CHAPTER 50: The Final Battle

In a bizarre combination of fury and admiration, Alex watched as the final battle between these two warriors raged on. Lucian was holding his own with the elder, but it was obvious Markus was not your average vampire. If he had been, this fight would have already been over. Instead, blood was pouring out of vicious wounds on both men. Razor sharp claws sliced through skin and muscle. Teeth tore out chunks of flesh. As strong as Lucian was, Markus wasn't slowing down.

"Sonuvabitch!" she swore under her breath, "He's a hybrid!"

She had no idea how it happened, but there was no other explanation. Markus was every bit as strong as Lucian; and he had nothing to loose. He had lost his family, his coven, and if she was right, his mind. Lucian on the other hand was fighting for his family, his wife. Nothing would stop them until one or both were dead!

Alex surveyed the damage Lucian had received. He had lost a lot of blood, but the same could be said for Markus. The two men were locked tightly together, neither one willing to give in to the other. Alex waited impatiently, looking for an opening to shoot a few rounds into Markus; but nothing was available. No one knew for sure what it would take to kill a hybrid. Theoretically, decapitation should work. If so, this fight would accomplish nothing. They would tear each other to pieces but there would be no true winner.

Daniel had given her two guns, both fully loaded. They wouldn't kill Markus but if pushed came to shove, she hoped they'd slow him down. She shoved one into the waistband of her pants at her back. She'd keep one on hand and the other as backup. With that, she went for the only weapon that stood a chance of killing Markus. Reaching overhead she grasped the handle of the katana sword lying snuggly between her shoulders. The knife wound in her ribs pulled tightly as she withdrew the sword from its shaft. She knew the bleeding would stop…eventually. Right now she needed to focus on getting this sword to Lucian, or taking Markus' head off herself.

Now it was just a matter of getting their attention. With her sword in her right hand she lifted the gun and shot three rounds into the air. Neither man responded. Oblivious to everything and everyone around them, they continued to shred each other apart. Shoving, punching, biting and tearing, their bodies were being beaten beyond recognition.

Suddenly, Markus had the advantage. Wings tore through his shirt and unfurled before her eyes. They were black and wickedly strong with razor sharp talons at each end. Skewering Lucian through the chest, Markus flew across the room, pining his enemy against the wall. Lucian struggled to free himself but his struggles only intensified the wound. Fresh blood gushed freely from the gash, which looked exceedingly close to Lucian's heart. Alex bit back a cry.

"So Lucian, it appears as if your pack, as well as your wife, has abandoned you," Markus taunted. "All that's left is your whore, and really what can she do at this point?" he asked arrogantly.

Angry, Alex said, "I'm not so easy to kill, just ask your brother.
Oh wait, he's dead," she retorted sarcastically.

"Now would not be a good time to remind of all you and your friends have cost me," Markus replied pushing in the tip of his wing even further.

"Alex, please," Lucian gasped.

"Yes, Alex please," Markus mimicked, cruelly twisting the wing into the gaping wound in Lucian's chest.

Alex clenched her jaw, biting back an angry reply. Anything she said would only result in Lucian's suffering. And obviously Markus hadn't been as oblivious to what was going on as she thought. He knew exactly who was and wasn't in the room. Maybe he wasn't as crazy as she had originally contemplated.

"Lucian, how did it feel seeing your wife after all these years?" Markus asked tauntingly.

Lucian glared at Marius but remained quiet. Pain and torment etched on his face was answer enough. But, he wasn't going to let Markus goad him into anything. Alex knew he was biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to get free.

She had to give him that chance, but she wasn't sure what would or wouldn't work. Markus was too aware of what was going on around him. She was going to have to distract him without causing Lucian more harm or getting herself killed. This was so not going to be easy.

Her choices were limited. She could run straight at them and hope Markus didn't rip Lucian's head off. Yeah, that wasn't gonna happen. That left her with option B. With a resigned sigh, she slipped the gun into the empty holster at her side, then gripped the sword tightly in both hands and slowly advanced towards them.

Markus watched her closely. With a wry chuckle he remarked aloud, "I must say Lucian, your woman here is most amusing."

With pride Lucian watched her move closer. "She's far more than amusing, I can assure you," he bragged breathlessly.

Alex glimpsed at the man she loved and took note at the amount of blood he was losing. It was a lot, too much. They needed to get out of there fast.

"What is it you hope to accomplish?" Markus asked, keeping a close eye on her.

"To kill the bad guy, rescue the man in distress, and save the world," Alex answered blithely.

Markus chuckled, setting Alex's nerves on edge. "She is both funny and beautiful. I can see why you got involved with her. But what will your precious Sonja think when she finally realizes the truth."

"That's really none of your business," Alex replied, answering for Lucian. "It won't matter anyway, you'll be dead and we'll be living happily ever after," she assured him.

"Ah Lucian, I must ask where you found her?" Markus asked.

"She's one of a kind," Lucian answered weakly.

Alex was close now; close enough to smell fresh blood and to see just how weak Lucian was becoming. She'd have to move quickly. The only thing in her favor was that Markus underestimated her; she could here it in his voice. She was just another woman with a pretty face. Here was the opportunity she'd been waiting for.

With lethal skill, she raised the sword then swiftly brought it down, slicing through the wing closest to her. Markus had watched her like a proud father indulging a precocious child until the moment the sword cut off his wing. Screaming in pain and fury, he reached for her, letting Lucian drop to the ground. Markus grabbed her arm and flung her across the room with frightening force. Alex managed to slide the sword towards Lucian before being hurled towards the wall at nauseating speed. When she made impact she heard her skull crack. Blackness began to seep around the edges of her vision. She vowed not to give in to the relative safety of not knowing what was going to happen. Instead she fought to stay conscious. Lucian temporarily forgotten, Markus stalked towards his newest prey. Behind him, Lucian was trying to rise to his knees. She just needed to give him a little more time.

"I expected a little more from you Markus," she called out, her voice sounding shaky even to her. "I thought with you being an elder and all, you'd be a little stronger and a lot faster. But you're not," she taunted trying to keep his attention on her. Succeeding, Markus was suddenly on her in an instant.

"Was that fast enough for you," he said spitting in her face.

"Yeah, that was plenty fast enough, but would a breath mint kill you?" she asked.

Enraged, he grabbed her by the throat with both hands and began choking her. "Is this strong enough for you?" he yelled.

Alex clutched at the hands around her throat, trying to pry them off. Her air supply was slowly being cut off, so answering him was out of the question. He lifted her six feet into the air, dangling above the floor. Alex struggled to stay awake. She lashed out at Markus catching him in the ribs with a solid kick. He cringed but never dropped her. Instead, he continued to strangle her, closing his hands tighter and tighter around her neck.

Her struggles were making it easier for him to finish her off she knew, but she couldn't give in. Fighting was all she understood and she had to fight if she and Lucian stood a chance of surviving this. With her final breath, she kicked out one last time, catching Markus in the face. Blood splattered and bones cracked as she broke his nose and possibly his jaw. Howling in fury, Markus began shaking her as he continued to choke her unmercifully. Time was up. With nothing left, Alex felt herself letting go. Her vision was blurred and her lungs burned for oxygen. Any moment now, Markus would rip her head from her shoulders and it would all be over.

Then she dropped six feet to the ground below, collapsing where she fell. Drawing huge amounts of air into her deprived lungs, Alex looked up. Lucian stood there, her sword in his hand. Markus' body lay in a growing pool of blood, his head laid neatly at Lucian's feet.

"Are you okay?" he asked her calmly as he walked over to her.

Alex put a hand out, her way of asking for help without having to ask. "I have a fractured skull a concussion and a pesky little knife wound, but I'll be fine," she assured him.

Lucian pulled her to her feet, and steadied her when she stumbled. He pulled her close and held her in his arms. She could feel the blood from his wound seeping into her shirt, but she didn't mind. This was the last time he would ever hold her like this. The last time she'd feel like she was his. She held him tightly for a moment longer, then with a sigh stepped away.

"And you?" she asked him eyeing his wounds.

"I too will live," he answered her with a lopsided grin.

It hurt her heart to see the grin she'd miss so much. But leaving him was unavoidable, they had no choice.

"Good," she replied shortly. "Raze and Valerian got Sonja away safely," she told him, not knowing what else to say.

"Princess," Lucian started to say, but Alex put her hand up to stop him.

"It doesn't matter, none of this…matters. Your wife is scared and confused. She needs you," Alex told him bluntly.

Lucian was resigned to helping his wife win back her sanity; she could see it in his face. There was nothing left to say. Turning her back on him, she walked away.