Memories

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, except for the rather strange and twisted plotline.

Inside, Selene paced anxiously. "Did you receive my message?"

"Not...entirely. Your memories are...indistinct, unclear. There is no sense of time; it's all a jumble. I did understand the rest." He paused, turned to face her. His eyes flicked over her face as he walked forward. Selene almost ran to him, pulling the Elder close. "I'm going to die." Placing his fingers under her chin, he tilted her face upwards. Selene's green-brown eyes locked with his blue ones. "You could have died anyway. Are you insane trying to-" And? If Kraven found out he'd have killed me anyway! "I did what I had to protect the Coven. Dying of blood loss is entirely different to being burnt alive." Something flickered in her sire's eyes. "I know. But if anything happens to you, it would be extremely convenient for Kraven, which is why I wanted to speak with you as soon as possible." She nodded, and once again his arms pulled her close.

Kraven? But why would he want to kill the woman he loves?! Erika's mind was in turmoil. Although it seems he has competition. Her heartbeat seemed far too loud in the vampiress' ears.

Why am I suddenly terrified that Selene is about to follow Sonja's path? Anything but that. "Forgive me. I shouldn't have been so harsh. I was concerned about you." She smiled up at him. "I underst-" Selene winced slightly. "Are you alright? You weren't injured two days ago." Something close to confusion showed on her face. "How did you know?"

"More of a general idea; it's an innate ability I seem to have. You won't avoid answering my question by trying to lead me on a tangent." She paused, weighing up whether she should tell him the truth or not. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch." I wasn't born yesterday; what are you hiding?

Just tell him the truth you idiot; so Kraven's been chasing you again, nothing new…Exactly; he'll think I'm a defenceless fool who runs to him every time Kraven gets in the way. "A scratch that produces enough blood to soak your shirt through?" A slight raise of one eyebrow. Oh well, it was worth a try. Selene hesitated, then turned around and pulled off the blouse. Thank God Kraven isn't watching. She almost grinned. He'd have a fit.

Ouch. That is certainly a nasty wound. He absently traced the laceration curving down Selene's back, his fingertips submerged in the blood still flowing from the cut. For some reason he felt an unfathomable flash of anger. How could someone do this to Selene?…His Selene? Perhaps. "How did this happen?" The Elder managed to keep his voice steady, but only just. "Don't lie to me again; this is not a Lycan wound." Selene certainly isn't without enemies in the Coven, but most of them wouldn't be able to get that close. Most of them are jealous failed Death Dealers.

"I…argued with Kraven. Our dispute was more…serious than usual." No reply. "In the end I just snapped. I hit him and he hit back." There: I've said it. "You mean you just stood there and let him beat you up." An understatement if I ever heard one.

"What was I supposed to do? He would have found some obscure law that let him rape me or something."

"If he does it again, during my reign or not, you can damn well smash his face in. I don't particularly care what you do, as long as he doesn't try again." Well. Perhaps Kraven has more enemies on the Council than he thinks. She couldn't quite conceal her joy at finally getting carte blanche over Kraven.

"During my reign or not." What the hell?! Reign over the Council? Perhaps this was Amelia's Regent. It would explain the fact that she'd never seen him before. Another little mystery. Unless… No. No way. Selene wouldn't be that stupid. Would she?

Viktor bit into his wrist, letting the blood flow down onto the ends of his long, slim fingers before running them over the most serious of Selene's injuries. If a Lycan, or Kraven, or even Lucian himself found out that she knew… He didn't particularly want to think of the consequences if she was in this condition. Idiot. Who do you think you're fooling, because it's an abysmal excuse. Unbidden, an image lingered in his mind's eye. Sonja had inherited almost all of his long-dead wife's features, but she had grown her hair much longer, and it had been wavy, unlike Anaya's. If her eyes had more green in them, Selene would be a virtual mirror image. He almost smiled at the memory. Selene, unlike Sonja, has her temper as well. Viktor pushed the image of his wife away. Why did he have to remember now?

Selene's eyes fluttered closed as her Sire's fingers brushed her skin. She didn't particularly care why she didn't want him to stop, she just knew that she wanted the emotions she felt to last forever. Her heartbeat increased slowly as he began to trace the injuries on her breasts, her shoulders, her neck. This was completely unlike what she had felt during Erika's advances. Advances? Had her sire fallen in love with the woman he had turned, or had he always felt this way but never shown it? And what about me? Have I fallen in love with him? Or was this the reason why I stood gazing at his Crypt for so long? Selene had no answers to such disturbing questions.

Selene has a boyfriend. Okay. A smirk crept onto Erika's face. Imagine if Kraven found out. She entertained that thought for a while, blind to the fact that Kraven was actually walking up the corridor outside.

A/N: I have absolutely no idea where this is going now. Who wants Kraven to walk in on them? Should Viktor have angsty thoughts about his dead wife? Should Erika reveal the whole thing to Kraven because she's jealous? Should Selene suddenly think about Michael? Please review.