A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

I hope the last couple of chapters didn't disappoint.

This chapter was quite tricky to write.

Chapter 14: Wolfie

"We might have to involve mum." Vlad winced as he expected an explosion to follow. None came which made him more worried, the calm before the storm. "Mum knows their world…"

"She is a cold, heartless, double crossing…"

"Who hasn't had chance to get one up on anyone lately." Vlad cut in seriously,

"That woman isn't stepping foot in this school…again." The Count told him firmly. Vlad knew the risks involved but they didn't know anyone else who could help them.

"Mum won't help, she only cares about herself."

"Not if we offer her something."

"You dare give her any of your power…"

Vlad bit his lip, he knew better than that. "I can give her a title, make her feel important." It was a risk but his mother enjoyed being famous, that brought the word scandal to him mind, but it would be the only way to bribe her to help.

"You haven't given me a title!"

"You're already a 'Count', what else can I give you?" Vlad folded his arms waiting for his father to answer his question.

Ingrid responded automatically, unable to stop her quip. "A castle in Africa."

"I heard that." The Count growled at his daughter. Ingrid looked too innocent for her own good.

"You bring your mother here and you'll no longer be my son."

Ingrid tutted and tipped her head, "Things are looking up, I inherit the throne."

Vlad stepped closer to his father, "You're not helping Ingrid." He stared his father down, the Count actually cowered back, "You won't have the influence you have now." His top lip twitched angrily.

"That woman…"

"I loathe her as much as you." The words finally slipped out of Vlad's mouth, his heart had finally turned cold towards his mother after her last manipulation. He felt a twist inside his gut at how well she could manipulate his feelings and emotions. "But she is the only person who might be able to help us."

"You give her a title and I'll…"

"You'll what? Send me to my room?" Vlad's fierceness was finally slipping out; he knew he didn't have long left before he fully succumbed to his nature. Ingrid and Jonno looked surprised at Vlad's sudden stubbornness, Jonno realised in that moment how much of a leader Vlad had become. "I will do what I have to, to get Mina and Erin back."

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Lucas held out another goblet for her to drink from, the last cup hadn't contained anything harmful to her so she thought it was an acceptable risk. Her arms were beginning to grow numb from the angle they were pulled back at. Erin grimaced slightly as she tried to adjust her position, only succeeding in sliding down further.

Lucas slowly took the goblet from her lips, "You should eat." He whispered gently, he gestured around the table. There were numerous vampire delicacies – maggots, hound, rat in rosemary sauce – but nothing Erin could stomach. She shook her head, the sight made her feel sick.

"I'm fine." She told him, trying to pull herself upright again. Lucas laughed at her actions thinking she was trying to escape at first. Erin looked up, "I'm stuck." She informed him.

Lucas leaned over her and grabbed the back of her shirt, lifting her upright in a simple move. Erin gave him a nod of thanks as she felt the tension in her back release.

He expected her to make an attempt to kick him in a vain effort to escape but instead she thanked him for helping her.

"You are a strange half fang." He told her, Erin straightened slightly feeling her back crick back into place. Erin didn't respond to his comment she prided herself on being 'strange'.

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Patrick was brought before him; Erin assumed it was Patrick anyway. He had long brown hair that unlike his fellow wolves he hadn't tied back, his pure black designer clothes were a clear indication that he was a celebrity amongst their kind.

"This half fang claims that your nephew is really your son, by a vampire." Lucas snarled, Patrick glared at Erin. A fierceness in his eyes.

"What does a half fang know?" His voice was gruff, a hint of danger in his tone. "Making up lies to save her neck."

Lucas walked behind her, his hand trailing around her throat. Erin flinched as he brushed against her scar. "Do you know who this half fang is?" Lucas leaned over until his head hovered just above hers.

Patrick looked at Erin. She seemed vaguely familiar but that was it. He didn't care for the celebrities of the vampire world, that was more Magda's line.

"She's the bride of Vladimir Dracula."

Erin watched as the colour in his face drained as he looked her up and down. Erin felt a smirk coming to her lips as he seemed to commit her face to memory.

Patrick turned and threw open the window shutters, letting moonlight stream into the room. The female guard and Scott dashed forward to catch him, Scott trying to knock him out of the moonlight. They were all too late, by the time they'd reached him he'd already transformed into a large, brown wolf.

Lucas roared stepping away from Erin, she immediately relaxed no longer feeling his warm hand against her neck. Scott nudged the shutter closed with his long snout as the female guard grabbed Patrick by the scruff of his neck, forcing him up onto his hind legs.

Lucas grabbed a set of handcuffs, or Erin supposed they could be called paw cuffs. Four cuffs were linked together by diagonal chains. He struggled slightly as he fastened them to Patrick's paws, tugging on the chains to make sure he'd secured him tightly.

Patrick's actions confirmed Erin's accusation.

"That is all the proof I need." Lucas yelled, he turned to look at Erin who had a self-satisfied smile on her face.

What was he going to do now?

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Vlad played with the candle in front of him. Focussing on lighting it and extinguishing it, practicing using his mind without actual physical action. It was something to keep him occupied while he waited for Bertrand to agree that the wording of the letter they were going to send to his mother held no double-meanings or loopholes she could work to get what she wanted.

He hated the fact everything he now wrote would have to be scrutinised carefully to ensure no one could use his words against him.

"Master Vlad you have a visitor." Vlad looked up to see Renfield hovering by the door nervously, the slight disgust on his face told Vlad all he needed to know. Renfield only ever showed that look when one person was around.

Vlad pushed himself off the table he'd braced himself against. Bertrand shared a quick glance with him.

His guest entered the room, the slayers sharing a nervous glance while Vlad tried to settle his features on impassive.

"Patrick's gone."

He clicked his fingers and the paper Bertrand was holding flamed and disintegrated. He heard a gasp of pain and he realised that Bertrand hadn't notice his action until it was too late.

Maybe he wouldn't actually need that bribe after all.

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Lucas folded his arms across his chest, taking the female had been a tactical decision. Create trouble between the slayers and vampires; let one side wipe the other out. At least while they were fighting they would be too preoccupied to resume their original task, genocide against the wolves. Once the 'war' was over he'd give the female back to them knowing they would be too weak to do anything to retaliate.

However Lucas was beginning to doubt the words in the letter now. The letter claimed that Vlad wouldn't wipe out the slayers and form a truce because of his wife's slayer family but instead focus on the wolves because they meant nothing to him. They were an undesirable culture to be eliminated. However the writer clearly didn't know about the existence of Wolfie – which had been confirmed by Patrick's actions. The child would tie Vladimir as much to the werewolves and his wife tied him to the slayers.

The truth is he wouldn't have given the slayer/vampire truce much thought if he hadn't received that letter.

"What are you going to do with me now?" Erin asked, curious as his whole basis for taking her had now been blown out of the water.

He bared his teeth at her in an attempt to make her flinch back, she shook her head slightly Ingrid was fiercer.

Erin glanced at Patrick who appeared to be whimpering on the floor, either lamenting for his secret being out or thinking out loud. Patrick snarled and gnashed his teeth in her direction, Erin jumped slightly. Magda had left the Count for this? She supposed he was fierce in his wolf form, something Magda might admire.

"The longer you hold me…" She trailed off seeing the genuine confusion and panic on the werewolf leader's face.

"How does Vladimir treat this brother of his?"

"He loves him," Lucas began to pace the room. He was beginning to feel like a pawn in a game of chess. The only way he would know the truth for sure was to come clean to the Draculas.

"I want to see the child."

"What will you do to Wolfie?"

"He is a crossbreed, he doesn't belong to either side." He looked at her, "Think of him like a half fang in your kind." His hand went towards her neck but drew it back as Erin's eyes turned black. He wasn't willing to risk another power surge. "I just want proof your master has a tie to us, a reason not to attack us. For all I know the child is dead."

"Wolfie is alive, but Vlad will never bring you Wolfie." Vlad would never endanger Wolfie's life, regardless if it was to save her. "He can't trust that you won't hurt him."

"Then I can't accept your word as true." Erin knew he was getting desperate, trying to still claim she was lying. "If I see the child then I may not declare war." Erin snorted, he thought the choice was his.

Erin laughed, forcing her words out, "Vlad has a much better reason to declare war on you, and believe me you don't want to go to war with him." She paused for a second, "If Vlad brings him you will leave him alone and you acknowledge that letter as a rumour." Erin's voice was fierce, "You harm him and Vlad will kill you in an instant."

Lucas snorted, no vampire could kill a wolf easily. The Chosen One was no match against him, "A wolf is hard to kill."

"Vlad won't even have to touch you to do it." Erin warned. Lucas shivered slightly, her words weren't a threat they were a warning.

"You have my word your brother in law won't be hurt." Erin looked over him; unsure whether he was telling the truth. Something in her told her not to trust him, but he hadn't done anything to hurt her so far. It was as if he thought he had the upper hand holding her captive. He really didn't have a clue who he was dealing with, Vlad wasn't just another vampire, they didn't know the power he wielded.

"Ask him to bring Barry. He'll know what it means." Erin sighed, if this was the only way to prove Vlad wasn't trying to start a war against the wolves then so be it.

"If he doesn't bring him I'll know he's no longer alive and you won't be around to say otherwise."

He knew he was clutching at straws now, but he didn't know what else to do. He needed to protect himself if the 'truth' was ever found out. He cursed himself for putting faith into a 'rumour'. After all he may have just caused the extinction of the wolves that he'd been trying to prevent in the first place, he needed to use all the resources he had at the moment to allow them to survive and that meant hanging onto Erin.

Lucas removed the pendant from his pocket, handing it to the female guard. "Send this to Vladimir Dracula, tell him he'll receive further information about where his wife is after I see the child exists."

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.