Nikolai leaves the study and finds the two vampires patiently waiting for their turn to be punished. "Come you two, Ivan decided to let me administer your punishment." Nikolai enjoys the horror that suffuses their faces. He isn't known to be merciful to those that he punishes.

The two reluctantly follow Nikolai as they head to the basement, where they have their punishment room set up.

"Dmitri, go to the pillory." Without hesitation Dmitri heads to the pillory and holds onto the ropes that are placed there. He flinches a bit when Nikolai rips his shirt off knowing what's coming.

Nikolai gets out the whip and gives it an experimental flick. In a normal conversational tone, "Why'd you go out hunting without permission?"

He flicks the whip and Dmitri screams before he can even answer. Two more quick flicks. The minimum is ten lashings. Dmitri has no doubt that Nikolai means to give him even more.

"The donors at the clubs didn't satisfy." He manages to get out after Nikolai pauses.

"I see. Yet you not only went out hunting without permission, you left the boundaries." A few more flicks. Fifteen lashes in all.

"Time for Makarov," Nikolai says impatiently. He also notices that Dmitri hadn't really started healing.

This time he's faster, Dmitri will be bleeding too much to take the time he wants.

"When was the last time you two ate?" Nikolai demands disgusted that they are in the shape they are in. 

"Almost a week now." Makarov finally is able to answer through his pain. "When the flavor of the donors wouldn't satisfy we couldn't eat anymore."

Nikolai hisses, "You fools. You are dangerously close to losing control. You could have exposed us all to the humans. Instead you singled out my mate and my mistress. You are just damn lucky I got there before you did anything to them."

They both stare at him wide eyed, their fear overpowering their pain. "Your mate?" The mistress was of lesser importance.

Nikolai takes out his phone. "I need two of the rejects brought to the estate. One is for Dmitri and one is for Makarov. They'll pay Ivan directly." Nikolai ends the call and turns his attention back to the vampires in front of him.

"You'll have to settle with Ivan on the price. The longer you wait the more expensive it will be. If I have to talk to him the price will be your skins, do you understand?" The two vampires nod their heads rapidly, no longer able to speak. They feel fortunate that Nikolai didn't kill them both for attacking his mate.

"The two being delivered are yours to do with as you wish. You can make one meal out of them or make them pets. With how expensive they'll be I'd suggest making them pets," Nikolai shrugs once more, "but it's up to you. Go get cleaned up. You'll likely need to eat from one of the donors here at the house, Do not kill them. Father will get a might upset if you do that without his permission."

"Yes, Nikolai. Thank you." The two manage to say in unison.

Nikolai gives them both an irritated look and leaves. If he hurries he'll be able to do the shopping he wants before he's to meet with his ladies.

Nikolai comes up to the restaurant where he's to meet Natalia and Samantha. They are just getting there as well. Nikolai gives them both a kiss before opening the door for them both.

The three are seated and given menus. The hostess takes their drink orders and leaves.

"How did it go, Nikolai?" Natalia asks biting her bottom lip. She hopes that his father didn't do too much to him.

"It went far better than anticipated, actually. I was given a pass since I was defending my fiancee and girlfriend." Nikolai says smiling at them both.

Natalia and Samantha both smile in relief. Their drinks are set down in front of them. Once the worker leaves Nikolai pulls out some boxes. "He even gave me two weeks off for the wedding and honeymoon.

"I got these for my girls." They open the boxes he hands them and they both gasp. Diamond chokers lie inside the box. He goes around them both and takes out the chokers and places them first on Natalia then on Samantha.

"Now, the vampires that don't know my mark, will know that you are taken by one that is powerful."

"Money equals power?" Natalia asks looking at Nikolai in question.

Nikolai shrugs, "Not always, no, but in general yes."

Nikolai takes out another box, smaller than the first one. "Natalia, I know that last night was rather thrown at you. Now that you've had time to think about it, will you marry me?" 

Natalia doesn't even look at the ring before her. "Yes, Nikolai, I would love to marry you!" She smiles blindingly as Nikolai takes out the ring and slides it on her finger. He gives her a deep kiss thanking her for accepting him even after everything.

"Hey, you two, enough of the PDA, it's getting kinda uncomfortable in here."

Nikolai backs up and breaks the kiss off. "My apologies, Samantha." Nikolai stands up and returns to his seat just in time to order his meal.

Once the waiter leaves Natalia has a question, "So you truly can eat human food?"

"Human food is delicious, Natalia, especially yours." Nikolai smirks at her discomfort. "But seriously, we can eat the same food as humans, but without blood it doesn't do us any good. We are made through a blood curse, so blood is necessary to keep us alive."

"What happens if you don't get blood, does it kill you?" Natalia queries fascinated with the subject.

Nikolai looks at her amused. "I'm not going to tell you how to kill us. You go out after vamps and not even I will be able to stop them from killing you and likely me as well."

Natalia looks down blushing furiously. She hadn't intended on using the information to kill them, but she likely would have been curious to try if he had told her. 

"Natalia, it's okay. I know you have no desire to kill us, at least not yet. You'll be safe under my protection."

They ate and talked about the wedding, "Did you find any dresses?"

"Yes, Natalia found one that was just perfect. She looks like a princess in it and it doesn't even need much in the way of alterations." Samantha is now very excited about the topic.

Natalia laughs, "Yeah and she found one that will be perfect for her as well. They'll both be ready by tomorrow."

Nikolai smiles content that both his ladies are excited about the wedding. "Did you get flowers as well?"

"Yeah, I ordered my and Samantha's bouquets and three boutineers. One for you, one for your father and one for Sebastian, or whoever your best man is." Natalia says once more biting her lip.

"Yes, Sebastian is my best man. That won't be a problem will it?" Nikolai teases Samantha a bit.

Samantha blushes a bright red, "No, that won't be a problem."

"I thought they could be our witnesses at the courthouse."

"Natalia, my father has requested the honor of walking you down the aisle. I told him yes on your behalf." Natalia's joy is gone. Nikolai can feel from the bond that she is no longer happy. "He's waited a very long time for me to get married, Natalia-"

"That's fine." Natalia says but her voice no longer holds any emotion in it at all.

"Have you picked out a cake yet?" Nikolai asks hoping that he isn't making things worse.

"We were going to do that after lunch." Samantha chirps happily not noticing how tense the atmosphere has become.

Nikolai doesn't stop looking at Natalia. "Samantha go out to the car, Sebastian is waiting."

Samantha looks at him in confusion. The girls hadn't brought a car. "What car, Nikolai?"

"The one that Sebastian is leaning against." Nikolai says patiently.

"Okay." Samantha gets up happily and all but skips out of the restaurant.

Nikolai takes the ticket the waiter brings them and gives the card to him. "What's wrong?" Nikolai demands while the waiter takes care of the meal.

"I only wanted a small wedding. Now it's being made bigger. It doesn't matter what I want so why bother saying anything?" Natalia wipes away the tear that managed to get past her defenses.

"Natalia, you have to understand, my father has been waiting for a thousand years to see his only child get married."

"It doesn't matter Nikolai. I'll be there and I'll say I do. I just don't see the need to give any of my input."

The waiter brings his card back and Nikolai impatiently writes down the amount for his tip. Then he helps Natalia up and escorts her to the door.

"Will it help if we have the wedding at the Rose Estate?" Nikolai crosses his fingers that this will make things better.

Natalia snorts, "That's the most sought after venue for weddings. It's almost impossible to book it."

"Not if you are the owner's son," Nikolai whispers. "Allow the wedding to be at the estate with an aisle to walk down with my father at your side and everything else will be as you want it. I swear." Nikolai finds himself holding his breath.

"The Rose Estate is where you live?"

"Yes," Nikolai says hesitantly.

"That's the headquarters for the vampire mafia?"

Even more hesitant now he answers, "Yes."

"You can get the Rose Estate for the wedding?"

Nikolai gives her a wink and pulls out his phone. "Father, would it be okay to hold the wedding at the Estate?" Nikolai listens for a bit, "She's right here father. Yes, she's agreed and yes, she wants to know if we can hold the wedding there."

Nikolai rolls his eyes and hands the phone over to Natalia, "He wants to talk to you. He doesn't believe me."

Natalia puts the phone up to her ear. "H-hello?"

"Natalia, is my son forcing you to have the wedding here?"

"No, sir. He is asking because I just wanted a small wedding at the courthouse. But because you requested walking me down the aisle, he offered the estate."

"I see, so this is my fault. I apologize for ruining what you wanted for your wedding. Really, we should take months to organize a huge wedding, he is after all a prince, but-" Natalia is finding it hard to breathe. "But I will accept this smaller wedding as long as it's held here. Let me talk to my son please?"

Nikolai is less than pleased by Natalia about passing out because of whatever his father said to her.

"Just what the hell did you tell her?"

"I told her that I'd prefer that the wedding be a large circus event since you are a prince. She didn't appreciate that. Haven't you told her who you are?"
"No, she's had a lot to take in and very little time to do so. What about the Estate?"

"Yes, of course. That was the compromise."

"Thank you father." Nikolai hangs up. He's not worried about hanging up on his father, he likely hung up at the same time.

Nikolai holds Natalia up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Prince?" Natalia says in a voice hardly there.

"Let's go home and talk about this."

"Whose home, yours or mine?" Natalia asks, she doesn't intend it, but there is bitterness in her tone.

"Yours unless you'd like to see the Estate." By then they are at the car and Nikolai helps her in before climbing in after.

"You mean I could go there now?" Nikolai has never let her see his home before.

"Yes, of course, you and Samantha are both marked so it would be safe for you to go. I'd still prefer if you only went there with myself or Sebastian. I wouldn't want any mistakes. After the wedding we'll be living there full time until we find a place for ourselves, if that is what you wish."

"So you are getting married?" Sebastian asks from the drivers seat. Samantha is sitting in the passenger seat riding shot gun.

"Yep, it'll be at the Estate next Saturday."

At Nikolai's words Sebastian slams on the brakes throwing everyone against their seat belts hard enough to leave painful bruises.

"Dammit, Sebastian, now the girls will need blood to heal."

"What about the humans, Nikolai? That's going to be hell to keep the vamps away from the humans."

"There will be no other humans. There won't be a dinner, at least not a catered one, our cooks can fix what needs to be done. Vamp's can pick up the flowers and cake, do the set up of the marquee and what not. A vamp can also take the wedding photos."

"What about Natalia's family?" Sebastian demands.

"They're dead." Natalia says softly.

"I killed them." Nikolai says with far more force and his voice hard and cold.

"Shit." Is all Sebastian says before starting the car up and going back to the apartment.