Chapter 17: 16. We had a deal.

**Octavius**

I enter my office, close the door, and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. As a vampire, I don't need to breathe to survive, but it's one of the few habits I still have from my time as a human. I lock the door and slowly walk towards the window. It's getting late, the Elite will be arriving shortly, and the guards will bring the rest of the humans with them. I didn't want things to escalate like this, and I didn't plan on the argument in the dining room either.

I wanted to see her, but the whole encounter between Ocean and that servant left me speechless. When she willingly handed over her life to the servant, the look on her face will forever be etched in my memory. She has no idea how much she means to my brother and me, even if he'd never admit it. I look up at the sky, wondering how the ceremony will end and if Ocean will hate us even more than she already does.

The sound of someone inserting a key into the keyhole and unlocking the door echoes off the walls. Not that I wasn't expecting it, but Kieran casually enters my office and makes himself comfortable. We haven't spoken much since the day of his demonstration in the arena. I know I am guilty in front of him and Ocean, but it's always been hard for me to admit my mistakes.

I give him about five minutes to say something, but he sits there in complete silence as if I had entered his office and not the other way around. I clear my throat, another habit I have picked up to remain as human as possible. "Can I help you?" I finally ask.

Kieran sighs and leans his head back, resting his neck on the top of the backrest. "I don't think so. Sometimes staying around seems the best way to figure out everything that's messing with my head. I guess I have gotten used to you in the centuries we have spent side by side." He explains. Even though he has a valid point- my senses go off. He's hiding something.

"That could be a possibility." I shrug. I'd like to question him, but we are too close to the start of the ceremony to get into another argument. We haven't exactly been on good terms lately. He's been keeping secrets from me ever since I hid my intentions about the club from him- when we were there, I never mentioned that I planned to buy the club or seize it along with the collared humans. All he knew were the bits I told him about Vladimir's doings and my interest in Ocean. We both knew Vladimir might try to sell his collared humans, but neither of us believed he would ever stoop that low.

"How do you think.." Kieran begins the question I knew would cross his lips, but I beat him to it and interrupt him mid-sentence.

"Let's not go there."

My blatant ignorance angers my brother, and he jumps up from his seat. If I hadn't been stupid enough to give him the damn key out of my office, we wouldn't be here having this conversation right now. All I wanted was a moment of peace after the show I saw in the dining room. Wait until Kieran finds out what happened downstairs. He won't let me go until he has the answers. "But we have to, Octavius. We have to consider the possibilities and everything about her. What if she finds out?" Alright, I had assumed Kieran would ask me about the ceremony, but the subject he brings up is one I would rather give up my immortality than discuss.

"She won't," I almost growl, as if I am the same animal my brother so loves to be. Usually, I am the calm, collected and gentleman type of a man, but this shithead knows how to get me riled up.

I never thought a vampire could feel things I have been feeling these past few days. At first, it was jealousy and anger at what Kieran did. Ocean had to sit in the room and watch me; she had to focus on everything I was doing, not get lost in my brother's touch. So I decided to play a game with her when Kieran wanted her to watch him. Receive what you give, as the humans say. Of course, things didn't turn out the way I expected, and while she slept, I couldn't find a place for myself. I still can't force myself to look her in the eye - I wronged her like no one has, and there's nothing to justify my actions. Her life with Vladimir was hell, especially the punishments, but that asshole never forced her into a coma. It doesn't matter how long she was asleep; that doesn't change what I did. And now it pisses me off even more to see my brother. Knowing he has easy access to her, that she won't fear his presence.

Kieran chuckles. "I beg to differ."

"Yeah, why so?"

I watch as Kieran walks to the nearest wall and leans against it. He raises his hand to his face and presses a little on the bridge of his nose. I have seen humans do this, but this is the first time I see him repeat the action. Is Kieran trying to appear more human than he is? And if so, to what end? I wonder about his move until my brother clears his throat and speaks up. "Have you thought about the outcome of the ceremony? I mean, she'll understand that we have to do what we have to do, but you are going a little too far. The only reason to bring her here was to get her back on her feet. Remember how you dreamed of freeing her from that collar? How can your idea be humane? How can we force the same device Vladimir forced on her, huh? More than that- she'll see her friends get the chokers instead of the actual collars. Of course, we won't tell her we are preparing to sell the rest of the women, but still. We won't take long-term possession over her friends, which will come to light sooner or later. Imagine how Ocean will react- she'll get stuck with the same collar, and her friends will have to be on stage at another auction. She'll hate us, she'll fucking hate me, for fuck's sake, and it wasn't my idea in the first place." When Kieran finishes his speech, I swear the tension in the room goes from zero to a hundred in less than a few seconds. If he had enough life left in him, I bet his cheeks would be glowing bright red.

"She won't find out unless you tell her," I shrug as I turn my attention back to the window. I'm not in the mood to discuss any more of his doubts.

Kieran appears beside me and places a hand on my shoulder. "Octavius, you know it's not the main thing that worries me. I won't tell her, but aside from the collar and her friends, we have much more important things to worry about. She might find out, you know." His voice is calm. The previous tension is gone as quickly as it appeared, and I can finally focus on finding solutions.

"Let's forget about that, at least for now. First, we can focus on friends. It's not like Ocean has the right to be angry at us. The world is cruel like that. We don't have to make her like us or even love us. That would be a waste of our time and what little time she has left. I'm going to sound like an asshole, and I don't care, but no matter how tempting Ocean is - she's still a piece of property. Ours. And so are her friends." I turn to Kieran just as his lips open. We don't have enough time to bicker back and forth.

"Besides, I don't care if she's unhappy about the collar. They have a purpose; electric collars are for training. Sure, she's had the experience of power being abused, but we never made her feel like we were doing the same thing Vladimir did, did we? She needs to learn to be obedient, and she shows too much resistance. Ocean needs to learn to take her place as submissive. I don't care how much personality she has in that frail body- her purpose is clear. Now, if you'll excuse me," I try to get past Kieran, but he grabs me by the upper arm and lets out a low growl. If there's one thing that really annoys me, it's his resemblance to fleabags. The guy acts like he's a fucking werewolf, not a majestic vampire.

I raise an eyebrow and stop to give him another minute of my time. His jaw tightens. "I don't need the perfect submissive; you do," he speaks through gritted teeth. Are we about to have our first fight? He can't be serious now. Kieran had plenty of time to come and discuss everything while Ocean slept, but no, he had to spoil my mood right before the most important ceremony in centuries. We'd never collared a human under our shared house. He had a few collared humans, and so had I, but this is the first time we take one in together.

"I do," the words leave me before I realise I am about to say something.

Unsurprisingly, my clear answer throws him off. Kieran lets go of me and grabs the sides of his head in frustration. A little more, and he might start pulling his hair out. That would be quite a sight. He forces out the dog sound and starts yelling at me. "That's what I am talking about. You want her to be obedient; you want her to follow your commands like a lap dog. We have shared every woman we have met, and that's not going to change. I have given you too many of mine to give up another. Like I said- you need obedience, but I don't. I need someone just the way Ocean is. She's completely submissive until the moment she starts showing resistance. That's what I need. Without resistance, struggle, and aggression, she will never enter that arena. To me, she's perfect just the way she is." I understand his point, but that doesn't mean I am going to change my decision. He can train her however she wants, but Ocean will have to understand that each of us expects a different side of her. With Kieran, she can be the craziest bitch ever, but around me, she needs to understand manners and learn how to follow an order.

I open the office door. "Well, she's not for me. Not yet, anyway. Now drop the subject and follow me; we need to greet the Elite at the door."

I was hoping to leave before he started talking again, but unfortunately, Kieran is not done with me yet. "Stop making everything about yourself. You claim to be so obsessed with this woman, yet you can't let go of your foolish ideals for a moment. I'm telling you, she's perfect just the way she is, damn it! For centuries you have dreamed of a woman who would challenge you instead of acting like a slut whenever you look her way. You have the challenge, and you are going to throw your chance out the window, you idiot!" He has a point, but I'm not going to admit it. Not now, not anytime soon. Kieran is rough around the edges, but overall he's pretty naive for someone as old as he is.

I can't give him an answer, so I hold the door handle and roll my eyes. "I'm leaving."

"Octavius, we had a deal!" He shouts. Damn, I forgot about the deal. Now that I'm standing there frozen, Kieran knows he has my full attention. The asshole slides his hands into his pockets and casually walks toward me. The smirk on his lips is one of the smuggest I have ever seen. "If you have forgotten, I will stand before the Elite and voice my demands. This time, believe me, they will be on my side; I have done more work than you. I am the one risking my life every other day. You can keep the rest, and I'll take full ownership of Ocean. Think it over." Kieran walks past me, acting like he won. Not that I'd ever give him the pleasure of declaring any kind of success against me. There's no way my little brother will be able to overpower or belittle me. Technically, the idiot is fifty years younger than me- I am his elder, and he should learn to respect me. Annoying little maggot.

Kieran walks away, and I have no choice but to step back and let him have his way. Just this once. I sigh and give in. "Alright. Two weeks. We will see how she does with the collar in two weeks, and if you are right, we will remove it and replace it with something nice. Deal?"