Daddy's Pet (on hold)

Thirty - Seven

A/N: Comment & Vote!

"What the hell is that?"

"Language." Sven turned the bright blue parcel around in his hands before he read from the tag. "It's for Luca."

"What?" Tanner spoke sharply, taking the box.

Hearing his name the little wolf ran up eagerly. "Luca here."

Tanner ruffled his hair distractedly while he pulled on the ribbon. Who could it possibly have been from?

The top of the box fell off and a blue balloon floated up with a little card attached to the string. Luca squealed excitedly at the foreign object--he'd never seen a ballon before. "What's say?" Sven asked as Tanner took the price of oak tag in his hand.

"Luca has been invited to a party." Tanner read. "With one of the boys he met at the park."

"Oh that's nice." Sven smiled.

"Luca didn't do too well though," Tanner frowned. "That was when he bit me, remember?"

"Oh." Sven hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe they have forgotten? Pups nip, I'm sure they understand. Besides, Luca hasn't bit again right?"

"Right." Tanner warily agreed.

Inside the box there was some confetti with a larger invite. It was on very night paper and smelled heavily of bubblegum. "Theron." He read with a frown. "Poor kid is going to hate having Luca there."

"Why? Luca is a sweetheart!"

"It's a were thing Sven. He was turned young after his parents were murdered by a pack of them."

"Well that wasn't Luca." Sven countered angrily. "And if they sent him an invitation he must want him there."

"I beg to disagree."

Luca was jumping desperately for the balloon that was floating lazily toward the ceiling. He was obvious to the fact they were talking about him. "They sent him an invite--it would be rude to ignore it!"

"Is that one of your royalty codes?" Tanner voice took on a mocking edge and Sven's chin rose stubbornly.

"No. A prince can always refuse--especially if it's not beneficial to the kingdom." Sven countered. "And this will help Luca make more friends. It'd be stupid to refuse."

Tanner sputtered with laughter. "Since when do you feel so strongly about this? You know what? Fine. You win. You can bring him. Have fun."

Sven floundered a bit at that. "What so you mean? I don't have any experience with this kind of lifestyle. This is your area Tanner."

"My area? You adore Luca and he adores you. Besides you have more patience than me, right?" Tanner flashed him a grin.

"We'll see." The conversation was far from over and they both knew it as Sven snagged the ballon and brought down to Luca's level. "How's your buddy liking his new toy?"

"Don't call him my buddy." Scowled Tanner. "And he's doing alright. I think. He's hardening up some which is good in a way but he's kind of becoming a d-i-c-k."

"I wonder who he learned it from." Commented Sven with a smirk. "Not that the the beast is helping. The biggest the were the smaller the d-i-c-k right?"

Tanner scoffed. "I had no idea who thought so deeply about my buddy's d-i-c-k."

Sven was wary of spelling the word and he rolled his eyes backing out of the conversation with a sigh. "You didn't want him miserable--he's not right?"

"But put that little newborn for that disastrous date we went on? He's using him pretty heartlessly."

Sven gathered crusts from the table Luca had abandoned. "You were using him heartlessly Tanner as a cheap fu--" he paused and glanced around for Luca. "You know what I mean."

"I expected he would have the decency to cut it off and find someone who would actually care about."

"After you made him feel so manly for caring so deeply for Reagan? This is him trying to get his masculinity back--and it's a piss poor way to do it."

"I'm sick of talking about Griffin. Let's talk about us."

Tanner moved forward to kiss Sven. The vampire smiled against his lover's harsh kiss and pulled back some. "We should bring him to that party Tanner. It could be fun."

Tanner bit back a groan. "I hate how they look at him Sven. Like he's..."

"A were?" Sven prodded. "you can't be surprised. Tolerance comes with age and maturity--something none of these 'littles' have."

Sven tossed the food scraps and Tanner tagged along leaning against the counter as Sven washed the plate. "Look at you, cleaning up after someone."

"I've been cleaning up after you for years. Some things don't change." It was meant in good humor but they recalled the darkness of life when humans were in control. When feeding equaled slaughter. When a vampire was driven into a frenzy due to self-inflicted starvation due to the need to stay hidden. "I didn't mean that Tanner."

"It's fine." Tanner had his demons and he had come to terms with it: he had done what he needed to survive. He had also acted foolishly and was a slave to his own blood lust. But regret wasn't something that could be carried when you lived forever. After a few centuries the faces of those killed faded. "Besides, I saved you remember?"

Sven smiled hollowly. There something bitter sweet about the reality of what he was. Perhaps he was having a harder time shaking off the guilt of taking human lives? "If you want you to go to it with me, I'll gladly bring you." Tanner informed him. "But I'm not going to like it."

Sven smiled and leaned back against him as he came up behind him. "I don't expect you too. But it'll be worth it, won't it? To see Luca to happy."

"You're wondering if I've spoken to any vets yet." Tanner guessed hollowly.

Sven sighed quietly. "You can't blame me. You didn't even get him evaluated".

"Maybe I don't want any bad news?" Tanner retorted bitterly. "I've had so little time with him."

"That's the trouble with weres. You get used to them and then they get old..."

Tanner silenced him by pressing his lips against the old puncture marks. "Don't worry Sven. We'll figure it out. Besides, who know if he'll stay in this mindset forever? Most vampires grow out of it within a few lifetimes..."

"But Luca's only got one." Sven reminded him. "And what do you mean they 'grow out of it'? Aren't they naturally like that?"

"I'm not too sure. I haven't looked too deep into the vampire side of it. Another thing to add to my to-do list?" Tanner teased.

From the other room they heard a loud pop and a yelp from a distraught Luca. "The hard lessons in life--balloons pop." Tanner smiled. "I'll handle it."

Longer chapter. Thoughts on the party?