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Chapter Text

After all my speculations and worries I am happy to report that Remus actually came up with an excellent birthday idea. We will be visiting the old graveyard. Of course since it is Remus, he insists upon going in the middle of the night, but I suppose I can let him have that much considering the many fascinating things I could learn.
I very much look forward to it.
…

This was all Remus’ fault-

“What are you doing?” Remus whispered as they crouched in the brook under the bridge where they’d sought refuge.
“Making sure that if they find our corpses, they know that this was your idea. I should never have continued this visit once it was clear that you didn’t get permission to come here,” Logan hissed.
Remus bringing him through an opening in the fencing had been a dead give away. Sadly, the late hour and Logan’s curiosity had impacted his critical thinking and he had figured that at worst they would be trespassed.
He was wrong.
When Logan had been studying one of the many intricately designed stones marking victims of the plague they’d heard someone coming. It had been a young man, maybe mid-twenties, who was weaving his way through the headstones. “You don’t belong here,” he’d announced before dropping to all fours, Logan hadn’t stayed any longer than that and started running.
Leaving him now sitting in a brook with soaked pants (from the water, he had not yet lost control of his blader, he retained that much of his dignity) and a pounding heart, certain he was being hunted by someone suffering from clinical lycanthropy and that he might not survive the encounter judging by the growling and howling they heard nearby.
At some point they’d managed to create distance and hide.
“Okay… Not my brightest idea. If we survive this, I’ll buy you dinner for a month,” Remus promised.
“If…” Logan sighed. Suddenly he realized he didn’t hear the howling anymore. He did not think he was lucky enough to have their pursuer lose interest. He didn’t see anything to his left, he slowly turned his head to the right, Remus’ eyes widened in realization and he followed his example.
Logan gasped when he realized that before him he didn’t see a man on all fours. It was a wolf. A big, black wolf that was salivating heavily through his gleaming teeth and glaring at them. They were so dead…
Then they heard a whistle, the wolf looked up and Logan saw something shimmering around his neck, a collar? The wolf whined and another whistle came. Then he looked at Logan and Remus, growled in what almost seemed a warning tone and got back up to the path above.
“I know dear, you are a very good boy,” a bemused, melodious voice chuckled as the wolf whined. Probably upset he didn’t get to tear Logan and Remus to pieces.
“Please, come up. Virgil knows not to harm guests,” the voice assured them. Logan couldn’t think of anything else to do. They weren’t eaten. So they should climb up and meet this man and his very large dog. Maybe it hadn’t been a wolf, maybe Logan had just been scared… When they got up they found a handsome man standing next to the guy they’d seen running at them earlier. That one was probably Virgil then. He was wearing some kind of dog ear headband from the looks of it and a fake wolf tail as well as a collar very similar to the one Logan had noticed on the wolf… Dog?
Either this was a kink thing, or this was a strategy to make scared trespassers think they were chased by a wolf in the dark.
If the later it had been very effective. Logan was generally a very composed and rational person. But he had been fully convinced that there’d been a wolf in front of him.
“Nice fit,” Remus grinned, deciding on the kink option, clearly.
The man growled again, he was very good at mimicking canine vocalizations, but stopped when the other man tugged at his collar with a finger. “Now don’t make me get the muzzle dear,” he warned gently. Maybe it was a bit of a kink thing?
“My apologies sir,” Virgil offered, lowering his head, like a dog that had been scolded. The one in charge affectionately ruffled his hair and Logan saw to his astonishment that Virgil’s tail started wagging.
How did he manage that? And why?
“Now, let’s get our guests some dry clothes and some food, shall we?” the man in charge offered before looking at the two friends and nodding to the bridge.
Logan and Remus turned and saw that in their panicked rush to get away, they’d somehow looped around and rather than heading towards the city, had ended up at the start of the long, winding path to the Pryor mansion.
“I insist you join us for dinner and stay at my home,” the melodious voice of what appeared to be its current owner stated. Logan looked at his host just as a ray of moonlight broke past the clouds, highlighting the pale skin, notably elongated and pointy ears, the red eyes and the gleaming fangs in the charming smile. Meanwhile next to him his canine inclined companion had his hears folded back and his tail was no longer wagging…
What?

art by @skeletinmoss

Chapter Text

Tonight has been… Illuminating. I have thought my life would meet a violent end no less than three times tonight. The first time when Virgil, the captain, found us on his master’s territory. The second time when I found out our host was a vampire…
That is still something I am struggling to process. So perhaps I should write out the events as they happened.
Virgil caught us and chased us through the grounds. We did what we could to avoid him and in doing so ended up running back around towards the castle rather than the road which we should have been going for. When we were found by Virgil, he appeared to us as a wolf. Then he was whistled away by the master of the castle and when we faced them, he was in human form again. I concluded that the panic and the moonlit night had allowed my imagination to get the best of me. But then… Slowly the truth became harder to deny.

“Well? Will you be my guests?” their host asked curiously.
He was wearing a long red coat, underneath it seemed to be a white shirt and some sort of purple scarf. He looked very formal and put together. Virgil on the other hand was wearing a leather jacket over a black button up on top of dark jeans with chains hanging from them.
Standing next to each other the were a curious pair, even disregarding their physical anomalies.

Logan cleared his throat. A trick of the light, some form of albinism, cosmetic alterations. There were many explanations that fit eccentric castle owners that didn’t involve imaginary characters.
“We would be honored to accept your invitation. I am Logan Berry and this is my friend Remus Greene,” Logan offered. For a moment he thought he saw some sort of golden gleam in the pale man’s eyes. But that couldn’t be right.
“I apologize for our intrusion, I merely wished to study the historic graveyard for academic interest, I realized too late that my friend hadn’t gotten permission to walk the grounds at his preferred time frame,” Logan explained, sending Remus a glare.
“I didn’t know people still lived here,” Remus argued.
“Did you think to ask the locals?” Logan pointed out.
“I… No,” Remus admitted. They’d only been living here for a few months and were not entirely familiar with the ins and outs of the town and it’s rich history. Logan had moved here because he wished to write his doctorate on said history and Remus had followed him because he couldn’t afford an apartment by himself.
They had spotted the castle upon arrival and Logan had known that it was the ancestral home of the local nobility. He’d thought that the family had been whipped out during the plague that struck this region ages ago. So this gentleman had to be a descendant of a cousin of that family that hadn’t lived in the area at the time and had been put in charge of the estate when the plague ran its course.
There had to be fascinating stories in that castle.
And Logan was willing to ignore the tension in his gut to learn all about them. He was probably still on edge due to the adrenaline. He was on a moonlit path to an old castle with individuals that seemed to enjoy Halloween year round and clearly had the funds to have high quality costumes. Once they were in the light of the castle, he would see things more clearly.
And maybe having some food in him would help as well.
“That is quite alright. Please, follow us. I am Roman Pryor,” the host offered with a small bow. It would seem that he was indeed a descendant of a survivor, and that he was raised with the old fashioned etiquette. This might be a very pleasant and informative visit after all.
 “I am entrusted with the honor of watching over my family home and their lands here, though these days that mostly means I am allowed to do the fundraising for the town,” he joked gently. “Democracy and all that,” he explained with a handwave. “Well, let’s go. I am starving,” mister, or Lord, Pryor announced, Logan thought he saw Virgil tremble slightly at that announcement, but other than that he seemed to be equally eager to head back inside.
“You are the master’s guests. So you are under my protection so long as you behave. If you are a threat to him or the staff, nothing, not even his favor is going to keep me from dealing with you,” he warned.
“Always so serious, mon capitaine,” mister Pryor cooed teasingly, before leading the way. Virgil indicated that Logan and Remus should follow and he walked behind them.
During the walk Logan took deep breaths and tried to rationalize. Surely Virgil hadn’t been chasing them with the intent to injure much less kill them. He saw trespassers and gave chase. That was perfectly reasonable. Everything else had been Logan’s mind interpreting limited data in the most frighteningly possible way.
But why did his heart refuse to settle? His entire body was ready to run it seemed.
“Are you good Logan?” Remus whispered, eyes darting between their host in front and their watcher in the back.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Logan huffed.
“Ah, still in denial then. No problem, take your time,” Remus reassured him.
Ridiculous.
Mister Pryor was humming something as he led the way up the path, every so often, they passed by a lamppost. From the looks of it they were electrical but they looked like old fashioned oil lanterns. “Are these custom made?” Logan wondered.
“The lampposts? Oh they are the original ones that were installed by my grandfather a long time ago. I paid good money to convert them to electric lighting… When was it Virgil?” Mister Pryor asked.
“Late forties, early fifties. Something like it,” Virgil mused. That… Couldn’t be right… Right?
“Right! After the second great war I felt like the place could use some sprucing up so I started renovations.
A fresh start. I should have remembered you hadn’t been around for that long yet. In fact, I think you joining us was one of the reasons I wanted better lighting on the path so you could always find your way home. You so enjoyed having the run of the grounds,” Mister Pryor recalled fondly.
“I was still a kid,” Virgil shrugged.
“True,” the master of the land chuckled. Surely this was a bit… Something they did for tourists… Remus likely had set this up. Yes that made sense.
“And there we are,” he announced as they arrived at the castle. The doors opened and a man who looked to be the same age as Mister Pryor and the same… Excentric looks, opened the heavy wooden doors.
“Young lord Roman, I see the captain has found us some guests. What might be the nature of their visit?” the man wondered.
“It was just a misunderstanding Emile. They will be staying for a bit as we clear things up,” mister Pryor promised.
Behind Logan, Virgil let out an audible sigh of relief.
“I think the captain was not aware of your plans,” Emile smiled.
He seemed very warm and affectionate for what appeared to be a butler.
Mister Pryor turned to Virgil, or the captain, apparently. “Did I worry you?” he asked, endeared it seemed.
Logan looked at the man who’d chased them and saw him stand in a militaristic pose. “I apologize master. I did not mean to doubt your judgement,” he stated formally.
Mister Pryor chuckled. “It is alright Virgil. Your caution has saved my life a hand full of times already,” he said before turning to Emile.
“Would Remy be able to whip something up for our guests?” he asked.
“He will be delighted I am sure. And I shall fetch them both a fresh pair of pants, if you would follow me gentlemen?” Emile smiled before bowing and leading them through the impressive hallway. Here too everything seemed frozen in time at first glance, but upon closer inspection it was clearly renovated and modernized… Wait… Why wasn’t there a reflection for Mister Pryor in the large antique mirror…?
Logan shook his head. Special effects no doubt. This was definitely some sort of prank pulled by Remus. That made even more sense actually. Obviously the wolf was a trained animal and Virgil had been standing there the entire time sending it out of sight. Of course Logan wouldn’t have thought to go look for the wolf right away. He should have, but the ears and the tail and the collar had thrown him off a lot.
They exchanged their pants in the lavish bathroom and were led back to the hallway where their hosts were waiting for them.
Logan looked around the entrance and spotted an oil painting depicting what appeared to be mister Pryor and presumably his parents. He’d had many a night where he binge watched restoration of old paintings and he’d learned enough to see that this painting was aged to look like it was a good half century old.
“Yeah, I should get it restored again, I am just always worried that I’ll trust the wrong person and end up damaging it…” Mister Pryor admitted. He was committed to the role Remus gave him.
“Dinner is served mylord. I hope a steak dinner will suit your guests,” Emile announced, coming from a set of doors on the left of the hallway.
“Steak?” Virgil said, his entire body, including the canine parts, indicating interest and even excitement.
“Steak will do just fine, thank you,” Logan said, Remus nodded. “As long as we aren’t the steak,” he added. Logan rolled his eyes. Remus would likely insist that this was real until Logan either proved it was a prank, or until Logan ‘fell for it’. The later would be much easier. Logan was too tired and not in the mood to drive himself crazy poking holes in this joke Remus had obviously put all his effort in. Seriously if he applied himself like this to other things in life as well he’d have a triple doctorate by now.
“Excellent, then please, come to the dining room,” Emile bid.
“Of course, my darling Captain is hungry. And so am I,” Mister Pryor smiled, playfully tugging at Virgil’s collar. Logan would have to find out what Remus paid them to do this in front of strangers.
The dining room was just as exquisite and luxuriously decorated as the hall and there were three places set. Mister Pryor took place at the head of the table, Virgil sat at his right while Logan and Remus were sat across from each other, Logan next to  Virgil with one space in between them.
“Mister Pryor…” Logan started, but he was interrupted by a growl from Virgil his ears falling flat.
“It is Lord Pryor. Or lord Roman if you don’t mind,” Mister… Lord Pryor offered.
“Apologies… Lord Pryor, the reason I was at the graveyard was to do research on the plague related to that gravesite. I would greatly appreciate any additional information you might have for me on the subject,” he explained eagerly.
Lord Pryor offered a tight smile. “As long as you are my guests it would be my honor to provide you with the information you need to sate your curiosity,” he promised. “Though the subject is of a… Sensitive nature to me and my staff, as I am sure you will understand,” he added.
“Of course,” Logan nodded. If this man was genuinely related to the family then he still might have information that could be useful to Logan’s thesis.
“Please, eat,” Lord Pryor insisted. Logan looked down and found that there was a delicious looking steak in front of him. That hadn’t been there a moment ago. He knew that well trained staff in such an estate was taught to move as though they weren’t there. But this was beyond what he’d ever imagined possible.
He took a bite and his eyes widened. He looked up to complement the food and then was taken aback. He knew there were different ways to eat a steak, but Virgil’s was quite literally still bleeding…
“So, milord,” Remus said as Logan was trying to remind himself that this was just part of the game. Surely.
“Do you often eat dinner in the middle of the night?” he asked. Good point. It was midnight when they arrived. Most people had already eaten.
“Well, it is feeding day, so Virgil could use the extra nutrients,” Roman shrugged, Virgil blushed and focused a bit more on his dinner.
Right he was supposedly a vampire and Virgil was meant to be a werewolf and… When he said feeding he couldn’t mean…
“Are you ready dearest one?” Lord Pryor wondered.
Virgil had easily torn through his steak and whipped is mouth before nodding.
He got up from his chair and unbuttoned the top few buttons on his shirt, while his lord sat back. Logan stared with a bite halfway to his mouth while Remus was barely holding it together.
Virgil settled in his supposed employer’s lap and tilted back his head, eyes closed, chest rising and falling slowly. The lord, meanwhile, licked his lips as he pushed at the neckline and… Bit down, humming in approval… Remus dropped something and cursed Logan was dumbfounded. Surely he wasn’t really… But when the well-dressed lord pulled back several deadly silent minutes later there was blood trickling down which he licked up. “Such a good boy,” he teased.
Logan’s rational thought went out the window, seeing blood on the lord’s fangs had his survival instinct take over and he leapt from his seat and turned to rush out. He didn’t see that there was something behind him. In his defense, that something was translucent. When he stepped through there went a bone chilling feeling through him, he looked back and saw a specter of a young woman holding up a pitcher of some liquid as though she’d just maneuvered it out of the way of his escape route… She was see through, and talking and too real to be special effects… The room went black.

Chapter Text

My panic was an instinctive fear of the natural predator of the human race finally overpowering my attempts to rationalize the situation. I likely would have still been rationalizing what I saw, if not for the fact that Remus didn’t admit to the prank when I came to. I am now writing this from the room we were given after a more in debt introduction to the castle’s lord and his staff.

Logan groaned as he came to. “Oh dear. I hope he is alright,” an airy feminine voice fretted.
“He will be fine Ellie, he is not even concussed,” the deep melodic voice of Lord Pryor assured her.
“Guess he finally realized that it’s not his imagination or a prank,” Remus noted, almost nervously.
“Do you make a habit of making him believe he is about to die?” Virgil wondered curtly.
“I gotta say I’m flattered he thinks I could put this all together,” his friend admitted.
“Gosh, poor guy. I remember I was a bit freaked out when you showed me you were a wolf,” a new, tenor voice mused.
“You were like twelve Thomas. This guy is an adult, he should get a grip,” Virgil huffed.
“I think he’s coming to his senses,” Lord Pryor announced.
Logan opened his eyes to find Remus, the Lord, Emile the butler, Virgil, the ghost girl and another young man with canine features looking down at him.
“Rems,” Logan said evenly. “Yeah Lo?” Remus asked.
“Are we in a castle with vampires, werewolves and ghosts?” he asked.
“Yeah, I wish I could take credit man. That would be insane to pull this off. But this is all real. Which is pretty cool if you think about it,” Remus offered. Logan would have to see about that considering at least four of the people in this castle considered him dinner. And though the lord of the castle had opted to feed off of the werewolf so that was maybe one less person who might eat him… If it were not for the possibility of being on the menu for breakfast tomorrow, he’d be quite intrigued.
But he could not reasonably take the chance just out of curiosity. Still, outwardly stating that he was planning his escape was ill advised. If they were planning to eat him tonight (or at all, he was open to the option that he and Remus were not appetizing to them for any reason, it had his preference,) they hadn’t taken the opportunity while he was unconscious. So he assumed that with the lord freshly fed, the butler not looking too hungry and the wolves also provided with a meal, he’d be safe for tonight.
“Do you think you can stand?” the host, their captor, inquired pleasantly. Logan had to admit, if they were food, he was very cordial about it.
“Yes,” he confirmed as he got up.
“I am so terribly sorry sir, I did not intend to scare you. Please do forgive me,” the young maid pleaded.
“It is quite alright. I am the one who ran through you. I apologize if that was unpleasant or impolite,” he offered. The ghost relaxed, as did the captain.
“It is quite alright sir. I shall get back to my duties, mylord,” the ghost bid before sinking through the floor.
“Well, introductions, once again. I am lord Roman Pryor. My father was lord of this castle during the terrible illness you were so curious about. The graveyard you were so interested in was actually made by me shortly after I got turned. I had fallen prey to the illness as well. My parents had already passed away and Emile had gone to find a doctor. He instead found a vampire who saved my life, and then, upon Emile’s plea, taught me how to turn him as well so he could stay at my side. Most of the staff are ghosts of staff members or villagers that passed away at that time, it rotates. Apparently they didn’t feel like leaving me behind.” The lord fondly rolled his eyes. “My parents also visit from time to time. There are three members of staff who haven’t been around quite that long that you might interact with, occasionally we get temporary staff when someone in town dies but doesn’t want to move on, this many spirits kind of attracts them. There is Remy, our cook. And of course our captain Virgil, and his friend Thomas,” he explained. “Also security. Though he helps out Emile too. Virgil, is mine,” he added a bit smugly. Virgil nodded a faint blush peaking under the markings under his eyes.
“Don’t worry. Virgil only hunted you guys cuz you weren’t supposed to be here. He probably wouldn’t have killed you unless you did something stupid,” Thomas offered. “We prefer wild game like dear and boars and stuff. Humans are… Well, I used to be human, so it still feels cannibalistic to me, and no offense, but there really isn’t all that much good meat to eat anyway,” Thomas offered.
“Yeah, Lo is a stick and I’m pretty sure I would give you food poisoning,” Remus giggled.
That, was reasonable…
“Between me and Virgil we keep Roman and Emile fed, so don’t worry. And again. If they wanted to eat you they’d have to keep you on a diet for like a week. They are very picky about quality,” Thomas offered.
“And they wouldn’t drain you anyway. That only happens when a vampire’s been starved for like a year,” he added.
“Thomas, remember to breathe,” Virgil scolded teasingly.
Thomas’ ears perked up in realization and his tail stopped wagging. “Sorry, guess I got excited to meet new people… But it’s good to know isn’t it?” he asked.
“Yes, I suppose given young Logan’s reaction, it would be wise,” Roman allowed.
He helped Logan up and then held his hand up. “I pledge to you, no injury or danger will befall you as long as you are my guests,” he swore, there was that golden gleam again. Did that mean that his promises were binding? That would be a comfort.
“Ehm, thank you, Lord Pryor” he offered.
“Please, Lord Roman is quite fine,” the vampire lord insisted.
“I’ll take them to their room,” Virgil offered as he walked past the group. “Don’t be too long dear captain,” Lord Roman insisted sweetly. Virgil turned and bowed. “Of course my lord,” he promised before beckoning the humans to follow him.
They walked in silence for a  little while.
“Ask,” Remus insisted. “What?” Logan huffed defensively.
“One of the three million questions you have you dummy,” Remus elaborated with rolling eyes.
He had a point. Curiosity was eating away at him. “How does a werewolf come into the… Service, of a vampire?” he finally asked. From what little he knew of vampire and werewolf lore, the two were usual enemies.
“We call ourselves wolves, the whole werewolf thing is… It misrepresents. The only part the phases of the moon play in our lives is almost more cultural than biological. As you may have noticed, I was a wolf tonight and the moon is waxing,” he pointed out.
“I lost my pack as a pup, Lord Roman found me and took me in. Wolves age faster than humans do, within a year I was pretty much an adult and started working for him as his guard and feeding him. You could say that we found places where clan dynamics and pack dynamics overlap. It is not unusual for pack members to offer some of their food to their leader. In the master’s case that just happens to mean giving him my blood. We can handle losing a few pints pretty regularly. Roman is better fed than most vampires thanks to that fact. While a human would need three months to recover from feeding a vampire. I’ll need a good nap and a big breakfast,” Virgil explained.
“Here’s your room. Do me a favor and don’t leave it until after we all have gotten some sleep. I’m not the most dangerous thing that might travel the forests at night and if he finds you while I’m napping, my lord will be very upset. And no matter how much I’d love to get Him in trouble, it would not be worth my master’s self-loathing if he unintentionally broke his promise,” Virgil explained before looking each of them in the eye sternly. “So do not, do anything stupid,” he warned. Then he closed the door.
Logan grabbed a pillow from the nearby chaise and threw it at Remus.
“What was that for?” Remus demanded taken aback.
“For whatever you were about to say. Our… Hosts have far sharper ears than you are used to, so if you must be crass, do it in writing,” Logan insisted as he took out his cell phone. It seemed like he had a surprisingly good connection over here. Not just for calls but his data seemed to be on full bars as well.
He got a message. “I bet they are banging,” Remus’ text informed him. Logan rolled his eyes and went back to his pondering. They didn’t know anyone in the city. And anyone they knew at home wouldn’t be able to get help to them in a timely manner. Not to mention he had no proof that they were in danger. And he couldn’t even explain what had him worried for their safety without sounding insane.
He could try the authorities but a quick google search showed that that might not be an easy task.
“What’s so interesting?” Remus wondered, taking a break from spamming every dirty joke he could think off regarding their warden.
“I looked up our host’s name and it seems that the town is under the impression that ever since they plague, the Pryor family has a tendency to drop dead at a young age but always just in time for the newest eldest son to take up the mantel of head of the house. The family is private despite being in charge of throwing many events. They also have a longstanding close bond with the government of the area,” Logan informed him. Meaning that they’d likely get the benefit of the doubt. But still it might get him and Remus out of the castle…
“Lol so the lordship dude pretends to be his own son but there’s never a wife huh?” Remus chuckled.
“It would seem so,” Logan nodded.
“We should get some rest,” he decided. They wouldn’t be eaten tonight, and he didn’t want to take the risk that Virgil was honest about other hunters being out there in the woods waiting for them should they make a run for it tonight. Not to mention, they had a better chance sneaking away with some rest.
“Sure, those beds look cozy,” Remus grinned as he picked up the night shirt that was laid ready on one of the beds. They both got changed and laid down in the admittedly excellent beds. Logan wrote in his journal what happened that day and finished with: “If anyone finds this and this was my last entry, I tried to leave in the morning,” he put his journal under his pillow, set an alarm for sunrise and went to sleep.
When his alarm went off he quickly shut it down and got up to get changed, he shook Remus awake in a hurry.
Remus was disoriented and bleary eyed but followed Logan’s lead.
If Logan was right, then it should be safe to travel the halls and grounds now. It was no longer night, but hopefully still to early for the guard wolves to be up. He carefully opened the door, grateful that the staff apparently did not allow for squeaky hinges. He imagined it was unpleasant for the sensitive ears of their lord and their protectors.
Logan led Remus in the opposite direction from where they’d come the previous day. Sneaking out through the main hall was the worst possible strategy. But they might find a servants exit in the back. It took some searching and one or two close calls with passing ghosts but they found themselves outside.
“Will you tell me what we are doing?” Remus whispered as they traveled a path that should lead to the edge of the property.
“We are getting out before our hosts decide we might suit their pallet after all,” Logan whispered.
His heart skipped a beat when he saw a gate at the end of their path. And it was open.
“There it is,” Logan said as he grabbed Remus’ hand and ran for it, only to freeze in place right in front of the gate.
“Wha….?” He gasped in confusion.
“You can’t leave.”

Chapter Text

The escape attempt did not go well. But I am still alive.
The past few hours were… Enlightening and yet confusing.

The voice was foreign to Logan. It said the words in an almost charming drawl.
His amusement was too apparent to fool anyone, though. Logan tried to step forward again, but his body would not move. Not in that direction anyway. When he turned around his feet did exactly what he intended.
Behind him he found a smartly dressed gentleman with large scars, mostly, on the left side of his face.
He was smiling at them in an entirely unsettling way and leaning on a walking stick with a snake head decoration.
"What did you do to us?" Logan demanded. The gentleman threw his head back and laughed.
"Nothing yet. No. You have agreed to stay at the home of a vampire. You cannot leave without permission," he said as though it was common knowledge.
"And to think that if you had stayed under that mutt’s watchful eye, you would be safe now," he grinned. Then he put up apologetic face. "Oh, my deepest apologies, my lord. I did not know that they were guests. I thought I had caught a pair of thieves sneaking around on the grounds and wanted to dispose of them for you. How unfortunate that they ran before you could make introductions. Such a shame." The vampire grinned wickedly around the last statement.
"Now, do me a favor and run. It's been a while since I had a proper hunt," he growled excitedly.
Logan set his jaw and stared the predator down. The adrenaline had his knees shaking. He would not get far. So he'd choose to stay and stand tall.
If nothing else, the lord and his captain might doubt this vampire's story if he was attacked with his back against the property line that would prove their guest status.
The vampire crouched, ready to pounce. "Suit yourself," he grinned.
And then a howl echoed through the air and the vampire was no longer standing.
He was pinned to the ground by Virgil. Who was wearing a muzzle.
"If you ever so much as sniff the lord's guests wrong, I will rip off this muzzle and tear out your windpipe with my teeth before my master can think to stop me. Understood leach?!" The werewolf growled.
“Careful mutt. You have not lived down the consequences of last time you lost your temper,” the vampire growled, tapping the iron cage of the muzzle.
“It would be worth it if it shut you up for good,” Virgil snarled.
“Are you going to behave? Or should I keep you here until the master comes?” he threatened.
“I would never harm one of the noble lord’s guest,” the vampire sneered with clear disdain for his captor and his… Lord?
Virgil let out a last warning growl before getting up. The vampire huffed as he gathered his fallen cane and got up as well.
“In case it wasn’t clear, he was the reason I wanted you two to stay put,” Virgil snapped. Understandably frustrated.
“Noted. Apologies… But what was that about us not being able to leave without permission?” Logan asked.
Virgil sighed. “You agreed to be guests in this house. An agreement with a vampire lord in their own home is binding until the next blood moon,” he explained.
“Oooh, sounds creepy. Is that some kind of once in a lifetime thing?” Remus wondered excitedly.
Logan rolled his eyes. “I am surprised you don’t know this, but blood moon is the colloquial name for a lunar eclipse. A full eclipse gives the moon a red hue. It occurs about once every two and a half years. Though I confess I do not know when the next one is due in this area,” Logan offered.
“It’s a month from now, you are in luck. Contracts are renewed at the ceremony. If you want to leave then you just don’t renew it and you are free to go at first light,” Virgil explained.
“Half of the time, human residents don’t bother to attend the ceremony at all,” the vampire noted as he dusted himself off and adjusted his clothes.
“Which, often, means we get to hunt them for sport,” Virgil grinned.
“Does the pup want to snack on the human staff?” the vampire cooed.
“The criminals? Sure. I am pretty sure Remy’s sous chef is a cannibal,” Virgil huffed.
The vampire chuckled. “Your master does keep a curious collection of company,” he mused. Eying Logan and Remus.
“They are here for research or something. They want to hear all about history and stuff like that. So you should enjoy their stay. You get to talk their ears off,” the captain pointed out.
“Hm… A sholar. That’s a new one,” the vampire mused. “I do hope that tattooed cleaner runs. He never gets my room right,” he mused.
“Not gonna happen, he gets me snacks,” Virgil argued.
Logan frowned. “So, do you hate humans or not?” he wondered.
Virgil rolled his eyes. “What’s with these blanket statements? I like some, other’s not. Depends on how they treat me and the master.
But as long as you are a guest in this home, no one lays a finger on you under my watch,” he promised. Then he smirked. “So you have a month to make me care to get you off property safely. Or else your best bet is renewing your contract for 2.5 years,” he stated, though it seemed a bit more lighthearted than the underlying threat warranted.
The vampire scoffed. “Right. As if you won’t walk them home like a good little pup if Roman tells you to get them home safe,” he pointed out.
Virgil growled dangerously. “That is lord Pryor to you, leach,” he hissed.

“Captain, surely you are not being rude to my guests.”
They all looked up and found the lord of the castle standing just a bit further up the path observing them.
Virgil turned and bowed his head in respect. “Only when their behavior warrants it my lord,” he promised. “Mister Janus mistook our newest residents for breakfast, I corrected his misconception and reminded him of the penalty for harming guests,” he offered.
Lord Pryor cocked his head and then smiled, approaching the Captain and affectionately stroked his cheek. “Always such an eager overachiever,” he cooed fondly before turning to his guests.
“Janus, meet my newest guests Logan and Remus. Logan and Remus, meet Janus. He’s lived on the grounds for quite some time now.”
Janus scoffed displeased.
“He is one of my oldest guests. He will not harm you, but you are to treat him with respect. Does that sound agreeable?” he wondered.
“Define respect? Because apparently agreeing to anything can have unexpected consequences,” Logan pointed out cautiously.
Lord Roman gave him an apologetic smile. “I was a bit careless with my words, I should have been more specific. I was hungry and had a one track mind I’m afraid,” he offered as he ran his hand through Virgil’s hair.
“Lord Janus is a valued resident of the estate, and will likely be here regularly in the weeks leading to the blood moon ceremony. I wish for you to respect his personal space and talk to him as you would to a casual acquaintance and for him to not do anything that might cause you harm. Is that an acceptable arrangement?” Lord Roman rephrased.
“Yes, that sounds reasonable,” Logan nodded.
“Boring, but I suppose,” Remus huffed.
“Whatever his lordship requires,” Janus drawled just short of mockingly.
Virgil growled in warning. “Manners Virgil,” Lord Roman scolded gently. It sounded more of a formality than a genuine reprimand.
“Now, it seems that before everything else, we should inform you both about the supernatural world. At least enough to keep you two out of trouble,” he decided before turning with a swish of his coat and heading to the castle.
Virgil looked between Janus and the lord of the house.
“If his promises are as binding as the barrier he won’t harm us,” Logan assured him. Sensing he wanted to stay close to his master but also felt the need to keep an eye on Janus to make sure he wouldn’t step to close to the line.
Virgil hesitated for a second before catching up with the lord of the land.
Meanwhile Logan turned to Janus. “You seemed to disagree when the lord said you’ve been living here a long time,” he noted.
“Clever one aren’t you?” Janus huffed. “I lived here long before that child was so much as a twinkle in his mother’s eye. I went on a little vacation and suddenly there is this upstart walking around like he owns the place. Then, as you would, I tried to explain to him that this was my rightful home, but that mut of his had other ideas,” he gestured to the ghastly scars on his face.
“My one solace is that that beast has been muzzled ever since,” he smirked.
Now, Logan knew that that was not true. Though maybe Virgil’s muzzle had been off yesterday because they’d been getting ready for dinner? Still, it was better not to mention it to Janus.
“So… They are always like that right?” Remus wondered, gesturing to their host and his captain who seemed to be talking among themselves.
“Ever since I had the… Pleasure, of meeting them,” Janus agreed.
“Do they… Know?” he asked pointedly.
Janus smirked and shook his head. Clearly he found that another source of entertainment.
“All that,” Remus gestured to them again. “And nothing?” he asked.
Janus shrugged. They were mostly silent for the rest of the walk. Questions dancing around in Logan’s head until finally they were back in the dining room where a luxurious breakfast was being set out by ghosts and humans alike under the watchful eye of Emile who had a large brown wolf curled up at his feet, seemingly enjoying a nap.
Logan observed the rest of the staff. The ghosts seemed to come from different era’s based on their clothes. The humans were a mix of friendly smiling people in uniform to scowling, rough looking individuals with some form of collar and/or ankle monitors on them.
Logan was pretty sure he spotted the individual Janus had wanted to claim as a prey. He was wearing a monitor but seemed much more comfortable around his supernatural housemates than the others who seemingly had a run in with the law.
He seemed in a good mood even, offering Virgil a smile in greeting and the lord a nod in acknowledgement. He ignored Janus though.
Everyone else seemed to keep their distance from Janus specifically. The lord and the captain were only approached closely by the neck tattoo guy and the people without any monitoring devices on them.
“Emile, how is Sara? Is she still not ready to come out of the kitchen?” Roman wondered politely, but concerned as he sat down with Virgil at his right.
“I am afraid not young lord. It has only been a week and it is quite an adjustment. She will come around. Right Jane?” Emile wondered.
“She’s starting to open up to the other ladies. She just doesn’t trust yet that the men can’t hurt her,” one of the human women stated before bowing to the lord and leading the servants out of the room.
“Very well. Breakfast then,” Roman decided, gesturing for Logan, Remus and Janus to take a seat.
As soon as they sat down Roman gave Virgil a nod and he started eating, which Logan took as his sign that they were free to eat.
“So. Let’s start with what you both know of us and our kin and we can correct you where needed,” Roman suggested. That was a good starting point Logan supposed.
“Well, you guys don’t mind sunlight. Or you’d be piles of crispy ash right now,” Remus pointed out before taking a bite out of a pancake and moaning in approval. “Those are some good pancakes!” he announced. Just barely remembering to swallow.
“I will let Remy know. Indeed. We are not as… Fragile as mortals would have us believe,” Lord Roman smiled.
“You did not show up in the mirror in the hallway,” Logan noted.
Roman and Janus groaned and rolled their eyes. “That’s witchcraft. Apparently some vampire angered a witch ages ago and they cursed them and their kin to never behold themselves in a mirror ever again. It doesn’t pertain to modern mirrors. Something about the silver backing I believe,” Lord Roman mused.
“Then why have an antique in the hallway?” Logan wondered.
“It’s a family heirloom. Even when I was still human it’d been in our family for generations. At some point it was  a wedding gift from the king at the time I believe,” Lord Roman explained.
That was interesting. That was a story he would have to hear more about.
“We saw you drink blood, and Jani was gonna eat us, so that’s true,” Remus noted.
“I imagine as natural hunters of humans your senses and physical abilities would be altered. And you do have some kind of mental sway over us, or we’d be on our way home now. Or dead,” Logan allowed eyeing Janus.
“Yes,” the more malicious vampire grinned.
“Again, my apologies. As lord of this territory I should be a bit more cautious with my words.
As head of the clan, anyone in my territory who agrees to a request or invitation from me is bound to that agreement until the terms are met or until the next BloodMoon.
It is part of our innate magic,” Lord Roman explained.
“As head of staff, Emile has some sway as well, as long as we don’t contradict each other. Emile never does though,” he smiled fondly.
Meanwhile Virgil seemed to have finished his meal and moved seats, sitting directly next to Roman on a slightly lower chair, staring at the gathered guests with a mild warning in his eyes.
“Do you eat humans and turn them with biting?” Remus wondered.
“We can add to our numbers through biting non vampires, or non wolves in Virgil’s case, yes. It is a bit more nuanced. Not every vampire bite turns you into a vampire and not every wolf bite turns you into a wolf,” Roman offered.
“Vampires do need to feed on blood. Animal blood could sustain them but not as well. They don’t necessarily kill their prey by feeding, not if they eat regularly. Wolves are just made to recover quickly from blood loss. But I already told you that last night,” Virgil explained. “Wolves only hunt humans when the humans form a danger to them. And even then we rarely eat them. There is never enough meat on them to make it worth the effort,” he added.
Truly a comforting sentiment.
“But you enjoy to hunt down the staff and guests?” Logan pointed out.
Virgil shrugged. “If they break the rules.”
Lord Roman ruffled the captain’s hair affectionately. “He takes his job very seriously.
The most important thing you two need to know is that as my guests, you have nothing to fear. Just be respectful to other guests and they are not allowed to harm you. Now that Janus has been told, by me, that you are my guests, he wouldn’t be able to if he were to try. Just like how you were not able to leave, sorry for that. You can leave the premise with a chaperone. It is safer that way. Sometimes less civilized vampires pass through the area and they might be tempted to prove something by targeting a marked human. Then I’d have to send out Virgil and Thomas to hunt them down and I really don’t want to have them that far away.
Until the next bloodmoon ceremony, feel free to explore the grounds. Ask the questions you have about the local history and our culture as promised. Just, let us know if you need to go into town for anything. I have kept the castle up with the times so we have excellent wifi and there is a phone present. You will not want for anything while under my care. And if you decide not to renew your stay, you will be delivered to your door safely. If you wish to return, call ahead so I can pick you up and arrange for a shorter stay under the same protections,” Roman explained.
“For now, eat, take the day to process. The next bloodmoon is…” Lord Roman paused for a moment.
“November tenth my lord,” Virgil offered.
“Exactly. That is only twenty one days. So take the day, explore… Oh, and, Emile!” Lord Roman called. The butler vampire seemingly apparated next to him. “Yes young lord?” he asked.
“Would you mind answering when young Logan asks for you? He seems the responsible one all things considered,” Lord Roman observed.
“Hey!” Remus exclaimed, his mouth full of bread roll. “Point made,” Logan huffed.
“Certainly my lord,” Emile bowed.
“Excellent, anything else you two might need before I leave you to your breakfast. There are things to arrange for the ceremony,” the lord explained.
“Well, we should get some clothes for the next few weeks from our home,” Logan pointed out gently.
“Ah, yes, of course,” Lord Roman nodded before turning to Virgil. “Could you make sure they get their stuff and return to their rooms safely?” Roman asked, stroking him under his chin.
“Of course master,” Virgil vowed.
Logan could see Remus was holding back a comment.
“Good, if that was all. I will see you both at dinner. Let Virgil know when you are ready for your visit to town,” Roman smiled before getting up and heading out. “Janus, a walk,” he stated. It wasn’t a question and so Janus, reluctant as he might have been, got up and followed the lord and his captain out of the room. Leaving Logan and Remus to finish breakfast in peace and, in Logan’s case, deep thought.

Chapter Text

Five days have passed since that conversation. I have been trying to keep a low profile on the grounds, hoping to regain some of the Captain’s trust. His protection is invaluable to our survival. I have left the staff alone and spent my time keeping Remus in check and observing the castle and the surrounding grounds as non-invasively as possible.
I observed the staff dynamics and behavior towards our host and warden.
We keep dinner conversations light and pleasant, I have not yet started to ask the questions they are surely expecting.
Mister Janus seems to prefer walks on the grounds. Our paths have crossed multiple times but he has seen it fit to ignore us so far.
With sixteen days left until the ceremony, it seems prudent to find answers to all my questions, not least of all…

“You want me to tell you how to make Cap like you?” the inmate with the neck tattoos wondered as they found him tidying up their room.
“Or at the very least how not to anger him,” Logan nodded. “You seem to be very comfortable and confident around him so you seemed the best person to ask,” he pointed out.
“Hmmm. Sure, but I gotta go on with my chores so we’ll have to walk and talk,” he warned as he started to leave. Logan nodded and followed him out the room, followed by Remus who admittedly had been on his best behavior, but that only made Logan more anxious to learn where the line was with the guard.
“Agreed. I am Logan, this is my friend Remus,” Logan introduced himself.
“Felix, nice to meet you,” the inmate, Felix, bid.
“Well, you can’t do what I did. Unless you are planning to stay here indefinitely,” he mused as he went into the next room and started dusting.
“Could you elaborate?” Logan wondered.
“Sure. I messed with Janus. Virgil can’t stand the guy so that immediately put me on his good side. But until Janus stops holding a grudge, it’s not safe for me to leave even if I was allowed or wanted to. Lord Janus isn’t bound to just the grounds since it would be hard for him to hunt that way. He can’t just feed on the towns people without drawing attention to himself eventually, and the staff is protected unless they have one of these,” Felix held out his leg where the ankle monitor was blinking. “And make a run for it,” he explained.
“If you leave, and he’s still pissed at you, he can hunt you down once you are no longer guests and get back at you both. Wouldn’t recommend. In fact, if you are going to try and get on someone’s good side, Lord Janus might be more important for your survival that the Captain. Virgil is in general more bark than bite. Just be a decent human being and he’s going to warm up to you soon enough,” Felix assured him finishing up another room and going back on his rounds.
Most rooms weren’t occupied and only needed some dusting it seemed.
Logan hummed in understanding. During their first day they’d been escorted to their apartment to gather their things. Virgil also talked to the landlord to let him know that the two friends would be guests at the castle for the coming weeks and not to worry.
He'd been cautious and reasonably polite the whole journey.
He also didn’t have his wolf attributes that day, though they seemingly returned the moment they returned to the castle.
“Janus is a snob. Flattery is probably the easiest way to get him to not want to eat you,” Felix offered.
Logan nodded in understanding.
“So what are ya in for?” Remus wondered abruptly.
“Remus!” Logan scolded.
“It is fine. I was waiting for the question,” Felix assured him.
“I’m not going to lie, if you met me two years ago, you’d be smart to get the hell away. I was a bit of a troubled kid turned troubled adult,” he admitted. “Eventually I got caught, as you can tell, and like the other inmates here, they figured that I was a loss for society and gave me the choice to sit out my sentence serving here or sit in a little cell for a few decades. Like most who picked this one I figured that a job with room and board seemed like a better deal than prison, I picked the castle.
Then I saw Roman feed for the first time and I figured that I was a dead man. But none of the voluntary staff was even nervous around them and pretty soon I figured that we weren’t on the menu so long as we followed the rules. Even when this anklet comes off, I don’t think I want to go. I’m good here. Roman said he’d talk to my parole officer to allow me some more freedom for good behavior. Right now I’m mostly confided to the actual castle and the courtyard in front. Roman feels that I can be trusted to roam the grounds. Honestly if he had it his way I’d be doing groceries and whatever other job I want, but that’s not the arrangement he has with the justice system. Some of the guys here arrive thinking they can start a riot, overpower the rich kid and get out with a big pay day. When they see that the rich kid is an unkillable vampire they usually attempt their first escape, like you guys did,” Felix teased.
“When they realize they can’t leave though, they lose privileges. There’s a guy who works the kitchen who isn’t allowed to leave the kitchen other than to go to his room,” he mused.
“Virgil said he thought that guy might be a cannibal,” Remus recalled.
“Might be. Roman doesn’t feel the need to know who is in for what. To ensure equal treatment,” Felix explained.
“There are only a handful of… Would be inmates as far as I have seen. And not all of the remaining staff are of obvious super natural origin,” Logan pointed out.
“True. Janus has a handful serving him at his home as well, though from what I hear it’s way less comfortable than here. Mostly because Janus might actually have a bite on occasion. As for the others… Oh hi Sara,” Felix greeted a skittish woman who was peaking her head through the door.
“Emile wants a staff meeting,” she whispered. “I said I’d… See if you were done.”
Felix nodded. “Of course. I’ll be there in a minute. Just need to finish up this one room. Thank you,” Felix promised.
Sara nodded and disappeared.
“She’s the one who wouldn’t come out of her room on our first morning,” Logan recalled.
“Yeah. She’s escaped a bit of a nasty home life. Most of the free human staff is here for protection. Apparently there are rumors about the young lord that have spread through the country and some of them have traveled far to feel safe. There is usually an adjustment period. Poor girl was scared of her own shadow when she got here. If the pig that did that to her ever does show up…” Felix scowled and then shook his head. “Well, that’d be his last mistake I’m pretty sure. I don’t think the lord would intervene if Virgil and Thomas decided to hunt that one down,” Felix concluded.
“Well, if that was all. Boss man calls,” he pointed out good naturedly.
“Thank you, and good luck,” Logan offered.
“Oh wait!” Remus exclaimed.
“Yeah?” Felix asked.
“What are the rules on fraternizing with guests?” Remus wondered, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.
Felix chuckled. “Anything with consent is alright for the master of the house,” he assured him with a wink before leaving.
“Hmmm… That wasn’t a no… But also not a ‘lets go right now’,” Remus concluded.
“You are unbelievable,” Logan sighed.
“Did you get what ya wanted?” Remus asked. Logan nodded. “Yes, I feel confident that I can move forward in a way that will allow us to return home without having to look over our shoulders for the rest of our lives,” he noted.
“Dramatic. But accurate,” Remus grinned.
“It is concerning how comfortable you are with the situation,” Logan noted.
“I always kinda hoped that the spooks were real. And now they are and I am one step closer to all my monster fantasies,” his friend pointed out.
Logan had to admit he made a point.
“Fine, I’ll gather my research so far and my notes and I will engage Lord Roman in conversation over lunch,” he decided.
“Are you going to talk his ear off about the past or about mosters?” Remus wondered.
“I thought to start with the historical research and work my way up to the various curiosities surrounding supernatural humanoids,” Logan admitted.
“Good to know,” Remus nodded. Logan was pretty sure that spelled trouble. And he was not entirely wrong. Though it might end up playing out in their favor.

When they sat down for lunch Logan cleared his throat.

“May I ask how old you were when you became the lord of these grounds?” he wondered carefully. He decided not to mention the plague directly until he had to. Bringing up painful memories right out of the gate was definitely bad etiquette.
“I was twenty five,” Roman noted.
Logan nodded. “Then I can assume that you were thoroughly tutored in the going ons of high society and such,” Logan noted.
Roman lit up at that. “Oh, definitely. I can tell you every detail about fashion, etiquette, bloodlines, history… Do not tell my parents should they come by, but I even snuck into town rather regularly so I know quite a bit about the day to day of our people. Though most of that I learned through hearsay of intoxicated youths as I mostly frequented the nightlife. Oh the nightlife… I do miss it. It’s not what it used to be,” he sighed longingly.
“Not that today’s music and night scene are bad, I have managed to drag my dear captain to a dancefloor every once in a while since he joined us.
It just used to… When I was human it was a bit more… we weren’t supposed to even be there. It wasn’t illegal, but none of our families wanted to find out that we spent the night dancing and drinking… It was so exciting,” he sighed longingly.
“I would very much like to hear more about that. Do you have any maps of how the territory evolved over time? I didn’t find any in the library,” Logan said. Oh the library. It was a gorgeous space and the collection was breathtaking. Original prints of pretty much every book a collector would want. Signed copies of a variety of works from The Origin of species to A Christmas Carol. Quite a few addressed to the current lord of the house.
Logan wondered if the lord had traveled or if Tolkien had once sat down in front of the luxurious fireplace to talk about his stories with the young lord.

Logan had decided to move those types of questions to a later date. He was working his way up to personal conversations.
The evolution of the land the Lord presided over throughout the years seemed like a good start.
“Oh they definitely should be there somewhere. I’m fairly certain I had Emile put them back when I was done with them in my study,” Roman mused.
“I might have simply overlooked them. I should ask Emile-”
“You called sir?” Logan just barely resisted the urge to throw the knife in his hand at the sudden presence.

“Emile… Apologies, I didn’t see you entering,” Logan offered. He was fairly certain that Emile had left them to their lunch when they arrived…
Virgil failed to keep from snorting and Roman looked amused as well. “You wouldn’t have. Emile was summoned by you. Hope you weren’t in the middle of something there Emile,” Roman offered.
“It was bound to happen milord. Was there anything you needed young mister Logan?” Emile wondered.
Logan blinked in shock. “Ehm… Maps… Where do you keep the maps of the area?” he asked.
Emile smiled at him and nodded. “Of course. Would you prefer browsing yourself later or would you like me to leave them in your room?” Emile wondered.
Logan pursed his lips. “If it is alright with you I’d prefer to examine them in the library. I’d rather not tempt Remus with precious documents,” Logan stated.
“So we can call you wherever and you’ll show up?” Remus asked excitedly.
“Logan can. If you’ll remember I told Emile to come when he called. It seems I was right to guess that he would not abuse the privilege once he realized just how swift the response time was,” Roman pointed out a bit smugly.
“How does it work?” Logan wondered while Remus sat back pouting.
“I am unsure,” Emile admitted. “When the master or someone who he gave the authority to call upon me looks for me, I find myself present and ready to help,” Emile explained. “I will return when you have need for me,” he promised before leaving the room.
“Is that part of your Lordship? Like how we cannot leave without your permission?” Logan wondered.
Roman shook his head. “No one else of the staff is quite so compelled to give instant assistance,” he stated. “It is an ability unique to Emile. A manifestation of his dedication to his profession,” he mused.
“Fascinating… Does-”
“Oh my God! Fight me!” Remus exclaimed, pointing at Virgil.
“What?” Virgil asked while Thomas perked up from his napping spot by the fireplace.
“I haven’t gotten filthy for way too long. So either Fuck me or Fight me,” Remus explained.
“Oh please Virgil? Can we wrestle?” Thomas pleaded, shifted from his wolf form to a mix.
Logan had noticed that Thomas didn’t wear a collar like Virgil, nor had he seen him wearing a muzzle. Thomas seemed quite eager for this opportunity to playfight, judging by the position of his ears and his rather active tail.
Virgil sighed. “If it is alright with the master,” he allowed.
“Well, he did ask. Just be sure not to cause damage, and try not to break the skin. Janus is wandering the grounds and I don’t want any incidents,” Roman warned.
Thomas responded by turning to his wolf form and jumping around like a dog who’d just heard the word ‘walk’.
Remus jumped up from his chair and rushed out the room, followed by an excited Thomas and an amused Virgil.
“Shall we watch while we continue the conversation?” Logan wondered.
Roman smiled, a brief flash of gratitude in his eyes before standing up and leading Logan outside.
It would seem that they had successfully softened the captain towards them, and they also had a clear path to the fondness of the master of the house.
Things were looking better for them with the minute.

Chapter Text

The last few days have been, fruitful. Remus has gotten to wrestle with the resident wolves twice and while he comes out filthy and disheveled they have not harmed him in a meaningful sense.
The lord and I have been conversing about traditions and architecture and history, be it somewhat removed from the events that initially drew my attention to this town, while watching the playfights in the afternoons. I am not sure what draws Lord Roman to these fights most. Just the novelty of a mortal man idiotic enough to fight two wolves. Or to see the captain let loose and have fun. Both surely play a part.
Today marks the end of our first week in the mansion.  I feel like I am ready to look into the mythological side of this world. Starting with Emile’s curious and unique ability.

“My lord, if I may ask, Emile’s… unique talent, is he the only one with an unique ability? Or is it something that some or most vampires have manifest in different ways?” Logan asked as they settled for another afternoon of tea and wrestling. Between breakfast and lunch, Lord Roman and Virgil had other matters to attend, and after dinner the two were usually… Distracted.
They claimed Virgil was merely giving a report. But the tension between them and the innuendos… Well even Logan wasn’t oblivious to them. Still, with how comfortable the two were with physical closeness in public, Logan didn’t think they’d refrain from kissing if they were together. It might be a matter of plausible deniability… But that didn’t seem likely.
“All vampires I’ve met have an ability that is unique to them. As it was explained to me by my sire, it usually relates to who you were as a person or that defined your final days as a mortal. Considering the circumstances that usually surround a turning, those can often be one and the same, as it is believed we show our truest self in our lowest moments,” Roman explained as he watched the wolves circle around Remus.
“… My parents had passed for a few weeks before I started to feel ill.” Logan stiffened. “Milord you don’t have to-” he was silenced with a gesture.
“So many had already died. The staff was reduced to nearly nothing. Emile had actually been one of the first, and the only one to survive… If I’d known then what I know now I’d have tried to fashion a vaccine of sorts of whatever strand he’d caught. But… Nothing that can be done about it now. I tried my best to ensure everyone laid in comfort in their final moments, reassured people that the most important thing was to get better, knowing that they wouldn’t. But Emile had given me a little hope that maybe… Someone would make it.
Emile had gone looking for help. When he returned with the gentleman who’d become my sire, he found me collapsed on the floor, I tried to make soup and was bringing some to a maid who’d fallen ill… He helped me to bed and begged for my life… I was told the consequences and I insisted. I was the only one left to look after the castle and the village. It was my duty. To my blood and to the crown. I would not fail only three weeks into my lordship,” Roman explained, his eyes far away.
“So I was changed. I rose and I felt better. My sire suggested I come along for a hunt… But I refused. I was starving… But I had priorities.
I buried my people… My first meal ended up being the maid I’d wanted to bring soup. She was still alive, but I knew she wouldn’t make it, so, upon her request, I drank her blood so I could regain my strength and fulfill Emile’s wish to join me. His loyalty to me allows him to come at my call, and that of those I deem worthy. The sickness surrounding my end, allows me to perceive illnesses in others as soon as they are present in the body. Whether the symptoms have started or not,” Roman explained.
“Watcha talking about?” Remus asked as he got back to them, covered in mud and sweat and scratches and very satisfied with his… Workout.
“Lord Roman informed me he has the remarkable ability to see if a person is ill even if they don’t know it yet,” Logan surmised, skipping over the rather personal story.
“Oooh that’s cool. What’s up doc?” Remus asked, wide eyed.
Roman blinked in surprise and then looked at Logan for a moment. Frowning.
Logan shifted nervously. That… Probably wasn’t the best sign…
“Does your bloodline have a history of sudden death after 40,” he asked. Oh that definitely wasn’t good. Logan thought back.
“My grandmother on my mother’s side passed away very early and suddenly,” he recalled. He never met the woman but he’d heard stories… She was supposedly vibrant and “Tough as nails” so her passing had been a shock to everyone.
“You have a genetic lung cancer. It is still dormant, but someday it will develop and by the time you notice, it will likely be inoperable,” Roman revealed.
“… That’s kind of a bummer,” Remus stated. Logan wasn’t sure what he’d expected to happen when asking someone what medical issues they were unaware of.
“Surely there is a way to cure me…” Logan asked.
“All I can do for you is turn you. But the cancer might still develop. It would feel like you have asthma. Which isn’t a great way to spend eternity,” Roman informed him.
“But that doesn’t mean human doctors cannot treat it if you catch it on time. We can work out a written contract for you to safely visit the castle every full moon to let me see if the cancer has developed yet. Once it does you can go to a doctor. A written contract will prevent an accidental promise to occur like when you arrived. Again I’m so sorry. I was hungry and excited,” he promised, glancing at Virgil with a smile.
“Of course there are fey and witches, though those can be tricky to deal with, I would advise you have me or Emile by your side to lead negotiations. There will be some in attendance at the Halloween ball. I can introduce you,” the vampire lord offered.
“Ok, so now that Lo isn’t going to die. Do me!” Remus insisted.
“Your concern for my wellbeing is touching,” Logan huffed.
Lord Roman meanwhile looked at Remus for a long moment.
“You are lactose intolerant…” he started.
“Boo, I knew that already!” Remus whined, getting a slap to the back of his head from Virgil.
“Let him finish,” Virgil warned.
“One of your kidneys is bigger than the other. Your organs are mirrored, you should get a bracelet for that in case they need to operate on you or resuscitate you. And there is a parasite in your gut that you should get removed as soon as possible,” the castle lord finished.
“See?” Virgil huffed.
“That is pretty cool. So the scary one also has a cool power then?” Remus wondered.
Virgil scoffed. “That depends on what you consider cool. But yeah. He has a power,” he confirmed.
“We will ask him about it should our paths cross again. For now… Remus would you be willing to participate in some physical challenges as a way of comparison?” Logan asked.
“Comparison with what?” Remus wondered.
“I am curious in how vampire and wolf strength and speed differs from a fit human. So I would like to ask our hosts if we could do some tests to see the difference in action tomorrow?”
Lord Roman and Virgil looked intrigued by that.
“Oh, I would not mind a race. How about you mon capitain? Care for a race? A test of endurance perhaps?” Lord Roman purred.
Virgil’s cheeks darkened slightly as he nodded. “I wouldn’t mind that master,” he assured him.
“Heck yeah!” Remus cheered.
“It is getting late, we have some things to take care of before dinner,” Roman announced as he got up. “Enjoy yourselves, we will see you in the dining room as usual,” The lord stated before leading the captain back into the castle.
Tomorrow would be interesting then. For now, Logan wanted to visit the kitchen. He’d heard mention of their cook many times by now and if nothing else he wanted to thank him for the excellent cooking. Now that he knew that Emile was only a call of his name away, the alleged cannibal that might be working there as well didn’t make him as nervous.
“Where are we going?” Remus asked curiously.
“The kitchen. I wish to thank Remy for his cooking and perhaps meet more of the staff, as well as see something new of the castle,” Logan explained.
“Oooh, with the scary cannibal? Count me in,” Remus grinned.
“The goal is not to get eaten, I will call for assistance should it look like we can’t handle the company,” Logan pointed out.
“Booo,” Remus complained.
Logan was glad he hadn’t lost sight of Remus while they were here. Otherwise he’d worry that he proverbially sold his soul for a penny behind his back.
… Though given their current circumstances, that might not be as proverbial as Logan used to think.
They found their way to the kitchen easily. Logan knew where he could expect them to be based on traditional layouts of such castles.
As he came to expect by now he found a modern kitchen that was built to fit the style of the building around it. Top of the line, but customized so it didn’t stick out against the old stonework.
“Look alive people, especially if you are! We’re starting on dinner in 30 minutes, before that I need this kitchen to sparkle as new!” a voice called out. No doubt the chef.
Logan looked around to find the source. Remy turned out to be a ghost. A ghost who was handing off pots and pans to Sara to clean before they’d be used.
Next to him Emile stood with an enamored smile.

“It amazes me every time how thorough you are,” he mused.
“Ah babe, you know me. If I’m passionate, I don’t mind some hard work,” Remy winked making the usually in control butler giggle.
“Oooh, you two are definitely banging,” Remus noted getting their attention before Logan could finish slapping the back of his head. “Would it kill you to show a modicum of decorum?” Logan hissed.
“What? They weren’t being subtle! A toddler would catch up on that inuendo,” Remus complained.
“He’s not wrong,” Remy chuckled as he floated over. And greeted them. “Remy Meyers at your service. You two are the human guests huh?” he noted.
“Yes, we came here to properly thank you for your good care. I apologize for my friend,” Logan offered.
“It’s all good man,” Remy chuckled.
Logan took the ghost in. He looked very different from most ghosts Logan had encountered.
“You seem younger than some of the other ghosts working in this castle,” he observed. While the ghosts were from different eras, most seemed to be at least from before the late nineteen forties.
Remy chuckled. “Good catch. I wandered over here in the nineties after a bad stint at med school. I didn’t want to go home and admit I was a failure, probably drank a bit too much… V-man and the lordyness were out for some social function and Tommy was chasing off some other drunk teens. Most of the rest of the staff was asleep. I managed to wander my way up the east tower and I took the quick way down. Emile found me, but it was too late to kiss me better. I didn’t really wanna know where I’d end up so my soul just kinda hung around. I’ve been up since. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. But down here I got put to work in my real passion,” Remy explained. “It started as a way to make up for the mess I made and the whole crisis that followed. But I liked it. And I didn’t mind the company I found here,” he added with a wink towards the flustered Emile… Wait.
“Vampires have blood?” Logan noted.
Emile looked up and touched his cheeks. “Ah, not quite like humans do. We are rather anemic. Even a well fed vampire such as me and the good lord. It is technically possible for us to feed off of each other. Though it’s not exactly blood we’d be consuming and it is considered very intimate. It’s usually either done between partners or a way for a leader to assert dominance,” Emile offered, perhaps a bit more liberal with information than usual in order not to draw attention to the faint color on his cheeks.
Logan nodded in interest though. That was a part of their physiology he hadn’t expected.
“Emile, could I ask… I am planning to investigate the difference in strength, speed, endurance and agility between the captain, Lord Roman and Remus tomorrow. Would you be able to acquire a dynamometer and a chronometer if it’s not too much of a hassle,” Logan quired.
Emile cocked his head. “I could but our lord would likely crush it into many little pieces,” he revealed much to Logan’s shock and Remus’ excitement.
The following silence hung for a few moments before both the butler and the chef burst out laughing. “I apologize, it was too tempting. Though one made for human use might be pushed to it’s limits, we are rather on the strong side. As for our captain, it might be more informative to measure his pounce and bite as wolves aren’t built for a strong grip,” Emile mused.
 “I will put my faith in you then,” Logan smiled.
Suddenly they were all distracted by something metal falling to the floor and a skitter of little things bouncing and rolling about, followed by a chorus of gasps.
They turned to the source of the noise and saw a handful of young children stare at them wide eyed surrounded by fallen candy.
“Now you kids better not be here to spoil your dinner,” Remy warned sternly.
“N-no mister Remy,” the group chorused.
“Good, clean up the mess, and then go play. Dinner in an hour,” the ghost instructed.
“Yes mister Remy,” the kids chorused again and got to work.
“I hadn’t noticed children in the castle before,” Logan noted.
“Yeah, some of the volunteers bring their kids along to live here,” Remy shrugged.
“Now, I should get started on dinner, and you, precious little sugar nugget, should be getting to your job as well,” Remy stated before giving Emile a quick kiss.
“We won’t bother you anymore then. Thank you for your excellent care, both of you,” Logan offered.
“It’s our job. But it’s nice to be appreciated,” Remy announced.
“Aw, but I wanted to ask about ghost se- ow!” Remus exclaimed as  Logan jabbed him in the ribs and dragged him along.
“Just when I started to think I might be able to let you wander off,” he huffed.
“Bold of you to assume I haven’t wandered into a hunk or two during the night,” Remus singsonged.
Logan sighed. “Come on. I think I discovered the location of  a hidden passage,” he offered, promptly distracting Remus.
Two more weeks to go.

Chapter Text

Logan observed as Remus, Roman and Virgil stretched in front of the castle. Thomas was sitting next to him shifting nervously and whining in envy.
“I’ll measure your performance once the captain is rested and ready to take over watch,” Logan promised, Clearly that was the right thing to say because Thomas straightened up and left for patrol without any more resistance.
“Should we set a prize darling captain?” Roman mused.
The lord of the castle was the only one not in sports wear. Logan guessed that he didn’t own anything of the sort and was not quite that comfortable with his situation that he dared assume that he would get away with correcting his choice of dress.
“What kind of prize master?” Virgil wondered.
“Hmm. A wish? Whoever wins the most events gets to ask one favor of the other, no questions, objections or negotiations, anything they truly desire,” the vampire lord decided.
“… That seems hardly fair. There is nothing you could ask any day that I would not willingly do,” Virgil pointed out.
“You’d be surprised,” Roman smiled. “And I think you don’t quite understand how much I am willing to do for you if you asked,” he added lowly. Virgil flushed and looked down focusing on his warm ups.
“Well, alright then. A wish,” he agreed. Logan was too far away, but he now knew that upon Virgil’s agreement, both their eyes would have glowed golden as the pact was made. Neither could back out now and considering Roman’s wording wasn’t exactly precise, this one might have some surprises for them in the future. It wasn’t any of Logan’s business to point that out though. He recalled that, on the first day, Roman mentioned that Virgil had joined them in the fifties. So Virgil should know well enough that agreeing to a request like this might have some unexpected side effects.
“What is all this now?” A familiar voice mused from behind Logan, immediately raising his adrenaline level to dangerous heights.
He wasn’t going to show it, though Janus might smell it anyway.
“Lord Janus, it is an honor to have you join us,” he offered respectfully with a small bow, remembering what Felix said about how easily flattered Janus was.
It seemed to be working.
“It is indeed. Now, care to fill me in, cnith?” Janus insisted.
“Ah, yes. Lord Roman and Captain Virgil have agreed to participate in an experiment to determine the difference in physical abilities between vampires, werewolves and humans. Remus is here to represent a physical fit human being,” Logan summarized. Janus let out a chuckle and sat himself down on the chair Logan had prepared to get comfortable during the stamina test. Logan would protest, but something in the small sigh of relief as the vampire got off his feet and put his cane to the side told Logan that the walking aid was not merely for aesthetical reasons or to deceive would be victims into a sense of security.
“This should be interesting,” Lord Janus mused with a smirk.
Logan pursed his lips. “If I may ask, why did you call me cnith? What does it mean?” he wondered.
Janus chuckled. “It is an old word for boy or youth. We who live longer than you humans tend to throw in some of those from time to time. Like deor esne,” he explained.
Suddenly Virgil was with them and growling at the vampire. He looked about ready to shift, the muzzle was right next to Janus’ neck.
“Captain, stand down!” Roman ordered as he joined them.
Virgil stepped back. “He said it again,” he growled.
“I apologize. I called your guest a cnith and he was curious. So I gave another example. I was not talking about our beloved captain,” Janus assured them smugly.
“You should never have said those words in the first place Janus, no matter the context. I am rather disappointed in your behavior. No guest of mine disrespects my captain,” Roman stated firmly. Janus flinched. Clearly he had committed a faux par or gone against instructions. Maybe he was worried he’d lost some of the lords good will, maybe some sort of Vampire magic was at play here. Logan couldn’t be sure.
“Deor means wild animal. Esne is a man of low social status. He basically called me a mutt,” Virgil growled.
“He has before though. When we first met,” Logan recalled.
“Not in those words,” Virgil corrected. Roman stepped in, a comforting hand on the captain’s shoulder.
“Creatures like us only use ‘the old language’ under certain circumstanes. Like in ceremonies. The old language has changed over time. It depends on what time the eldest among us lived in. When I just turned we just transitioned from Latin to old English.
To give someone a complement in the old language is an act of great fondness. To insult them is an act of deep disrespect. It is basically a slur when you use the old language, and a mild jab in modern English. Cnith is not an insult nor a complement. It is rather curious that lord Janus even used it in the first place,” Roman explained looking at Janus skeptically.
“It was just meant to tease milord,” Janus promised, lacking the arrogance he usually exhibited.
“Good. Having to apologize for two transgressions in one day seems to be pushing the boundaries of my hospitality. I welcomed you in my home because I sympathized with your situation lord Janus. But do not take that for granted. It feels like you need a reminder every few years,” Roman chided before gently guiding Virgil back to where they were getting ready for the challenges.
Janus watched them leave in contemplation before settling again. “Worth it,” he decided.
Logan let the question on his mind rest for now and instead turned to the athletes.
“We will start with a sprint. Then we will test grip and pounce strength and then endurance to finish off. Between each challenge there will be a five minute cooldown to stretch out the muscles and have a clean measure for the next challenge. Any questions?” he asked.
None came. “Alright. I wish to thank you all again for your participation. First a sprint. Emile has been kind enough to mark a distance of 100 meters for us. Please get ready and on my signal, attempt to reach the other marker as fast as possible,” Logan instructed.
The athletes got ready, Virgil taking his wolf form and Logan blew his whistle.
Logan wasn’t surprised that Remus was the slowest. He was a bit shocked at how big the difference was. It was clear that Virgil could have easily caught up to them at any point on their first night here and been done with them. He had chosen to chase them off, they had simply made it hard on him by not running right for the fence from where they’d come.
Roman was slightly faster than Virgil. Which meant one point for the Lord of the castle.
“I must say I’m glad I won that one. Emile would tease me forever if I didn’t,” Roman confessed.
“Man. You guys, are fast! I was halfway when you were done,” Remus breathed.
“It seems the human is the only one who needs a break,” Virgil smirked as he shifted back to human form. Logan had a question about that actualy.
“Why do your clothes disappear into your wolf form but the collar and then muzzle remain? They seem to even adjust in size,” he noted. Janus snickered.
Virgil flushed. Glaring at Janus. “In a pack, some wolves get marked by their alfa. With paint or tattoos depending on the local customs usually. Those markings signify their position in the group and become a pattern in their fur. In my case, my alfa, my master, my lord, has given me… Different symbols of my role. So they are part of how I show up. I am a guardian, at his command,” he pointed to the collar. “But his goal is not to do harm,” he pointed at the muzzle that definitely wasn’t a permanent part of his… Uniform, so to speak.
He never wore it at breakfast, but later on in the day, it showed up, only to disappear once he retired from the castle. Logan suspected that it was entirely for show when Janus might see. But he couldn’t safely ask and be certain he’d hear the truth.
If it was what Virgil now claimed it was then he’d have to wear it around them and the human staff as well, and he didn’t, not always. Just when there was a chance of Janus walking in.
“The same magic that makes the paint show in our fur, makes these symbols a part of my appearance as wolf,” he concluded.
“That is fascinating, it does make sense though. I’ll admit that I am still trying to fully understand how much of your kin is magic and how much is evolution,” Logan admitted.
Virgil chuckled. “There are stories of how we came to be. Us wolves and the vampires and the witches and fey and others that walk the world… Milord, you know who’d love to be here for a story time like that?” Virgil wondered.
Roman nodded in agreement. “You are right. The clan should be complete.”
Complete… Then Logan remembered. There had been another vampire who had turned Roman.
“You mean your sire?” Logan wondered.
Roman nodded with a smile. “We talk often of course, but for a ceremony, he always visits. We’ll explain all those formalities after the party,” he offered.
Logan nodded and then turned to Janus. “If it is an impolite question, please ignore me, but is your sire still in contact with you?” he wondered.
Janus scoffed and rolled his eyes. “His lordship has the good fortune to have a father-son-like relationship to his sire that has not soured over the many years.
My romantic infatuation with mine died out long ago. Lucky for me he was too lazy to kill me or something else unfortunate and simply forgot I existed. So on the next blood moon I left his care and settled here, where I grew up. Then I moved away for a bit and when I returned, my solitary spot was suddenly a rented space so to speak,” Janus drawled. Roman’s jaw tensed slightly, Virgil looked ready to pounce, but Logan was the one who had the research.
“How long ago did you live here then exactly?” he wondered.
“Oh, I settled here maybe five, six hundred years ago,” Janus stated.
“Well, it might not have been under the care of Roman at the time, but the Dukedom of Pryor should have been well established at the time. So likely you were considered a tenant of the grounds back then as well,” Logan pointed out, much to the approval of Roman and Virgil. Janus didn’t like it but Logan wasn’t done. “In fact… I might have seen you mentioned in some of the old maps and papers I managed to decipher. You were rather well liked by one Roman’s ancestors it seemed. He named a section of the garden and a flower for you,” Logan recalled.
“Ha! Should his lordship call Janus Daddy?” Remus snorted.
“Absolutely not,” Janus stated though he seemed a little softer at the mention of this old acquaintance.
“I found no evidence of romantic feelings. He seemed rather devoted to his wife honestly. But he certainly had a deep appreciation for whatever contribution he thought lord Janus made to the friendship. Though given that he was talking about a vampire, those feelings might not have been as genuine as he’d have thought them,” Logan confessed.
“I am truly that charming,” Janus huffed. “I think I might remember who you speak off. It Has been a while. But he did appreciate the finer things and proper company… In hindsight, hospitality seems to run in the family,” Janus mused reluctantly.
“I think we’re ready for the next challenge,” Virgil suggested, not trusting Janus’ pensiveness.
“Of course. As you can see there is a boxing bag set up with a camera. I’ll start the recording and each of you gets a chance to tackle the bag, trying to get it as low to the ground as possible. It’s weighed down as much as possible so it should not fall over under sheer weight. Based on the angle the bag makes with the ground at the deepest point of the bend, I can calculate the exact force of impact. Though unless the result is very close I can tell you upon my observation who won for purposes of your challenge,” Logan allowed.
“I better get my pouncing muscles ready then,” Virgil grinned as he sat down and started bending over to touch his toes. Lord Roman smirked and put his foot on Virgil’s back. “Go on mon captain, you can go deeper than that can’t you?” Roman wondered.

“That’s what she said!” Remus exclaimed. Roman looked up to reprimand him but then gasped. “Oh my word!” he exclaimed in surprise.
Remus was touching the toes of his right foot while sitting in a split.
“This is nothing!” he announced.
“Get ready to set the parameter Remus,” Logan sighed, already done with his friend’s antics.
“Fine,” Remus allowed as he got up, took a running start and tackled the bag with all his might. It moved. A notable amount even. But Logan was not surprised, though amazed when Roman made Remus’ result seem like a wobble. Virgil went back to wolf form and didn’t bother with a running start. He just pounced right from where he was standing and made the foot come a bit off the ground as the top nearly touched it.
“I’d say Virgil won that one,” Logan announced.
“We can do grip strength now, it’s an entirely different muscle set,” Roman suggested, a little flushed. How those two had managed several decades without a confession, Logan could not understand.
“Of course,” Logan agreed as he handed Remus the dynamometer.
Remus once again had a reasonably good score to human standards.
Roman pushed the instrument to it’s limits though. Virgil’s test revealed his grip strength was much closer to Remus’ than Roman’s, though, to make a point he showed that even in human form, his bite strength outmatched Roman’s grip.
“And that’s with me trying not to break your toy,” Virgil pointed out.
Roman cleared his throat.
“Simp,” Remus coughed. Before addressing Logan. “Just for reference, how strong is Roman?” Remus wondered.
“He should be able to break a human neck with a little effort,” Logan stated.
“Effort?” Roman asked surprised.
“It’s been a while since I had to… But I don’t remember it being difficult,” he argued.
Logan and Remus both stared at him for a moment.
“Before Virgil, I had to deal with trespasser’s on my own. Sometimes I couldn’t let them leave alive lest they be a danger to someone else,” Roman shrugged.
Right…  The smiling, hospitable lord of this castle, was still humanity’s natural predator. Built to end their lives in a number of ways.
“Truly noble,” Janus smirked. “I am curious, what was it like the first time taking a life? I remember my first time was more or less an accident. I hadn’t realized how much more fragile humans were. I was ordered to hunt him down and he would have died anyway, but I didn’t expect that I’d squish his windpipe quite that easily,” Janus mused.
“You mean you are made of tougher stuff caneman?” Remus wondered, accidentally saving Roman from having to answer that question.
Janus narrowed his eyes at him. “I am indeed. This,” he gestured to the scars on his face. “Would have erased a human from existence,” he promised.
“He’s exaggerating… Though they would never have been able to identify the body,” Virgil corrected, a little smug.
“In legends vampires are pretty much invulnerable unless with specific tools… But you are more resistant to damage then?” Logan concluded.
“Well, yes and no. If you stabbed me with a knife, even in my heart, it would hurt, but it would likely not kill me, I’d be upset and ensure that you are no threat to me before drinking your blood to heal me. If you used one of those… automatic guns,” clearly just the thought of it rubbed Roman the wrong way. “I’d imagine you could do enough damage to leave me unable to protect or restore myself,” Roman explained.
“Oh no milord, please do tell the humans how to kill us,” Janus drawled.
Roman rolled his eyes and then locked eyes with Logan who suddenly felt very flustered as the vampire lord smiled at him. Both charming and deadly.
“Tell me darling, will you use this knowledge to harm us? Or pass it on to someone else who might?” he asked.
Logan could not chose his words. “No. I ask merely out of curiosity. Though if I found myself faced with a vampire I might use the knowledge to protect myself if I can,” Logan confessed.
Roman turned to Remus. “How about you? Would you cause undue harm to me or my kin?” he wondered.
“The only bang I am interested in with vampires is the sexy kind. Though if I were to become a vampire I might try to see how much I can take before it gets woozy…” Remus stated, Logan couldn’t tell if he’d felt as compelled to tell the truth, or if Remus’ natural bluntness had just made the pull unnecessary.
“I hope that soothes your worries,” Roman offered.
Janus chuckled. “Verry much so, milord,” he assured him.
“Good. Now, the final challenge, and then I get my wish,” Roman stated.
Virgil smirked a little, a playful light in his eyes, but then he glanced at Janus. Clearly he didn’t want to engage in the banter with this particular witness. On occasion they had seen Virgil relax somewhat around Roman. Returning the teasing though he maintained a respectful and subservient tone and posture.
“Verry well. Please return to the starting line. You will be running laps around the perimeter and run for 30 minutes. The amount of laps and your exhaustion at the end will be taken into account. The path around the castle is approximately 5 kilometers, which should enable Remus to complete a lap within the allotted time. If you are halfway a lap when the time runs out, please proceed to the finish line in a run or a walk as needed,” Logan explained. Virgil chuckled. Roman smiled.
“Alright, get set… Ready… Go!” and with that they were off, Virgil had chosen to remain in his human form. Stating he didn’t need any advantage now.
Once they were out of sight Logan spoke up. “Emile, another chair please,” he asked. And Emile appeared with the chair. “That does come in handy. Thank you,” Logan offered.
“Of course sir. Anything else?” Emile wondered.
“I don’t suppose you have time to sit with us?” Logan suggested. Emile chuckled.
“No, I am afraid that with the blood moon ceremony and the ball coming up, my hands are full,” Emile offered. “How are they doing though?” he wondered.
“Rather well. It’s going to be a tie though. I wonder if they’ll decide to each give the other a wish or insist on a tie breaker,” Logan mused.
“A wish?” Emile asked, Janus also seemed curious.
“Yes. Lord Roman suggested that whoever won could ask one thing of the other without judgement or discussion. Virgil pointed out that anything Roman asked was already his to have, but Roman insisted,” Logan recalled.
“Well, maybe those two will final figure some things out,” Emile smiled before giving Janus a warning look and then leaving.
Just then Virgil came running past, none of the others in sight.
Logan settled. “I am curious, where did you live when you temporarily moved away? I presume the plague made the local food source rather unpleasant,” Logan noted. Janus looked a bit taken aback but then smiled. Telling tall tales of all sorts of places, sometimes Logan could catch him being incorrect. It became a game for the vampire to have Logan guess at which stories were true or not. When Logan caught him in a lie, and explained his reason for calling it a lie, Janus relented and gave him the true version of the story. He seemed to enjoy telling his stories to someone with Logan’s knowledge of smaller scale history.
When Virgil returned, Roman was with him. Though the next time he was alone again and still running at a brisk pace.
Then the half hour was over and all three men made it to the finish line. Virgil standing before them like his heart hadn’t even elevated his heartrate. Roman was a little out of breath but more like he’d ran up a few stairs and not ran 10 kilometers, while Remus… He was trying to act unaffected but he had clearly tried to run faster than he should at some point to try and keep up with one of the two non humans in the race.
“That was a good warm up,” Virgil smiled.
“Okay okay I get it, I need to work out more. Man that was exhausting. I should’ve taken Thomas’ offer to join you two on your run,” Roman mused.
“Why didn’t you?” Virgil wondered, cocking his head in a very doglike manner.
Roman flushed. “I didn’t want to intrude on your bonding time. You don’t get to do much pack like activities and I know I can get a little… Particular on keeping you with me while on duty. I didn’t want you to hold back because you felt like you should stay with me or anything like that when you’d rather run ahead with him,” he admitted embarrassedly.
Virgil’s eyes went wide. “Oh… Well… We could go on runs in the evening. Help me work up an appetite for Remy’s cooking. I don’t need to go all out for that. If you wish it master,” he offered, just barely correcting himself from being too casual around his leader.
Roman smiled fondly. “I’d love that actually,” he said.
“So… This means… Oh seesh… You guys are tired? I’m not tired. But if you are…” Remus wheezed making the two laugh. “Thank you again for satisfying my curiosity. And now I believe the two of you each have a wish to fulfill,” Logan pointed out.
Virgil and Roman looked at each other in surprise. “He is right. Two wins each,” Virgil realized.
“No. That’s what tie breakers are for,” Roman stated firmly.
Logan sighed. “Well… I suppose we could put you both in an agility test…” he mused as he headed up the path and found a suitable spot. He marked an x on the ground with his foot.
“I’ll go ahead and place myself in this forest. When I give the signal you have to come to me as fast as you can, but your path needs to align with the hypothetical line between your start and end point as much as possible. In simple terms. You must run this distance while zigzagging through the trees,” Logan explained before heading into the forest until he felt like he’d gone far enough and got his timer ready. “Virgil get ready. Go!” he announced, not as interested in this one. He had a suspicion which one would do better. He’d chosen the challenge for that reason. If Roman didn’t take satisfaction with a tie, then he wouldn’t get a wish at all.
Logan was actually most impressed with his ability to stay still while roughly 200 pounds of murder hound was running at him at full speed, only to come to an abrupt stop with a wagging tail.
“Milord, get ready. Go!” Roman’s turns weren’t as tight or graceful and his time showed for it.
“The captain wins,” Logan announced.
“Fair enough. I had that coming,” Roman chuckled. “Tell me then, fair captain. What can I do for you that no one else can do?” he wondered, a little hope in his voice. Was he hoping to hear something specific?
Virgil shifted back to human form and felt at his collar.
“I…” then he looked up. Logan followed his gaze, Janus stood there, cane in hand with a bemused smirk.
Virgil turned to his lord. “I want to know what you wish of me master?”
Well… Logan hadn’t seen that one coming.

Chapter Text

Lord Roman was not amused with the captain’s original request and the two seem to be at a stand still. There is a pact that now requires the Lord to fulfill one of the captain’s true desires, and he does not acknowledge his original request as a viable desire.
The unfulfilled contract has become the proverbial elephant in the room.
I never thought I would miss their usual overly tactile way of interacting, but the lack of it over the past 28 hours has everyone in the castle tense. Everyone except Janus.
Even feeding has become somewhat detached.
Upon questioning none of the human staff could remember them ever being like this. As vor the non human staff, from what I understand, it was never this bad. Never both at the same time. And Roman, especially, had never behaved like this towards his captain. Remus and I are in agreement that we should do something about the situation. Not just for our survival, but because these people welcomed us into their home, fed us and gave us every comfort after we essentially broke in. Helping them is the decent thing to do.
Today is the day the castle has been preparing for. Perhaps some distraction will prove helpful.

Logan and Remus came downstairs to find everyone rushing through the halls. Adjusting paintings, dusting an already spotless cabin again.
It was not the ball, Logan heard mention off before. That was to take place on Halloween, which was still two full days away.
This was something different.
"What is going on?" Remus asked Felix as he rushed bye
"We've got a visitor!" was all he revealed.
Logan and Remus exchanged a look and then rushed to the foyer. It was reasonable to assume that this guest would arrive there.
They got to the top of the stairs and spotted Virgil and Roman, unusually far apart, in the middle of the entrance hall ad Emile took the mysterious guest's coat as he strode forward and changed his appearance from a strongly build man with angular features and luscious reddish brown hair to a much shorter man with a gentle face and blond curls. He walked over to hug Roman tightly, and Logan was quite taken aback by him.
Not because of the fascinating ability he displayed. But because of the way his blood froze in his veins just by laying eyes on him. He had no proof of this. But he knew down to his bones that this man was ten times more dangerous than Lord Roman.
Logan was not a fan of his body suddenly telling him the facts. It felt unscientific. His brain needed to have data to compare. But he also knew that there was nothing his brain could do to convince any part of his body to participate in the collecting of that data. He wanted that individual to never, ever show him just how dangerous he really was.
“And there is my darling Virgil!” the man exclaimed excitedly as he hugged Virgil. Roman tensed, his fist clenched. “Oh how are you kiddo? You look more mature every time I see you! It’s like only yesterday you were a little pup Ro took in and suddenly you were a man protecting the castle,” the man gushed before pulling away, making the Lord relax.
If his status wasn’t clear by how Logan’s body reacted to his presence, then the fact that neither of the men corrected him on Roman’s title would provide the context. The data that put Logan more at ease.
“Now…” the man noted as he looked between the host and his captain.
“Don’t tell me that you two got into a fight after all these years, so shortly before the blood moon too,” he said disapprovingly.
“We are not having a fight, my liege, merely a disagreement,” Roman assured him humbly.
It was almost wrong to see Lord Roman so subservient to someone else.
“Well, if it is a mere disagreement, then tell me what it is about,” the man insisted. He was met with silence.
“Don’t make me give you an order, Roman,” he warned.
“Virgil won a bet and now he won’t ask for his price!” Remus shouted beside Logan, who nearly had a heart attack when the man’s eyes turned to them.
“Oh! You have new guests! They don’t look like the usual people who come around,” the man noted cheerily.
“Tresspassers. His Grace found them intriguing, so he invited them inside,” Virgil explained.
The man chuckled. “Come down, you two, so we can be introduced!” he called. Logan would probably do whatever it took not to upset this man, but he felt a tug inside himself that both alarmed him and prompted him to follow his instructions.

“Whoah, that was hot,” Remus grinned as they arrived at the bottom of the stairs.
“Oh dear, I always forget,” the man sighed regretfully.
“Remus, Logan, meet my sire, Patton Lejeune. He was lord over the adjasent lands for centuries before I was even born. He is my sire and therefor has a certain measure of ownership over my territory as well,” Lord Roman explained, tense again. Lord Roman seemed to struggle with sharing.
“You looked like the mayor when you arrived,” Logan noted, hoping that changing the subject from the apparent power dynamics would help ease things up.
“I often do,” Mr. Lejeune winked playfully. Oh…
“How long have you been the mayor?” Logan wondered.
“… A while,” Mr. Lejeune admitted before turning to Roman and Virgil.
“Now, what is this about a prize?” the… Sire Vampire? High Vampire? Wondered.
“Virgil is attempting to gift his prize to me. I refuse,” Lord Roman summarized.
“I merely have a hard time coming up with something. I don’t know what I’m allowed-”
“Anything,” Roman stated curtly. “You have never once asked something for yourself since you came to live here. You even haven’t slept in your room in decades,” Roman argued, raising his voice slightly.
“And I won’t so long as you let that snake have free roam of the grounds. That was my condition for not finishing what I started,” Virgil insisted. “I let the stray live so long as I can stay by your side…” Virgil chuckled to himself at a joke no one else was privy to.
“My point remains. For this once, you will let me give you something that you want. No short cuts, no halfhearted attempts at making us even. And until you claim what is rightfully yours, my promise remains unfulfilled,” Roman stated firmly.
The duo stared at each other for a long moment and then Roman turned to his guest.
“Please forgive me my Sire, but as you understand, I have things to prepare for the ball we will be hosting soon. With the Bloodmoon so close, we expect a variety of guests, so I must ensure everything is in order. I trust you can entertain yourself with my guests,” Roman bid. His sire hummed. “I suppose. But I better see the two of you at dinner,” he insisted. Roman bowed for him and then left, closely and silently followed by Virgil.
“If their hearing wasn’t supernatural I’d so be eavesdropping on their conversation right now,” Remus pouted.
“I normally don’t condone that. But I would love to know what I’m working with too,” the high Vampire mused. And Logan felt compelled once again.
“There might be a way,” he whispered before leading his friend and the very ancient, very powerful vampire through some hallways to a seemingly solid wall, which he easily opened to reveal a room that held a lot of copper funnels.
“The Duke of Pryor who had this home built, was new to his title and lands. He’d earned the king’s trust and favor through hard work and several thwarted plots against his majesty. My understanding is that he was a fiercely loving family man, but extremely suspicious of anyone else. Staff, visitors, the works. It was said that people felt like the walls had ears.
Looking at old plans I found some hallways that are narrower than the plans indicate and such. I must admit, I expected some means of surveillance, but this seems to speak of a level of ingenuity… This man was brilliant, leagues ahead of his time,” Logan mused.
“They are al labeled…” Mr. Lejeune noted. Then he turned a valve under one of the Funnels and they all fell silent.
“Mylord…” That was Virgil.
“You know, anyone here would be appreciative of the opportunity to ask me anything. They’d understand the trust and affection it would take me to gift something like that,” Roman interrupted.
“It is not… I am not meant to bare my desires to you milord. I have devoted myself to serve you,” Virgil insisted.
“And serve me you shall. Has it not occurred to you that I might enjoy rewarding good service?” Roman argued.
“I am not your alpha, either of them. I thought that after all those years… I thought you’d know that we...” There was a moment of silence.
“One wish, Virgil. One. And you won’t allow me even that much,” Roman said softly. Dropping the title, the name spoken so softly Logan nearly didn’t hear it.
“I am not going to take advantage-” Virgil argued.
“It isn’t taking advantage!” Lord Roman hissed frustrated. “I proposed the game. I knew I could lose. And when you agreed to it you should have known that you might win,” Lord Roman insisted.
“I didn’t! If Logan had chosen some other challenge, you would have won!” Virgil argued.
“Then why didn’t you just lose on purpose?” Roman challenged.
There was a moment of silence. “I could not,” he said simply.
“But you clearly were hoping for something specific,” he continued.
“Virgil…” Roman groaned. “I was fine with either outcome. That’s why I set the terms like that. And now, you have to ask for something you want for yourself. Or it doesn’t count,” he insisted.
Another silence. “You have sacrificed so much for me. For this once. Be selfish,” the lord pleaded.
“I will think about it, master,” Virgil allowed.
“That’ll have to do for now,” Roman sighed. And then they heard Emile call for them, ending the conversation.
Mr. Lejeune turned the valve back. “Shouldn’t those be stuck after all this time?” Remus pointed out.
“To a human, they probably are immovable,” Patton chuckled as he gave all the other valves a quick turn back and forth. “If you want to use them, I’d bring some oil,” he advised before leaving the room, followed by Logan and Remus.
“So you turning Lord Pryor makes him your subordinate, and everyone and everything under his command is also yours,” Logan recalled.
“Well, technically. I don’t enforce it. Not on purpose. Not unless it is needed,” Mr. Lejeune assured them.
“When is it needed?” Logan wondered.
The high vampire just smiled at him. “Now what do you two cuties do here all day?” he asked, ignoring Logan’s question.
“Mister Patton!” Thomas’ voice called out as Virgil’s right hand wolf approached them.
“Oh, Thomas, excellent timing. I was just starting to think these two look good enough to eat. Mind if I…?” Thomas shifted a bit but offered up his arm, which Patton took gratefully.
He bit down, making Thomas whimper briefly, like he just got a shot.
Mr. Lejeunne didn’t feed as long as Roman had fed on Virgil. One could say he just had a light snack.
“Thank you darling. I’ll see you at dinner. Don’t worry. I know you are on duty for Emile. I’ll find myself a proper meal by then,” he smiled.
Thomas gave a light bow. “Virgil told me that I am to ensure you have anything you may require. So I am at your disposal. Mister Emile fed just last night, so as long as I eat well today, I’ll be fine,” Thomas promised.
“That’s lovely, sweetheart. Now,” Mr. Lejeune turned back to Logan and Remus. “Where were we?”
Remus was clearly a lot more comfortable around this new vampire than Logan was. So he did most of the talking about Logan’s research and tests and the places they’d found in the building.
Logan didn’t like that he was stuck like this.
He was disoriented, pretty much incapacitated, by emotions. Instinct.
He thought he'd gotten a hold of himself and managed to focus on the unique chance to research something no one else had truly investigated before. Or at least hadn't published about. He couldn't do that either, obviously. But he didn't often learn about something entirely new to him anymore. It was exciting and had more or less eased his natural response to this situation. Until now at least. Mr. Lejeune was a perfectly pleasant man. But the potent hold he had over Logan whenever he didn't think through his requests made Logan uneasy. Remus loved it though, which worked out for everyone involved.
Mr. Lejeune krpt thrm company the entire day. Logan tried to politely ask if the mayor shouldn't be involved in the organization of a big event like this Halloween ball.
Mr. Lejeune merely shook his head, bemused. "I may be Roman's sire. But I am also a guest in his home. I would never insert myself in such matters. The mayor has provided all possible aid. Right now, I am here to enjoy Roman's generous hospitality," he insisted.
Logan nodded in understanding. Though his mind was dissecting his words. He couldn’t help but get the impression that the words guest and host held more meaning to the vampires than to Logan and Remus. Perhaps it was time he broadened his research to vampire and wolf culture to fully understand how this… Clan, functioned and how it differed from others like it.
He waited with his question until dinner though. That was the best way to get a full perspective and all information he could have.
He was a little less sure of that plan when he realized Janus had joined them.
“Janus, good to see you,” Patton greeted, though a bit less certain of that fact than he had been when greeting the others. Though he did still receive a hug.
He did not enjoy it though. His body tense as if he was prepared for the possibility that Patton would break some bones.
As far as Logan could tell, no bones were broken. Patton let go of the disabled vampire and allowed Emile to guide him to a seat, directly at Roman’s left side.
“Will you be feeding tonight Roman or will you feed before the ball?” Patton wondered.
“I find it best to feed as shortly before such events as possible. Lord Janus, do we need to revisit
the rules? Or are you to sit this one out?” Lord Roman wondered.
“I will not feed during the festivities, your grace,” Janus promised reluctantly.
“Are your new guests invited to the masquerade Roman?” Mr. Lejeunne wondered.
“Of course they are. Their costumes should be ready tomorrow,” Lord Roman promised.
“Costumes?” Logan asked surprised.
“You can’t very well show up to a masquerade wearing everyday clothes,” Lord Roman pointed out. “Speaking of our guests, I hope you have enjoyed their company today,” he offered.
“Oh, you know I always love meeting new people. They are quite the interesting pair. That one is worried I’ll change my mind and decide to snack on him, and the other is hoping I will. It’s quite entertaining,” Mr. Lejeunne smiled.
Logan wanted to ask, but then decided he might not need to know how they knew his measurements. He’d just assumed that one of the ghosts in the castle used to be a tailor and could tell just from seeing him walk by.
He had other questions to ask over yet another delicious dinner that would distract him from the fact that Virgil was eating his stake unusually slowly.
“I have been meaning to ask about vampire culture, and pack culture if that is alright. It seems that when you say guest and host, it is almost a title in the same way ‘lord’ is,” Logan noted.
“Oh, he is such a smart one isn’t he?” Lejeune gushed.
“He’s been very polite about his curiosity,” Lord Roman smiled.
“Well, most of us Vampires live in clans. The average clan has an eldest vampire at the head. The grandparent vampire so to speak. Everyone in the clan turned by him or by someone he turned.
Clans come in many sizes. The clan head has a territory he presides over, and each of his subordinates get a piece of that territory where they are more or less free to do as they please, within the limits of the house rules set by the eldest. They might have their territory divided among those they turned and enforce their own rules upon them,” Roman explained.
“A lone vampire is best to seek a territory that does not threaten a clan. Or find himself lucky to find an unclaimed piece of land bordering the territory of a vampire who is friendly towards neighbors,” he continued, gesturing between Janus and Mr. Lejeunne.
“A vampire’s power is determined by three factors. Their age, the size of their territory, and the size of their clan. Too many vampires in a clan is difficult to maintain. Which is why many include humans hoping to earn immortality or protection in their ranks. It is almost always an empty promise,” he admitted. “Roman is the only one I’ve ever met who has this many ghosts and humans in his clan. That combined with the size of his ancestral lands offsets his young age quite nicely,” Lejeunne butted in.
“Vampires in general are bound by rules our ancestors made in the early days.
The rules of hospitality. It ensures that promises are kept and that we can protect ourselves from uprisings and abuse,” Janus drawled.
“When Janus tried to overpower his host, he broke those rules,” Virgil growled.
“Which cost him more than just some scars,” Lejeunne nodded. Janus fidgeted uncomfortably.
“He’s only rebuilt his strength since a decade or two. His injuries are never going to allow him to fully recover. Unless maybe he somehow overthrew me. But he has learned his lesson and won’t try to turn against a gracious host again. Right, J?” Lejeunne asked sweetly. Janus swallowed uncomfortably.
“Of course, milord,” he promised.
“We are bound to be good hosts and good guests to protect everyone involved. There are loopholes, but most of us follow the spirit of these rules rather than the letter,” Roman surmised.
“You mentioned witches and fey before. Do they ever join a clan?” Logan wondered.
Lejeunne made a face. “Sometimes, but there is some bad blood between witches and Vampires. What with the whole curse thing,” he explained.
“Ironically, the story goes that they were at the cradle of most other supernatural species,” Virgil mused.
Logan was intrigued, and Roman eagerly took over the story.
“The story goes that the Fey are the eldest among them. They gifted some humans with the secrets of magic and so created the witches.
The Fey did similar things with other living beings, creating the more animalistic creatures of tales. The witches on the other hand, are responsible for providing humans with magical gifts in exchange for various forms of payment. But because their magic was learned from the fey, those favors sometimes turned out differently than they expected. It wasn’t until many generations later that they refined their own magic to the point that they could say with certainty what the consequences would be,” he explained. “By then gifts of immortality and loyalty, by example, had already created vampires and wolves,” he finished.
“Wolves are bound to their pack. We too have a head of our pack who leads us, protects us, and in turn we follow them and aid them. I already told you about sharing food and how we use markings to indicate our place in the pack as captain, mate, advisor…
While vampires can survive without a clan, a lone wolf, is a dead wolf. Which is why Thomas and I were so fortunate to be taken in by Lord Pryor,” he said. His tone grateful, but the use of lord Roman’s last name clearly didn’t sit well with the lord in question.
“What other kinds of critters are real?” Remus wondered.
This easily moved the topic on and away from potentially painful conversations.

Chapter Text

Tension seems to have lessened now that the captain and the lord have actually talked. With mister Lejeunne in the castle, the captain seems more comfortable letting the lord from his sight if their guest is with him. Remus and I explored the hidden observation room a bit more today. All circumstances that allowed us to overhear an enlightening conversation.

“Let me try one!” Remus pleaded eagerly already reaching for the one labeled staff lodgings.
“Hush, wait,” Logan insisted as he noticed a sound coming from the hallway one he’d been cleaning and testing.
“Captain, all by yourself today? Is the lord finally tired of you being his shadow?” Janus’ voice wondered.
A low growl answered. “Shut it, leach.” That was Virgil.
Logan and Remus looked at each other and leaned in, curious what they’d learn from this conversation.
“Hit a nerve did I?” Janus noted smugly. “Understandable. Almost eight decades of service, and still he doesn't ask you to stick around. I can relate honestly. It stung for me too. My advice, preserve your dignity and leave on your own accord,” he offered smoothly.
“He does want me around!” Virgil protested. “If he was kicking out anyone it’d be a good for nothing parasite like you! Who cares about immortality anyway!? I would be happy to die by his side.” Logan frowned. That was right. They’d mentioned something about wolves aging, just slower than humans. He should ask for the timeline.
“That’s cute, but pointless. I'll outlive both of you mutts. Honestly, he doesn't even want to keep you around to preserve his own life. Or maybe he'll replace you with some other mutt by then. Make you train your replacement,” Janus taunted.
“Oh don't worry, I'll train my successor to treat you like you deserve,” Virgil promised dangerously. Though even Logan could tell there was something defensive in his tone as well. This was a wounded animal kind of dangerous. Janus didn’t let up.
“I almost believe that that doesn't eat you up on the inside. Have you decided on your precious wish yet?” he cooed.
“No,” Virgil admitted after a long moment of silence.
Janus chuckled. “It is really not that hard. Even a groveling mut like you has to want something,” he pointed out. “Unless it is something embarrassing... You aren't thinking of begging him to make you immortal are you? How shameful. To beg to be kept in a clan that doesn't want you around. Ten more years is a weekend in the grand Scheme of immortality. But forcing him to spend eternity with you? Surely you aren't that pathetic?” he taunted viciously.
“I can just ask him to kick you out. That's gonna be one hell of a treat,” Virgil countered briskly.
“On what grounds?” Janus scoffed, not worried in the least. “Are you going to make yourself more of a burden by making him be a bad host and kicking me out while I am reasonably well behaved?” he pointed out.
“As if you can keep your mouth shut. All I need is one more slip up from you to justify kicking you of the premise. His patience with you is already waning thin,” Virgil reminded him.
“Then why don't you?” Janus asked casually. “Why do this whole song and dance? Just tell him to kick me out the next time i step out of line and save yourself this arguing? Unless you secretly want something else more and you are afraid he'll be able to tell.
You are scared he's all talk and doesn't think you'd actually ask for something that would cost him any effort or commitment,” Janus concluded.
Virgil’s only answer was a low growl.
Janus chuckled satisfied. “I look forward to being proven wrong. Tata,” he bid. And from the sound of it, he walked away.
“Asshole,” Virgil growled softly. And then Logan closed the valve.
“Sounds like there is some drama,” Remus pointed out.
“It does. I do not wish to anger lord Janus, but it seems imprudent to let things simply transpire… I need more data,” Logan concluded.
“Oh goodie,” Remus said, not very excited by the prospect.
Logan ignored him and left the room to go to the garden. He was likely to find Janus there. He did. And he saw him doing something he hadn’t expected from the disabled vampire.
He was kneeling before a flowerbed and doing something to the plants. He looked quite serene.

“I assume this is why a section of the garden and a flower are named after you,” Logan noted as he approached.
Janus looked up, grabbing his cane as if he was about to get up.
“Oh! That’s oleander isn’t it? Pretty but grossly deadly. Brew a tea and it’ll make you vomit and poop and have seizures and go into a coma. Some people can’t even handle touching it!” Remus gushed.
Janus looked on in surprise. “A fan of botany?” he noted.
“A fan of anything gross and or deadly,” Logan corrected.
“Hey, don’t judge!” Remus pouted. “You are just as into weird, obscure facts as I am,” he pointed out.
“Because I am fascinated by evolution and history. You simply enjoy having disturbing facts to use as ice breakers,” Logan argued.
“Not true! I really like knowing cool stuff. My cool is just a bit grosser than most,” he countered.
“That’s fair enough,” Logan noted as his eye was caught by another flower.
“Those look like Forget-me-nots, but I’ve never seen them in such a vibrant red. Pink, yes, but not outspoken red,” Logan realized.
Janus smiled a bit smugly. “Is that your power? You can do stuff with plants?” Remus wondered.
“That would explain the many still blooming plants. I know for a fact forget-me-nots should only flower in spring, never mind all the way into autumn,” Logan pointed out.
“I suppose I always had a green thumb,” Janus allowed, a bit of pride seeping in his tone.
“I should not be surprised. Gardening is a hobby for those of a precise and patient nature,” Logan noted, sincere, but also still aware of the positive effect flattery had on the vampire. It once again worked effortlessly.
“Can we ask for a tour?” Logan suggested. “Oooh! More fun plants!” Remus agreed.
Janus got up and dusted off his clothes thoughtfully. “It has been a while since I got to show off my hard work to someone who appreciates it,” he allowed as he started walking.
There were a lot of plants unique to the area on their tour. Logan expressed admiration at Janus’ restraint when it came to scents that would aggravate the canine residents’ senses.
Janus admitted that promises were made in that regard.
Plenty of plants came with stories of what mischief he had committed that had been in need of a proper apology.
“I have been meaning to ask. You seem quite invested in nudging the limits of lord Roman and the captain’s patience. Which seems out of line with your strong survival instincts. Why?” Logan asked.
Janus pursed his lips in thought. “It is always wise to keep your options open,” he said cryptically.
“Huh, I thought you just needed a good excuse to work in the garden,” Remus said thoughtlessly before turning to the palace and taking off in a sprint, shouting about dinner.
“He is right,” Logan noted as he checked the time on his phone. “We should be going,” he told a bewildered-looking Janus. “Will you be joining us tonight?” Logan wondered.
Janus blinked a few times before he collected himself. “Ah, no. I think I have tested the pup’s patience enough for one day,” he said cryptically once more.
Logan nodded and, with a bow, headed to the dining room.
He had the feeling that Janus no longer felt invested in coming after them once the blood moon passed.
Now. To try and figure out the best way to help Virgil and Roman through this communicative impasse.
“Is fraternization with wolves unusual for vampires?” Logan wondered as he settled in for dinner.
“Pardon?” Roman asked in shock.
“In stories, Werewolves and Vampires seem to be enemies. I was wondering if that might explain the disdain lord Janus clearly feels towards the captain,” Logan elaborated. That and it was a more subtle way to introduce the topic he was really going for.
“There is no inherent feud between the two species. Wolves and vampires living together is less common. Not because we can’t get along, but because most vampires are sedentary and wolves are almost always nomadic. Thomas and I are freaks like that,” Virgil offered.
“There are sometimes tensions when a pack passes through a vampire’s territory. But since they aren’t competition for the same food source, it rarely comes to blows,” Mr. Lejeune offered helpfully.
“And in a pack, the leader is very much like a clan leader, what he says goes, no discussion?” Logan asked. Mr. Lejeunne smiled at him in approval. Logan shifted a bit, the vampire’s attention putting him on edge despite himself.
Virgil nodded. “Some accept counsel and others don’t. But if you are in a pack, you put your trust in your leader’s wisdom. If you don’t… Your options are to leave or to take over. A lone wolf is a dead wolf, though. S,o unless you have a good exit strategy, going against your leader is supremely stupid if you can’t back it up…” Virgil glanced at Thomas, who had gotten very quiet. “Still, some things are worth fighting for,” Virgil concluded. There was definitely more to that story. But for now.
“So, even if lord Roman were to be cautious about phrasing a request so it isn’t binding, you would still feel inclined to fulfill it?” Logan noted.
Virgil opened his mouth and then glanced at lord Roman and then back at Logan. “I suppose so,” Virgil agreed. “But my lord also knows that I choose to serve him every time I retake my oath. Nothing compels me to do that. Only my own choice to stay with him,” Virgil added, possibly more addressing Lord Roman than Logan.
Lord Roman smiled a little at that reminder.
“How strict are wolves and vampires about hierarchy? Are there rules about romantic or sexual involvement?” Logan wondered. Virgil nearly choked on his food while Lord Roman and Mister Lejeunne laughed.
“Well, I can't speak for werewolves and pack dynamics,” lord Roman offered. “But I understand that it is perfectly acceptable for a vampire to have relationships with his clan members regardless of station. Of course, consent is a touch trickier, so if you are big on that, you need to be very careful with your wording when you initiate intimacy,” Lord Roman mused, glancing at Virgil, who cleared his throat. “Um, in packs we’d usually… Ahm. Go through the alpha if we wanted to court within the pack. Tell them who we liked and he’d make… formal introductions and ahm… Wingman if he liked you. When the alpha liked someone, he’d show his preference but not state it until a reaction came from his chosen mate. In a good pack at least,” Virgil offered.
Logan nodded pensively.
“You mentioned that Wolves aren’t immortal like vampires. But you are likely nearing your 80s, and you don’t look older than mid-twenties,” Logan noted.
Virgil nodded. “We age into adulthood during our first five years of life. Then we stop aging until we are about 80, and then we start aging at a human pace. I will turn 80 between this full moon and the next,” Virgil revealed.
Logan nodded as if that didn’t make a lot of things click into place for him. And hopefully, they clicked for their hosts as well. Though if they didn’t, he had a suspicion that Mr. Lejeunne would help them get to the right conclusions.
“How compatible are your species?” he wondered, his mind finding another curiosity.
“… What do you mean?” Thomas asked curiously.
“Your species came from humans who got altered by magic, but I wonder if you are genetically incompatible due to millennia of independent evolution,” Logan explained.
“Ha! He’s asking if you could bang and make a baby!” Remus cackled.
“Obviously not. They are both male members of their species. No amount of compatibility would make them able to reproduce,” Logan pointed out. “But in theory, would it be possible for a vampire to reproduce with a wolf or a human for that matter. “Do vampires even still have the ability to reproduce offspring the traditional way, by lack of a better term,” he clarified.
He found himself stared at by most of the table.
“Ahm… Well, mixed couples are rare since we don’t typically coexist with other human subspecies… Though if it happens, it usually happens between a human and a member of one of the aforementioned subspecies. And those have occasionally produced healthy offspring,” Patton explained. “So in theory it would be possible,” he concluded.
Logan nodded, intrigued.
“I’m… Going to check the perimeter again. Make sure there aren’t any unwanted guests arriving today. Your costumes are ready, by the way, Felix put them in your room,” Virgil offered before getting up and heading out. Roman watched him go in contemplation.
“Thomas… Do you ever ask something from Virgil?” he wondered.
“Uh… yeah, kind of. I mean, I asked to join in sparring and racing and stuff,” Thomas pointed out.
“Unprompted, I mean. Is it… Are you truly set on just doing what he asks?” Roman wonders.
“My lord… You are my alfa. I do whatever you want me to do. Virgil is my brother,” Thomas corrected. “But we do have free will, if that is what you are asking. I’m just perfectly comfortable where I am. And so is Virgil. He’s never once made me think he might regret leaving pack life to join the clan…” Thomas bit his lip for a moment and then pressed on. “In the beginning, I worried he might. So I asked… He said it was the best thing that could have happened to him,” he offered softly before leaving the table and the room.
Roman looked pensive and Logan took that as their cue to leave as well.