I Don't Have A Sister

I returned to the real world just in time to watch Vlad crumble into dust. I stood, unblinking at the pile of ashes in the chair where he had once sat. "You come from dust and will return to dust. That's why I don't dust. It could be someone I know," I smirked, turning around to look at Mathew with a raised eyebrow.

If anyone got my dark humor, it would be that wolf.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. If women don't get you, the whiskey must," he replied, smirking back at me. I stuck my tongue out at him before turning back to the scene in front of me. The vampires and their humans were trying to sneak out of the house, but Nicholas' men weren't having any of it.

Bullet after bullet pierced their skulls as dust and more bodies started to pile up in front of me. Something told me that I was not getting my security deposit back for the house. Letting out a sigh, I went to look for a vacuum cleaner or something to suck up the dead vampires.

"We'll handle it," said Nicholas, placing a gentle hand on my arm, keeping me from moving.

"You do know that you aren't leaving here without an explanation or twenty," I answered, looking up at him. I was half joking, half serious. But if he thought he was leaving my eyesight any time soon, he had another thing coming.

"We are going to need a bigger bed," said Dem out of nowhere. I looked away from Nicholas to turn to Dem. "What?" he asked, holding out his hands defensively. "Tell me where the lie is."

I thought about his statement. Yeah, the fucking Skinwalker was right. We were going to need a bigger bed. I was not letting my brother out of my sight any time soon. Even if he has a fated mate.

"Fine," I said, rolling my eyes. The sun was just starting to peak out, but I was ready to go back to bed. I only got a few hours before being so rudely awakened. Stupid vampires. Would it really have killed them to pay a visit in the daylight hours? How inconsiderate.

"I'm not going anywhere," said Nicholas, pulling me into his arms and hugging me. I closed my eyes and breathed in his unique scent. "But you are."

"I am?" I asked, refusing to move my nose from his chest. If I woke up and this was all a dream, I might have to kill someone. Painfully.

"Yes, Butterfly," Nicholas nodded solemnly as he picked me up in his arms. "To bed."

I chuckled as he walked me down the hall and into the room that I had claimed as my own. He shifted me so that he could pull back the covers and gently placed me down, tucking me in. "Good night, Sweet angel," he murmured, kissing me on the forehead. "Only the best of dreams."

"They will be if you are in them," I responded, a smile coming to my face. This was our old ritual whenever I went to be at night.

"I will be," he promised before straightening. "And I will be here when you wake up, too, so get to sleep."

"Bossy pants," I grumbled under my breath as sleep started to pull me under. I opened my eyes one last time to see him standing at the door, watching me. Satisfied that he was not going anywhere, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

------

"The prodigal son returns," said Mathew as he raised a glass of whiskey into the air. The sneer on his face, however, was enough to let the room know his thoughts on the matter.

Nicholas looked at the wolf with a sneer of his own. He might smell like Natalia, but that didn't mean they were bonded yet. It was still more than possible to kill him without it negatively affecting his Butterfly. Too bad he couldn't still blame it on the vampire.

"Greyson," said a human, standing up to greet him. Nicholas looked the man over and then noticed his smell. Natalia had bonded with this one; he was safe for now.

"Nicholas," he grunted in return as he took a seat in the only remaining chair. No one was sitting where Vlad had met his untimely demise, not like he could blame them. He turned to his second and nodded his head in the direction where he had just come from.

The demon grunted and nodded his head as he went to stand in the hallway, blocking all access to his sleeping princess.

"So I presumed," smiled Greyson, watching the interaction. "Unfortunately, I am a bit new to the world of monsters, so that doesn't mean jack shit to me," he continued, the smile never leaving his face.

"He is Nat's brother," said Dem as he got up to pour himself a drink of something strong. The smile on his face matched that of his commanding officer. "But there was a rumor that he had died some 200 years ago."

"Ah, no wonder she was so happy to see you," chuckled Greyson, taking a sip from his cup. He and Levi might have come late to the party, but they were here now, and they weren't leaving.

Nicholas raised his hand as one of the men placed a glass of amber liquid into it. He nodded his thanks and took a sip of his own. "Is this everyone then?" he asked, turning to look at the wolf.

"Hardly," shrugged the shifter, the grin on his face not once entering his eyes. "Your sister is an incredibly… captivating… woman. But you must know that… how phenomenal your sister is?"

Nicholas looked down at the drink in his hand, the smile on his face brightening. He might not be able to do anything about the two humans and the Skinwalker, but the wolf was fair game. "I think you have a small misunderstanding about me."

"Oh? So you aren't here to protect your sister?" asked the wolf, a feral grin on his face. He was more than aware that he was in a precarious position, being unbounded to the Gypsy and not of her House. He needed to fix that as soon as possible.

"I don't have a sister," chuckled Nicholas, enjoying the looks on the faces of the four men in front of him.

"You don't?" asked a sleepy female voice from the corridor.