Arion looked over at his phone for the hundredth time since they'd gone into their office. It remained frustratingly silent.

"She hasn't messaged at all." he pointed out. Romanus nodded.

"I know."

"She said she was going to when she got home."

"I know."

"She should..."
"Be home already, I know." Romanus ran his hand through his hair. "What exactly do you want to do, Arion?"

"Go look for her." Arion got up to lean against Romanus' desk. "She promised she would and she keeps her promises. I've got a bad feeling, Roman."

"So do I but just thought I was being paranoid because this is the longest we've been away from her since the bond was forged," Romanus said with a sigh. He debated. "Ok, let's go look for her." he stood just as there was a knock on the door of the office. "You go look for her." he corrected. "One of us needs to finish up here. We left a lot hanging when I slipped."

Arion nodded as Romanus sat back down. He went over and opened the door. "Vincent? What are you doing here?"

"I need to speak with the two of you about something."
"Well, Roman's in there. I've gotta go. He can fill me in later." Arion let the shorter vampire pass him then went out the door. "I'll let you know what's going on, Roman!" he called as he went down the steps.

"Have a seat, Vincent. What do you need to talk about?" Romanus asked, leaning back in his chair.

"I need to know where you stand with the Mistress' Council," Vincent said after a few minutes. Wary now, Romanus interlaced his fingers.

"Why do you ask?" he inquired coolly. Vincent cursed at the obvious stall tactic.

"Dammit, I need to know whether or not you follow their lead or your brother's."

"Neither," Romanus said shortly. Why did everyone assume he followed his brother's lead?

Vincent sat in the chair, but his legs kept jumping anxiously. "This was so fucking simple before he got involved. The situation sucked but it was livable. Why the fuck did the man have to get involved? I mean, yeah I'm glad he was there so she didn't die but.." The rant continued as Romanus rubbed his temples as a headache began forming.

"Vincent! I understand that my brother Romulus often has this effect on people, but you're going to have to explain some of this so I can know what the hell you're talking about." he interrupted the ranting vampire.

"You heard about my mate, Rhiannon?"
"Yeah. Aggressive but still allowed on the council as long as she cuts off her only living relative." Romanus said with a shrug. "Cold and not something I would do but not my call."

"Your brother disagrees."

Romanus grinned, propping his feet up on his desk. On the other hand, he did usually agree with his brother. Not the same thing as following behind him. "He's big on the whole family thing. It is his code. So how hard did he hit you?"

Marcus gave a disbelieving laugh. "It doesn't matter."
Romanus winced slightly. "That hard? Hmm. What does any of this have to do with me? My brother makes his own calls."

"I'm not here to get you to change his mind. He changed ours'."

"Sounds like him. What about?"
"I want to get the ban lifted on my mate's sister, so she doesn't have to depend on those two for anything. I don't want her to be used like that..."
Romanus' feet hit the floor with a thud, cutting off Vincent.

"My brother doesn't use people. He watches out for them, he tries to fix their problems and is usually a pain in the ass about it. But he doesn't use them. If she is a focus of his, then... Wait." he leaned back in his chair. "Is her name Lyra?"

"Yes. You've met."

"Briefly and painfully," he said, shifting in his seat. "I don't think it matters if you lift the ban or not. She's already in their bed and looking like she's going to stay."

"She left them."

"And my brother let her? Hm. He must be completely sunk then."

"What?" Vincent looked at him, confused.

"My brother is the stubbornest, most bull-headed asshole you'll come across when there's a battle to be fought. Unless he loves the one he disagrees with. If he let her walk away.."
"He's in love with her. Ok, good. This is about Rhiannon too. She doesn't sleep well since Romulus came by. She barely feeds and cries when she doesn't think I see her."
"What did he do?"

"Told us she was suicidal," Vincent said shortly. "I know it is probably a ploy..."
"No. He doesn't use that." Romanus cut him off. That explained a lot on a number of levels. "What do you need from me?"
"A place to fall back to if the Mistress Council rejects our request. Because she wants to see her sister again. Truth be known, so do I. Those two grew up in my club."

"And you kicked her out after she thought her sister died. I see why my brother hit you." Romanus looked at Vincent with narrowed eyes. This was too simple. "Just a fallback?"

"Well, if there's any other help you want to give, I won't say no." Vincent sighed. "I'm not like you and your brother. I don't generally buck the system."
"You were a good foot soldier." Romanus offered after a moment. Vincent laughed tiredly.

"I remember you using that as an insult before so that isn't much comfort. Like I was saying, I don't buck the system but this is getting to be too much. Something has to give and I'll be damned if it is going to be Rhiannon."

"Let's go over how I can help so that it doesn't have to be."

**

Arion drove to where Eris worked and went in, only to hear that she had been gone for a few hours. He sighed and looked around. He was hoping to make this look like an accident and not that they were checking up on her. He took out his phone and dialed her number.

He heard a ringtone and followed the sound. Fear began ballooning in his stomach as he saw her phone lying on the ground. He picked it up and slid it into his pocket, looking around. The wind shifted and he caught the smell of blood.

Her blood.

He followed the scent and walked into the scene of a massacre. Blood was draining into the sewer drains and flies were already gathering. As were the shifters that had resorted to scavenging. Arion swallowed as fear gripped his stomach tighter and tighter. He scanned over the bodies and frowned.

Where those sword wounds? He knelt down to look and confirmed it with a shake of his head. Who fought with a sword anymore? Well, some hunters did but this didn't seem quite right for a hunter's kill. They were quick and clean. These were just plain brutal. He stepped further into the mess and his nose caught the scent of her blood again. He looked for the source and crouched down. One deep breath in and a growl emerged.

He stood, getting out his phone. "Romanus, get your ass to your brother's club before I kill him." he snapped and hung up. He ran back to his car with anger and fear both churning in his stomach. If they had hurt her... His eyes were tinged red as he slid behind the wheel and spun off in the direction of All Roads Lead to Rome. 

He stalked in and shoved past the doorman, heading up the stairs. The fear and anger were fighting inside of him for dominance as the smell of her became stronger. Then suddenly her scent shifted and he ran.

Arion burst through the door with wild eyes. There was a wounded sound when he saw Eris laying unconscious on the couch then his eyes went to the two men standing over her. He recognized the darker man as the incubus Roman despised. Antares. Romulus resembled his brother in coloring and hair color, but little else.

"What the hell did you do to her?" he snarled, eyes glowing red. His lean body trembled with rage, but the smell of fear was what filled the room.

"I think we found the source of the blood drinking," Romulus commented to the incubus, placing himself between Arion and Antares. Arion barely noticed, but his attention went back to her when Romulus added "We kept her from dying. That's what."

Arion went over and ran his hands over her body. "Why won't she wake up?" he demanded, after a moment.

"Because I put her to sleep to finish healing," Romulus answered. Arion struggled with the terror that provoked. Antares went around Romulus. There was sympathy in the faery's eyes when he glanced over.

"She was ambushed on the street. I came across her on my way home." he supplied, crouching next to Arion with a comforting hand on his back. "She is yours'." The last was a statement, not a question but Arion nodded. He could tell that while her clothes were covered in blood, there was no trace of a wound. Arion just rested his forehead on hers', relief flooding him. She would be alright.

Antares straightened, looking over. "You should call your brother, Rome."

Tuning in, Arion lifted his head. "I already did," he said roughly. "As soon as I smelled her blood on the sidewalk. He's on his way here. What happened to the bodies that were there?"

"That reminds me," Romulus said, picking up his sword and setting it on the couch. "Could you get my cleaning kit, love?" Arion suppressed his impatience at the non-answer.

"Sure. If you'll sit back down before you fall down." Antares responded. "Rome took care of them." He added before walking towards a door at the back of the room.

Arion rose and sat in the chair next to where Eris lay. "Thank you." he said quietly, his hand still gripping hers'. Romulus shrugged as he unsheathed the gore covered short sword with a grimace. Arion saw that he'd sheathed the sword without cleaning it. That was going to cost him a scabbard, but Arion began to see what had happened on that street. Romulus had happened. The ancient warrior had decimated her attackers. Saved her life.

"Don't thank me," Romulus said brusquely. "I didn't know she was there. Thank Antares. He is the one who put himself in between her and a steel chain. He has the bruised ribs and face to prove it."

"He did that?" a low raspy voice came from the doorway shortly before Romanus stepped through the door. Arion looked him over and saw the same fear in his eyes that he had felt. Romanus ran his eyes over her, noting the blood and torn clothing.

"He did," Romulus confirmed. "I had to slice my way through the pack of pathetic nibbling cringelings to get to them both. Who the fuck did you piss off enough for them to go after your pet?"

"She's not a pet." Arion intervened as Romanus growled. Romulus just cocked his head to the side with an infuriating smile.

"Calm down, Roman. He's baiting you to find out more information."  Arion warned. Romanus took a deep breath then noticed Romulus watching him closely. His brother was an asshole and Arion was right. He leashed the anger and looked towards her. Some of the fear settled as he watched her chest rise and fall with each breath. She was breathing. She lived. None of the scenarios that had played out in his head were a reality.

"Then what is she? And who did you piss off enough for Lucille to go after her personally? Because I just missed that bitch and before you even say it, her head is mine, Remus."

"She's our mistress and it's Romanus," Romanus said roughly, going over to where she was and brushing her hair back. She was ok, he assured himself. She was going to be ok.

"And she anchored you. Good. I didn't want to have to kill my brother."

Romanus rested his head on hers' for a moment, unconsciously mirroring Arion's early gesture. He slowly raised his head as a whiff of musk caught his nose. He knew that scent. "His scent is on her because he saved her right?" he questioned, his fist clenching at his side.

"I had to use my mouth to help heal her as well," Antares said as he came back in with a wooden case. "You left it in your office again, Rome. It has a place under the bed, not underfoot." The exasperated tone and Rome's typical shrug had Arion smiling halfheartedly. They were just so damn normal it was almost surreal.

"Your mouth was on her?" Romanus growled, the images shifting in his mind. Arion saw Romulus stiffen, eyes shifting from Romanus to Antares and back again. Arion could see him measuring the distance between the other two men. Impatience swept over him at the consistent animosity that was building. All these two did was fight but it would not be over Eris' unconscious form.

"Roman, knock it off," Arion said with a verbal slap. "He saved her fucking life, alright? If he had to use his mouth to heal her, I would rather that than her dying." He looked at Antares deliberately as a reminder of who had saved her, to begin with. "Is she going to be alright?" Romanus shook off the habitual anger and again focused on her breathing. Her heartbeat. It sounded..different. Nothing he could put into words but different.

"The bleeding stopped and Romulus did what he could to replace it. But there was a complication." Antares said setting the case down by the couch. "Rome, sit."

"Why does he need to sit?" Romanus turned his attention to his older brother. He noted the studied casualness that Romulus used when sitting down then the pale skin. Guilt rippled through him as he realized what had happened. His brother had used his blood to heal her, something he could ill afford to do. The nature of the curse the incubus was under kept him underfed.

"I'm fine," Romulus said calmly and picked up his sword to begin cleaning it.

"He gave her too much blood." Antares corrected. Suspicion confirmed, Romanus looked at his brother apologetically. The small smile told him it was forgiven, even though his brother's focus never lifted from his sword. His brother forgave family easily. Something he should work on, Romanus thought to himself.

"You said complication?" Arion broke into their exchange, interlacing his fingers with Eris'.

"How long have you been slipping blood into her diet?" Romulus asked his eyes not leaving his sword as he ran the cloth up and down the blade.

The other two men paused glancing at each other. 

"Do you think we can trust him with this?"  Arion asked.

"It would seem he already knows something is up. It would be better to tell him than to have him go looking for the answer, which is what he'll do. It was your idea though so it is your call."

Coming to a decision, Arion nodded at Romanus who sat next Romulus.

"For a few days now. What happened?" he questioned.

"She grew fangs and bit him." Antares supplied. "I'll get my back stock so you can drink your blood."

"Thanks," Romulus said absently as he finished wiping the blade down.

"Did you say bite?" Arion said incredulously. He glanced at Romanus. That shouldn't have happened. Not this soon.

"Yes. A strong one too. My arm is still aching from the chunk she took out when I pulled away." He looked up at Romanus with intense eyes. "Any idea how she could have gotten fangs, to begin with? Or why the mistress council seems to object to the idea?"

"We weren't exactly asking permission. And Eris has a tendency of not putting up with their bullshit." Arion said with a half laugh, remembering the look of shock on Lucille's face in the rear view mirror.

"Her strength astounds me," Romanus admitted in a low voice. "Why are you so pale?"

Antares sat down with a goblet in his hand. "Drink," he ordered. Romulus smiled and picked up the goblet. Romanus looked between them and for the first time noticed the worry in the faery's eyes when they were on his brother. 

"Because I'm preparing for a potential turn as well," he said then took a drink. He took in a deep breath and looked at Antares. "This is the blood you put back."
"It does you more good and you need it. Arion, the two of you should get some as well. It will help calm your nerves."

Arion nodded and went over to the bar. He took down a few bottles and glasses.

"Thank you, fae," Romanus said shortly. Antares just inclined his head.

"What the hell is another woman doing up here?" Another feminine and extremely furious voice was heard from the doorway and had both Rome and Antares shooting to their feet.

"Lyra." Antares breathed. "You're home."

"Not for long by the looks of it,"  Arion thought with a trace of humor. Romanus smiled as Eris murmured his name.

"She is with us," Romanus said taking pity on his suddenly mute brother in the stunned silence that followed her entrance. "They helped her out of a bad situation."

Her eyes sliced to him then back at the woman lying sleeping on the sofa.

"Starting a collection?" she asked sarcastically. Before he could respond, she shook her head. "No. Don't answer that. Sorry. I'm just..."

"No apology necessary." he broke in. "I've been an asshole. Now, there is something that we need to talk about. All of us."

Arion didn't think that Romulus had even heard Romanus since their girl had come into the room. It was the most vulnerable he'd ever seen the man in all the time he'd known him. Romulus sank back down onto the couch carefully as Antares went forward.

"Are you home for good?" he asked with a hopeful light in his blue eyes. She avoided his eyes and went over to the grouping of couches to sit. Romanus winced as the light left his eyes and Antares sighed. The vulnerability was apparently something that encompassed Antares as well. 

"Alright then, Romanus. What do we need to talk about?"