Underworld 2
Pt 3
Michael watched until they came to a busy corner, than ducked behind a shop. He recognized Raze and the woman turned out to be Hesper. She looked okay, tired and a bit pale, but alive and well. Raze was talking and Michael heard him. He was showing Hesper around, telling her about the shops. Michael had never pegged Raze as a chatter box.
Hesper smiled and laughed softly as Raze mentioned something. Michael watched as his sister chatted with the huge man. This was the most relaxed he had ever seen her. Even as a child Hesper had been uptight, jumpy and untrusting of people. Now, as she stood talking with the huge werewolf, she was totally at ease. Against his instincts, Michael retreated and left them alone.
**
Hesper was amazed at the calm in her body; at the way she felt so totally at peace. While she had been growing up, she had been constantly aware of the separation in her life. Of how Michael was only her half brother and she was only half of his family. There had never been a real sense of belonging….until now. Now as she stood in the rain and watched Raze as he shopped, she felt okay. Felt at home.
But her reverie was shattered at the thought that followed: He doesn't know. She had lied about her name because Michael was a fugitive. How could she expect to be part of a family when she couldn't even be herself?
Raze noticed the troubled look on her face, "What's wrong?"
Hesper jumped and looked at him, "Oh…uh nothing. Just thinking."
He didn't believe her fully but let it go. "This should be enough."
They walked back to the liar; Raze had insisted up carrying all the bags, and left Hesper to drown in her misery.
**
Michael returned just after sunset and found Selene up and ready to go.
"Where were you?" She asked. "I got your note but still, you were gone a long time."
"Yeah, sorry." Michael slumped into his chair and sighed. "Hey, Selene, I found Raze."
Selene paused as she packed up her guns, "Where?"
"The old liar that Lucian used." Michael bit his tongue for a moment.
"What is wrong with you Michael? Ever since Hesper showed up you've been…distant."
Michael felt anger surge through him. "You try living with two natures! You try fighting yourself and not knowing which of you is right!" He jumped up from his chair and stormed out of the room.
Selene sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, before turning to follow him.
**
Hesper hopped slightly to reach the shelf and set the bowl on the counter. Pouring the cereal into the bowl she found the milk. With her food, she settled at the thin cheap table and munched on it.
Two men shuffled in and looked at her, "You're new right?" One of them asked.
Hesper looked up, "Yeah, so?"
"We got a custom around here," The second one muttered. The moved toward her in unison, "Got a welcome the new ones into the family."
Hesper set aside her bowl as her fingers turned into claws. "Really?"
"Peter, Trent." Raze's tone stopped them in their tracks. "Leave her alone." His words were punctuated and angry.
The two men back away as Raze filled the room by stepping into it. "Oh sure no problem," They backed out and vanished down the hall.
"Thanks," Hesper wiggled her fingers as they returned to normal. "I guess you get too many women around here."
"No. The vampires…." Raze stopped for a moment, "The vampires killed most of them off. It makes breeding difficult."
Hesper watched him, "You mean there are bred Lycan and bitten ones?"
Raze nodded, "The bred ones are stronger; they are the ones who last for centuries. The infected ones…well they don't."
"Why not?"
Raze sighed, "They just don't."
"Which are you?"
"Bred."
Hesper finished and stood up. Raze was standing directly in front of the sink, so she stepped around him. The warmth rolling off him hit her and she shuddered. That warm tingle came again and her eyes lifted to his. Raze watched her with guarded eyes; as if expecting something horrible to happen to him. Hesper drew in a deep breath and backed away. Raze snatched her close to him and buried his face in her hair. Tremors shot through her body as he breathed her in. His face rubbed along her cheek, his hands tight across her back.
"Helen," His voice was lower then usual.
"Hmm?" Hesper curled against him.
Raze brushed his lips along her skin, his teeth pressing into the skin. Her body broke into waves of shaking as a cold sweat soaked her shirt. His hands pressed her even tighter. Hesper was aware of the charge in the air as his skin grew hot and his skin shivered. Raze found her lips and kissed them hungrily.
"Raze! They're here! They're here!"
Raze pushed her away and pulled in a breath, "Who?"
"Corvin and his mate."
Hesper heard the sounds of gun fire and snarling not far off. Raze moved to leave and she grabbed his arm. "What ever happens out there, I want you to know something." He paused and looked back at her. "Come back to me alive."
Raze nodded and left the room.
Hesper gripped the counter to stay on her feet, "Why does it have to be this way?"
As the halls filled with gunfire, Hesper sank to her knees and wept.
Pt 3
Michael watched until they came to a busy corner, than ducked behind a shop. He recognized Raze and the woman turned out to be Hesper. She looked okay, tired and a bit pale, but alive and well. Raze was talking and Michael heard him. He was showing Hesper around, telling her about the shops. Michael had never pegged Raze as a chatter box.
Hesper smiled and laughed softly as Raze mentioned something. Michael watched as his sister chatted with the huge man. This was the most relaxed he had ever seen her. Even as a child Hesper had been uptight, jumpy and untrusting of people. Now, as she stood talking with the huge werewolf, she was totally at ease. Against his instincts, Michael retreated and left them alone.
**
Hesper was amazed at the calm in her body; at the way she felt so totally at peace. While she had been growing up, she had been constantly aware of the separation in her life. Of how Michael was only her half brother and she was only half of his family. There had never been a real sense of belonging….until now. Now as she stood in the rain and watched Raze as he shopped, she felt okay. Felt at home.
But her reverie was shattered at the thought that followed: He doesn't know. She had lied about her name because Michael was a fugitive. How could she expect to be part of a family when she couldn't even be herself?
Raze noticed the troubled look on her face, "What's wrong?"
Hesper jumped and looked at him, "Oh…uh nothing. Just thinking."
He didn't believe her fully but let it go. "This should be enough."
They walked back to the liar; Raze had insisted up carrying all the bags, and left Hesper to drown in her misery.
**
Michael returned just after sunset and found Selene up and ready to go.
"Where were you?" She asked. "I got your note but still, you were gone a long time."
"Yeah, sorry." Michael slumped into his chair and sighed. "Hey, Selene, I found Raze."
Selene paused as she packed up her guns, "Where?"
"The old liar that Lucian used." Michael bit his tongue for a moment.
"What is wrong with you Michael? Ever since Hesper showed up you've been…distant."
Michael felt anger surge through him. "You try living with two natures! You try fighting yourself and not knowing which of you is right!" He jumped up from his chair and stormed out of the room.
Selene sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, before turning to follow him.
**
Hesper hopped slightly to reach the shelf and set the bowl on the counter. Pouring the cereal into the bowl she found the milk. With her food, she settled at the thin cheap table and munched on it.
Two men shuffled in and looked at her, "You're new right?" One of them asked.
Hesper looked up, "Yeah, so?"
"We got a custom around here," The second one muttered. The moved toward her in unison, "Got a welcome the new ones into the family."
Hesper set aside her bowl as her fingers turned into claws. "Really?"
"Peter, Trent." Raze's tone stopped them in their tracks. "Leave her alone." His words were punctuated and angry.
The two men back away as Raze filled the room by stepping into it. "Oh sure no problem," They backed out and vanished down the hall.
"Thanks," Hesper wiggled her fingers as they returned to normal. "I guess you get too many women around here."
"No. The vampires…." Raze stopped for a moment, "The vampires killed most of them off. It makes breeding difficult."
Hesper watched him, "You mean there are bred Lycan and bitten ones?"
Raze nodded, "The bred ones are stronger; they are the ones who last for centuries. The infected ones…well they don't."
"Why not?"
Raze sighed, "They just don't."
"Which are you?"
"Bred."
Hesper finished and stood up. Raze was standing directly in front of the sink, so she stepped around him. The warmth rolling off him hit her and she shuddered. That warm tingle came again and her eyes lifted to his. Raze watched her with guarded eyes; as if expecting something horrible to happen to him. Hesper drew in a deep breath and backed away. Raze snatched her close to him and buried his face in her hair. Tremors shot through her body as he breathed her in. His face rubbed along her cheek, his hands tight across her back.
"Helen," His voice was lower then usual.
"Hmm?" Hesper curled against him.
Raze brushed his lips along her skin, his teeth pressing into the skin. Her body broke into waves of shaking as a cold sweat soaked her shirt. His hands pressed her even tighter. Hesper was aware of the charge in the air as his skin grew hot and his skin shivered. Raze found her lips and kissed them hungrily.
"Raze! They're here! They're here!"
Raze pushed her away and pulled in a breath, "Who?"
"Corvin and his mate."
Hesper heard the sounds of gun fire and snarling not far off. Raze moved to leave and she grabbed his arm. "What ever happens out there, I want you to know something." He paused and looked back at her. "Come back to me alive."
Raze nodded and left the room.
Hesper gripped the counter to stay on her feet, "Why does it have to be this way?"
As the halls filled with gunfire, Hesper sank to her knees and wept.