, his voice holding his worry and went up to Harley, brushing his hand through her hair and looking down at her shoulder before turning to face Thea as Jewel finished her handiwork.
"Did you get hurt Jewel?" He asked her leaving Harley's side to come up behind Jewel, his eyes raking down her body looking for any possible injuries. When he peeked at her chest, unable to help himself from checking his lovely wife out on any day, he thought he saw something and would make sure to take the time to check real close when they were alone.
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Post by Thea on Nov 3, 2022 1:51:31 GMT -5
If Archard was perturbed by Jewel's borderline hostile tone, he didn't show it. Jewel knew that she was acting out of character. She normally tried not to cuss if she could help it. But this ... this was something that Jewel never thought in a million years that she would have worried about. Her daughter's mate raided her estate for a ring that was supposedly so important people killed over it and she nearly lost her butler and friend over it. Not to mention she was patching up her daughters and dealing with her own scrapes and bruises and her son and his mate are currently MIA.
She was starting to get a headache. Right behind her eyebrows.
Her husband's presence was like a soothing balm to her nerves, but it was evident that he was just as worried about the state of things as they were right then. "Well Harley's arm had to be popped back into place and before I got to it Thea's healing stitched her muscle back over her cheekbone." She emphasized the last word, forcing it past her gritted teeth. She waved a distracted hand in Nathaniel's direction, dismissing his question in regards to her own health. "I'll heal. What about Dimitri and Lucian? Is Hallie hurt too? Where is she?"
"Messieurs Dimitri and Lucian seem to be all right, and Mademoiselle Hallie is in the library speaking with Prince Davion." Archard was hesitant to answer but did so out of respect for Jewel as both the owner of the estate and his closest friend's niece.
"What." There was no questioning lilt in that word. More like, "You better not have said what I heard." Archard remained steadfast in his reply.
"Whose idea was it any - never mind," Jewel stopped herself, feeling fed up with this night as a whole and wishing there was a way that she could hit a reset button. Silence ensued from her for the rest of her checking on Thea, and by the time she was finished Maddox had taken up a position on the wall. "Maddox, would you do me a favor?"
"Of course, say the word."
"Would you bring our ... what is he, a prisoner? What the hell. Bring him up here so I can talk with him myself and make sure he doesn't try anything stupid. I'm going to have Hallie come up here while you do that but don't let her know what you're doing."
"As you wish."
***
Hallie had to be honest - his question threw her for a loop. Of course, after asking him what that popping was about. She didn't like the nonchalant answer he gave her but didn't know whether she should be worried or if it was a battle she wanted to fight. Considering that she couldn't open the vault door per her father's orders.
But it had her thinking. Had she ever been in love? She thought she was, with William. It made sense for them to be. He knew about shifters. She was a shifter. He was Miss Penny's son. Miss Penny was her mother's personal assistant. It was a meet-cute for the books. But there was something about William that didn't sit right with Hallie, and it was his inability to take no for an answer.
Miss Penny didn't want to be changed, to go through the process of becoming one of them. The nurse was a creature of habit. Being human was more than enough for her. Her only son, on the other hand? That was all he could talk about. He begged, pleaded, bargained. Finally, Hallie had enough. She told him that she wouldn't change him. If he could find someone else that would do that for him so be it. It was then that she realized why William wanted her to do it above all others.
It had been because of her shift. With her changing him there was a very high possibility that he would have her Wolfman shift. Never had Hallie felt so used. "No," she said truthfully. "And no. I do have an ex. He bugs me every once in a while but that's to be expected. His mother and mine work together."
Just when she was about to ask the same to him, expecting a different answer to come from him much to the jealousy that dared to raise its ugly head, Jewel's voice came sharply into her mind, Hallie, come to the kitchen. And make it snappy.
"Oh, Mom's mad," she murmured faintly feeling torn. On the one hand, she wanted to stay. She was quite enjoying this conversation with Davion as much as she shouldn't. She had the urge to be stubborn and stay right where she was. But on the other, Mom was angry. She knew she would be, and "Mad Mom" wasn't someone anyone wanted to cross. Even so, she did feel like a pup again, being ordered around as if she had just broke a prized vase after being told not to run in the house.
I'm coming, she replied in what she hoped was a steady tone and stood shakily. "I have to go," she told Davion. "But I'll see if Mom will let you out." She wasn't going to promise it though, she thought. She hated making a promise there was no way of keeping.
She made quick work of covering the distance between the library and the kitchen. Maddox met her halfway, nodding in acknowledgment to her before passing her quickly. He didn't even give her a chance to speak to him, but he was heading in the direction that she had come from. Her heart skipped a beat in worry. Was he going to kill Davion?
Mom, what's Maddox doing?
Don't worry about it. Just get your ass in here.
Oh she didn't like that. She ended up sprinting the rest of the way. Mouth open to defend Davion, she halted at the sight of her family gathered in the kitchen, varying in states of injured. Thea seemed to have gotten the worst of it, but at surface level Hallie wasn't sure.
"Are you hurt?" Jewel asked, sitting with her elbow on the table and her father and Archard behind her.
Slowly, she shook her head. Her head wound healed a little bit ago, leaving only a twinge as if she bumped the back of it against the counter.
"Good. Did he try to hurt you?"
It took a minute to understand what Jewel meant, but when it clicked Hallie straightened her shoulders and huffed indignantly. "No, he didn't."
Jewel relaxed, if only a little bit. "Great. I won't have him killed outright. We're going to wait until Maddox brings him up here to decide what to do next."
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Post by Ventia on Jan 5, 2023 19:20:00 GMT -5
Davion felt himself taking in a deep breath when Hallie gave him his answer, though his fists may have clenched for a second there hearing she had a ex, both his hands and Davion himself relaxed again at knowing she's never been in love. Even if she had, Davion would be sure to give her a love deeper than anyone before him, but he couldn't lie to himself and not admit how happy and pleased he felt at knowing he could be her first. That he would be her first and only love of her life.
"Thank you Hallie. You're a sweet girl, aren't you?" He closed his eyes, listening to the very miniscule sounds of her getting up and moving about, until her footsteps faded out. Davion sucked in another breath, though vampires didn't need to breathe, he still liked the rush of air settling deep in his lungs and had always enjoyed that bit of something human in him.
The slightly heavier set of footsteps got Davion getting up, he scratched at his neck taking a minute to walk around the room till he could find a mirror. Not to popular belief, he still had a reflection and Davion made quick work in fixing his erratic bangs. He had to admit, he enjoyed this vault, it felt comfortable and was his style. Davion was sure he would like his in laws immediately, he already did actually, and as he turned around to look at the room he moved forward and began straightening out anything that had fallen out of place during his and Hallie's little tussle, not that he could do much for the broken things.
By the time the vault was opening again, Davion was sitting on the edge of the sofa's armchair with his legs crossed and his hands folded harmlessly on his lap, the cuffs still tightly bind to his wrists.
"I supposed these belong to you, Mr. Knight." He raised his wrists a little, nodding to the handcuffs in a appreciated way. It was a good move, smart too. Davion always approved of the smart ones.
"Any helpful tips for what is to come? Man to man and all that." He added as a afterthought, sure he was about to meet the lady of the house, if Hallie's comment gave him any clues.
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Post by Thea on Jan 7, 2023 13:02:36 GMT -5
"They do," Maddox said to the prisoner, a bit hesitant to respond. The knight wasn't sure what to make of him, sitting there so leisurely as if he wasn't about to get his ass handed to him. Was it hubris? Did he plan to escape and was fully believing that he was going to make it out of there alive? Or was it an acceptance that Maddox saw in his eyes? He couldn't quite decide.
Even so, Maddox had his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready for action should he need to dispatch the vampire prince. Jewel asked to bring him to her, but if Maddox would have to defend himself he was sure Jewel wouldn't be too upset if the prisoner met his blade. Ice-cold assurance chilled his veins. His chin lifted to be parallel to the floor. The stench of blood was still present, reminding him of what had transpired this night.
If the Constantines didn't know how to hold their own, would Maddox have been able to fight off the ambush by himself? Even with his beasts... it would have proven too much for him. For them. It could have gone so differently. Some knight he was. His jaw clenched so hard he could almost hear his teeth groan. The leather of his pommel surely did under the grip of his gauntlet.
"Surprisingly, I do," Maddox ground out. "Forget that you're a prince. You won't get any special treatment here."
The pace of the walk was set by Maddox, who was behind Davion the whole time. Any moment that Maddox felt Davion was walking too fast, his hand would reach out to grab the collar of his shirt. Too slow and Maddox would step on a heel and command "Faster." Was he being impossible? Some would say yes. But Maddox didn't really care. It was a side of him that no one really saw, and left some flabbergasted. Maddox was such a chill guy usually. As Hallie watched Maddox march Davion into the seat at the end of the table, helpless, she worried that Maddox was going to lob off Davion's head.
This was not the man her cousin Evanna harped about. Nor was he the head of security she grew up knowing.
"You're lucky to be alive, right now." Her mother's words had Hallie snapping her attention to her. Her voice was steely, laced with a low vibrating growl. This was not the Jewel Constantine Hallie knew. There was no belle in her southern twang. She sounded like she was on the verge of wolfing out. "Because if I were my father I'd kill you regardless if you were my daughter's mate. Mates aren't a one-an'-done thing for shifters, anyway. She'd prolly get paired with someone that wouldn't launch an ambush on her entire family.
"Tell me what your thought process was," Jewel continued, punctuating her words with every sharp movement of cleaning up her workspace. "Because I'm truly in awe of your audacity. I'm giving you one chance - just the one - to explain yourself."
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Post by Ventia on Jan 26, 2023 13:16:11 GMT -5
Davion chuckled a little to himself at the Knight's actions, purposely messing with him by walking slow or fast until he could hear the hearts of everyone else coming closer, then he walked in the pace that the Knight set and kept his body relaxed as he stepped into the large open room where seemingly most of Hallie's family was.
For a second, he took in the room and the state that they were in, the fact that there was bloodied gauzes still sitting on the table in a little mountain made his jaw lock in place. The scent of blood in the room was stronger than it was down in the safe room, and seeing the family in a rough shape made him feel like he was a young and foolish fledging instead of the master vampire that he was. So when Hallie's mother began talking to him, it basically made him feel even worse.
He watched as she cleaned off the table, once again looking at the blood staining the gauzes and then glanced towards Hallie who was standing only a few feet away from him now though Davion was sure if he tried to take those couple steps he would have everyone around him stepping in. He looked back to the mother and tried not to correct her that vampire mates and shifter mates were different. Had it been anyone else, he would have opened his smart mouth, but this was his mate's mother and considering the fact that he brought harm to her family, he was already in a bad place and he wasn't that foolish to make it worse.
"I was too hasty." He told her truthfully, "I have been searching for The Eye of Solomon for over three hundred years, so when I got news that d'Guillory Estate's barrier was weakening I thought this was my only chance to get close to Archard who was my last lead in finding the Eye. The tyranny in my Clan is becoming worse with every generation and it made me impatient and foolish. For the harm that has fallen on your family, I am truly sorry Mrs. Constantine. I had ordered them to be as delicate as they could be and only go for Archard, but I see now that was a flaw in itself. Of course you'd protect what's yours, I had no right to bring my men to your doorstep."
"All I can say is that for the future of my people, I believed it was a just clause to raid this Estate for the Eye. Never did I expect to meet my mate or even to find the rightful owner of the Eye. But now that I have, I cannot back down from either you or anyone else. I will be needed in the coming fight to protect your daughter, to protect my people's Prophet. If you choose to kill me, you'll be killing your child's best chance in getting her life back. That's all I have to say about my thought process, I really am sincerely sorry about what has happened, but it is already in the past. All I can do now is make up for it and win you and your family's favor. If you choose to not kill me, I only ask for one more favor, please allow me to stay next to Hallie's side in these coming days so I can teach and prepare her for what is to come."
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Post by Thea on Jan 29, 2023 21:50:05 GMT -5
Jewel never was one to correct people when it came to her title. She had spent eight-plus years in human college to get it. Long years and a residency to get it, so she did have every right to correct people if she so chose. Usually, she didn't, not when she still got the butterflies every time someone called her Mrs. Constantine. But this man? "It's Doctor to you," she interrupted coldly, venom all but dripping from those words.
Otherwise, she kept quiet, letting him speak his piece because she was nothing if not a woman of her word. While he spoke, though, Jewel couldn't help but get stuck on her own mention of her father. Not the one she shared with her older sister, Lupita. No, when she said she would have killed Davion, she was thinking of Kierran. Who, according to Shade, killed his firstborn's mate because she wasn't worthy enough to carry his grandchildren.
Shade had been young, having just turned that pinnacle age. River did too, two months later, and they found out as they passed by each other in the pack house. When Shade spoke about it, it sounded like the beginning of a typical romance story. Shy girl meets jock guy. Seemingly polar opposites, but it was fated. The moon had chosen them to be together. Then one night, there was "an accident". No one dared blame the alpha, but if there were two brain cells to be rubbed together ... well, that was the conclusion.
Jewel hadn't thought about Kierran in so long. Not since before her quads were born. If she had any idea as to why now, it was probably because she had killed tonight. An action that she did solely based on instinct. Something Kierran would have done. It was at once terrifying to think that she was slowly becoming the man that abused her family until he died.
"I see," Jewel said, at last, finally sitting down as gently as she could after cleaning up her mess. She leaned back, taking silent relief when her back met the chair. Not once did she glance at her ragged family, though felt each one of their presence around her. Nathaniel was directly behind her, hands on the back of her chair. Archard was just off to the side, hands folded neatly behind his back. Her children were scattered around the kitchen, with Hallie too close to the vampire prince for her liking.
"It's funny you say that this is all in the past when I literally just stitched up one of my children's faces and I had to pop the shoulder back into the socket of another." She pointed at Thea, then Harley, when she brought them up. Out of all of her children, they seemed to be the worst off. Davion's "delicate" comment came to mind, then. Maybe their newfound "guest" was being genuine. But still. "Not to mention one of my sons is missin' along with his mate. Given the current situation, I wonder if you or someone like you had somethin' to do with it. And pretty bold of you to ask anythin' of me when you just sitting at my kitchen table is more'n enough for your sorry ass. Much less stay in my home, regardless if Hallie is supposed to be this ..." she waved her hand in the air in frustration, looking for the word Davion had used. "Prophet or not."
She brought her hand back down and folded her arms across her chest, shrugging once as she did so. "I 'preciate your candidness, Your Highness. I really do. I won' kill you, 'cause I am most definitely not my father. An' the last thing I need is more vampires knocking on my door because of it." Jewel grimaced as if the mere thought of it left a rancid taste in her mouth, then turned to Hallie. "Lemme see it."
"I've already tried to take it off," Hallie said immediately, though took slow measured steps toward her mother, who looked every bit of a mob boss right now. Add a fedora and pinstripe suit, Hallie half expected her to speak with a Sicilian accent. "I popped my knuckle out of place doing it."
"Did I ask? No. I said I wanna see it." She took Hallie's proffered hand and inspected the ring closely. She was no jeweler. Even so, she wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It looked gaudy in her opinion, with the large oval opal set in a circle of golden filigree. It took up half of Hallie's finger. "It looks like an eye," Jewel conceded, though still had a look of disgust on her face. "You said you popped your knuckle out of place?"
"Yes, Mom," Hallie half-hissed. "My healing fixed it."
"Good." Jewel turned her head back to Davion, heaving a world-weary sigh. "I will need to speak with my husband and Archard on it. But until then, I wanna know. Archard tells me that you're Crown Prince. That means next in line for the throne, right?" She didn't give him much room to answer. "Hallie's now y'all's Prophet, too. Which is a big to-do. What I wanna know, bein' Hallie's mother an' all, is how the situation of bein' mates would play into this. You wouldn' think of usin' it for your own personal machinations, would you? I'm not well-versed in vampire politics."
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Post by Ventia on Jan 30, 2023 2:32:27 GMT -5
"No, Dr. Constantine." His reply was immediate.
"In my eyes, your daughter will always be my mate first before anything else. Whether that is a Prophet, a daughter, or a sister, to me Hallie will always come first as my mate. Taking into account if she even accepts me as that. That isn't to say that I won't give her the respect she deserves in every other area of her life, but whether or not she is those things or isn't, I would still do everything in my power to take care of her as my mate. Maybe for shifters mates are a common occurrence and as you said, they come in twos or threes. But for vampires, we have but only one life mate."
"Most of my kind don't even find the one let alone be lucky enough to have a second. So to suggest that I'd use my one precious mate for such a lowly thing as Clan politics the day that I finally found her? Well, that hurts." He was furious by the idea of it as well but found it best not to allow his anger to show on his placid features. Even though he was sure he could already feel the bloodlust sparking in his gaze, he let a breath go and rolled his neck a little before relaxing again.
"I know this is hard for everyone to accept, and you have everything right to be angry and judge me based on my actions tonight in attacking your home. Normal circumstances indicate you should throw me out if you're not going to kill me, so the fact that I am trying to extend my stay is as you say quite bold. But these aren't normal circumstances. Your son is missing, which is something I had no part in, Dr. Constantine, and your daughter has gotten the attention of the vampire world, mate or not, do you not think that the arrival of a Prophet will go unmissed in the next coming days?"
"That the spies spying on my movements won't make a report about what has happened tonight? I am not the only one who has suspected Archard to be the protector of the Eye, others do as well. Time isn't on your side, regardless of my participation from this point forward. However having me in your corner can greatly aid your daughter in the fight to come, because there will be one. I can either provide help from a position where I know more and therefore can help more, or provide help from outside these walls because unfortunately if you do not kill me, even if you banish me, this won't be the last time you see me, Dr. Constantine, as I fully intend to be accepted as Hallie's mate and your son in law."
Davion flashed a smile at them all and nodded at Jewel before winking at Hallie. "I can wait in the safe room so you all can talk amongst yourself and come to a decision. Take into account, I'm okay with being under supervision and even being locked up." He dangled his handcuffs for an added effect and turned to the Knight, sure he was to be dragged away once more.
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Post by Thea on Feb 1, 2023 20:59:42 GMT -5
Jewel felt like a fish out of water.
It was a unique experience that she was in, surely. With the exception of Archard, she hadn't really had the opportunity to know about them. It wasn't like Archard was very forthcoming with information about himself, though, much less about his kind. For all she knew, Davion could be lying out of his ass; she would be none the wiser. But then, she didn't think Archard would care too much if she grilled him about court life or fact check the prince.
Not to mention, Hallie was his mate. Jewel knew that it was going to happen eventually. In fact, she was surprised that Harley hasn't found hers yet, or even Lucian or Dimitri (even if he swore he wouldn't ever have one). She just ... wasn't expecting this. A vampire prince that would be king one day? One that was going to prove very annoying, if he was a man of his word. She had scowled when he told her that it wouldn't be the last she saw of him. Though there was a begrudging approval that bloomed within her. She definitely did not miss the subtle signs of offense he had taken.
Her eyes followed Davion's up to Maddox, who up until now stood behind the prince like a stoic silvered shadow. Both hands were at his side, opened and waiting for a command. That was something that she didn't expect either - Maddox was an actual knight, trained for battle and protection like back in medieval Europe. Or so says his armor. She would have been blown away had it not been for the way she found out tonight. She was going to have to go through the contract her uncle had signed for his employment. "Maddox?"
"Yes, Madam."
"Take the Prince back to the safe room. And when you get back I wan' your insight, too."
"As you wish."
Jewel watched the two men disappear out of the kitchen, then listened intently until she could no longer hear their footsteps. It was silent in the room, everyone seeming to wait for her word for further movement. Everyone except Hallie, who had taken a seat beside her mom and grabbed her hand. "Mom," Hallie started, leaning forward, unperturbed at the "don't test me" look. "Look, I know that this is going to sound like I want him here because he's my mate, but I promise it's not."
"What would it be then?" Jewel asked coldly, turning her whole body to face her daughter. "Whatever he told you in there could have been a lie. What he told me could have been a lie. Or at least a partial truth. I do not want him here, and right now, I don't see any reason as to why he should stay. Archard is just as capable to be your teacher and ally."
"But Archard can't leave the estate, Mom." Hallie let go of her mom's hand and leaned backed, folding her arms across her chest. "And he's been here how long?"
"Mademoiselle Hallie is right," Archard interjected, nodding once when Jewel and Hallie looked toward him. "I have not been in court since King Silvan's disappearance. Prince Davion's parents, when they took power, did not hesitate to kill off Silvan's remaining traces. Even if I weren't tied to the estate, stepping back into court would be a death sentence for me.
"If it eases some worries, Madame, I have had the pleasure of knowing Prince Davion before I was given the ring. He and his younger sibling followed the old king everywhere they could, seeing him as an idol. They do not share their parents' propensity for violence and bloodshed. They would have been better suited to be Silvan's heirs and not that of the Crimson Night Clan."
"But, Archard, you almost died tonight," Jewel protested, scoffing once. "Despite his explanation of being gentle, you can't deny that. Maybe he might have changed. I mean, you said it yourself that you haven't been at court for so long."
"Oui, but it was not Prince Davion that attacked me."
"Still, Archard."
"I understand your worries, Madame. Truly. I do not wish to sway you in any decision you and Monsieur Nathaniel will come to. But if Prince Davion were to stay here, you would have no worries as to Hallie's safety."
"And what about if we just took Hallie back with us?" Jewel asked.
"You would have the whole might of the vampire peoples on you," Archard answered after a bit of hesitance. "Hallie is now considered a very important person. Whether to protect or destroy is wholly dependent on the individual. Even so, hiding her away is not an ideal move."
Jewel looked from Archard to her daughter and back again, her heart steadily beating faster and faster. All of her instincts were screaming for her to protect her pup at all costs. And yet it seemed counterintuitive to have the threat stay with them. She then slammed her hand on the table, causing Hallie to jump, and turned in her seat to look at her husband. "What do you think?"
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Post by Ventia on Feb 15, 2023 20:16:31 GMT -5
Nathaniel had a lot of stages in his life, the troubled childhood, the worthless addict, the womanizer, the tyrant-like businessman, he even played dead for a couple of years though those memories-if he even had memories of his time downstairs and yes he said downstairs because he couldn't quite see himself on those pearly steps-well Nathaniel couldn't remember his time being dead, he would have thought that was it to the many stages of life that were possible and yet still a mystery as to why Nathaniel and every member of the Nightstar Pack had come back alive as if they had never even been dead despite the many years that had passed.
At first, it hadn't seemed like a new life for Nate was quick to fall back into old ways, quick to get hurt by the world and those in it, quick to quit all over again. It had been the next stage of his life that had saved him. Trying to help Jewel find Thea when she was missing and then later becoming a father. It had sucked him out of the hole he had found himself, both Jewel and little Harley. He was supposed to be helping them, yet they were the ones throwing him the lifeline.
Family.
It was the most important thing, for Nate who thought he had lost all his family when he assumed Timothy to be dead to now have an entire room filled with his family...siblings, his wife, his kids, they were the most important thing. When he woke up in the morning, it was them that he thought of first, that he dedicated his entire life now to doing what was best for them.
"He stays." He told the room, told his wife who he knew didn't want to hear those words.
"We need to protect them, Jewel."
He looked at Hallie, then up at Archard who had defended her, then back to his wife. "Pushing aside that the cocky prince is Hallie's mate," he sighed as he said like any dad would knowing his daughter just got herself a potential husband which was exactly how Nate could already see it going down considering how both his daughter and her mate were acting despite this just being the first day.
"He has information that we don't, though that much isn't that important either because if he didn't give us any information even if we didn't let him stay then he wouldn't be fit for Hallie anyway. No, it's the man himself we need. A vampire prince. An inside man. Into this world that we lack too much information on. Archard could tell us everything he knows but it would be outdated. We all know how much can change in a couple of years, not to mention a few decades and up."
"I am not saying I like this," He turned to Hallie then, raising his eyebrow and placing a hand on the back of Jewel's chair. "you won't be completely alone with him if I can help it, matter of fact I intend to be quite involved with any lessons he wants to share since you won't be the only one he'll train. He gets put in the safe room every night, I don't want him loose when we're trying to sleep, on top of the usual surveillance. It's a trial run, Hallie. If he messes up, even once more after tonight, it's over."
He reached for Jewel's hand and lazily entwined their hands together, bringing it up from the table to his lips and pressing a light kiss on her knuckle. He met her eyes then, angry and afraid, the perfect mother to her pups.
"They're growing up, aren't they? We won't always be there to help them. So we need to trust them to make their own decisions and try to provide for them as much as we can. Right now, that means giving that boy a chance." He missed when they were small, tiny and barely to his knees when the worst thing that could happen to them was if they missed their favorite show or he didn't make their favorite meal, or if he wasn't fast enough to play with them, and so on.
"For Hallie's sake."
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