Disclaimer: See previous chapter.

Chap. VI

-0-

An hour had passed. After Ethan's proclamation, he left to get some air. At first, Selene didn't trust him in going, but he left anyway. It became obvious that Selene had struck a particularly painful nerve. With Ethan gone, that left Michael alone with Selene once again. Again, tense silence dominated between them. And again, Michael was the one to break it.

"Are you really going to do it?"

Selene turned from her usual position by the window. "Do what?"

"Meet with Marcus tomorrow night."

"Yes."

"Are you sure that's wise?" he asked.

"I have to."

Michael's eyes narrowed, "Why?"

When she didn't answer, Michael arose from his seat, slightly upset. "Tell me."

"You wouldn't understand."

Michael was now fully upset, "Damn it, Selene. What is it?"

Selene suddenly whirled and snapped, "What do you want to hear, Michael? That I feel lost? That I have no idea what to do now? That when I saved you, my life has changed and I don't know what to do about it? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Michael stared at her in shock. He knew she was disturbed by something, but he never expected her to suddenly explode. Neither did Selene, who was also shocked by her own actions. She had always been cool and calm about things that trouble her. Always relying on herself to sort out whatever problems may come to her. Only once or twice has an issue to overwhelming and she would always look to Viktor for guidance. But now he was no more. She was on her own. And that more than anything right now...scared her. Without looking back at Michael, she turned around toward the window once again.

"Selene...I..."

But Michael couldn't bring himself to finish and simply moved away from her and back to his seat, leaving the two of them dominated by silence once again.

"Kara..."

Ethan sighed this as he stood on the roof of the very building they was on. The moon shone partly through the clouds, incomplete in its phase. But Ethan didn't care about that. To him, the moon was always beautiful. Much like he beloved Kara. No. She was more. He lowered his eyes away from the sky.

"I miss you so much."

It had happened during the great battle between the vampires and the lycans. The lycans had held themselves up in a castle that they used as a stronghold. They had been fighting for some time now. So much so that the nearby village began to take note. But despite that, the humans knew nothing. Much like many of the great battles fought, this one was shifted the change of everything between them. And it only took one night. The vampires, led by Viktor, fought with the lycans in the bloodiest battle of their two histories.

On the day before it though, Ethan and Kara were on their way back after spotting the advancing vampire force. They were retreating back to the castle when a vampire squad caught up to them and attacked. Because they were in their transformed forms, they managed to bring the vampires down, but not without injures of their own. Both lycans had changed back in order to treat their injuries. They were the few ones who could control their transformations with or without a full moon and it proven to be an advantage.

"Damn bloods." She cursed as she rubbed her shoulder from a healing stab wound. "My shoulder will be stiff for a week now."

Ethan smiled from behind her, "Well, at least some good came out of this."

"And what would that be?"

Suddenly, Ethan took hold of her wrists and whirled her around to face him. Bringing her close, he plunged his lips onto hers in a passionate kiss. Her then pulled away and looked at her surprised face.

"We're alone at last."

Kara shook her head amused, "Ethan, honestly. You're like a rabid dog in heat sometimes."

Ethan's smiled dropped into a grin, "Well what do expect. I'm holding a beautiful naked woman in my arms that loves me." The smile returned, "And it has been what? Weeks? A month?"

Kara smiled and pulled his face toward hers for a kiss of her. Breaking off...

"Three weeks and two days."

"Don't you think that's long enough?"

The cinnamon-haired woman giggled and her blue eyes flashed, "Now didn't Lucian send us because we were the responsible ones?"

Ethan sighed and held her closer, "No. He sent us because he knew that if we didn't get one moment together, he'd have to deal with a very aggravated lycan who bears a striking resemblance to his brother."

She giggled more and her eyes softened, "Well...we would want that to happen, would we?"

The two lovers closed to embrace again, but stopped midway. Both their heads turned to look in the forest trees.

"Someone's out there."

The two moved toward the trees and saw a large number of figures moving through the trees, all darkly cloaked and dressed.

"No. It's too soon!" Kara exclaimed.

Ethan agreed, "They're moving faster than we though. They're coming to the castle in force."

The two of them moved across to see the horde stomp their way through the forest. "They'll reach it in no time at the rate they're moving."

"Lucian has to know about this."

"No time." Kara responded. "By the time they reach the castle, it'll be too late."

"We'll have to buy the others some time." Ethan's eyes traced along their path. "I'll stay and divert them while you get back to the castle."

"Not this time." Ethan quickly turned to argue, but she shut him up. "You're faster than I am. They need all the time they can get to prepare."

"Kara..."

"Please, there's no time to argue." She smiled, "You know I'm right."

Ethan's eyes darted yet remained on her. Finally, he conceded and gave her a quick kiss.

"I'll be back for you. I promise."

He had come back. After warning Lucian, he went back in search for her. Unfortunately, when he found her, she was already dead, with a sword impaled through her heart. He didn't know whether to howl or cry. In the end he did both. When he returned the castle was already under attack. His memory of holding his beloved Kara in his arms returned like a whirlwind and in his rage, Ethan attacked, literally tearing a beeline through the vampire horde and back into the castle. It was then that Lucian explained to Ethan of his plan to have one of the vampires return, saying that he had killed Lucian. Ethan argued that no vampire would ever go for it, but Lucian then introduced him to a captured vampire.

Kraven...

"Lucian, this is insane." Ethan argued as they strode through the hallways of the castle. "We can't trust him. I don't care if he was our cousin."

"I don't trust him." Lucian answered. "But I know him. Greed is his motivation. He will believe that this will work out to his benefit more."

The two walked into another chamber where Kraven sat waiting for them. Ethan narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

"Do you understand our agreement?"

Kraven nodded, "You let me live if I go back and say that you died. Simple enough." His eyes narrowed darkly, "However, I will need some proof."

Lucian nodded and turned to Ethan. Pulling out a short blade, he handed it to Ethan and turned to him his right shoulder which bore his branding mark.

"Tear it off."

Ethan looked at him in shock, but Lucian's eyes gave no room for argument. Taking a breath, he leveled the blade and cleanly slashed off the foreskin. Lucian growled and grasped his shoulder. With the other hand, he took the foreskin and gave it to Kraven.

"There's your proof." he growled. "And to make sure there isn't a search, I set fires in this castle." Ethan turned to him again, but he continued, "We can't have evidence around, can we?"

As he spoke, the fires were already climbing the castle. Also, a couple of lycans entered the room and set fires there as well.

"Better get going, Kraven."

The plan had worked flawlessly. The fire completely destroyed the castle, leaving nothing to deny Kraven's claim that he was the one that had vanquished the lycan champion. But in truth, the remaining lycans had escaped through an underground passage and into the sea. But Ethan was distraught. Kara was gone, and he sensed the scent of her killer. The one whose scent was on the sword. The one who caused him to go into a mad fury toward the castle. The one...Kraven.

"I'm sorry, brother."

Lucian found a moment on the ship to talk to Ethan, who was standing on the deck and staring at the moonlit sky. Ethan hadn't said anything since their escape and Lucian knew why.

"It's hard, I know."

Ethan shut his eyes. He didn't want to tell Lucian that it was Kraven that killed his beloved. Lucian would take it hard and would kill Kraven himself in order for Ethan not to. But in doing so, he would blow his cover and the lycans would suffer more. And he couldn't go after Kraven himself because Lucian still had a use for him in the future. So there was only one thing to do.

Let it go...

"Lucian. I can't...do this anymore. I'm not abandoning you, but I'm not like you. I don't think I'm strong enough."

Lucian nodded sadly, "We have eternity. Just remember, you'll always have a place with us."

And so, the two lycan brothers went their separate way. Lucian went into hiding in order to plan for his brethren while Ethan disappeared as well, eventually and slowly resurfacing into the mortal world. His sorrow from Kara's death mingled with the vengeful wrath against Kraven was only prevented by Lucian's last words.

"We have eternity..."

And so, Ethan waited. Waited for the day when Lucian would surface and reveal himself. Waited for the time when Kraven would be his to kill. As the decades and centuries rolled past, his sorrow changed him. He no longer cared about the war and hoped that Lucian would find a peaceful solution. That seemed to be the only way for their survival. Ethan adapted that into himself and became more peaceful. He would need it if Lucian succeeded. And it seemed that he did in part. But Lucian was always one with a back-up plan.

Michael...

But now, Lucian was dead, only existing in the mind of a hybrid youth. A new battle was coming and Ethan saw it. But this time, he couldn't run away and hide. He would be needed in it. For Michael...and Selene to survive, they will need his help. And should he encounter Kraven along the way, there would be only one thing that Ethan hoped for.

A full moon...