I'm not going to hurt them. ( Hunter barely glanced at them, though. They made him feel sick to his stomach to look at. Even the one that happily climbed to his hands and knees for Rafa's use was hard to bear. He kept his eyes transfixed on Rafa instead. The thralls were no match for Hunter in any capacity, even if they tried to come at him. Hunter didn't need to exert force there.

Then again, watching Rafa for too long made Hunter even sicker.

Just the look of him was all wrong. There was no easy joy in Rafa's eyes, just cruel amusement as he took everything within his reach. This wasn't the man Hunter fell asleep curled against at night. Who brought him back from the brink of his own destruction with such a firm command and respect for those in his service. This creature before him just wanted to devour all. And the words he spoke...

He'd never been close to Shane, but he'd always envied the halfling. Shane was the best of any person he'd ever known, and Rafa had always known as much. Hunter spent centuries knowing he couldn't live up to the memory of that man, driven to depths of self-hatred he'd barely returned from over Rafa's love for that man. And yet here Rafa was, tearing down Shane as if were lower than the dirt beneath the thrall's hands.

This wasn't Rafa. Not in any shape. Hunter paced slightly as he watched Rafa. How did he fix this? He had to fix this.

He runs a hand through his hair. )

It's not a fucking question, Rafa. I'm taking you home. ( He glared at the thralls in an attempt to intimidate them, not that it would help. They obeyed every word that Rafa spoke, even if he said to slit their own throats.

Hunter moved towards the throne. )

Even if I have to fucking carry all the way there.