"The brand was necessary. He knew that at the time. I'm aware that it pains him, but it was to save his life. It was better than what was originally suggested; he doesn't know that there was a very strong demand to take one of his eyes." That way, if Erik had ever attempted to turn his human into a vampire down the line, he would forever have a missing eye as a handicap. He would be that much easier to kill. It took a lot of hard arguing to walk the punishment back to branding.

"I'm a monster. You're a monster. When did I ever claim anything to the contrary? Yes, I know the arrangement was not ideal for Max but given the circumstances it was the best I could safely offer. If you spent that long in my home, surely you saw what kind of dynamics are at play between vampires? In most vampire's estimation, humans are beneath us. To treat him as an equal in that kind of company would have put him more at risk."

His lips quirk just slightly into a smirk, "Besides, you must have observed that he likes being played with?"