"Why do we have to keep moving? You know, we could have stayed in the cabin"
"No we couldn't, they are looking for us Michael"
"What difference does a week make?"
"The difference between life and death"
The statement was spoken with an icy tone but deep down he knew she was right. He just missed being in one place at once, having a place to call home. He allowed his gaze to wonder to the woman beside him, she was driving. Focused on the road and their survival. She was also not wearing her usual Death Dealer suit, instead she wore a long sleeved black shirt with tight black pants and army boots. Her style, yet much less eye catching than her suit, the plan was to blend in, in order not to arose suspecion. Her suit did all the contrary.
So much to her dislike she had to comply with her own rules and dress like a 'human'. However that did not mean that as soon as they did not have to deal with people she would change into her usual atire. And it also didn't mean she couldn't wear her clothing tight like she liked it. It was crucial for hunting, the most embarrassing thing that could happen during a hunt is to have you clothes stuck on something. Of course Michael never minded, on the contrary, the thin material allowed more of her curves to show, and since he was with her all day that also came as a treat to his eyes.
Unfortunately he wasn't the only one that appreciated her tastes. And every time they went somewhere with men around he was sure to stick as close as possible to her and glare at anyone looking at her like he would shred their throats. Selene either not noticed it, or not cared.
Confident of his actions, he reached for her pale hand, grasping it tightly with his. She relaxed under the warm tender touch, but still didn't meet gazes with him. They stayed silent until Michael, with his enhanced night vision caught a glimpse of something.
"A camp sight"
"What?"
"There's an empty camp sight right there"
"Good, we will stay there till sunset"
He nodded in agreement, sitting silently as Selene parked and they got out.
Decades back she'd learned how to survive with only a car for daylight protection. And one of the first things she had picked up when she got the chance was a long car cover thick black cloth, used mostly by obsessed owners wanting to protect their 'baby' from even the faintest glimpse from the human eye.
The sun was just beginning to appear over the horizon when they began to cover the old run-off van. Selene quickly got in, adjusting to the darkness and finding it comfortably safe, much more so than the inferno beginning to form outside.
Oh the Ironies of life… as a child she had adored the sun. Her skin had always had a healthy tanned look, now it looked as white as lead.
She sat at a corner of the van. The van she had purchased from a used car joint eleven months ago. She was sure the ugly thing drew much less attention than the black Jaguar they at first rode. Plus they were more probably to spot and look for a Jaguar than a badly painted van.
Her legs to her chest and her arms around them, they like these were boring to her. For she could only either sleep or check their limited supply of ammunitions for the millionth time. According to Michael if her guns were shined and cleaned any more she could start wearing them as jewellery.
Of course she found the comment offensive, but he did have a point.
'Weapons are meant to kill, not be over cared for'
Even Viktor had known when he had polished his sword enough. That sword… Who would have ever guessed that the almighty elder would be killed by his own sword, and at the hands of his own adopted daughter too.
Another Irony
Her pondering was leading to a dark mood, only to be interrupted by the careful opening of a front van door.
Michael had finished ensuring their place.
He struggled to the back of the van with her, coming to sit in front of her.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing"
"I know you better than that"
"Oh do you?" A sceptical question, surprised at how sure he sounded. How could he know her? She'd only known him a year and he already thought he knew her.
"Yes, very well actually"
Somehow he came to sit beside her and placed a warm hand on her bent knee. Their eyes met, her questioning eyes meeting his confident look.
Just short months ago he had been the one with that doubtful gaze… how had things changed.
"Tell me, please." He pleaded, and she gave into it.
"I was just remembering Viktor"
"It still pains you doesn't it?"
"It will always pain me Michael… he was like my father for a century. A single year cannot change that"
"I'm sorry"
"Don't be, it wasn't your fault"
"It wasn't yours either"
"You do remember who sliced his head in half?"
"He was going to… you did it to protect me"
Funny how something that had been studied for countless hours sounded so different when said a loud.
"Yes" Was her single reply.
They sunk into a deep silence, each left with their own thoughts. Suddenly Michael reached for Selene's hand, brining it to her knee palm up and began to play with it, she let him, curious to see what he was planning.
At first his fingerprints ran gently down her long fingers, her nails, tracing patterns against her palm. She wasn't ticklish, but she found herself beginning to doze off by the luring patterns. She had been completely awake a second ago but now her eyelids were getting heavy. She allowed her head to rest against Michael's warm shoulder.
How she loved laying next to him. He made her feel warm, made her feel loved.
He smiled, observing how his touch was making her relax. To his surprise he felt deliciously cool lips press against his neck, to his cheek. Impatiently he tilted his head in order to capture her lips. She smiled into the kiss, enjoying the feel of need that came with it.
She may not have had anything to do a minute ago, but this was purely exquisite.
Their hands began to roam as they moved to the floor. His hands touching her body through her clothes, her hands guided by the warmth of his skin. Moment like this had become common since their talk at the cabin.
And slowly she was beginning to understand.
She loved him
But he knew, no need to tell him.
He kissed her entire face, covering every feature of her porcelain skin. It was incredible the kind of glow it had after not touching the sun for more than a decade. In return she kissed him every opportunity she got. Her hands wondered into his shirt, teasing the skin there, feeling his ribs over skin, fascinated with the thought of their expansion when he turned into his hybrid form.
This emotion, was so bittersweet. His power, overwhelming yet she craved to feel it under her finger prints. In his 'human' form Michael was as gentle as a kitten, an insect who he held so much tenderness.
As a hybrid, he was the most dangerous creature alive. And not even she knew what his fullest potential was. That thought was the most scaring yet the more sensual to her.
This eternal confusion was what had her on the edge all the time. Falling didn't sound as bad as she supposed it should.
Unexpectedly his kisses moved down, down her neck, to her breastbone, she gasped when she felt his mouth over the cloth of her breasts. He delivered several soft kisses there, she could feel his lips through the thin fabric. She wished him to go further, to kiss her skin. Yet she was afraid, never before had she been kissed like that, so intimately.
For his part Michael knew exactly was he was doing… he was loving her. Feeling her and doing exactly what he'd wanted to do since he first saw her in that underground station. But he also knew that if she allowed him to continue it would mean she would be his… his only.
Selene was not the kind that only craved the fuck. On the contrary, she'd kept herself away from any man for over a century. Almost no vampire did that, she'd told him. Eventually the loneliness of the years got to everyone and they searched for contact. All the why she was so appealed within the high-stature brave male vampires of the coven.
Something stopped him, snapped him out of it.
This is not the way I want it to beGently he landed both of their passions, not wanting Selene to misinterpret his hesitation he kept as much physical contact as possible, holding the side of her body close to his chest as he rested his head beside hers. Wanting to face him she turned to her side, they stared into each other's eyes until she spoke.
"What's wrong?"
"Have you ever… I mean, are you…"
"Yes"
"Yes?"
"I was young when I was turned, in my time no one was intimate until marriage… and after I was turned I didn't want anyone."
"So you're a"
"Virgin, yes. Does that bother you?"
Her question was icy, making her sound like she truly didn't care.
"No, of course not. I just wasn't expecting it from someone as beautiful as you… and with Kraven…"
"I hate him, from the moment I saw him I hated him. I'd rather be killed by a Lycan than have him touch me"
He reached a hand to her face, caressing her smooth cheek with her thumb and making their eyes meet again.
"And me?"
"I… I"
What did he want her to say? Hundreds of explanations filled her mind but none made sense. What was she supposed to say? I love you? I feel safe with you? I feel human with you? You make me live again? Somehow neither of those phrases sounded truthful to what she felt for him or what he made her feel.
"You're different Michael"
"In what way?"
Could she answer his question without putting herself too much on the line? He was looking at her imploringly, fear in his eyes. Even now he was afraid of being a monster.
Unless she said something she would loose him… But…
"Forget it, I'll go see if I can find some food"
With that he stood up, completely moving away from her, leaving her in her darkness. She stood up after him.
Don't loose him too."Michael stop"
A command. He obeyed, more out of instinct than of will.
"You're my heart"
She hoped that the single sentence could explain her thoughts and ponders. He turned around, walked to her. His eyes an unseen wonder to her until he stood only centimetres away from her body.
He devoured her mouth. Pressed her against the wall, hard. Devoured her whole. This time sure of what he wanted to do, he wanted her, and she had just given him the confirmation. He had needed to know her feelings, and the way she's said that single sentence had meant more to him than a book full of words.
She accepted his lips and hands contemptibly, encouraging him to continue, wanting to feel him against her.
Hands and kisses and touches. All blend into one moment.
Her whole existence wrapped up in that single moment where his heartbeat was so strong that it felt like it was beating for both their bodies. Where his lips made her feel alive and for the first time in her existence she felt complete. She'd never known completeness until that single moment when they came one and it all blended into a series of explosions and caresses.
And when it was all over she laid against his chest, feeling tired. He kissed the top of her head with a tenderness that never failed to amaze her. He had not only taken her as a human, but also as a hybrid, a Lycan and a vampire. The single act of smiling couldn't express her happiness and fascination for him enough.
His hands held her naked back to him, pressed her front to his chest. And caressed her body almost comfortingly. His dark, love-clouded eyes feel upon her shoulders, the marvel porcelain skin there was slightly tainted by red. His eyes widened as he observed what he'd done to her.
A bite, a small bite that had the two orifices of the vamp iritic fangs yet had the size of a human bite but made with Lycan teeth. It was already healing, leaving a scar in her flawless skin.
He gasped, the memory of when he'd done it a complete blur, he remembered the feelings, the contact but not the action itself. Only the memory of what it felt like. He was ashamed… he had bit her, and… possibly drank her blood?
Noticing his sudden tenseness she lifted her face to meet his eyes, they were terror filed.
"Michael what's wrong?"
In a second she was afraid. Afraid that maybe he was ashamed of what they'd done.
"I bit you" He answered in horror.
She turned her head to look at the spot on her shoulder he was franticly staring at. It was the place where her shoulder met her neck and there was a wound. Not very big, five centimetres or so, with fang marks and what looked like a strong bite. It was beginning to heal already. She looked at him questiongly. Until she realized the danger of what he had done…
'A vampire cannot be bitten by a Lycan or it'll die'
But she was still alive. Slowly she began to realize how his turning anatomy might work. IF he was able to turn anyone into a hybrid that person would need to have a sample of his blood already in them in order to turn, for only a direct descendant of the Cornilius blood line could be both, assuming he could turn others.
She looked into Michael's terror filled eyes. He was afraid.
She smiled and carried her hand to caress his cheek reassuringly. She felt him relax under her touch and then she explained her findings.
"Assuming you can turn another into a hybrid, the person would need to have your blood or a sample of your blood in their body in order for a transformation to occur. I suppose that because I am a vampire your bite did not affect me"
He exhaled deeply, relieved. He buried his face into her skin, holding her body close to him. Nothing could describe the numbing feeling of dread, worry, and pure pain that had filled him in a matter of seconds.
She turned them so that Michael was on top of her now. She could hold him better still. He let her, his head immediately coming to rest over her breast. She held his head lovingly over the place where her dead heart was. The heart he had revived.
He took the offered comfort gratefully. Delivering a sweet kiss on it as held her.
It was Selene who gasped at the intimate action. It was her who ran lazy fingers over his hair as she waited for nothing to happen.
He had been scared, and just minutes before she had been scared of Michael regretting their actions. Would that be how they would live now? In fear of each other's lives and actions. Was that the price to pay for letting someone into her heart? Was it worth it?
Michael began to kiss her chest, slowly making his way to the mark he'd made on her shoulder and kissing it like it was the most breakable thing.
Yes, it was worth it. If that was the prince to pay, she would gladly pay it for him.
He continued making his way upward until reaching her lips and devouring them once more. He pulled away and looked into her eyes.
"I marked you"
"I know"
"What does it mean?"
"That… it can mean many things"
"Like?"
"Love, togetherness, ownership, sire ness"
She could believe she was telling him this, unfortunately her rational not-love-affected mind was absent for the moment. He smirked.
"Could it mean three things?"
He kissed her cheeks and nibbled at her jaw.
"If wanted"
"I want it"
He kissed her mouth.
"If I want it"
He stopped and looked directly at her eyes.
"Do you want it?" He asked.
She smiled, knowing how childish their conversation sounded. She kissed him, a delicious warm kiss and then rested her head back.
"I want it" It was soft, it was pure, and with it Michael smiled widely.
She was hisHe kissed her lips once more before settling back to her breast. He raid his head there, just holding her and enjoying the softness of her skin. He had not felt this loved in years, not since Samantha died. Yet it felt so different with Selene than it'd felt with Samantha. He almost didn't remember her face anymore.
Samantha had been so different from Selene, so carefree, it was no wonder he fell in love with her. But then again who said Selene hadn't been like that once before. He knew she had been, he'd seen her memories, watched her play with her nieces in flash shots of memories.
He hadn't even realized when he's started to feel what he felt for Selene. It became an obsession, then something as crucial to him as air. His thoughts were beginning to carry him off to sleep as he suddenly wondered what it would be like to have a normal home, with a picket fence, and food, and a bed, and Selene as his wife.
I wonder
Was his last thought before he gave in to sleep.
He felt warm, something heavy covered his body… a blanket. His head was on… a pillow, and he was on… a bed. He was ready to pronounce himself crazy when the sound of curtains opening and bright sunrays on his face caused him to groan in annoyance and panic as he opened his eyes. He turned around, giving his back to the window.
"Michael wake up, you said you needed to go to the hospital for a while this morning"
He knew that voice, he'd heard it everyday for the past year. Yet the tone that it was spoken in sounded as strange as the setting. He had never heard her speak in a manner so gentle yet playful before. He pronounced himself crazy and was about to go back to sleep when someone yanked the sheet away from him. He felt the chill of the morning greet his body, his whole body. He was naked.
His eyes snapped open only to be greeted by a smiling Selene. She looked exactly the same with the difference that she was wearing a button up shirt that reached her upper thighs and was obviously too big for her.
She was fully smiling as she observed his reluctant ness to wake up.
"Michael! C'mon, you will be late for work!" She now sounded…cheerful.
"Selene?"
"Yes?"
He rubbed his eyes and looked at her, her skin was pink. And the sunrays hitting her face made her hair and eyes shine. He suddenly realized the danger… the sun!
Instinctively he jumped her to the floor and shielded her from the deadly sun.
"Michael what in the world do you think you're doing?"
"The sun!"
He stared into her eyes for a sign of comprehension but found only confusion.
"Yes the sun, I've been feeling it my whole life. Now will you get off of me, it's not a proper time for this"
She was being dead serious.
Slowly he stood up, but just for good measures he closed the curtains. Selene looked at him strangely as she stood up herself.
"Michael what is going on with you? You are acting so strange this morning!"
He said nothing as he took in his surroundings. They were in a bedroom, a bedrooms with drawers and tables and a bed. Now he knew he was dreaming, Selene touched his arm gently, he looked into her eyes. She was beginning to worry about him, the gentleness with which she looked at him was so alien to him.Her eyes told so much when the eyes of the Selene he knew told so little. Something pushed him to smile at her and take her hand.
"I'm fine, really"
She smiled then.
"Well good, because today afternoon is your daughter's play and we wouldn't want you coming with something on the last minute…"
Daughter? Had she just mentioned a daughter?
"And please do put something on Michael, you wouldn't want Sonia coming in and finding you like that would you?"
He suddenly became aware of his nude state and grabbed the first thing that came handy to cover himself. Selene chuckled at this, finding it amusing how his husband could sometimes be shyer than her. Taking pity on him she handed him his boxers that were carelessly discarded at the foot of the bed and he complied by putting them hurriedly.
A soft knock on the door was heard as Selene made their bed, she motioned for Michael to open the door and he did. A little girl with black hair and big bright brown eyes launched herself to Michael's knees yelling 'Daddy!' several times.
Michael picked the girl up and looked her over. She was beautiful, her messy hair fell to her face, covering her clear creamy face. She looked exactly like Selene yet her eyes were clearly his. And had she called him daddy?
"Good morning sweetheart"
"Good morning Mommy" The girl opened her arms to hug her mother who took the girl away from her father's arms and into hers.
"Is it time for school mommy?"
"No Sonia, it's Saturday remember, you don't have school on the weekends"
"Oh… but today's my play!"
"Yes but it's in the afternoon"
Her disappointed expression caused Michael to chuckle. She obviously liked school. She looked young, Michael guessed five or six.
"Sonia why don't we go downstairs and make breakfast while daddy gets ready?"
"Yeah!"
Selene picked the girl up lovingly before looking at Michael.
"And hurry or you'll be late" She warned just as both disappeared out the doorway. Leaving a too shocked to do or say anything Michael behind.
He would wake up any minute now, he knew he had to. Not only was he dressed in dress pants and sports shirt but he also had a hospital ID. He was a surgeon. Which would explain why the house looked big and somewhat fancy. He was taking the rooms in as he descended the stairs. There was art pretty much everywhere, painting after painting all around the house. He guessed it was Selene's touch, once downstairs he 'smelled' his way to the kitchen where he saw a little girl with flour on her nose, sitting on the kitchen counter and Selene with a bowl in hand and a smile on her face making pancakes.
The intensity of the scene shook him deeply. The pureness of the moment left him dumbfounded. She looked so happy, her eyes filled with light and happiness as she talked to her daughter.
Their daughter
But it was all a dream, he would later wake up to Selene's still guarded eyes. But he was breaking through, he knew. The memory of her arms around him and his head on her breast reminded him of her warmth, just then Selene spotted him and smiled at him.
"Did it truly take you that long to find a shirt and pants?"
He smiled and shrugged.
"I forgot where they were"
"You did daddy? I always forget where I leave my shoes!"
"That's because you never put them where you're supposed to"
"But it takes too long to put them where I'm supposed to mommy!"
"Well funny shaped pancakes are ready"
Declared Selene. Sonia lifted her short little arms toward Michael. He guessed she wanted off the counter so he lifted her. She was so light in his arms, yet so warm. She had this big bright happy smile as she watched her mother place the pancakes on the table.
She was glowing. Everything in the house glowed.
Her smile was so contagious that somewhere in breakfast he forgot about waking up as he became wrapped up in this ideal family. The feeling of wonder never left him, watching his 'daughter's mannerisms as she ate, talked.
And Selene… the way she smiled, ate, her eyes… it was like a whole different person in her body. It sounded like her, yet it wasn't her. It was some other person.
Before he knew it, they had finished breakfast yet his stomach felt very light, almost empty. They left the table, Sonia gave him a kiss on the cheek and left the room to change, leaving him and Selene alone once more.
"Selene?"
"Yes?" Her voice sounded cheerful as she stood up to pick up the remaining dirty dishes.
"Where do you work?"
"What do you mean Michael, I work at the law firm. I'm a prosecuting lawyer remember?"
"And how long have we been married?"
"What! You forgot? I can't believe it, you really are slow this morning, just forgetting eight years of marriage!"
He cornered her suddenly, trapping her, staring holes into her eyes, searching, looking yearning to see the spark that drove her. The fire in her eyes that made him go crazy, the toughness, the amazing woman he so well knew.
All he saw was love and devotion, something was missing… it was as if her soul was missing. Replaced by this fake happiness that seemed all too unreal.
He then understood. He kissed her, kissed her like he had kissed that night when they had first made love. And she couldn't respond back, it all came out wrong. It wasn't the overflow of emotions he had experienced before, no passion or need, just pure an empty kiss. The smell of her body filled him, the smell of perfumed skin, perfumed skin that wasn't her smell.
He smiled as he pushed back.
"I love you"
"Michael I lov"
"All of you, your soul. Who you are, I don't need a house or the sun to know that… all I need is you… you"
He hugged her then, and closed his eyes. The image of Sonia imprinted in his head as he finally smelled the real Selene, the smell of her hair… her skin… and he opened his eyes.
It was dark, very dark. Something soft underneath him, soft and somewhat warm. He nuzzled his skin deeper into the softness pillowing his head. It was skin.
He held his head up, finally realizing where he was… it had been a dream.
Selene slept peacefully underneath him, her body he guessed warmed by the warmth of his body. She sighed when he removed his head from her chest, the source of warmth been removed. He smiled at that, her shoulder length short raven hair was messily scattered around her face. Her eyes closed, her lips together, her face the closest thing to angelical.
That felt, smelt and looked like his Selene, yet he couldn't reassure himself until she awoke, and there was no rush for that. She stirred a little, he moved back to her chest in order to warm her, she remained still once more.
'Who said vampires don't like being warm' He mused and smiled.
It was minutes later that she woke, her eyelashes slowly opening. And Michael was right there to witness the rare expectable. Much to his surprise she smiled lightly at him as she awoke. He smiled back, adoring the way her eyes seem to be on fire.
He loved her with her ghosts, pains and guilt.
This was his Selene
He raised himself to be at eye level with her, his hand caressed her face tenderly.
"You're my home"
They were ones for small sentences that spoke the world. And this was one of those. Selene smirked, but wasted no time to reciprocate the mutual feeling with a soul tearing kiss filled with all she could possibly feel and more, so much more.
This was no dream, he knew he was home… at last.
This chapter was meant to walk you through Michael's acceptance of who Selene is. It is meant to make him understand and realize that wherever she is, is where he'll be. It also makes him realize how much the little things actually matter and calms his wishes for the ideal family. You notice that their 'daughter's name is Sonia, yes that was meant to be Sonya only as a child and as a different person somewhat. Sonya means a lot to Michael and Selene's relationship because they are doing the one single thing Sonya and Kraven wanted to do the most.
Thanks for reading, please review.
Especial thanks to my wonderful, thoughtful reviewers
Fig-aruna: Your review left me speechless and feelings great, thank you and I hopw this chapter didn't disappoint you.
El Valon: Thanks for reviewing and telling me what you liked about the story.
A.R: I kept writing, thanks.
