Micheal pov
This is not how it was supposed to go, I berated myself internally. This was supposed to be a talk with the lycans to get them to cooperate with me, to somehow put aside the bitter past and move toward a new, hopefully brighter future. So why is god intentionally fucking with me like this. The whole being tied into the world of what I thought of as myth, I somehow learned to accept. Then waking up to twelve years chucked out of my life and a daughter with my eyes, that I'm still working on but know this. What the hell am I suppose to do about this.
"Micheal, I know you're frightened, this is alot to take in all at once. But you don't have to do this alone; I will be right by your side. Besides, pacing back and forth like that isn't going to help anyone. You need to prioritize what you're going to next and quickly." Selene spoke, breaking the silence in the room. I would be so lost without her here with me right now. After finding out that my family had been drag into this bloody war by the lycans. I could barely keep myself under control, wanting nothing more than to rip the ones brought here to pieces. It was Selene who took control of the situation and ordered the lycans be locked away and monitored. She then had a few of the vampires take my family to be given food, clothes and a place to rest, promising them that everything will be explained after these new developments have been discussed. Finally dragging me away to our quarters – formally Thomas's apparently – to calm me down and reassess the situation. Eve came along with us, her eyes unfocused and dazed. I could understand what she must be feeling a little. To have grown up as a test subject, hated and unwanted. Told she had no family only to find out that not only was she lied to, but that her mother was right next door to her her whole life. Then after finding Selene and then me she now finds out that the wolves had taken her extended human family captive too. She was probably the only person in this coven more furious at the lycans than I was. She just stood there, completely at a lost as to what she was suppose to do, trying to say something but having no idea what. I bounded across the space and wrapped my arms around her, prioritizing that the first thing I needed to do was make sure she was okay. I stroked her hair while telling her that everything was going to be fine, my eyes silently begging Selene to back me up. She got the message instantly and was hugging Eve from the other side in the next moment. I couldn't help but wonder at how many moments like these were taken from us and that just caused my anger to flare again. Selene sensed it, she look up at me to see what was wrong, I shook my head and smiled to chase away her concerns. I had to keep it together, for her and for Eve. I may not have been ready to be a father but I was damn sure gonna do my best at it.
"I can't believe they would go this far, absolutely unforgivable," Eve said clenching her fist tightly. "Father I still remember what you said this morning, about them being hunted, enslaved and driven to the brink of extinction. But is this something that we should forgive them for." She stared at me, waiting for my response and I honestly did not know what to tell her. But I didn't get the chance to answer her because there was a knock at our door. I could tell that it was David by the smell and looked to Selene and she nodded, "come in" she said firmly as we released Eve and stood side by side. David cleared his throat before he began.
"I just came to inform you that my father has returned." So Thomas has returned huh, it feels like this day slipped by way too quickly.
"He was able to convince twenty three vampires from four covens to come here and witness you." So it's finally time huh, I can't put this off any longer. Selene took my hand, giving it a light squeeze to wordlessly voice her support. Well might as well get this over with. I looked at her and then to Eve, she gave me a nod to show her support of whatever decision I would make. I looked to David resolutely.
"Alright, let's go see if we can make people who have killed each other for centuries try and work together, should be fun."
The whispers died as soon as we entered the main hall. Every vampire turned in our direction and bowed to us. David led us to three thrones that weren't there this afternoon when we left and motioned us towards them. Selene and I looked at each other, then at David. He just shrugged and whispered to us "some of the younger vampires thought it would be appropriate." There was no helping it so we sat in them. The middle one being the largest, so naturally that one was mine, Selene took the one on my right and Eve took the one on my left. Then the lycans were brought back in, showing clear signs that they were beaten up while confined and for some reason the sight of it made me quite upset. Then my human family was led in. They had gotten a change of clothes and looked only slightly more relaxed that this afternoon. The four members of my family that the lycans tested positive for the Corvinus strain were. My father, Jonathan Corvin, my aunt Maria Cornwall and her daughter Blaire Cornwall and lastly my uncle Andre Corvin. After Selene Eve and I took our seats – though Eve looked uncomfortable about the whole affair – everyone else followed suit. Except the lycans who were forced to remain standing, then the female lycan whose name was Clarisse step forward. Time to get this show on the road I suppose.
"I know you" she said before a guard gun-butted her in the back of the knee, forcing her to crumple to the floor with an anguished expression. The other lycans wanted to retaliate but gun muzzles were quickly shoved in their faces.
"Stop, it's bad enough that they were brought here and wounded. But I won't tolerate it happening in front of me. Now unchain them." There was a chorus of murmurs and protest at my orders but it only took me shifting my eyes to black to restore order. As the chains were removed Thomas who was standing with David to our left turned to me.
"That is a very unwise decision. To let the beast loose inside the coven is borderline foolishness" he sneered. I looked at him sharply and I could've sworn I heard Selene hiss at his hidden insult.
"And do you believe them stupid enough to try launching an attack when they are this outnumbered" I countered.
"He's right gramps" Clarisse continued. "It's not like we're gonna say some dumb shit like, if we're gonna die then we're gonna take as many of you with us as we can. Plus I've seen those two up there in action first hand. I for one don't wanna get on that death dealer's bad side." This of course got Selene's and mine's interest.
"You say you know us, from where?" Selene demanded. Clarisse softly chuckled to herself. The guard raised his gun to hit her again but Eve shot to her feet causing the man to freeze.
"That woman knows my parents in some way. Hit her again out of spite and I will personally beat you to death with that gun." Her eyes were jet black as she spoke with the irises being electric blue like her mothers, the proof of a perfect union between lycan and vampire, a pure hybrid. It was my first time seeing it and I couldn't remember ever seeing anything more beautiful, besides her mother of course. The guard gulped and quickly backed up.
"Wait you two got a kid." Clarisse shouted incredulously, shifting her gaze from Eve to us then back again. "Oh yeah, that's your kid alright. The eyes are a dead giveaway. And here I thought it couldn't get monstrous than that guy" she said jabbing a finger at me.
"Answer me. How do you know us, from where?" Selene demanded more forcefully, her eyes turning white for added effect. "Whoa, don't remember you being able to do that, but to answer your question. Why don't you think back to around thirteen years ago? The raid on Lucian's den by the vampires." Selene and I glanced at each other in understanding at her words, then back at her.
"You were there weren't you? You were one of the lycans under Lucian" I said.
"Bingo. I saw when your ass came flying though that wall. Watched you turn into some entirely different thing in the water. And when you took on Victor in a one on one fight, gotta say I was impressed until, you know, Victor started kicking your teeth in. Then watched little miss vampire here slice his head clean in two with his own damn sword to save you." She started laughing loudly. "Man we so did not see that coming. But afterwards we decided it would be in our best interest to retreat rather than take you two on." So she was one of the lycans that were watching us that time. The world truly is a small place, for us to meet again like this. Eve looked at her mother with awe after hearing the story, but then my father step up, trying his best to look brave.
"Son, w-what is the meaning of all this, what have you been doing all these years? What are these people talking about? Don't tell me you became one of these monsters? He begged and it hurt to see him, to see them like this.
"In order for you to understand I would have to start from the beginning. But please know that I never wanted this for any of you." I replied to him.
"Yeah well it's too late for that now. So start talking before I decide you can live with only one of your testicles." Blaire shouted back at me. Is she still angry with me, and since when does she threaten people like that. Then again the last time I saw her she was like, three. I took a deep breath to arrange my thoughts before I began.
"Once upon a time" I started and was immediately interrupted.
"Really dude, you're gonna start off with once upon a time. Well aren't you Mr. Original." Really, that's what she's nit-picking about.
"Hey I can tell it however I want to. So just shut up and listen." I got I bit irritated. And Selene didn't exactly help giving me the whole 'really, you're auguring with a child' look.
"So like I was saying. Once upon a time there was a man named Alexander Corvinus, a Hungarian warlord who came to power in the early seasons of the fifth century. Just in time to watch a plague ravish his village. But he did not die like everyone else, instead his body somehow changed the virus, molded it to his benefit. He became the first true immortal."
That's great for him and everything. But what does it have to do with us." My uncle Andre said, I sighed at his impatience.
"I was getting to that part. Anyway, years later he fathered three children, two of which were twin boys. The twins named Marcus and William were born with the active strain of their father's virus while the third child was born with it in a dormant state. We don't know how or when but William was bitten by a wolf. The beast's DNA reacted to the Corvinus strain in his blood making him the first lycan. And likewise Marcus was bitten by a bat and gave rise to vampires." At that point Thomas turned to me with confusion on his face.
"What are you talking about? Was Victor not the first of our kind?" There was the sound of stone being crushed and I turned to see that Selene was gripping the armrest of her throne far too tightly."
"No he was not. That was simple one of his many lies." You could hear the sheer hatred she held for him in her voice. Ever since learning the truth, Victor had become a touchy subject for her. Meaning that if you ever brought it up, she would touch you in a violent and painful way. I resumed the story.
"However William was entirely beyond control, killing without rhythm or reason and the lycans he created were nothing more than ravenous beast. Never again able to return to their human form, he had to be stop. But Marcus could not bring down his brother of his own so he sought help from an old dying king. The king desperately wanted to live, to escape death he struck a deal with Marcus. If Marcus made him immortal, he would use his army – turn immortal as well – and wealth to aid Marcus in capturing William and destroying the beast he created. Marcus agreed and turned the king into a vampire. That king was Victor."
Every vampire in the room went silent foe none of them had ever heard of this before, wholly believing that Victor was the first of the vampire race. While neither my family or the lycans seemed too interested in it.
"So what happened next dammit? Hurry up and get to the good part." Blaire shouted at me. "Yeah, what girlie said. Did he catch William or what?" Clarisse piped up.
"Yes, he did. Most of the lycans were exterminated and the rest were kept as slaves, guard-dogs to the vampires when they slept during the day." The lycans did not like that part, growling with murderous looks in their eyes. "William was imprisoned in a secretly built custom prison. And everyone who knew of its location was killed including the family that was hired to build it." I stole a glance at Selene, noting that her face was as unreadable as a stone wall. But I knew better, she couldn't hide the pain she was feeling, not from me. The Eve gasped barely audibly and her eyes flew to her mother's face. No doubt seeing Selene's memories of that brutal night, however Selene remained unchanged, refusing to let her emotions out. I swore internally to make it up to her later.
"Except for one young woman who he spared for two reasons. First was to keep her around as a map, the only way of finding William's prison should he ever need to. And second was because she reminded him so much of his daughter, Sonja, who he had condemned to death." There was a collective gasp in the chamber as everyone was stunned by this truth. Murmurs and whispers were thrown back and forth. Thomas and David were staring at me speechless.
"Why, why would he do so such a thing? Why would he kill his own daughter?" Eve finally managed to ask what everyone wanted to know, but before I could answer Selene cut in.
"Because he was a heartless coward, Sonja, had broken the covenant and had taken a lycan as her mate." Every vampire knew this law, and the consequences should you break it. But to believe that Victors daughter had done so. "Impossible, there's no way that that is true" Thomas screeched.
"But it is" I pick up "I saw it happened as if I was there." "How could you know this, um, sire." He demanded but pulled back when he saw the look on my face. "I gained them form the blood memories of the one who bite me, the lycan who was Sonja's lover, Lucian." Thomas's face went slack at the name and the lycans in the room went wide eyed. They were stunned into utter silence, but not for long.
"Wait wait wait hold the fucking phone. You're telling me that Lucian was banging Victor's daughter behind his back. Damn, my respect for the guy just went way up" Clarisse declared, much to the agreement of the other lycans present.
"Well that's one way to put it, but that's basically it. Now here's the real kicker. Sonja got pregnant, and do you know what you get when you cross a vampire and a lycan."
"A hybrid, she would have given birth to a Hybrid, the very first one to exit." Eve answered, realizing that she was not the first Hybrid to have been conceived, but to have been born.
"That's right dear. And of course Victor found out and saw nothing but disgust in her. But the truth is he feared it, a union of the bloodlines would undoubtedly be too strong for him to control. And he feared that the child would one day usurp his power from him. So rather than risk that he had them both captured and chain. Then he had Lucian tortured in front of her for hours. And at daybreak, he, open the ceiling to the room, flooding it with sunlight, incinerating her and the unborn child right in front of Lucian, simply because he was afraid of it. That ladies and gentlemen is what really started the war. That was the last straw." The room went silent, no vampire daring to make a mocking comment, not after hearing that.
"So that's how this got started huh." Clarisse said seriously "But I still don't get how you're involved yet."
"Yeah, what she said" Blaire chimed in. Why couldn't she just listen like the rest of the family? "You see Lucian broke out that night and started the revolt against the vampires. He's the one who created lycans capable of controlling their shift. But the lycans were losing, so he conspired with a power greedy vampire named Kraven (really, Victor left a guy with a name like that in charge. That's just begging to get stabbed in the back) to fake his death and disappear. Then he hit upon an idea."
"Yeah I know, I was there remember" Clarisse interjected. "He was hunting down the human descendants of Alexander Corvinus and he found you. He was gonna use the pure Corvinus strain in your blood to make himself a Hybrid and gain enough power to kill Victor. But that plan kinda went south." Then she looked at Selene. "I get that you wanted to protect your man and all that but I'm sensing more to this story." but Selene didn't answer, she couldn't answer. So I did for her.
"Do you remember when I said that Victor killed the family that built William's prison?" I watched the gears turning over in head as they clicked into place. Eve decided to clarify the matter for every seeing as she'd already seen it through her mother. "The one Victor spared that night was my mother." She then turned to her mother. "But why, why would he go to such lengths just to hide William. Why not just kill him instead." Selene took a moment to compose herself then answered. "Because he was given a warning, should William or Marcus perish then all those in their bloodline would follow them to the grave. For that sole reason, Victor never tried to have Marcus assassinated for fear of his own life. Nor did he kill William because that would have meant the end of his slaves. Of course we now know that it was false seeing as both Marcus and William are now dead."
Thomas looked like someone had just punched him in the gut. Everything he believed and respected about the great elder was now exposed as lies. But David looked confused. "If your true reason for you killing Victor was betrayal then who killed Amelia?" Selene just sighed. "That was Kraven and his men. I was reporting my findings on Lucian's motives to Victor at the time of her death. He was in leagued with Lucian, who needed the blood of a powerful elder. Their plan was to have the lycans ambush Amelia's convoy and kill the council members. And he was to murder both Marcus and Victor while they were still in hibernation. That is until I threw a monkey-wrench into that plan by awakening Victor ahead of schedule." She explained to David. "Heh, so Victor turns you into a vampire after slaughtering your family and you serve him blindly for over six hundred years thinking that we did it. Then turn around and commit the same crime his daughter did. That's really fucked up lady." The youngest lycan that goes by the name Reejus said, speaking for the first time.
"Yes, it is" was Selene's simple reply. "But you did kill Marcus did you not, what was your reason in doing that pray tell." Thomas was still trying to secretly slander the vampiress, which of course did not escape her notice, or mine. However Selene's face gained a smug little smile, ready to enjoy deflating his ego and who I was to stop her. "Because I was asked to" Was her response. Thomas's face turned sour, "And who was it that asked you to do this."
"Alexander Corvinus himself" she said that loudly so everyone heard her clearly. If this were a cartoon then everyone's jaw would have just hit the floor. Thomas looked like someone just put a waxed strip on his cheat and tore it off. "Ridiculous" he shouted "why would the founding father ask you to kill his son, no, just claiming to have met him is blasphemy in and of itself."
"I was there" I countered. "We were on the run after killing Victor when Marcus caught up to us. He had become a vampire dominant hybrid after drinking the blood of a lycan Victor had killed. But he wasn't hunting us for killing Victor; in fact he was glad that Victor was dead. He never forgave him for hiding the location of his brother's prison from him."
"Wait if he wasn't hunting you to avenge the death of an elder. The why was he?" David asked. "I would also like to hear more about my Ancestor" Eve threw in.
"I'm getting to that, patience. So, he was hunting us for two reasons. One, he wanted the necklace I was wearing."
"Really, the guy wanted to steal your bling." Blaire said sarcastically. I just rolled my eyes at her. "Yes he wanted my bling. You see I had actually taken it off Victor when we killed him, who had taken it off Lucian, who had taken it off Sonja the day she died."
"What the fuck. It sounds like anyone who wears that thing ends up dead. Was it curse or something?" she asked a bit skeptically. "I guess you could say that. After we evaded Marcus Selene and I hid in a old garage until sundown." I heard Eve gasp loudly this time and turned to her. Her eyes blown wide and she was blushing furiously. OK that's weird, I then turned to Selene but she too was reacting in nearly the same way, turning away from me and flushing slightly. What the hell is up with, wait, oh no, don't tell me Eve just saw the memories of when we were in that container. No, not that, anything but that. I desperately thought to myself but their reactions proved my fears correct. Note to self, work on controlling this link ability immediately.
"Um, you gonna finish the story or should we make up our own endings." Blaire said snapping me out of my reverie. "Um yeah, so Selene recognized the pendent as something she'd seen before in her childhood. But at the time she couldn't remember why so we tracked down the old official records keeper Andreas Tanis. And that was when we learned why Selene's family was killed but she left alive. We also learned that that pendent was actually one of the two keys to unlocking William's prison." The lycans were practically giddy at William's name.
"Holy shit, I've always seen that thing draped around Lucian's neck, he never took it off. Wait he didn't know what it was did he? Clarisse boomed. I shook my head "he probably didn't or he would have looked for William himself I believe. Anyway Tanis knew nothing more and rather than having Selene kill him he directed us to a man named Larenz Marcarow who actually turned out to be Alexander himself. Apparently he and his human followers have been keeping the war and bloody history of his family contain and hidden from the rest of humanity. I'll admit it was a bit of a shook meeting my ancestor face to face like that."
"What was he like?" Eve asked excitedly, boring into my eyes to see if she could see him. "He was a noble and righteous man. That much I could tell from the little time I spent with him." "Then what happened" she inquired. My face grew serious but Selene was the one who answered. "Then Marcus found us. He attacked the ship and killed every human on board. Then he and Micheal fought and by the time I got there it was too late. Micheal had lost and I thought-" she struggled to compose herself and get the words out. "I thought he was dead. Marcus had destroyed his heart. Then he attacked me and gained the location of William's prison from my blood, I managed to get away though. Then I was escorted back to Alexander's chamber he had already been attacked and fatally wounded by Marcus, who had also stolen the two keys."
Wait, if Alexander was the first immortal then wouldn't it stand to reason that he could've killed Marcus or Williams and prevented all of that bloodshed." David voiced.
"Yes he could have, centuries ago. But let me ask this to you Thomas and to you Jonathan. Would you, if it meant saving thousands of people, kill your sons. They didn't even waste a second to deliberate, shouting "NEVER!" in unison. "Exactly. No matter how monstrous Marcuse or William became, they were still his sons, and he could never bring himself to kill them. That is why he gave me his blood, giving me the power to stop Marcus and making me the only vampire in existence that is immune to the sun." She turned her eyes white to show the power she had gained. "But I was too late to prevent him from freeing William. My team was turned to beast and I was nearly overrun. Until Micheal arrived, completely healed and saved me." She looked at me lovingly and Eve was smiling from ear to ear. "Together we defeated the mad lycans; I killed Marcus while Micheal literally tore William's head in two." Selene's face now took on a darker shade. "What we did not foresee was the aftermath of Marcus's actions."
"What do you mean" David raised. Selene breathed deeply before continuing. "The reason Marcus had wanted to free his brother was because he intended to create a brand new race in the image of what he had become. But to do so he was going to eradicate the first two species with William's help." Now everyone's faces also grew dark. "He intended to kill his own people. That's like a king leveling his own city to build a new one." My uncle Andre said. "That man must have had a serious god complex." My aunt Maria also made herself heard.
"If we had not stopped them then every vampire and lycans would have been hunted down and kill by them. However Marcus's final act of defiance against his father is what brought us to this state." She added.
"Yeah, in killing Alexander he killed the man who was keeping our world curtained off from the human world. Alexander's death is what led to our discovery by humans. And now both our species faces extinction by the humans, which is why I had you brought here." I directed that at the lycans. "I want to make you a proposition."
"I'm listening" Clarisse said narrowing her eyes. "I want you to join me. I plan on uniting our clans and fighting the humans, what do you say?" the lycans looked at me like I'd grown a second face out my neck.
"Um this place got toilet paper?" She asked
"No I don't think so, why"
"Because you just spouted a whole lotta crap, you want us to work for you. You're either stupid, insane or insanely stupid. Give me one good fucking reason why we should do that." She spat out.
"First off I want you to work with me not for me. Let's get this straight right now I am neither vampire nor lycan, I am both. And as such I will rule both equally. Secondly, I don't see you having better options. Here you'll be given food and safety. You will be train and armed for the war ahead. Out there you'll hide like rats until you're tracked down and killed. And thirdly once this is all over, if you're alive, you will be free to live how you chose. Not chain or hunted but giving a decent shot at life after centuries of hate and scorn. I know it won't be easy at first but I'm sure we can come to a compromise in a couple decades."
"Damn, that's actually a pretty good reason." She mused. "Wait boss you seriously be thinking 'bout accepting this guy's offer. I war with the humans; we'd be overrun by them in an instant." On e of the male lycans said. "Dude I never said we were goon launch it now. A war of this magnitude would take years to prepare for." "OK then but how you grantee us safety when we've already been attacked here?" the other one accused. "Simple, if any lycan or vampire is attacked while under my protection then the same will be meted out to their attackers as punishment. Meaning that if you are attacked then your attacker will be beaten to the same extent, and if you are killed, the all those responsible will share the same fate." I watched as she nodded then asked "whose gonna be training us exactly." I turned Selene and she stared at me cautiously. "Someone with more than six centuries of war experience, that is if she agrees, of course." She sighed before nodding "If you deem it best then I'll go along with it, for now." while she had agreed I could see the hidden message in her bright blue eyes, I'm going to kill you for this. "Well then we're in, so then how 'bout so food to get our strength back before we kicked the shit out of those assholes who attacked us huh." I nodded to her request determined to prove my words true. Then I turned to David, the only one I trusted here apart from Selene or Eve. "David, please take them and get them some blood. Then have the vampires who attacked them chained and beaten by the lycans to the same degree. Will that suffice for now?" I turned Clarisse, she and the other lycans were grinning from ear to ear.
"The once that's done I want you to go to every lycan den you know. Tell them everything I've said and extend my offer to them."
"Oh you got it, boss." I watch David escort them out. Then the vampires who had returned with Thomas came before me and kneeled. Pleading their servitude, that part was a little uncomfortable. As the remaining vampire began to file out of the chamber Eve turned to me; she had been quickly mulling the story over and now decided to speck. "Dad if all of that was true then what will you do about our human f-family. I mean they're involved in this now, right." Family was not a word she was used. She already thought that getting her mother then me back was a miracle in and of itself. But then extended family too, surly she must be thinking that this much luck couldn't belong to one person. "I don't know yet dear. In truth I have no Idea what to do." Luckily I didn't have to handle this alone; I had Selene by my side.
"Micheal do you know what I spent Six hundred years regretting?" she asked, I nodded. "That you couldn't protect your family that night." Now she nodded and I understood what she was trying to say perfectly. I truly would be lost without her by my side and I'm going to her support now more than ever. I rose to my feet and extended a hand to my queen and little princess.
"Then come on, let me introduce you to my family."
To Be Continued.
Author's note: So this chapter took me longer than expected to complete but I'm pretty satisfied with it. let me know what you guys think. And try to picture what I plan to do with the rest of the family.