Victoria rushed towards him, her hands moving in front of her to take hold of his face. She gripped hold of his cheeks tightly, clinging to him as she saw his eyes move down to look at her, but there was something strange to his look. He didn't look like the same man they both knew. Velkan took a moment before he dared to lift his hands up, his fingers coming to rest along Victoria's cheekbones in a tender manner.
"Velkan," Victoria sighed his name once more.
"Victoria…" he whispered back and she felt her eyes tear up as he spoke her name. She nodded her head with haste and let a smile form on her lips.
"It is me," she whispered.
"Anna," Velkan spoke once more, looking to his sister as she let her lips arch and she moved forwards, her hand going onto his arm.
"We are here, Velkan," she assured him. "And you are safe. You are here and alive…everything is fine…"
"No," Velkan said with a shake of his head, his hands moving to Victoria's wrists to remove her fingers from his cheeks. He kept hold of her wrists as he looked between the two women. "You need to listen to me," he urged from both of them. "You need to listen and understand that he has power over me…he is controlling me…"
Both of them looked confused then, their brows arching on their foreheads as they watched Velkan. Victoria tried to reach for him again, but he kept her hands held in mid-air, stopping her from making any movement.
"Velkan, what do you mean?"
"Dracula," he hissed his name. "He…he did this…he is hiding and he…there is a secret…Victoria…he has a cure…"
"Velkan," Victoria whispered his name as she saw a change take place in him.
Dropping her hands, he stumbled backwards clearly in pain. Victoria tried to move towards him once again, but Anna was quick. She grabbed hold of Victoria by the upper arm, hauling her back towards her. She knew that something was wrong. She could see it. Closing her eyes for a moment as she heard Velkan roar in pain, she opened her eyes and horror took over her. Looking to him, she saw him pulling at the ripped shirt he was wearing, but then he did something impossible. He scaled the wall.
"No," Victoria's voice broke as she saw Velkan push himself up the wall, still roaring in pain.
"What has he done to you?" Anna whispered as she saw her brother begin to change, his skin unable to hold him back as a sense of nausea took over her.
"No!" Victoria was the one to roar this time, her voice croaky and breaking as she bent over slightly and saw Velkan transform from a man to a beast.
"Victoria…run…" Anna demanded from her, but it was too late.
Before they could turn, Velkan was leaping down from the wall and towards them. Victoria roared in fear, but before he could move closer towards them, a loud bang echoed through the room. Bending over, Anna pushed Victoria down as the bullet hit the wall and Velkan snarled in his werewolf form. Both the women looked on as Van Helsing advanced towards him and held his gun up, shooting once more.
"Don't!" Anna was the one to snap, but Velkan had already disappeared back through the window he had appeared from.
Rushing towards the open window, Victoria looked down and saw the back of Velkan disappear into the trees. She longed to call after him, but she kept silent. Her eyes closed as tears rolled down her cheeks and she wondered where he was going. She needed to find him. She needed to find a cure and bring him home. Turning on her heel, she looked to Van Helsing, rage inside of her overflowing.
"Why did you do that?" she roared at him, her voice high pitched and full of anger. "Was it not enough for you to kill one man I loved? You have to kill another?"
"Werewolves have no control," Van Helsing spat back at her. "He would have killed you without a second thought for you and that baby inside of you."
Moving her hand instinctively to her stomach, Victoria glowered at him. "You know nothing about him."
"And you do?" Van Helsing asked her back. "From what I have heard, you-"
"-Do not finish that sentence," Victoria snarled at him, pointing to him. "You do not get to speak to me like that. You never get to speak to me like that after what you did."
Storming off, Anna followed Victoria. "Where are you going?"
"To follow the trail," Victoria said. "Velkan said that there was a cure. If there is a cure then I am going to go and help find it and save him. We cannot leave him like this."
Anna grabbed hold of Victoria by the arm once again, hauling her back and turning her to face her. Glowering with annoyance, Victoria stood her ground as Van Helsing stood in the background, his arms folded over his chest.
"You cannot go," Anna said. "You are staying here. I will go and find him."
"Why?" Victoria demanded from her, pulling her arm from Anna's grip. "Because you think I am weak? Just because I cannot fight like you does not mean that I cannot look after myself. I can take care of myself."
Anna had never seen her look so angry before. She had always thought Victoria was a weak and timid little thing. Yes, occasionally she had seen her bite back, but she had never done anything to make Anna think she was anything but some little lost socialite in a world she didn't belong. But, Anna had never seen Victoria like she did right now. For once she didn't look like she was about to break down in tears and cry or wail. She looked ready to take on anything that stood in her way.
And right now, it was Anna standing in her way.
"You have a child to think about," Anna reminded her.
"And I am thinking about it," Victoria snarled back. "I am thinking about how to save its father and bring him home."
"He is a werewolf," Van Helsing finally spoke and Victoria turned her glare onto him. "Werewolves are vicious and if Dracula has Velkan under his control then do you honestly think you can save him?"
"What else am I supposed to do?" Victoria demanded. "Sit here and wait? Vlad…he…"
"You think that you can get him to listen to you?" Anna asked, disbelief evident in her voice. "Victoria, has he not proven that he is not interested in anything you have to say? He has continuously gone against your pleas."
Victoria could not say that Anna was lying. She was telling the truth. She was saying things that Victoria knew, but did not want to hear. She didn't want to believe that Vlad would not do this for her. She needed Velkan back. She needed him to be safe. But to do that, Vlad had to die. There was no winning. It took her a few moments before she nodded her head.
"I know," she croaked out. "But I need to try."
"Victoria, listen to me," Anna said, knowing that she should try to be softer and gentler with her. "If I do not survive this then my entire family rots in purgatory. Me…my father…Velkan… if you come with me and something happens to you then Velkan would be distraught. I need to keep you safe, Victoria, because the last of the Valerious bloodline may be in your stomach. That child may be the only thing capable to save my family from hell."
Anna placed her hand over Victoria's stomach as Victoria looked down to her. She said nothing for a moment, only able to nod her head after a second. She understood what Anna was saying.
"I feel useless," Victoria said.
"Your main priority should be to keep that child healthy," Anna said. "You are not useless for doing that. If I took you to find Velkan than Dracula…he may not hurt you, but I do not think that he would let you go. I cannot risk that, Victoria. If you try to run from him then what may happen if something goes wrong? Please, Victoria, just stay here."
Nodding her head once, Victoria held onto her stomach before sinking down into a nearby seat, her mind on Velkan and what he must be going through.
…
Victoria might not have been allowed out of her chambers, but she was not useless. Opening the window, she knew what she had to do and she was willing to do it. She was willing to do everything and anything to save Velkan. He did not deserve this fate. He did not deserve the hell he was being put through. That was why Victoria was willing to do this. She was willing to bargain for Velkan.
It didn't take long before the candles began to flicker and she sensed his presence. He was silent as she sat on the chaise longue. He perched on it besides her, his movement slow and purposeful as Victoria remained with her gaze on the fire in the fireplace.
"You told me that a werewolf had killed him," Victoria said.
"And one had, in a way," Vlad responded. "Technically I did not lie."
"But you did not tell me that you had him," Victoria said, turning her gaze to him as he watched her. "You did not tell me that you had captured him."
"No, I did not." Vlad replied.
"Just let him go," Victoria pleaded from him. "Let him go."
"I cannot," Vlad said. "He is a beast now, Victoria."
"No, he is not," Victoria replied with a shake of her head. "He came to me, Vlad. He came to me and he was himself. He said that you have a cure."
"Did he now?"
"Yes," Victoria said. "Is it true? Is there a cure to save him?"
"And if there was, why would I choose to save him?" Vlad enquired from her.
"Because you love me," she said without missing a beat. Vlad looked confused for a moment, but then he looked away, his eyes closing as he let out a sharp exhale. She said nothing for a moment, letting him think before she pressed her hand over his arm. "I know that you love me. I…I still love you, Vlad. I adored you…but…I also have feelings for Velkan. I care for him. I want him to be safe. Please…"
"You wish for me to save Velkan Valerious so that you can have his child and act as a happy family?"
"No," Victoria said with a shake of her head. "I wish for you to save Velkan in return for what you want."
He looked intrigued then, moving away from her and pacing in front of the fireplace.
"I know what you are thinking, Victoria," Vlad said. "You would willingly come with me in return for Velkan's safety?"
Victoria shrugged. "If that is what you so wish," she nodded her head and Vlad shook his.
"I will not bargain for your affections," he seethed and Victoria stood up, moving to stand chest to chest with him. Looking him in the eye, Victoria moved her hands to his face, taking hold of his cheeks as she looked him in the eye.
"You do not bargain for my affections," she responded. "You will always have my affection. You know that. I just do not know if I have yours."
Vlad said nothing in response to her as she bowed her head, her forehead moving to rest against his chin as he inhaled her familiar scent. Bowing his head, he felt his nose press into her hair as his hands moved to take hold of hers. She did not flinch from his cold touch as he continued to watch her.
"You are everything to me," Vlad declared and Victoria let out a shaky breath. "I want you to be with me."
"And in another time I wanted that too," Victoria admitted. "Everything is just too complicated, Vlad. It is not simple."
"We can make it simple," he responded, his voice a gentle hiss. "You know that, Victoria. If you love me like I love you then it should be simple. It should be easy for you to come with me and forget Velkan for you did not truly love him."
Looking to him, her eyes rimmed red, Victoria managed a soft smile. "Perhaps I do not love him, but I cannot see him hurt," she responded. "You have brides, Vlad, you know how it feels. Why must it be one rule for you and another for me?"
Vlad looked away then, but Victoria squeezed his hands and forced him to look back to her.
"Let him go," she urged of him. "Just let him go."
Sighing once, Vlad nodded his head. "If I let him go…I…I do not want you to come with me, Victoria. I want you to be with me because you want me. I do not want you to be with me because I have spared him."
"Will you do it?" Victoria asked of him. "Will you give him the cure?"
Vlad said nothing as he stepped towards Victoria and bent down, his lips pressing against hers without any hesitation. She closed her eyes and let him kiss her chastely, a feeling of euphoria taking over her for a moment before he pulled back. He looked her in the eye before speaking in a low tone, his lips nearly brushing against hers as he did so.
"I will see you soon, Victoria."
She watched him go, but she had no idea if anything she said had sunk in. She could only watch as he disappeared and she longed for him to do the right thing for the first time in a long time.
….
A/N: Do let me know what you think!