"It's alright, child" he whispered soothingly. He exchanged a look with his lieutenant and raised an eyebrow with a slight nod. Kraven, handsome in his armour and silent in his movements, nodded back and left them.

"What is your name?"

"I… Selene" she stammered, although bloody massacre was all around them (blood was dripping from the ceiling), he was stunned; she was somehow steady, like someone else just as beautiful and strong, but in a time when she had adored him and obeyed his word…

Selene looked at him back, his eyes were unnaturally bright, his embrace, everything about him, was… too strong, too unyielding…

"What are you?" she asked, slightly breathless

"The enemies of those who killed your family," said the man, and almost on cue, a man walked into the barn, dragging something behind him, "this, Selene, is my lieutenant Kraven, and that" he added, with disgust, "is a Lycan, we were following its pack for days, and we nearly had them when they came upon your house…"

"Why?" she breathed, gazing at it. It was a wretched-looking thing. She had no idea had been killed a few minutes ago, stabbed through the neck to slow the transformation back into human.

"They are a vicious, uncontrollable race" spat the man who held her, "they spread their affliction on innocent men and women, and hunger after chaos and destruction. However," he added, turning back to Selene, who, just like her, her eyes were twin faucets, leaking a steady stream of anger, "we are the ones who war against them, who keep order"

"Who are you?" she asked again, the man sighed and nodded to his lieutenant and led the girl outside the barn

"You would call us vampires," he said in a tired voice, and noticed Selene neither flinched nor made any sort of reaction as they walked, "as you can imagine, glimpses of our race in the wrong time and wrong place have given us an unsavoury reputation"

Selene could easily imagine it; a vampire standing amongst a household of bodies, perhaps even weeping over a friend, eyes ablaze and fangs exposed from the battle…

"Make me one of you" she asked, stopping and grabbing his forearm, which was like holding a cloth-covered metal bar

"Are you sure, Selene, there is no return, it is true that we must survive on blood and cannot step in the sun"

"Make me one of you"

"I understand your plight, for your strength, I shall award you more"

After biting her, neatly missing the main jugular and other essential, messy, fast-bleeding vessels, he then bit his wrist and offered to her.

"You must, if you are to have the strength to avenge your family" he said, and felt her mouth close on the wound and suck. It was a nearly enjoyable feeling, it made only a little impact on his own strength, but it was a gratifying feeling; by his blood she would be bound to him, ever obedient, but stronger than all his other lieutenants and soldiers. He could not have awarded out such strength to anyone lightly, but when he looked at her he someone he desperately needed back.

Lycans will pay for taking my daughter, he thought in the deeper recesses of his mind, and smiled at the irony; only this time her 'love' will cost them far more dearly than… hers had…

When she finally went unconscious, he picked her up and turned to Kraven, who held a torch and the flames beginning to consume the house behind him. Kraven looked quite hungrily at the prize in his master's arms.

"Your loyalty shall again be rewarded" he said to him

Kraven nodded

"My lord, may I…?" he still looked at Selene unconscious in Viktor's arms

"For now Kraven, she shall sleep, and when she wakes, you shall ask her – I do not think you could force her" he answered smiling, and they walked away into the forest.