"Aren't you precious?" Natalia says to the child being led into the mansion by Casey.

The child shyly pushes herself into Casey's leg and peers out of her hair at the beautiful lady in front of her. Slowly she goes over to the lady and gives her a smile. Natalia in delight smiles back. "Please, come in all of you." The rag tag group thankful come into the room. The normally roomy vehicle had been a tight fit for them all.  They look around the mansion in awe.

Once they had all entered the door is shut and silently locked. The hunters still retain their weapons so the vampires are careful to not cause any problems until their king deals with it.

"Welcome to my home, ladies and gentlemen." Nikolai says smiling as he enters the hall. He is well pleased with this group. He doubts that there are any more free hunters. If there are they are alone and will be hunted down by the vampires.

"Thank you for welcoming us like this," The oldest replies, she couldn't be more than twenty-five and holds the hand of one toddler and is the spitting image of the girl Natalia had talked to. She is also very obviously pregnant.

"Oh, hunters are always welcome to come in. You might not be allowed to leave though, that will be debatable." Nikolai states in a far more cruel tone than he'd used before.

"Hush, Nikolai. No need to make them fear more than necessary." Natalia reprimands her husband. The hunters draw back in fear, they all know the name of the new vampire king.

"Disrobe and do not touch your weapons." Nikolai says pouting at Natalia's words.

Too tired to even try to fight the hunters do as he says. They fold their clothes up and let their weapons fall unable to touch them due to Nikolai's orders.

"Shit. Place your weapons on top of your clothes." Nikolai orders the correction as the noise from the falling weapons is painful for the vampires.

Some of the children start whimpering at the anger in his voice and the tension in the air.

Nikolai sighs and goes to the children as does Natalia. They talk softly to the children. In no time the children are no longer whimpering or crying. "Go get your knives." Nikolai orders the children and they all do as they are ordered.

"Do you wish to live with us here?" Natalia asks with a warm smile. Nikolai looks at the adults and they shut their mouths without saying anything.

"Yes," the children tell Natalia shyly.

"Then you need to cut your finger so it bleeds." Nikolai instructs and the children do so.

Nikolai and Natalia also make cuts on their hands far more deep than those the children made. They makes sure that each child completes the blood binding. "There, you are allowed to live here. My friends here will be taking you to your rooms. There you will be given baths and clean clothes. After you bathe you will be given food. If you can't eat something then let my friends know and we will makes sure you aren't given it. You will be allowed all the food you want but you must eat slow or you'll be too sick for dessert." At the magic word of dessert the mutinous looks of the children turned to happy ones.

They go off happily with the maids and don't even look back at the adults.

The adults watch shocked as their children disappear up the stairs without even one backward glance. The spokeswoman comes out of her shock first and with tears coming down her face she asks, "What are you going to do with them?"

"They are under my protection for now. When they are of age they will be given the same choices you all will be given now. They can become pets, if they are asked by a vampire, become breeders or become neutered and sold." Nikolai says with a smirk as he turns to face the young woman.

"The rumors are true then?" The woman says weakly. Nikolai is able to reach her side before she falls completely.

He turns to the other hunters, "When was the last time you've all eaten?"

"We've given all our food to the young ones. It's been three days now since we've eaten." 

Nikolai lifts the female into his arms shifting so her weight is more comfortable. "You've all heard my options for you, you need to make your decision by the time I come back."

Nikolai motions for one of the maids to go before him. He follows carrying the unconscious woman. The maid hurries ahead of him and sets a blanket out and he places the female on it. He makes her a sandwich by placing the blanket over the top of her as well. He has the maid stay with her until she wakes up.

He returns to the others in the hall. "Well what have you decided?"

"We will become pets if there is any that will take us."

Nikolai smirks. "None have earned that right at this time." He motions for more maids, "You will follow the maids and give them no problems. As long as all the rules are followed you will be allowed to visit your children and have some freedom. But at the first breaking of the rules by any of you, you all will lose your privileges. If that happens then you will be kept in the cells until you are sterilized and sold. Is that clear?"

"You will be given as pets as my vampires earn the right. Until then those that are able to have children will be expected to become breeders."

Nikolai looks over the exhausted group, "clean up, eat and rest. You will never be forced, so you need not be so tense." At his assurances the group does relax. The vampire is known to be ruthless but totally honest.

Nikolai watches as they leave. Natalia comes up to him. "It's now in their best interest to become part of us. Look at them they are starving to death. The woman is close to losing her baby, I'm not sure that I'll be able to save it."

"You could if you fed her your blood," Natasha says softly.

"You want me to take another pet?" Nikolai looks down at his wife with a half smile on his lips and amusement dancing in his eyes.

Natalia shrugs, "I don't like seeing them suffer unnecessarily."

"If she chooses then I'll take her. Have you decided who you want me to take as my mistress?"

Natalia sneers, "No, none of them match up to Samantha. I realize that it's selfish of me, but I wish she was still your mistress."

"She's happy as Sebastian's mate."

"I know, that's why I said it was selfish of me."

"I don't have to have one, but a good mistress will take some of your duties off of you. Once our child arrives it will make it hard for you to take care of everything."

"I'll figure it out, somehow."

"Of course you will." Nikolai nuzzles her neck.

A noise from the direction of the living room where Nikolai had taken the hunter makes them both look. Nikolai immediately stops his play and turns serious. "The others are cleaning up, eating and resting. You will be as well once you give me your answer."

"The children?" The woman is desperate for information.

"They are fine and will be under my protection until they are of age and make their own decision. You've been given the options, now what is your decision?"

The woman lets tears fall and kneels awkwardly before the vampire leaders. "I will become a pet."

Nikolai smiles victoriously. The hunters don't even pretend to fight it anymore they are completely broken.

"You will become my pet. Go with this maid now. She will assist you. You are to bathe completely, take as long as you wish. After that you are to eat. You can eat as much as you wish, but you must eat slowly or you'll be sick. If that happens I'll be angry, you don't want me angry." The woman shakes her head rapidly which causes her to lose her balance. Immediately the maid grabs onto her to steady her.

"The maid will give you a list of rules. If you follow those rules you will be able to see and play with the children. If you, however, break these rules then you will be punished. The others have been told this as well."

"Thank you master," the woman says simply.

"After you eat you will rest. Only then will I take you as my pet."

"Master?" The woman dares to speak.

"Yes?"

"The others, what did they decide?"

"They chose as you did, but there is no one that has earned the right to have a hunter as a pet. So until that right has been earned they will remain unattached, but part of the breeding program."

"Nikolai, she's worried about her baby." Natalia chides him for not saying anything.

"My apologies, your baby is in serious health danger. I can save it, I think, but it will require you drinking of my blood. That is the main reason I'll be taking you on as my pet. Once you either miscarry if my blood fails, or you have the child if it works, you will be allowed to raise him or her unless you break my rules. If that should happen you'll lose the privilege of raising your child and you will be whipped. Do I make myself clear?"

Natalia gives Nikolai a dirty look. "Ass, she's already near her limits, there is no reason for you to treat her like this."

"You are safe, the children are safe. Don't break the rules and it will remain that way, alright?" Natalia says to the woman.

"Thank you mistress, you are very kind, as are you master. I will follow the rules."

She is helped up and taken to her new room, there she is scrubbed, fed and allowed to sleep. She barely makes it to the bed before falling unconscious.