Chapter 2 A Reunion

Gareth Strauss. The second son of the house of Strauss. His husband.

A man Cyrus knows at most two things about, and yet still can not build a single picture of who he is as a whole. All Cyrus knows is that he is quiet and rule abiding. All of which is common knowledge. Nothing else. 

Not throughout the wedding or after. Not through the force twice a month meetings, on which they awkwardly sit near each other, not engaging in any meaningful conversion. Most certainly not through the force heat Cyrus endured with Gareth in an attempt to bring them together. Much less after the surprising birth of their hybrid son.

Don't get him wrong, Cyrus did bring his son for the twice a month meetups, even if it itch him in all the wrong ways, but conversions as always were very surface leveled.

Cyrus walks out of the room after changing Leo into some comfortable clothes. Leo, unsurprisingly, did not wake up. Cyrus doesn't know whether he should blame it on his vampiric genes or Cyrus' father's passionate hatred for mornings passing down onto his son. 

The halls are still relatively empty on this side of the mansion. The somber halls in their lavish wallpaper and decor, and the white curtains unstained and cleaned. Cyrus feels more alone than he ever felt. 

He died in this household. Unwelcome and unacknowledged as the legitimate spouse of the well-known Gareth Strauss. 

And he knows at least one person who he is to blame for that. 

The madam of this house. Madam Agnes Strauss. 

A very powerful vampire in both status and strength that Cyrus tried to avoid at all cost just to not get on her bad side, ultimately unnecessary since his mere existence put him on top of her hated list. The frigid gazes from those brown almond shaped eyes always felt deadly and accusing, making him tense and wary.

Cyrus saw her once during the short, pitiful, and humiliatingly small wedding. Her dark green gown dress and black hair pull together to accentuate her soft face but sharp personality. She was regal, with an air of being untouchable as the madam of a wealthy and well respected household. However, despite the glares and less than warm welcome, she kept herself to decorum. At least in the eyes of the public. 

According to the quiet rumor mill, before Cyrus married, the Madam had quite the rough rumors surrounding her. Apparently, her hatred towards werewolves was an open secret. Some say something about her encountering some werewolf who managed to defeat her in combat so badly she lost her place in marrying into royalty. Others say that a female werewolf had seduced her husband- Lord Strauss - before her second son was born, thus leading to her being very meticulous and near obsessive in the upbringing of her second son.

And now a werewolf has married her precious child. Cyrus has an inkling that he was strategically put on the farthest reaches of the mansion, told to be ignored, and only give him and his son the basic needs. Making sure both Gareth and Cyrus stayed as far apart as possible.

Out of sight out of mind.

But that was the past. Now, things are going to be much different.

Cyrus storms into his room, feeling slightly rejuvenated and more aggravated than before. Cyrus gently puts Leo down on his bed while he quickly leaves the room to take a quick shower and put on some clothes. After a hot shower, he looks at himself in the mirror. 

Steel sharps eyes, slightly scarred pale skin from previous battles, and medium dark hair limply hangs over his shoulders, sticking to his wet skin. Everything looks the same, except the scars his body attained throughout the five years he's been living in this estate were gone. He faintly touches the place where he remembers the arrow piercing through his chest right where his heart was. A quick death. Put down, like hunted prey.

Cyrus feels a dark feeling rise within, curling and twisting around. Wishing to lash out, punch, or kill something. He reluctantly pushes it down. His fist clenched in, digging his nails into his palms. He never felt this furious. Infuriated enough to force himself to stay calm. And yet how he wishes to let it go. 

"If it wasn't for this darn family and their stupid rules!" His expression twisted in a snarl. He can't even begin to imagine what would've become of his son after he died. Would've Gareth have taken him and raised him or ignored him like before?  Would his mother dispose of him first or let his son wither alone and unloved by his own birth family?

He couldn't bear to see himself and be reminded of his death and the possibilities of Leo's future, so he left the bathroom. Livid and cursing everything under the sun as he put on some comfortable clothes for the chilly autumn air outside and put his hair up in a lazy ponytail with some strands left to their own near his face.

When he walks back to where his son lays, he is fully awake and playing with the bed sheets. 

Cyrus masks his anger with fondness when Leo looks his way, big eyes full of laughter and love. 

"Good morning, pup."

"Bah!" With a gummy toothed smile and large eyes, Cyrus' anger dimmed.

He crouches down next to the bed, kissing his boy's crown. Just being around this little miracle of his really calms him down. Not by much, the anger and frustration is very much there, but he can act a bit calmer now, more level-headed. He looks back at his pup, who's trying to crawl under the sheets and cocoon himself with them. He pats the boy's back to get his attention.

"C'mon Leo, we are going to meet your father. Whether he wants to or not." Smugly smirking to himself as he grabs Leo and sets him on his hip, determinedly walking out of his room.

____________

Walking through the busier areas of the house never fails to make him rethink and appreciate, a little bit, about his current basic commodities. Many people believe werewolf clans are loud, living in one house full of noise, bickering, and yelling with no privacy whatsoever due to our sensitive hearing. While the afromention can be true to certain families, werewolf clan walls are thick, lace with generations worth of protection magic, therefore making most rooms actually quiet and barely louder than a library even there was loud yells and bickering going on in the next room. 

On the other hand, this place feels like organized chaos. There are too many things happening at once, yet nothing is actually going wrong. Leo watches unabashedly as if he is witnessing the most interesting thing in his short year of living. He technically is.They have never willingly been in this area of the estate this early in the morning.

Maids and servants look at him wearily, some vampires and some humans all having silent conversations that don't escape Cyrus's sharp senses. But while he usually dislikes being in the limelight, unlike his older brothers, this will suit him. Let them see his face.

He walks deliberately west of the mansion where he's aware of Gareth's office. He knows this action of his is going to be quickly spread through the secret vine of communication that Madame Agnes' followers report back to, and Cyrus finds that he doesn't mind it. No, he welcomes it. 

After a whole ten minute walk and a lot of staring by many people, he finally comes across the doors leading to Gareth's office.

Right as he was about to grab the door knob the sound of heels clicking behind him calmly approached him.

" Sir Wilstone, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" 

Madam Agnes stands a few paces behind, trailed by her hand maids from what Cyrus assumes - he's not really versed in all this aristocratic etiquette bullshit. The Madam is again wearing a lavish style, wearing an expensive gown in shades of oranges and yellows resembling the autumn season. She held herself like someone dealing with a pest at her doorstep.

Well, it's not you I'm visiting, that's for sure.

He feels Leo shuffle closer to him, sensing his tense shoulders and darkening mood between both parties. Sorry Leo, Baba has to use you to reach our goals. 

He smiles neutrally, giving a slight bow to his 'mother-in-law'. " My son wanted to meet his father, so here I am." Cyrus responded.

She huffed, " There are two weeks left before your mandatory meetings. You can wait until then, so I suggest you go back to your rooms." 

"Once again, Madam Agnes," I will never call her mother! " My son really wanted to meet his father since he woke up this morning. A simple greet and conversation won't hold my husband for too long." It pains him to keep saying 'my husband' , he never felt like married man, and it's not going to change his views the more he says it anytime soon either.

Cyrus is internally grateful for Olga and Feren back then - or future then? For teaching him how to deal with nobles; always make the complaint you have seem like not as serious as it is until necessary. Basically, mask your real intentions with pleasantries. He called it blatant manipulation back then, and Olga just shrugged and said that's the way the rich folks maintain their public image.

Cyrus subtly moves his hand behind himself to open the door to Gareth's office. Madam Agnes was thankfully too busy explaining to him the rules of the house that are no exception even to married individuals, for which Cyrus is at least fifty percent sure she made up.

When he turns it, he inwardly curses as the knob stops midway. Fuck it's locked. Which means he's not there. He calms his slightly racing heart, focuses back on Madam Agnes, while coming up with a different plan.

"...such as the rules are, you must understand that you're no longer a wolf, but one with the Strauss." Madam Agnes looks at him critically,  seeming to barely hold herself from giving Cyrus verbal lashing openly. " That's why I believe you should get you and your son an etiquette teacher."

…What? " An etiquette teacher? I don't need that, much less my one year old son." He never got an etiquette teacher back in his past life. Only maids came to check up on him and report back to Madam Agnes.

She huffs again as if she's dealing with a disobedient child. "This is not an option. You will get an etiquette teacher, I have let you on your own long enough. Plus, it is better for your child to start young." She pauses for a second, " Unless, of course, you will prefer for your child to be taken care of by a nanny. To make sure nothing goes wrong with my…grandson." She says the last words slowly as it pained her to say it outloud.

Cyrus flinches, suppressing the violent urge to snarl at this woman. " You will not take my son from me!" He yells, mood souring and his instincts blaring under his skin, completely forgetting about pleasantries. He can't let them get Leo. He rather trusts a dog with his son than these people.

"You disobedient child -"

"Mother." 

Cyrus startles at the new voice. Calmer yet neutral, not a hint of emotion behind it. Cyrus' body stays tense, but his eyes unconsciously follow the direction of that voice. A pair of sharp dark eyes stare back, bleak and intense as they always have been.

It makes Cyrus feel sick.