Part 8: Ivan the Terrible V

It is sad that it is so easy to trick someone who trusts you. They feel they can count on you and trust you not to turn against them. They are stupid. It is the nature of the beast to want to always get ahead to be better than the others and use any means necessary to get what it wants. It is that blind faith in the person that allows the deceiver to go about their business. Sometimes people are too trusting.

Roxy sat in her high wingback chair glaring at the girl in front of her. She hated the sight of her, the smell of her and that damn insufferable laugh. She walked around her home as if she owned the damn place and always sent snide little smiles her way. She hated her with a fiery passion, but she refrained from killing the little wretch.

Ivan didn't know what was wrong. He sensed his mate was angry with him but over what he couldn't come up with anything. He knew that Coraline was not her favorite person but he thought the little French woman was such a sweet little thing that he thought his wife would get over it. Apparently he was wrong. He had been watching their interactions the past few hours and noticed with alarming clarity that his wife was contemplating leaving just to get away from the girl.

Then there was Alex, sweet loveable Alex. Ivan had met the young fledgling when his wife had turned him. He remembered how even with the blood lust he was a warm and caring soul; so his utter hatred and hostility towards Coraline shocked him. He knew that he had only been around Alex for a short time but he knew that this was not normal behavior.

Roxy stood her eyes floating away from Coraline to her husband. "I am going out." Her song like voice broke their tense silence. "I will not be back until tomorrow morning." She sighed as Alex moved with her not wanting to be away from his sire for too long.

"Where are you going?" Coraline asked her dark eyes narrowed at the blonde.

"That is her business little one." Ivan said his voice gruff startling the petite woman. "She is free to do as she wishes, no one commands my little Roksana." Ivan said as she glided away her fledgling hot on her heels.

"He is like a damn puppy dog." Coraline spat once Alex was out of hearing range. Her face pulled into a nasty contortion. "He always follows her around and is always looking to do something for her."

Ivan looked at the girl with a blank expression never revealing his true thoughts to her, "He is a fledgling. You remember what it was like to be one and to have one. The connection is strong for the first year and the need to have the other in constant sight is overwhelming at times especially when the sire is upset. I believe Alex is feeling Roksana's anger and is unconsciously staying close for either protection or comfort."

Coraline looked away bitter thoughts raging over her. "I don't remember my fledgling ever being clingy."

"Yes at times there are exceptions. Sometimes when a fledgling feels betrayed or feels they cannot trust their sire they tend to shy away. The emotions are still there and the need to be close but it is constantly at war with them it is a constant battle of emotions." Ivan said studying the girl before him carefully.

"But Mick loved me we were married that is more trust than…"

Ivan closed his eyes as he cut off the start of a tirade, "Being married to someone does not always mean you trust them." He whispered. His green eyes oddly pained.

"What are you saying you don't trust your wife?" Coraline asked eagerly awaiting his answer.

"Of course I trust her." Ivan said, "She is more to me than just a wife Corlaine and that is a distinction you have never made. I know your sire tried to impress this on you but apparently it never took."

"What else is there besides wife?"

"Roxy is not just a wife to me she is my mate. It is a much deeper level of commitment than just a spouse. Your relationship with St. John was that of a spouse, nothing more." Ivan said his green eyes guarded again. "Mick left you the first chance he had when you went too far. Roxy though." A ghost of a smile crossed his ashen face. "Even if I am a terrible monster and she abhors what I am doing, would never desert me."

Roswell

He couldn't bring himself to care, he knew that made him a bastard in the eyes of his family but he couldn't bring himself to care. Michael glared at the shaking form of his leader on his bed and wanted to push him off.

"Don't worry Max we will get her back." Isabel said rubbing his back. Kyle looked up and glanced Michael with a 'what the hell' look which Michael returned.

"I can't believe she left." Max whispered.

"I can." Maria muttered but shut up when Isabel leveled her with an icy glare that could freeze even the warmest blood.

"How could she leave me though?" Max asked.

"Maxwell you were the one that wanted her to move on and have a normal life." Michael grunted remembering all of the times he had ranted and raved to him about how Liz needed to get out of this life. "Remember this was your idea. You were the one that wanted Liz left in the dark. We were just following your orders as usual."

"Maria." Max whispered sitting up to look at the blonde. His face was a desperate puppy mask as he looked into her green eyes begging her silently for help, but when she did not respond he went on. "Please you can convince her she is your best friend please I need to talk to her I need to make her understand."

Maria started shaking slightly all of this hitting her hard. She wanted to call Liz but she couldn't it's not like Liz gave her a number. Liz was effectively dead, she was not coming back. "I can't." Maria whispered turning her faced into Michael's chest as sobs overtook her. Michael held her close glaring at Max over her head.

"She can't Max." Kyle huffed. Max looked at the sheriff's son in confusion; he had not heard him this annoyed since the summer after his healing. "Liz didn't exactly leave a calling card. Her parents are the only ones who know how to contact her and they are not budging on this. Maria and I aren't allowed to speak to her. Apparently Mr. P is afraid that we are going to upset her more." Kyle said letting out a bitter hiss of breath.

Max's pale face puckered slightly as the news hit him. He had really lost her; there was no way for him to make up for his stupid mistakes this time.

"I could try and dream walk her." Isabel suddenly suggested. Max instantly perked up at the idea but it was Michael who startled everyone.

"Hell no." He barked. "There is no way we are making this any worse for her. Max, she is hurt worse than you probably think. She needs to be left alone just like you wanted. Focus on finding your son Max and leave Liz alone. Please Max if you ever loved Liz you would just leave her alone." His voice was soft as it cracked. Isabel stared at her brother her eyes widening.

"Oh god." She whispered. "Liz isn't coming back."

Los Angeles

"Okay breathe." She instructed herself. "You have been here hundreds of times and you have yet to be scared." She whispered looking through the large glass walls. "Except before there was never a fledgling inside and Mick not here to protect me." Beth squeaked.

"Blondie." Josef's voice startled her out of her pep talk. She had not even seen him approaching let alone heard him until he was right in front of her. "Ready yet?" He asked trying not to smirk at her wide eyed expression.

"You heard that?" She asked looking sheepishly at him as a full blown grin spread over his face.

"Yup. Everyone did. Liz is practically rolling on the ground laughing. Poor Alex is offended he keeps mumbling 'I have more control than that' over and over again." Josef said. "Now come on before Liz busts her gut open; she has yet to stop laughing." Josef said leading a red faced Beth into his house.

"So why can't Mick be here?" Beth asked as she entered the house the large door closing with a whoosh. She tried to control her racing heartbeat knowing that it would be all the more alluring for Alex the new vampire.

"You'll see." Josef muttered pausing before he led Beth into his home office. "Beth I need you to promise me something." Josef said looking more serious than she had ever seen him before.

"Alright." She said her eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Beth I am serious here. You have to promise me that what you see and hear in there will not get back to Mick. No matter what Beth he can't find out about this meeting." Josef said his dark eyes stating darkly into hers. The hairs on the back of her pale neck stood on end as she stared into the deadly eyes of a predator.

"I promise, but what the hell could be so bad that he can't find out?" Beth asked immediately feeling guilty for promising to withhold information from her boyfriend, but she knew that if Josef was telling her not to it was in Mick's best interest; he always had Mick's best interest at heart.

"Okay, now there are some ground rules here." Josef said stealing a glance at the closed door where he knew the others were listening. "Stay by me and Roxy at all times Beth and I mean all times. If I say run you run, if I say stay down you stay." He said and all Beth could do was nod the feeling of dread growing into a sick ball in her stomach. He seemed to take that as a promise so he continued. "Stay to the fringes and if someone asks you a question answer and answer truthfully not how you think they want you to answer, it's important." Josef said.

"Okay." She whispered taking a deep breath.

"Good." Josef said flashing her a grin as he opened the door. The office was lavish as everything with him was, but that was not what shocked the small blonde reporter. No what shocked her was the large number of people occupying the small space.

She let out a small huff of surprise making Josef chuckle. "Everyone this is Beth Turner. Beth meet the Aesir." At least twenty blue cold eyes flicked to her all taking her in assessing her worth.

"Beth Turner." A deep timber voice rang out. Josef moved closer to her slightly and she noticed Roxy shifted in her seat as the man stepped forward. "We meet at last." The slight French accent rang through the air.

She looked at him confused eliciting a dark laugh from him and a few others. "Forgive me little one I forget that you know nothing of me." His fangs peaked out from behind plump lips as he grinned. "I am Laurent."