I slowly woke up to the low mummer of angry male voices.
Well, one seemed mad, and the other was cool and detached. I could only assume that the second one was Viktor.
"Just what the Hell happened?!?" shouted a voice that I was now able to determine was Bossman.
"We were attacked," came Viktor's response.
'Bad response, really, really bad response,' I thought as I tried to move my body. The pain was gone, but the stiffness and weakness of blood loss were still very much felt.
I looked down and saw that I was fully dressed in a pair of puppy pajamas. Seriously?!? What the Hell!
I grumbled as I slowly rolled out of bed. And I do mean roll. My body was too sore to allow me to sit up, but I had to save Mike from Viktor… or maybe Viktor from Mike. I wasn't too sure.
I managed to catch myself at the last second from rolling so far out of bed that I ended up on the ground. That would have been counter-productive as there was no way I could get off the ground without help.
Once my legs had decided that they could, indeed, hold my weight, I opened the door to the room I knew to be Viktor's guest room and walked in the direction of the voices.
"No shit you were attacked!" Mike snapped. This wasn't good. You knew you were in trouble when Momma Bear actually cursed. I tried to pick up my slower-than-a-turtle speed.
It looked like the one I would have to save was the Boogeyman. I grinned at the image of the terrifying Van Helsing needing to be saved from a human.
"It's not like I was expecting it. If I had known, I would have brought more men," said Viktor in a very calm voice.
It seemed like forever before I made my way to the living room where the two men stood facing off. Well, Mike stood. Viktor was sitting on the couch, his long legs crossed, and sipping on a coffee.
"You got any hot chocolate?" I asked, my voice coming out as a croak. How long was I out for?
"Yes, Sasha will get it for you. You sit down. You've been unconscious for about three hours. How are you feeling?" Asked Viktor as he placed his cup down on the coffee table and started to get up.
Mike pushed him back onto the couch as he tried to get past him to see me.
Have I mentioned how much I love Momma Bear?
My smile dropped and my eyes went wide as I now became the focus of a very pissed-off Momma Bear.
"What the Hell were you thinking?!? You should have called for backup! You and White should not have tried to take on a pack of wild wolves all by yourselves!"
So that's what they told Mike, a pack of wild wolves. Meh, whatever works I guess.
"Technically we weren't alone, Viktor was there," I pointed out. Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.
"Mr. Singer is a frigging civilian! What were you two thinking bringing in a civilian!"
I hung my head.
"If you are going to continue yelling at her, could she at least sit? She just woke up and it looks like she is going to collapse at any moment," cut in Viktor before I could respond.
He walked around Mike, took my arm, and led me to the couch. Within seconds, Sasha was there with a cup of hot chocolate.
I tried to reach up and take it with both hands, but the stretching of my ribs caused me to twinge in discomfort. Was I once complaining about not feeling pain anymore? Nah, couldn't have been me.
Viktor took the cup from Sasha and brought it closer to me so I could take it without stretching.
"Thanks, Sasha!" I called out to him. "Sorry I didn't see you here."
"No worries," he called back. "With these two yelling, it's no wonder you didn't see me."
I took a sip of the chocolatey goodness and sighed, trying to lean back into the soft cushions before my body reminded me that that was not a good idea.
Grumbling, I leaned forward again, never once allowing the hot beverage to leave my cold hands.
"You need to set up your House," Viktor said, the topic seemingly coming out of nowhere.
"Huh?" I asked him, completely confused. Even if he thought that I was only a Tesalor, I wouldn't get my own House. I would fall under the jurisdiction of the House of Gypsies.
My House was that of the Ribbon Girl, whatever monster she was, and I was not admitting to that any time soon.
"Who cares about a fricking house!" Yelled Mike as he walked closer to me. Once again, he tried to push Viktor out of the way, but this time Viktor was not moving.
Instead, he looked at me deep into my eyes, like he was trying to tell me something without actually telling me.
It was very confusing and annoying.
"I'm not registered. Why do I need to worry about a House?"
"Who needs to be registered?!?" Asked Mike, not letting himself be left out of the conversation.
"You could have your own House and fill it with those that you want." Once again, Viktor was trying to tell me something. And once again, I had no clue what it was.
"She has her own house and I will be taking her there now," said Mike as he tried to help me stand. "And you and I need to have a talk about bringing civilians to an active crime scene."
Ah, now I understand what Viktor was trying to get at.
"Ok," I said to him. I remembered enough about my old way of life to know what to do next.
"I, Natalia Nadezda Sokol Tesalor, Head of the House of Tesalor, hereby reclaim my status as a Pure-blood of the Gypsy clan. I also nominate Michael Volasko as my Beta."
I looked at Viktor and I knew by the look on his face that I had done what he wanted me to do.
I reopened my House for the first time since my family died, 200 years ago.
"But, I claim secrecy from the Van Helsing. I am still hunted, and I don't want those people to find me," I said, effectively tying Viktor's hands.
I would have my House again, but no one would know. And now Mike, a human, would legally, by our laws, be read into the supernatural world.
Because as of right now, he was my right-hand man.