Drake smirked to himself as he scanned the shelf in William's office.
"I think you succeeded in freaking her out." William said from the other side of the room.
"Huh? Oh, whatever, I'm not the one who was running tests to see what a virus did to her. Plus.. " Drake pulled a book off the shelf, "I'm not the one who took her blood either."
"She knew why I took her blood, and I didn't take it, she gave it. Don't make a big deal out of it Drake." William said walking over to him as Drake skimmed the pages to the book he had been holding. William raised his eyebrow and sighed, "What are you looking for anyways. I didn't think you did research... for anything."
"Heh, that's because I'm not. I'm reading." Drake replied a smug smile on his face.
William grabbed the book, "Well, what are you reading...ten ways to kill your enemy 1700-1720. You know, I'm not even gonna ask why your reading this book. Or why I have the book in the first place."
Drake grabbed the book back, "I'm not crazy if that's what you mean."
"Well, there goes my first guess doesn't it. Hmmm... how about insane."
"Nope."
"Then what are you?" William asked looking at the shelf.
"I heard something."
"What do you mean?"
"About the vampires, when I was hunting. Or, I heard about the pack of death dealers that are going around. This is the era they are all from, all trained, and all elites. I figure it will give me more information on how they fight and how I can kill them easier."
"Have you tried being a hybrid?" William said trying not to laugh.
"Very funny Willy, but nope, I can't be a hybrid and you know it. Michael is the hybrid and as much as I fear so is Marcus. I know I always say I would try everything, but not things I know won't work."
"Well then, you keep studying or whatever your doing again. I'm going to test Selene's blood." William said walking back over to his desk.
"Told you." Drake mumbled.
"What was that?" William asked stopping and turning around to face him.
"Oh, I said, told you, you did take her blood."
"I'm not going to argue with you, and for the last time, I didn't take her blood."
"That's what you say." Drake whispered and smiled as he walked to the door, "I'm gonna borrow these."
"Sure just return them to me... or on second thought, you can have them."
"Thanks Willy." Drake laughed as he walked out the door.
~*~
Michael just stared blankly at her, "Why do you feel? What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said." Selene said slipping from his hold and standing up on the other side of the bed, her back to him, "I feel... that's the problem. I'm not supposed to feel... anything. I haven't felt and I don't feel."
"So, you feel, emotions."
"Yes, I'm scared a lot of times and I feel my heart aching. I don't know what it is either, or when it started I suppose. I think it was when I woke up."
Michael reached out and touched her shoulder, the contact made her shiver. "Your okay."
She turned slightly so that she could see him out of the corner of her eyes, "How do you know?"
"I don't. But, I have been a human for awhile, I know how you feel, I remember."
Her eyes seemed to hold a sadness which he had never recognized in them before. She seemed vunerable, and almost like she was still a child. It was then he knew what William meant by human. Her emotions, they were human again, she was feeling everything she held in for two hundred years, she was going through all the hurt she had been through since the beginning of her immortal life, and the end of her human one.
He finally broke the silence as she seemed to go distant and in her eyes he could see a glazed over look. "What are you feeling now?"
"Everything..." She whispered, " Pain, regret, sadness, and anger, and those are only the major ones."
He knew it was hard for her. Her emotional capacity must have been in overdrive by now. If it was him, he would have broke down long ago. But maybe their was still some of the emotionless vampire in her emotion system.
Michael stood up and walked over to her. He brought his arms out slowly and wrapped them around her, bringing her closer to him and hugging her.
"What are you doing?" She asked him her voice broken and toneless.
"I'm trying to lend you support and comfort you, your going through a tough time, and I'm going to do everything in my power to help you through it."
Her eyes locked gazes with his and a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. His thumb came up and brushed it away gently. Their eyes still not leaving eachothers. He picked her up as she stayed silent and layed her down on the bed. His arms around her and her head laying on his chest. He absently stroked her back as she layed there like a statue, but awake.
That was the only tear that every escaped while they were laying there at that moment, the only one she would let him see. She was the strong one and she was used to it, just because she was feeling things, didn't mean she had to acknowledge them. They were silent not a word was spoken, and to people outside of the room it would seem as if they had fallen asleep.
~*~
Drake walked down the hallway humming to himself as he went going over the things he read in his head. He bumped into someone and looked up at them. It was Luke, one of the older lycans. A big guy too.
"Hey Luke."
"Move it, boy." He commanded pushing past him and walking away, leaving the den.
Drake raised his eyebrow and watched his retreating figure, "That's no way to treat your elder!" He called out smiling to himself as he started walking again.
In all honesty, whatever Luke was up to couldn't be good news. He had been out every night hunting and not once came upon any vampires, which was impossible given that he knew for a fact that vampires had been combing the city for the past few days. He had ran into two groups of them. Luckly they were young, and stupid. He had been complemented for such a heroic act taking out two groups of death dealers. But he failed to mention that they were young and almost fledglings.
"Oh well." Drake told himself as he walked into William's office, "Hey Willy, what'cha up to?" He asked placing the book back in the shelf and sitting down on the desk.
"Would you please quit calling me that."
"What, I could do the old english thing again, I am from the area, want me to talk with my british accent again?"
"No, not really, I'm quite happy without it. It was annoying by the way."
"Hey!" Drake said standing up and putting his fists up, "That's my real accent. Are you saying that I was annoying when I talked?"
William looked up and smirked, "Yes, I guess I am."
Drake glared and gave a small huff before sitting back down, "So... are you done yet?"
"With what?"
"The thing you have been slaving over for the past... hour."
"Almost." William said, "Could you hand me that book of notes beside you?"
"Aye, mate." Drake said smirking and picking it up. His eyes skimmed over it and noticed the various scribbles and sketchs over the page. "Seems like you've been busy."
"Yeah, probably the most important thing I have ever done."
Drake nodded and handed him the book, "You really need to get out more."
"I think I'm doing just fine." William replied writing something down and looking back over at the microscope.
"Yeah, sure you are mate. You haven't met a bird in what? A hundred years?"
"That is none of your business, and stop talking like that."
"Awww... c'mon, you know, I don't think that I 'ave ever seen you with a woman. In fact...."
"Drake.." William started his head snapping up towards the older lycan, "Don't start, not now."
Drake sighed, "Your no fun. I think I will go bug someone my own age thanks."
"Fine then." William said rolling his eyes.
"Okay."
Drake left the room and William returned to his work. Sometimes he thought Drake was still a young man trapped inside of an old soul. He acted like a teenager, but had the responsibilities of an old man. He took pride in what he did, but he always had to goof off when doing it. Maybe it was his way of coping with his immortal life, and the loss he suffered before and after he was turned.
~*~
Selene stood up from the bed. Michael still asleep, he had fallen asleep a couple of hours after he had laid down with her. He never moved or spoke just laid with her soothing her the only way he knew how, and what he thought was best. On the outside she seemed lost and it may have been true also on the inside. A rage of emotions, most of which she hadn't felt in two hundred years.
She believed Michael when he said he would do his best to help her. He did after all confess that he loved her. Even with all the emotions she felt, she didn't know if she loved him. She knew she didn't feel happy at the moment, but a part of her felt relieved to know that Michael was there for her. It was always good to have someone to fall back on.
She glanced back down at him, his chest was moving faintly as he slept, his face showing a hint of worry as he slept otherwise peacefully. A memory of the past couple of nights hit her like a ton of bricks. Viktor had lied to her, for two hundred years without giving it a second thought. She took the place of the daughter he killed for loving Lucian. He almost took hers and Michael's life also.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts as she walked into the bathroom. She had already taken a shower, but it would help her relax if she took another one. After removing her clothes she stepped into the large glass shower. For animals, this place was nicely built, than what they usually hid in.
She let the hot drops of the shower run over her, her body still feeling cold none the less as it tried to cling to the warmth of the water, only to have it's hopes smashed.
After washing off she stepped out of the shower and put some new clothes, that Michael had lain on the counter, on. She stepped out of the bathroom to see Michael sitting in a chair his eyes focused now on her.
She looked towards the ground, not wanting to really meet his gaze at the moment, he wet hair dripping as she looked at him through her hair. He stood up and walked over to her.
"Did it help?" He asked her quietly.
"A little I guess." She replied just as quiet.
He nodded and held his hand out, she looked up at him, "What?"
"C'mon, I want to show you something."
She looked back down at his hand and grabbed it. She felt his warm skin rush up her arm and heat her body. It was much more effective than the shower. He pulled her out of the room, and she stayed close to his side, still not feeling comfortable around the lycans.
He led her with his head held high, but every once in awhile he would look back down at her and squeeze her hand in reasurance. She looked up from the ground when she felt someone's gaze upon her. She met eyes with a big man. He was just about seven feet tall, his eyes burning into her soul. They were a dark brown, but looked almost black. His eyes held a coldness that she knew was intended for her, and for her only.
She blinked and looked back down at the ground. The thing that made a shiver go up her spine was that he was the only one that was looking, and the only one she could feel hate radiating from. Michael turned the corner and walked until he came to a large black door, he opened it and a large iron staircase that led upwards in a spiral was in the middle of the room.
"What are we doing?" She asked him confused as to what they were doing.
"Well, I'm going to show you something, and that something... is up there." He said motioning to the door at the top of the staircase.
She sighed and he smiled, he started pulling her up the stairs, and she felt a little better since she wasn't around any more lycans, just with Michael.
They reached the top of the stairs and Michael opened the door slowly, watching her facial features change back into confusion as she looked at the room inside.
Inside the room there was a large canopy bed, with black curtains. There were no windows, just candles and some lamps. There was also a large leather couch and some leather chairs in the corner of the room. Another door led off from the room, which she presumed was a bathroom. A desk and bookcase sat on the wall opposite of the bed. At the end of the bed a small metal chest was sitting in the floor. The room smelt of flowers, flowers that you would only smell in the daytime. The smell she missed from her childhood. When she picked flowers with her sister and mother.
She hadn't smelt a flower in two hundred years, and it was then she noticed the flowers scattered around the room. There were red rose petals on the bed, and white roses hanging around the frame to the bathroom. Other flowers were in different spots of the room matching the tone and color of the thing it was sitting on or beside.
"W-what is this?"
"Drake had fixed this place up. He thought you would like it better up here, away from the other lycans. He never slept in here, nor has anyone else. He fixed this room up awhile back, and today he picked flowers to place in it. I think out of all the lycans here, he respects you the most."
Selene stepped around the room, checking around.
"So what do you think?"
"Why would he do this for me?"
"I told you he respects you."
"That doesn't matter, he gave me this room when he could have kept it for himself."
"That's the funny thing about Drake, no one gets him. He is just him, unpredictable, and crazy. You have earned his respect and his trust, just a matter of time before you earn it from the rest of them."
"Can you tell him thanks for me?"
"Sure I will."
Selene sat down in one of the leather chairs.
"So again, what do you think?"
"It's nice. Sorta reminds me of when I was younger.. and human."
"I'm guessing its the flowers that remind you."
"Yeah." Selene said looking up at him as he walked over and sat down on the couch.
"You think you'll be okay for a bit while I go meet with the other lycan elders?"
"Yeah, I will." She told him staring around the room once more."
"I'll be back later." He told her getting up and kissing her on the top of the head before leaving the room.
He may have been thrown into this world unexpectedly, but he had adapted pretty fast. Never asked questions, just did what he thought was right. Michael may not admit it, but his home was here, with the lycans. Selene had no home, not any longer. The vampires hated her for helping a lycan and helping slay a vampire elder, not just an elder. The strongest and oldest, and her own dark father, her sire.
She closed her eyes at the image of the battle, she couldn't bear it then, and still couldn't bear it now.
There was a soft knock on the door and Selene stood up. She sensed the presence of a lycan on the other side she walked cautiously thr rest of the way to the door. She reached her hand out slowly and grabbed the handle of the door. She pulled the door open quickly and gave a small sigh when it was only Drake.
"Hey neighbor." He said waving and grinning.
"Hey." She replied, still not use to his cheerful manner.
"You like the room I take it?"
"Yeah, I want to thank you for it also. I didn't understand why you would let me have this room though, it's wonderful, and I really still don't understand it."
"I suppose Michael said it was because you earned my respect right?"
"Actually, yeah, that is almost exactly what he said." She told him looking confused.
"I sorta told him to say that if you asked." Drake told her scratching the back of his head.
"Explained why it sounded weird."
"Yeah, just wanted to tell you, you did earn my respect, but you also earned my trust because I know how you feel."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say we share a common experiences, actually a few of them."
"Do you mind telling me what they are?"
"Maybe... sometime, but I don' t think now is the time."
"Why not?" She asked him crossing her arms over her chest the warrior in her sufacing for the first time since she had woken up.
"I haven't told anyone, no one knows. Its not something I can just come out and say to anyone. Its a secret of my past, and a secret of your future. I will tell you, but only when the information I have can save your life, for now, it can't, it could only make a worse mess than would have been foretold. Plus, I'm not much into story time at the moment. I have to get back to the elders meeting, before Michael goes bloody mad. He wanted me to check on you anyways. So, here I am checking on you."
"Tell him I'm fine."
"Are you?" He asked smirking circling around her and looking her up and down, "Well, I told him I would check, and I did, no visible wounds or sores. So, your in the clear. I will talk to you later." He said laughing and walking out of the door shutting it slowly behind him.
Selene looked at the door before sighing and sitting back down in the chair she had occupied earlier. Drake seemed like the guy who only wanted to have fun, but he also had a serious side to him that most people never knew about. She was also wondering about the information he withheld from her, he must of had his own reasons for it, but she didn't know what ot think anymore.
~*~
Michael sat at the table, his arms crossed over his chest as Drake walked in. "How is she?" He asked, being worried about leaving her alone, for how long he didn't even know. He couldn't help but worry for her though. She had changed him, helped him, saved him. It was hard for him not to think of her well being every other second. Without her, there would be no him.
"She is fine."
"Okay." Michael said nodding.
The other lycans started to come into the room. Of all sizes, but all around the same age, and they were all a lot older than Michael himself.
They all took their seats around the round table and all had their eyes on Michael. He kept his gaze focused at Drake who was sitting down across from him and would smirk when he saw Michael's face.
"Okay, boys. It looks as if everyone is here. We are here to discuss the plans for tonight, tonight we must hunt, but with the vampires trying to kill us faster than ever, there has to be a reason, besides revenge. Anyone got any ideas?" Drake said leaning back in his chair.
"Maybe they want to kill us all and end the war, but only at the end, there is none of us left." One lycan who was sitting to the right of Michael said.
"True, but why is Marcus so intent on kicking our asses, I think he has other plans for trying to wipe us out, the only thing is we don't know what he is up to exactly."
"Maybe he wants her." A lycan with long black shaggy hair and piercing dark brown almost black eyes spoke up.
"Wants who Luke?" Drake asked, Michael even leaned forward a bit eagerly waiting Luke's response.
"The vampire. It only makes sense, they want her, she killed Viktor afterall, they want revenge right, who not better to take it out on then the source?"
"Yeah, that is a great idea Luke, "Drake said rolling his eyes, "They are killing us to get her. They don't even know where she is. How in the bloody 'ell do you expect them to find her?"
"They could follow one of us back to our hideout without us knowing, and with all the lycans about, they could easily pinpoint her scent. Hell, maybe they already have, and that's why they are killing us."
"You forget, when Marcus was awoken, he started killing us, he could not of known that we were searching for her as well, infact, the thought hadn't even crossed our minds yet, and he was killing us from the moment he woke up." Another lycan said.
Michael watched them as they continued to agrue about whether it was Selene's fault. His anger building at the accusation, but he said nothing, just watched in silence, and when he had enough, he would speak up and made sure they would listen to every little word he had to say about it.
"I say we offer her back to them, you know, maybe in a sorta peace agreement that they will stop killing us if we hand her over." Luke said, everyone went quiet at this comment, most of them looking out the corner of their eyes at Michael. Who sat silently, his anger already at a boiling point even before the comment, and had no exploded through the roof.
"WE WILL MAKE NO SUCH AGREEMENT!" Michael yelled at him, "Selene couldn't possibly be the reason they are killing us anyways. There has to be another reason, and I suggest Luke, that you leave her out of any idea you have." His temper slowly fading but still enough to rip someone's head off, most likely Luke's.
Michael stood up and walked to the door, "We will make to seperate teams for tonights hunt, any information that is found will be reported to me or to Drake, the sooner we figure out what is going on in their heads, the sooner we will know how to stop them."
Michael then walked out of the room, other lycans following his lead and leaving also. Drake just smirked at Luke who was sitting almost across from him. "Well, looks like you got the shit yelled out of you. Better not piss 'im off again mate." Drake stood up, "And I will be watching you." He informed him his back to the Luke and he walked out of the door.
~*~
Michael walked into the room where he found Selene leaning back againts the chair he had left her in, he arms crossed over her chest and her eyes focused on the floor.
"Hey." He said softly.
She looked up at him, "How did it go?"
"Good, I guess, although when I left, I did want to rip a head off."
She looked at him for a moment, "Who's head?"
He sat down in the chair beside her, "Some older lycan's head. Luke was his name."
She nodded, "How did he piss you off?" She asked, tired of not knowing what was going on, and if this was the only way she could get answers, then this is what she would do.
"Let's just say he said somethings that didn't settle well with me." Michael told her clasping his hands together and staring at the floor.
"Michael, you can tell me what he said, I want to know."
"I know you do, but I just don't want you to be upset about what he said or anything."
"Was it about me?" She asked as he was about to open his mouth to say something else to her.
"Yeah, it was." He said quietly ashamed of what he was trying to keep from her.
"What did he say?"
"He said that the reason Marcus was trying to kill them was that he wanted revenge on you, that you were the cause of the whole ordeal, he also wanted to offer you back to them as a peace offering, to reach an agreement that they would be safe."
Selene tilted her head to the side to think as Michael looked up at her, a thoughtful look on his face as well.
"That is when I yelled at him and left the room."
Selene turned her head and looked at him. "It is okay."
"What?"
"What he said, I can see his point, maybe they do want me, and instead of killing a hundred lifes, why not just kill one and save ninty-nine others?"
"Selene, I won't let you do that. His reasons were invalid anyways. They were being killed before they even came to us for help, that is why they came to us.. "
"You. They came to you Michael, they weren't entirely wrong were they?"
"Listen to me Selene." He said getting out of his chair and sitting on his knees in front of her, "I don't care what he said, or what they thought, your not the cause of whatever is happening on the streets around us. You're not going to give up on me, not now, not ever. It is not your fault and they know it, they are just looking for someone to blame for everything that is happening. You're not that reason, Selene."
She closed her eyes, "I suppose you're going to tell me you love me and that is the reason you won't side with them."
"Yes, and no." Michael started as he locked eyes with her, "I love you, it's something that I can't explain, but I know the feeling is there. I don't side with them, or Luke, because I know that what he is doing, what he is thinking is wrong. He has passed judgement, and passed reason on his rage of his kin dying to that of someone who had killed them. He doesn't understand why you killed them, or now that you know you were fighting on the wrong side. I don't side with him because he is wrong. I don't the right answer to any of this, but I do know that isn't it."
"What are you going to do?" She asked him.
"I'm going to find the truth, save them, and save you. It is the only thing I can do."
"How do you know what to say, when you feel so much?" Her emotions surfacing again as well for some odd reason.
"I don't." He said giving her a weak smile, "You learn to deal with it, your emotions effect your judgement and choice of words, you just have to work your way past your problem and say what you feel."
A knock on the door made them break away from the hold they had on eachothers mind as they had stared into eachothers eyes. Michael sighed and got up, he walked over to the door, he opened it to find Drake's back to him.
"What is it?" He asked as Drake spun around.
"Is this a bad time?" He asked peering over Michael's shoulder at Selene and waving to her.
"No, what is it?"
"No, I think this is a bad time, I will, umm.. talk to you later. It is not that important, sorry for interrupting." He said jumping over the railing and to the floor, "See you later Boss." He said walking away.
Michael shut the door behind him and turned to face Selene, she was still staring at him, "Okay."
She gave him a perplexed look as he smiled.
~*~
A/N: Wow, I typed a lot faster than normal, I guess I had a lot more ideas I wanted to get out in this chapter than normal, that and I got a new computer. So, I am in a floaty mood. Okay, again, I don't know when I will stop putting this in here... any questions you have about the story, don't be afraid to ask or anything. I'm always willing to answer...seriously, otherwise I might get bored. I tend to do that. :) Anyways, this is a good chapter I think, but that is my opinon, probably not my favorite chapter... as of yet, but it has a lot more background in it, based on Drake mostly, but he is important too. Anyways, next chapter, you will most likely come face to face with Marcus and Erika. For all you fans of them out there... I haven't met any as of yet, but I am sure there are some.
I think that is all I wanted to say...yep just about covers it all. Hope you all liked this chapter as much as you liked the rest of the story so far.
I'm out, thanks for reading, and if your like me...stay warm!
Don't forget...read and review...or review, or maybe just read...ahh...it doesn't matter...enjoy it!!
"I think you succeeded in freaking her out." William said from the other side of the room.
"Huh? Oh, whatever, I'm not the one who was running tests to see what a virus did to her. Plus.. " Drake pulled a book off the shelf, "I'm not the one who took her blood either."
"She knew why I took her blood, and I didn't take it, she gave it. Don't make a big deal out of it Drake." William said walking over to him as Drake skimmed the pages to the book he had been holding. William raised his eyebrow and sighed, "What are you looking for anyways. I didn't think you did research... for anything."
"Heh, that's because I'm not. I'm reading." Drake replied a smug smile on his face.
William grabbed the book, "Well, what are you reading...ten ways to kill your enemy 1700-1720. You know, I'm not even gonna ask why your reading this book. Or why I have the book in the first place."
Drake grabbed the book back, "I'm not crazy if that's what you mean."
"Well, there goes my first guess doesn't it. Hmmm... how about insane."
"Nope."
"Then what are you?" William asked looking at the shelf.
"I heard something."
"What do you mean?"
"About the vampires, when I was hunting. Or, I heard about the pack of death dealers that are going around. This is the era they are all from, all trained, and all elites. I figure it will give me more information on how they fight and how I can kill them easier."
"Have you tried being a hybrid?" William said trying not to laugh.
"Very funny Willy, but nope, I can't be a hybrid and you know it. Michael is the hybrid and as much as I fear so is Marcus. I know I always say I would try everything, but not things I know won't work."
"Well then, you keep studying or whatever your doing again. I'm going to test Selene's blood." William said walking back over to his desk.
"Told you." Drake mumbled.
"What was that?" William asked stopping and turning around to face him.
"Oh, I said, told you, you did take her blood."
"I'm not going to argue with you, and for the last time, I didn't take her blood."
"That's what you say." Drake whispered and smiled as he walked to the door, "I'm gonna borrow these."
"Sure just return them to me... or on second thought, you can have them."
"Thanks Willy." Drake laughed as he walked out the door.
~*~
Michael just stared blankly at her, "Why do you feel? What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said." Selene said slipping from his hold and standing up on the other side of the bed, her back to him, "I feel... that's the problem. I'm not supposed to feel... anything. I haven't felt and I don't feel."
"So, you feel, emotions."
"Yes, I'm scared a lot of times and I feel my heart aching. I don't know what it is either, or when it started I suppose. I think it was when I woke up."
Michael reached out and touched her shoulder, the contact made her shiver. "Your okay."
She turned slightly so that she could see him out of the corner of her eyes, "How do you know?"
"I don't. But, I have been a human for awhile, I know how you feel, I remember."
Her eyes seemed to hold a sadness which he had never recognized in them before. She seemed vunerable, and almost like she was still a child. It was then he knew what William meant by human. Her emotions, they were human again, she was feeling everything she held in for two hundred years, she was going through all the hurt she had been through since the beginning of her immortal life, and the end of her human one.
He finally broke the silence as she seemed to go distant and in her eyes he could see a glazed over look. "What are you feeling now?"
"Everything..." She whispered, " Pain, regret, sadness, and anger, and those are only the major ones."
He knew it was hard for her. Her emotional capacity must have been in overdrive by now. If it was him, he would have broke down long ago. But maybe their was still some of the emotionless vampire in her emotion system.
Michael stood up and walked over to her. He brought his arms out slowly and wrapped them around her, bringing her closer to him and hugging her.
"What are you doing?" She asked him her voice broken and toneless.
"I'm trying to lend you support and comfort you, your going through a tough time, and I'm going to do everything in my power to help you through it."
Her eyes locked gazes with his and a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. His thumb came up and brushed it away gently. Their eyes still not leaving eachothers. He picked her up as she stayed silent and layed her down on the bed. His arms around her and her head laying on his chest. He absently stroked her back as she layed there like a statue, but awake.
That was the only tear that every escaped while they were laying there at that moment, the only one she would let him see. She was the strong one and she was used to it, just because she was feeling things, didn't mean she had to acknowledge them. They were silent not a word was spoken, and to people outside of the room it would seem as if they had fallen asleep.
~*~
Drake walked down the hallway humming to himself as he went going over the things he read in his head. He bumped into someone and looked up at them. It was Luke, one of the older lycans. A big guy too.
"Hey Luke."
"Move it, boy." He commanded pushing past him and walking away, leaving the den.
Drake raised his eyebrow and watched his retreating figure, "That's no way to treat your elder!" He called out smiling to himself as he started walking again.
In all honesty, whatever Luke was up to couldn't be good news. He had been out every night hunting and not once came upon any vampires, which was impossible given that he knew for a fact that vampires had been combing the city for the past few days. He had ran into two groups of them. Luckly they were young, and stupid. He had been complemented for such a heroic act taking out two groups of death dealers. But he failed to mention that they were young and almost fledglings.
"Oh well." Drake told himself as he walked into William's office, "Hey Willy, what'cha up to?" He asked placing the book back in the shelf and sitting down on the desk.
"Would you please quit calling me that."
"What, I could do the old english thing again, I am from the area, want me to talk with my british accent again?"
"No, not really, I'm quite happy without it. It was annoying by the way."
"Hey!" Drake said standing up and putting his fists up, "That's my real accent. Are you saying that I was annoying when I talked?"
William looked up and smirked, "Yes, I guess I am."
Drake glared and gave a small huff before sitting back down, "So... are you done yet?"
"With what?"
"The thing you have been slaving over for the past... hour."
"Almost." William said, "Could you hand me that book of notes beside you?"
"Aye, mate." Drake said smirking and picking it up. His eyes skimmed over it and noticed the various scribbles and sketchs over the page. "Seems like you've been busy."
"Yeah, probably the most important thing I have ever done."
Drake nodded and handed him the book, "You really need to get out more."
"I think I'm doing just fine." William replied writing something down and looking back over at the microscope.
"Yeah, sure you are mate. You haven't met a bird in what? A hundred years?"
"That is none of your business, and stop talking like that."
"Awww... c'mon, you know, I don't think that I 'ave ever seen you with a woman. In fact...."
"Drake.." William started his head snapping up towards the older lycan, "Don't start, not now."
Drake sighed, "Your no fun. I think I will go bug someone my own age thanks."
"Fine then." William said rolling his eyes.
"Okay."
Drake left the room and William returned to his work. Sometimes he thought Drake was still a young man trapped inside of an old soul. He acted like a teenager, but had the responsibilities of an old man. He took pride in what he did, but he always had to goof off when doing it. Maybe it was his way of coping with his immortal life, and the loss he suffered before and after he was turned.
~*~
Selene stood up from the bed. Michael still asleep, he had fallen asleep a couple of hours after he had laid down with her. He never moved or spoke just laid with her soothing her the only way he knew how, and what he thought was best. On the outside she seemed lost and it may have been true also on the inside. A rage of emotions, most of which she hadn't felt in two hundred years.
She believed Michael when he said he would do his best to help her. He did after all confess that he loved her. Even with all the emotions she felt, she didn't know if she loved him. She knew she didn't feel happy at the moment, but a part of her felt relieved to know that Michael was there for her. It was always good to have someone to fall back on.
She glanced back down at him, his chest was moving faintly as he slept, his face showing a hint of worry as he slept otherwise peacefully. A memory of the past couple of nights hit her like a ton of bricks. Viktor had lied to her, for two hundred years without giving it a second thought. She took the place of the daughter he killed for loving Lucian. He almost took hers and Michael's life also.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts as she walked into the bathroom. She had already taken a shower, but it would help her relax if she took another one. After removing her clothes she stepped into the large glass shower. For animals, this place was nicely built, than what they usually hid in.
She let the hot drops of the shower run over her, her body still feeling cold none the less as it tried to cling to the warmth of the water, only to have it's hopes smashed.
After washing off she stepped out of the shower and put some new clothes, that Michael had lain on the counter, on. She stepped out of the bathroom to see Michael sitting in a chair his eyes focused now on her.
She looked towards the ground, not wanting to really meet his gaze at the moment, he wet hair dripping as she looked at him through her hair. He stood up and walked over to her.
"Did it help?" He asked her quietly.
"A little I guess." She replied just as quiet.
He nodded and held his hand out, she looked up at him, "What?"
"C'mon, I want to show you something."
She looked back down at his hand and grabbed it. She felt his warm skin rush up her arm and heat her body. It was much more effective than the shower. He pulled her out of the room, and she stayed close to his side, still not feeling comfortable around the lycans.
He led her with his head held high, but every once in awhile he would look back down at her and squeeze her hand in reasurance. She looked up from the ground when she felt someone's gaze upon her. She met eyes with a big man. He was just about seven feet tall, his eyes burning into her soul. They were a dark brown, but looked almost black. His eyes held a coldness that she knew was intended for her, and for her only.
She blinked and looked back down at the ground. The thing that made a shiver go up her spine was that he was the only one that was looking, and the only one she could feel hate radiating from. Michael turned the corner and walked until he came to a large black door, he opened it and a large iron staircase that led upwards in a spiral was in the middle of the room.
"What are we doing?" She asked him confused as to what they were doing.
"Well, I'm going to show you something, and that something... is up there." He said motioning to the door at the top of the staircase.
She sighed and he smiled, he started pulling her up the stairs, and she felt a little better since she wasn't around any more lycans, just with Michael.
They reached the top of the stairs and Michael opened the door slowly, watching her facial features change back into confusion as she looked at the room inside.
Inside the room there was a large canopy bed, with black curtains. There were no windows, just candles and some lamps. There was also a large leather couch and some leather chairs in the corner of the room. Another door led off from the room, which she presumed was a bathroom. A desk and bookcase sat on the wall opposite of the bed. At the end of the bed a small metal chest was sitting in the floor. The room smelt of flowers, flowers that you would only smell in the daytime. The smell she missed from her childhood. When she picked flowers with her sister and mother.
She hadn't smelt a flower in two hundred years, and it was then she noticed the flowers scattered around the room. There were red rose petals on the bed, and white roses hanging around the frame to the bathroom. Other flowers were in different spots of the room matching the tone and color of the thing it was sitting on or beside.
"W-what is this?"
"Drake had fixed this place up. He thought you would like it better up here, away from the other lycans. He never slept in here, nor has anyone else. He fixed this room up awhile back, and today he picked flowers to place in it. I think out of all the lycans here, he respects you the most."
Selene stepped around the room, checking around.
"So what do you think?"
"Why would he do this for me?"
"I told you he respects you."
"That doesn't matter, he gave me this room when he could have kept it for himself."
"That's the funny thing about Drake, no one gets him. He is just him, unpredictable, and crazy. You have earned his respect and his trust, just a matter of time before you earn it from the rest of them."
"Can you tell him thanks for me?"
"Sure I will."
Selene sat down in one of the leather chairs.
"So again, what do you think?"
"It's nice. Sorta reminds me of when I was younger.. and human."
"I'm guessing its the flowers that remind you."
"Yeah." Selene said looking up at him as he walked over and sat down on the couch.
"You think you'll be okay for a bit while I go meet with the other lycan elders?"
"Yeah, I will." She told him staring around the room once more."
"I'll be back later." He told her getting up and kissing her on the top of the head before leaving the room.
He may have been thrown into this world unexpectedly, but he had adapted pretty fast. Never asked questions, just did what he thought was right. Michael may not admit it, but his home was here, with the lycans. Selene had no home, not any longer. The vampires hated her for helping a lycan and helping slay a vampire elder, not just an elder. The strongest and oldest, and her own dark father, her sire.
She closed her eyes at the image of the battle, she couldn't bear it then, and still couldn't bear it now.
There was a soft knock on the door and Selene stood up. She sensed the presence of a lycan on the other side she walked cautiously thr rest of the way to the door. She reached her hand out slowly and grabbed the handle of the door. She pulled the door open quickly and gave a small sigh when it was only Drake.
"Hey neighbor." He said waving and grinning.
"Hey." She replied, still not use to his cheerful manner.
"You like the room I take it?"
"Yeah, I want to thank you for it also. I didn't understand why you would let me have this room though, it's wonderful, and I really still don't understand it."
"I suppose Michael said it was because you earned my respect right?"
"Actually, yeah, that is almost exactly what he said." She told him looking confused.
"I sorta told him to say that if you asked." Drake told her scratching the back of his head.
"Explained why it sounded weird."
"Yeah, just wanted to tell you, you did earn my respect, but you also earned my trust because I know how you feel."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say we share a common experiences, actually a few of them."
"Do you mind telling me what they are?"
"Maybe... sometime, but I don' t think now is the time."
"Why not?" She asked him crossing her arms over her chest the warrior in her sufacing for the first time since she had woken up.
"I haven't told anyone, no one knows. Its not something I can just come out and say to anyone. Its a secret of my past, and a secret of your future. I will tell you, but only when the information I have can save your life, for now, it can't, it could only make a worse mess than would have been foretold. Plus, I'm not much into story time at the moment. I have to get back to the elders meeting, before Michael goes bloody mad. He wanted me to check on you anyways. So, here I am checking on you."
"Tell him I'm fine."
"Are you?" He asked smirking circling around her and looking her up and down, "Well, I told him I would check, and I did, no visible wounds or sores. So, your in the clear. I will talk to you later." He said laughing and walking out of the door shutting it slowly behind him.
Selene looked at the door before sighing and sitting back down in the chair she had occupied earlier. Drake seemed like the guy who only wanted to have fun, but he also had a serious side to him that most people never knew about. She was also wondering about the information he withheld from her, he must of had his own reasons for it, but she didn't know what ot think anymore.
~*~
Michael sat at the table, his arms crossed over his chest as Drake walked in. "How is she?" He asked, being worried about leaving her alone, for how long he didn't even know. He couldn't help but worry for her though. She had changed him, helped him, saved him. It was hard for him not to think of her well being every other second. Without her, there would be no him.
"She is fine."
"Okay." Michael said nodding.
The other lycans started to come into the room. Of all sizes, but all around the same age, and they were all a lot older than Michael himself.
They all took their seats around the round table and all had their eyes on Michael. He kept his gaze focused at Drake who was sitting down across from him and would smirk when he saw Michael's face.
"Okay, boys. It looks as if everyone is here. We are here to discuss the plans for tonight, tonight we must hunt, but with the vampires trying to kill us faster than ever, there has to be a reason, besides revenge. Anyone got any ideas?" Drake said leaning back in his chair.
"Maybe they want to kill us all and end the war, but only at the end, there is none of us left." One lycan who was sitting to the right of Michael said.
"True, but why is Marcus so intent on kicking our asses, I think he has other plans for trying to wipe us out, the only thing is we don't know what he is up to exactly."
"Maybe he wants her." A lycan with long black shaggy hair and piercing dark brown almost black eyes spoke up.
"Wants who Luke?" Drake asked, Michael even leaned forward a bit eagerly waiting Luke's response.
"The vampire. It only makes sense, they want her, she killed Viktor afterall, they want revenge right, who not better to take it out on then the source?"
"Yeah, that is a great idea Luke, "Drake said rolling his eyes, "They are killing us to get her. They don't even know where she is. How in the bloody 'ell do you expect them to find her?"
"They could follow one of us back to our hideout without us knowing, and with all the lycans about, they could easily pinpoint her scent. Hell, maybe they already have, and that's why they are killing us."
"You forget, when Marcus was awoken, he started killing us, he could not of known that we were searching for her as well, infact, the thought hadn't even crossed our minds yet, and he was killing us from the moment he woke up." Another lycan said.
Michael watched them as they continued to agrue about whether it was Selene's fault. His anger building at the accusation, but he said nothing, just watched in silence, and when he had enough, he would speak up and made sure they would listen to every little word he had to say about it.
"I say we offer her back to them, you know, maybe in a sorta peace agreement that they will stop killing us if we hand her over." Luke said, everyone went quiet at this comment, most of them looking out the corner of their eyes at Michael. Who sat silently, his anger already at a boiling point even before the comment, and had no exploded through the roof.
"WE WILL MAKE NO SUCH AGREEMENT!" Michael yelled at him, "Selene couldn't possibly be the reason they are killing us anyways. There has to be another reason, and I suggest Luke, that you leave her out of any idea you have." His temper slowly fading but still enough to rip someone's head off, most likely Luke's.
Michael stood up and walked to the door, "We will make to seperate teams for tonights hunt, any information that is found will be reported to me or to Drake, the sooner we figure out what is going on in their heads, the sooner we will know how to stop them."
Michael then walked out of the room, other lycans following his lead and leaving also. Drake just smirked at Luke who was sitting almost across from him. "Well, looks like you got the shit yelled out of you. Better not piss 'im off again mate." Drake stood up, "And I will be watching you." He informed him his back to the Luke and he walked out of the door.
~*~
Michael walked into the room where he found Selene leaning back againts the chair he had left her in, he arms crossed over her chest and her eyes focused on the floor.
"Hey." He said softly.
She looked up at him, "How did it go?"
"Good, I guess, although when I left, I did want to rip a head off."
She looked at him for a moment, "Who's head?"
He sat down in the chair beside her, "Some older lycan's head. Luke was his name."
She nodded, "How did he piss you off?" She asked, tired of not knowing what was going on, and if this was the only way she could get answers, then this is what she would do.
"Let's just say he said somethings that didn't settle well with me." Michael told her clasping his hands together and staring at the floor.
"Michael, you can tell me what he said, I want to know."
"I know you do, but I just don't want you to be upset about what he said or anything."
"Was it about me?" She asked as he was about to open his mouth to say something else to her.
"Yeah, it was." He said quietly ashamed of what he was trying to keep from her.
"What did he say?"
"He said that the reason Marcus was trying to kill them was that he wanted revenge on you, that you were the cause of the whole ordeal, he also wanted to offer you back to them as a peace offering, to reach an agreement that they would be safe."
Selene tilted her head to the side to think as Michael looked up at her, a thoughtful look on his face as well.
"That is when I yelled at him and left the room."
Selene turned her head and looked at him. "It is okay."
"What?"
"What he said, I can see his point, maybe they do want me, and instead of killing a hundred lifes, why not just kill one and save ninty-nine others?"
"Selene, I won't let you do that. His reasons were invalid anyways. They were being killed before they even came to us for help, that is why they came to us.. "
"You. They came to you Michael, they weren't entirely wrong were they?"
"Listen to me Selene." He said getting out of his chair and sitting on his knees in front of her, "I don't care what he said, or what they thought, your not the cause of whatever is happening on the streets around us. You're not going to give up on me, not now, not ever. It is not your fault and they know it, they are just looking for someone to blame for everything that is happening. You're not that reason, Selene."
She closed her eyes, "I suppose you're going to tell me you love me and that is the reason you won't side with them."
"Yes, and no." Michael started as he locked eyes with her, "I love you, it's something that I can't explain, but I know the feeling is there. I don't side with them, or Luke, because I know that what he is doing, what he is thinking is wrong. He has passed judgement, and passed reason on his rage of his kin dying to that of someone who had killed them. He doesn't understand why you killed them, or now that you know you were fighting on the wrong side. I don't side with him because he is wrong. I don't the right answer to any of this, but I do know that isn't it."
"What are you going to do?" She asked him.
"I'm going to find the truth, save them, and save you. It is the only thing I can do."
"How do you know what to say, when you feel so much?" Her emotions surfacing again as well for some odd reason.
"I don't." He said giving her a weak smile, "You learn to deal with it, your emotions effect your judgement and choice of words, you just have to work your way past your problem and say what you feel."
A knock on the door made them break away from the hold they had on eachothers mind as they had stared into eachothers eyes. Michael sighed and got up, he walked over to the door, he opened it to find Drake's back to him.
"What is it?" He asked as Drake spun around.
"Is this a bad time?" He asked peering over Michael's shoulder at Selene and waving to her.
"No, what is it?"
"No, I think this is a bad time, I will, umm.. talk to you later. It is not that important, sorry for interrupting." He said jumping over the railing and to the floor, "See you later Boss." He said walking away.
Michael shut the door behind him and turned to face Selene, she was still staring at him, "Okay."
She gave him a perplexed look as he smiled.
~*~
A/N: Wow, I typed a lot faster than normal, I guess I had a lot more ideas I wanted to get out in this chapter than normal, that and I got a new computer. So, I am in a floaty mood. Okay, again, I don't know when I will stop putting this in here... any questions you have about the story, don't be afraid to ask or anything. I'm always willing to answer...seriously, otherwise I might get bored. I tend to do that. :) Anyways, this is a good chapter I think, but that is my opinon, probably not my favorite chapter... as of yet, but it has a lot more background in it, based on Drake mostly, but he is important too. Anyways, next chapter, you will most likely come face to face with Marcus and Erika. For all you fans of them out there... I haven't met any as of yet, but I am sure there are some.
I think that is all I wanted to say...yep just about covers it all. Hope you all liked this chapter as much as you liked the rest of the story so far.
I'm out, thanks for reading, and if your like me...stay warm!
Don't forget...read and review...or review, or maybe just read...ahh...it doesn't matter...enjoy it!!