Author's note: Wow, I'm getting a lot of reviews!! Thanks so much!! I'm an addict, so I've been quite happy to see that you all like it and have left your thoughts!! Well, here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it as well. Michael and Selene will be back next chapter, and Lucian, along with the lycans over in England will prepare to come back to Hungary next chapter as well. Meanwhile, we get Kraven torture!! And some Erika/Marcus moments, as my muse and I have become quite fond of them. Well, hope ya'll enjoy and please leave a review!!!
A/N2: Oh, and I have most of my characters' actor picks' picture up on my site now, including my pick for Marcus. Thanks to NightSlash for the suggestion of him (and go read his story if you haven't already!).
Disclaimer: I own only the characters that were not in the novelization or the movie. Dominique and Marcus are not mine, these are just my versions of them. They and everybody from the movie and novelization belong to the people involved in the movie. I am making no profit. But could I please have Lucian?
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CHAPTER 6: WELCOME HOME
It was sunset, at last. Time to get everything prepared for the celebration. Erika sighed as she rose and left her room to join the other servants to make sure everything was ready. She quickly made her towards Dominique as they waited to be given their instructions.
"Well, well, did you get any rest?" Dominique asked cheekily, smirking at her friend. "Or were you too busy thinking of a certain, powerful male to rest?"
Erika mock-glared at her. "I got plenty of rest." She then winked. "And thought of a certain, powerful male."
"Everyone, silence," Katharine ordered softly as she stood in front of them all. "Now, tonight is a very important night. Lord Marcus will be leaving the mansion tonight, to lead the Death Dealers in the search for the lycans and their hybrid. Along with the traitor, Selene."
Erika's eyes were downward cast at the mention of the female Death Dealer. Ex-Death Dealer, really. It was hard to believe Selene could have killed Viktor. After all those times she had stood, looking in on his tomb. After all those rants about Viktor having her and the other Dealers out there searching for the lycans. And she had joined the lycans? After killing her beloved Elder? Something just didn't add up.
"But first, there will be a short celebration. And we must make sure everything is perfect."
Erika and Dominique glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. Duh.
***
Kraven peered around nervously, making sure no vampires were around as he left the safe house he'd been able to sneak into. Certain it was clear, he left and quickly hailed a cab. He felt humiliated, having to ride in a mortal's filthy cab, but he had no other choice, except to walk the ten miles to the mansion.
And he was not going to walk ten miles, most of it through woods. He had just gotten relatively clean.
He quickly got into the reviling car and briskly told the driver where to go, rolling his eyes at the man's idiotic mumbles, praying to be safe at such a close distance to the Devil's House.
***
Marcus strode through the halls of the mansion, watching as the servants busied themselves with preparing for the celebration. He fought back the wave of disgust the curse lycan part of him felt and picked up his pace.
He entered the front parlor and headed for the stairs. He would wait in his room, the lycan's memories and the lycan part in himself were already struggling for control over the vampire Elder he had once been. And was still trying to be.
Heaven and Hell, how would he be able to get through the night? Even if he managed to make it through the festivities, by the time they got near the hybrid or any lycans the abomination that he had become would be turning quickly on the Death Dealers.
Shaking his head, he continued up the staircase and turned to the left once he reached the upper hall. Only to spot the same servant, Erika, he had run into earlier. She was in a beautiful, strapless and sleeveless gown, dressed for the occasion.
She looked perfect, the top layer of her light golden waves pulled back into a French braid, the rest falling freely down slightly past her pale, bare shoulders. He watched her as she turned in his direction, her beautiful, natural blue eyes meeting his vampire ones. Her crimson lips parted slightly and she almost bowed.
Fighting back a smirk as she remembered his command at the last moment, he walked towards her. He could tell she was having trouble holding his stare without so much as a simply nod.
"My Lord Marcus," she greeted nervously. He could almost imagine her cheeks slightly flushed, but they remained the same pale shade.
"Hello, Erika," Marcus smiled kindly at her, trying to make her relax. Her posture was extremely tense, but he would see to it she quickly lost all anxiety towards him, and his position. He would make certain of it.
"I see you are already dressed for the celebration tonight, I must say you look quite lovely," he told her, keeping his tone warm. He swore he saw the color of her cheeks brighten the slightest hue of red. "Erika, there is something I wish of you," he told her.
Her beautiful eyes widened slightly, and she nodded quickly. "Of course, I am at your command, My lord."
"No," he shook his head. "I do not want you to obey me, I want you to accept me," he whispered. "I wish for you to be at my side at tonight's festivity." He placed a finger on her lips as they began to open, an automatic yes about to escape them. "Do not say yes, not unless you wish to be by my side. Not by an Elder's, not because you think this is an order and as a servant you must obey, not because this could be a chance to snatch power."
The girl moaned softly as his finger trailed down to her jugular, then as his fingers slid down to her shoulder. His other hand moved to the opposing shoulder, and a sigh escaped her.
"I want you only to say yes if you wish to be by my side."
Erika stared up at him, her eyes searching, for what he did not know. All that mattered was that he was now gazing in her own, the beautiful ocean blue hypnotizing. For some reason, he was not hybrid, abomination, vampire elder, or lycan when he looked in them. He was simply Marcus. And it had been more than a millennia since he had felt that way.
"Yes," she whispered. "I, I wish to be by your side tonight."
Marcus stared at her hard for a long moment, then let his hands fall to his sides. Smiling, he reached and took her right hand, bringing it up to his lips. "It will be my honor, Lady Erika," he replied. "I will see you there."
As he walked towards his room, and Erika headed off towards her own destination on shaky legs, neither of them noticed the pair of envious eyes watching from the doorway of another room.
***
Lucian followed Erik into the large estate his friend now resided in, along with the rest of the British section of his people. They had stayed together in a single pack, just as Lucian had commanded. It was better, safer this way.
Erik turned to Lucian, smiling for a moment. "You can meet my wife now," he told his leader. "I regret it is under such circumstance though.
The much older lycan waved him off. "Do not worry over it. It will be good to meet her finally, no matter the circumstances surrounding it."
"Karl," Erik called to one of the nearby males. All eyes in the front hallway had turned towards Erik and his companion, curious of what was going. A lycan that appeared to be in his late forties came forward. "Go and get Diana, tell her there's someone here I want her to meet. Then go and gather everyone in the conference room," Erik instructed, and Karl nodded before heading off.
Lucian grinned, looking around at the almost cavernous hall. "You've certainly been doing well, my friend, I think this may actually outdo Ordoghaz," he teased.
Erik was about to reply when someone else spoke up first.
"Lucian, is that you?" a familiar, missed voice spoke from behind and Lucian turned around to find himself face to face with his own nephew. It had been well over a hundred years since he had last laid eyes upon the last of his blood kin. "It is!"
"Rudolf," Lucian greeted warmly, embracing his nephew tightly. "It has indeed been too long."
***
Kraven stumbled through the wood, the lights of the mansion growing brighter and larger. He had told the driver to stop about a mile from the house, where he wouldn't be seen. The superstitious man had readily agreed and had even taken the much smaller amount of money from Kraven, probably not even registering how much he had been given. Kraven realized he probably hadn't even needed to give away the money he'd taken from a foolishly nosy mortal woman he'd run into near the safe house.
It seemed like something special was going on, from all the lights on. Which meant a heavier watch. Just his luck. If he only get to the back, near the garage he could undoubtedly sneak into the mansion and get the necessary supplies.
He might not would even need that servant's help after all.
***
Leila sat at her kitchen table. She was quite thankful she didn't have to work the next day, well technically today, unless there was an emergency that called for her to be needed. Her head hurt and she was still exhausted. Probably because what little sleep she had gotten had been filled with those strange, haunting dreams.
Memories.
She'd had those somewhat disturbing dreams since she turned thirteen, although not constantly. Just enough to stay regular and to strike as more than simple nightmares or fantasies. Some were wonderful, some were horrid. But she could never remember them much after waking. Only a voice, low and soft like a lover's caress.
And a name.
Lucian.
But she didn't know anyone named that. And it seemed as though the voice called her by a different name, but what it was she could never remember.
She took a sip of her hot tea, trying to figure out why they had started back up. The dreams had stopped, rather abruptly, nearly a year ago. And now they were back in full force. Why? Was there some trigger event that would bring them back?
Those eyes.
Her thoughts went back to the stranger she had locked eyes with for a few brief moments. Those eyes, haunting and familiar.
Like his eyes.
Leila stood up and began fixing something to eat, her stomach growling, telling her that she would probably think more clearly if she ate and just tried to relax.
***
Erika could not believe it. She still felt like water practically. Somehow she was able to get back to the servants' quarter's without stumbling.
Lord Marcus wanted her to be by his side tonight. It was, she didn't really know how to describe it! Amazing, incredible, honoring, thrilling, frightening, and so much more. And the way he had looked at her, his eyes so cold and yet so, she couldn't think of a word to fit them. The way he had touched her, his words.
Why? Why was he interested in her? She had practically thrown herself, ok she had thrown herself at Kraven, but still he had rejected and refused her time and time again. But then, Marcus was quite different from Kraven.
Cuter, too.
"Erika," she turned, startled at the whisper of her name. Her jaw dropped in shock when she saw who it was that had called her.
Speak of the Devil, she couldn't help but think as she saw Kraven hastily coming towards her, leading her to an abandoned room.
He shut and locked the door before turning back to her. "I need your help, Erika. I'm sorry for what I did to you, but now you're the only one I can count on."
Of course, he could count on her. Not trust, not love, not even desire. Count on. It made her cold blood start to boil but her face remained confused. This was her chance.
At revenge.
"Yes, of course I will help you, but what do you need me to do?" she asked innocently, fighting back the urge to smirk. "Tell me what to do."
Kraven sighed with relief. "I need you to get some clothes, not many, just enough for a day. I can get the rest. But you must be quick," Kraven instructed her.
It was all she could do not to roll her eyes and snap at him, telling him she wasn't an idiot. But she managed to avoid those actions and simple nodded. "I will, where do I meet you?"
"The garage," he said hurriedly. "Now go, I don't have much time."
Oh, you have no idea, Kraven. No idea at all.
***
Erika strode briskly to the Death Dealers main quarters and headed straight to Kahn. The weapons master and leader of the lycan-hunting clan looked up at her arrival in slight surprise, obviously wondering what could bring her here.
"We have an unwelcome guest," she stated, finally allowing her smirk to show.
***
Marcus groaned lightly when he heard a knock on his door. All he had wanted was some peace and quiet before the stupid party, enough time to gather his strength and collect his wits. To push the beast back into its place. Apparently, he wasn't going to get his wish.
He rose from his bed and walked over to the door, opening it to find Erika and Kahn standing outside in the hall.
"My Lord, forgive the interruption, but the traitor Kraven is in the mansion," Kahn informed the weary Elder. "He came to Erika, asking her to steal some supplies for him, help him escape."
Marcus glanced at her briefly, curious of why Kraven would go to her. But it did not matter. She had come forward with this information, and he would possibly be able to get some much needed answers from the backstabbing ex-regent.
"Then you are forgiven, seeing as this should of course be brought to my attention. Have some of your men tighten security. Then we shall go and deal with Kraven." He turned to Erika. "Do you know where he is now?"
She nodded. "Yes, my Lord, he said he would meet me at the garage."
"Then you and I shall go and see if he is there yet," Marcus told her and stepped out of his room. Turning to Kahn, he gave the Death Dealer the orders to have five Dealers join himself and Erika as they went to arrest Kraven.
"My Lord," Kahn bowed and walked off to see to his instructions.
"Now my dear, we must go and catch ourselves a rat."
***
Erika and Marcus, flanked by five stoic Death Dealers, headed for the massive garage where she was to meet Kraven. She smiled, satisfied that she would finally be able to see him put in his place. Humiliated in front of her. Betrayed by her.
Turnabout's fair play.
They entered the garage to find Kraven waiting, His eyes widened in alarm when he saw Marcus, not even registering the Death Dealers.
"Hello, Kraven, so glad you've come back home. It has been a long time," Marcus greeted. "You look surprised to see me."
Kraven's betrayed expression fell on Erika, but she merely grinned, baring her fangs. He visibly gulped and looked back at Marcus. "What of Viktor, did he wish to sleep again?"
Erika and Marcus glanced at each other, realizing the extent of Kraven's unawareness of what had been happening since the bloody battle nearly two weeks ago. Erika almost felt sorry for Kraven.
Almost.