Her expression cold and calculated, her attitude even colder and her words cracked the atmosphere like thunder. He felt each syllable. Each breath, watched her mouth, replayed it over in his mind. And with a burning rage boiled up from inside him, his muscular body tensed and quivered. The vein rose in his neck, his forehead and places unseen. He clenched his fist so tight, his fingers turned red and his knuckles cracked and turned white.

The mission has been cancelled.

She said it as she swung her legs out from the desk and gracefully touched the floor. Walked over and stood less than an arm's length away and looked him in the face. What do you mean... he said gritting jaw, his teeth scrapped together. His growl rose from deep in his throat, leaned forward, thinned his eyes and glared, Cancelled?

Besides Cornelius the others in the room went deathly silent. Their expression, attitudes and body language looked as if they were children that had been told, yes... there is no Santa and no you are still not getting any toys for Christmas. They looked at Cornelius with make it right expressions on their faces. They had come in hopes of pillaging to their hearts desire and raping because they could.

The room like an oven going from preheat to broil in a matter of a heartbeat. Their anger building, sweat pilled across their foreheads and rage dug deep into their faces. This will not do... they thought. We had to stop doing what we do best until the mission was done. The rewards would be great. They had been told. And they knew it to be true. Cornelius never failed.

This woman stood in front of them without a care or concern on her face. Smug little bitch showed across each and every one of their faces. Explain yourself .... Cornelius drew each word out from this mouth. Each word heavy and dangerous. Rvana slowly sighed, as if annoyed, very well...she said without effort.

Mikoto Misaka has been attacked.

What! Cornelius' body reacted angrily. Who...and when...he stepped forward. Rvana didn't yield her position. Seems the holy warriors of the Roman catholic church had other plans for her... she said. She was wounded...

Wounded? Cornelius' curiosity peeked underneath his boiling anger. Yes...wounded... she responded. You can figure that out yourself... I'm guessing.

Cornelius knew the way of queens. Kill or make them submit. Queens had value. In the old days, queens fought to the death for conquest and or expansion of their territory. But times had changed. Nations and governments knew of the existence of vampires. And after the last vampiric empire collapsed over two thousand years ago. Humans exerted their control over how things were done. In the shadows out of sight. Even though major battles had taken place, during the warring eras of human history. Napoleon, world war one and two, Korea, Vietnam and the Balkans to name just a few. If the opportunity arose queens would settle their grudges. Except for a few queens, most used a less destructive means of warfare. A stronger queen can introduce her venom and blood and take over another weaker queen... with the vampire population dwindling over the centuries and the human population exploding. Vampires would be extinct in a matter of time. So rather than sacrificing those they ruled. They attacked the queens and either killed them or took them over. Queens had value.

Cornelius didn't care. He wanted something or someone, he took it. it was his right as an alpha male. Nothing was beyond his grasp. Heat and hate flowed from him, his anger under control. Slowly shaking his head side to side. This will not do... he said...

Are you going to take your revenge on the Roman catholic church for interfering...Rvana asked. She was truly curious. Break the treaties your kind has with them...hmmm...she arched her brow, tilted her head slightly. They did strike first...she hinted, lifting her hand from her side, as if she were checking her nails. Clean smooth glistening perfect colorless nails

His jaws tensed hearing the words flow so freely from her mouth. So controlled and unemotional. His eyes swelled, brow fretted tightly, seeing the corners of her mouth curve ever so slightly. Conniving and controlling bitch...he whispered, if she had ears and a tail, she'd make a perfect shewolf... thinking to himself. I'd love to break her... he salivated. He exhaled a heated breath and it flowed over her face. She didn't respond at all. Showing no emotion, she waited.

I will still take what I want...he said, the others looked at each other and laughed. She sighed, tilted her head to the other side, lifting her right eyebrow in response. You'd expose yourself to Academy City...? Attack a hospital? She said.

Wouldn't be the first time. A grotesque looking man said with a cackle. He was standing slightly behind Cornelius, like a small dog yapping behind a dominant one. His rat like eyes sparkled, his misshapen mouth curled in an awful smile. It disgusted her.

I cannot approve or allow it...she said.

Approve or allow?

Yes...because of a favor I owed I am responsible for you. I got you in here and it will take a day or two to get you out of here. She said, blowing across her nails. Her warm breath flowed over Cornelius face. He slowly inhaled her intoxicating scent. Nice for a human female rolled around in his mind. But the act was disrespectful in birth, and he knew it. it was like two fighters sizing each other up. This was her answer to his earlier action. It didn't sit well with him. Females should know their place, and that was on their knees or bellies.

Who did you owe this favor? He asked. Searching for information. He needed to know who was this contact? It would have to be someone high in the Mecklenburg empire. Someone important. If this individual was too important, he might reconsider his actions. Maybe...

Artemis...

The concubine?! He interrupted, the gleam in his eyes seemed to approve, That whore of a...

The favorite among the leader of the wolf senate. Even your brother enjoys her from time to time...so

He closed his eyes, shook his head, is that all... his massive chest shook with a deep laughter as if a great weight had been lifted. Like the sun breaking through the dark clouds. His laughter grew louder and louder. He bent over laughing, the others followed his lead, raising their voices in laughter. Edmond looked at them strangely, showing his dismay at their curious actions. He took out a small pad of paper and pen from his coat pocket and started taking notes.

Cornelius slapped his thick thighs with his thick hands, and it sounded like a gun had been fired. Then growled, sneered and glared at Rvana, quickly snatching her by the throat and lifted her up to his face. He held her, her feet dangling nearly a foot of the floor. He took a deep breath, exhale over her face, squeezed her throat tighter. She stared at him, his fingers tightening around her thin throat. She could feel the joy in each of his fingers, the sharp edges of his nails cut her skin. Do you really think I would fear a whore's connections with the Senate. She can be easily replaced... just like you. He brought her closer to his face, looking deep into her soft brown eyes.

You obviously havent had the privilege of her company...Rvana spoke calmly. Showing no fear or struggle as she dangled in his grip. I would suggest you get ready to leave...she said, or will you do as your brother did? Raising her eyebrows, as a smile emerged across her lips. You know that brother you came here to avenge. The brother who came with five hundred of his best. Breaking into the city and getting his ass kicked by a little girl. She chuckled, sighed, nothing was left. They even burned his bones to nothing. And it wasn't just her, others came out to enjoy the fun. What do you think will happen if you attack the hospital. You'll have to face her house, the wolves and...do you think Academy city will just sit this one out. She paused, twisting her head in his grip and cracked her neck. See those vampires watching you. They used to belong to your brother but now their strays. And Academy City uses them for scientific experiments. What do you think will happen to you?...she grinned. You're nothing but a test subject here. Ooohhhh the great Cornelius of Mecklenburg and his merry band of pedophiles...when was the last time you had a female actually give themselves to you or those mangy dogs. Her laughter grew louder. Her face glowed and her eyes shone. She laughed over and over... when was the last time you had a real fight. Not chasing down farmers hoping to protect their daughters or sons from your sick perverted obsession. Or caretakers of orphanages or well when you need a quickie from the pound. She laughed louder, her laughter bounced against the walls, the ceiling and the floor.

He stared at her with the color of rage in his eyes, jaw so tight it hurt. Heart pounding in his ears, throbbing in his neck. He couldn't understand the defiance of this woman. No matter how hard he squeezed, not matter how deep his nail cut into her soft skin. She showed no pain, only getting more... something wasn't right. He felt the pulse in her throat, beating slowly against his palm. The warmth of her skin, not getting any hotter. He inhaled, tasting her scent.

But his anger and rage boiled over, his body burned at this female. Her laughter tearing at him, into him with such boldness. He drew her closer, so close he could lick her face, and through his gritted white teeth he growled and spoke. I am going to bend you over that desk and fuck you till you bleed and scream for mercy little bitch...then I'll share the remains with those mangy dogs. How is that for...

She changed. Her laughter faded, not from fear but well boredom. Tears from laughter drifted over her red cheeks, her exhausted breath turned into a bored sigh. She smacked her lips, rolled her eyes to the side, Edmond she said, could you step to the right please?

Edmond who was looking down at his pad and scribbling notes, glanced up still writing and moved to right. One more step please... he moved another step. Cornelius's attention drifted over to the little man in the white coat. And he watched him obey her request without hesitation. It burned, how could she be so calm…so uninterested in what was happening to her….and…. then it happened.

A heavy wet thud slammed against the wall. Large amounts of glistening reddish, dark splattered the wall and Edmond. Cornelius fretted his brow taken aback by the sudden display. as the bloodied mass smeared down the white walls as the, no, not a body. but the lower half of a body dropped heavily to the floor. The pools of blood gushed out as legs twitched. Then it stopped. The large pool of blood slipped silently done the wall, over the clean white floor, oozing around Edmond's feet and came to a stop.

Edmond looked down at his feet with an uninterested look across his face, adjusted his glasses and awkwardly raised his right foot, letting the blood drip from the tip of his shiny black shoe, shook it, stepped out of the pool of blood and did the same to his left. The room went cold and silent.

A raspy growl filled the empty void of sound. Then another smacked the wall and tumbled to the floor. The upper torso, arms flailing. A face swollen and bruised, eyes and mouth opened in terror and disbelief, stared at Cornelius as if asking why?...how?

I am going to bend you over... she said, I think that was the phrase...tilting her head. and fuck you until you bleed and scream for mercy little bitch... Cornelius slowly returned his gaze to Rvana. She smiled softly, like a cat with a mouse, predator and prey. A twinge of something in his belly. He thought maybe that the little vampire had slipped into the fray and poked his side with a gun again. But no, this was colder and had life of its own.

The raspy growl slowly resonated , like a beast on the hunt. It ate at them, instilling fear into their hearts. The room colder, the cold colored their breaths leaving trails of rising fog.

Attack...his voice trembled, strained and refused to leave his throat. He wanted to throw her down, turn and face the direction of the nearing raspy growl. But he couldn't move. He was caught in a nightmare. He felt like prey unable to flee, to move or defend himself. All he could do was move his eyes.

She chuckled softy, looking motherly in her expression. Soft warm eyes, softer smile and blushed cheeks. Fear...Rvana whispered, fear...that's what it's called.

Bits of her skin flaked away in glittering light, gently fluttered like snowflakes. Bit by bit her body slowly dramatically disappeared from his grip. The words she had spoken burrowed into his mind. And memory reminded him of old stories he had heard as a pup. And why not... he had nothing else to do...

As the raspy growl came nearer.