A/N: Thank you all so much for your kind words. (I love Alex too). Things
are moving on quite nicely now. But will Kraven finally get his claws on
Selene? Or will Michael stop him?
Only one way to find out!
All will be revealed in the next few chapters. This is where your reviews
are important, to let me know I'm not screwing the whole thing up. :-D
This next chapter starts off when Michael has just got back from checking over the location mentioned at the end of last chapter.
Enjoy.
A NEW BEGINNING
Chapter 9: Too good to be true
She was still sleeping when he entered the room. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, careful not to startle her. Gently he shook her but she didn't wake, only groaned as she turned and slung her arm around him.
He smiled at the habitual action and softly touched her nose with his fingertip; she sniffed, but didn't wake. He touched her again and her free hand lazily brushed away his finger. Her actions increased his good natured playfulness and he couldn't help thinking how cute she looked.
He stroked her nose again.
"Michael" she said, it was a low warning but with absolutely no aggression behind it. He smiled even wider. Slowly, she opened her eyes and couldn't help smiling back at him. He had the same free, delighted look as Alex.
"How did you know it was me?" he said as he climbed on the bed to lye next to her.
"I could smell you" she said matter-of-factly.
"Hey, that's not nice" he tried to look hurt, but he couldn't keep the smile off of his face; he knew exactly what she meant. He too could recognise her in a room full of strangers with his eyes covered.
He was still smiling brightly as he stroked her dark hair off of her forehead.
"I just got back from seeing our new home." he informed her quietly, his smile widening.
"And? How was it?"
"Perfect!" he bounced to his knees with the energy of a child waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve. He set one knee either side of her, on all fours above her. Quickly he lowered himself and kissed her exposed neck very lightly. She was wearing a blue cotton shirt, and grey slacks that Luke's mate hade loaned her so she would fit in more.
"You're going to love it. It's very private; you have to know exactly where to look for it. It has one floor at ground level and three underground. I don't know what it used to be but now it's ours." His face was glowing as he watched her.
"When do we move in?" she asked, smiling as she stroked her hands over his chest before linking them behind his neck.
"As soon as you want to" he laid another light kiss against the other side of her neck. He felt her do the same to him. And as he continued to kiss her, he felt her fangs graze his neck and found him self preying she would mark him. Then he would know that she too wanted no one but him forever.
There was a loud clank, and their actions were halted as they both looked over towards the door to their quarters. It was opening slowly; Michael climbed off of Selene and went to see who was there. He looked outside to find Alex struggling to move the heavy door.
"Hey little guy" he said gently and Alex jumped. Looking up at Michael through big teary blue eyes.
"Hello" his voice was so quiet the Michael had to bend down to hear him.
"You alright little man?"
He nodded "Is Selene awake?"
"Yeah, she's just there" Michael smiled, knowing how fond the young Lycan was of his new vampire friend "why don't you come on in and say hi?"
Alex nodded and stepped cautiously through the door, hugging his battered teddy to him as if it would protect him. He watched Michael as he entered the room, and as soon as his eyes landed on Selene sitting on the bed, he started crying and ran across the room to hug her.
She slid off the bed and was on her knees when he crashed into her, burying himself in her arms.
Selene cradled the small child, rocking him gently, shushing him as she looked straight at Michael with a confused expression. He just shrugged and closed the door again.
Slowly, Selene placed her hands on Alex's shoulders and pulled back enough to look him in the eye.
"What are these tears for?" she asked so gently it was hard for anyone to think she wasn't totally human.
"Daddy said you're going away." He sobbed
"Yes, but not forever." She pulled Alex gently to sit in her lap as she sat on the floor leaning against the bed. "We'll come back and visit you and I'm sure your daddy will let you come and stay with us now and then"
Her voice soothed him amazingly as he let her rock him while he hugged his teddy and sucked his thumb.
"Would you like that?" she felt him nod and then he hugged her tightly.
"I want you to stay, I like that more!"
"I know sweet heart but I can't stay here."
"Why?"
"The other vampires, they're looking for me"
"I'll keep you safe from them"
Selene smiled "No Alex, you'll keep yourself safe. Do you understand that? If you see any other vampires, you stay away from them. Hide. Promise me?"
"Ok" he sat up and smiled at her "but I can take 'em!" he jumped up and began pretending to fight an imaginary vampire "take that! And that!"
Both Michael and Selene were laughing as he punched and kicked at thin air with his teddy under his arm.
"When are you going?" he asked when he had defeated his opponent.
"Probably later tonight." She told him quietly and he was suddenly teary again.
"But that's too soon!" he bounded up to her again and sat himself in her lap, with his arms wrapped tightly around her neck. Michael watched closely as both Selene and Alex displayed their obvious affection for each other. And he suddenly found himself thinking that she would be an amazing mother someday.
She glanced up at him as though she has heard his thoughts, but he knew that was impossible so he only smiled gently at her.
"It is soon Alex" he said quietly as he came to sit on the floor too. "But if we stay here, the vampires will find us and then they'll hurt Selene." He watched as Alex began to look panicked. "You don't want the to do that do you"
"No sir!"
"Yeah, I didn't think so. That's why we have to go so soon. So they can't find her and hurt her."
Selene watched as Michael found the perfect way to explain why they had to leave; the truth.
"And you can come and stay with us whenever you want to, ok?"
Alex nodded happily then got to his feet. And looked straight at Selene.
"You take fuzzy" he held the tattered teddy out to her.
"Oh, Alex I can't take your teddy"
"Please, he'll look after you when I'm not there"
Michael smiled and nodded at Selene.
"You promise? He'll protect me from the bad men?"
"Yeah! He's good at that"
"Ok then" she smiled and held her arms out to give Alex a hug. He squeezed her so tightly that she thought he might have clicked something out of place in her neck.
Alex trotted to the door and pushed it open again. "You will come and say goodbye before you go right?"
"Of course"
He slimed again then and trotted off down the corridor
***
Kraven looked at the envelope and snatched it from one of the few remaining security officers.
"Get out" he hissed as he stalked across the room and sat down at his large desk. When he was alone he tore the envelope open. As he suspected it was from the Lycan. On their previous meeting Kraven had insisted that he be shown proof that Roderick knew where Selene was. He was not willing to walk into a trap.
He grinned as he tipped out the envelope onto his desk.
It had been stuffed with 15, 8 X 10 black and white photographs. Each showing the vampire he desired. In the first couple she was pictured in her black leather, apart from the surrounding Lycans, but the others disturbed him.
She was now dressed in similar clothing to the beasts around her. Her hair was pulled messily back and she was seated on the ground with a small child in her lap. Another showed her with Michael; she was smiling brightly. Kraven cringed. In the 200 years he had known her, he had never seen her smile like that.
He wished desperately that he were the cause of such a smile but his eyes fell on the face of the abomination. Angrily, he tore the photograph in half and threw the half with Michael, into the fireplace. He studied the other half a little while longer before stuffing it into the inside pocket of his jacket.
After flipping through the rest of the images then dropping them into a draw, he lifted the envelope again and shook it. A single piece of paper floated onto the desk top.
On it was a hand written note:
Out skirts of town, past the old church.
Second left down the dirt road
In the grove.
Remember your end of the deal
Kraven grinned and pushed the paper into his pocket.
"Oh yes, I'll remember my end of it. Your freedom, in exchange for her."
This next chapter starts off when Michael has just got back from checking over the location mentioned at the end of last chapter.
Enjoy.
A NEW BEGINNING
Chapter 9: Too good to be true
She was still sleeping when he entered the room. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, careful not to startle her. Gently he shook her but she didn't wake, only groaned as she turned and slung her arm around him.
He smiled at the habitual action and softly touched her nose with his fingertip; she sniffed, but didn't wake. He touched her again and her free hand lazily brushed away his finger. Her actions increased his good natured playfulness and he couldn't help thinking how cute she looked.
He stroked her nose again.
"Michael" she said, it was a low warning but with absolutely no aggression behind it. He smiled even wider. Slowly, she opened her eyes and couldn't help smiling back at him. He had the same free, delighted look as Alex.
"How did you know it was me?" he said as he climbed on the bed to lye next to her.
"I could smell you" she said matter-of-factly.
"Hey, that's not nice" he tried to look hurt, but he couldn't keep the smile off of his face; he knew exactly what she meant. He too could recognise her in a room full of strangers with his eyes covered.
He was still smiling brightly as he stroked her dark hair off of her forehead.
"I just got back from seeing our new home." he informed her quietly, his smile widening.
"And? How was it?"
"Perfect!" he bounced to his knees with the energy of a child waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve. He set one knee either side of her, on all fours above her. Quickly he lowered himself and kissed her exposed neck very lightly. She was wearing a blue cotton shirt, and grey slacks that Luke's mate hade loaned her so she would fit in more.
"You're going to love it. It's very private; you have to know exactly where to look for it. It has one floor at ground level and three underground. I don't know what it used to be but now it's ours." His face was glowing as he watched her.
"When do we move in?" she asked, smiling as she stroked her hands over his chest before linking them behind his neck.
"As soon as you want to" he laid another light kiss against the other side of her neck. He felt her do the same to him. And as he continued to kiss her, he felt her fangs graze his neck and found him self preying she would mark him. Then he would know that she too wanted no one but him forever.
There was a loud clank, and their actions were halted as they both looked over towards the door to their quarters. It was opening slowly; Michael climbed off of Selene and went to see who was there. He looked outside to find Alex struggling to move the heavy door.
"Hey little guy" he said gently and Alex jumped. Looking up at Michael through big teary blue eyes.
"Hello" his voice was so quiet the Michael had to bend down to hear him.
"You alright little man?"
He nodded "Is Selene awake?"
"Yeah, she's just there" Michael smiled, knowing how fond the young Lycan was of his new vampire friend "why don't you come on in and say hi?"
Alex nodded and stepped cautiously through the door, hugging his battered teddy to him as if it would protect him. He watched Michael as he entered the room, and as soon as his eyes landed on Selene sitting on the bed, he started crying and ran across the room to hug her.
She slid off the bed and was on her knees when he crashed into her, burying himself in her arms.
Selene cradled the small child, rocking him gently, shushing him as she looked straight at Michael with a confused expression. He just shrugged and closed the door again.
Slowly, Selene placed her hands on Alex's shoulders and pulled back enough to look him in the eye.
"What are these tears for?" she asked so gently it was hard for anyone to think she wasn't totally human.
"Daddy said you're going away." He sobbed
"Yes, but not forever." She pulled Alex gently to sit in her lap as she sat on the floor leaning against the bed. "We'll come back and visit you and I'm sure your daddy will let you come and stay with us now and then"
Her voice soothed him amazingly as he let her rock him while he hugged his teddy and sucked his thumb.
"Would you like that?" she felt him nod and then he hugged her tightly.
"I want you to stay, I like that more!"
"I know sweet heart but I can't stay here."
"Why?"
"The other vampires, they're looking for me"
"I'll keep you safe from them"
Selene smiled "No Alex, you'll keep yourself safe. Do you understand that? If you see any other vampires, you stay away from them. Hide. Promise me?"
"Ok" he sat up and smiled at her "but I can take 'em!" he jumped up and began pretending to fight an imaginary vampire "take that! And that!"
Both Michael and Selene were laughing as he punched and kicked at thin air with his teddy under his arm.
"When are you going?" he asked when he had defeated his opponent.
"Probably later tonight." She told him quietly and he was suddenly teary again.
"But that's too soon!" he bounded up to her again and sat himself in her lap, with his arms wrapped tightly around her neck. Michael watched closely as both Selene and Alex displayed their obvious affection for each other. And he suddenly found himself thinking that she would be an amazing mother someday.
She glanced up at him as though she has heard his thoughts, but he knew that was impossible so he only smiled gently at her.
"It is soon Alex" he said quietly as he came to sit on the floor too. "But if we stay here, the vampires will find us and then they'll hurt Selene." He watched as Alex began to look panicked. "You don't want the to do that do you"
"No sir!"
"Yeah, I didn't think so. That's why we have to go so soon. So they can't find her and hurt her."
Selene watched as Michael found the perfect way to explain why they had to leave; the truth.
"And you can come and stay with us whenever you want to, ok?"
Alex nodded happily then got to his feet. And looked straight at Selene.
"You take fuzzy" he held the tattered teddy out to her.
"Oh, Alex I can't take your teddy"
"Please, he'll look after you when I'm not there"
Michael smiled and nodded at Selene.
"You promise? He'll protect me from the bad men?"
"Yeah! He's good at that"
"Ok then" she smiled and held her arms out to give Alex a hug. He squeezed her so tightly that she thought he might have clicked something out of place in her neck.
Alex trotted to the door and pushed it open again. "You will come and say goodbye before you go right?"
"Of course"
He slimed again then and trotted off down the corridor
***
Kraven looked at the envelope and snatched it from one of the few remaining security officers.
"Get out" he hissed as he stalked across the room and sat down at his large desk. When he was alone he tore the envelope open. As he suspected it was from the Lycan. On their previous meeting Kraven had insisted that he be shown proof that Roderick knew where Selene was. He was not willing to walk into a trap.
He grinned as he tipped out the envelope onto his desk.
It had been stuffed with 15, 8 X 10 black and white photographs. Each showing the vampire he desired. In the first couple she was pictured in her black leather, apart from the surrounding Lycans, but the others disturbed him.
She was now dressed in similar clothing to the beasts around her. Her hair was pulled messily back and she was seated on the ground with a small child in her lap. Another showed her with Michael; she was smiling brightly. Kraven cringed. In the 200 years he had known her, he had never seen her smile like that.
He wished desperately that he were the cause of such a smile but his eyes fell on the face of the abomination. Angrily, he tore the photograph in half and threw the half with Michael, into the fireplace. He studied the other half a little while longer before stuffing it into the inside pocket of his jacket.
After flipping through the rest of the images then dropping them into a draw, he lifted the envelope again and shook it. A single piece of paper floated onto the desk top.
On it was a hand written note:
Out skirts of town, past the old church.
Second left down the dirt road
In the grove.
Remember your end of the deal
Kraven grinned and pushed the paper into his pocket.
"Oh yes, I'll remember my end of it. Your freedom, in exchange for her."