I allowed my eyes to roll in good natured tease at the boys words, the playful ribbing between us a custom of sorts developed over the years and indeed probably well stemmed from our first ever meeting on a night so many years ago when I had taken it upon myself to slap him to the floor with my paw for daring to interrupt his Mother and I while we talked. Honestly, I never would have believed the boy to have grown to be so….useful or so- important to myself. If only I had met Zeivah a year earlier, perhaps…..he would have been more fully my own and truly nothing would have given me greater joy. Indeed, nobody save myself and Letum were aware of his lineage, his remarkable likeness to Azrael enough to silence any who would dare suggest the boy might well not be my own and yet some part of myself still longed for that final connection. He was a fitting heir, a true heir and yet such a task fell, by grace of wasted blood, to Azrael. Evidently I need to Father another son at some point though I doubt Cat is willing to provide me with such means. I shook such thoughts away, violet gaze returning to Letum’s own as we exchanged a brief, if not mildly awkward gesture of greeting, the both of us seeking to assure no other was watching as we embraced, allowing, just for a moment, the affection between us to be evident. This was my son, until the day I died it would always be so. My Letum.

The boy moved to seat himself as I did, the blue eyes of the boy, gifted from his Mother, resting easily on my own as he spoke of the matters he has been working on, my own lips pulling into a smirk. Truly he is useful child, though indeed he is hardly a mere boy anymore, well grown and his prime and is as fine a specimen of a male as ever did walk this earth. Not surprising really, he may well be a demi-god. I nodded as he spoke of Iromar, chuckle easing from my lips at the mention of Baphomet’s unfortunate ending, tail flicking in delight at this, truly. Honestly he was hardly an enemy, he might well have been a bothersome fly at best and yet, to be consumed, essentially, by his own pack land is a truly amusing way to die. Smirk laced my features once more as I spoke in easy jest.

“Truly what amused me most about Baphomet was that he styled himself The Demon King. I am yet to find evidence he ruled any Demons at all. There has been no proof of any cannibalism within that pack, which really made him King of Those With Bad Hair, I just didn’t have the heart to tell the poor fellow, he seemed so proud of himself.”

Violet eyes flickered with obvious amusement, hissing chuckle tumbling from between my grinning teeth as I faced Letum once more, the boy continuing on, reporting his more recent findings and indeed bringing forth the matters in Glorall, eyes rolling once more at his attempts to…..flatter his sister’s performance, in fact, I was rather proud of the girl. She had no training whatsoever in the art of battle and had only been handed a defeat, by a fully grown male, in the smallest margins- I hardly saw any dishonour in that.

“It was hardly devastating, Letum. That a small girl such as she could bring a male to his knees is pleasing enough to me. She was never made for battle and yet my pride in her is no less intact and when you speak of her to others, you will hold her in the same high regard.”

One eye lifted, daring him to challenge my authority on the matter. He never did get on well with his half-siblings and yet he’d still do well to watch his tongue in regards to them, after all, they are still my children as he is and I won’t have them spoken ill of. I produce nothing but perfection after all.

“On the matter of this new Alpha however we will have to wait and see, his sinful mate has been blacklisted by Isola and Kane thus perhaps not putting us in favour with the new Glorall, see what you can find out on their feelings towards us.”

I nodded, as if content with my own decision on the matter before returning my gaze to his own, the impatience in his handsome form clear enough and indeed I found one eye lifting in mild amusement at whatever it was he was withholding, the boy clearly keen to get something off his chest, though with Letum what that may be would be well and truly pot luck, the boy never did follow conventions well and honestly he never ceased to surprise me with whatever it was that rattled about inside his head. Evidently however- it was that same issue that had plagued my other children, something of a sigh catching within my throat before meeting his gaze with the same, level honesty in which he offered the words. Sometimes we just and joke, but indeed, there are moments in which a serious demeanour is required and this is one of them, I respect my son enough to answer this question and indeed I hope he holds the same respect in turn to understand the words and accept them as Isola, Ammy and Serpahiel had done.

“Letum, you’re not a child, I do need to sweeten this for you. Your Mother, Zeivah……she died three years ago Letum, for three years I waited for her, searched for her, slept alone. I am not as young as I used to be but that does not mean there are not things I still don’t- want. You are a male, you understand. There is not day in this life in which I do not think of her, wish for her, crave her and yet….should I be denied the touch of another for the rest of my life? I may live another ten years Letum, should I never seek anyone ever again? You and your siblings are living proof of what Zeivah and I had, you are the embodiment of that in every way and that will never change- but I’m not done being a Father and even I do not believe Zev would have denied me that.”

I spoke smoothly, easily, a momentary smile brushing my lips at the lingering thoughts of my mate of so many years. Maybe he would understand, maybe he would not and yet….would Zeivah have truly wanted me to live alone until the day I died. She wasn’t like that. Had I died as well I should have, hell, I would have wanted her to have….someone to be what I no longer could. I fell silent a moment, allowing Letum to consider these words before I shook them aside myself, refusing to dwell on such sensitive issues. I detest this emotion and hardly wish to be inclined to feel it still, pleased when he brought up another topic, a smirk of sorts touching my lips.

“I am retired from the Art, what I do cannot be judged in the same way for it no longer affects the Assassins. Azrael however…..is an idiot who cannot help but allow others to provoke him into doing ridiculous things. Truly I don’t think he believed he would father children from her, yet evidently he is my son in every sense of the word, having inherited my talent in that regard. He bore two sons with his imprint and yet did he tell you of the boys? Evidently fate has seen fit to punish him for his indiscretion, both boys, Letum- are black, marked in red- like little Demons.”

I couldn’t help the grin that teased across my features. In truth I adored my grandsons, they were very healthy, very powerful young boys and a credit to Azrael’s ability as a sire and yet- the humour was entirely to much to be ignored.

“Both have a touch of white here and there, but it is near non-existent, they take after their Mother in colour, much to Az’s disdain. Yet, they say children born of an imprint were always meant to be, that it is a complete rightness so perhaps the world always was ready for them. To thir credit, they are exceptional pups and indeed they will be tall and powerful in time. At least he fathered something useful.”

h e y e l
The Original Angel