The case of Pendulum had just come to a close, the kids were safe and everything had turned back to normal.
Well as normal as it could after the monstrous tides the event swept away with.

Dino Classico trudged along the ruby carpeted halls of the Vlad Agency to meet with the other members.

A meeting was scheduled to discuss fall back measures they'd be implementing to protect the True of Vamp now that his where abouts had been discovered.

Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he huffed out an exhausted breath.
A weight in his shoulders made his posture bow down with the invisible weight.

The vampire noble pushed forward, ignoring the pleas his body screamed at him for a reprieve, a rest.

The large padded doors of the private room, swung open. Dino swaggered in, the guards bowing their heads to him in reverence.

It was one of the few times he was reminded of his sovereignty. A sharp pang sliced through his brow, making the silver haired vampire frown deeper.

"Glad you could make it Lord Classico. Have a seat." The leader of the Vlad agency said with a smile, gesturing to a velvet couch.

Glancing around the empty room Dino sat down, his knees in line with his chest when he sat, with how tall he is.

"I see that the others are late again." He commented airily in his deep voice.

"You're just earlier than everyone else Lord Classico." Johannes replied with a fond smile.

"Of course, it's the proper thing to do." He said in a grumble.

As if on que, the door swung open again, the rest of the group filed in. Gerhard bickering over something with Dali, while Dali waltzed in with a breezy smile, ignoring the blonde haired vampire.

Henrique grinned at them and sat down next to Dino quietly.

"Lord Johannes! Have you made a full recovery?" Dali greeted.

"Fully mended and I see that I can say the same for you." The leader remarked.

An assistant entered, placing a large tray with tea and snacks in front of the guests and Lord Johannes, before exiting quietly.

"Now, down to business. The Lord Trump is adamant and wishes to remain at the clan. So we decided to create a leak in the agency." The leader explained.

"A leak? So we covering up Trumps tracks. Throwing off his scent?" Henrique asked with a light chuckle at his reference to werewolves.

Dino grimaced, shifting in his seat.

"Please don't compare us to werewolves." He said in a withering voice.

Ignoring the Lord's who bickered like children Johannes went on.

"Having said that, I decided to host a dinner, inviting all from the agency. It'll serve as a thank you and be a perfect event to plant the fake news." A serene, parental smile dorning his face.

"Such wayward ways. It's so unrefined for us vampires to use. Why should we have to go about planting a lie!" Gerhard demanded, sitting up straighter.

"Arrg Gerhard, you're so exhausting. We need to use our wit more than our brute force it saves us time and unnecessary encounters with those against us." Dali countered back.

Gerhard sputtered, preparing to retort back at Dali when the latter spoke.

"Think of the children, Gerhard." Dali said in a deep voice full of warning.

Glancing at the younger two nobles, Dino crossed his arms.

"So when is this event?" Dino asked, staring out through the large bay windows behind Johannes.

"Tomorrow evening." He said in a hard voice that told them, there was no room for argument.

"Ahhaa Lucia and Elena will no doubt throw a tantrum to come with." Henrique commented with a nervous smile.

"We've got some new memebers in the agency I'd like to introduce to you at the dinner tomorrow. Perhaps I'll arrange another party for all the kids to become acquainted" Johannes mused.

✵✵✵

"Oh goodness my I love your hair."

"Wow, where do you get your dresses from?"

"How do you manage in that stifling Vlad agency."

Women surrounded her chirping excitedly. Lady Serina sat on a plush chaise lounge, the woman of the other noble families gathered around her excitedly.

Lady Serina sat poise, and feminine, a serene smile on her graceful face. She recently joined the Vlad Agency, coming from another clan establishment.

Serina was the recent talk of town, managing to win the hearts of the locals and the nobles. Her pretty features charmed the men in the Vlad Agency.

Her vast knowledge and analytical mind won her a position under the investigation sector in the agency. In addition to that, the fact that she could wield a sword as good as any man, made her a desirable asset.

She sat with the other female guests, chatting about work and the most eligible and handsome nobles.

Catherine, a friend of Serina'a smiled sipping her drink daintily.

"Most of them are married or engaged. You'll find that all of these lovely ladies have snatched the best of blood cherries from the lot." Catherine commented, making the ladies chuckle at her witty intonation.

"Oh, who might those gentlemen be?" Serina asked noticing two very imposing figures enter.

"The tall man with the long hair is Lord Dino Classico and the other his coworker Dali Delico." Catherine explained.

"THE Dali Delico? Wow so young and so handsome." Serina complemented.

"Both are single, though it's complicated." An Earls wife whispered to the ladies.

"Aha, I heard that Classico had been through many wives, however, all left him within a few weeks."

"He's impossible to live with! Discipline is all he knows. There's zero space for anything else in his heart." Another lady added, with a sad frown.

"Are you one of the ex-wives?" Serina queried innocently.

The lady nodded, sucking in her cheeks, a look of guilt in her eyes.

"Hmmm sounds like a real force to reckon with, for us women." Serina commented, eyes following the Lord Classico's movements.

"I'll bet you'd be able to make him swoon!" One of the women said, with a bright smile.

"I won't be so arrogant as to think so. But I do feel like the Lord just hasn't met his match." Serina commented, face turning back to the group around her.

"Dino Classico is a man that shuts down any polite conversation. Dare I say, a monster. When you speak to him, you'll experience it for yourself." Dino's ex-wife retorted.

"Yeah, he views us women as expendable resources. A monster!" One of the lady's stated, clearly scorned.

Serina inhaled, staring off in thought. She moved the conversation to safer topics, and away from prideful men.

Catherine excused herself having had enough of female gossip and trailed around. She stopped to make polite conversation with the leader Lord Johannes.

"Glad to see you here Catherine, you look extremely beautiful this evening." Johannes said, complementing the talented female who bowed at the leader of the Agency.

"Thank you Lord Johannes. You look dashing as well. The lack of stress makes you seem much younger. And thank you for such a lovely evening." Catherine replied back with a polite smile.

Johannes laughed heartily, the lady was charming and exceptionally good at her work.

The vlad member wore a pearl white dress which flared out at the waist and had angel sleeves. She floated about like a pretty enchantress, turning many heads. Her caramel coloured hair arranged in a French crown braid, making her look ethereal.

Her sweet personality made almost everyone stop to speak with her. Her bright smile capturing many hearts.

It was almost impossible to belive that this sweet, endearing vampire was the mastermind behind the new security system since the agency was invaded.

Dino Classico stood in a more secluded corner with Henrique and a few other memebers, discussing the new measures implemented in the agency.

"Oh! Who's that? She's so beautiful!" One of the members pointed out, watching Serina walk over to Catherine.

"Which one?" Henrique asked with a frown, titling his head to the side.

"Oi, you're married." Dino tossed, not bothered with following the conversation further.

"I know! Kate is my one and only. I'll never find such a remarkable woman ever. I just never saw either of these nobles before." Henrique said, rolling his eyes at Dino's brash behavior.

Sighing with boredom his eyes trailed over the crowd, looking for an excuse to leave.

"Dragging his eyes over the smiling faces, he stopped short when he spotted her.

Smile so beautiful, her eyes sparkling brightly with mischief and knowing.

The lady was engaged in a conversation with Gerhard, who for a change, smiled softly.

Dino gripped the hilt of his sword involuntarily, watching the captivating woman speak to the attractive blonde male who was the object of every woman's desire.

Laughing at himself, for thinking that any woman would ever choose him after his record and more so when someone as attractive as Gerhard was in the room, he shook his head.

Trudging off he stepped out into the cool gardens, seeking solace from his maddening thoughts.

"What happened to Dino?" Dali asked as he sauntered over to Henrique, a glass held casually in his hand.

"Dunno, he saw Serina and freaked out." Henrique said distractedly with a shrug.

"Ohhh is our stone heart Lord falling for a woman?" Dali teased with a lifted brow.

"Dino? I would say never, but given the look he directed at Gerhard, I wonder if maybe the man is softening..." Henrique replied, sharing a secretive smile with Dali.

Seeking out his wife, Kate, Henrique excused himself. Grabbing two glasses of wine, he prowled in her direction.

✵✵✵

"Nice and quiet out here." A soft voice said behind Dino.

Turning to look over his shoulder, Dino startled, the same breathtaking woman stood behind him with a soft smile gracing her attractive face.

"Ah, yeah. Mingling with others is uncharted territory for me. I prefer keeping to myself." He said turning back.

"A noble hating such parties? My, my." She said in a breezy voice. It wasn't taunting. In fact, her presence seemed comforting.

"Mind if I?" She asked coming to stand in front of him, gesturing with her eyes to the seat next to him.

"Sitting so close to someone like me. People will gossip." He remarked but shifted to the side in invitation.

"I'd be glad to give these idle minds something to chatter about. You needn't pay heed to their mindless prattle, Lord Classico." She said, lifting the hem of her skirts to perch herself next to him.

Dino relaxed ever so slightly in her company. His eyes fixed on the water feature ahead.

"I thought it would be proper of me to come and introduce myself to you. Also I wanted to come and meet the renowned head of the Classico family and give you my thanks for protecting all of us." Her voice was soft, Dino felt as if he were hit by a tranquilizer.

"Just my duty. I am glad we caught them." He said in a soft deep voice, dismissing any further praise.

Leaning forward he rested his hands on his knees, loosely linking his fingers together.

"So you must be one of the new members who joined this month." Dino added after a few moments of silence.

"Catherine Sommers." She said holding her dainty small hand out to him.

Dino glanced at her through the rim of his glasses. Slipping his white gloved hand into hers, he shook her hand, marveling at how soft and tiny it was.

It wasn't child like but small in a pretty way. The vampire found himself momentarily spell bound.

Just as he was about to ask her what she did, and learn more about her, a loud chuckled sounded behind him to his chagrin.

"Oh my heavens what's this!!?" A mischievous, voice exclaimed from behind them. Dino's long fingers curled into a fist, ready to punch the leader of the Delico's.

"Why if it isn't Lord Dino and oh my, I believe I don't know your name." Dali Delico said smiling at Catherine.

Rounding the stone bench they sat on, he held his palm out in greeting, kissing the tops of her knuckles.

Dino bristled, clenching his teeth and narrowing his eyes at Dali's sheer nerve. The lord talked to her with such familiarity that he felt like challenging him to a duel.

"My, my Catherine, what a pretty name. Welcome to the Vlad Agency. Sorry my welcome is so delayed." Dali went on jovially.

"Dino! Everyone is looking for you and here you are cooped up with this lovely lady. But who can blame you?" Dali went on, smirking cockily at the silver haired vampire.

"I am not cooped up. It will do you well to speak properly Dali Delico." Dino said, gritting his teeth.

"Apologise to the lady right now." Dino said in a stern voice.

Turning to do so, the two males found that she had left, her figure growing smaller in the crowds.

"What's gotten into you Dino? I've never seen you be such a gentleman before. Gosh I can feel myself swooning for you myself!" Dali commented, pressing his hand dramatically to his chest.

Silently Dino stood up, turning to walk away.

"That has me questioning your sexuality, Lord Delico." He replied sarcastically before walking back into to the dining area.

✵✵✵

Gerhard stalked in with confident steps, his heels clicking on the marble floor of the entry hall.

Gold curls bounced with each step as he walked confidently into the large hall.

Ignoring the bunch of squeals he heard from his left, he scanned the room and found his coworker Dali Delico. Navigating his way through the crowds, he approached the proud Lord.

"Aren't you early." Dali commented dryly with a raised brow.

"Please don't. Angelico came down with a fever so I waited for him to fall asleep." Gerhard stated, accepting a glass of blood red wine from a waiter.

"Hmm. Hope he recovers soon. Any idea what it could be?" Dali asked, in more sobered concerned voice.

The golden haired male shook his head.

"I don't. Could be a side effect of the strain from the last six months." Gerhard mused. Dali nodded in agreement, lips thinning into a line.

In a matter of moments, vampires of every station flocked toward Gerhard to shake his hand and complement him for his contribution to the Vlad Agency.

Weaving her way through the crowds he caught side of a woman dressed in a beautiful red gown. She whispered something into the ear of another lady and excused herself.

Gerhard was temporarily stunned, mouth dropping open.

He was pulled out of his daze when another official greeted him in a booming voice.

"Have you met the new members? Ah there's one there." The man said pointing to the lady he spotted earlier.

Excusing himself, he shouldered through the crowds, approaching Catherine.

Introducing himself he bent low and bowed before shaking her hand politely.

"An honour for the Lord of Fra to greet me." She said with a teasing smile that made even him tilt his own lips up in a small smile.

"I make it my duty to know who my fellow workers are. Speaking of, I saw another lady, I don't recall seeing her before." Gerhard hinted at a smiling Catherine.

"I'll tell you her name if you show me where Lord Dino is." She bargained cheekily.

"Why he's right there." Gerhard pointed to Dino who had his back turned to them, making his way out into the gardens.

"Serina Allain and you're in luck, I believe she's new in your division." Catherine said with parting smile.

Gerhard blushed, embarrassed at being so conspicuous.

"Lord Fra, if your face let's on anymore, all the women shall gossip. But I'll tell you this much, I spotted her at the back." Kate Lorca, Henrique's wife said with a humored smirk.

Taking a sip of his drink, Gerhard decided to find one of his coworkers, thinking it best to stick with them.

Minutes later he found Henrique who was whispering with Dali, both of them grinning madly.

"What's gotten into the two of you?" Gerhard asked.

"Nothing, just cupid seems to be shooting quiet some many arrows in here this evening." Dali commented with a smirk.

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A/N: So this was my first chapter, tell me what you think.