Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. XX

Soon everything he had worked for will be his. His ambition was the driving force and it has served him well. He survived the wars, the lycan and even the Elders. And now he was on the way to sealing his victory. All that was left for him to do was to wipe out the lycans, destroy the abomination, and reclaim his queen.

'Selene…'

He would have her, no matter what she thought. She was his. He would claim her as his mate and they would rule the vampires forever. Soon, he will have everything. He'll even get the extra bonus of eliminating his rival, the abomination. A creature that should have died long ago. Even now, he loathed to even speak the name of this creature.

"Michael…"

The car soon came to a halt as he signaled the driver to stop. The door opened and Kraven stepped out, the robes he wore bristling in the draft wind as he did. Turning around, he watched three trucks roll down behind him and stop. The back doors opened up and troops of Death Dealers stormed out and stationed before him. Lucas was in the lead and standing directly before Kraven.

"This is the night were it all ends." Kraven announced. "The lycans must be wiped out and the abomination destroyed. This will be the birth of a new order for us all." He raised his fist into the air, "To the new order!"

"To the new order!"

Ordoghaz…

As his former warriors had gone off into battle, Marcus sat silently within the cell he had been imprisoned in. His arms and legs were chained, but that didn't matter to him. He knew he was strong enough to break them. Hell, he had the strength to subdue the entire mansion if he chose. He was fortunate than no one remembered just how powerful an elder was, much less a hybrid. But that would have done more harm than good. And running away was unacceptable. He had to reclaim his coven and deal with the traitors.

"Now isn't this a sight?"

'Speak of the devil…'

The chamber door open and Octavia strode in, an amused smile on her lips. "The last Elder of the vampire clan behind bars and in chains."

"Is that what this was about for you, Octavia?" Marcus pried. "Seeing me suffer?"

"You caused me a great deal of suffering so I only see fit to return it." she said in reply.

"Why?"

Her eyes widened and she shrieked, "You refused me! Me! Of all people, you rejected me!" Her eyes blazed in anger, "Over and over again. All because you're in love with a corpse!"

Now it was the elder's turn to be surprised, "What?"

"You thought I didn't know." she sneered. "I knew. All of it. It was forbidden, but you still saw fit to have her over me."

Marcus's eyes narrowed in realization. So now he knew her motive. It was jealousy. Jealousy because he chose to love another rather than her. Even if it was against the Covenant.

"And then when she died, you still loved her." Octavia raved on. "I've had enough! Now I and Kraven will rule while you will suffer, just as I have." Her grin returned, "Provided Kraven doesn't want you dead afterward."

"You honestly think you can trust him?" Marcus questioned. He knew what Kraven was like. For Kraven, he wanted power. Such a thirst would not be quenched easily. That was why there are three Elders instead of one. Were three...

"Why not? He's gotten me this far."

He noticed the dark glint in her eyes and sensed something wrong. "What do you mean?"

Her grin became a smile and she moved to the exit of the prison.

"That's for me to know."

Abandoned train station

Movement was constant underground as the lycans packed what things they could in order to leave. A couple of lycans were used to this as they had done it before over the years before. But many were younger lycans and were disorganized. That was where Sisera and Ethan came in. The two of them directed the others where they were supposed to go. Ethan had learned that one of the tracks led off to the surface a couple of miles away. They would travel in the morning toward the coast and ship away. Perhaps to America? Ethan wasn't sure. All he could think about now was getting them out of there now.

"We're almost done here." Sisera informed him. "The last of the supplies is being moved now."

Ethan nodded, "Okay. If we go fast, we could be outside before sunrise. That'll give us some extra time."

"What about Michael?"

"Michael won't come without Selene. So we bring her." He looked toward the former medical bay, "That simple."

A sudden vibration caught their attentions and they could just make out the sounds of movement coming from one of the upper tunnel-ways.

"You were saying." Sisera frowned.

"Get the others moving. I'll go back for Michael."

Sisera looked at him in surprise, "You can't go back alone. We should join…"

Ethan shook his head, "No. I don't want to risk any more than necessary."

"By yourself?" Sisera grabbed hold of his arm. "That's crazy. You can't…"

Ethan stopped, but didn't turn to her. "I can. I have to do what best for the others. That's why I'm going alone. Michael is important. And Selene is important to him." His voice lowered. "I'm expendable."

Sisera whirled him around and glared at him angrily, "How stupid are you?!"

"Sisera, stop it." He grabbed hold of her shoulders in order to calm her down, "You know that this is best. Our species is dying. I will not have anymore die on me. Not here."

Sisera's glare disappeared and she lowered her head, releasing him in the process. He in turn let go of her shoulders and turned again.

"Besides, you know me. You know that this is what I do best. Now go already."

Sisera lifted her head up, "Are you ordering me?"

It was a simple question, but it spoke in varying degrees. Ethan was silent for a moment and then firmly answered.

"Yes, I am."

Sisera smiled, "Just making sure."

'What did she mean?' Marcus pondered some time after Octavia had left. It could have been nothing, or even yet, a ploy of Octavia to make him think there was something. But it didn't seem that way. There was something else that he didn't know about. Something about her smile indicated as such, that she had some hidden secret. But what could that…?

Suddenly, the lights and power flickered off, surprising Marcus to his feet (or at least as close as he could) he heard the sounds of the guards outside move away, leading him to believe that something was definitely up. Even more surprising was when the prison door opened and Erika stood before him.

"You."

Wasting little time, the blond vampiress moved to the chains and unlocked then with a key. Marcus shook the chains off and stood before her.

"Why?"

Erika lowered her head, somewhat shyly. "Because I promised that I would."

'Then there is hope after all.' "We must stop Kraven before it's too late." he said as he moved to the door. However, Erika remained still and unmoving and Marcus stopped to look at her saddened face. 'She must feel lost now.' With everything that had been going on, he didn't blame her. He had to fix this. It was his duty. Raising a hand to her, he softly commanded.

"Come. It's not safe for you to be here now."

The girl blinked with surprise and then she stepped before him, her face no longer sad.

"As you wish, my lord."