Xander's POV:

I raced up to my parents' floor, stopping about 20 feet away from the doors so I wouldn't crash into them, but kept the momentum to run at a human speed and push through the doors.

"Sorry!" I exclaimed while all eyes fell onto me.

Some... nicer than others.

Mom and Nico were on opposite pages when it came to my tardiness, my dad somewhere in the middle.

My mother spoke up first, thank god.

"Where've you been?" She asked simply.

I appreciated the light and wondering tone over what it could have been.

Being late -surprisingly- wasn't a habit I'd gained, so they had to know that this was an accident.

I'd gotten close many times but usually manage to make it work.

"I just lost track of time is all," I responded truthfully enough, hurriedly skittering over to my seat.

I sent my mom an apologetic look once I was down, seeing her wave it off and shake her head in a 'don't worry about it' sort of way.

Looking directly across from me, I could already feel the tension forming in Nico and subsequently dad.

Well, food looked good at least.

Right as I started to dig in, my father began.

"Now that you boys are here, there's something we need to discuss."

Yeah. Called it.

"The treaty that Alexander revised made it to the pack at the northern border. The leader there read it and sent back a response that he's willing to sign off on it, so," He turned to face Nico, "I need you to travel up there 10 days from now and sign it on my behalf."

I'm sure I failed to hide my wince at his words, immediately knowing how this conversation was about to go.

Of all of us why Nico?

Dad knew Nico's thoughts about that pack. We all did.

I had assumed that was why he had me write up the treaty.

Although, they did have a knack for putting Nico through things that would eventually benefit him once he became the lord... They never put us in these uncomfortable situations for no reason.

"No," Was Nico's cold, final response.

I know that I was expecting it, but the sound caused me to tighten.

His tone was once the one he'd use to handle... me back in Bronwyn's territory.

Hearing it again compared to that heart-to-heart talk we had a few nights back was an interesting comparison now that the tone wasn't directed at me.

"Nicolas," Dad warned, causing me to look at the side opposing him to my mom to see if I could read where she stood in the conversation.

She was the only one they'd both listen to when they got in their little quarrels.

Her face was... unreadable, just one of attention, sipping at the blood in her crystalline glass, eyes shifting depending on who was speaking.

"You have to be kidding me," Nico cut in, "I don't understand why you still keep them around when all they do is terrorize and slaughter our citizens. They've found loopholes in the treaties for hundreds of years and I doubt they're gonna stop here."

We turned to look at each other, sending me a solid 'no offense' look with his eyes alone.

Yeah no that's fair.

I couldn't say that Nico was wrong here, but the loopholes didn't always include our citizens and the like.

"Well, when you're a Lord you'll have the power to make those kinds of choices, but since you won't make the effort to take my place, then you can wait." Dad concluded, "Now if you're finished arguing, you are to leave late in the evening of the 15th."

I still couldn't understand how Nico thought that fighting against dad was a good idea when he, more often than not, had to do what was instructed of him anyways.

I relaxed a bit in my seat, chomping down on more of my lunch and absently turning back towards my mother.

Nearly jumping out of my seat when I noticed her now staring right back at me, eyes narrowed, but not in a way that looked like a glare.

Again, completely unreadable.

God, she's always been so good at that.

If she didn't want you to know what she was thinking, then you never will.

I just blinked at her, Nico and my dads' argument continuing in the background.

Something about dad telling Nico why bringing Khloe is a terrible idea.

Mom's gaze then began slowly looking me over, an equally slow curious raise of her brows following not long after

My stomach sank, almost dropping my fork as soon as the realization dawned on me.

Oh shit... Doe's scent was covering me.

I quickly tried to recall where exactly the scent would be as if I didn't have her pressed against the wall and the answer was simply: Everywhere that could possibly be suspicious, and then some.

My sense of smell was very direct and precise now that I was back in our territory, so I couldn't imagine how much more information hers was giving her right now.

What if she could smell Doe on my breath?

I stopped breathing and tuned into my own senses for a brief moment, both that and my eyes flicking to Nico.

In my defense, I could smell Khloe on him too.

Even though it wasn't nearly as strong as mine was given that I was pressed up against her not even 10 minutes ago.

And Nico actually thought these sorts of things through.

What was mom going to think of this?

There's no way she would immediately guess the right answer. Some of the wrong answers may even make me look worse than what was really going on but still...

I looked back, already knowing that I was going to fail from the look on her face alone.

Trying to copy her and not show my panic, or if it was showing try to blame it on the fact that my dad and brother were arguing.

Then, getting drawn back to the conversation, her brows furrowed and her attention turned towards Nico after he insisted he could protect Khloe from the vampires there.

"I'm sure you can, but you shouldn't have to," She said in her typical calm demeanor.

Nico met her look, surprised that she stepped in and seemingly took a side.

She continued her reasoning, "Those vampires are more in tune with the stealth aspect of our species than the vampires here are and won't hesitate to try to steal a taste from a pet, even if she belongs to a prince."

Really?

I mean, even if I was the one to go, I would absolutely leave Doe here.

I suppose I hadn't thought about why that was, but mom did make sense.

Fresh human blood was undoubtedly the one we liked the most, and the vampires there couldn't get a lot of it...legally.

She sounded relatively knowledgeable about them.

"Well, they can't do that legally, right? Isn't that in the treaty?" Nico asked, bringing all six eyes directly to me.

Why the hell would I have included pets in the treaty? What did they have to do with anything?

The whole point of the treaty was to keep them in their spot and have us stay out of theirs.

"Was it supposed to?"

Nico visibly slumped.

"I solidified what already existed about pets on our territory, but I didn't add anything about pets in theirs," I explained.

Maybe there was still some time for some minor tweaks that Nico can add once he goes.

Silence took over the room, Nico realizing that he'd lost this battle.

The rest of the meal was... less tense than it could have been, though the constant sight of my mother's stare in my periphery definitely had an effect on my composure.

~~~

"Aye Nico," I called out, running to catch up with him.

Now that I was somewhat clear of mind and in agreeance with my instincts, I wanted to do a little bit of digging on the topic that's been chewing at the back of my brain.

And thankfully, prior events have given me the perfect opportunity to do so without leading on that I was accusing anything.

The thought of him and Khloe possibly having feelings for each other just sounded too good to be true, but a couple of things just weren't adding up.

"I figured we were headed to the same place," I said as soon as I was by his side.

With it being the blood moon and all, I knew he didn't have anything else to do other than hang out with Khloe.

"You going to your pet?" He asked, leaving me to respond with a simple nod.

"Yup! And speaking of pets," I repeatedly poked my elbow into his arm ready to put my plan into action, "I saw Khloe and Marcus hookin up earlier."

I, of course, wasn't expecting any big reaction.

This was Nico after all, and even he had the capability to keep some larger feelings hidden.

The way his brows made a crease between them before one of them rose was just enough to keep my curiosity going.

"Hooking up?" He repeated with a flat tone that immediately showed doubt.

Okay, maybe not 'hooking up' but something close enough.

After a bit of a stretch in reasoning, but that wasn't the point I was trying to get at right now.

Mom happened to get me all flustered about it with just a look, so I kind of wanted to see how Nico would get.

"Yeah dude. They were totally holding hands and then got real embarrassed when I asked them about it- Well Marcus did longer than Khloe did... Then she called me out for being late for lunch." I drifted off.

That smile that rose on his face was one I'd seen before but was usually pointed at me.

Nico wasn't one for jealousy the way I was, mostly because of that confidence thing he described to me earlier, so I was taking his pride as an answer in itself.

Or at least a hint.

I kept going.

"But yeah dude, Marcus tried to play it off as him just leading her somewhere but I dunno they might be into each other," I said the last part in a teasing sing-song voice.

Nico got comfy, sticking his hands into his pockets and replying with a very matter-of-fact, "I highly doubt it."

"Oh yeah? Why?"

Nice Xander. Totally nonchalant.

"I don't think Marcus is all that into women." he deadpanned.

My posture straightened, masking most of my surprise.

"What? Really!?" my voice didn't mask it at all.

That may be somewhat true, but...

"I'm pretty sure," Nico replied with a smirk, "But even if he was into girls, I feel like Doe would be more his type."

I felt something in me stop before something else entirely started back up again after a long rest.

That pestering about her and Marcus that was always present whenever he was brought up or in sight with her.

Especially now... after I told her that I needed her and she embraced what with nothing but welcoming.

That discomfort began showing as a dull sting in the center of my chest, treating just the mention of his name- the thought of him being interested in Doe in that way as a threat.

As if he was going to take her from me.

No no no no not again...!

"Really?" I questioned quietly, that sting quickly turning into a stab at the sudden need for clarification from Doe herself.

Clarification that she felt for me what I was feeling for her.

Dammit... there had to be another way right?

Another stab, giving me the last answer that I wanted.

Nothing but a confirmation or a denial would fix this.

No, come on! Right after I got a moment of peace with my own instincts this happens again?!

I should have known the answer she gave me that night would only be temporary, but I guess I just expected it to be longer than that!

Nico shrugged through my internal panic.

"I don't know, Xan, but I do know that he's not Khloe's type. Doe seems like she'd be into blondes though."

His words, even though I asked for them, made it worse, staging this more and more like competition between Marcus and me.

I knew that I had very little reason to suspect Marcus of anything and yet I couldn't kick this issue from my mind.

He was a respectable, kind, and dependable individual. More so than I've been able to be to her throughout the time we've gotten to know each other.

And I think that's exactly the reason why I felt this way.

But I needed to hear it from her.

As much as I didn't want to, as much as the fear of her rejection spread throughout my being, it was the only solution to this problem that I only had myself to blame for.

This was meant to get Nico to give me hints about him and Khloe, how did it turn into this?

I swallowed in a dry throat, trying to head Nico's words from that night, and face this before the feeling inside me gets any worse.

My fingertips already trembled, heart pounding wildly and chest twisting in preparation.

"You know what? On second thought, I think I'll just meet you there."