How he loathed these next coming moments as he strolled down the street, heading to a house all too familiar by now. Of course he himself had never set foot inside the bloody, but it wasn’t much of a secret to him as far as who was there. And more importantly, they were the reason why he had to appear here. Begrudgingly, of course.

“The damn red headed devil beneath a skirt” carried his chance of having a child of his own with his wife over his head, dangling it like a carrot. Of course Celeste didn’t see it as too much of a bother considering that it meant that she would be able to help them build a stronger family. Nemesis didn't fault her for her logic but it didn’t make what he had to do much easier. She would know where he’d be if she needed him.

Arriving at the recently acquired manor that the devil’s daughter had, there was little time wasted from when he came through the door and passed by the members of this clan. He cared not for it her guards got in his way for they would be moved on their own accord or he would make them.

Marching upstairs, he sniffed out the scent of the black wolf for he knew that wherever he’d be here, she would be. Their room was soon found and Nemesis flung the door open and stepped in. Apparently they were…occupied with their own sort of business and looked towards his direction out of shock. Eirik instantly growled at him and started to get out of bed when Nemesis quickly moved over to the bed and his hand was wrapped around his throat and pinned him down. The grip was tight and forceful and as they stared each other down, soon the black wolf lowered his eyes and submitted.

“I suggest you get dress, Aaryona. Your training begins soon after.” He didn’t even look to her as he spoke. Lifting his hand off Eirik, he took his leave and waited downstairs. The sword settled on his side was unsheathed and kept low. “I’m waiting!”

Aaryona lingered over her lover and kissed him longingly. They did this often enough but they made each time well worth it. Everyone in the house knew not to disturb them when they were busy. They were laughing together before the storm came. She fell off of him as Eirik went on the offensive, not that she blamed him. Her wild brown eyes watched Nemesis with a sort of disbelief but she did not plead with him to let Eirik go. He wouldn’t hurt him with the deal her mother had on the table, at least not to kill.

“Alright,” the words left her lips as she looked at Eirik and mouthed a sorry. The things her mother got her into were painful at times. Wasting no time she pulled herself out of bed after kissing Eirik’s forehead. She knew that Nemesis wasn’t happy about the arrangement. She didn’t think anyone was come to think about it.

Pulling on her shirt, pants, and boots she messily put her red locks up and went down the stairs and approached Nemesis. “I would never keep you waiting, you know that.” There was a voice of respect from her as she answered him. Her sword was on her belt loop as she watched the vaewolf carefully. She wouldn’t lie to herself that she hadn’t been startled by the man’s actions but she figured the deeper he got under her skin the worse it would be for herself.

“I do hope Lady Celeste is doing well. She was rather happy about the arrangement,” there was, of course, the small talk but it was something she had been taught to do. “Where shall we begin?” This wasn’t like her old home at all. There was no place to go all out on. Lilith watched from the shadows a bit but Aaryona waved her hand. The woman was gone not soon after Aaryona had done that. She was in charge of those in her stead and she wanted to show that.

This was important after all.

He had no intentions of exchanging pleasantries. Not when he came into the house nor when he marched into her room and made it clear that he was the dominate force here for the time being. He knew that she killed elders before, but they were weak, too old and plushed into their seats of power for too long. He, on the other hand, was and always is a fighter. Vanquishing him was something that was way out of her league.

Eirik was more than slightly annoyed by the intruder’s presence, but it couldn’t be helped. It was a deal that was made between her mother and that…person. Rubbing at his throat, he nodded and accepted her kiss as he watched her prepare. When she went downstairs, he was dressed and right on her trail. This wasn’t a good thing in the least with how he came to their home.

“I suspected you wouldn’t.” His eyes lingered hard onto her. “Your mother did once, and do you know what I did when I found her? Let’s just say a certain cavern underneath certain ruins back in DaeLuin felt my wrath.” He cracked his neck while pacing about for a moment as if that fact didn’t mattered to him in any matter. The vaewolf lowered his blade to the point where it was scraping against the floor. He let it keep going even after her question was asked and Nemesis kept silent right up until he made his way causally over to her and tilted his head. At that exact same moment, his eyes darted down and his blade was turned and lifted in a quick motion at her, as if he was trying take a swipe.

“A fight…a battle…a war, they are all mental struggles, not merely physical. The fact that I was able to find this place, come in here without your people so much as stopping me once and finding your room…pinning your little doggy there…proves that your mother has given me an annoying task indeed.” Sheathing his sword back into his scabbard, Nemesis turned around and took a few paces before pointing a finger up in the air. “You know that you failed your first test, right? Anyway, I request a drink, this is going to be a long day for you, if you want to survive against the horrors here.”

“My mother also has the annoying habit of pissing people off that she really shouldn’t. Back in DaeLuin she didn’t have the power to back something like that up… She was strong, yes and she could go after any vampire but wasn’t as strong as she is now… Mother has always been crafty, always played her cards right, and she did so even with my father. She’s not nearly as troublesome as she was in the past though.” In a ballsy move, she lifted her hand as if to stop the blade with her bare hand.

“That’s because the Draconis house is weak. They are nowhere near where they used to be when my father or Harkon led them. They respected them. Feared them. I don’t have that luxury despite all my attempts… Being Rosenite does that, unfortunately… Even the newest members act like hot shit even when I end them.” She scoffed a bit. “Vampires… have a nasty habit of being too big for their pants. Much like wolves.”

It was clear that Aaryona wasn’t happy in the least that no one had tried to stop him. She understood Lilith, simply put that her and the vampire elder didn’t get along. It was like watching oil and water. “Even if Eirik had tried to fight you, I would have told him to stop. A vaewolf like you is stronger than my whole clan. It would be stupid to let my best go up against you and lose them… Eirik would have defended me otherwise if he didn’t know how I felt.”

“However, those probably sound like excuses but my father always taught me never to sacrifice more than I need to. I’m still pissed they didn’t even try to stop you.” She moved over to a little bar in her office pulling up a bottle of whiskey. “See my mother is the devil in disguise but she makes damn good alcohol.” She poured him a glass and held it out for him. “I realized I failed. My clan's failures are my own that much is certain. I represent them… and their doings are mine… Rather their inactions.”

She took a sip of her own glass. “Father was the monster of Mooncrest… Before you, of course, and he was feared… Children screamed just thinking about it. He himself sent the whole city into a panic. He was really upset at my mother. Then he met me and he was gentle until our training and…” For a moment she paused and looked up at him. “You remind me a lot of him right now. Father for as gentle as he could be was a monster all the same.”

After a while, longer of Nemesis's great attitude and Aaryona weathering the storm foot tapping was in the room. Aaryona had barely even noticed Celeste standing there with a belly bulge. "Now you are just being rude Dear. No need to be so extra harsh on the girl." She slipped her arms around him. "She is a talented little thing that you can mold… No need to hate her so just because her mother has us in chains." She rubbed her hand on her belly softly. "Besides the baby doesn't like it when you are this upset."

"You look good pregnant…" Aaryona felt uncomfortable as she complimented Nemesis's wife. "But it's alright if he think–"

"But it's not. Aaryona, if you want to lead a clan you need to put your foot down even with someone like Nemesis. Pride is dangerous but needed. Do not let him talk to you like you are trash, you have potential in your blood. I can see it and so can Nemesis… It is your little hoolagans that need the most work and you will take what Nemesis teaches you and apply it to them. A loving leader will only get respect around them… a terrifying one who rule with fear will always have control of the majority of their forces. If Nemesis is in Canelux our house still fears him greatly. You were upstairs and your house ignored you. Why? Because your blood is superior to theirs. They don't feel you deserve it… Make them see they don't have a choice… or kill them and start again. It is as simple as that. Contamination is what is killing your crop Child."

“At least we agree on something so far.” He knew that her family was in the middle of recovering their numbers and strength. But he made it his point, albeit in an asshole manner to let her know these harsh lessons. “Now, what did I tell you before? You have to make them fear you, coddling and babying them simply won’t do. The fact that you are a Rosenite doesn’t change things. If they cross the line, feed them to your wolf, for all I care.” She at least had some steel in her belly by taking the “attack” head on. In truth, he wasn’t about to spill her blood. No, he wasn’t going to end up killing her and ruin his end of the bargain. He was a jerk, but not stupid.

“The point is to make sure your people are loyal to you without a fault. They should be willing to die for you should the time arises. They should have came to your rescue and throw their lives away for your safety. The fact that they didn’t speaks to me that they don’t respect you as they should. Your puppy over there was ready, but he submitted because I am the alpha and he is a beta. I read it clearly in his eyes from earlier.” He cared little about how Eirik took it, even when he heard the soft growls.

Nemesis took hold of the alcohol and gave it a once over before downing it. “Trust me, darling. I’m more of a monster than your father and I’m far from gentle.” His eyes moved ever so slightly over to the familiar sound of his wife. He was used to Celeste’s foot tapping well enough to know that she was there. “Cruel to be kind, my love. Cruel to be kind.” She knew where he’d be but he wasn’t expecting her to have come. “You shouldn’t have come, Celeste.”

He was going to continue his protest but then ceased as he listened to her. Crossing his arms, he sighed and kept up his angsty act as she reassured the girl that she needed to toughen up and strength her brood first. “Personally I would weed out the weak and the defiant and set an example for the rest of them. I’d also severely punish them for not protecting me and mine, but that’s just me.”

“My wife, as fearsome as she can be, she’s has a soft spot for those like you. That is the difference between her and me. I won’t hesitate to get blood on my hands. She’s a tactician, I’m more of a warrior. You? You will have to be able to do both.”    

“You and I happen to agree on a lot I just don’t tell you.” It was perhaps a better way to go about things. While she agreed with him on many things she also had her own way to handle things as well. “Wouldn’t be a bad idea at all honestly. It’s more like an infection. Ever since my father has left the older ones, not all of them, but most have been… scheming. I can feel it in my blood every time I look at them that something isn’t right.”

Whether she wanted to hear it or not Aaryona took the information and nodded. “A house is nothing without loyalty. It is weak with cracks. Each crack waiting to consume the whole thing as their own. Power is corruption among the weak.” She looked up at Eirik with apologetic eyes but even she knew that there wasn’t much he could do against Nemesis.

“My father for every bit of gentleness he showed me and Nathaniel wasn’t that way with everyone else. We were rare for him, something he never thought he would have. However, he was a monster all the same. You are gentle with your wives because they are of your blood. As my father would put it ‘To hell with everything else’. I really do not mean to offend by it. It’s just familiar to me.” She had watched a lot growing up and watching how her father had ran things.

Celeste scoffed only a little bit. “There is such a thing as overly cruel my dear. The only thing we’re overly cruel to tend to be our dinner and those who piss us off.” However, there was a smile on her face as she came forward. “I can still handle myself. I’m pregnant, not weak. Please trust in me to know a situation when I see it.”

Aaryona sipped on her alcohol a little bit more. “Well, you aren’t wrong. Back in the day that is exactly what they used to do. I’ve been so frustrated on trying to get back my reign and deal with the situation that I’ve not dealt with them the way I should have.” She knew that mistakes like that killed people. She was lucky to have Eirik with her and Lilith as well.

“It’s because that soft spot has a keen sense of knowing when someone has great potential. The only time I kill those in that soft spot is when I know they will get in the way.” Celeste moved over to Nemesis and wrapped her arms around him letting her hand slide all over him. “Being a tactician is a hard job because you have to know when your husband will make his move if he doesn’t say anything at all. It’s the same way with a clan. You have to know what their thinking and that’s easy for someone like you.” Celeste slinked just a bit out in front of Nemesis and smiled. “Besides you don’t have to do it all by yourself. Your puppy can help with the warrior bit. He’s an asset use him. He’ll only get stronger the more he does it.” Celeste gently booped Nemesis on his nose. “But learn to be a warrior all the same. There will be times when you have to defend yourself.”

Aaryona nodded as she listened and thought heavily on it. “I can do both. I can learn to do both. If I have to be harsh I’ll be harsh. I can’t afford to have my brood thinking less of me. Especially in a city like Kurayo. You know I’ll learn Nemesis. This is just a minor set back from how it was in DaeLuin and I wasn’t prepared for it.” Hell, who could have been prepared for a void to eat everything? “So if I have kill everyone who has loyalty problems then I’ll do it. If I have to punish them I’ll do it. I have no problem with that. My head has been cloudy though. Foggy since my drop here and I haven’t been thinking well at all.”

Celeste stepped forward and took her hand a bit forcibly. “My, my.” There was a tsk that left the elvish woman’s lips. “She forced her own mana veins open. No wonder her head is in the damn clouds.” Looking up at Eirik Celeste narrowed her eyes. “When did she do this? It has to be a while ago the scars are all healed up.” Looking back at Nemesis Celeste grimaced. “It’s not easy to do this to one’s self. It’s the equivalent of basically forcing a serrated dagger into someone’s stomach and twisting it. Does it still hurt?” Aaryona didn’t answer her but winced when Celeste pressed down on her arm. “She’s in a lot of pain. Similar to my Moon burn.” Nemesis would know that all too well. “You’ve not told your mother about this?”

Aaryona shook her head. “I’ve never had her try to solve all of my problems. Nor am I used to her having this much power. Honestly, didn’t even cross my mind that something could be done about it.” Celeste looked back up at Nemesis for a few moments before sighing.

“I can fix it but it will take a while. Fixing severed mana veins is hard and the fact you can even still walk with the amount you destroyed…” Celeste began to scold but then she calmed down, “You are the type of person I would kill. Only because you have the potential to get in the way.” Aaryona knew what she meant and she took a deep sigh once more. “Not even I have a pain threshold like this.”

Nemesis was unapologetic in his crude behavior, not would he be forced to, given the circumstances. Perhaps there was a bias in his actions since he was placed into this annoying situation but the fact remained that he was trying to help the girl out. His attitude wouldn’t be any different from how the other families would treat her and hers if she didn’t establish her house as strong enough to thrive. He had seen what had become of the many houses that tried to pave their way only to get cannibalized from within or torn apart by the others, figuratively as well as literally.

“Assumptions are…very dangerous, little one, especially when it comes to myself with my mates.” While Aaryona was correct for the most part with how he was with Celeste, Serafina was a much more different matter. But still, he couldn’t bring himself to harm either of them. But she didn’t need to know of that- it was a weakness of his to exploit after all. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been as extremely rough with her as he had been. Things got slightly more complicated when Celeste showed up. “No dearest, I am aware that you can take care of yourself. It is not you that I worry for, and also the deal was that I was tasked to handle training her.” Still there was no luck in trying to remove her from the situation which only forced him to lessen his mood towards Lady Draconis and as his mate put it, try and ease his cruelty. The last thing he wanted was for her to become too stressed and affect their unborn.

Eirik could barely wrap his mind around how this was all playing out- the Volkovs were shifters yes, but they they functioned no differently than those of society. Perhaps it was because of their vampiric upbringing, but he suppose that in some ways they did function like the tribes back at home, always seeking more power and ground. He winced when Celeste mentioned his name and how valuable he was, but he had to agree. He was to protect his mistress, which was why she wanted him around in the first place. They had to make sure that they kept that master/guard relationship first for others to see before the more intimate one, or else he would be more of a liability for her.

Nemesis sighed before speaking to her in a much more civilized tone and manner, “Do as you must, but I would still refrain from killing everyone and starting all over again. If need be, kill one or two of the most disloyal ones and the others will either cave or they will simply become a further problem, which then you should kill if they prove the latter.” It helped that Celeste wrapped herself around him, feeling the warmth of both her and their child. All eyes followed her as she moved to the girl and took her by the hand.

“It happened when we were in that rainforest, and she attempted to cast her magic. Somehow she’s unable to do it as much as she used to”, Eirik replied, though he was unskilled when it came to magic so he couldn’t very well say why or how her aliment occurred. “A few months ago, I believe.”

Nemesis stepped forward and looked to the scars on her, “Any idea on how she did this?” Was it a side effect of crossing into Revaliir? He was unsure himself, but the potential of effects it had on people had yet to be fully seen. “I think that she will definitely need those repaired if she wants to have a chance here. With or without her mother’s involvement, she is vulnerable.”

He then looked Aaryona in her eyes, “She’s right, you know. For all my cruelty towards you, I had and still do consider you a threat because you have the potential to be a strong leader. I had never lied about that back in Mooncrest, long ago.” They were likely the only two around here that would even recognize that name. Perhaps three. As annoying as it was, he had to make a request. “I will require Lilith’s audience here in the coming days. Perhaps I know of a way that she can help you start getting your foot in the door here.”