Chapter 3
Lana ran down the cobblestone pavement, her feet echoing as it pounded the pavement hard. Debris swept through the alleyway as she hopped over a low fence, running across the street. The screeching of tires could be heard from a distance as Lana tried to find a place to hide. Her dark hair flew in her face as she ran down another alleyway, but stopped as she winced in pain. Looking down fast she saw the bright red blood mare the bottom of her heel. Stopping she ripped the piece of glass from her foot and continued to run. Blood droplets were left in her wake as she pushed the wave of pain down. She gasped in horror as a light was shining on her face. *Attendez,je vois quelque chose. Oui, c'estelle!Ici-bas! (Wait, I see something. Yes, it's her! Down here!)
Her eyes widen in fear as she duck through another alleyway and started tugging at the sewer grate below her. She could hear the men's voices as they drew closer to her. Pulling hard, the grate finally came free as she quickly went down the ladder. Ignoring the noxious fumes, she made her way down the sewer pipe only to stop as a strong hand gripped her long tresses, *Où pensez-vousque vous allezgirlie? (Where do you think you are going girlie?) Without a second thought she wrenched hard as she pulled her hair free. Lana screamed as she flew backwards and landed hard on her back at the bottom of the sewer pipe, her bag landing right next to her. Water sloshed around her as she looked up at the man holding pieces of her hair in his grip.
The men started to make their way down the sewer ladder. Lana scrambled to her feet and ran down the dark interior of the sewer and veered left. The sounds of heavy boots echoed off the walls as lights danced behind her.
Lana sighed as she wiped the sludge from her face as she climbed up the ladder. Pushing at the grate she climbed out only to be hoisted up by two strong arms, *Vous pensiez pouvoirnous échappersalope. (You thought you could escape us you bitch.) She struggled hard as she tried to get away from the men that held her tightly. One of the men slapped her across her face. Her cheek felt numb from the slap as she still struggled. The man holding her relinquished his hold to slap her again, but she took her chance and elbowed him hard in the stomach and punched the other in the face. The two men doubled over in pain as she ran, but was pulled backwards by her hair as a gag and blindfold was placed over her mouth and eyes. The man chuckled as he laughed at his comrades, *Vous ne pouvez mêmegérer unpeupute stupide. (You cannot even handle one stupid little whore.)
Tears started to stream down her face as Lana wrists were bound behind her back as she was thrown into the back of the white van alongside her wet bag. Her body rolled hard to the other end of the van as the men climbed inside. Shutting the door, the man holding her hair grabbed the syringe and injected her in her arm, *Il est temps pourtoutes les petites fillesd'aller dormir. (It is time for all little girls to go to sleep.) Lana's head slumped to the side as the medicine took affect, but not before hearing the man's final words, *Non, nousgarder celui-cien vie.Nousconduire à l'aéroport, nous emmener Hongrie.(No, we keep this one alive. Drive us to the airport, we are taking her to Hungary.)
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Viktor's lungs felt like they were on fire as he tried to drag air into them, but to no avail. He clutched his chest as he walked slowly towards the inn. The blood had stopped, but a gaping wound was left in his chest as he dragged his feet across the snowy ground. Wincing from the pain, he collapsed to his knees as he called out to his sister, ~ml~Sisar, I need your aid. The door to the inn burst open as Minya came outside, with two people at her heels. Kneeling next to her brother, Minya's dark amber eyes glistened with tears, *Brother, what happened ? You must shut your body down now. No sooner had she spoke the words, his world started to fade to black as he tried to preserve his remaining strength.
Nicolae and Destiny Von Shrieder gave each other a look of concern as they watched Minya pushed the dark strands of her brother's hair from his face. They both knelt down and started to lift him slowly. *We need to get him to the healing earth fast. We have called the others. Minya looked up with worry, *Others ?
Gregori Daratrazanoff and Mikhail Dubrinsky materialized behind Nicolae and Destiny, *What is going on? We heard you call out. They both took in the scene before their eyes. Blood was everywhere as the young dark haired woman grasped the man tightly in her arms. Minya turned to the men as she threw herself on her brother's body, *Stay away from my brother. Gregori and Mikhail exchanged a long look of slight shock, *We are here to help. Let us help you. Prince Mikhail held out his hand to Minya as a peace offering. Minya scanned the two men before taking the Prince's hand. *You are the Prince. My brother and I knew your father, Prince Vlad. He was a great man. Prince Mikhail nodded as he smiled down at Minya. Minya's eyes widen as she took in Gregori's apperance. She shifted a little as his mercury eyes surveyed her slowly. Nudging Gregori in the side, ~ml~Are you going to stand there like a statue all night? At least say something to the woman. You are frightening her.
Clearing his throat, Gregori bowed low in respect to Minya, *Forgive for my rudeness, but its been a while since I have come across your family. I thought you were lost to us. Minya nodded slowly, *Our family is all, but wiped out. It is just my brother and myself. Minya's lip trembled as she spoke the words quietly as the flashback of their older brother, Thom Saviour laid dead in her arms. Gregori and Mikhail told Nicolae and Destiny to stay at the inn with Minya, *We will take care of your brother. Do not worry sisar. Minya was hesitant about relinquishing her hold on her brother, but relunctantly let him go as Mikhail spoke to her one final time, *Gregori is one of our greatest healers. Your brother will be back on his feet in no time. Nodding, Minya let a single blood-red tear fall down her cheek as she began to weep for her brother. She watched as Gregori hoisted her brother onto his shoulders like he weighed no more than a sack of potatoes as he followed the Prince into the Carpathian woods.
Laying Viktor in the dark room of the soil in the healing caverns, Gregori and Shea Dubrinsky spent the next four days healing Viktor and his wounds. Most of the warriors came to lend the two healers blood as they continued their work. Other hunters were curious about the unknown Carpathian hunter that laid beneath the ground. On the fifth day in the soil, Viktor's dark amber eyes opened as he bursted from the soil to be greeted by Shea and her lifemate, Jacques, *I see you are doing much better this rising. Gregori has left to feed, but he would return this night. Viktor looked down at his chest to see it whole and completely healed. Nodding in thanks he told Shea and Jacques that he had to find his sister, Minya, *Wait, you must feed first. Jacques ripped open his wrist as he offered it to Viktor, *I offer freely. Viktor could not tear his eyes from the rich blood that started to well up from the open wound. He drank deeply as he took in the ancient blood, keeping his eyes trained on Jacques. The blood hit his system like a fireball as his starved body soaked up the rich liquid. Pulling away slowly he flicked the wound closed with his tongue. *Thank you, but I must find my sister. Shea spoke again as she addressed Viktor, *She is at the inn with Nicolae and Destiny. Viktor growled as his eyes flitted between dark amber and red. Shea's hand flew to her neck protectively as Jacques took a defensive stance as he inserted his body between his lifemate and the unknown hunter. Sighing to himself, *I am sorry. It has been long since I have been around others of my kind. Please forgive me. Shea smiled as her eyes flicked to Jacques, ~ml~Easy Jacques. He is just concerned for his sister. Jacques glided over to Shea as he stroke her dark red hair, ~ml~I cannot be easy around this hunter. He sets me on edge.