Hi, apologies for the long wait. I was very busy with work this whole week. Ah...how I wish I could just stay at home and write stories all day long. But I can't because I have a mortgage and bills to pay and three mouths to feed (my three cats). So sorry to disappoint all of you and please do read my story. I will try my best to update. :)
Chapter Twenty One.
What happened the night of the Lycanthrope attack was now but a distant memory to me. After all it had been more than a thousand years ago. Klaus was away when it happened. He had to go on a search mission with his three brothers. I lied saying that my sister was hiding with distant relatives in Poland and even though it was doubtful, Elijah would not leave a stone unturned and had decided to pursue the lead. I was locked up in my chamber but had received a smuggled message from one of the servants that the attack would begin at one in the wee hours of the morning. I knew I had to warn the servants. Despite Kael's promise that his men were able to distinguish between vampires and humans. I did not want to take the risk.
I told Agnes when she was drawing my bath to lock their quarters at night and if necessary leave the castle.
"Why would I leave the castle Milady? Lord Lucas will kill me," She asked me, her eyes widened in fear of reprisal.
"Listen to me Agnes. Tell the servants the ones you know who can be trusted to be prepared to leave. It is not safe here." I told her.
"We know that. We chose to stay and serve Lord Lucas and his children. They are vampires but they paid us well, far better than the other nobles and they've always protect us. Lord Elijah gave his word that no harm would come to us if we are loyal and not disobey them."
"But don't you want to be free Agnes?" I asked her, looking into her kind green eyes.
"This is our home," She sighed. "We have nowhere else to go."
"Agnes Please...I beg you. Lock your quarters. Do not leave your room and in case something happens, if there is a fire or an attack, get your things and leave. It is for your own safety." I said to her in an urgent manner.
"Milady...what are you going to do?" She asked me as she looked closely.
"Something I should have done long ago..." I said and looked out the window. The sun had already set.
The Lycanthropes were stealthy. I have to give them that. They had been trained to be quiet and invisible, changing into wolves and men within seconds, attacking silently in the night. I had thought that the attack would be noisy but I was surprised at how silent it was. They could be described as ninjas if the term existed then. I heard a thud outside my chamber and then the door opened. The black wolf stood outside, its eyes staring at mine. I smiled at him and walked towards him. I patted Kael's wolf head and saw the vampire guards dead on the ground, their torsos mangled and their hearts ripped out.
"They are at the other side of the castle..." I whispered in Kael's ear, telling him where he could find Lord Lucas and his daughters. I heard a soft growl and then he transformed into his human form pulling me in his arms.
"I've missed you..." He whispered huskily and nuzzled my hair. He sniffed and pulled away to look at me. "You've been intimate with him..." Kael said in an accusatory tone.
"He is my husband..." I said with a frown. "I don't have a choice."
He stared angrily. "Did he force you?"
"Just hold me okay..." I sighed and felt the warmth being in his arms would bring. Kael kissed the top of my head.
"You still love him don't you?" He asked softly. His voice strained, I could tell that he was upset.
"I don't want to hurt you..." I told him.
"I'll wait forever you know..." Kael murmured as he held me in his arms.
"Forever is a long time..." I said with a smile. "You deserve better. Find some girl who will make you happy." I pulled away and looked at him.
"I'm cursed Kael. There's darkness in me. I'm not good for you."
I really believed so. Maybe that was why Klaus and I fit together. He was the only who could truly love and accept me. We were the same. Klaus and I. Eternally flawed and cursed. Forever stuck in this dark abyss. One Klaus revelled and embraced while I was resigned to my fate, letting whatever darkness take control and imprison me. Letting Klaus take control. But at least we had each other. Maybe that was enough. Of course, I didn't realize then, that a thousand years together would only intensify any contempt and hatred I had for my husband. A thousand years of seeing him at his worst would change things. A thousand years of his infidelity would sour any sweetness in our marriage. But I was eighteen and Klaus had been my whole world or at least that was what I believed until I had my son. Ah…The folly of youth.
"Don't say that Eleanna..." Kael said and kissed my forehead. "We'll be good together."
"Run away with me." He said, eyes looking deep into mine. "When this is all over. You can be my wife, my mate. We'll have children of our own. I'll make you happy. I know I can."
I kept quiet hearing it. I tried to picture it in my head, how my life with Kael would be like. Maybe we'd live a simple life in a farm somewhere. Raising horses just like he wanted to. We'd have a large land with a stream running through it. And children. We'd probably have children with dark hair and blue eyes. Would they be werewolves like their father? Could we really be happy? Could I be happy? I shook my self away from the fantasy and back into my own reality. It just did not feel right. To live a life without Klaus and to be with someone else. Even if I could be happier or more content. Even if Kael would treat me better. It just wasn't the life for me. I did not belong to another, only to my husband.
We heard footsteps and Kael pulled me away. We stood against the wall, Kael covered my mouth as one of the castle's vampire guard patrolled the halls. The guard saw the mangled bodies of his fellow comrades that were lying outside my chamber. I heard him gasped and then he sped away to warn the others only to have another Lycanthrope stake him in the heart. Kael smiled and brought me out to the hallway. He then introduced me the Lycanthrope. Jozef , who was also Kael's cousin. I had never seen him before and I didn't know why but there was something about him I just didn't like. Jozef was tall, with dark blonde hair and jade green eyes. Hard eyes that kept looking at me with suspicion.
"We have to hurry," Jozef said, eyes darting around. "The vampires will know something is wrong."
Kael took my hand and we sprinted across the dark hallways. I led them to the northern wing of the castle, where Lord Lucas and his children occupied.
"There..." I pointed at the flight of stairs underneath the large arch. "This will lead you up to their rooms." I walked towards it but Kael held my arms stopping me.
"No Eleanna. Stay here...We'll go up there ourselves. My men and I." He looked at me.
"I can't leave you to go there by yourself," I told Kael.
"It is not safe for you." He whispered and looked around.
I turned and saw his men, Lycanthropes about two dozen of them. Some in wolf form and others in their human form, carrying wooden stakes and bows and arrows. All made from the wood of the white ash tree.
"We'll be alright." He smiled reassuringly.
Kael pulled me in his arms and kissed me on the lips. I just stood there immobile as he kissed me, what I believed he felt was a kiss of passion. It felt strange kissing a man not Klaus. I didn't feel anything. No passion or even lust. It was just a kiss and it didn't mean anything to me. Kael pulled away and I watched as he marched silently with his men following him, ready to kill Lord Lucas and maybe even his three daughters. I remembered smiling in the dark, pleased, even secretly revelling in the agony the lord and his daughters would be going through.
But I realized I needed to see it for myself and ran quietly up the stairs. I walked one of the many corridors leading to Lord Lucas' chamber. It was deserted. No one was in sight and I grew worried. Where were the Lycanthropes? Where was Kael?
"Kael..." I whispered as I turned around in the dark. I wondered if he and his men got lost and went the wrong direction. There were many corridors in the north wing. It could be possible.
"Kael.." I called him again. Still there was no answer.
I walked slowly forward and into Lord Lucas chamber. I had never been in his room before. Strange that there weren't any guards in front of his door. I tiptoed in and saw him lying in bed, his eyes closed. Lord Lucas was asleep. It would be so easy to just draw a stake and pierced it in his heart.
"What are you doing here Eleanna?"
I froze when I heard Lord Lucas' voice. He was talking to me. He knew I was in his room. His eyes were closed and then they opened. He lied on the bed, and turned his head, his eyes staring at me.
"I don't know..." I whispered. Lord Lucas gave a smirk and the next thing I knew he was in front of me. He gripped my wrist and pulled me in his arms.
"I think I know why you're here," He whispered harshly. I was surprised when his lips came down and claimed mine in what was the most revolting kiss ever.
"Get off of me." I screeched and struggled to push him away but he only tightened his grip on me. "God how I want you Eleanna...for myself." Lord Lucas said and kissed me again. I saw the look of lust in his eyes.
"Let me go." I told him firmly. He shook his head and pushed me against the desk. "I waited a long time for this..." Lord Lucas whispered. "You should have been mine. Not Klaus." I felt him nuzzled my neck.
"I'm your son's wife..." I said as I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes. I could not believe he would do this. To take his own son's wife.
"Not for long..." Lord Lucas said and I felt him bit me. My blood flowed and he suckled on it. It was disgusting. I wanted so much to push him away but I couldn't, he was too strong and when he was drinking my blood all I could think of was how much I hated him and how I wanted him dead. He stopped drinking and looked at me.
"I get it now..." Lord Lucas growled and stared at me. I saw the blood dripping from his lips and his eyes darkened with lust and desire."Why he was so obssessed with you. Why he couldn't let you go..."
I looked up and saw Kael creeping into the room and I knew what I had to do to distract Lord Lucas. I cringed at the thought but I had no choice. I pulled Lord Lucas' head down to mine and kissed him as lustfully as I could, despite the hatred and revolt I felt for him.
"You taste so sweet..." He murmured between kisses and I felt only disgust as his lips and tongue touched mine and his hands rove my body.
"We'll be together soon..." Lord Lucas said as he moved to hike my nightgown up my thighs. Oh Please hurry... I thought. I couldn't stand this much longer "Once Klaus is dead...I'll have you for myself. You'll be by my side."
I moved away and stared at Lord Lucas. "You would kill him?" I was shocked at the depravity. He would kill Klaus, his own son.
Lord Lucas gave an evil smile. "Klaus is not my son Elly...His life means nothing to me..." He moved down to kiss me and then the arrow hit. I felt him stilled and I looked up seeing his face frozen in shock. His features turned grey and ashen as he let out a painful gasp. I pushed him away and he fell down the floor, the white ash arrow had struck his heart. I stared at Kael, his bow at his side. We both looked down seeing Lord Lucas dead eyes staring back up.
"Are you alright?" Kael asked me. I nodded and rushed to his side. Kael pulled me in his arms and kissed the top of my head.
"Where were you?" I asked him softly.
"We got lost..." Kael whispered. "Too many corridors and dark corners..."
"The sisters?" I asked Kael. He looked at me and gave a sombre nod. "Jozef and a few others managed to stake them. But one of them put up a fight and a few of my men are badly wounded. We got her too in the end."
I let out a sigh of relief and looked at Lord Lucas' body that still lied on the ground. He was dead and so were the three sisters. We did it. We killed them.
"We have to get the body out of here..." I told him. Kael looked at the dead vampire king and lifted him up over his shoulders. "Make sure the wood doesn't get out."
Kael took a long rope and tied it to the bedpost before letting it fall out the window. I looked down and saw some of his men waiting below.
"Come with me..." Kael spoke and took my hand as he walked towards the window.
"I don't know..." I pondered and smiled at him. "You have your revenge now. He's dead."
"I thought I'd feel different," Kael said and shook his head. "Nothing changes though. He's dead and so is my entire family. It didn't bring them back and it didn't bring me any peace."
"Give it time Kael," I said and touched his cheek. "It will get better."
I looked at Lord Lucas, dead and draped over Kael's shoulder. I leaned and pushed the arrow deeper in his dead heart. His eyes were still open. He deserved it. He deserved the worst. If only his death could be slower and much more painful. I didn't feel any guilt at all for killing him. I felt relieved and pleased, maybe even more than pleased. Almost euphoric even. I had suceeded. The vampire king was dead and so were all his daughters.
"Go..." I told Kael and kissed his lips. He turned ready to leave.
"Wait..." I said and Kael turned, looking at me. "You have to wound me..."
"What?" Kael stared at me in shock. It wasn't part of the plan. It only came up to me so suddenly and it made sense. I had to be wounded or Klaus and his brothers would be suspicious.
"You have to make it believable. I tried to stop the werewolf attack but I was wounded. Here.." I pulled my nightgown from one shoulder, baring my skin to him.
"I can't hurt you." Kael shook his head.
"How am I going to explain all this to Klaus?" I asked him. "That I get out of it unscathed?"
Kael didn't seem so sure. "My claws are sharp Eleanna."
"Just do it..." I said with a frown. "And my face too..." I said and tilted my cheek.
"This is crazy." Kael sighed. He put Lord Lucas' body down. "Is this really necessary?" He asked me. He was hesitating. I knew I had to do something.
"Do it my Love..." I whispered and kissed his lips again. "Please..." Kael moaned and held out his hand. I turned and looked as his nails grew into sharp claws and he slashed my shoulder. I gasped from the pain.
Kael groaned seeing the wound he just made. "Eleanna..." He called me and cradled me close. "I'm so sorry."
I smiled weakly at him. "My face Kael...you have to wound it too..."
"I don't want to." He told, eyes looking sadly into mine.
"You have to." I told him firmly and took his hand placing it on my cheek. "Do it!"
And he did. His claws ripped through my skin, blood dripping. "I love you Eleanna," Kael whispered. I smiled hearing it. I watched seeing him carrying Lord Lucas body with him and climbing out the window. He held the rope and I dragged myself over the window to see Kael climb swiftly down. He looked up at me and I waved weakly. I was bleeding badly when I staggered out of Lord Lucas' chamber back to my own before falling unconscious in the dark corridor.
.