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Avery laughs and shrugs. ”It’s because of when I was born. To me, it sounds better than saying, ‘you wanna go out?’” he said in an obnoxious tone. He pulled down Caden’s driveway and glanced at Kimiko. ”Nic is going to yell at me if you keep splitting your lip open like that,” he stated.

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Caden relaxed when his home came into view. He looked into the rearview mirror. All of the wolves were starting to stir, including Levi. Caden tapped his stirring wheel in compilation of where he wanted to put the wolves while they waited for Charles to make it to Chicago. Which wouldn’t be until tomorrow.

Along Caden’s driveway, there were a few side roads and bends one could take to other areas of his property. Caden turned down one of these roads, leaving Avery and Kimiko as they made for the main house. Caden drove down the road until a little cabin appeared. It was more of a shed than a place to live, but it was mostly empty. Caden parked outside and shut the SUV.

”Will you help me move our cargo?” Caden asked Nero.

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Cassiopeia rolls her eyes, but can’t help the blush or grin that comes to her face from Nic’s teasing. ”Stop it. You’re going to make me fall,” she gently scolded Nic.

The hot water made Cassi sigh. She sat down and shut her eyes while the water soaked into her tired muscles. She turned her head, opened her eyes, and looked at Nic.

”If you take me swimming, I’d probably wear a different suit,” she informed Nic.

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“He’s not my nurse.” Kimiko says, finding it hard not to smile as they approach Caden’s house. “So, where are we going for out first date ‘when we go out’?” She adopts the same obnoxious tone that he did.

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Nero tilts their head, looking at the shed with mild confusion. “How are we keeping them in there?” They ask as they exit the SUV. “Also… how long are we holding them for?” Nero casts a glance to the back through the windows.

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Nic grabs the hair stuff from under the sink and sits on the edge of the tub. “Oh? What would you wear?” He asks curiously, leaning down to splash a little water at her playfully before he motions for Cass to move closer so he can start on her hair.

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Avery parked the car and looked at Kimiko. ”Eager to go out on a date with me, are you?” Avery opened up his door and got out before going around to help Kimiko out of the car.

”I’ll take you somewhere fun, but maybe in a few days after you’ve healed up,” Avery said.

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”I have several cages inside. Sometimes we’ll hold creatures here until we figure out what to do with them,” Caden explained and opened up the door and got out of the SUV. ”Charles will be round sometime tomorrow,” Caden said, turning around to look back at Nero.

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Cassiopeia wiggled her nose and giggled when Nic splashed the water at her. She turned, sitting her back against the tub closest to Nic. ”Another swimsuit, but you’ll just have to take me swimming to know what it looks like,” she teased him.

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“What do you mean? Are you saying I’m not date-ready right now?” Kimiko twists in the seat and places a hand on Avery’s shoulder to use as leverage to get out of the SUV. She feels a little light headed. “Okay, shower and nap, pronto.” She says when her feet reach the ground.

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“I hope they’re as small as Kiki’s was.” Nero says, a wicked glint in their eye as they round the SUV with Caden. “Can I scare them some more?” They ask, a little wiggle to them.

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“Well, Caden is the only person I know with a pool, to be honest.” Nic says with a chuckle as he takes a cup and gently pours it over her head to get any dirt out of her hair. He’s careful not to let any flow directly over her cut and combs through her locks as he starts to part Cass’ hair.

”Can I know what color it is at least?” He asks with a smile.

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”I’m saying I don’t want to take you on a date when it’ll look like I’ve beaten you,” Avery said, his tone harder. Because that’s exactly what she looked like, and that’s exactly what had happened.

Avery rests his hands on her waist to help steady her. ”Do you want me to carry you to your room?” he offered.

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”Unfortunately I have standards, even though they are cages. They are bigger than Kiki’s, but yes, you can scare them a little more if you would like, my little imp.” Caden rests his fingers along their chin and kisses them softly. He pulled back after a moment and opened up the back of the SUV and started hauling the wolves out. One of them was still sluggish, so Caden just threw him over his shoulder. The other three, including Levi, were more coherent.

”You can walk under your own power, or Nero here will help you,” Caden declared and gestured to Nero before Caden turned and walked away. He unlocked the shed before heading inside.

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Cassiopeia closed her eyes when she felt the water pour over her head. Nic was careful so that the water didn’t go into her eyes or over her cut. The only time it started to pull was when he started to separate her hair. Cassi held her breath to keep from wincing and worrying him.

She smiled at his question and decided to play along. It would be a good distraction for her anyway. ”White,” she informed him.

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Kimiko grimaces. “Fair point.” She says before his hands are on her waist. Kiki’s ears immediately redden at the thought of his carrying her anywhere. “N-no-no, that’s okay, I can walk.” She assures him even as her hand stays on his shoulder, now with a new reason for feeling slightly dizzy.

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Nero wishes they could kiss longer, but is excited at the prospect of continuing to scare the wolves. They peer into the back as Caden walks away. “Oh, Levi, you missed it! Earlier when were easily defeating your disgusting pack, I threw this dagger-”

“N-no, I heard, I’ll behave, thank you.”

Nero grins widely at the remaining three in the vehicle. “Good doggy. Now come along pups.” Nero gestures for the werewolves to exit the SUV, tailing them as they all head to the shed.

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“Hmm, I don’t think I can imagine it very well still… I guess you’ll have to show it off for me sooner rather than later.” Nic leans around Cass to kiss her cheek before going back to her hair.

“I think I’ve gotten any dirt out now, so I’m going to start braiding, okay? You doing alright so far?” He sets the cup aside and gently rubs her shoulders.

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Avery cocked his head to the side when she stuttered. She had never been this flustered with him before. Avery wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about it. He did, however, enjoy having his hands on her and hers on him.

”Okay, well, lean on me at least then,” Avery said. He let go of her waist and offered his arm to her instead.

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Inside the shed, there were three different cages. Two were the same size, with the third being slightly larger and looking like it could fit a number of large creatures. Caden opened up the larger cage and put the person he was carrying inside before he opened the other two cages. He turned around and watched Nero usher the other three inside.

Caden watched Levi move into the larger cage. Caden walked over and closed that cage once there were two people inside and he locked it. ”I’ll come by with food later.” Unlike the Chicago werewolf pack, Caden wasn’t a monster.

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Cassiopeia’s cheeks warmed after Nic kissed them. She didn’t mind the idea of showing off for him a little.

Nic’s hands were strong and comforting as they rubbed her shoulders. Cassi felt herself sinking into the water more as she relaxed. She rested a hand over Nic’s and gave it a gentle squeeze.

”I’m doing okay still,” she assured him. She was looking forward to being clean, drinking her tea, and then going to sleep.

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Kiki wraps her arms around his and leans into him. “I’m perfectly capable of walking.” She mumbles, but smiles to herself as she gets to finally have a chance to feel his muscles.

“So, how long are you going to have to scream for later?” She asks, referencing the little excursion they went on the other day as they make their way into the house.

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“If any of you are bad dogs, I’ll turn you into hellhounds.” Nero warns with a malicious grin before they leave with Caden. Immediately their persona changes as they giggle to themselves. “Shall we walk back? Or how far are we from your place?” Nero asks, hoping to avoid another trip in the stinky van.

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Nic smiles and kisses her cheek once more before starting on the braids. “If it hurts at all, let me know please. I’d rather us deal with your frizzy mess of hair than have you in pain.” He says the hair part teasingly, but he really does mean it.

His fingers gently separate her hair, using the comb to help as he goes. He can’t help but worry each time he sees the little cut on her head, but reminds himself that she made it back, she’s letting him baby her, and that she wasn’t as fragile as he’s making her out to be in his mind.

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Avery chuckled when Kimiko tried defending herself about being able to walk on her own. ”I'm sure, but this is nice.” Before Avery could say anymore, the front door opened and Henry was there with several other people. Everyone stared at Kimiko and even a few of the staff started to tear up.

“Oh thank goodness,” Henry visibly sighed in relief. “Are you hungry Miss Kimiko? Thirsty? Anything you want and we'll get it for you.” The rest of the staff nodded emphatically.

Avery smirked and covered his mouth to avoid getting hit by Kimiko later. ”I believe Miss Kimiko wants to shower and rest. Caden is at the shed, so tell everyone to not go near it. Charles will be arriving sometime tomorrow to deal with them.” Avery had emphasized the title before Kimiko's name because he thought it was absolutely hilarious.

Henry nodded and backed everyone away from the door for Avery and Kimiko to walk inside.. “Of course. If there is anything you require later Miss Kimiko, please let me or one of the other staff members know."

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Caden locked the cabin and the SUV before pocketing the keys. Normally he would have Avery hang out around the cabin, but in light of recent events, he didn't want to ask.

”I like the sound of walking back,” Caden said and offered Nero his arm. ”How do you make a hellhound?” Caden asked curiously.

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”Would this be a bad time to list my past injuries?” Cassi asked Nic. She was no stranger to pain or near death experiences. Of course, it didn't make new injuries any less traumatic or painful. Cassi's head still throbbed right now, but her dizziness and nausea were starting to subside. Nick's gentle touch was also soothing.

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Kiki can’t help but stare a little wide-eyed at the staff - she didn’t expect such a response from everyone and she immediately wanted to crawl into a hole. She pinches Avery’s arm when he calls her ‘miss’, her ears and cheeks already reddening from the sudden attention. “Thank you.” She manages to squeak out as they walk by the staff into the house.

“I hate you.” She mumbles to Avery once the two are out of earshot of the staff.

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Nero immediately curls around Caden’s offered arm, not needing any further encouragement. They laugh at Caden’s question. “Oh, I have no idea. I just wanted to threaten them with something scary.” Nero beams up at Caden, eyes nearly closed.

“Did it sound scary?”

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Nic shackles softly, completing one braid and now turning his attention to the other side of her head. “Only if you want to - although I am curious.” He tells her with a gentle smile. Outside of the wound on her head, Nic enjoys the intimacy of the moment. He can definitely see himself doing this often with her.

“Also, can you not heal yourself?” He asks curiously.

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Avery laughs while they walk down the hallway to Kimiko's room on Caden's side of the house. He opened her door and unwrapped Kimiko's arm from his.

”The fun thing is you can't get mad at Henry and the others, since they were all very concerned for you,” Avery declared. He leaned against the doorframe outside of Kimiko's room and crossed his arms over his chest.

”Is there anything else I can get for you, Miss Kimiko?” Avery asked, unable to help himself.

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Caden looked at Nero, eyes wide, and laughed. ”Oh. Well yes, it did sound very scary,” Caden agreed.

They walked along a path through some trees before they found the driveway and walked up that to the house.

”What would you like to do for our afternoon, my little imp?”

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Cassiopeia shook her head gently, running her hands along the top of the water to make it ripple from the movement. ”I was never blessed with the ability to heal. I can do simple spells, but I can't fully heal someone, and I can't heal myself,” Cassi explained. ”As for my injuries… I've had previous head injuries from being knocked unconscious and various cuts. My arm has been broken, as well as both my hands and fingers. I've also been burned alive, but as you can see, it didn't take,” Cassi said, holding up her arms and wiggling her fingers so Nic could see she was perfectly fine. ”I created a bubble of air around me while the fire raged around me. That didn't help the witch accusations, though.”

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Kiki purses her lips, leveling a glare at Avery before flicking his nose. “Yes, you can get me a hole that I can crawl into and die, thank you.” She says as she moves to gather clothes to change into. She pauses for a moment in her task to look back at Avery.

“I’m sure you want to shower too, but you’re coming back, right?” She asks in a small voice. As much as she wants to pretend that everything is fine and that she’s okay, she doesn’t want to be alone right now.

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Nero gives Caden another grin before resting their head against his arm as they walk and make their way to his house. When Caden asks what they want to do for the afternoon, Nero pauses to think about it. “Do you have many books on hell in your library?” They ask curiously.

“As much as I want to just relax and enjoy the afternoon… I want to unlock more memories about Mundus so we can find out more information… is that okay?” They pull their head away from Caden’s arm to look up at him.

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Nic shakes his head with a small frown as she lists all the injuries, his hands pausing in their braiding when she mentions being burned alive. “Jesus Christ, Cass.” He breathes, trying not to get angry a bout this. He takes a deep breath to calm down, making sure his hands stop shaking before he finishes off the other braid.

“And you told me you were the first aid kit. I’m definitely making you a kit now. Your purse has room in it.” He releases Cass’s hair. “All done - this should make it easier for me to keep an eye on how the cut heals… I wonder if we did a CT scan if we’d be able to see these past injuries though.” He says as he captures her wiggling fingers and kisses her hand.

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Avery grinned even though Kimiko flicked his nose. He stayed in the doorway, watching her gather her clothes. He smiled at her when she turned back to look at him. His heart tightened from the tone of her voice. He didn’t like how defeated she sounded.

”Of course. Do you want me to bring tea when I come back? Or hot chocolate?”

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”That’s more than okay. I was hoping we could do that soon anyways,” Caden told them. ”I know I have some books. If we need more information I have access to the Men of Letters online library. They don’t have everything on their for security reasons, but we might find something.”

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Shivers ran down Cassi’s spine from the tone of Nic’s voice. Maybe Nic really was her knight in shinning armour. She giggled when Nic kissed her fingers, and turned in the tub to see him.

”Spell work healing works faster than first aid kids, so technically, I’m still the better first aid kit,” she teased. Cassiopeia pressed a wet hand to Nic’s cheek. ”Did you miss the part where I said I created a bubble around myself? I didn’t get burned. It was just a little warm,” Cassiopeia said.

She could joke about being burned now, but for months after she woke with nightmares, and the feeling of being burned. She was very nearly like Kiki as well with starting fires in her sleep.

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Kiki smiles despite everything. If all the fighting and bitterness between them really was just his wolf making sense of a bond, she hopes that things between them will be easier now. “Hot chocolate… with a straw please.” She sends him a smirk, setting her clothes on the bed and walking over to Avery.

“Thank you.” She stands on her toes just enough so she can kiss his cheek. Now that Kiki knows everything, she has no doubt that even if she had been sold off, Avery would have tracked her down and killed anyone who stood in his way. The feeling was somehow comforting. She places a hand on his chest over his heart, trying to think of the words to say to let him know how truly grateful she is before she just hugs him, placing her unharmed cheek where her hand had been.

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Nero nods, glad that Caden has also been wanting to research the subject. “Let’s do that then - I’ll change into something that I won’t mind sweating in if I should get any memories pulled.” Nero peers up and smiles, using his arm as leverage to stand on their toes and kiss his cheek.

“I love you.” They whisper to Caden.

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“Well obviously not that injury.” Nic says, shaking his head at her observation of ‘just a little warm’ while people attempted to burn her alive. He places a hand over hers that rets on his cheek. “It’s just that a human body can hold onto scars and everything internally, so it’d be interesting to know if your body has held onto any of them. This is just from a medical perspective though - we probably shouldn’t put images of your body in the healthcare system.” He says with a small laugh.

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Avery smirks, his eyes dancing with humour. ”You are so weird,” he informs Kimiko. Hot chocolate with a straw? What was the point?

Kimiko walks over to Avery and his eyes shift to track her as she approaches. He's surprised she kisses him lightly on the cheek, but he's quick to smile. After she leaned back, Avery stares into her eyes, locked in a silent conversation with her.

Avery dropped his arms at some point which allowed Kimiko to hug him. He hesitated, not wanting to hurt her further. Avery lightly holds Kimiko's waist while she holds onto him.

Avery isn't sure how long they hold each other like that, but he doesn't care. They both needed it, and Avery would hold her forever if she asked him to. However, at this point in time, Avery lets her go after whispering to her.

”I'll come back,” he assured. He tried to keep his voice level and calm, but all he could smell was Terrance on her skin and in her hair. It infuriated him.

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”I’ll meet you in the library,” Caden said, after they reached his front door. Caden smiled at the three simple words, but they were anything but.

Caden slipped his arms around Nero's hips and leaned in. He kissed Nero, dipping them back slowly as he deepened the kiss. After a long minute, Caden pulled Nero back up and whispered on their lips.

”I love you, too.” Caden pulled back, and opened up the front door for Nero.

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Cassiopeia couldn't help but grin when her boyfriend turned into a science nerd. ”It would be interesting. Physically I have the body of a 27 year old, but I'm nearly 300. I wonder what story my organs would tell. Maybe Caden can pull some strings and we could get a private scan.”

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Kiki smiles up at him when he pulls away, trying not to seem too disappointed that the hug is over. “I was kidding about the straw, by the way, I’m not that weird.” She places her hand on his chest once again, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before she nods to herself.

”You’ll be back.” She repeats before opening her eyes. “And if you’re not, I’ll make the staff tell me where you’re hiding.” Kiki says before grabbing her clothes and going into her bathroom.

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Nero grins up at Caden, a little breathless from the kiss, but still thoroughly enjoyed it. The demon hops up a little so they can peck Caden’s lips. “Meet you in the library.” Nero replies before prancing ahead to go change. They’re quick about it, choosing a large green jumper and some sleep shorts, changing into it quickly before bounding back down the steps towards the library, two cats following at their heels.

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Nic raises his eyebrows, eyes going wide with the thought. “Wait, where does he plan on taking Kiki for her scans?” Nic asks, his hands returning to massage her shoulders. In the distance, he can hear the tea kettle whistling, but he ignores it for now.

“Maybe I’ll ask to work in the imaging department for a round and learn how they do it, then Caden could just buy his own.” He laughs at this though, not actually wanting to go through with it. He likes staying in the emergency room.

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Avery laughed and moved away from the door. ”The staff don't know all my secrets,” he teased.

He stepped back from the door and shut it before leaving to go shower in his room.

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Caden smiled, a little bit of mischief flickered in his eyes from the way he made Nero breathless. They skipped ahead of him, and the display caused Caden to chuckle.

He felt eyes on him and turned his head to see Henry with the majority of Caden's staff. Ah, yes. Caden smiled and walked over to them.

“Sir, Avery said for us to avoid the shed…”

”Yes, the Marrok wished to speak with the Chicago werewolf pack as they were the ones to kidnap Kimiko late last night. She sustained several injuries, but we had her checked and she is stable. We brought the remaining members of the pack here and they are being detained. I will bring them a meal myself later on. Sandwiches or something light. Tomorrow the Marrok's second will arrive to speak with the wolves. I will deal with him personally, so none of you need to worry about entertaining him. Thank you all for caring about Kimiko. I'm sure she appreciates the support as much as I do.” Caden smiled and squeezed Henry's shoulder before he smiled at the rest of his staff. ”Treat tonight as usual. There is no need to make a big fuss over supper, though. If you have everything you need done accomplished, you may retire for the day, and remember to give the cabin a wide berth.”

Everyone readily agreed before scurrying off, which allowed Caden to finally retreat to the library. He arrived a few seconds before Nero, and was just rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt when they walked in.

”I got waylaid by the staff. I haven't had a chance to pull the proper books out.”

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”Caden uses a privatized company for the medical needs of his staff and other supernatural creatures. He pays them a lot to keep silent about a lot of things,” Cassi informed him.

The tension starts to melt in Cassiopeia's neck and shoulders from Nic's massage. She didn't realize how tight her muscles had become after the impact of her head injury. She heard the kettle though and glanced at Nic.

”I can finish washing and then have my tea in the bedroom,” she said.

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Kiki takes great care in scrubbing her body, sniffing parts often to try and make sure there was no scent left of Terrance or the other werewolves. She also scrubbed at her scalp, massaging her shampoo in. She’s not sure what to do with the new white hair she’s sporting, thinking she might find a salon nearby that could return it to her usual hair color.

Once out of the shower, the fox changes into a nightshirt that reaches about mid-thigh on her and pull on some shorts before wrapping her hair up in a towel before she throws herself on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

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Nero tilts their head, watching as Caden rolls up his sleeves. It’s a simple act, but they love it. “Were they worried about Kiki?” Nero asks, finding themselves looking around the library again. They head over to the swords, but there’s no trigger this time, even as they reach up and poke it.

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“Stupid rich.” Nic says with a half smile. It doesn’t surprise him that this is how he operates - in fact it makes more sense given everything he knows about Caden.

At her words, he pauses his mini-massage and gives Cass a kiss to the top of her head. “Okay, make sure to take it easy getting out of the tub, okay? And call me if you need help.” The nurse says before getting up to go make her tea.

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Avery tried not to take too long in the shower, but he really needed the hot water to help relax his muscles and his mind. He couldn't really believe he straight up told Kimiko about the mating bond and that he formed one with her. He definitely thought she was going to slap him. Or hit him. Maybe she was still in shock from the day.

His mind drifted to images of Kimiko in the cage. Of her bruised body. Of Terrace’s idiotic smile, of his torn body after Avery ripped into him. He didn't suffer enough.

Avery turned the water to cold to flush his body and his mind. She was safe. She was back, and Avery could keep her safe now.

Avery dressed in some joggers, similar to the pair he wore yesterday. He pulled on a simple black t-shirt, and a light grey hoodie with the name of the old gym he used to go to on the front. Down the right arm were the words BEAST in bold, black lettering. Avery didn't need to wear a sweater tonight, but if Kimiko still smiled like the Chicago pack, he wanted her to wear something of his.

Once dressed, Avery headed back to Caden's to go and make some hot chocolates for Kimiko. Thankfully the kitchen staff had already anticipated Avery's needs when it came to food. They gave him a bunch of jerky, a couple fresh steaks, and potatoes with all the fixings. They gave him a couple sandwiches for Kimiko too, not sure of her appetite after everything. Avery loaded the food and hot chocolate — with a straw — onto a trolley and took it up to the main floor.

He wheeled the trolly down the hallway and knocked on Kimiko's door. ”Room service.”

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Caden walked over to stand with Nero and nodded. ”They sort of take anyone I have staying here under their wing. If something happens, they are usually beside themselves until I come home. At least the staff members who have been around for longer than six months.”

Caden scanned his bookshelves and started to pull down books that were about hell and some that briefly mentioned hell and demons, but any information would be valuable information.

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”I promise,” Cassi said. She waited for Nic to leave before she pulled her swim top off. She rung the water out before setting it on the end of the tub, and started to clean up.

Cassiopeia didn't linger in the tub like she did the night before, but she did indulge in scrubbing the memories of the day off. She tentatively touched the back of her head and flinched from the tender spot on her head. It could have been worse, she thought.

Cassiopeia drained the water from the tub and stood, stripping off her swimsuit bottoms before she towelled off, and put on the sweats from the night before.

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Kiki could have fallen asleep on the bed, staring up at nothing as she got lost in thought, but she feels wide awake when someone knocks on her door. Did they just say ‘room service’? Almost passing out from sitting up too fast, Kimiko groans and holds her head. “I think it’s open?” She called out to who she can only assume is Avery. She rubs her forehead a little until she no longer sees black dots swarming her vision before she jumps off the bed to go meet Avery at the door.

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Nero smiles to themselves. “I never thought I’d be someone who would like that in a household… but I don’t think I could return to a house without the life your staff and loved ones bring.” Nero pokes the swords again for good measure before heading over to the table closest to Caden. They grab a pad of paper and a pen and write ‘MUNDUS’ at the top and then begin to write down the details they know so far, including the one about Cass’ family.

“When you get a moment, can you double check I’ve got everything written down?”

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Tea prepared, Nic makes a couple of sandwiches from the lunch they had the day before, putting about four sandwiches on the little tray with two cups of tea before making his way to Cass’ bedroom, his backpack slung over his shoulder. “I’m hoping you’re a little big hungry, ‘cause I made more sandwiches.” He calls from her doorway before he taps the frame with his foot.

“Are your shoulders still bare?” Nic teases.

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