Prince Consort

Chapter 18

Harry sat in the library, reading the book that Severus had suggested he read, about Vampire Lord's and their customs, consorts and he did admit he found it very educational, it wasn't anything like he'd read about vampires in the past. Not that he had truly believed everything he read on creatures since he had taken umbrage over the portrayal of werewolves. He knew that the werewolves had been made to sound more rabid and disease and more animal like than they truly were. Remus (his dad) was the kindest and gentle man he knew, to see the creatures so badly portrayed was unfair and he was extremely angry over the unfairness of it.

A whole week had gone by since he had been brought here, just a single week, seven days, it most certainly didn't feel that way. Quite honestly it felt more like a month. So much had happened in that short space of time, not only for him, but over all. Dumbledore had been arrested, Remus had been attacked, his family had been brought here to safety, and Sirius Black had tried to get find Prince Castle. He had succeed, he was told, and it was why he had been put into the cells below, they wanted to find out how he had found it and why. As of yet, Sirius hadn't been spoken to, they were leaving him to strew in his own fear and sweat. If it had been anyone else he would have felt a little sorry for them.

Hearing footsteps, yet again, he asked "What is it now?" his exasperation obvious as he turned around, blinking in surprise to see Alfred - at least he was ninety percent sure that's what Severus called him. There were so many vampires he didn't know each of them yet, but he was slowly getting there, especially with those who interacted with Severus daily, which Alfred did, as well as his main protectors - not that they did much protecting around the Castle. He nodded when Alfred curtseyed, he was still getting used to them all doing that whenever he was near.

"Feeling cooped up?" Alfred asked the teen, a smile of understanding on his face as he straightened back up.

"A little," Harry admitted, placing the bookmark on the last few pages he had left to read of the book, he closed it and turned properly.

"Yes, Rose was like that," Alfred nodded solemnly.

"Rose?" Harry queried, wondering if it was maybe the last Prince Consort.

"Severus' Grandmother and Lady Prince, Consort to the previous Lord Prince," Alfred explained.

"They are alive?" Harry asked surprised, "But Severus said he was the last…never mind," he shook his head for being so silly, Severus was the last heir to the Prince family, when Glenn passed the baton so to speak, Severus became Lord of the family, that usually only happened when the family member passed, but with vampires, it was done differently. "How come I've never met them? Do they not stay here?"

"They remain at Prince Manor, the Castle is used as a base, where vampires come if they are threatened, wishing to join the coven, to go on missions and protect the current Lord. Since they are no longer in power, they don't have to, and to be honest I think they were glad to be able to have some privacy," responded Alfred smirking in amusement.

"I can understand that," snorted Harry, grinning widely, he rather liked Alfred, it was nice to have someone to talk to from here.

"It's always a shock, the lack of privacy, even Severus hated it at the beginning." replied Alfred.

"He did?" Harry murmured in surprise.

"Yes, he hexed them a few times, but they kept coming back, it wasn't until he was attacked that he realized the dangers of being Lord Prince," answered Alfred gravely. "Severus is a hell of a dueller but even wouldn't stand a chance against four fully fledged vampires."

"What happened?" Harry asked, surprised by the depth of his concern.

"To be honest, he was actually doing not bad fighting the four of them off, but there's no doubt he would have lost should the fight have continued. Corin, Storm and Langdon and myself, if I remember correctly came to his aid," said Alfred. "I know its difficult now, but in time I truly believe you will grow to love it here."

"Maybe," Harry said, he was beginning to like it here, the first few days had been difficult, but all the emotional upheaval and uncertainty was the main factor in that. Having his family here and safe…being able to talk to them whenever he wanted, yes, he was beginning to like it.

"I am sorry, how remiss of me, my name is Alfred Murphy. It's nice to meet you, Harry." Alfred said, belatedly realizing he had never formally introduced himself holding his hand out.

"I know," Harry admitted, shaking the vampire's hand he smiled, none of them had actually formally introduced themselves yet.

"I am going to Diagon Alley to pick up a few things, would you like to accompany me?" Alfred asked the teenager.

"Can I go?" Harry asked, giving Alfred a confused look, not sure whether Severus would allow him to leave the Castle. "Will he let me?"

"His name is Severus, not he, please do not disrespect him, especially not in front of us," Alfred cautioned him, he had the utmost respect for Severus as his Lord, and he didn't want to hear any disrespect.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it," Harry said, genuinely taken aback by the comment from Alfred.

"You shouldn't be, one day if you accept this life, you will be ruling by Severus' side. Which means you can do anything you like without having to apologize. We are your subjects Harry, not the other way around, never let anyone make you feel inferior without your consent." said Alfred seriously, relaxing when he realized he had perhaps overshot the mark, it hadn't been a sign of disrespect, he had forgotten that his Lord Consort was just a young boy.

"Eleanor Roosevelt," said Harry his lips twitching, it wasn't something he expected anyone to know in the magical world. With the exception of Remus, who actually spent a lot of his time in the Muggle world looking for him when he was younger.

"I'm impressed," Alfred admitted, not many knew the reference. "Shall we go?"

"Are we?" Harry muttered in surprised.

"Of course, Corin and Storm have already informed Severus, they will, of course, be coming with us," Alfred informed Harry.

"Alright," said Harry, standing up, "Give me a moment," he added, wandering away from the library and to his room, he placed the book on the nightstand to read the last few pages tonight. He also grabbed his key from his trunk, which was tied around a black necklace for safe keeping. He put it around his neck, making a mental note to go to Gringotts and check if his money had been touched. He unhooked his cloak that Severus had given him for the meeting with Dumbledore.

Once he had donned it, he made his way back the way he came, meeting Storm, Corin and Alfred, he knew Storm well enough, so Corin must be the other female, she'd been at the meeting and had been quiet, the few times she'd spoken up they'd been filled with wisdom. He nodded after they bowed to him, eager to get to the Alley and check. He wasn't due another statement for eight days, and it was a long time to wait and see whether Dumbledore had removed every penny he had, after gaining custody of him, however, temporarily the situation had been.

Storm and Corin Apparated away first, leaving Alfred to Side-Long Apparate him once they left the stringent wards of Prince Castle.

"Is there anywhere you wish to go, Lord Consort?" Alfred asked as Harry regained his footing moments after being Apparated.

"Gringotts," Harry answered immediately, conscious of all eyes on him, he added, "Please call me Harry, at least when we are out here."

The three nodded in understanding, Alfred remained at his side while Storm and Corin took the back and front of him, keeping some sort of formation going. The walk towards Gringotts took no time at all since they had all Apparated nearby the marble encased bank, that was seen in all directions of the Alley.

Harry didn't even bother telling them not to follow him, for he knew there was no way they'd let him out of their sight let alone in a different room. So instead he merely waited in line, ignoring the looks everyone gave him, well, not him, they were just wondering who he was no doubt since he was covered from head to toe in a black cloak which afforded him anonymity that he found quite thrilling. Stepping forward each time a wizard or witch was dealt with and the line got steadily smaller.

"Yes?" the goblin asked, as it came to Harry's turn, however, when Alfred stepped up with him, the pendant with the Prince coat of arms proudly displayed the Goblin's eyes widened and he seemed to exude awe and hero-worship. "How can I help…" his tone completely different and most welcoming.

"I'd like a statement of the contents of my vaults, please," Harry informed the goblin curtly, his lip curling in disgust, now the goblin knew who they were he was willing to play nice, those sorts of things disgusted him to the bone, especially after seeing the Dursley's doing it for so long. He knew most Slytherins would do whatever it took, including wearing any mask necessarily, to get what they want. Harry wasn't one of them, he had asked to go to a house that would give him his greatest desire, real friends, and that had been Slytherin. That's not to say he hadn't picked up the subtleties and employed them himself, but it was tiresome and he rarely bothered with it. He'd rather just say what was on his mind regardless of the consequences. It wasn't something he would be able to do now, he would need to watch what he said. He handed over his key, as proof of who he was, and his vault.

"Lord Potter-Prince," the goblin said reverently, "A statement will be made momentarily." they had been informed of the Vampire Lord's marriage to Harry Potter.

"Thank you," Harry replied, waiting impatiently for the statement to be handed to him, which it was a minute later. When he caught glimpse of the amount in his vault his eyes widened, then began to roam over the page looking for answers. Gaping slightly, a million galleons had been added to his vault by Severus without him saying anything. Remembering his words from days ago, how he felt the need to take care of someone he cared for. But that amount of money? It was astronomical! It was more than had been in his vaults in a long time, his father had been too frivolous with the estate. Dumbledore surprisingly hadn't touched his fortune, the last amount taken out had been his own doing.

"Is there anything else Gringotts can help you with, Lord Potter-Prince?" the goblin asked a few moments later.

Harry numbly shook his head, no, he folded up the parchment and put it inside his cloak pocket. Completely forgetting to take any money out in his shock. Instead, Harry followed Alfred, Storm, and Corin, as Alfred gathered up dozens of potion ingredients in the apothecary, requesting the freshest ingredients they had regardless of the price. Corin was gathering cauldrons, stirrer sets, vials and other things Harry didn't manage to see before they were boxed up.

Storm momentarily left the apothecary and went to the bookstore on Alfred's orders to gather up the books Severus had obviously requested. The whole thing took less than ten minutes, they were very efficient in time-keeping, they were either on a schedule or they always worked this way.

"Is there anything you'd like Harry?" Alfred asked as they finished their errands.

"I wouldn't mind some ice cream." Harry said, "And some Butterbeer," those things were his favorite things in the world.

"Then let's go," Alfred said, making way to the ice cream parlor first, due to its closeness.

"I didn't bring any money," Harry groaned when he realized he hadn't taken anything out of Gringotts.

"Don't worry, it's on Severus," Alfred said, waving it off.

"I'd rather not," Harry said, the amount already given over was just too much.

"You believe he's trying to buy your affection?" Alfred guessed, opening the door and letting Harry enter after Storm who cautiously looked around, eye out for any and all dangers.

"No, it's just too much," Harry shook his head, although it had crossed his mind with the clothes, he understood Severus better now. He wasn't so much as trying to buy his affection, he just didn't know how else to show he cared, something Harry did understand to some extent. He thanked Merlin that it was a very short line they stepped into.

"Yes, perhaps it seems so, its part of the tradition of courting, and tradition is very important to us," Alfred nodded, stepping forward as the line moved.

"I know, still…I could never spend that in a single lifetime." Harry mused thoughtfully, before he gave his order to Fortescue, informing him that he was taking it away not sitting in.

"You must be the first mate that didn't take full advantage of the Prince fortune to get whatever your heart desires during the courting process," Alfred commented wryly, once Harry had stopped speaking.

"I've never cared about money, not having it growing up does that to you," Harry informed him quietly.

"I can understand that," Alfred solemnly, revealing a little about himself, "I too grew up without money. I assume you do not want the broomstick Severus asked to get you?" teasing a little. Handing over the amount Fortescue asked for and accepting the ice cream, spelled to stay chilled with a simple spell.

"A broomstick?" Harry questioned perking up, he'd never played Quidditch at school, but he had loved the flying lessons in his first year and flew with Blaise and Theodore during the summer holidays when he actually had his nose out a book.

"I'll take that as a yes?" Alfred asked smirking wryly at the teenager, as once again the door was opened.

"I…" murmured Harry, groaning "Yes." He knew if he tried to buy it himself he would find Alfred wouldn't budge and he would pay for it. He normally just played on Blaise's old broomstick, or rather one of them anyway. He'd never had a broomstick of his own, he saw no need for it, especially being on a strict budget.

Alfred chuckled and the four made the way to Quality Quidditch Supplies, their last stop before they returned to Prince Castle.

"Hello, Black," stated Severus coldly, finally visiting the one that had successfully found his home, the only one who ever had. He wasn't happy, and he had to make sure that nobody else knew where he had been going. He would not risk the Order finding and taking Harry. Not that it mattered, he would just summon his people and well…let's just say Dumbledore would live to regret it. Nobody took what was his from him, and Harry was his.

"You." Sirius cried out in shock, jerking back as his eyes widened unable to believe his eyes. He hadn't seen the man since Hogwarts…he was a vampire, he could see it, he didn't even need any light to tell. Knowing who it was just left him even more confused than before, why would Snape want him? Revenge for everything he did?

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," said Severus coolly, "You can answer the questions truthfully or I will torture them out of you. The hard way will result in your death afterward, so really, the choice is yours."

"Fuck you," snarled Sirius, all the old hatred he had for the wizard turned vampire flashing through him. What questions could Snape have for him?

"No thank you, I prefer doing the fucking," replied Severus, vulgarly. Removing his wand, caressing it softly before pointing it at Sirius through the bars. "Really, Black, you should just take the easy way; it will save me a lot of time." surprisingly he felt no desire to torture Black, not for all he had done to him anyway, he hadn't thought on the wizard since his schooling.

"Piss off," Sirius hissed, his blue eyes flashing in defiance. Ignoring the hisses of anger that seemed to come from all sides. He would have accused Snape of being a Death Eater, unfortunately, it wasn't possible. Both of his arms were showing, through a rolled up white shirt sleeves. There was no sign of the Dark Mark…although that didn't mean he wasn't on his side. It was the only conceivable reason he understood for him to be here.

"I would watch how you speak, one word from Lord Prince you will be dead before you touch the ground!" a voice hissed derisively, angrily from the shadows, causing Sirius to shudder. Prince Lord? Vampire Prince Lord? Dear Merlin, he hadn't realized…how was he still alive? They had more influence than anyone in the world, even the Ministry of Magic, although they would deny it. He'd almost killed the boy as a teenager why hadn't they taken their revenge? He was almost too bloody shocked and speechless to open his mouth again. For the first time he actually feared for his life…these people wouldn't just kill him…they would break him first. Their passion and dedication to the Vampire Lord were always…vast.

Harry and Remus flashed through his mind, as his heart sank in fear. Would he ever get a chance to make up for the wrongs he'd committed? Drugged or not, to him he should have been able to beat them, Harry was his godson he loved him more than his own life. Surely that could have beaten the potion if nothing else? What did it matter? He was stuck here…by the sounds of it, he might not get out alive.

"How did you find my home?" demanded Severus, inhaling in the fear he could feel emanating from the figure on the floor.

"I didn't," rasped Sirius, he had been here for three days he reckoned. Well if the window in the corridor showed the real weather, since that was all he had to go on. He may be one of the best Auror's in the division thanks to the fucking potion Dumbledore had made him drink, but right here he felt a bone-deep fear. The urge to get away was still as strong, yet part of him felt at peace, as if he was where he was meant to be. He'd felt it that day on the train going to Hogwarts…then it disappeared thanks to Dumbledore suppressing his budding bond with his mate. With Remus, who he had loved above all else and he'd gone…left him alone. If Snape was telling the truth about the easy way letting him live, and he could get out of here, then he had to do whatever he had to do. His pride be damned, which wasn't hard, all the bravado had drained from him at the knowledge he could be tortured and killed. These vampires would be merciless, he had harmed their Vampire Lord whether he was a vampire at the time or not his creature inheritance will have lain dormant.

Sirius hastened on quickly speaking, "I mean it, I wasn't even looking for you…I promise." swore Sirius.

"Nobody just wanders over my property!" hissed Severus, his wand raising again, "Confringo!" not putting all his power behind it, otherwise Black would have been splattered all over the wall. Instead, all it did was blast him off his arse and into the wall, nearly rendering him unconscious. He did not relish in the scream that left Black's lips as he would have done as a teenager. He wanted answers; to get them he couldn't kill the wizard not yet. He could not allow anyone to come for Harry, the young man was his whether he liked it or not. His need to ensure his mate's safety came before any revenge he wanted.

"Fuck!" panted Sirius, winded and bruised, wincing in agony as he curled up trying to stop the pain and was wholly unsuccessful.

"Believe me, Black, I am being extremely lenient and if you do not start talking…I have a hundred other more painful and powerful spells at my arsenal," said Severus smoothly, and he did. Thanks to the books in Prince Vault, long forgotten, rare, classics and honestly priceless and precious books too.

"I told you the truth," said Sirius, licking his lips, trying to wet them but unfortunately he was drier than a mummy's tomb. "I was using my b-bond with Remus to find him." bearing the word bond was still so foreign to him. He so badly wanted to kill Dumbledore, yet to find Harry and Remus simultaneously it was actually tearing him apart inside.

"He is your mate?" stated Severus, unsurprised by that revelation, what did surprise him was the fact Black had been able to pull away from it. His mind went to Harry and his hands clenched together, just imagining the bond being cut between them.

"You left your own mate?" muttered one of the vampires that hid in the shadows, his disgust clear as day.

"N-no," stuttered Sirius, tears entering his eyes, feeling really emotional all of a sudden, but he had woken with his pockets empty, the calming draughts were gone. The urge to lash out at everyone and find his mate called to him on a primal level he couldn't ignore. Yet there was no way out of the cell he was in, he was effectively trapped, even if he got out, there were Vampires on all sides. "It just opened when I was eleven when I met him but Dumbledore took me to his office and he used a spell that suppressed it before wiping my memory." he croaked, his mind filled with the memories. It didn't help that he felt as though they were just happening; to him, they may as well be since he had been Obliviated.

Severus watched him with pity for the first time, it was little wonder he'd been the way he was in Hogwarts. He would have felt the pain of loss and not understood it. With such a bleak hole in his heart…he would have done everything and anything to feel better. Continuously lashing out at everyone as if they were to blame. Not that he was forgiving the wizard, but it had been a long time and he wasn't seventeen years old anymore. Wasn't embittered at the world, his needs and wants were simple; he wanted a mate, a family.

Black's bond to Lupin would solidify under the night of the full moon, changing Black in the process, giving him the ability to bear young. Although their ages would probably prevent any successful pregnancies, the ripe breeding age for wolfs and their mates was around sixteen to twenty-two. The full moon was ironically enough tonight…and Lupin hadn't had any Wolfsbane Potion, not that wolves hurt their mates. They were incapable of it, especially considering it was their only chance to mate, and produce children. Something that no werewolf could ignore, wouldn't want to either. It was the one thing that bled into their human conscience, although perhaps a few had been cautious but the need eventually wore that down. Remus already saw Harry as a cub, so he probably wasn't in any rush for another. The beauty of werewolves, they didn't need their own pups, they were possessive and territorial creatures just like vampires. They keep what they claim as their own, and would protect it/her/him to the death.

"I really wasn't looking for you, I swear… I was looking for Remus," whispered Sirius his voice tinged with desperation. "I don't know why it kept pointing me here…unless…did you hurt him?" his voice was breathless with panic, gushing out the sentence not even trying to disguise his fear. Was this where Remus had breathed his last? Had he caught up with vampires he thought had Harry and been killed? His breathing began to labor as he found it nearly impossible to calm down. Sirius uncurled from his position, as the pain diminished slightly, staring over at Snape desperately waiting for an answer.

"He is here, and he is fine." stated Severus, sensing the truth in his words, as well as almost choking with the desolate despair wafting from the mutt. He wasn't evil enough to keep the fact his mate was alive from anyone, nobody deserved to go through that torture. Lupin had probably had it worse than Black, able to feel an open-ended bond but never been able to find or discover his mate. It was little wonder he had been grotesquely disfigured (for a wolf that is) the time he saw the man as a werewolf while he was at Hogwarts. "Does anyone know where you were heading?"

Sirius rapidly shook his head, "Shack, Tonks, and Moody know I was looking for him, but I never told them where I was going." he stated brusquely. The only reason he could think of Remus being here and staying…meant that his godson was here too. Or could be Remus might just want help to find those that do. He forced himself not to jump to conclusions, the question remained though was would they let him go? "D-does he know? That I am h-here I mean?" that thought hurt more than anything else had at this point, including the blasting hex from Snape. Which he knew hadn't been at his full power, it had been a warning but it still bloody hurt like hell.

"He will soon enough," Severus stated before he turned and walked away, leaving Sirius Black in the cell, he needed to figure out what to do with him, which required informing Harry of what had occurred down here.

"Did you read the book about vampire mating rituals?" Remus asked, both of them sitting on the bed, two empty cartons of ice cream lay discarded at the bottom.

"Yes," Harry sounding subdued, his thoughts obviously elsewhere.

"What's the matter?" Remus probed, stretching out with a relived groan, he was very relieved he had recovered before the full moon, even if only just.

"Did you know vampires claim their mates by biting them? You know…before they turn them." Harry told him, as always eager to discuss what he had learned. He had never spoken too much about werewolf mating for fear of upsetting his dad since he hadn't yet met his mate.

"It's a practice that both vampires and werewolves adopt. They're marking their claim, we are very…possessive creatures, the only difficulty is that both creatures have venomous bites.." stated Remus quietly. "You would find no greater protector."

"Is that why you want me to accept Severus?" Harry asked.

"A little," acknowledged Remus, his voice softer as if his concentration wasn't solely here. "The love that humans share…is nothing to what bonded magical being experience. Everything is much more intense, intimate, and that love never fades or dies, what you feel at the beginning when you change for them will remain there until the day you die. If you don't bond to your mate…there's always a hollow ache in your chest that can never be tamed or removed by any amount of love. You can love someone…but not as dearly as that other someone you should have. You would have the protection of the entire Prince clan behind you, with Voldemort after you…I can close my eyes and sleep knowing you are safe here."

"It says both get bitten but isn't vampire skin impenetrable?" Harry queried, staring at the bed, unable to meet Remus' eyes. He would have done anything to help Remus get his mate, but there was nothing he could do.

"He has to bite you first Harry, then you will exhibit some vampire-ish traits. Strength, speed, and stamina will increase, once he has proven himself you bite him back ending the courting period. Once the bonding pair are bitten, they will be mated forever." explained Remus. "You will also receive a thirst for blood."

"Blood?" Harry echoed, screwing up his face not sure he liked that idea much.

"You will find it…enjoyable," said Remus, pausing to find the right word. The rumors he'd heard well, it wouldn't just be enjoyable but he would leave Harry to find out if he chose to go through with it. "The bite will give you a different appetite; you'll like things to be a little more on raw side like me." Harry made the best rare nearly raw steaks, he didn't know how he did it but the food he always cooked for him was exquisite.

"If they get bitten at the start of the courting…why hasn't he bitten me?" asked Harry in curiosity, shouldn't he be happy that the vampire was giving him a choice? Or was it? The part of him that grew up with the Dursleys and still felt unworthy began to wonder if it was him. What if his mate didn't want him? Not really? But doing it because he was his mate and not his choice? It wasn't really was it?

Remus stared at Harry curiously, was it just him or did Harry sound upset about the fact Severus wasn't moving fast? "He probably would have asked if he didn't find out you were not willing, plus this has to be your choice, the start of the courting isn't always when you get bitten, the courting is the deciding factor for the mating."

"How long does a courting general last? It never says in the book," Harry then asked.

"The courting is however long you both decide, so a year, but just remember how difficult it is, Severus probably has to restrain himself to a great degree to stop himself mating with you. He's waiting on you making the first move, he will be able to tell you haven't had sex," said Remus, rolling his eyes when Harry flushed red in mortification. Oh, Severus was going to have some fun with Harry, his stomach rolled at that thought - not something he wanted on his mind. Harry was his son, after all, Merlin he wanted to Oblivate himself.

"You can tell that?" Harry asked, "How?"

"You're scent, it's pure and has a hint of a smell that really cannot be placed we just call it the smell of innocence," said Remus smirking almost wolfishly at Harry. "The scent changes almost straight away afterward, and the fact you are pure probably makes Severus ten times more protective, he won't want anyone else getting to you before he can."

Harry still red in the face nodded, now that was humiliating, all of them knowing he was a bloody virgin. They would also know if he and Severus…bloody hell.

"Um…by the way, you will need to go down to the dungeons tonight," Harry said softly, remembering to tell Remus.

Remus nodded, he was very much aware that the full moon was tonight, he had asked Storm for the date when he'd woken.

A sharp knock at the door was their only warning before Severus, stalked in.

"Why is he here?" Remus asked with deceptive mildness.

"Who?" asked Harry, then he remembered, "Oh," raw hatred flash across his green eyes. He was talking about Sirius Black, Remus had not been told about him yet.

"Where exactly is he?" Remus wanted to know, looking up at Severus.

"The dungeons, where you need to be within a few hours. Exactly half an hour after you've transformed a deer will been transported into the cell with you. It should satisfy your craving for blood and feed your wolf without biting and clawing at yourself all night." Severus informed bluntly. It may also keep the wolf occupied until the moon came up, so he didn't barrel at the cell trying to get out.

"Thank you," said Remus, his amber eyes filled with surprise and appreciation. Every month since he was a child he'd been locked up to keep him inside and away from normal people. Biting and clawing at himself when the need to taste blood grew too great or he was so hungry that he'd eat at himself. It didn't help that as a wolf he wanted freedom and to see the night sky, for a few brief years that had come to fusion when his friends discovered what he was and joined him on his monthly romps. He maybe never had anything to eat but those had been the most carefree existence of his life. Nobody had thought to actually feed his wolf, he wondered briefly if it would make any difference. Apparently, he would soon find out.

Severus just nodded curtly, before turning and walking out again throwing over his shoulder. "Warren will show you the way when you are ready." unable to help to glance briefly at his mate before he was gone.

There we go another chapter up nearly at the point where nothing else I've got written is usable :) R&R