Aurene is the one interested in the important topics, here!

"I'm not allowed to eat people! You aren't either," she informs Alexei, laying down the law.

"...okay."

That person is too small and it makes him kind of uncomfortable.

James takes a step closer to Alexei to pet him.

He leeeeeeeans towards the petting and purrs, his eyes flitting shut.

Awwwwwww look at him he needs to be touched WAIT NO SHE MUST BE STRONG.

"Do you want to go catch some birds before bed, sweetheart? I'll throw you," wheedles Yvette.

"Ooo!" Mummy throwing her at birds is rare enough to be very exciting! She's not very hungry but that's okay! "Yeh! Yeh!"

"Okay, let's go catch some birds," coos Yvette, scooping up her daughter to take her outside and give Alexei some space. Poor thing. ... He gets a kiss on the forehead before she goes, just so he doesn't think she's abandoning him.

He whines a bit when she leaves then gives James a kicked puppy look.

James takes the second Aurene is not near to kiss his mate on the lips, a quick over and done peck, then says, "Come on, handsome, let's follow our girls for now. Spend some time together as a family."

...our girls? Family?

............he likes those words more than he'd have expected. He nods dumbly and follows James.

Yvette beams at Alexei when he and James come outside. Oh! Okay! Apparently he wants to come, then, that's fine.

Aurene meanwhile is so excited to show off being thrown at birds.

Yvette gives an indulgent sigh and zips over to a space that is not quite so covered in vampire smell that drives all animals away. And then she throws her daughter at a bird.

Aurene snatches it out of the air! She lands neatly and bites its head off and drains it, then starts carefully plucking some of its feathers off. The ones that have a bad texture. She doesn't want to eat those.

The small person is strange but. Kind of cute? And she ate a bird. Not just the blood. That's weird.

What has his life become.

James laughs at the look on Alexei's face and then pushes his mate the rest of the way towards Yvette before following.

"Nicely done," praises Yvette, scooping up her daughter again.

"Mmmmmm. Another!"

Aurene catches another bird, breaking its neck! Then she leaps back over to Alexei and holds it up to him.

"I know you don't know how so here!" she says, offering him the dead bird.

??????? what the fuck

He... accepts the bird????? And then looks at his mates because help???????????????

Nope sorry honey James is laughing too hard now.

"And now you drink its blood," says Aurene, sagely.

Oh no so cute but okay yes she will save her new mate. Or at least help him.

"She doesn't expect you to eat it like she does. Just. She. Wants to help. If you'd rather not I can take it."

"No mummy he has to learn," says the coven's taskmaster.

...he... tentatively lifts the bird to his lips? And?? Sinks his teeth into it?

And makes a disgusted face when he tastes the blood but dutifully drains it.