NOTE: Its been years, but since a recent review, I decided I should just keep going. I have a few chapters on another computer, but I figure I might as well just start from scratch again!!
The pain had been nothing she'd ever felt before. Rippling over her senses like nails on a chalkboard. Her mind floated as if she'd stayed in the cabin of a boat for weeks. Numb, disoriented and shaken, Mara rolled over, only to scream in pain.
Her lips quivered between the screaming, partly because she wasn't sure where she was, and the darkness her eyes searched seemed endless. Where am I? Why does my rib sting? He heaved in another breath before she whispered. "This room stinks of dog."
"Silence will keep you alive, bitch." The voice trailed what seemed like down a long narrow hall into the small room she'd been in. Great, someone was watching her, a Lycan to boot. Slowly, she pulled her fingers to her eyes and rubbed circles around them, until the darkness became clear. Yards away through an open metal door and a dimly lit hallway was the largest Lycan she'd seen in centuries. Practically choking on her own voice, she slipped from the cot she'd been miserably pinned against and slid to the cold tile below.
Lycans everywhere. Blood, bullets and mayhem. Memories flooded her brain, overriding her vision until she was completely caught up to how she'd gotten here, and why the dog stench was so bloody strong. Her partner, her friends, more than likely killed in battle. She'd been beaten and taken prisoner.
Fantastic. Kraven was going to loose it. Which only meant her release would be close, if not minutes away. With the awakening just days due, she could ease the weight of fear from her chest, believing Kraven would do anything to save her. At least she'd hoped.
"Can you walk?" A less aggressive voice than before called, it echoed several times before she was able to comprehend it. It was the same voice she'd heard earlier, maybe last night? Unsure, she squinted slowly, only to see the light creeping forward with each flipped switch.
"I have nothing to tell, kill me now." She whispered, as if her attacker wasn't able to hear. Lifting her eyes, she watched the outline enter the small room in which she'd been hauled into, his face black with fallen hair, his chin covered in a thick beard. But those glistening brown orbs caught her stomach and twisted it into knots. Lucian. But how? Kraven had boasted about Lucian's timed death. He was the savior of all us all, keeping the raging war from eliminating all vampires.
Yet here was the Lycan leader, the one man who could ruin us all, standing tall, his massive shoulders fill the door frame, until he took another step inside the chilled room. Planting her palms to the tile, she slide back, inching behind her until her spine hit a wall. She stayed still as he took another brave step.
"I asked if you could walk, I said nothing about death or harm, so do me a favor and stay on topic, shall we?" His arrogance nearly drove her insane. Marcus has once described Lucian's manipulating ways, his sharp wit and deadly charm. Oh how she missed Marcus then, only to feel safer knowing his birth would soon be here. If I can only stay alive just a little bit longer.
"Now, do me a favor and make sure you listen this time. I'm not about to start the habit of repeating myself. Your kind isn't stupid, it would be helpful if you acted less like a harmed animal and more like a vampire." Was he crazy? Mara could barely compute his demands as he flipped the light switch, revealing his face in the light.
Her eyes burned, as if dipped in acid. Blinking several times, Mara pulled her legs back, brushing her knees to her chest. He'd called her a wounded animal, and right now all she felt like was a piece of meat in a lions cage. If Lucian was walking around this place freely, he had Lycans combing these hallways. Which only solidified that the trouble she'd strolled into last night was far worse than she could have ever imagined.
"Mara, correct?" He knew her name. How in the hell did he know that? Lycans can't read minds, they could barely walk and talk without slobbering. Mara lifted her head as Lucian stepped forward. "You've been injected with a liquid virus that will kill you in 5 days. You're blood is being corrupted. Stopping all attempts for repair in your body. You're cells won't heal themselves and once the internal bleeding takes over, you'll die like a human in a car crash." Spoken so casually by the man who was supposed to be just that, dead. Lucian dared another step closer, merely a few feet from her crouched position.
"You've broken 4 ribs, fractured you're left arm, and managed to take several bullets. My Doctor removed the metal pieces and repaired the damaged to your lungs." Her mind felt floatie again.
"I'd say thanks, but it was a waste of time. Whatever information you want I don't have."
"Yes and no." He'd quickly retorted. "You are the one thing Kraven won't debate over. He loves you, and Marcus loves you even more." The twang in his voice over the love those two Vampires had for her cause goose bumps to roll over her skin. He knew about her life with Marcus, and the attraction Kraven held for her. Biting her lip, Mara tore at the soft skin until her fangs were on display. Lucian leaned closer, his face as close as before, just enough for another jab to the jaw. "No punching, or I'll break your fingers too."
"Empty threats. They will not save me, I will not give you anything."
"Silence!" Jerking back, Mara slammed her head against the wall, feeling the sting once again. His loud command echoed in her brain until her eyes closed once again. The agony, the rough bruised skin, her ribs and chest, it all felt horribly wounded. She'd never felt this broken since being a human. Now as a Vampire, she'd be able to fuse her wounds and move on; until this virus Lucian gave her took over her healing process.
Slowly, Lucian reached out his palm, his eyes becoming soft, less agitated than before. Panting Mara watched his fingers closely, as he brushed her left cheek gently.
Her face jolted back, slamming again to the wall. Wounded, bewildered to all hell and irritable, Mara wasn't sure what Lucian was playing at, but the soft sensation of his fingertips caused a reaction in her stomach. Fear, misery, and dazed, Mara wasn't sure either to bit at his fingers or lean into his chest. Why such compassion for a race he was supposed to hate?
"They've spoke about you're beauty before. But I've doubted it until now….. I want you to know, this is all Kraven's doing."
"Don't touch me." She barked out.