What's this, an update that didn't take two years? I know, I'm just as shocked as you all are. This never happens. I'm really working to be better on my time between updates, but after this week, I'll be swamped with papers and finals. Don't expect too much until the semester ends.

I don't own Underworld

Selene was born to a father who was an inventor and a mother who was known and loved in the community as a seamstress. She and her older sister, Cecilia, often got into trouble but the town seemed to adore them regardless. Selene was odd from the start. She had no interest in dating or marriage. Instead, she watched as the soldiers returned from the war, and she longed to be one of them. She was told that, because she was a woman, she couldn't. Any time she was told that she couldn't, she found ways to prove them wrong.

She had been told that she shouldn't know how to read as a woman, and she was now the only person in town who went to the little library that she would borrow books from almost every few days. She had watched the soldiers from afar and she learned to fight from mimicking them. She had been prepared to join the fight when the fire happened.

It burned down her entire farm, with her family inside. Many of the people in the land called it God's will for a man to have daughters like Selene and Cecilia. Yet, Selene had been the sole survivor of her household, as she was not home when the fires happened. She had been in town, picking up food for her family's dinner. She had heard the commotion and seen the smoke, and she dropped her basket and ran to see the burnt husk of her home and people pulling out the bodies of her mother, father, sister, and twin nieces. Her whole world crashed down upon her.

That was when she met Viktor.

He was a general returning to the town after his time in the war, and upon seeing Selene sitting in front of the ruins of her home, had invited her to stay with him. He lived alone as his wife had passed many years before.

Lost and alone, Selene said yes, and not long afterwards, she had become his adoptive daughter. While he had some restrictions on her, he let her pursue her love of reading and trained her to fight. He told her he would never allow her to join the war efforts. He didn't want to risk losing her. She originally rebelled against this but relented after hearing the stories of his daughter. She learned about how she had died after a group of people invaded his old village and the leader of the renegades killed his daughter in front of him.

She stopped asking to join the fight after that, sticking with her books and the training with Viktor.

That morning, Selene stepped out of the cottage, telling Viktor that she would be back later, as she left to go return the book she had checked out the day before. She had read every book in the library so at this point she was just rereading. The one she was returning was the story of two lovers, one a female vampire and the other a werewolf, and how they were unable to be together due to the war that waged between their species. This book was definitely one of her favorites, more action than romance but still a touch of romance.

"There she goes, that strange girl, Selene," One of the townsfolk whispered to his friend, watching Selene as she walked down the path "Probably going off to get more of those books. She's a woman, she shouldn't be reading. Her focus should be on the home and her eventual family that she will have." He quieted down with the sharp glare she shot towards him. Despite his, and many of the others in the town's view of women, almost everyone was intimidated by Selene. Intimidated, and in awe of her beauty. Many people considered her to be the most beautiful woman in town.

The heels of her black boots hit the cobblestone as she walked past the people who were whispering about her. Viktor paid someone to make her the combat boots that she wore. Originally for training, but now she refused to walk around in anything else. It just added more of a reason that those in the town looked down on her. She dressed in all black, as if she was still in mourning for her family that was long since lost. Her dress was down to her knees, showing off far more skin than what was considered appropriate for the time period. Of course, she didn't care. She had no interest in the men of the village.

She walked into the book shop and was immediately greeted by a friendly and smiling face. "Hello, Selene." The owner of the shop said as he stepped out from behind the counter to greet probably the only person in town who read books.

"Kahn," The young woman greeted warmly, and went to hand him the book. He seemed almost surprised when she handed it off to him.

"You just checked this book out yesterday?" He said, flipping through the pages. "How on Earth were you able to finish it so quickly?" He did seem impressed with her as he put the book on the shelves and stepped back to stare at the woman he considered a friend. Both were considered outcasts by the village; Selene due to her odd behavior for a woman and Kahn for being of African descent. They had found a sort of kinship in each other, one that had spanned several years at this point.

"You know very well that I am a fast reader, Kahn. And there is little I have to do with my time other than read." She offered him a sort of half smile "But you know that that is one of my favorites. What is this now, my fifth time borrowing this one?"

"That's right," Kahn agreed as he looked down at the book before offering it with an outstretched hand. "As you are the only person who reads in this town, and I do know how much you love this book, here, it's yours." One book missing from the small collection really wouldn't do much anyway.

Selene stared at the book before taking it from him. "Thank you, Kahn." Her voice was soft, but there was warmth in there that showed just how much the young woman appreciated this gesture. She looked through the books before picking out one of them. "Is it alright if I take one of them home still as something to read?"

"Of course, Selene, feel free to take out a book anytime, but that one," He gestured to the one nestled in the crook of her arm "is all yours." She thanked him once more and turned to leave the book shop. The two of them had an agreement that she could check out the books without a fee as long as she promised to bring them back and on occasion, help out around the shop. It was a task Selene took with no resentment, it kept her on her feet and doing something with her life.

She stepped out of the shop and immediately, she could feel the villager's eyes on her. She rolled her eyes, continuing to move forward. She promised Viktor that she would bring him some bread from the baker for his trek out to the neighboring village. He was meeting with a few of his old friends from the war for a drink at a pub there, and she wanted him to have food for the trek as it would take most of the night.

She stopped by the baker and paid for the loaf of bread. He was one of the more pleasant people in town to deal with, although he gave her the same weird look that everyone else in town gave her. The same weird look for still being in mourning for her family that was killed in the fire all those years ago, for wanting to read and fight rather than cook and become a mother;

The weird look she got because she was different.

Selene was almost towards the bridge that would cross over into Viktor's property when she was suddenly cut off. She scowled when she saw a man with greasy black hair and leering blue eyes. He was a couple inches taller than her, and dressed a little too nice to have been part of the war. Behind him was a petite blonde woman with light blue eyes. She seemed to be regarding Selene with a look of disdain, but Selene could see the jealousy in her features.

"Kraven."

"Hello, Selene. How are you this fine day?" Kraven said, trying his best to seem appealing to her, but she just turned her head away from him. She had no interest in him, although every other girl in this town was seemingly infatuated with him. It was almost frustrating how the girls looked down upon her because she could have him, but she didn't want him.

"Get out of my way, Kraven." She really wasn't in the mood for his antics today, though it wasn't like she was ever in the mood for it. However, instead of complying with her request, he reached and grabbed the book from the crook of her arm. "Kraven give that back, now."

"Why would you waste your time reading, Selene?" He flipped through the pages, though by the blank look on his face, she knew he didn't understand any of what he red. He tossed the book into the mud, luckily landing on the cover so none of the pages were damaged. "The next thing you'll know, you'll begin thinking, and no woman should be thinking when they should be preparing to have a family."

"That's enough, Kraven." She snatched her book up from the ground, her brown eyes fixed in a harsh glare. "If you are done demeaning me, I have somewhere to be." She pushed passed him and the blonde.

What was her name again…? Oh that's right. Erika. Hopefully she gets the sense to get the fuck away from Kraven. Selene thought to herself, making her way back to the place she called home. She needed to talk to Viktor before he left for his trip.

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