He passed the cigarette over to her after taking one last long drag. "The last issue that came up has caused a lot of ripples. It's affected everyone 'n everything." He hadn't told Nancy about how he'd voted on the issue. It wasn't that he'd outright lied, exactly, he'd just failed to tell her anything at all about the vote.

The last month had been difficult. He'd gotten tied up trying to balance out both sides of his job. As Marquess, he had to keep the best interests of the Nest in mind. But being on the Night Council meant he couldn't just throw his weight around and make things rosy for the vampire clan. Every action had a consequence. If he pushed too hard, the whole supernatural community could start to crumble.

He idly combed his hand through Nancy's hair, occasionally gently pulling out a knot that had formed through the red locks. "It's a balancing act. Like bein' on a tight wire at the circus. Only I don't have a net beneath me. I'm just waiting t'fall off and break my neck." She's the only one he'd trust with these words. Anyone else would see it as weakness that could be used against him.