Something wasn't right.

Although I was asleep, I could feel something bad was happening. Of course my weakened condition prevented me from doing anything, so I was left to lie and wait for someone to awaken me.

When you're out in the world, time flies quickly. If you're encased in a tomb, however, two centuries can feel like an eternity. My only consolation was the thought that Marcus and I would execute our plans to overthrow my father's rule by murdering him in his sleep.

It would seem like a cowardly plan to you, us murdering my father as he slept. But if you knew him, as I did, you would understand. Viktor is easily the strongest vampire in the world, and it would take a Herculean effort to subdue him long enough to kill him.

Marcus and I had executed the plan shortly before we were put to sleep; we knew that the longer each of us was aware of a concrete plan, the higher was the risk that my father would hear about it.

As I pondered about these things, I felt something warm, hot, and extremely nourishing trickle down my throat.

It's time.

I waited as the blood trickled through my dead veins and gave my heart a jolt so powerful it caused me to arch my back, breaking the hinges of my coffin.

"My love," a raspy voice said, and I shuddered, the blood slowly awakening each of my senses. My vision slowly cleared, my hearing sharpened, and I could feel the cool, tight skin against my hand.

"Marcus." My voice came out as guttural, but it soon smoothed into my usual silky tone. "Where is Father?"

"Dead." Pleasure ran through his body as I trailed my hand down his torso. He was in his mutated form, but he quickly transformed to his normal appearance.

Marcus was a vampire-werewolf hybrid, a secret we kept between ourselves. It happened when he returned from his trip to England: the werewolf he was searching for found him and bit him, but to his surprise he was able to rearrange his genetic code.

As a hybrid, Marcus was a terrifying figure with large wings that ended in a sharp claw that could tear a vampire in half. His teeth were razor sharp, and he had bat-like ears. He looked gruesome to most, but he was my husband, and I loved him no matter what he looked like.

His mutation would have been to our advantage; Marcus possessed the strength of the vampire and werewolf races, which would have been too much for my dear father to handle. We could easily dispose of him and his pet Amelia, and would rule the Vampire Coven forever.

News of my father's death brought me no sorrow or pain, but rather intense happiness.

"Dead? How?" I asked. Marcus entwined his fingers with mine and smiled. "Did you do it yourself?"

"I needn't have to lift a finger. Your friend, Selene, did the deed," Marcus replied, looking deep into my eyes.

"Selene? Why her? She loved my father," I said, surprised. Selene was the last person I expected to go after Viktor, due to the gratitude she owed him for saving her life. Unless… "She knows."

"Indeed. Your father was a fool to save her, and yet she has proved herself to be extremely useful." Marcus' hand rested on my waist, and together we headed out on the main chamber. Bodies littered the floor, and I saw a wrinkled body of a man lying near the hole where Marcus' coffin was encased. Blood pooled all over the chamber floor and I moaned my approval.

"You've been a naughty boy, Marcus," I told him. "Am I to have nothing?"

"Mmm." Marcus murmured thoughtfully. "We could get rid of the rest of the coven. They were loyal to your father, after all."

"What about Selene? She is here, isn't she?"

Marcus shook his head. "She's been smitten by another hybrid. Michael Corvin."

"Corvin? Is he from your brother's bloodline?" I examined the bodies of the guards, who have been stabbed, ripped, and drained dry.

"Yes. Dear Stefan has bred the second hybrid. He always was full of surprises," Marcus mused. "You would also be delighted to know that Kraven is dead."

"By your hand, I assume." I spotted Kraven's upper torso lying not far from me, his features frozen in one of shock and horror. "You must have given him something he didn't want to have."

"He pleaded for his life, saying he could be useful to me," Marcus revealed. "He was always a bad liar."

"Did you learn anything useful from him?" I was referring to the ability of vampires to absorb the memories of those whom they've bitten. It was the reason why my father had learned of my sister's fornications with Lucian.

He nodded. "Lucian is alive. Or at least he was, until a few hours ago. Kraven murdered him."

I hissed. My brother-in-law was dead by the hands of a filthy, useless, vile vampire like Kraven. Lucian had deserved better. Everyone from my past was gone. My theories about Lucian proved to be true, but I was too late to save him. I knew he hated my father more, but in a way, he still had his revenge.

Viktor was dead, and apparently, Lucian had Amelia murdered.

He always made mine and Sonja's lives easier, I thought. Now you and Sonja can be together.

Yes, my family was dead. But I still had Marcus, and we had a mission to fulfill. I changed into more modern clothing – a tank top and bootleg jeans were sufficient, since Marcus and I had to go on a rather long trek – before we entered the mansion.

The events that followed were full of bloodshed and mayhem. Marcus and I slowly dispatched the vampires in the house. I bathed in their blood and relished the feeling of absorbing their lusty memories and thoughts, plus snippets of their pathetic human lives.

I found Erika cowering in Kraven's room, believing that he would come and rescue her. When she saw me in the doorway, her eyes widened.

"Please, Sophia, I have served you loyally," she said. I knew she was going to beg for her life just like the others did, but it served her no purpose. I drained her dry, and from there I saw Selene learn of my father's treachery and how she discovered that I, who she considered my sister, had kept it from her.

I let Erika's limp body fall to the floor and I left without a backward glance. Soon enough the mansion burned from a fire one of the vampires had started in an attempt to ward Marcus off. It did nothing to protect him, since Marcus used his wings to slash the vampire's throat without moving an inch.

Now, Marcus and I were walking along the road. I had changed my clothes a second time before we left the house. This time I was in a fitting tank top with a denim jacket. Marcus hated seeing other men gawk at me, and I knew that covering my torso was one way of thwarting unwanted attention.

Marcus offered to fly to one of the hideouts our coven used to interrogate Lycans, but I refused.

"You'd be too conspicuous, Marcus," I reminded him. "Don't you want to enjoy a long walk with me?"

He relented. We sauntered down the sidewalks, ignoring the blatant stares of the men and women who either took in Marcus' smooth, bare-chested appearance (the lovable fool declined to wear a shirt, although he had thrown on a black leather overcoat) or my lush hourglass figure.

We reached the hideout in time, and Marcus transformed in case there were enemies nearby. There were none, and while Marcus examined something on what I believed to be called a computer, I looked at the body of a dead Lycan that was still hanging on metal chains.

"There you are," Marcus murmured. I saw immediately what he was talking about: a light was flashing on one of the locations of the hideouts, meaning that that was where Selene and this Michael Corvin were hiding.

"If we fly, we can reach them," Marcus said, turning to me. "Please, Sophia."

I smiled. "You need not ask my permission, Marcus. As long as you promise not to drop me."

"Never." Marcus carried me lovingly in his arms and leaped onto the window sill. A split second later he flew out onto the night.

"Caught you!"

I let out a small squeal of delight and jumped out of my hiding place. Sonja had her arms outstretched. "You're it!"

"No!" I cried, my mouth forming a pout. Sonja smiled at the look on my face and I couldn't help but smile in return. She was always able to lift my spirits. "Lucian is it!"

At the mention of his name, Lucian turned around. He was pounding away at one of the swords lying on the hot fireplace, and sweat trickled down his brow.

"Oh don't bother him, Sophia," Sonja chided me gently. "You know what happens if Father sees him slacking."

"You can always defend him," I pointed out. Lucian looked away quickly and continued pounding at the sword. "Father likes you more than he likes me."

"Oh sister, that isn't true," Sonja replied quickly. She knew Father's preference of her over me was a sore spot for me, and she was quick to hush any conversation about it. "Father loves you as much as he loves me."

I remained silent. My happiness was gone, and Sonja seemed to blame herself for it. She suggested a horse ride, but I refused. Finally, Lucian approached me and held out his dirty, tar-stained hand.

On it was a crudely wrought necklace with a jewel in the shape of an "S". "For you."

I gasped in delight and surprise. "For me? Really?"

Lucian nodded. His eyes always remained on the ground, but he glanced up a split second to see my reaction.

"Thank you, Lucian!" I cried, throwing my arms around him. He seemed taken aback, but he gingerly returned the embrace.

"Sophia!" my father's sharp voice rang through the courtyard as he strode towards me.

Lucian pulled away and stepped back. I, on the other hand, hid the necklace and slowly faced him. "Father."

Without a word he struck me across the face. My cheek stung, and I bit my lip from crying out.

"Father, please!" Sonja pleaded, grabbing Father's arm. "She is still a child."

"She is of higher rank than he and still she treats him as an equal," he seethed. "Give me that."

I clamped my fist around the necklace and shook my head.

Father's eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe my defiance. "How dare you shake your head at me, girl!"

"It's mine! Can't I have it, Papa?" I said, casting a pleading look at him.

It didn't work.

He struck me on the other cheek and I felt my neck crack a little at the force of the blow. Still, I did not cry out. "Do not let me repeat myself, Sophia."

I reluctantly held my hand out and he snatched the necklace from me. The sharp edges sliced at my palm, and it was then when I winced. Blood flowed from my palm and onto the ground.

"Enough, Father," Sonja said quietly. "Please, she is my sister."

"Then tell her to act like it," Father said, crushing the necklace under his boot. "She is the princess of this coven and should adopt a more genteel attitude. Tell her to improve her fighting skills as well. She's as useless as a lump of coal in the arena."

With that he swept away, flanked by his guards and attendants.

Sonja immediately enfolded me in her arms. "Hush, Sophia."

Lucian was apologetic. "My lady, forgive me. I did not realize it would harm you."

"You may leave, Lucian. I'm sure my sister knows it," Sonja said, and she dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

I closed my eyes and felt the blood trickle from the wound on my palm.

How I wanted to hate him then, but I couldn't. He was my father, and all I wanted from him was a kind word and a loving embrace.

His actions towards me during my childhood and his indifference in sending my sister and my niece/nephew to their deaths fuelled my hatred for him. The moment Sonja turned to ash, my love for him vanished.

You could say that I lived now only to see the day he would die, which was eventually stripped from me by the woman I considered my sister. Perhaps Viktor was lucky. If Marcus and I did the deed, Viktor would have known unending torture and pain before his death.

One simple slice through his head did the deed. If only Lucian had killed him so many years ago, then perhaps none of this would have happened.

Perhaps Selene would still have her family.

Perhaps Lucian wouldn't have had to hide in the shadows, plotting his revenge.

So many "what ifs" and "what could have beens".