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Chapter 6 - Wanted
"It's positive."
Lucian's chest relaxed and he let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. He'd been so afraid of failure. After all, how many Corvinus descendants had they tested throughout the years? As much as he'd wanted death earlier, now he wanted to live. Needed to live...needed vengeance.
"I want to see her." He struggled to rise, mentally cursing his weakened state. His body still burned, but he'd been feeding with a ruthlessness he hadn't felt since his youth and it had been helping.
"Do you think it's wise? To rise so soon, I mean." Raze looked at him, concern etched into his stone-like features.
"I cannot lay here forever, can I?" Lucian replied harshly.
Raze assisted him to his feet and he fought through the pain. He would not allow himself to show weakness, not now, when an end to the agony warring within him was in sight. He wore only his chamber robe and the black velvet swirled against his legs as he walked, with Raze's assistance, through the myriad tunnels. They had no need of light, with their lupine eyesight, but nevertheless Lucian could smell the human long before he saw her.
The chamber she was kept in was large and had been strengthened, so as to keep the long-disused walls from caving in. A generator used to power the few lights strung up hummed in the far corner, diesel fumes rising to escape through a make-shift chimney. She was there. Olivia, his salvation.
"Why is she restrained?" The girl's wrists were enclosed with cuffs, chained to a supporting beam. She sat on the bare floor, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her face hidden beneath auburn curls, fiery highlights flashing in the dim light.
"She's a fighter, this one." Jonas explained, looking up from the vial he was fitting with a glinting needle. "Doesn't like being here one bit."
"And you cannot subdue her?" Lucian felt the humor creep into his voice. The thought of these strong Lycan's needing to chain a small woman up amused him.
"You think you can?" The rattle of chains accompanied the words. Lucian turned at the sound of her voice. Her eyes stared at him defiantly, challenging him and he felt something he'd thought long dead stir within his chest.
"C'mon then." She stood, stretching as well as she could within her bonds. "Quit hiding in the shadows and face me."
He felt the shadow of a smile on his lips. "Are you certain you wish to view me? I'm not my...normal...self at the moment."
"You can't be any worse than what I've already seen." He saw her slight body shiver. Smelt the fear and confusion coming from her.
"Raze..." He turned to his soldier, eyes narrowed.
"It only happened once. One of the younger ones...he became curious." Raze explained quickly. "We leave two guards with her at all times now."
Olivia's snort drew their attention. "A lot of good your guards are. Half the time, they let the other's in here to sniff and stare at me, like I'm a freak or something."
Lucian didn't have to say anything. He could feel Raze's anger rolling off him in waves and knew the problem would be dealt with as the formidable Lycan stalked to the door. It was enough that they were being forced to live like animals. Lucian would not permit them to act like it as well. He shook off the flash of anger at his circumstances and turned back to the scene unfolding before him.
"Get away from me, you fucking butcher!"
Jonas growled, "Don't fight me again..."
"And just what exactly am I supposed to do? Stand here and let you stick me again?" Olivia pushed ragged curls out of her face before throwing out her arm. "Look at what you've done to me! There isn't a vein in my arm that's worth a shit now."
Jonas moved quickly, grabbing the proffered arm, needle poised to strike at the bruised flesh. Lucian saw the sly glint come into her eyes as Jonas fell neatly into her plan. Olivia snatched the needle from him and before he could react, Jonas found it embedded in his own neck. She drew blood from him a scant second before he tore himself away.
Olivia had no idea what these creatures were. They had held her captive for, she thought, two weeks now, pulling the blood from her body. She didn't know what they wanted with her, but her patience had long since given out. After that one had...changed...and tried to attack her, she'd become subdued. But once she'd figured out they weren't planning to eat her for dinner, that she was somehow important to them, she'd watched and waited. Now the moment for truth was at hand. Jonas' face was distorted with rage, eyes glowing as he advanced on her, but she put the needle to her own neck and he froze.
"Tsk, tsk, Jonas..." The smooth voice drifted out from the shadows. "You walked right into her trap. Put down the needle, Olivia."
"And what will you do if I don't?" she retorted, trying to see his face.
The air stirred as he moved. "Nothing, as it wouldn't change a thing for me, but you on the other hand. Well, let's just say you'll change in a big way...and I don't think you want that to happen."
Olivia's confidence wavered. What would happen to her? She had assumed injecting herself with the beast's blood would kill her, but what if she was wrong? What if it changed her into one of them?
Lucian watched the questions flit across her face and saw the moment when she fully understood what her action would entail. "Jonas..."
"Yes, Lucian?"
"Leave us, will you?" As Jonas left the chamber, Lucian walked slowly towards the worktable, picking up a clean vial. "Still want to inject yourself, Olivia?"
Her arm dropped to her side, the vial making a soft thumping sound as it hit the dirt next to her bare feet. "You're Lucian?"
"Yes." He kept his back to her, attaching a sterile needle to the vial; suspending the moment when the horror would come into her eyes as she viewed his decimated countenance.
"The other one...Raze...he said you wanted me." The anguished words rushed from her, "What for? What could you possibly need me for?"
"Have you never been needed before Olivia?" He knew the question would strike a chord within her and he was right. He sensed her sorrow...her pain...and regretted his words. "Raze was right. I do need you, but more than that, I want you." He didn't know why he spoke the words. They made no sense to him, but there they were.
"You...want me?"
"Yes." He turned to her, keeping his eyes lowered to the ground as he moved towards her. "I want your help. Without you, I might never recover from what they did to me."
"They?"
"The vampyres, Olivia. Or to be more precise, one vampyre. Kraven." He looked up then and found himself drowning in pools of blue so dark as to be almost black.
He was hurt and he needed her. No one had ever needed her before. His talk of vampyres didn't faze her...it was obvious that she hadn't been kidnapped by humans. He needed her. It was the only thing Olivia could think of as she gazed back at him. Every vein visible to her was black and pulsing. She could see the pain in his eyes as he watched her reaction to him. Though she knew she should be cowering from him in horror, she only felt like reaching out to him...and she did.
Her hand caressed his cheek, rasped across his beard and a spark flared to life in her belly. "Does it hurt much?"
Lucian blinked, "Yes...every second. It burns..."
"And my blood will help you? That's what you want from me?"
He nodded and she held out her arm to him; willingly. The bruises marring her skin only accentuated the perfect ivory softness he knew was hidden there. As he trailed his finger over the imperfections, he felt the heat flowing just beneath the surface and knew he'd found another reason to live. She wasn't his Sonja...but she affected him in the same way and he knew he would lay down his life for her.
"I need your blood, Olivia." He said softly as he filled the vial. "But it's you that I want."
