They headed out a little after dusk the next day, making it back home in record time. She knew the boys wanted to get started. They all gathered in the great room, as she explained the situation to her family. Once she was done, they all sat down as a group, coming up with ideas and plans.
Emily loved watching them, loved how willing they all were to protect their family. The planning session was running close to dawn when she finally excused herself from the great hall, moving her way to the hospital. A nurse quickly greeted her.
"Lady Emily, Welcome. What can I do for you?" the nurse, Elizabeth, asked.
"I came to see Melissa, if she is still around." Emily asked.
"I'm sorry, she is already gone for the day. She wasn't feeling so well." Elizabeth stated.
"Would you tell her that I would like to meet with her tomorrow morning, if she is here of course." Emily said with a smile. Elizabeth nodded to her. "Thank you."
Emily left, heading back to her home. The great room had been deserted, except for a few men, Zero and Jeb included. She could tell they where still planning, despite how late It was. She smiled before walking over, pulling Zero from the group.
"You can start again tomorrow. We've had a busy few days. I think a good rest in our own bed is called for." She said with a smile, before dragging him from the great room. Once out of earshot, Zero spoke up.
"Anything else you would like to do before we rest?" Zero purred into her ear. Emily laughed.
"Don't press your luck," she said with a smile. He pulled her into his arms, looking into her eyes.
"You know I'm irresistible, admit it," Zero said with a bright smile.
"More like insatiable," she smiled back at him. He leaned in, capturing her lips in a light, yet passionate kiss. She felt his fingers on her neck, teasingly playing with her pendent. He broke the kiss before moving to kiss the pendent, giving her a loving look.
"Cut the charm, you know you're getting lucky," Emily said with a laugh. He cocked his head.
"It's got nothing to do with charm. Everything to do with loving you." He said softly.
"Then take me to bed, and make love to me," she said. He nodded, picking her up bridal style, walking back to their room.
Emily was still getting dressed when the frantic knocking began on her door.
"One moment," she said, as Zero quickly laced up her dress.
"My Lady, this is very important," came Annabelle's panicked voice.
"Enter," Emily said with worry in her voice. One look at Annabelle's face and she knew something was terribly wrong. Instinct took over as she looked within her panicked mind, seeing nothing but blood.
"Oh dear lord." Emily gasped out, hand going to her mouth.
"Emily, love what is it?"
"They're dead." Annabelle said.
"Who is dead?" Zero asked.
"Everyone, all of them, they're all dead, killed." Emily supplied.
"Who?" Zero asked.
"The hospital," Emily said, still in shock. Zero was off in a flash, with the girls behind him. He made it to the great room. Everyone seamed to have gathered with the commotion, except Molly and Jeb.
"Where is Jeb? Molly?" Zero asked.
"Evening run. Molly is with him," Brent answered. This wasn't good.
"Everyone stay here, I'm going to go investigate." Zero commanded.
"I want to come with you," Emily said.
"I would rather you stay here with…"
"We don't always get what we want." She said. Zero growled.
"Jenson, Marcus, your with me. The rest of you stay put," Zero said as the two guys followed him and Emily up to the surface. Emily gasped again at the real blood bath that was the hospital. Annabelle was right, no one was alive. All the nurses, doctors, and patients had been killed. Some where cut, some where bled, some looked like they had their necks snapped, but whoever or whatever had done this, Emily could tell, they where just having fun… and they where just getting started.
Emily ran into the main office, hoping against hope that she wasn't there. That she had stayed home. This hope was quickly dashed when she looked upon the desk that she spent her life behind and saw Melissa.
"No," Emily gasped out. This couldn't be happening. Who would do such a thing? She was so lost in greave that she almost missed it. Almost.
"ADRAIN!" She screamed. "They're still here!" She rushed out of the room just in time to see them, eight vampires just like them. But not. Their eyes had a blood lust that she never wanted in her kind. They must have known what to expect because four of them when straight for Adrian, pinning him to the floor with their combined force.
"Run!" he screamed at her. Her instinct told her to, but her heart wanted to stay. When one grabbed at her, her instinct took hold as she attempted to flea from this blood bath. She made it out of the hospital but what she found shocked her. On the ground, tied up were Jeb and Molly. Jeb tried to scream but it was too late. She felt the hand in her hair, yanking her back roughly as she screamed.
"I always did like the way you screamed." She heard from behind. Her blood grew colder as she was thrown to the ground, next to Jeb. She glared up into the smiling face of Wyatt Cain.
"Bring them," Cain barked. Emily watched as the vampires brought out Jenson, Marcus and Zero. Zero was fighting hard but the men and his bound arms where enough to keep him under control. Cain smiled at the group before him before turning to one of his men. She couldn't tell what Cain was thinking, but she could read his men. After Cain had spoken, she could see it, clear as day. Fire.
"NO!" she screamed, She got to her feet quickly, but Cain backhanded her, sending her back to the ground. She glared at him, tears within her eyes. "Don't, please." She asked.
Cain laughed, a cold heartless laugh. "You don't give the orders here. Do it," he said. She watched as a few of his men left, moving to the hospital, to set it on fire, with the remainder of her children in it.
"WHY!" she screamed.
"Do you even have to ask?" Cain said with a laugh.
"It's me you want Cain! Let the rest go!" Zero yelled. Cain turned to look at Zero.
"No love, they are all apart of this. And this," Cain said, pointing to the smoke that was now coming from the hospital, "is just the beginning of what I have planned for you."
"You bastard!" Emily yelled, running at Cain, teeth bared, murder within her eyes. Her nails dug in across his cheek, but Cain didn't even flinch as he grabbed her hair again, pulling back, hard as she winced.
"It's not your time, Emily. Be patient," he snarled at her.
"Beating up on a woman! Killing all those people! You're no better then what I used to be, if not worse!" Zero screamed. Cain laughed again.
"I'm only what you made me, Adrian. If there is anyone that should be blamed for this, it's you. Couldn't even kill me all those annuls ago Tisk tisk. One little slice of a blade and I would never have done all this, and everything I'm about to do. This is all on your head," Cain said with glee as he watched the hospital burn. Cain felt Emily struggle within his grip.
"Oh Emily, I almost forgot about you," he said as his grip got tighter on her. He pulled her close to him, so that his lips brushed against her ear. "Look at him, he is terrified for you. It's almost cute in a way. I gave him that same look of anger and terror when he beat up and tortured my own family in front of me. Yes I know he may not have killed anyone, but still, its almost poetic to see it as I hurt his."
"Get on with it," she growled at him.
"Already? But I wanted to have so much more fun with you. Did you ever tell him about that night, the night he was supposed to kill me? The things I did to you before he came?" he said to her. She let out a sob. "I will take that as a no."
"Let her go!" Jeb spoke from the ground.
"Ahh, Jeb, I almost forgot you were there. I hope your whore was worth the betrayal of your true family. Be patient, boy, I'll deal with you soon enough."
"I did it for you, not her." Cain let out a feral cry, dropping Emily before kicking Jeb in the stomach.
"I never asked for this." Kick "Or you." Kick "That was all you." Kick "Your selfish need to want to be me." Kick.
"STOP IT!" Molly screamed. Cain felt a gash appear on his other cheek. He glared at Molly before kicking her in the stomach as well.
"And why should I?" Cain said, motioning to his men to blindfold her.
"Because I will kill you if you lay another HAND on him," Zero growled. Cain laughed.
"You had your chance."
"This is different."
"Because I'm killing your family, hurting your boy? I've watched you two, I can see how attached you to are, how he looks up to you, like he use look up to me. How you fawn over him like he was your own. It makes me sick," Cain snarled. "You've taken so much from me, it's about time I take something important from you." Cain smirked.
He grabbed Emily's arm, pulling her to her feet. He held her in front of him, back to his chest, as he watched Zero struggle over her shoulder. Emily looked at Zero, feeling his fear, his pain, his love.
'I'm sorry.' She hears Zero think.
'I love you, don't forget that, ever.'
'I love you, always.'
"How does it feel to be so close to your own death, Emily," Cain said, his hot breath on her neck. She closed her eyes, giving in.
"Get on with it," she said calmly. He growled.
"Is your life not even worth fighting for?" Cain asked.
"No point in giving you want you want." He shook her and she just took it.
"Have it your way," Cain growled. She felt his teeth on her neck. Her eyes fluttered open, looking into Zero's, wanting that to be the last image she saw before she died. She felt his teeth enter her, sucking the life from her body as Zero watched on, eyes never breaking eye contact. She felt herself becoming weaker. She watched as a tear slipped from Zero's eyes, one solitary red drop.
Suddenly Cain stopped, jumping back before dropping her to the ground, weak but still alive. He had his hands to his ears, he was in pain and confused. She heard his men ask Cain questions as he started to collapse to the ground in pain. There was yelling, screaming, fighting. She turned in time to see Zero, cutting himself free before dispatching one of Cain's men in anger. There was chaos, men scattered, not sure what was going on. She felt strong arms pick her up, gray eyes looking into her Lavender ones, scared and worried.
She just held on as they ran fast. He held her tight for what seamed like forever as she slipped in and out of consciousness. She tasted blood, his blood. She drank it down. Then Molly, Jeb, Marcus and Jenson's blood and she knew they had all survived. She smiled as she fell back into unconsciousness. When she woke up again, she was still wrapped in his arms, as they rode, hard and fast. She wasn't sure where, but she trusted him as she held him tighter.