A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

The final, final, final instalment of this saga will be called 'Survival'.

I swear I'm trying my best not to end on cliffhangers but failing completely. It's a character flaw I can't shake. I'm trying, I really am…

HyaHya: I have it all mapped out… trust me.

Chapter 25: Loyalty and Options

Ingrid looked up at Vlad nervously, she really wasn't sure how Vlad would take this. She wanted him to think positive but she wasn't sure if he would manage it.

Ingrid extended her arm, shakily at first before hesitating and drawing it back. Then she shook her head and extended her arm out to Vlad.

She held out her hand to Vlad, gesturing for him to put his hand underneath. Vlad did as she asked and dropped something into his hand. It was only something small, Erin's brow furrowed looking at it closely, then she met Vlad's confused gaze, finally looking back at Ingrid. Both of them waiting for an explanation.

Ingrid looked down at her lap again, she didn't want to see their gazes. She only hoped Bertrand wouldn't hold what she'd just done against her.

Vlad spoke first, seeing that Ingrid clearly wasn't going to. "What's this?"

"A bone." Her words were so quiet Erin had to strain to hear them.

"I can tell that Ingrid, who's bone?"

"Sethius'."

That definitely got their attention.

Vlad and Erin asked their next question at exactly the same time, to Ingrid it was eerie how they managed to do that. "What do you mean Sethius'?"

Vlad tried to stand, only remembering at the last second that Erin was perched on his lap, grabbing her as she slid forwards. She hit his knee as he gave her an apologetic look.

Ingrid began to shake slightly, she knew this would end up like this.

Erin cut in before Vlad could speak, "Sethius was destroyed, right in front of me." Erin had seen the bone drop to the floor as Vlad had shielded his eyes from the glare of the sunlight. Vlad nodded, he remembered the pile of dust clearly, there hadn't been a bone that he saw when they were scattering the dust to the wind.

Sometimes her brother wasn't the best observer in the world. "Everything but that bone."

"So you picked it up." Vlad summarised, if this bone had survived UV light then it held power, somewhere inside it.

Ingrid could lie and say she'd picked it up but when the truth came out – concerning Vlad the real truth always came out – it would only make things worse for them all.

"Bertrand picked it up." Bertrand had thought no one noticed what he'd done but Ingrid was observant, she'd seen exactly what he'd done.

"Bertrand?" Vlad had said at the time he'd slay him if he double-crossed him again, bile rose in his throat as the fear Bertrand had been biding his time swelled throughout his body.

"Bertrand didn't expect you to spare his unlife, he expected to have to fight his way out of there." Ingrid told Vlad quietly, "He picked it up in case he had to defend himself. He's never considered using it since. It's just been collecting dust…"

"Are you saying that he *was* going to use this against me?"

"Until you spared his unlife." Ingrid admitted quietly, she'd felt the same way that Vlad had at the time but what had helped her was the fact that Bertrand had had the courage to share his thoughts with her. "He'd never consider it now. His allegiance is with you."

"Are you sure?" Vlad asked her quietly. The bone did look like it had been gathering dust. Bertrand had helped them when they needed it the most, he'd never done anything against Vlad since the incident. Vlad had long since recognised when Bertrand was up to something, his tone always became slightly too innocent.

"He loves me Vlad, that's proof enough." Bertrand would never hurt Vlad because it would hurt her.

Erin looked at Vlad, she was prepared to give Bertrand the benefit of the doubt, he'd helped save her from an unhappy marriage.

Vlad screwed his eyes closed repeating the words 'open mind' in his head over and over again. He was really trying to concentrate on doing as Ingrid asked.

Vlad nodded slowly, "Why have you given this to me?" He wanted to think this over before deciding what to do. He wanted to know why after three years it had been given to him.

"I don't know if Olga is after it." Ingrid shrugged, "If it's the reason she took him then its safer with you."

Vlad could understand that, there was no telling of the power the bone held. Sethius had been stronger than him because he hadn't completed his training back then. Ingrid was right Vlad was in a better position to protect it than anyone else was.

Erin moved off Vlad's lap, standing so her husband could follow her. She was proud of the restraint Vlad had shown but she had a feeling he was bottling it up and dealing with one problem at a time.

Vlad pushed himself up, reaching for Erin's hand and lacing their fingers together.

"What are you going to do to him?" Ingrid was afraid now, Vlad had been calmer than she'd expected and it worried her.

"Like you said he's loyal to us. That's what counts." He told her seriously, years ago he would have demanded his head on a plate but his transgression was tiny compared to what the Council had done. Bertrand hadn't actually committed treason but he was hurt to know that Bertrand had a powerful weapon to use against him all along. Ingrid gave him a grateful smile, he hadn't said he wanted him slain. Vlad's eyes narrowed slightly, "No one else is to know we have this. This conversation never leaves this room."

If too many people knew then there would be more damage, perhaps more treason.

"It stays in here." Ingrid promised faithfully.

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Vlad twirled the bone around in his fingers again and again. Erin gave up watching him, she snatched it from him and stuffed it into her pocket. He gave her a put out look but she answered with a defiant one of her own. It was safe in her pocket for the time being where Vlad couldn't dwell on it.

Vlad knew what she was doing and nodded, he lifted an arm for her to slip under and into his embrace, she laid her head on his chest, gently stroking his fingers. Vlad closed his eyes feeling the last few weeks catching up with him.

"I've got a question." Jonno asked softly, entering the room and making the couple jump. Vlad's eyes snapped open, sharply fixing on Jonno.

"What?" Vlad was tired and he wanted some sleep so he could process exactly what Ingrid had told him.

Jonno shuffled uncomfortably, "How many supporters have you got?"

"I don't know…" He began to say before it dawned on him exactly what Jonno was trying to say. Vlad sat up stiffly, "I'm not going down that line." He drew out slowly.

"It might be the only option. Vlad, you've ruled over them for three years. Your kind has grown and advanced because of that. Olga's tearing it down every second she'd in control. Why can't you see that?" Jonno couldn't believe that Vlad wasn't going to take action.

Vlad shook his head frantically, war was an easy thing to say but not easy to deal with. "I will not start a war between my kind over a stupid throne."

"But…" Jonno began; he needed Vlad to hear him out.

Jonno managed not to jump as he watched Vlad's fangs slide down. It was strange watching a vampire's fangs lower especially when they did it in slow motion. "No Jonno."

"It might be the only way." He rushed out before Vlad could stop him.

"Its not worth innocent lives." He wasn't going to make a decision that would ultimately cost lives. It was inevitable that people would be killed fighting for this.

Jonno grew angry now, Vlad wasn't letting him put his side of the argument across. "So you're going to be a coward and watch as she takes your throne and destroys your kind. Kills your family, your wife?"

Vlad's jaw clenched. Mentioning Erin had been a mistake. "I'm not a coward." Jonno knew he'd told a lie calling Vlad a coward but usually things got done when Vlad was riled. "I can protect my family. A Vampire War is not the answer."

Jonno could see he wasn't going to get through to Vlad so he decided to try and undermine him. "Erin…"

Vlad was the one who answered before Erin could. "No you don't!" He pointed to Erin, "Erin is my wife not my equal!" He watched as pain flashed through her eyes. Erin's eyes turned black.

A pin could have been heard to drop as the gravity of Vlad's angry words sank in. Once they had fully been absorbed everyone's expressions changed to disbelieving and disappointed.

Ingrid couldn't believe her brother's words. "VLAD!" She shook her head in complete confusion; Vlad had never slipped like this before and in front of everyone as well.

"I didn't mean it like that!" He immediately protested – very weakly. Erin waved her hand cutting him off. She didn't want to hear excuses. Vlad's words had cut her deep.

"I know exactly what you meant!" Her tone knew the truth, and regardless of whether he'd meant it that way he'd spoken exactly how he felt in that moment. He'd spoken as a chauvinistic vampire. She looked at the others, "If you want me I'll be in the kitchen where a woman should be." Venom dripped from each word.

The look she gave Vlad could have turned him to stone before speeding from the room.

"Are you happy?" Ingrid asked him shaking her head, "You've just gone against your own mating vows."

"I didn't mean it the way she took it!" He protested.

"We all took it the same way." Mina snapped at him, she'd never thought Vlad was capable of such a comment.

Vlad ran a hand through his hair, he hadn't meant it that way. He'd meant… He let out an angry roar before vanishing from the room to sort this out.

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Vlad gently placed his hands on her shoulders, Erin yanked her whole body away from him. She didn't want him to touch her, his words had wounded her more than any of Ryan's ever could.

Vlad settled on a conversation outside their argument. "What are you doing?"

"Cooking, what does it look like?" She snapped angrily, beating the mixture with more force she managed to crack the sides of the bowl with the strength she was whisking it.

It was clear that she didn't want to talk to him.

"I meant that it was up to me and not you." That wasn't much better. Erin slammed the bowl down, the bottom cracked leaking cake mixture all over the surface, Vlad closed his eyes, wincing at the sound. "You're the one you ran off without listening to me explain." He answered, Erin was tempted to give him a shovel to help him dig his hole.

Erin poked him in the chest sharply making him stumble backwards. "I'm your wife! I'm not someone you can order about. Yes you bit me but it doesn't mean you can get away with ordering me about!"

Vlad immediately protested. "I wasn't ordering you about."

"No you told the world that I wasn't your equal." She spat out the word angrily. "I agreed to mate with you because I loved you. You listened to me, took my advice, treated me like an equal. You've asked me to be your equal for three years. Was that all a lie?" She wanted to know.

"No." He protested, "You *are* my equal." He couldn't believe he'd made Erin doubt how he felt about her.

Erin let out a scoff, folding her arms over her chest. "That's not what you just said." Vlad noticed for the first time the tear tracks on her face. He went to brush them away but she arched away from his touch.

She turned away but Vlad grabbed her arm and tugged her back around to face him. He gripped her tightly so his wife couldn't escape. They were going to finish this conversation properly; she was going to hear what he had to say.

"Let me go Vlad." She ordered. He wasn't holding her so it hurt he was holding her so she couldn't escape.

"No."

"Now Vlad." Her tone was more irritated and she tried to yank herself away from him but only succeeded in moving less than a millimetre.

Vlad wasn't having any of it. He pulled her even closer to him, making sure she couldn't look at him anywhere but in the eyes. "Not until you listen to me!"

"Talk then." She demanded, she went to fold her arms but forgot she couldn't.

"You're my equal in mating, my equal in everything but this." He told her angrily. "I can't accept your advice in this because you're not Queen. You're not my equal officially, Jonno was trying to undermine me by using you."

That wasn't going to work on her. "You're not Grand High Vampire."

"If I get the throne back through a civil war, questions will be asked. If you're not Queen then they'll say you control me and we'll be in the same situation. We can't make the decision together I have to make it on my own." He desperately wanted to make it with her but legally he couldn't. "That's why you're not my equal, if I involve you your unlife could be at risk."

"We've always made decisions together." Erin deflated slightly.

"Not something like this. This concerns whether vampires are killed."

Erin still couldn't understand why they couldn't do it together. "So just don't tell anyone we made the decision together." He gave her a sceptical look. "Vlad you've never let that bother you before."

"I'm scared okay?" He yelled at her making her jump. Erin looked at him, Vlad had nothing to be scared of.

"If I start a Vampire War we'll become the targets. I'm scared I'll slip up and not be able to protect you."

"Vlad you know I'll agree with whatever decision you make." Erin spoke quietly, "But its not one you should reject straight away." Vlad couldn't make a rash decision; he needed to see all sides of it.

Vlad's eyes widened. "Are you telling me to start the war?"

Erin shook her head. "I'm telling you to consider all your options before making a decision." She paused a small smile crossing her lips, "Does that wound more wife-like and not Queen-like?" If she couldn't help him make a decision as his official equal then she'd do it another way.

"If I get my title back within an hour you're being made Queen." He smirked at her.

"As long as it's before the deadline." She reminded him, Vlad nodded slowly he'd forgotten about that.

Vlad pulled her close and kissed her softly, conveying his apology for what he'd said to her. The kiss was filled with anger, Erin hadn't completely calmed down as their tongues battled against each other.

Vlad pulled back and hugged her to him tightly, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

"I'm sorry," He whispered into her neck.

Erin clutched his back tighter, "I know but if you ever say that again I'll..." She trailed off sending a very graphic telepathic image of exactly what she'd do to him. She felt Vlad shudder and considered him definitely warned. "Grand High Vampire or not."

"I won't." He promised.

"Good."

"Love you." He whispered.

"Love you too." She answered with a smile; his apology had well and truly been accepted with those words.

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.