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Owen was casually walking down the bridge that led to the broken-down castle Scott had claimed as their future home. The sun was about to rise, officially beginning the day and weakening them greatly. They might now be stronger at night, but they also become vulnerable to the sun. Not a good thing considering that the castle didn’t have a roof, jet, or a lot of walls either. Leaving them fully exposed to the sunlight.
When Owen reached the ruins, he expected Scott to be nurturing the fledglings; they would probably be upset right now considering that the town had practically kicked them out yesterday night. Apo had even gone as far as to burn down the house she had shared with Pyro. Just as expected from a member of humanity. And yet when Owen reached what once used to be the main room of the palace, he found it to be completely empty. Where was everyone?
"Hello? Scott?" Owen called out; he didn’t like this quite.
"Owen over here," he heard the bat squeak, which he came to associate with Scott, coming from a chest that was hidden in the corner of what used to be the room. It was hard to see as it stood behind a pillar. As Owen walked closer, he noticed that unlike the other stuff around the ruins, the chest was intact; it even seemed new. It looked a lot like one of the chests that Scott and Shelby had in their house. Did they take one with them?
Once Owen was in front of the chest, he opened it, finding that inside it were three bats. The inside of the chest was also covered in plush-looking red fabrics. Scott had built a small nest, it would seem. The elder himself was smugly looking up at Owen from where he was perched on the middle of the pillow, with his right wing wrapped around Shelby and Pyro. The fledglings seemed to be asleep as they cuddled into Scott and each other. They were cute and looked like a real and proper family.
"So are you joining or what?“ Scott asked as he opened his left wing as an invitation for Owen to join them in the nest.
"You know I'm not one of your fledglings, right? Why would you invite me into your nest?" Owen genuinely questioned as he looked down at the white bat.
"Because you're a part of the coven, part of the family, whether you like it or not,“ Scott said while he seemed to roll his eyes. "Now are you going to cuddle out of your own volition, or do I have to force you?"
A family! Owen never truly had one of those, though he had always really wanted one. Maybe, just maybe, this coven was his chance. "Fine, but I'm not one of your fledglings. In this coven we're equals, got it?“
"Deal,“ Scott happily chirped.
Owen turned into a bat as well before flying into the chest while letting it fall closed behind him. He then took his place on Scott’s left while he cuddled into the bigger bat. Owen felt Scott's wing tightening around him as the elder pulled him even closer.
"I couldn’t have wished for a better bat to have by my side through all of this. Thank you for being here with me, Owen." Scott quietly purred into his ear.
Owen already knew that he would do anything for this new family. For Pyro, even if he were still uncertain of his place; for Shelby, as she had been kind to him ever since the beginning; and most importantly for Scott, who held no judgement even knowing all that Owen had done, who comforted him after the humans attacked, and who welcomed him into this family. His family. And Owen won't let the humans take that away from him. He won't lose another vampire he cherishes.