Author note: Hello lovelies! I really don't have much to say for this chapter. I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter start

The scent of tears were, he couldn't deny, simply delightful. The crushing weight of her despair, the way her lips trembled. Sobs echoed in his home, and he relished it.

Max settled back in his chair, listening to it all. Absent mindedly he patted at Thorns head, the hound quietly obedient.

Really, this was the silly girls fault anyway. And he was being kind, very kind, to allow Lucy to have anything to do with even the memory of Celia. Of course, her body wouldn't be there for the funeral he intended to have. Vampire corpses didn't stay around for long.

He wondered idly how Lucy would react to seeing the bloody mess of goo and smiled almost indulgently.

The boys were fighting him, but that was of little consequence. Once the rat was taken care of they would fall back into line. He felt David struggle and thrash through his bond and knew cruelty.

How dare the bastard even dream of setting one of his children against him?

This was as much David's fault as it was the girls. Had David done as he was told and not drug his feet, Celia would have been properly introduced to the family fold. Instead she had been allowed to run entirely too free. Max would see to it that such a thing would never come to pass again.

Lucy was crying on the floor, curled up. The fight had left her sometime ago. Her cheeks were blotchy from the tears, her eyes swollen with grief. The pretty dress she had on was crumpled and dirty now from her fight and consequent surrender.

He didn't feel much in the way of regret. Still, maybe it was obscene, to enjoy her pain so much.

"Come now Lucy, surely you can see this is the only way?"

She let out a hysterical scoff, hands clawing at her face. "Y- you're a monster!"

Max grinned maniacally. "Careful darling. Soon you'll be a monster too."

She groaned. Fresh misery rolled through her, fear scenting the air again. She pushed it away quickly though, thoughts bending to her niece again.

Ah, so perfect. So mothering. Lucy would truly be the feather in his cap, the crowning jewel of his family. Always so concerned for her children. Had he but collected a woman sooner, maybe his boys wouldn't have gone so astray from his grasp.

Marko was beginning yet another war cry within himself, struggling through the yoke of his order. How tedious. Paul and Dwayne weren't outright fighting, focusing in on different orders.

Max scoffed when he realized Celia had escaped his impish son. It would seem the leash had gotten far too long. He debated forcing David to use his sire bond, but ultimately decided against it. No, his boys needed this lesson. He knew David would make it painless if he used the bond, probably order her into the son or to rip out her own heart.

He wanted it branded in all their minds… for the very last time… going against him was death.

The hours passed as he waited for the good news, so to speak. To feel the pain echoing up through the bond and know that he had taught his lesson well.

Lucy had since stopped crying noisily and remained on the floor, unwilling of unable to get up. He wasn't sure how hard he had struck her. Max hadn't seen a need to worry over such things for ages.

A bruise was forming along her cheek. More were along her jaw where his fingers had gripped, forcing her to look at him.

No matter. They would heal once she tasted his blood.

The boys were engaging Celia and the rest of her family, finally. Max passed through his children's minds easily, fueling them with bloodlust. Frustration welled when they continued to avoid any finishing blows on the girl.

His fingers shredded into the armchair as he waited, practically seething from his position. No matter what he sent into them the girl had apparently gotten her hooks into them all. All his sons dodged her, letting her would them and halt their progress.

"Not long now, Lucy. Soon the thorn to our love will be gone and it'll be perfect. One big… happy family."

Lucy stirred, eyes widening a fraction. Celia was still alive! And what was she doing? Laying here on the floor like a rag doll.

But what could she do? Max had taken her only weapon from her. She wasn't sure she would have the strength anyway to push anything through to his heart. Worry clouded her brain, and she felt desperation claw at her insides. Iced waves of it enclosed her until she could barely breath.

Her hand fluttered and pressed to her chest, where she felt the painful drum of her humanity.

No… it couldn't end like this. She still had a few cards to play.

"Please, please don't do this," she murmured. There wasn't much strength to her voice. Talking was painful as she opened her jaw.

Max barely glanced at her. For a man… vampire… who wanted her so badly, he didn't seem much interested in her now.

"Do what? Teach our sons a valuable lesson about nit going against their parents?" He clapped once and spread his palms apart. "I'm doing this for you as much as for me dear."

Lucy rolled to her side and pushed upwards. "You said it yourself. They're just kids, needing a Mothers love."

Max actually graced her with his eyes then. Lucy swallowed as she breathed. Being bent over the counter had hurt her more than she liked to admit. She wasn't a spring chicken anymore and it was showing. Her joints felt stiff, her back creaking as she stood up. Her hands found purchase on a table behind her, gripping it so tight her knuckles whitened.

She hated his eyes now.

"I did say that," he agreed candidly.

"Well, then let me do that." He cooked a brow and she swallowed against the fear clogging her throat. She coughed a little. "Even Celia… Please, you can't blame her for doing what her… Brothers told her to do."

She valiantly struggled against the tremors wracking her body. "She was just trying to be a good sister."

"By attacking her Father?" Max excused the dryness of his tone, his brows arching above his glasses. How audacious of his Lucy.

A small smile pulled the corners of her lips. "Well, to be fair… did you ever explain anything to her? Or did you leave it to the boys?"

Max didn't respond, feeling Celia engage with David suddenly.

Lucy took his silence as fact and forced a small giggle. Just a woman, exasperated with her man. Nothing else to see here, folks. Never mind the man was a monstrous vampire, hell bent on murdering her niece and absorbing her whole family.

"You men!" Max flicked his eyes back to her, as she relaxed a little. "You just expect things to work out. On the one hand you admit your boys need a Mom, but on the other you leave them alone to parent their siblings. It doesn't make sense, Max."

Marko had Celia now.

"Oh, now, I'm not blaming you. You've been raising them by yourself for so long."

"Okay, Lucy. Let's just be honest, shall we?"

He rose up steadily and saw her flinch. He smiled a little. "I know what you hope to buy. But what can you possibly have that I don't already? It isn't like you can resist me."

Oh, that she knew almost as well as the back of her hand, as the face she saw in the mirror. But she knew some other things as well. Celia and Lucy were close as a Mother and Daughter. It didn't matter they weren't blood. The bonds of a Mother to her child were forged in stronger things than mere bloodlines.

It had always been Celia's instinct to be an open book to her Aunt. Being a vampire had changed things a little, but that hadn't, not fully.

"If you let Celia go and promise not to hurt her or… or have one of the boys do it… I'll become a vampire willingly."

Max laughed derisively. "You think your willingness is any part of my plan now? That it matters?"

"I know it does. And I know that if you force me or my children, our minds are our own until we… we kill. If you kill Celia, I'll make sure my family follows her before then."

"As if I'd give you the chance!" Max exploded.

Lucy flinched but kept her eye contact on the volatile filth before her. "You can lock me up. You can do a lot of things. But if I bite my own tongue or rip my own heart out once I'm stronger… can you reverse that?"

Max positively rampages for a moment. He roared in anger, his features terrifying in their distortion. His big hands encased her head and she yelled, fingers reaching to claw at his. He sensed no hesitation in her mind.

Lucy would kill herself before willingly submitting to him. Thorn yelped and ran from the room when Max drove his fist through the wall behind her.

Then, suddenly and oddly, he laughed. It was unhinged and Lucy shied away from it, from him, until he grabbed her to his chest. His moods were wild and unpredictable.

"Protecting Mother…" He chuckled again, feeling Marko driving his hand through the girls chest. He could almost feel the soft tissue of her heart for himself. However… "Enough."

The order circulated through all his children, and he closed them off to ignore their confusion and sudden worry.

He could feel Lucy shifting, her breath warm against his neck. "Your niece is safe, Lucy dearest."

He allowed her to jerk her head back, her eyes searching his. Relief pulled there, but also wary distrust. He would need to remedy that. Having her at odds with him even just mentally would be annoying.

"Now… for your part of the bargain." His fangs extended and he brought a wrist up to his mouth, preparing to rip his flesh open.

Lucy grimaced, her hand reaching out to stop the dripping appendage from making contact with her. It was thick, too thick. Oh gods, was that what a vampires blood looked like? Bile rose in her throat and she struggled not to heave.

It was so thick, like syrup almost. It slid obscenely down his wrist and dripped to the floor, staining both his cuff link and the nice hardwood floors. The color was off too darker than anything she'd seen before.

"Lucy," he said with a threat. "If the wound closes I'll be very cross, Darling. It isn't exactly nice to keep mutilating ones body. And it's rather a waste of my good blood."

"I… I'm sorry I…" Lucy gagged, turning away. "I… proof, I want proof. I want to see Celia alive and well before I drink. That's fair."

"That wasn't part of the bargain. You don't think I'll keep my word?"

Lucy forced herself to look back at him. The wound had sealed at least, the blood oddly already drying and darkening even more. As the seconds ticked by it turned black.

"I want to trust you, I do. Please, just, show me I can. That's all I want, is some proof the Max I met actually is there somewhere. I… I wouldn't mind spending eternity with him."

Max debated it. Then he finally sighed. "Very well Lucy. Just remember, her life is a favor for you, my mate. And you'll owe me for it for eternity."

End chapter

Author note: Ah, Lucy… I have grown so fond of her as a character. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If so, please feel free to leave a review. I'll see you all next time, lovelies!

Doodlebugrox: I'm glad you enjoyed. And thank you so much. It was definitely difficult coming to terms with the place I'd set my career path into turned out so wholly unhealthy. But I'm much happier, which oddly enough leads me to write bloody fanfiction.

Kezz1: Thank you so much, and I hope this one was just an enjoyable for you.

Samcoo12: Thank you! I was a bit nervous. I'll admit I lost my connection with the boys and Celia. I'm hoping I've gotten it back now.

Therese Hammes: only a week later, and now we know why Max changed his mind. Our dear Lucy can be versatile when she needs to be. That's such a compliment, thank you.