To the ignorant, Tetradore knew of the beauty Risque seemed to possess. That feline grace in which she moved so accentuated her feminine figure. Had he not fallen under the cruelty of her hands countless of times, he might have even considered her beautiful. Now, however, he only saw the cruelty within that smile as she so promised him that revenge upon that life he had failed to take. He said little in the way of retort, already knowing it hardly mattered what words left his lips. His fate had been sealed the moment he had unsuccessfully attempted to murder her. Rather, his emerald eyes remained steady upon her as she so quickly closed the distance between them with a supernatural speed. He hardly flinched by her closeness, however, unwilling to give the vampiric woman more than he already had. He could smell that sickening sweet perfume that so surrounded her, the very scent a stark contrast to the woman she was and yet, he too was aware of the way her nose seemed to twitch as she sampled all of the flavors left on his skin - his pack, his business, the Ark, those scents were all so clearly there if one knew how to decipher them. They were something he could not simply hide away.

It was that singular name upon Risque's lips that shattered Tetradore's once steely armor. Tobias was one of the few individuals capable of seeing the man crumble. That word fell sharply from his lips before his gaze strayed from her, entirely unaware of the fashion in which his heart seemed to betray him with that erratic adrenaline filled beat. He refused to allow Tobias to fall within her clutches again. He'd seen what it had done to his closest friend. It was the last thing he wanted for the man, not with his upcoming marriage. He mulled over his options in silence, entirely unhurried even despite the woman that stood in front of him. She was enjoying this, he knew it. She was waiting to see which he would give in first - Tobias or himself. His gaze dropped from her, turning towards the floor in a small display of submission before he inquired exactly what she desired from him. He had been prepared, naturally, for her to request from him more than he wanted to give an yet, he hadn't anticipated the true extent of what she might ask - for him to provide another to take his place. After all the years he'd spent within Syn, the very last thing Tetracore wished was to condemn another individual, particularly one who had put their trust and faith in him, to this place.

His fists clenched at his side in anger of what she desired from him to keep his pack safe. He was still, silent at that moment as he only further considered those options, his plan entirely reckless and yet, on the spot, it was the very best he could come up with. That provoked sound of amusement from her prompted little more of a scowl upon his lips, the man all but ignored the feline that rubbed against his leg as he stepped forward, closing what little distance remained between them. Tetradore reached out for her, letting his thumb gingerly grace her flesh with a caress far sweeter then he had ever offered her before. He had never sought for her affection, the man often avoided any sort of physical contact with her, only further making that very moment all the more peculiar. She seemed so extraordinarily still beneath his touch, his voice soft, smooth, and musing and yet, he hardly seemed perturbed by that change in her demeanor. He already knew the odds were stacked against him in this. He knew she could easily ruin that fragile plan and yet, still, he tried. Fighting and failing were better than mere submission, as far as Tetradore was concerned.

His grip tightened around her neck, crushing her larynx with all the force his palms could muster. He knew, realistically, she hardly needed air to breathe. He knew she could overpower him. He knew all those things and yet, he was willing to let his faux naivety be a distraction for his true goal. He could feel her twist within his grasp as he strove to push her backward, her words hardly caused him to falter, true though the might have been when it came to this. He pushed further against her as she presented him with that unnerving smile. He could feel that laughter on her lips, vibrating through her frame as he pushed her backward. There was a part of the man that knew she was right, that hopelessness had already taken hold in him the moment he had walked through that door. But he had made promises that he had to keep - promises to try to fight, promises that he would stay alive, promises to be at Tobias' wedding.

He hardly expected her hands as they rose so abruptly to encase his neck. That silver burned where it touched his flesh, causing him to flinch in response. Once upon a time, he had been accustomed to the burn of silver, to the point where it hardly phased him. But now, it had been almost a year since then. If not longer. He had gotten soft in more ways than one. That sharpened silver pierced his flesh, drawing blood from his jugular only to lead a trail down his caramel flesh. He was aware of her grip tightening, making that breath harder to gain and yet he refused to let his own hold on her weaken in the slightest. Her fingers clenched around his neck, turning that once steady breathing shallow as her back finally hit the wall. He could feel the way she plucked at his feline, the beast inside of him was entirely restless in those moments of adrenaline. He didn't have much time left, everything with his so screamed to hurry. He reached for the nearest collar chained to the wall, the silver sizzled against the tender flesh of his palm. It hardly mattered now, however, as he fastened it around her neck. It was only once he was certain it was secure that his hands dropped from her. One hand rose to hers, attempting to pry her fingers from his throat as the were-King gasped for air, his other desperately reaching for her desk, hoping that his fingers found something even remotely useful in his desires to end her here and now.