As they leave the room his smile disappears, "Tracey, after you have your breakfast, meet with us in the council room Luke is letting us use." Tracey winces a bit at her words. There was more than a little displeasure in them.

The council room wasn't really a room, but more like a tent that is dedicated to meetings. Luke had held them with her and her two chosen that had stayed with her yesterday. She has everyone set down their food and make themselves comfortable while they eat.

She makes sure that everything stays on a light mood until Tracey joins them and their breakfast is finished.

Once he joins them Stephanie drops her lighthearted mood and pierces both of her bonded, her general and the vampire king, with a sharp look. "Great, now that we are all here," Stephanie takes time to place a barrier of dead air around them all. "Now that no one else can hear what is being said, will you please explain why you found it necessary to bring someone over and watch us as we completed the ceremony last night?" The three male elementalists look at her in astonishment then turn hardened gazes on to first the warlock, then over to the vampire. "You almost killed the poor guy by him watching us."

Tracey unthinkingly says, "Shit."

Stephanie smirks at him. "I thought so, but wasn't sure which vampire it was, but then I realized that none of them would have acted in such a way without your orders, so even if you weren't actually the one to do it, you were ultimately responsible."

When Tracey doesn't respond for some time the four witches just sit there and watch him minutely. "You can't win. She's more stubborn than any thing I've ever come across. Just tell her why you brought someone in to watch us perform the ceremony." Talon finally breaks the silence.

By now, all eyes are one him, including Steven's. He has no idea why Tracey had taken him, but he was glad he had. He wonders now if he will be killed for what they did the night before.

"No, if I had been angry enough for that, I would have killed you rather than bonded you to me." Stephanie speaks to him through the mind link. Startled at her voice talking to him that way he moves his eyes from the vampire to his sworn leader.

Stephanie never leaves off of looking at Tracey. For some time there is silence before he finally breaks. "You needed a general. I made sure that you not only had one, but a potential chosen as well."

His answer shocks all of them.

"What?" The one word spoken holds so much emotion that Tracey winces upon hearing it. He also thinks it to be a good idea to explain his reasoning before Stephanie explodes.

"I know that in order for a chosen to accept more than one the others must be in the room at the time of the ceremony. I brought him in to witness your ceremony to give you that option. A secondary way to bind Steven to you."

Talon snorts, "Yes, they have to witness the ceremony binding, but they will also have to join in within a certain amount of hours or they still won't be able to be a chosen. That means that not only will Stephanie need to accept him, but I, Jet, and Ethan will need to accept him as a chosen. There aren't many hours left before the window of opportunity closes and we," Talon gestures to the four that performed the ceremony the previous night, "haven't accepted him as a chosen. We've barely accepted him as a bonded." Talon is careful to keep his emotions out of his voice as he explains things to the warlock and vampire.

Tracey hadn't known that part and looks down in shame, "Oh. I apologize, I hadn't realized that there is a time limit that the binding must be completed by. My education on that was incomplete it seems. Forgive me for acting so rashly and for bringing company to something so private."

The three male witches were more or less glaring at Tracey. Steven was caught in Stephanie's gaze. "You were highly attracted to what we did last night. Who were you most attracted to?" Stephanie's question to Steven seems rather random and pointless, but she does have a good reason for asking it.

Now it's Steven's turn to look down in embarrassment. "I'm not sure which of you I'm most attracted to. All four of you are incredibly attractive to me, beautiful even. Watching you four make love was incredibly beautiful.

"I know I shouldn't have watched, but once I saw you all together I couldn't look away, I was mesmerized." He looks up briefly with a flash of a pained smile then looks back down. "I wished that I was a part of that. It is obvious that you four care deeply for each other, your love was obvious. I wished that I was a part of that love. If I had known the reason King Tracey had taken me to see you last night, I would have done my best to resist him. I am thankful that I saw something so beautiful, don't doubt that, but, I know that I am not a part of that relationship. I think knowing that I am likely to never know such closeness hurts more than anything."

Stephanie looks at him with her head canted to one side. "What makes you think that you will never be in a relationship like mine? Talon has never been in one either and he is far older than you are, correct?"

Steven gives a bitter laugh, "Most of the warlocks look for strong bloodlines and powerful mages. I am of both, but, my father was relentless in overseeing my studies. He made sure that I didn't have time for such frivolities as being with friends and dating.

"I'm over two hundred years old and have never gone on a date. I have next to no idea how to be around others if it isn't a set situation. I am more than a little uncomfortable around females, at least most of them and wouldn't know how to be around them in social settings. As you very well may have noticed." Steven is more than a little harsh with his words about himself.

He has seen how those among humans and even his own kind form relationships and he has never done so.

"Steven," Stephanie pauses, there had been something in his voice that makes her ache for him. "Not trying to pry here, and you can tell me it's none of my business, because it really isn't, but are you a virgin? There is no shame to you if you are, until last night I was as well. I think you have the right to hold yourself with respect if that is what you wish."

Steven gives her a pained smile, "No, I'm not, but for the most part it wasn't by choice." All in that room shudder. "My father, who is one of the counsel for warlocks, sent me on a mission for protection. It wasn't against hunters, but against other witches. I was in my first century and although strong, not near what I am today, only third level at that time. They concentrated their attacks against me. Some how, some way they were able to get some one to come against me from behind, still not sure that it wasn't a traitor in the ones that I was sent to save. They knocked me out and the people I was protecting were hard pressed to save themselves, but they managed to prevail.

"Unfortunately, my captors weren't so happy with me. They did their best to weaken me through torture and drugs. Sexual assaulting me was just a small part of what they did." Steven can't help the tears that leak from his eyes as he recounts his tale.

"It was a female from those that captured me that snuck in and freed me. She told me that she was sorry for what they've done to me. Told me that she was sorry for what she herself had done to me and that it wasn't right. She gave me an antidote for the drugs they pushed into me and a strength elixir. She was a witch of potions."

"What did she mean, what she herself, did to you?"

"She came to me while I was still in the drug fog and had sex with me. She told me that she had waited a long time to find someone that she felt would be a good father for a child. That she is pregnant with my child and didn't want me killed or further abused.

"Since she was betraying her people by freeing me, she would be leaving as well. I have no idea where she is or even her name. But, I hope that she is well and that our child is healthy and happy."

There is silence in the room once he finishes his story.

Tracey is, surprisingly, the one to break the silence. "How long ago did that incident happen? Perhaps my vampires can help you look for this mystery witch and your child."

"It happened about a century ago." Steven smiles bitterly once more. "Had she wished she could have easily found me, she knew very well who I was, it was part of the reason she wanted me as the father to her child. No, if she has no desire to contact me after all this time, that is her decision and I will respect that. I just wish I knew whether or not my child survived and if it is a male or female. I doubt that it will be a warlock, though, it will likely be a potion witch like she was."

Stephanie hadn't been versed much in the other sub types of witches, she knew what they were, but this statement confuses her. "Why? Why would the child likely be a potion witch and not a warlock?"

"Because, for some reason, when a warlock has a child with a witch of a different subsection, the child takes on the properties of the other type of witch. None of them have ever taken on the warlock tendencies and strengths, ever." Ethan explains to her. "It is one of the reasons they are almost extinct."

"So being a warlock is a recessive gene, huh. Talon, I'm willing to bet that Chase was a warlock or at least his father was one."

Talon smiles, "Yeah, we'd pretty much had come to the same conclusion. They are powerful and so would draw females to them, but they don't talk much about themselves. Chase's mother never even knew his name, all she cared about was the power he emitted."

"Wow, how sad." Stephanie thinks it rather pathetic really, but it wasn't her place to judge and so tries her best to not say anything further.

Steven's words bring her out of her own thoughts. The words are more than a little bitter. "My father believed that he was better than all the others that have gone before him and had several affairs. Not that my mother was any better. They weren't chosen, warlocks don't seem to chose any one person, why settle for one when you can have them all?"

Stephanie looks at him with compassion as he continues. "I have a brother that is a spell caster and two sisters that are potion makers. That's on my father's side. My whore of a mother disappeared some time ago, so I have no idea if she had more or if she is even alive at this point." Stephanie doesn't like just how much hate is in his voice for his mother.

"Why do you hate her so much?"

"Because she left me alone with him!" Ethan goes over to the man and holds him as he lets out the pain and tears he'd held inside for so long.

She doesn't speak aloud, but through the link, "He abused you?"

Steven doesn't speak just nods.

This just strengthens Stephanie's resolve in taking down the corrupt leaders. "Your siblings mother's are they on the council as well?"

Jet asks once Ethan has the distraught man calmed down.

Stephanie smiles at Jet, she very much wants to know the answer to this question as well.

Steven gives a bitter laugh, "But of course, only the most powerful will do for his mangy hide."

"What about your siblings? How do they feel about their parents?" Ethan asks still holding the drained man.

"They don't really have anything to do with my father. When he realized that not even his genes can over come the recessive he turned his back on them, the lucky bastards. As for their relationships with their mothers," Steven shrugs. "I don't have much, if any, interaction with them. Their animosity towards my father has extended towards me as well."

"I don't wish to hurt your siblings any more than necessary, but their mothers are going down as well as your father." Stephanie tells him absently as she thinks about the situation.

She looks up startled at Steven's exclamation, "Good. They are all nothing more than power hungry bastards and bitches. They need to be taken down. My relationship with my family can't be any worse than it already is."

"But still, I would rather try to salvage some form of relationship with them, if possible." Stephanie says thoughtfully.

"I'll go talk to them ahead of time." Jet volunteers. "I'm a council member too, so they should be receptive to talking to me."

This brings Stephanie's eyes to him and he's more than a little shocked to find them filled with anger. "Just how receptive are you going to let things go?"

Jet shakes his head. "I won't have sex with them, love. I won't betray you. It will just be a little chat, that's all."

"You are strong enough that you would attract their attention, Lord Jet. Don't trust anything my sisters give you to eat or drink. I'm not sure that your way of cleansing the compounds from your body would work the same on the potions a witch gives."

"I won't and I'll have the low fire burning any time I'm around them. Any of them including your brother." Jet turns from Steven and faces Stephanie's hurt look that she hides as soon as she can.

Jet pulls her to him. "There isn't any one I want more than you. You will be able to feel through our bond what I'm feeling. If any one is messing with me, you'll be able to tell and you'll be able to feel if I willingly am with another. But since the ceremony is complete, it's almost impossible for me to do so."

"You will take Steven with you." Jet nods and holds Stephanie tighter.

She looks at her three men and talks to them through the mind link. "I want to make him one of my chosen. Will you be able to accept that as well?"

They look at her in resignation. They all had expected it of her after hearing his story. They are all able to tell if someone is lying or under a spell. His story is true and he truly hates his father and is willing to help them.

"I would prefer more time, but that is against us. I will accept him." Talon finally says heavily. They young warlock is surprisingly free of corruption that most warlocks surround themselves in.

Jet and Ethan look at each other and nod. "We will accept him as well," Jet tells Stephanie.

Stephanie looks at the heart broken warlock, "I am going to ask you to do two things. One of them is likely to be very difficult for you to do, and the other will depend on if you are able to do the first."

Steven looks at Stephanie puzzled but nods for her to continue. "I need you to forgive your parents. I know it won't be easy and I know it won't happen immediately, but it isn't for them that I'm asking that, it's for you. The anger and bitterness is already corrupting you and I can't have that in those that are around me the most.

"If you are willing to do so, then I would ask you to be one of my chosen. Of course that would mean that you would also be chosen to these three. We will all understand if you choose to not accept this offer."

There is silence in the tent as Steven is trying to understand just what the hell happened. "You want me to join you as one of your chosen?"

Stephanie gives him a small smile, "Only if you are willing. Like I said, you will also need to accept my chosen and be with them as well."

"If you accept you will need to be with all of us, almost immediately. The time is nearly spent. There won't be time for a loving coming together, it will be hard and fast." Talon warns Steven to prepare him for what will be happening should he accept.

Steven winces, having experienced hard and fast before, unwillingly.

Although, his experiences from the past make him hesitant, the allure of being part of their love outweighs everything else. The hardest part will be forgiving his parents.

"I want to agree, but I'm just not sure how to forgive those bastards for what they did to me."

"For now, just being willing to do so, is enough. Letting go of the hate and anger is the start, but it is a journey. Some are able to make the journey rather quickly others take time. As long as you are working on it, it will suffice," Stephanie assures him.

"Then I would be honored to be one of your chosen, to all of you."

Stephanie smiles softly at him and the others hide their sighs and welcome him as well.

"I'm sorry, we really are cutting things close here." Talon says as he goes over to the young warlock. He kisses him rather hard. Ethan, still at his side joins in.

"What about you, Jet?" Stephanie asks, rather breathlessly. She hadn't expected to be this turned on watching her chosen like that.

"I'll have my turn with him after them. I have the one I want right here." Then the only one watching was Tracey. 

Tracey wishes that he wasn't there since he's having a hard time not joining in himself. When Stephanie gives him a delighted smile he realizes that this is his punishment for what he did the night before.

He tries to look elsewhere but is constantly being drawn back to see, to watch the others.

When Stephanie presents her wrist as Steven is with her, he can't resist and bites her. Already close to losing control her screams of pleasure as she comes, along with Steven's sends him over as well.

"Shit." Tracey says once the haze of pleasure clears.

"Well that was unexpected." The four males look at the vampire king along with Stephanie.

"I will not be your queen, Tracey. Your people wouldn't accept me and you know it."

"I know. I will have to find another to be my beloved."

"She will have to be accepting of us as well. Willing to share you with us," Talon tells him.

"I know," Tracey waves that away as if of no import. "That won't be the problem. What will be the problem, vampires aren't monogamous. We feed as much from sex as we do from blood. We are as likely to feed from sex as we are blood. Any that I take as my queen will expect me to have several that I sleep with as will she. That it will be powerful witches, not a problem. The problem will be that Stephanie will be the one that will accept my choice or not. She is technically my first wife and as such has control over who I can or cannot take to wife, to be my queen."

"That's not a problem, your daughter would very much like the chance, Tracey. She has wanted it for some time. You love her, at least as much as you can, she won't try to kill you and take your spot. She is willing to be bound by your oaths. As long as she can accept me and them, there won't be a problem. Although, I would like to talk to her first."

Silence falls in the tent. While the silence seems to become thicker Stephanie lets down the air barrier and sends clean fresh air through the tent. The scent of sex is strong and since she has no desire for the entire camp to know what they were doing sends it up and high before scattering it.

When she finishes with that she turns to Tracey. "Have you thought about it enough?"

Tracey bows to her. "Yes, my lady. I will have my daughter brought here after you have lunch."