Chapter Four: Bereft
Selene met Michael's black eyes, completely understanding the dilemma her beau faced - with wolves at the door.
Try as she might, she was unable to come up with a plan that didn't leave him in danger. If he went out with the vampires then any positioning power with the pack would be lost. They would mark him as the enemy, and be done with him in short order. Fleetingly she considered leaving him here in the tomb. That plan however left him to the mercy of her coven mates, and that would also lead to harm – and not necessarily his. After all, he took on William – the first Werewolf – and won.
Neither option was acceptable to her.
He blinked and her gut fell, recognizing that he had formulated some kind of plan, or had come to a decision he was unable to share with her. Part of her wished she could get into his head when these things happened.
"Michael, no," She whispered, but it was too late.
The hybrid was already in motion, taking two long strides before gathering himself and leaping high over the gathered Death Dealers. Landing the other side of them, he slipped like a shadow through one of the smaller personnel doors.
"Damn it!"
"What is he doing?" Another chimed in.
Many of the vampires standing around glared at her as if it were her fault that Michael had bolted. She stood only a moment longer before she trailed Michael.
She cleared the end of the wall just in time to see Michael bowl over one of the Lycans coursing across the lawn. His impact with the Lycan had looked more incidental than an attack on the creature.
Michael was…fleeing.
A loud growl rent from his throat and several other Were's near him cowered and tried to flee.
"He's running!"
That was the same vampire who had derided the hybrid down in the tomb. Before Selene could protest or try to defend Michael he and several others lifted their weapons.
"No!" Her scream was drowned out by the sizzle of hot silver streaming past her. She twirled, witness to the bullets impacting Michael and several of the Lycans in his vicinity.
"Michael!"
The hybrid fell, sprawling across the lawn. There was feeble movement, but he didn't push up and run further. Fearing they had damaged him more than his power to heal could handle, Selene tried to move to him. Her movement seemed sucked into mire – she couldn't move fast enough. Before she had crossed the remaining space a silver furred Lycan burst through the crowd. Selene was unable to gather her wits long enough before the Lycan lifted Michael's limp form off the grass, slung him over a shoulder, and bolted for the fence. The thing let out several series of howls and yelps, and the Lycan's that were just coming into range of engaging the Death Dealers stopped in their tracks and turned tail.
She heard her own angered hiss, a pang ringing through her middle. She trailed the retreating Were, blinking when another, darker creature turned and stepped into her path.
There was no hesitation she raised her gun and ended the Lycan's life.
Once more she started after the silver and gray beast that held her reason for living – and for risking such a gamble as taking control of the factions. She raised her gun, only the creature was gone with Michael before she could find her aim.
"Sssss!"
She took out her frustration on several of the retreating Lycans still streaming past. And then she turned to the ones responsible for her losing Michael to the Lycans. This was not what she had envisioned for the plan. She strode back across the body littered lawn until she was toe to toe with the blonde haired vampire.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" She snarled.
"He was defecting…that fucking Lycan abomination was regressing."
Selene's hand snapped around his throat, "You had no orders!"
"You don't lead us Selene, no one does. You don't have authority here."
She squeezed tighter. "He was not a threat, Kala, and he wasn't running. If the Lycans kill him, I will desecrate the very ground you sleep on." It was bravado to be sure; she was convinced that he was trying to get away from them for those initial moments. But without the ability to communicate with him verbally she had no way of knowing if he had been fearful of the coven or something simpler than that. She didn't want to believe that Michael didn't trust her to keep him safe around the Death Dealers.
"He's dead already…no Lycan can withstand that many rounds of silver nitrate."
"He's not dead." They still didn't understand just how special and unique Michael truly was. "Not yet. The longer he stays with them the less likely it will be that they will allow him to live."
"Selene," Kahn addressed her. "If we want your boy back, we'd better act fast."
She blinked at the Weapons' Master, surprised to hear the support in his voice.
"Their trail will be lost."
"I know exactly where they are going."
Selene dropped her hold of the other vampire's windpipe, turning toward the wall. The images of the silver-gray Lycan lingered there, perched atop the wrought iron and mocking her.
"I need provisions," she spoke toward the wall, knowing at least Kahn would acknowledge her request. She turned to regard the group as she added, "Take me to the others Kahn."
Kala stepped between her and the Weapons' Master, "You're still a fugitive, Selene. You've broken the covenant, you've," he sniffed, "mated with the Lycan…you stink of it."
Selene had just about lost her control with the man when dark fingers latched onto the shoulders of his jacket, pulling him from her proximity.
"Kala," Kahn admonished.
Still Selene could not understand why Kahn was so eager to back her up. A thought ran through her brain, of her and Michael's conversation, of one word – deference. She looked about the other Death Dealers, noting that a majority of them were looking on her with awe, never meeting her eyes.
Was Michael right?
Did the blood show; did they see a quality in her that she had missed? Did they recognize that she was more than she seemed? Was there an inherent leadership quality that they were responding to?
She didn't voice this epiphany, afraid to break the spell. She had never been a leader; she had never had more than herself and her teammates to worry about in her life. She had insisted that she wanted this, and yet she found herself questioning the pedigree that made that leadership possible.
"I'll take you there," Kahn nodded. "You ain't gonna like what you see, love."
Half an hour later they came upon a crumbling building, and Selene recognized it immediately as the safe-house where she had first hid Michael - before her world came crashing down around her ears.
"Why didn't the coven move to Amelia's house?"
"A combination of things," Kahn sighed as the party moved up the creaking stairs and avoiding the water drooling down through the broken roof, "Mostly confusion. Some don't want to lose the power base they feel is still here, others want revenge. I don't think all of them know that Marcus was responsible for our outing. I've heard rumblings that the Lycans masterminded the fire."
"They don't think tactically," Selene sniffed. That attitude was met by a pang that told her she had just insulted a part of what Michael was. It was too soon to so easily let go of her prejudice against their cousins.
"You think Marcus was being tactical?"
"No," Selene answered him, "He was being vengeful. The children he had helped to spawn had brokered for a power play, and his life was to be sacrifice. I think I would have done the same in his situation."
"That's awfully hypocritical considering you are the one who slew him. I see a trend here Selene." Kala was quick to jump on the connection. "Being that you were also the one to kill Viktor. Are you sure we can trust that she wasn't in on Amelia's death as well?"
Selene spun, driving the butt of her palm into Kala's nose. "That was Kraven's doing Kala, do not insult me by including my name with that rancid piece of filth."
Kala stumbled back grabbing his bleeding nose and glaring at her through watering eyes.
"But you were supposed to be his queen." another of the Death Dealers spoke, "How could you not know about his plans?"
"I was his queen only in his mind," Selene snarled, "I was a token, a chess piece not a fellow conspirer. His delusions of grandeur are what got him killed. Marcus didn't take kindly to his bid for more power."
All further conversation was halted as she came out at the top floor, a former penthouse that had long since lost its glory. She stopped only long enough to peer about and locate the remaining stash of weaponry still available to the coven. She stepped across the space intent on replenishing her spent arsenal.
She was cut off from her objective by a burly vampire that had been a former guard for Kraven, "You need to come with me, Selene."
"What now?"
"Just come along."
With a heavy sigh and a singing in her gut that she shouldn't delay she fell in behind the contingent of vampires sent to escort her by - well she would like to know who.
"Well, well," a familiar voice said, "Looked what the weather blew in."
"Erika."
"Selene"
"What's this all about? I have someplace to be."
"The gallows come to mind."
Selene pursed her lips, and she renegotiated her thoughts on the deference theory.
"The Death Dealers are telling me you have laid claim to the coven – is this true?"
Selene rolled her eyes, not in the mood to deal with this sort of thing so soon. "There are bigger things right now than your petty politics, Erika."
"Like some unholy alliance with the Lycans?"
"I wouldn't say unholy. I just know that the war has long outlived it original purpose. The perpetrators have both gone to dust."
"And you would be the one to bring the factions peace?"
"Erika, I do not like repeating myself."
"And who decided you were fit to lead us?" That wasn't Erika it was another of her cronies - a syncophant from the times when she used to fawn over Kraven for some scrap of affection or acknowledgement.
"What is this? It is obvious that you haven't found leadership since I have been absent. Just your choice of hiding places tells me that. What is your protest? I am the oldest remaining vampire in the Coven."
"No, Kahn is older than you," Erika corrected.
"I don't wish to lead."
Selene turned to find that Kahn had as silently as ever insinuated himself into this meeting.
"Selene has more than ample experience in leading, I think the coven would be improved for her heading the council."
"She is tainted! She loves that Lycan - she wants to deal with them! Her association with that mongrel has turned her against her own, and you want her to lead us?"
"Are you done?" Selene allowed her impatience to bleed through.
"No!" Erika pouted.
"You are now," Selene turned from her and her pending tantrum, "We can discuss this after I return."
"Where do you think you're going?"
"If you must know – to get Michael back."
There was a screech at her back, and she felt Kahn restrain Erika as she tried to attack.
Be thankful for that Erika, you don't understand…you will, but you don't yet.