Disclaimer: I don't own them and I am not making any money out of it.
Rated: Contains strong language, violence and mild sexual activity.
Summary: Frank is kidnapped……
Note: I wrote this fic a long time ago. Recently I found it on my computer and decided to revamp it and post it here. Hope you like it.
Feed-back: Greatly appreciated.
OBSESSION
By: Dampyria
Frank was driving through the city breaking the speed limit for at least 20 mph, but for once he didn't care. Why did he even bother to respect the law when nobody else seemed to care?
A good example of that was the case he was working on. A man, a hard worker, was found killed in his own house. He left behind a wife and two kids, with no money and a loan on the house. But that wasn't all. The worst thing was that when they caught the killer he got away because of a technicality.
His gloomy thoughts were interrupted by the insistent ringing of his cell phone. Annoyed he flipped it open, looked at the caller ID and groaned. It was Sonny. His partner has been trying to contact him ever since he left the station. No, that wasn't exact; Sonny has been trying to contact him ever since he stormed out of the station, after knocking the perpetrator unconscious, he corrected himself.
Frank sighed. He could already see another unpaid vacation on the horizon and if he wasn't extremely lucky a side trip to the precinct psychiatrist. As things were going he suspected that she had a spot reserved only for him. How else could he explain the fact that she was free every time Lt. Kwan kicked him toward her office?
He shook his head. The last two years had been a living hell for him. First the sudden death of his wife Laura and than, when he thought that life was finally smiling on him, Aleksandra had been killed by her own people. If that wasn't enough he was forced to live between two words: human and kindred.
He had long ago discarded any thoughts of bringing Luna and his Kindred down. Once he calmed down he realized that Julian wasn't the monster he had imagined him to be and that forfeiting Alexandra's life probably still haunted him. He was the Prince of the city and as such he had to uphold the masquerade, no matter how painful it was.
As for him, he still hadn't forgiven Julian for what happened on the day Alexandra died and he wasn't going to any time soon even if he had come to admire the bastard a little. In course of his investigation into Luna he became more and more aware of the Kindred culture and their harsh rules.
He saw the potential damage that leaving Alexandra alive would cause to Julian's position as the Prince and the possible clan war that could consequentially started because of it. It would be a blood bath, one that would eventually spill into the human world. So no matter what, he had to keep Julian where he was. Secure in his throne.
Screeching tires brought him abruptly back into the real world just in time to escape the collision with another car and bombard the driver with a few chosen words. Shaking his head he wondered how he managed to redirect his musings from the case he was working on to the Kindred.
''Let's face it,'' he murmured. ''My life is a living hell from which I can't escape."
Feeling particularly down and still a little angry at the system, he decided to forgo his previously planed evening of channel surfing for booze and music at the Haven.
The Haven was bathed in suffused light with romantic music playing through the speakers. The dance floor was full of people that only wanted to let go of reality for a while and enjoy life. It was the perfect place for someone who wanted to be left alone, but it seemed that Frank didn't have such luck because the moment he entered two pair of eyes started to follow his every move.
She noticed him the moment he passed the entrance door. He was perfect with his hazel eyes, brown hair and dangerous looks, just as she remembered him. A little older and darker maybe but still a looker.'' He was born to be mine,'' was the only coherent thought that run through her mind.
In the meantime another pair of eyes locked on him. Lilly licked her lips and smiled seductively. She has always been attracted to the rebel image that the detective possessed but tonight there was something different about him. Curious and a little excited she approached him.
''Well hello detective. You here to arrest me?'' she purred into his ear.
Frank nearly jumped out of his skin, ''Shit Lilly would you please stop doing that. You almost gave me a heart attack.'' he said in an annoyed tone.
''Little jumpy tonight aren't we?" she teased him.
'' Look could you just leave me be? Tonight really wasn't a good day. I just want to be alone and drink some alcohol, a lot of alcohol.''
At those words a little smile escaped her lips. Despite his words said one thing, his body screamed something totally different. This could turn out to be an extremely interesting evening: ''Oh Frank, but I think that you need company. What do you say if we go upstairs for a private party?''
He blinked. She was beautiful and willing to take the hurt away for a few hours, but still… "What about your boyfriend? Won't Luna be jealous?"
"You humans and your ridiculous notions of monogamy. People, be it human or Kindred, weren't born to be tied down to a single person," smirked Lillie, invading his personal space.
Frank gulped and took a step back only to be stopped by the counter, with nowhere to run. He was trapped. He tried to reason with her that no matter what she said Julian didn't seem like the kind of guy that shares freely, but then he looked into Lilly's predatory eyes and all thought of resistance flew out of the window. She was beautiful in oh so many ways, he couldn't tore his eyes of her. He watched mesmerized her full red lips move as she spoke to him: "What's the matter Frank? Cat got your tongue?" she whispered into his ear, stepping even closer to him and bending down to nibble on his throat.
The moment the eye contact was broken, Frank pushed her away. Lilly lingered for o few more seconds to show him who was in control then reluctantly pulled back.
"No snacking!" he hissed, narrowing his eyes before quickly turning his gaze away from the sirens eyes.
"As you wish," conceded Lilly. "Shall we?"
Frank stood there undecided, before nodding his head and stepping away from the bar. "Lead the way."
Smiling at her victory she took his hand and tugged him toward her apartment upstairs.
From a dark corner of the club a pair of silver eyes followed their every move. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. There he was, her one true love, rubbing himself against that Toreador bitch. Oh but he was going to pay for this and then, then it will be the sluts turn to suffer.
The figure stood up from her seat and left the club unnoticed. She had work to do.
As soon as the door was closed behind the two would be lovers, Lilly violently pushed Frank against the wall and begun kissing him passionately. At first he was s little stunned at the intensity, but then he mentally shuddered his shoulders and went with it. After all which heterosexual male would refuse this kind of offer?
Next thing Lilly knew, she was on the ground with Frank's eager hands traveling all over her body searching for her pleasure points while his mouth explored her lips and throat with passionate kisses. Pretty soon the clothes they were wearing become superfluous and were discharged in a hurry, allowing them to explore each other without barriers between them.
Their love making was wild and left both of them exhausted and sated, lying on their backs, staring into the big mirror on the ceiling. Lilly caught Frank's eyes in the reflection and winked at him. "That was really something, detective. Never knew you had it in you."
"I don't, not normally. With you it's different, maybe because you are Kindred. It was the same with Al…." Frank stopped himself before he could complete the sentence and distorted his eyes from hers.
"Like it was with Alexandra?" asked Lilly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring her up." murmured Frank, turning around and burying his face into her neck.
"It's okay. I know Alexandra was important to you," she laughed. "Besides she brought you here, I really can't complain. Although I don't know how she imagined you two together. You are so similar to another Ventrue that we know. But if I have to guess I would say that Gangrel is your clan of choice. Them or the Bruja."
A cold shiver run through Frank. "Please, don't even joke about it."
Suddenly Lilly become serious. "About what? The Kindred or the Bruja part?"
"Both actually," sighed Frank, starting to lick her neck and move lower. Lilly knew a distraction when she saw one and she didn't like it. With a swift move she rolled Frank on his back and straddling his hips she pinned him to the bed.
"Really? Because I heard a different story."
"Oh yeah? And what would that fantastic story be about?"
"I little bird told me that you asked Alexandra to Embrace you."
Under her his body went rigid. "Who told you that?" he asked with a cold voice.
"As I said a little bird whispered it in my ear."
Frank wanted to argue with her, but then saw the futility of it.
"That was different," he whispered.
"Because of Alexandra? Did you imagine spending eternity with her? Living together, forever, like an old married couple? Well, with the difference that you would never get old."
"You mean like you and Julian?" snarled Frank. Lilly's words had hit a nerve.
"Touché," Lilly conceded the point. "But the point remains. How much longer do you thing that you can live like this? Trapped between the human and Kindred world, not being able to belong to either."
Frank pushed her away for the second time that night and this time she went easily. He rolled out of the bed and started to collect his clothes.
Lilly hugged him from behind and kissed him on the shoulder. "It wasn't my intention to upset you," she murmured. "But Frank sooner or later you will have to make a choice. I had lived for a long time and I saw countless humans in your situation. At the end every one of them had to make a decision whenever to join us or to forget about us."
"There is always a first time," stated Frank, convinced.
"Don't be naïve Frank. As endearing as it is your naïveté will only make you suffer," she said sharply, than she sighed in defeat and released him. "In time you will understand."
Frank collected his remaining clothes and then placed a soft kiss on Lilly's forehead. "I know you mean well, but I won't be Embraced and I won't let you guys wipe my memory."
"We will see," said Lilly, watching him leave.
Frank exited the club and shook his head. He had come here to unwind and forget his worries and for a while he managed it. But then Lilly had to open a whole new can of worms and now he couldn't help himself but think about their conversation.
He adjusted his coat and adventured into the parking lot. Lost in thoughts he didn't notice the shadow that was following him until it was too late. A sudden pain exploded in his head and then nothing.
The female Kindred effortlessly lifted him from the ground and transported him to the car. Making sure that nobody saw her she fished the keys out of his pocket and drove away.
Sonny slammed the phone down his worries becoming bigger by the minute. Frank hadn't showed up for work, he hadn't called in sick and, what was worse, Sonny couldn't reach him.
Suddenly a thought stuck him. There was a rumor in the Kindred world that Lilly had taken an interest in Frank. For all he knew it was gossip but at this point he was so desperate to find his partner that he was willing to grasp at any straw being sent his way.
An evil grin crossed his features for a moment. Frank and Lillie. What a couple. If they unite their forces there will be dark days coming for Julian. At that thought he couldn't stop but wondering about Lilly's reasons for hanging around Frank.
He seriously doubted that she had any interest in Embracing him. There was the possibility that she genuinely cared for him, but if he had to make a wager he would bet that she was using him to get back at Julian for his story with Caitlin.
Either way that wasn't important at the moment. He picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number.
"Haven how can I help you?"
"Cindy, its Sonny? I have to speak with Lilly, is she there?"
"Yes, but she doesn't want to be disturbed. She is going through the books. You know how that makes her nervous. All that numbers and stuff…….."
"Yeah I know, but Cindy this is very important."
"I don't think……"
"Cindy! Please, it's about Frank."
"The gorgeous human cop that spent the night with Lilly? Well in that case I think that I can make an exception."
"Thanks darling."
Sonny waited a few seconds while the connection was made, all the while praying that Lillie knew where Frank was.
"Sonny what is so important that you have to disturb me during work?" she asked in an irritated voice.
"Sorry to interrupt your work but I was searching for Frank and thought that maybe he is there."
"And what made you think that he was here?"
"Well you see … I mean … Lillie, that's not the point!!! Frank didn't check in and he is not answering his phone. Now is he there?"
"Maybe he took the day off and forgot to call in?"
"This is not like him. No matter what happens, he always makes sure I know where he is."
Sonny's words were followed by a long silence, then: "If you are this worried maybe you should inform Julian."
"If he doesn't show up soon I will. Bye Lilly."
LUNA MANSION (6 hours latter)
Sonny parked his car in the proximity of the mansion and carefully entered through the back door. At first the necessity to hide his connection with his Sire had bothered him but now he accepts the fact that he, as a police officer, can't be seen with a person of interest, even if Julian was never convicted of anything.
Navigating through the labyrinth made of corridors he finally arrived to the library door where he paused for a moment, trying to determinate who was in the room. His senses picked up three different people. Julian and his bodyguard Cash which was to be expected, but it was the third signature that gave him pause. Lilly. What was she doing there? Deciding that there was only one way to find out he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
Hearing someone entering the library the three of them immediately interrupted what looked like an intense discussion and turned to greet the newcomer. Julian was about to speak when Lilly frantically interrupted him, before he had the chance to open his mouth.
"Are there any news?"
Sonny ignored her question and went to greet his Sire and Prince of the city. Taking Julian's hand in his he reverently kissed the ring that symbolizes his status among the Kindred.
"Sire."
"Sonny. Has Frank called you?"
"Unfortunately no, he hasn't contacted me or any other officer during the day. Since there is a slight chance that this could be connected to us I covered for him, told anybody that he was sick."
"What do you mean?" asked Cash.
"During the night I tried to retrace his movements. After leaving the precinct last night he went to the Haven where he spent most of the night. He was last seen around 6.00 a.m. by a Toreador waitress while he was leaving the club.''
"6 a.m.?" asked Julian in Lilly's direction, raising his eyebrow slightly.
"Yes, he was with me," confirmed Lilly, raising her head, challenging him to say anything about her choice of bedmate.
"Was there anyone recently who might get jealous about your relationship with Frank?"
"No nothing serious or recent. I don't believe that this has anything to do with me."
''All right, Sonny why don't you take another look at the Haven guests, see if there was someone out of place or behaving strangely. Cash gather a couple of your most trusted Gangrels and patrol the streets, but keep it quiet. I don't want Cameron to find out that we lost Frank."
Sonny and Cash nodded and left the room.
Left alone with Lilly, Julian turned to take a careful look of his on/off lover. For some time now he was following her friendship with Frank. At the beginning he believed that she was only searching for a way to provoke same kind of reaction from him, to get back for his love affair with Caitleen. But lately he had noticed a change in the way she was with him and that filled him with worry.
He knew very well the nature of all the clans, including the Toreadors. Lilly's life was ruled by her passions. Her passion for music, art, beautiful things and man. He has been on the receiving end of that passion for decades and knew that if she felt that Frank was being taken away from her she wouldn't think twice about embracing him and that was going to be a big problem in the future.
Lillie sensing his thoughtful eyes on her snapped: "What?"
"I was just thinking about your relationship with Frank."
"A little late for that isn't it?"
"That's not what I meant. I am glad that you finally found someone that makes you happy."
"But…"
"There are no buts. It's just that I know you. At the beginning you were just playing with him but the more you got to know him more you found yourself drawn to him. What are your intensions in the long run?"
"None of your business!" bristled Lilly, already on the defensive.
"I took an oath to protect him."
"And you think that he needs protection from me?"
"Lilly…."
She sighed and shook her head. "If you really want to know the truth I like him. As you said, in the beginning, I was just flirting with him for fun. Suddenly, before I even noticed it, the flirting wasn't just for show. You know in a lot of ways he resembles you. In fact the two of you are very much alike…." her voice become sensual and her face took on a dreamy expression. " … the same stubbornness, the same thirst for justice, not to mention the sex. But I suspect that that is partly due to the little gift that Alexandra left him before she went up in flames."
"Lilly!" hissed Julian warningly.
"I wonder what kind of Kindred he would make."
"You can't embrace him!" Julian harshly interrupted her. "He won't be happy as a Toreador."
Lilly was silent for a moment, slightly taken aback by Julian's reaction. It wasn't like him to be so emotional, then his words sunk in and she erupted in a violent outburst: "How dare you!"
"Would you like me to believe that the thought never crossed your mind?"
"No, I thought about it. He is mortal and his life is so short and considering the line of work he is in, the risk of dying skyrockets. A couple of months ago I'd have laughed at the idea of me caring for this mortal so much, but now… "
"Lilly I don't say that I am opposed to his Embrace. As a matter of fact his Embrace would solve the problem of his protection and the noise that Cameron has been making about me caring more about humans then kin.
Not to mention that Frank has spent all his free time studding us, our weaknesses and strengths, he knows us to well. He is so ingrained in our lives that he practically doesn't have a choice anymore and somewhere deep down he knows it.
I'm just waiting for him to voice his decision. But making him Toreador is not a wise choice. I don't believe that he has enough of an artist in him to be happy as one of your clan."
"And you think I don't know that?" huffed Lilly. "I know he is more Gangrel or Ventrue. If I may speak honestly I figured that you were grooming him to be your new Childe."
"What?"
"The way that you treat him, steer him around and point him in the right direction?"
Lilly paused noticing the stunned expression on her prince's face. "Don't tell me that you didn't notice it?"
Julian just blinked at her.
"Honestly Julian, someone would think that this is the first Childe that you choose to Embrace," smirked Lilly at the still confused man, before turning serious again. "But for this to happen we have to find him alive. So if you'd excuse me I have places to be and people to talk to."
Meantime in the basement of on old house
Frank woke up to a world of pain. His head was pounding like it was stuck by a baseball bat while the nausea was threatening to take away what little food he has consumed that day. 'Well at least I am still alive,' he thought sarcastically. Carefully, as not to make things worse, he moved his head trying to take in his surroundings and maybe find some clue as to where he was.
He was lying on an old king sized bed in a dark room that at a closer examination turned out to be some kind of basement. The room had one window which has been walled up sometime in the past.
Apart from that it was your normal basement, with a tone of junk lying around and a faint smell of mould in the air. The only way out appeared to be an old door, which was probably locked. He tried to rise from the bed only to find out that his wrists were tied to the massive bedpost, effectively preventing him from going anywhere.
'Oh man' he thought. 'and there I was, thinking that my life couldn't get any more screwed up and judging from the set up the surprises aren't over yet. No windows, which means no sunlight, which means leaches. Just my luck.'
Grabbing the chain he tugged experimentally to see if he could, in some way, break free. No such luck. The chains were new, unlikely to break and the wood of the bedpost was solid and firm despite its age. Desperate he tugged on the restraints, fully aware that the only thing he would manage to achieve will be to hurt his wrists.
"It's no use, you know, there is no way for you to get free," came a feminine voice from the shadows behind him.
The tone was mocking and strangely familiar. "Who are you?" he asked trying to twist his neck in order to see his assailant.
"I am hurt Frank. All the time we spent together and you don't even remember me. What does this say about our relationship?"
"Well if you step forward then maybe I will recognize you," he tried to reason with her.
"As you wish," she said stepping forward and into the light.
Frank's breath caught into his throat and for a moment he thought that he was having a heart attack. "No, this is impossible!" he exclaimed. "You are dead. I saw you die."
"Well you know what they say. The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated," she smirked at him bending down to give him a passionate kiss on the mouth.
"Long time no see, lover," she whispered into his ear before gently biting him on the throat, drawing blood.
"Hmmm, I didn't remember you tasting this good."
"Don't," he begged.
"Don't what?"
"……"
"Don't taste me? Don't kill me? Don't make me immortal like you?"
"Please… this is not you," he begged her. "What happened to you, it changed you…"
"Shut up!" she screamed backhanding him. Frank's head snapped backwards, colliding with the bedpost with such force that for the second time that day his world went black, but not before hearing her whisper: "Oh love, you will see, before I am finished with you will beg me to grant you the honor to join me."
At the Haven
When Lilly arrived at the Heaven, Sonny was already there, talking intensely with one of the waitresses. Curious she approached them, listening in on their conversation.
"Are you sure about this?" she heard Sonny say.
"What is going on here? Did you found out something?"
"After my phone call Cindy started to ring up all the regulars asking if they noticed something strange around the Heaven last night and one of them said that as he was leaving he saw a strange lady speeding away in Frank's car."
"Who was this lady?"
"He didn't recognize her, said he never saw her before, but he is sure that she was in the bar that night."
"Shit, she was here! At least now we have something to work on. I will get out last nights surveillance and you," she said pointing to Cindy, "get the witness here."
"We have more than that. Now we know that the perp left in Frank's car. If we can locate the car than there is a good chance that we can find him. I am going to update Cash on the situation."
"Sonny wait, as soon as you find out something I want to know."
Sonny looked intensely at her before nodding. "As soon as I know something I will call you and I expect the same from you."
"Of course I will. What? You think that I will go to the rescue, guns blazing? That is more Gangrel style not mine."
"But your clan is ruled by passion."
"And I am the Primogen. I know how to control my passions."
"And use them at your advantage," he murmured.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. Look we don't have much time. We should concentrate on locating Frank, before something happens to him."
"Then why are you still here?"
Sonny was about to respond, but then thought better not to. They were wasting precious time, time that maybe Frank didn't have. With a last pointed look at Lilly he left the Haven.
Frank's prison
She looked at her former lover slowly regaining consciousness. His eyelashes barely twitched as he returned to the land of the living, but apart from that he didn't show any other signs of awakening, but she knew better. He couldn't lie to her, not anymore. She could hear his heart beat a little faster and that was all the proof she needed to know that he was awake.
"Pretending to be asleep to avoid talking to me? You really haven't changed in all these years, have you?" she asked mockingly. When he didn't move she set on the bed and caressed his cheek. "But Frank, you have to understand that I have changed, grow stronger, smarted and you can't fool me anymore," she hissed, grabbing his jaw in a crushing grip, digging her claw like nails in the soft shin.
"Shit!" he cursed trying to get away from the pain.
Realizing that she was hurting him she released her grip and started making soothing noises.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. I am sorry, but you always brought the worst and the best out of me, didn't you?"
She bent down and carefully licked away the blood that walled up in the shape of half moon marks that her talons left, until she was satisfied that the bleeding stopped. Taking his face in her hands again she delicately stroked the abused skin and kissed every wound that she inflicted to it.
Letting go of his face she climbed on the bed and straddled his hips and run a fingernail across her wrist she then accosted to his mouth. "There, there I will make it all better."
"No please you don't know what you are doing. This will only make me sick," protested Frank wildly shaking his head, trying to avoid the inevitable.
"Of course it will. It is a medicine after all and all good medicines taste bad at the beginning, but you will see that in the long run you will learn to appreciate it, even crave it. Now be a good boy and say A."
"Have you lost your mind? This is … mmm"
Frank had to close his mouth to avoid the bitter sweet liquid, but she wasn't going to give in that easily. With her other hand she grabbed his hair and bend his head backwards, then moved it to cover his nose so that he had no other option but to open his mouth if he didn't want to suffocate.
As soon as he tried to breath she shoved her wrist to his lips and held it there until she was certain that enough blood had flowed in, than she covered his mouth and waited for him to swallow before letting go.
The instant that the foreign blood entered his system Frank body froze for a couple of seconds before contracting itself when the cramps started. His hands violently tugged at the restraints but this time it wasn't so that he could escape from the basement.
She grabbed his hands and tried to steady him but even with her superhuman force it wasn't easy to immobilize him in a way as not to hurt him.
"Come on Frank, don't fight it. Don't fight it, just let it happen."
Frank let out a scream of pure agony as the poison inside his veins progressed through his system leaving in its wake a trail of pain. He had only enough strength left to wonder why it was so painful this time around before losing consciousness for the third time that day.
Heaven
Lilly was frantic. With the help of the witness they were able to pull a photo from the surveillance video and show it around but none of the patrons remembers ever seeing her before last night.
At least they were able to confirm that she was Kindred although nobody could tell which clan she belonged to. It seems like she was powerful enough to hide her signature but didn't have the control to hide the fact that she was Kindred.
Lilly turned to demand updates from the terrified staff. Luckily for them the ringing of the telephone distracted her.
"This better be good!" she yelled, making Sonny flinch.
"We have tracked down the car. It's parked in front of an old house outside the town."
"Then why are you talking to me instead of going in to rescue him!?"
"We are waiting for Julian."
"What the hell do you mean – waiting for Julian? What if she is hurting him?"
"Lilly this is not my first hostage situation. We have ears on the house and right she isn't hurting him."
"What do you mean ears? Don't you see him?"
"They are in the basement. Look we can talk about the chain of command latter. Right now I need to know if you found out anything about this woman."
"Nobody seems to know her, but a couple of guests remember her from last night. She is definitely Kindred but as to what clan they couldn't tell."
"I see. Well this complicate things. If she were human…"
"Yes, yes I know. So where is this house?"
"Lilly I don't think that this is such a great idea."
"Look if you are already waiting for Julian…"
"Okay, okay."
Sonny gave her the address and then severed the connection.
"Was that wise?" asked Cash, listening in on the conversation.
Shrugging, Sonny returned his full attention to the house, praying that his partner was okay and at the same time cursing Franks luck with woman and his ability to find trouble where ever he went. He just hoped that Julian would hurry. He really didn't wish to be alone here when Lilly arrives.
Inside the house
Frank was slowly beginning to come around in what appeared to be becoming a pattern since last night.
This time he didn't pretend to be still unconscious, he didn't want to have another painful confrontation.
"Hello love. How are you feeling?"
"Why are you doing this to me? Why are you hurting me?"
"I'm sorry, but it's for your own good. You will see. After I am done with you, you will be stronger and faster than other humans and we could live together forever."
"I don't want to be Embraced! I want to stay human."
"Nonsense. Soon you will see that this is better. Besides it's a little late for that now. With the amount of my blood in you, you don't have a choice anymore."
"What the hell do you mean by that?"
"It's not important. Right now it's time for your last treatment."
Smiling she advanced toward the bed and grabbed his through, forcing his mouth open with the other hand. She was about to slice her wrist open when the door to the basement flew open and Sonny came running in with Julian and Lilly in tow, followed by Cash and his squad of Gangrels.
The crazy Kindred let out an inhuman roar making even Cash falter in his steps. With her strength she pulled the chains apart and flung Frank in front of her like a shield.
"Don't come any closer if you don't want to see him dead," she screamed, backing away from them and into the wall while trying to keep track of all their movements.
"Now you know as well as we do that you don't stand a chance in hell of getting out of here alive if you hurt him missy. So why don't you just let him go? We can talk about this in a more comfortable place," said Cash taking a step closer.
"Stop right there!" She turned her attention to Cash for just a moment but it was enough to allow Sonny to gain the distance that separated them and tried to pry Frank from her grip. As soon as his hand touched hers something unexpected happened.
A strong wind come out of nowhere and threw Sonny to the other side of the room, pushing the others a good few meter back. "I told you to stay back from us!"
"So you are Tremere then. No wonder nobody was able to pick out your clan, you were masking your signature with magic," stated Lilly.
"Very good. For a Toreador slut you are not all that stupid," she said with disdain. "At least he didn't choose a complete bimbo."
"Who the hell do you think you are, calling me a bimbo? More importantly who made you his keeper?"
"He did, a long time ago before you were even in the picture. Why don't you tell them honey? Who did you give your hart to?"
"Laura please. Don't do this. We can talk about this."
"Talking never helps with anything. Action on the other hand…."
She closed her eyes and extended her hand, sending out another burst of wind, knocking all the other occupants in the room to the ground.
Laura then turned to Frank and said with a chilling smile, "I thought that we would have more time, but it seems that the stars aren't agreeing with me today." before savagely biting him on the neck.
Frank could feel his life being drained from his body, little by little until his world turned dark once again and this time he thought it will be forever.
Luna mansion
It hurt. He couldn't move without hurting, hell he couldn't breathe without hurting. Moaning softly he tried to roll over, find a better position on the bed, one that won't fell like he was lying on a bed of sharp knives. No luck.
Finally giving up on the whole sleep idea he slowly opened his eyes and tried to remember the events that led him to…. here, wherever here was.
He slowly stood up and walk to the window from where he saw the external garden of the Luna mansion. Just as soon as he recognized the place memories begun to rush back in. The kidnapping, Laura…. the pain and the blood.
His hand quickly rose to his neck where he could feel the wound under the bandages and thankfully his pulse as well.
"You were not Embraced," said a somber voice from the door, confirming what he already figured out, but it was nice to hear it from another person. One that knew more about Kindred then he did.
His joy at discovering he was still alive was short lived however as another pressing question entered him mind. "Where is Laura? What happened to her?"
Julian looked at him with compassion and that look told Frank everything he didn't want to know. "How did she die?" he asked.
"Is it really important?" Julian tried to avoid the question.
"Did she suffer?"
"No."
Frank looked at his enemy/friend, searching for any signs of deception and finding none. He was grateful that at least her second death was quick.
"Frank we need to know. Who was she to you and why did she kidnap you?"
"If you are afraid that it has something to do with the political struggle you can relax. I highly doubt that she even knew who you were," he replied bitterly.
"Who was she?" asked Julian already feeling a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. He had an idea who the crazy woman was.
"She was my wife, Laura."
"But didn't she…"
"Die? Yeah I thought so too. Strange world we live in, isn't it?"
Julian looked deep into the others man eyes and saw there the same despair that lurked in his eyes long after his wife had died.
"She was not the woman I knew and loved anymore. What happened to her? Who did that to her?"
"We don't know who is responsible for her Embrace. To the best of our knowledge it was someone passing through town. As for her change in behavior I believe it was because she didn't have affinity with the clan she was Embraced into."
"What do you mean?"
"Each clan has their specific characteristics that are transmitted through the blood exchange. You may have already noticed that people in different clans have very different … attitudes shall we say?"
Julian paused in his explanation to see if Frank was following him. Seeing the cop nod he continued, "But what you may not know is that the clans search out the people that would fit into their world and it's not because they want them to be like them. If they Embrace someone out of their characteristics he would never be happy. The blood inside of him will make him do things that he would never normally do."
"In most cases the person would just be unhappy and prone to depression, but in severe cases the blood could drive them mad."
"And this was the case with Laura."
"I am afraid so."
"So there is a man out there that killed my wife and when she didn't turn out the way he hoped he abandoned her? And nobody will punish him?"
"I am sorry Frank."
"Shit!" screamed Frank punching the nearest flat surface with all the strength that he could master. The pain was a great relieve for the sadness he was feeling, but it lasted for only a minute and then the despair and anger were back.
"That made you feel better?" asked Julian.
"For a moment."
Frank nursed his aching hand and without looking at Julian said, "I drank her blood. Will it make me crazy like her?"
The Prince sighed. He was glad that Frank had brought the subject up, but at the same time he was dreading how the cop will react to the new reality of his existence.
"No, it will not make you crazy. She didn't Embrace you."
"Thank God for small favors."
"I wouldn't thank Him just yet."
"What do you mean?"
"When she made you drink her blood she started a reaction inside your body that is going to change your physiology."
"But when Alexandra fed me her blood nothing happened," protested Frank.
"Because she gave you only a taste, while Laura fed you a whole lot more."
"Okay," said Frank slowly. "What am I looking at here?"
"You will be stronger, faster and will be able to sense the Kindred around you. You will also age slower than humans."
"Well this doesn't sound so bad."
Seeing Julian's guilty expression he sighed. "What are you not telling me?"
"Kindred blood is now inside of you and it won't ever go away. As the time passes you will feel the need to feed on blood, even if you body isn't built for that kind of substance. The cravings will grow stronger with time until you won't be able to deny its pull."
"So practically you are saying that I am screwed?"
"Not necessarily."
"I am not going to like this am I?"
"I am afraid that the only option for you now is to be Embraced."
"Figures!" snorted Frank. "And who will have the dubious honor of being my Sire? You? Sonny or Lilly?"
"It will be an honor if you would allow me to guide you in this new world," said Julian seriously. "But I will understand if you choose someone else. I am afraid that Lilly is out of the picture. You are not Toreador material."
"So where would I fit best? What are my options?"
"As I see it you have two options. Gangrel or Ventrue. Well there is the possibility to be Bruja, but I don't believe that you would choose them."
Frank tiredly massaged his eyes trying to wrap his head around all that happened in just a couple of days.
"I see that you are exhausted. I will leave you to rest."
"Wait! Don't I need more information on the clans to make an informed decision?"
"Don't worry," smiled Julian. "You still got a couple of years to go."
"Great!" murmured Frank and let himself fall into the soft bed, feeling his body protesting loudly and for once he was grateful for the pain, for it let him know that he was still alive, still human. Mostly.
Fin