Chapter Fourteen – The Knocking

"Ephraim. Ephraim."

No matter how many times she repeated my name, it didn't make things easier. What did I know anything about being a leader? I could barely figure out my life. Sulpicia finally got down on her knees to be eye level with me. Her cold hands rested on my knees. Her vampires all surrounded me, waiting for my response.

"Ephraim, like it or not, you are by default the ruler with your mother missing. Ask of us what needs to be done, and we shall follow your lead."

I shook my head relentlessly. "Take me to them. I'll give myself up to them, but only me. Ashling stays."

In a swift move, Ashling placed herself in front of me. "You're not going alone, Ephraim. That's suicide. I'm coming with you."

I placed both my hands on her arms, "No. You're not."

"Do you honestly think they are going to hand your family over if you're the only one there? They want us both. How do you expect to save them? You'll end up losing this."

I didn't know what overcame me, but my temperature was rising with her defying me. "What don't you understand, Ashling! I can handle losing this, I can handle losing the people close to me, but I can't handle losing you."

She stood frozen for a moment. Her eyes didn't leave mine. She needed to realize that whatever risk I was going to take, she couldn't be the risk. No matter the cost.

She grabbed my hand with that ever soft icy touch; she knew exactly how to cool my temper.

"You'll never lose me, Ephraim. You'll also need to learn to trust me."

She still held onto me and walked me over to the table. She stepped out of the room and returned with paper and her black art pencil. Soon she started sketching onto the paper. It didn't take me long to recognize the wolf creature she was sketching; however, she began to draw a silhouette of figures behind the wolf.

"What is this?" I didn't understand what her drawing meant.

"Ever since the imprint, my visions have slightly changed. I still have my own visions, but there are other visions that I didn't understand. Then I realized they're your visions. There are moments when I get a glimpse of what it is you will see or have seen."

"Have seen? You're speaking of past tense as well?"

She seemed hesitant to explain and a bit embarrassed, but I understood completely. She saw things that I probably wouldn't have wanted her to ever see.

"Regardless of what it is, I have seen this battle with the other vampires through your eyes. And I'm sorry, but I'm in it also. The silhouettes in the drawing, it's your family. They're going to be fine, Ephraim."

As much as I wanted her to stay behind and be safe, I trusted her.

I looked around the crowd filled room of vampires. Never had I imagined that I would have to order the cold ones. "Felix, since you're familiar with the territory, I'll need you and a handful of vampires. We'll head out tonight after sunset."

I needed solitude at the moment and found a quiet dining hall to evaluate this evening's situation. The room echoed each of my footsteps due to its massive capacity. It had to have been four stories high, and there was definite ample room for what I needed. I undressed myself and with no hesitation, I shifted into my wolf form.

I concentrated on my speed and agility. Precision was going to be of utmost importance, and I made sure to move without causing any disturbance around the antique furniture in the hall room. Then the scent I had been accustomed to and love was behind me. Ashling stood there staring at me. Her gaze never left mine. I could sense a little fear in her. It wasn't my intention. I took several steps closer to her, and then I rested myself in front of her. She brought her hand forward, and then rubbed her cold hand through my thick coat of hair.

"You're such a majestic creature, Ephraim."

I rose up, snatched my clothes on the floor, and made my way behind the corridors. I shifted back into human form and found her waiting for me.

"I'm sorry. It's hard to talk to you when I'm in wolf form."

Her smile had its way with me, and I had to control myself in front of her. I didn't want my emotions for her to disrupt what lied ahead for all of us. I was still uneasy about her decision to go with me, but she was right. I needed to trust her.

I took her hands into mine, and then wrapped my arms around her waist. Her hands rested on my chest as she placed one hand directly over my heart.

"Your heart is beating faster and your temperature is extremely warm, Ephraim." Her voice was calm. "Are you upset?"

"No, why would I be?" I was surprised by her remark. "I think it's you being this close to me."

"I thought wolves' temperature rose when they were upset." She was reluctant to look at me. I tilted her chin up so I could see her eyes.

"I assure you, I'm not upset. At least, now that you're here, I'm not." We both didn't lose each other's gaze. "Your eyes are gold now."

"It's the diet. No more human blood in my system."

"They're stunning. Ashling, I want you to know that you're beautiful." If she could blush, she would at this moment because she turned her face away from mine. I pulled her closer to me and placed my lips on hers. Each kiss with Ashling became more intense. My feelings grew stronger for her, and I knew I couldn't detach myself from her anymore. She was mine now.

"Ashling." Sulpicia's voice startled us both. Neither one of us heard her walking into the dining hall. Sulpicia knew she had caught us at an awkward moment. I didn't even have the guts to look at her. "Ephraim." She finally acknowledged me and I nodded my head back at her. "They're ready for us."

I was confused. "Us? Sulpicia, I can't have you going also."

"Ephraim, it's an honor to be defending by your side. I owe you everything, but your mother also has my allegiance."

We were on our way to the site when Sulpicia walked along side me. I turned to look for Ashling, but Felix had her taken to the back of the line.

"What's going on, Sulpicia?" This wasn't remotely close to our plan.

"Ephraim, you need to hear this. We only have a few minutes before Ashling will force herself back to the front. I need you to promise me that you will look after her."

"What are you talking about, Sulpicia? Follow along with the plan and we'll all be safe."

She took my hand and squeezed it with all her strength. "Listen to me. You must promise me."

"Yes, Sulpicia. I intend to."

She stopped and then grabbed my head and placed a kiss on my forehead. She moved so fast, that I wasn't able to see her next move. She left without saying anything. At least a hundred of her men had left with her. I turned around to look and Felix held Ashling. She tried to fight Felix, but his strength was too strong for her. Felix gave me a long stare and shook his head. He knew what my intent was, but he wasn't going to be able to hold both Ashling and me back. Without a second thought, I phased and chased Sulpicia and her vampires. I wasn't far enough yet because I could hear Ashling screaming my name, but the faster I ran, the fainter her scream became.

As I reached closer to our destination, I could see acres of flames gracing the horizon. I was trying to convince myself that I wasn't too late, but I saw shadows coming towards me. The scent was all too familiar.

"Ephraim. You're alive."

"Mom!" I held onto her as if to never let her go. I felt someone else hold me and it was my Dad. "Dad! Sara!" We grasped onto each other, but I had so many questions. "Where's Sulpicia?"

Another vampire answered, "Please, Ephraim. We don't have much time. We have to leave now."

"I'm not leaving without Sulpicia."

My mom placed her hands on my arms, "Ephraim. I'm sorry, but she didn't make it. I'll tell you all about it later, but he's right. We have to leave now."

We all made it back to Sulpicia's home. I barged thru the doors and Ashling came running towards me. She held onto me and I felt a sense of relief knowing she was here. "I'm so sorry, Ashling. I tried to save her."

"I know. It's not your fault."

Felix came behind us and had our luggage. "What's going on, Felix?"

"You and Ashling are to go into hiding until this matter is handled." His stern look meant he was serious. Everything was happening so fast that I didn't even know what to digest in first. My Mom and Dad walked towards us and started to explain.

"We'll talk more on the plane ride, but for now, we must leave."

As soon as we took off, my parents along with Felix explained what happened at the hostage ground. Sulpicia had sent a group of her vampires before she arrived. They had rescued my family and taken them to safety and then Sulpicia went inside to talk to the leader of the coven.

"Who was it?" I was curious why my ransom was so important to them and why my family.

"It was Ivan. He's from Russia and has a coven of nothing but rebellious vampires." Felix gave me a history of Ivan and his ruthless behaviors. However, ever since my mom's leadership, Ivan had subsided his ways since Aros was no longer a threat to him. Ivan kept his privacy and never bothered anyone until now.

"So why all of a sudden has his interest peaked for us?" I'm sure this Ivan had more intentions.

Ashling grabbed my hand, "It's Luca."

"What about Luca?" Luca's name had my blood boiling.

"Luca is Ivan's son. Adopted son."

"So all this because Luca wanted you?"

She shook her head. Evidently, there was more to the story. Felix stepped in to clarify the rest of the explanation. "Ivan and Aros were both in love with Sulpicia. It never settled well with Ivan when Sulpicia chose Aros over Ivan, and then matters worsened when Sulpicia was turned. As much as Ivan's a monster, he detests the thought of turning humans into vampires. He blamed Aros for damning Sulpicia for the rest of her life. He tried to court Sulpicia after Aros' death, but she denied him countlessly. Then by chance, when Ashling was of age, Luca started to court Ashling. Ivan wanted a union between the two, but Sulpicia never allowed it. She never told Ivan the truth about the imprinting. Of course, Ivan has his own resources and was able to uncover the truth. That is how he was able to link your mother, our queen, to you."

"Then why are we going into hiding. He was killed in the fire by Sulpicia, right?"

My mom took in a deep breath. She was having a hard time accepting Sulpicia's death. "Ivan wasn't there, Ephraim. Sulpicia assumed he was. She meant to trap him into the fire in hopes to end this feud, but it was too late to help her."

"What about Luca?"

"Luca wasn't so fortunate. Sulpicia got to him before he could escape. That's why we know Ivan is going to come find Ashling, and you need to protect her. It's an eye for an eye at this moment with Ivan. Not only is he going to be upset with the death of Sulpicia but also the death of his son."

"I can fight, Mom. I can't sit back and watch my entire family fight my battles."

"This isn't your fight, Ephraim. This is my duty as queen, and at this moment, your sole responsibility is to protect Ashling."

The memory of Sulpicia's last words to me was to look after Ashling, and I intended to keep that vow. The question now was where were we going? "Mom, where are you taking us?"

"To see an old friend." She smiled at me and I noticed my Dad rolled his eyes. There were times when my Dad defied my Mom, but in the end, he had so much respect for her. Because not only was she the queen and his wife, but my Mom was intelligent in her plans.

The flight took almost half the day and then we had to travel by road the remainder of the time. Even though it was summer, the air here was refreshing and cool. We took what looked like a hidden trail once we reached a lake. We reached a massive castle that looked dated. The double door gates opened and when I saw the figure walked between the doors, I almost fainted. It was my Mom or looked like her.

"Queen Renesmee!" She sounded like my Mom, but her voice had an accent.

"Please call me Renesmee, Queen Angara, and it is so good to see you again."

"And you must call me, Angara, and the pleasure is all mine." The woman turned to look at me. She was stunning just like my Mom, but there was a definite difference. "Is this your son?"

"This is Ephraim and the young lady beside him is Ashling. Ephraim and Ashling, this is Queen Angara. She is the direct bloodline of the children of the moon. She is going to train you, Ephraim. Besides, vampires don't ever dare to enter this part of the country as the bites from these werewolves are lethal to vampires. "

I was confused. I didn't know what I was being trained for.

"Ephraim, there is much that you still need to learn and control with your strength and power. Queen Angara will refine your skills. Besides, she looks just like me so you'll still feel at home." My Mom knew how to ease me. I felt like my whole life was on a whirlwind. She hugged me and held on so tight.

"Mom, you're going to kill me before they are." She pinched my arms which made me release a laugh. "I love you, Mom."

My Dad came over and gave me a pep talk about courage, family and love. "Ephraim."

"Dad, you don't need to say it, but thank you for everything. I thought this foolishness of imprinting was your way of trying to connect me to my roots, but I realized it's more. Love you."

With those last words, I watched my family leave me in the middle of a new strange land by Baikal Lake. I felt the cold fingers of Ashling holding on to my fingers. I grasped her hand and squeezed it. At least she was here.

Angara caught our attention, "Come, Ephraim and Ashling. Let me take you to meet my husband and son. They are actually in the middle of training."

She gave us a quick tour of the halls. The castle had little color to its décor. Everything seemed to come from the natural elements of their surroundings. There was something of this environment that made simplicity admirable. I actually didn't mind it at all. As we walked deeper into the castle, we could hear metals clashing and screams coming from men.

Ashling and I saw two men fighting with swords. The younger one was clearly being taken down by the older gentleman, but he wasn't giving up. The older soldier clashed against the shield that was being used by the younger man to defend himself. The young man was finally cornered, but then his strength prevailed and he used the shield to push the older gentleman. As the older man fell to the ground, the younger soldier turned to look at Ashling and me. His eyes locked with Ashling and he smiled at her; however, that moment gave the older gentleman the opportunity to stab him on the right shoulder.

Covering her mouth, Ashling let out a scream. "Oh my God!"

Angara placed her hand on Ashling's shoulder, "It is alright, dear. They do this all the time. He will be fine. Boys, please stop, our guests have arrived." They both dropped their weapons and walked towards us. "Ephraim and Ashling, let me introduce to you my husband, Steven, and our son, Nikolai."

Steven raised his eyebrow, "Ephraim? It's been such a long time since I last saw you. You've grown to be a fine young man. Are your parents here as well?"

"They had to leave. I'm sorry."

My hand shook Steven's hand, but my eyes were directed towards Nikolai. He held out his hand and grabbed Ashling's hand and placed a kiss on her hand.

"It is not every day that my mother brings a beautiful lady as you into our house. It is with great pleasure to welcome you into our home."

Ashling released a smile. Why was she smiling? With no logic, I pushed my hand towards Nikolai for a shake, "Thank you, Nikolia."

I don't know if it was his smirk, ash blonde hair or blue ocean eyes, but he didn't impress me much. He was taken back by my tenacity, but still shook my hand.

"Ephraim, welcome."

I turned to look at Angara. "Queen Angara, if you don't mind, we'd like to rest since it's been a long day of travelling."

"But of course, but please call me, Angara."

We excused ourselves and then followed Angara. We went up the stairs and she took us down to the end of the hall. "Ephraim, your room will be directly across from Angara. I hope the accommodations here will suffice. Please feel free to request anything from my men and they will happily oblige."

She left us alone in the hallway, and Ashling went inside her room. I walked behind her and into her room. I closed the door behind me, and I couldn't wait any longer. I grabbed her face with my hands and met her lips. Her hands went around my neck and she welcomed my kisses.

I closed my eyes and placed my forehead against hers. "I've missed you."

"I'm not going anywhere." She was calm and her voice soothed me. "What is this really about though, Ephraim?"

She had such a keen sense, and it was hard to keep things straight with her. "There's just so much going on in such a short time span. I don't want to lose focus on you."

"Don't focus on me. Remember, we're here to focus on your training. I'll be alright."

The knocking on the door caught our attention. She answered, "Yes."

"Ashling?"

Why the hell was Nikolai standing outside her door?

A/N: Sorry for the long hiatus. Life threw me a curveball so I had to put writing on hold. I do miss it so much, so I'm looking forward to diving back into this story. Please enjoy!

Also, sorry for the typos. It's late and I wanted this out for you all.

-kl