CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Looking For A Lost Lycan

Michael & Selene:

The big lycan dominated the small couch, so Michael grabbed a chair and sat across from him. Selene decided standing would give her a small advantage, should she have to defend herself or Michael. So, she kept within close range. She was making sure that if she were forced to shoot Raze, she would do the utmost damage.

Michael had a million questions running through his head, but before he could utter a single word, Raze shocked both him and Selene.

"What have you done with Lucian", the shapeshifter asked.

Michael's head snapped up at the question.

Selene peered at Raze, trying to discern as to whether or not the question was a trick. She could tell he was keeping a tight reign on his emotions. But he was angry; she could see the signs. His right hand was clenched tightly, while his left hand rubbed over the betraying fist. The veins in his neck were noticeable and he spoke as if it took great control to keep from screaming out his frustration.

Michael broke the silence, "He's in the tunnels. "I'm sorry if you didn't know, but he was killed when the death dealers attacked the lycans", he said apologetically.

"Fool, I know he was killed, I saw his body", Raze ground out between clenched teeth. He rubbed his hands down the length of his thighs, as if trying to keep himself in check.

"Well, then I don't understand your question", Michael replied.

Taking a deep breath, the lycan continued. "I watched the battle between you and Viktor. And you were losing, until the female vampire over there decapitated the Elder", he said watching the two of them closely.

"And what are you going to do, go tell the vampires where I am?' Selene asked disgustedly. "I promise you, Markus would kill you before he ever paid you a bounty for my whereabouts", she exclaimed.

The lycan carried on as if Selene hadn't spoken. "I watched you leave the tunnels, but I didn't follow. There were too many injured and dying lycans that needed my attention. We gathered up those that were hurt and moved out of the subway and over to our secondary lair." Then he paused a moment and looked up at Michael. "Lucian was always prepared. He made sure we had a safe place to go should anything happen to the tunnels", he stated sadly. Then he shook his head as if clearing away his thoughts. "Anyway, we knew the dead weren't going anywhere, so I planned on recuperating and hiding out for a couple of days. Once I felt it was safe, we went back into the tunnels to gather up our dead and bury them properly. And everyone was accounted for, except Lucian. He wasn't where I had last seen him, nor could we find his body anywhere in the lair. He had disappeared. So, I came here waiting for you to show up. I had hoped maybe you had moved him', the proud lycan said allowing his emotions to fill his voice.

"Why would we have moved him", Selene asked dispassionately.

"I didn't think for one minute you had enough respect for Lucian to do more than spit on him", Raze calmly retorted, "But I was hoping that since Michael shared Lucian's memories, he may have moved him somewhere the vampires couldn't get him."

The lycan looked over to Michael, hope mapped across the strong face. Michael hated to disappoint the man, but he had no choice.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been to the tunnels since you saw us leave after Selene killed Viktor", Michael told Raze sympathetically. "We've been recuperating from our injuries and keeping a low profile ourselves." He looked over at Selene and saw she hadn't relaxed her defensive posture any. "We came here to gather up a few supplies and to get some money so we can leave this area", he explained.

"Then, it's as I feared. The vampires must have taken him. They have probably desecrated his body and have it on display there in their trophy room", Raze declared. The control he had been trying to hold onto was slipping, and the anger he felt was becoming quite apparent.

Selene sensed the lycans desperation, and slowly brought her weapon up and trained it on the shapeshifter.

Understanding the other mans, despair, Michael stood up and gently pushed down on the barrel of Selene's gun. She shot Michael a dirty look, but didn't raise her weapon again. Instead, she kept a tight grip on it and let it hang at her side.

"Are you sure Lucian isn't down in the tunnels somewhere", Michael asked Raze. Isn't it possible, he may not have been dead when we all left? Maybe he dragged himself somewhere safe in order to die, just in case the vampires did come back", he suggested, offering a slim ray of hope.

"Didn't you hear me?" Raze asked. "We couldn't find him anywhere", he said slowly, enunciating each word as if he was talking to a small child.

"We could go down there with you and look around one more time", Michael offered. For some reason, it bothered him greatly to think of Lucian's body at the vampires' mercy.

"Are you insane?" Selene asked incredulously. "You know the death dealers are after us. Anytime we spend out on the streets after dark, is tempting fate. We should stay here, this is a lycan problem, not ours", she said throwing a contempt filled look at Raze.

"I'm part lycan, and I owe all that I am now to Lucian. It seems that the least I could do is help look for his body so that he can receive an honorable burial", Michael told her.

"I thought you wanted to get out of the country as soon as possible. What happened to that plan, Michael?" Selene spouted off. She was angry and hurt that Michael chose to side with the lycans instead of her.

Michael walked over to her and ran his hand through her dark, silky hair. Sighing he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "Selene, I have every intention of taking you and leaving this hellhole, as soon as I help Raze comb through the tunnels one last time. If you don't want to accompany us, I'll take you back to our hiding place. I promise to come for you as soon as we're finished."

"Now you must think I'm crazy", Selene snorted in disgust. "Do you actually think I'm going to let you go down into that hole without me; guess again", she said heading for the door. "Lycan", she said addressing Raze, "Let's go. I don't want to be out after dark any longer than necessary."

Michael quickly went into his old bedroom and threw some clothes into a bag, and grabbed the money he kept in his nightstand drawer. Then he followed the other two out of the apartment and over to the subway.