Michael almost fainted. Selene told him that she only found out of her existence two days prior. David kept glancing at me as I looked over subject 2.

"You look healthier. That is good, you will probably hit a growth soon. It will be like puberty, but your strength with enhance and your senses widen. Lucian and I went through the same thing. For being 1/4th lycan, It shouldn't hut you hard like it did Lucian. He had to be chained down and locked away for three weeks. I didn't have to be chained, but locked in my room for a few days. If you are lucky it will come swiftly. Your vampire genes will probably make the transition the least painful."

I brushed a lock of hair over her shoulder and sniffed her gently. Nodding at the change in her scent.

"Her scent will become potent on a matter of days. We must leave soon. Male Lycans will be able to smell her and seek her out with adamant force. She is of age to accustom her body for heat."

Selene looked at me in question,

"She is only twelve."

"Yes, but the chemicals in her body are changing. Lycans grow rapidly and vampires heal quickly with the help of blood. She has killed, yes? Then, she is maturing."

David grabbed a few rounds of ammo,

"And when will we have to worry about your heat, Tori?"

"Viktoria, and not for some time hopefully..."

All eyes landed on me in question, I answered swiftly,

"My body chemicals have never reached sexual maturity. I may be centuries old, but sexual endeavors have never been my interest. In fact, my old pack thought that I may be barren, but let us not dwell in that story. We must go, I am beginning to sense Lycans roaming just out of my senses."

David stared at my with his intent vampire blue eyes,

"How far is your reach?"

I gasped at the intensity and my eyes blacked out as I purposely felt for any lycan presence.

"Five miles, but they are moving with purpose. Reload everyone and lead us somewhere safe."

David took a few silver blades and glanced at me before darting out of the safe house. We followed suit. I flanked them, keeping my senses heightened for any sigh of lycans. The girl was just ahead of me with Michael and Selene running at the same pace. I also kept tabs on the girls scent. It wasn't getting any stronger and was very faint to where I was only able to smell it. We ran for some time. Till we were out of the city and I realized we were heading north. We were fortunate as rain started to downpour.

Our scents were erased as soon as we released them. I hadn't felt any lycans in hours and still David didn't stop till the air had gotten noticeably cooler. When he slowed his pace so did we, and I came to his side.

"No sign of any other Lycans for the past few hundred miles. No sign of any other life, where are we?"

There was no accusation in NY voice but he flinched,

"It's safe. Stocked with blood...and food. What's left of my coven is there. My father may not take too kindly to your presence, but I will advocate for you to stay as long as you please."

We all were walking now. Selene, Michael, and the girl together and me with David.

"Well, even if he kicks me out, thank you for the offer. This needless war between our species has left me without a hime, but temporary shelter is always nice to come by. We should head in before the rain stops. Our scent can be picked up in this spot if we stay too long once the rain stops."

He nodded without looking at me and grabbed my wrist, tugging my foreward. We all followed suit and we're lead through a cave where rain flowed out of the cave, likely keeping our scents from sticking inside. There were three doors. One on either side of the cave and one on the floor. We took the door to the right. Closing it behind us, there was a second door to which, David used a key to open.

"Stay close..."

I wasn't sure if it was directed to me or all of us. But as we weaved through halls in the cave, I began to feel slight anticipation. I was preparing myself if I needed to fight and if I needed to play very nice. We came to a large opening in the cave were many vampires lounging. They became alert at our entrance. They looked relieved to see David and Selene, maybe even the girl. But once their eyes set on Micheal, they were cautious. When the set on me, they were hostile. David increased his grip on my hand I had forgotten he still held.

"She is no threat to us. She is of use and will not harm anyone unless necessary. The information she knows, the power she possess, will help protect us. Their is no need to be agitated at her. Her name is Viktoria, surely you all remember the stories of the second Lycan pup born in human form."

Hostility was gone, though ccaution could not be helped. David's father approached then,

"You leave and come back with twice as many guests my son. Is this becoming a habit?"

"No father, but if it means insuring our survival a while longer, and making alliances, so be it."

The older man looked over me and looked indifferent,

"She cannot be the girl from the stories. She looks to young. Even lycans centuries old age. She's an imposter."

Selene came to my defense,

"She isn't. I saw her myself the night Lucian met his death. She was a part of their pack and they were mostly killed that night. The few that remained, including her split off. Without Lucian, Reiz, and the older members separating was their best option of survival. Viktoria was named by Viktor himself. He told me...before I killed him. She only fought that night when directly attacked and he did not move to kill her. He said himself that her persistent innocence was something he didn't want to have to kill.

Apparently, when Viktor's daughter and Lucian planned to run off, they were going to take Viktoria, who was merely a toddler at the time, with them. She grew up with Lucian and said herself that her body has not yet chemically reached adult maturity. How she looks now is probably how she has looked for a few decades. Her aging allows her to look as though she was only in her early twenties, it is that slow."

Michael nodded beside Selene in confirmation,

"I have seen Lucian's memories myself. She was present at Sonya's execution. Viktoria is trustworthy. This war between our species and the humans has not turned her against us, but rather mutual to us. She has nowhere else to go and is willing to help."

The older man clenched his fists for. moment before sighing,

"Fine. What use are you to us then, Viktoria?"

I pulled my hand from David's and stepped forward,

"Well, I can sense when other lycans are close from miles away. I am far better at blending with the humans. My self control is even better than Lucian's. My blood does not harm vampires either...my pack and I found that out when Lucian's death was faked by Kraven. I had been injured that night and my blood didn't kill him. In fact, silver does not effect me like by brethren and I do not have urges to kill unless my life is threatened."

David spoke after me,

"She will be under my care and will share my room for the time being. I have some questions for her about Antigen and need to discuss the events of tonight. Selene, Michael, and the girl can use two of the recently vacant rooms."

No one held any objections, so David took my forearm and led me to a different direction then Micheal, Selene, and the girl. We went through corridors and hallways till we came to a door. Letting go of my hand, he pushed the door open. The room had a few candle lit and there were many candles. The air had a slight chill, but at least the room was mostly visible. Holding the door open for me, I passed David and his intense gaze and looked around the room further. There was a large couch and a few tables about with various papers and scrolls about. A grand bed with a canopy and dark sheets. The wet walls illuminated the light of the candles. I met David's eyes,

"Nice room. Spacious..."

He broke the connection of our eyes with a small smile on his face.

"You can take the bed. I usually don't sleep on it anyway. One my coven members can provide you with a gown if you wish. There is a small waterfall around the back corner. The water always flows and there is a robe near there."

I smiled brightly and waved my hands in the air excitedly,

"Thank you, thank you, thank you David."

I ran off to the waterfall with an amused and mildly shocked look on David's face. My childlike mannerisms catch anyone off guard. He saw it then. that everything was true. When I'm not being pursued by lycans, humans, or other vampires, my natural happy self comes out.

After my shower, David was looking at papers on the table as he sat on his couch. I jumped onto the couch and sat beside him with a robe on and nothing else underneath.

"Ooh, ancient words and outdated maps. But no pictures. No colorful pictures to brighten your day...or night per say. Hehe."

David chuckled lightly,

"Either you are high or tired. I never would have pegged you as a quirky girl."

"Lol, you should see how I was when I was little. Just before the war started."

I swept my hair onto one shoulder and exposed my neck to him. He immediately flinched away,

"What are-"

"Shh, it's okay. My lycan blood isn't poisonous to vampires. Kraven took a bit out of me when he claimed to have killed Lucian, when my blood didn't kill him, we found out that being a naturally born lycan had its perks. That means that ingesting your blood would not harm me at all. Take a bite and I'll show you what it was like before the war and when it started."

David took a deep breath,

"I see no reason for you to try to kill me."

He leaned towards me, looking directly into my eyes,

"If a memory is too painful, push me away."

"I won't need to. All you need is to get a taste of my blood and you'll be in my controlled memories. I'll pull you out when it's time, after you've seen the truth of the war."

Taking a small blade from the table I made a small slit at the base of my throat and David watched me bleed for a moment before latching onto my cut with his mouth and gently suckling my blood into his mouth. I gasped lightly at the sensation and then focused my mind on my early memories.

Her face smiled down at me as she held me in her arms. I bounced my feet in the air trying to get a sense of where the ground was. The wonder in her eyes as she looked to her father was unquestionable,

"She's so precious father. You say she wawas born from a fully turned lycan, bitten by William, like Lucian?"

"Yes, my child. And she is a curious little lycan pup. Smiling and so observant for being only hours old. She has no sense of the world around her or what she is. It was a hard decision. I had my bow aimed to shoot her and she smiled at me as I stopped myself from releasing an arrow into her tiny heart. So precious indeed. I plan to show her to Lucian next. Then the council. She may not be the last child born from a lycan."

The darker haired woman looked at her father concerned,

"She is too young to do as Lucian does father. She is not like him. He knows his place, she has not a care in the world but for adventure, I can see it in her eyes."

"Her name is Viktoria, Sonya. She is to be in your care. Maybe even Lucian's as well if he doesn't try to attack her."

Sonya turned to her father in question,

"Why would he want to kill her?"

"She is a pup, the maternal instincts of lycans are not known. Give her to me. I must have her fed before I show her to Lucian."

Sonya handed the baby girl to her father and the girl waved her tiny hands and feet in excitement. Sonya laughed lightly,

"Father, I think she knows she's about to go on an adventure."

Her father rolled his eyes,

"Because the kitchens are a wondrous place to go."

Viktor held the girl firmly in his arms, cradling her as she stared all around. He fed her goat milk, Lucian had done well with it when he was was a babe. The girl was no different. She seemed to like it more in fact. Then he headed to Lucian's chambers, entering after the guards opened the door.

Lucian had been staring into the fire and looked to Viktor with a calm expression which quickly turned to confusion at the child in his arms. He could smell that the girl was a lycan. Viktor turned the girl in his arms so she could see Lucian properly. The two lycans met eyes and Lucian smiled as the baby cooed at him.

"She was born merely hours ago. Just as you were all those years ago. You are almost a man now Lucian. You are now a blacksmith for this castle. You are responsible for creating lycans who can change from man to lycan and man again. Viktoria is the only female lycan like this. Maybe with time, she'll be able to change others too. She is in my daughter's care, and yours since it seems you and the babe get along just fine. I'll give you the afternoon to associate yourself with her. She has been fed, but if she gets fussy, she does live goats milk."

Viktoria was placed in the other lycans arms are she reached her cubby little arms to his face and smiled. Lucian felt protective of the pup and had no problem looking after her as she was an easy baby. He took it upon himself to introduce the pup to other lycans. All who met her meant her no ill will as she met each one of them with a smile and curiosity in her eyes.

A few years later and Viktoria was now a toddler, speaking small sentences and shadowing Sonya around the castle. Viktoria knew of Lucian and Sonya's affections for one another and they used her ad an excuse to meet often. Viktor had no clue. He was concerned about keeping the counsel's plans in order. The council had decided that when the child was of age, she and Lucian would mate to produce pureblood lycans of their nature instead of continuous biting.

Viktoria had even taken to feeding dinner to the lycans in cages in the dungeon before her bedtime. Of course, she was accompanied by Sonya most of the time, sometimes even Lucian. She'd come bouncing with laughter down the spiral staircase with an odd smelling jerry in her hand. It had been fed to her for years, but none of the lycans could name the meat because something not right smelled from the meat in her hand. The council doused the meat in a blue liquid before having it cooked for the girl. It made her giddy and her eyes would show her lycan genes for hours after she ate it. She knew not of her impending fate. That she was to be breeded.

When she reached the age of four, the beautiful girl had a far better sense of the world around her. She was sure to smile brighter in the presence of the other lycans. The girl loved to brighten their grim and bleak days. Sonya even began to teach the girl about fighting. Strategies mainly, no physical lessons. Viktoria was eager to learn, just as Sonya told her father the day she was born. She went everywhere in the castle so long as Sonya or her maid was by her side. Viktoria could go anywhere in the castle but not out of the walls. She'd watch Sonya go out the gates many times and had longed to know what was out there. Viktor told her that savage monsters with no morals lay outside those gates. That if it weren't for Lucian's ability to change others, that's all that would be of her species. The girl began to grow distant from Viktor then, but she listened to his lessons.

He cared for the girl in a way, as his second daughter. Viktor even cared for Lucian to some degree, but he was most happy to have daughters than sons. He had the girl dressed I'm fine clothes rather than leather and rags. He had her taught everyday as her thirst for knowledge matched his thirst for blood. The girl was a prize to Viktor, he saw great promise in her future and took pride in it. Then Sonya and her party were attacked by a group of savage lycans.

The girl had been feeling off long before Lucian sensed the presence of the wild lycans. She had told both him and Viktor. In turn, Viktor had told Sonya not to welcome the incoming trade. Because Sonya didn't listen, Lucian took off his collar and saved her and what was left of the trade. The girl had never seen such rage from Viktor and it took the permanent smile off if her precious face. Lucian was punished in front of her and thankfully, she didn't cry, but Viktor held her shoulder gently and turned her away from the sight after a few lashes were given to Lucian. She could still hear the leather biting his skin as they walked away. It only got worse.

Viktor still allowed the girl to feed the other lycans. This time she went by herself and guards taunted her. Calling her a clueless pup and a brat who shouldn't be treated like royalty. When she finally got to the cages, she fed most of the lycans before she found Lucian. He was being cared for by another in a cage beside his.

"Are you alright Lucian? Will you get better. Viktor was so angry. I don't want anything bad to happen to you..."

Her bottom lip trembled and tears began to fill her eyes for the first time. Most of the lycans looked at Viktoria. Lucian calmed the girl,

"I will be fine. The wounds are already healings. Viktor had you watch so that you wouldn't get the idea to go against his rules or words. Still, no child your age should witness such a thing."

"I could give you some of my jerky. It always makes me feel...stronger. I don't like seeing any of you in pain, that's why I always offer."

Raze looked at the child full on and he thought he saw the face of someone he knew as a child. Lucian noticed his gaze,

"She is like me Raze, born not bitten. Her mother was a fully and irreversibly turned lycan who gave birth to her. Perhaps you knew her mother."

"Raze is your name? It suit you. Strong men should always have bold names like such. I hear from the others that you are brave...I hope you all last. I miss the older faces."

The girl was referring to the lycans sue knew as a nabe. They treated her so kindly and then tried to escape, start a riot and where slaughtered.

"Raze, everyone, this is Viktoria. She's four and very observant. So observant that I think she could help us with our plan."

Viktoria told them where the guards were stationed and what times they were off and when they switched duties. Lucian swore to come back for her and Sonya should they not be able to meet at the rendezvous. The two girls were never able to try and leave the castle. Viktor was enraged. Locked Sonya in her room and put Viktoria in a cage with the other lycans. Her pulled her by the hair. Her disobedience left no room for mercy in his mind. No matter how loud she cried and whimpered. They lycans in their cages rose in shock at the sight of Viktor dragged the littlittle girl in such a manner. They roared and banged on the metal bars. Guards drew their whips and went at the ones who were too rowdy. He threw her in an empty cell and locked it before storming off so that he couldn't see the tears and look on her face. Viktoria was curled up in a ball and holding her sore head.

None of the lycans knew what to do to comfort the girl. She unraveled quickly. Her cries went from whimpers to growls and to sniffles. Her clothes were stained and her reality of the world hit her hard. Next thing she knew, a day or two later, she was brought to a room with an unwelcome sight. Sonya tied to a stake. Lucian chained to the floor. Viktor looked to me,

"The actions between my daughter and Lucian have affected you I'm afraid. Your bright future has now changed. Lucian is to be killed and Sonya is sentenced to die. The original plans of the council had changed. The next strongest lycan shall be your future mate. I want have you witness their deaths child, but know that should you betray me in the future, I shall not show mercy."

Viktoria was escorted out as Viktor has last words with Lucian and his daughter. Words she could not hear, he spoke so low. The girl was afraid and she did not enjoy the feeling. She was brought to Sonya's room and locked in. She sweet that the sun had rose and not much later screams began. Screams that reached the dungeons and rung loud in her supernatural ears. She cried silently. Feeling something else foreign to her. Loss and mourning. Sonya was dead and Lucian would soon follow.It was nightfall when she felt it though. A large lycan presence. Then I heard the roars. My lycan brethren were fighting and they were all over the castle. I saw my chance. air began to bang on the doors of the bedroom. My eyes changed to my lycan form and I screamed for help and to be let out. When the doors opened to her dismay, it was a vampire guard and he did not look friendly. Fear rippled through the child and she screamed as she ran quickly around him, trying to get closer to the sounds of her brethren. She had decided then that vampires are not to be easily trusted and they would always mean her harm now that Sonya was gone.The vampire guard caught up to the child and grabbed her by the hair and threw her into a wall. He had his fangs bared and eyes glowing blue. He grabbed her leg in her shock at his violence towards her and proceeded to drag herdown a staircase. She gained enough sense to scream as she clawed as best as she could at each step that she was pulled from.the guard stopped and suddenly hovered over Viktoria. The look in the man's eyes was unnerving and sickened her stomach. The look was wiped off the man's face as a lycan came charging at him. His body crushed the stones with the force of his body. The guard Shit up and tried to charge at the lycan, but he quickly found his throat ripped out and his body being clawed at. Viktoria watched in silence and sniffling. The lycan that saved her approached her and nuzzled the pup. This lycans was in its permanent form. He escorted her to the courtyard where the battle had been won that day for her kind. She saw Raze and ran to his side, clutching his leg. Many of the men looked relieved to see her. The lycans in their permanent forms looked satisfied that the girl was not harmed.Viktoria grew very slowly. The lycans in permanent forms loved to look after her. It was in their instinct to protect her. Protect and kill. But with the progression of time, they were killed off by the vampires. Then all she had were her brothers. New faces came and went. She grew and was more beautiful. She grew smart. She trained in as many things as she could. She loved her only family. She was loved. Then her brothers began to die in a quick respect. One day she will have been watching them fight with each other and practicing with her, they next they weren't returning home.Then came the day she saw Viktor again. Their was gun fire everywhere and bodies hitting the floor. She hid behind some equipment, wishing the nightmare would end. She saw Lucian barely breathing. Selene over Michael. Viktor tore Selene from Michael and he finally admitted that the war was his own fault. He saw me and looked at me in shock,"Viktoria. I thought you had long since died child."I said nothing. His words had proven to Selene that all she had heard was true from Kraven wasps true."You started the war. You threw this girl in a dungeon when she was only a baby. You started it all...because you couldn't stand the mixing of our species."Viktor looked remorseful but steady,"What was growing in my daughter's womb was nothing to let loose in this world. Viktoria had been so obedient until they ruined her I had to stop her rebellion before it even started."Selene looked at him abashed,"She was four. Then mere years later, you killed my family. You created me as a replacement for your daughter and lied to all of us. The reason we fight the lycans for centuries is because you couldn't admit your own mistakes."Viktoria was alone after that night. Lucian had died before her very eyes and for the first time, she had no family.

David came out from the vision in a cold sweat. His eyes looked about the room for Viktoria. He found her asleep on his bed. She was out heavily and breathing lightly. He relaxed and observed the young woman in his bed. He knew then that she would not leave. She hasn't had anything to fight for other than her life in so long. He would be happy to let her join his coven, convincing his father and his coven would be another matter.