After watching Xerxez drain the first victim she presented to him, Serafina felt a burst of pride.  When he snapped the girl's neck so nonchalantly and thanked her for his dinner in such a casual manner, it took all her strength not to have her way with him then and there in the alley.  However, she held back, as she knew there were other matters that needed to be addressed before they could continue their fun - after all, they had an eternity for such frivolity.  

"Come," she said, holding her hand out for Xerxez to take.  "It is time for you to see the Volkov manor," she said, with a hint of trepidation audible in her words.  "It is time for you to meet Celeste.  She is our second female Alpha alongside me.  You'll also meet Nemesis," she added, though she seemed much less enthused about the prospect of him being introduced to Nemesis than she did that of Celeste.  "Nemesis is our male Alpha.  He is the leader of our family," she added.  "Whether or not you like him once you meet him does not matter.  You are a member of our clan now - a member of our family, and no matter what, he will remain so.  He is my sire," she added as though that would help to explain it.

As the pair walked through the streets, Serafina continued telling him about the finer points of their pack, but never going into too deep of detail about any particular subject.  They reached the outskirts of town in a short time, her arm looped through is, and Volkov manor came into view.  It was a striking two-story mansion, rather ritzy and classic in its design.  The pair passed through the gate, and up the steps.  Serafina paused just at the entrance, as though she were hesitant to enter.

Without a word, she reached up and pulled Xerxez face down to her, kissing him in a passionate manner.  "Nemesis may not be pleased that I did not ask his permission to sire someone," she said after pulling away.  "He won't harm you - but I can tell you have quite the temper, and the change is still burning deep within you.  Don't let that rage take over if something upsets you," she added.  There was a hint of warning to her voice, but it was clear she was speaking out of concern for Xerxez more than anything.  She dropped her hands from his face, proceeding to take both of his hands into hers, squeezing them gently before dropping them.  When she looked back up at him, her eyes narrowed slightly.  "If you can make it through this, I promise to reward you," she said, her voice taking on a seductive tone.

It was then that she turned and opened the doors to the manor, stepping inside after being gone for so many months.  She entwined one of her hands with Xerxez and led him inside to the foyer area, where a small woman could be seen sitting on one of the many seating areas that peppered the big room.  The woman in question was extremely pregnant, and Serafina both smiled a bit and felt a pang of rage as she looked at her.  With that, her hand still gripping Xerxez's, she spoke to her.  "Hello Celeste," she said, softly.

The manor wasn't what he expected. He expected an abandoned house that had slight work done to it to be livable. But was faced with a rather elegant structure, care and thought weaved into its making. He interlocked his fingers with Serafina's as they was walked up to the door. He could tell she was nervous. He kept forgetting these were people she spent two thousand years with. The bond she had wtih these alphas was something he would never understand anytime soon. She must be nervous and excited at the same time, but scared for changing Xerxez with out permission. He wouldn't be able to completely understand the importance of it, but his orders were clear. Behave. Do not embarrass her. He, him self, wasn't too excited to meet his new family, simply because he wasn't looking forward to being ordered. He spent his whole life not taking orders, and he wasn't about to start now. Fuck their traditions.

As she opened the door to the manor, he held the door open and quickly relocked their hands together as he walked into the manor. It was dignified in the inside. Pleasant colors, old paintings, the scent of books assaulted his senses. He was having information overload and barely missed the reaction of the pregnant girl at Serafina's return. Serafina, on the other hand on a tearful smile on her face, as she spoke softly. The dots connected in his head. The pink haired woman must be Celeste. She was much different than he expected, but this was his mates sister. And he should show his respect. He towered above Celeste in height, but she didn't seem to care much. Her attention was focused on Serafina. He gave a light kiss to Serafina, as he introduced his self.

"You must be Celeste. You've been all I've heard about since my changing. It is nice to meet you." He said, awkwardly. He wasn't quite sure how to take the introduction. But it satisfied enough. It got the damn point across. "I am Xerxez." He took his eyes off the women as he scoured the house looking for the infamous Nemeses. Fancy glasses shimmered in the light, while the occasional dusty book caught his eye. Surely he would notice the commotion and come down to investigate. He gave up his search as he focused on Celeste.

"I know I may be new to the family, but Serafina has lectured me about the family, and I am glad to be a part of it." He sat down, not to far from where Celeste was sitting as observed the rest of the house. He focused on this reward Serafina promised which kept him behaving and not snarling out threats and insults. When there was a moment of free time between Serafina and Celeste he quickly interjected. "You must be tired, is there anything I can get for you?"

Compared to the two of them Celeste looked very young. Like a woman who had just entered womanhood but for Serafina she wouldn’t have been too surprised. More shocked that Celeste didn’t look any younger like she had for the two centuries earlier. She sat there on the bed with a basket of yarn and was weaving. It was clear that she wasn’t as much a brute as Sera was. Celeste’s red eyes were softer and more filled with love (mostly due to the baby). When the doors opened up she dropped her needles and put her hand on her large belly.

“Sera!” Celeste’s words were filled with concern as she labored herself off of the bench with a bit of work. Her belly was almost bigger than she was as she made her way over. “I’ve been so worried about you. You normally leave but never for this long.” She made her way past the man ignoring him for now. She took her sister wife into her arms and kissed her cheek. Sera was still taller than she was by a bit.

Finally, her attention went to Xerxez, “Nemesis is going to be upset Serafina.” There was concern in her voice. “Much like when he brought me home and you reacted.” It was like bringing up memories in the dust. “Prepare for it to be bad.” When he asked her if he could do anything she shook her head. “Just prepare for the storm that is about to come… and do not take any of it personally.” She came over to him and patted the top of his head. Her spirit was so warm and kind though like Sera had said there was a killer inside of Celeste as well. “I’m just pregnant that’s all. You can feel him if you want. He is quite the little fighter right now.”

Looking over at the little shirt she had going she chuckled. “I’ve always destroyed everything I’ve ever touched so I decided to try my hand at knitting… It is very boring for something all the housewives were raving about.” She was attempting to keep it light-hearted but she heard the sound of Nemesis coming and she sat down next to Xerxes. “Let Serafina handle this.” Her voice was super quiet but she knew Nemesis would hear her anyways.

The eve was waning, despite the nightly sky that lingered up above and Nemesis was softly chewing at the side of his mouth as he watched the outside from the window of the study. The soft pleads of his latest victim that laid on the floor, chained and bound while begging for their release fell entirely on deaf ears. Crimson eyes stared blankly as he awaited for his first consort’s return- Serafina’s travels wouldn’t normally bother him as she would be frequently out in the city, doing who knew what, but sooner or later she’d return.

A lot of times pissed off, but she would come back home before he started to worry. He had to admit that in between making sure that Celeste and their child were safe, training Aaryona on how to run an efficient clan and dealing with business affairs of both public and private matters, Nemesis had been extremely stretched out. But he had noticed that Sera hadn’t been seeking him out for any runs, hunts, or angry fits of sex for some time, which bothered him inwardly.

His victim continued to whine and seek freedom while he was still in his own little world. But it was all shattered the moment he could feel his mate’s return and immediately he slipped out of the room hastily, allowing for his victim to continue to go on without notice. Hunger had yet to plague him greatly as he rushed down the halls and down the stairs, but immediate halted about half way when he smelled not only her, but someone that carried their scent. Their blood.

The hairs on his neck stood as he contemplated what had happened just as he reached the bottom and saw that both his wives were in the main hall, along with a stranger whose hands were interlocked with Sera’s. It didn’t take much brainpower to figure out what the she-wolf had done and immediately the passive look on his face narrowed into something more menacing as his eyes dangerously focused on her.

At the moment, he didn’t see Celeste or the man that was brought under his roof. “Serafina”, he spoke in a hush but cold manner. The alpha marched over to her and stood in her face; being this much closer to the group, he could smell her on the outsider now. Adultery wasn’t something he had believed either woman being capable of, but then again he didn’t know what she had been up on her nightly activities. Perhaps she had slept with others, but even in that case, she had been smart enough not to bring them here, and certainly not to change them into the great things the Volkovs were.

“What do you think you have done?” His gloved hands tightened into fists, the sounds of leather strengthening was evident as they kept low on either side of him. Black had begun to eclipse his eyes but he wouldn’t be blinded by rage. Despite her trouble making, he was still her sire and he would at least listen to her explain this foolishness. “I hope that you don’t think that this is funny, knowing that I’d be here, darling. Would you care to explain?”

Serafina was incredibly happy to see Celeste, returning her hug and kissing her cheek in return, but her smile faded as Celeste reminded her of how upset Nemesis was going to be with her.  "I know," she said, though there was something other than fear or trepidation in her voice now - it was clear that she was ready to face her sire, ready to hear whatever consequences he felt she was going to face.  For all the weaknesses that Serafina had, neither Celeste nor Nemesis knew of them - but that time was about to come to a close.  

She turned to look at Xerxez again after he had sat down.  "Celeste, you will understand… I will make sure Nemesis does, as well.  I have my reasons," she said, addressing her sister though her eyes were locked onto Xerxez.  "I knew what I was getting into before I made the decision to bring him over," she added.  She parted her lips to speak further, but froze before a sound came out, Nemesis having spoken her name.  

She turned to face him and as she walked over, she stood up straight, looking directly into his eyes.  If she feared him, she did not show it.  As he questioned what she had done, his belittlement of her coupled with the stretching of the leather as he flexed his fist, and something about the combination pushed Serafina over the edge.

"What have I done?  You have got to be fucking kidding me," she said, her now crimson eyes glaring straight into his own that had begun to shift to a jet black.  "For over two thousand years of my life, I have devoted myself to you.  Everything I have done has been for you.  I killed for you, and I bled for you.  When you brought Celeste home, without telling me, I was angry for a long, long time - but I got over it and I grew to love her," she said.  For the time being, her voice remained even - but as she went on, her speech became less level, cracking here and there as her rage and utter sadness began to seep through.

For the first time in over two millennia, Serafina was beginning to show a weakness.

Serafina took a step forward to Nemesis until no space remained between the two.  She got right up in his face, her words carrying an edge to them, almost as if she were about to start crying.  "And then, things were fine.  You and Celeste decided to try having children.  I know you didn't ask me, because you know I've no desire to give birth to an… infant," she said.  "But you never once asked me how I felt about the decision for the two of you to start a branch of family of your own," she added, her eyes having shifted to jet black on their own now.

"You might not think so, Nemesis, but you abandoned me.  So I've been going out, fucking, killing… the usual.  Trying to mask the fucking pain you have put me through.  And then this one came to me," she said, clearly indicating Xerxez.  "He was strong, and he didn't give a fuck about the rules," she said, clearly mirroring qualities of herself in that logic.  "So maybe I made a decision on my own that I'm not supposed to, but guess what?  When he turned, I could see it in his eyes - loyalty, desire… passion," she said, her eyes wide, the black pools full of rage.  "And you?  Oh, Nemesis… you did something you weren't supposed to do, too, Nemesis," she said, her voice raising.  "You may not know it, but you abandoned me the moment you made that thing with Celeste."  Her words were biting, but she knew deep down that Celeste would understand what she meant.

She paused, her hands trembling.  She took two steps backwards from him, looking at him with narrowed eyes.  She pointed a finger at him accusingly.  "You didn't choose me.  You didn't choose us," she said, clearly meaning herself and Celeste collectively.  "You chose Celeste.  And you've left me to wonder what good I am anymore.  I am done feeling less than anything.  I can't do it anymore.  I CAN'T BE ALONE ANYMORE!"  The last phrase of her sentence was screamed at the top of her lungs, showing more emotion than she had ever allowed her sire to see, the rage having blinded her to anything but making Nemesis know what she felt he had done to her.

He held Sera's hand, and gave a squeeze of confidence. He could feel her emotions. A simple pump of the hand said all the that meant to say. He was here for her. No matter what the family thought of his siring, he was Sera's. And he was here to support her, no matter what came. As a door opened, his ears picked up new sounds. He could hear foot steps coming from afar and a human begging to not be killed. His thirst had been satisfied from the meal Sera had supplied. So the human wasn't much of a bother to him other than his constant whining. He set his eyes on where the foot steps came from and Nemeses finally showed his self. Oh, it was hate at first site. He disliked him for simply saying Sera's name in the tone he said it in. But it was one word that drove him in a frenzy. Darling.

He felt something pull on his body. He felt his body moving on its own as he his steps took him towards Sera's side as the prick belittled her actions. "It isn't a joke pal, it's the real fucking deal." Xerxez answered in rough voice. He straitened his posture, extending his height in an intimidation tactic. He didn't strike a threat, but merely stated he wasn't going to be a push over. From over yonder, he could hear the human weeping. He closed his eyes in annoyance, trying to get his anger under control before he would embarrass Sera. He watched in amusement as Sera stood her ground and yelled at Nemeses. He could see she was straining her self. He feel her raw emotions as pulled words strait from her heart. He placed his hand in hers as he gave a slight squeeze. I'm with you, Sera. At this point, her words were screams, laced with betrayal and pain. He moved behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He help her tight as she unleashed at Nemeses and his actions that caused her so much pain. One final, piercing scream ended it all as the room feel silent. He took his hands off of Sera and stood beside her. Xerxez probably had a chance to play bigger man, but he passed on the possibility and spoke harshly. "Name's Xerxez, Alpha. I'm not here to overthrow you. I'm only here because of Sera. If she hadn't insisted on coming, we wouldn't be here right now." He flashed a menacing smile as waved good bye to playing the bigger man. "Trust me, pretty boy. There is a lot more things I'd rather be doing than spending time here with you." He let the words sit in the air as he began soothing Serafina.

Celeste nodded a bit. “Sera I know you better than anyone but you should have told Nemesis how you feel. It’s not a weakness to show it to your mate.” Celeste showed her weakness to Nemesis on her sleeve and it allowed them a better relationship but she knew that Serafina had been this way for a long time. Where Celeste and Nemesis had grown together doing this sort of thing. It’s what made the two relationships into one. “Don’t think that I haven’t noticed. But it hasn’t been my place to say.”

All the rage that Sera had built up over these millennia together was coming out. Celeste knew that she hadn’t been happy that Nemesis turned and married Celeste as well. They began to love each other though but it was never truly the same.

It hurt her to hear Sera go off about their baby as if it was a thing but she knew it was because Sera was hurt. She even winced a bit. When Xerxes got up to stand up to Nemesis for Serafina Celeste was right behind him. Not to help Serafina but she went to force Xerxes off after he said his peace. However, Serafina had whipped around and took him by his neck forcing him to shut up and stay out of it. Celeste came over and took him by his shoulder. “Stop, she has to do this by herself.”

For as pregnant as she was Celeste was easily able to overpower Xerxes and push him towards the end of the hall. There was a resounding slap in the air as Celeste got him around the corner. She didn’t know who it was from but she had ideas about it. “We can go to the gardens. I want to show you something. I want to show you why they both hurt. You can understand why Nemesis is so mad there. I understand that you don’t like him but Serafina is being a hypocrite right now.”

She opened some doors and they left the mansion out into a small courtyard. “Nemesis hates hypocrites and Serafina when he brought me home reacted just like he is right now. This is a fight two thousand years in the making.”

In all their years, Nemesis often played the submissive one to quench Serafina’s thirst for dominance. It had been their dance since the very beginning- she was in ways everything he was not. Her style was more unruly and barbaric while he was more in control and calculating. Still he hadn’t expected this from her, not from all the centuries they spent together. He was upset yes, but she was starting to walk on thin ice even for her. He watched on as his eyes grew to the point where they were consumed by the pitch darkness as her boy toy got in the way of family business. Fortunately he was more focused on the one that orchestrated this whole situation they were mashed up in.

Still, after all this time that passed, she was still bringing up the time when he brought home Celeste, and then later turned and made her his consort as well. The argument made him want to roll his eyes, but a soft hissing came from him instead. “How dense must you be, woman? Unlike you, I did nothing to her until I brought her here and you suggested that I turned her. I didn’t see and turn the first thing I fucked.” He wouldn’t even waste that moment to turn his sights towards the other male, who seemed to have the gall of invading another’s wife. “Have I not bled and killed for you also, Serafina?” He had tried his best to tend to each of the women’s needs as well as tried to better their lives as whole through his ventures against the other houses. Nemesis could feel her slowly unravel, something that she had never done before in his presence. Had he not been furious at her, he would have showed his concern. But she was like a wall when it came down to showing her feelings. An angry and lustful wall, but that was about it.

The vaewolf felt threatened when she stood up to him, personal space be damned in every sense of the words. “You knew that I did, and I respected that. Celeste wanted to bear them for us. The three of us! Her selflessness was for the family as a whole.” He hadn’t seen it as them separating themselves from her, but to make the house even stronger. There was no secret that he had wished to avoid the mistakes he had made with his last family and did everything he could to make sure they didn’t happen again. But Serafina’s actions had reminded him of the backstabbing and the betrayal that his children had done in his last family, and it tore them all apart in the end. The introduction of her newly gained mutt looked to be just the start of another series of events that could undo all their work, simply because of her jealousy.

“Abandoned? I’d hardly call it that. How can I abandon one when they simply were never there to begin with? Running off for gods know how long and doing who knows what with who. But now I know, and I also know that this city will eat the two of you alive because you don’t know how to play the game. Brute force and no brains will only get you so far in this world”, he lashed out, his words aimed at them like daggers.

Nemesis listened and stood there, trying to control himself but then she said the one thing that unnerved him. She had insulted the child that he and Celeste had tried so hard to create for eons. “Don’t you ever talk about our child again!” He himself was on the edge as his jaw clenched. Her accusations hurt him deeply, cutting him than any sword had ever done and visibly he was shaking as his self-control was unweaving. The final straw was when she screamed at him, shattering what little control was left.

Her creation spoke up, trying to assert himself when he should've had enough sense to keep quiet. He was just like Sera, only he wasn’t Nemesis’ type. “You’re testing my patience. Bigger, tougher brutes than you have tried to best me. You can ask them yourself how that worked out when I send you to the Reaper if you dare interfere again.” The alpha wasn’t in the mood to play games with an inferior, and fortunately for the two of them, Celeste took him away from the scene. It was good for her to go as well for as soon as the two alphas were alone, he turned slightly as if he was about to leave her, only to reel his hand back and strike her with the backside of it harsh across her face. “I did nothing to you, and you betrayed me! You brought that mutt here, into my house and dare raise your voice to me!”, he said, nearly roaring the words at her. A sick smile draped from his lips as his piercing eyes lingered and took some satisfaction from getting some revenge. “The things I could do to him…the things you know I’m capable of doing…I can make it so that your toy can be broken beyond repair!”

Oh, Nemesis knew that she wouldn’t take his actions well but at the moment, he simply didn’t have the heart to care about what she thought or do.

Internally, Serafina was incredibly glad the Celeste took Xerxez away after she had gone at him and told him to be quiet.  This was something that needed to be settled by Serafina and Nemesis alone.  She was, on one hand, glad to know that Xerxez had risen to defend her, but also irritated that he had disobeyed her warning not to interfere.

Each word Nemesis spoke furthered Serafina's rage until her breathing became heavy and her hands shaking, her chest rising and falling as he continued to berate her.  When he turned to leave, she opened her mouth to yell something else out at him, though she was unable to say anything as he whipped back around, the back of his hand connecting with her face.  Her face jerked to the side, and as she slowly turned back to face him, a trickle of blood trailed from her lip, the slap having split her lip.  Her tongue darted out, tasting the coppery bite of her own blood.  

She watched the sadistic smile spread over his lips, but nothing prepared her for the next statement he shot at her.  For the millennia they had spent together, Serafina had never shown emotion towards anyone save Nemesis.  She had loved him, at one time, and of course, she still did now - but that love had changed when he and Celeste conceived.  Now, she had found someone that drew her interest - that she thought she could actually care about outside of her sire - and someone that could possibly care about her in return - and Nemesis was belittling him and threatening him.  She wouldn't stand for it.

Suddenly, and with a rage that Nemesis had likely never seen, an animalistic snarl erupted from her mouth as she screamed nearly as a banshee would.  "He's not a fucking toy!" she shouted, and she pounced on him much as a wolf would, the pair flying backwards, Nemesis slamming into a stone pillar and taking a large chunk of it out with him.  They slammed down into a beautiful table, the table shattering to splinters as they did so.

With a snarl, Serafina pinned him to the ground, though she knew the tables could be turned at any moment.  With heavy breath, her hand found his throat, gripping tightly.  "For an eternity, I devoted myself to you.  You never had to share me with anyone," she hissed.  "And now, even with the happiness that Celeste can give you… you won't let me try to be happy, you selfish bastard," she said, her words cold as she attempted to tighten her grip, nails piercing into the flesh of his neck.

As much as she was hurt, Nemesis could feel it through their link and yet he was unable to hold back from his own feelings. It was a storm that was brewing between them in a short period of time. Perhaps this was a long time coming but he didn’t see it that way. He couldn’t think clearly enough to as he only sought to hurt her through something that she seemed to care for more than him right now. He had never been so cruel, so careless towards hers even in their roughhousing had he inflicted pain like that with bad intentions behind it. But he wasn’t himself right now, he was more beast than anything and it was that dark side that he reserved deep within. The anticipation was reeling in him; he thought that she would be livid and would try to strike him back.

He waited but instead she screamed and poured her very soul into it and by the time the realization hit him that something very different was going to happen, it was too late. He found her pouncing onto him and fell back. He snarled as he crashed into one of the stone pillars, yelping with pain before he struggled against her only for the two to come down and break a nearby table.

With her hand around his throat, he instinctively grabbed her wrist to try and pry her grip off, feeling the nails raking against his ivory skin. He yelled in pain as he continued to force her off him. “I don’t share, never have and never will!”, he raged on, letting the pain come as he forcefully removed her hand as her fingers were painted by the streams of crimson they managed to draw out. Pushing her off him, he took her by her blond locks, nearly pulling them out from her scalp before he tossed her against a wall. “I gave you that eternity! I gave you everything and you go off and do this to me!?” He growled menacingly as he went after her and pinned her against the wall. He looked darkly at her before he moved her away only to slam her against it painfully. “I do what I have to for this family! Call it selfish, but I’ll rip you apart if I have to! I will not be replaced by someone weaker!” He slammed her up against it again, “Or, I will do that to him and make you watch, since he’s so precious to you!”

More precious than I have been.