Breaking the Covenant
Chapter 3: The White Knight
Elizabeta followed Lucian down the pavement barefoot and in her pajamas. A few passersby gave them strange looks, but Lucian didn't seem to mind. As they entered the city he grasped her hand to make sure she didn't get separated from him. He led her down the stairs to the subway and she felt claustrophobic at the amount of people surrounding them. She had never been around so many humans at one time.
Lucian led her into the subway car and let her sit down in a seat while he stood nearby. He noticed an old woman watching them carefully. Kraven's slap had left a mark on Elizabeta's face and the old woman had no doubt noticed it.
"Her boyfriend hit her," he said, "She called me to come get her."
The old woman nodded her head.
"Good on you, young man, for helping her."
Lucian smiled.
"It's only the right thing to do."
Elizabeta looked up and took in Lucian's profile. His hair was still pulled back in a bun and his shirt was still slightly unbuttoned. He looked to her like a knight from a fairy tale that had just rescued a princess. Even though he didn't have armor or a sword, he was definitely her hero. He had figured out a way to get Kraven away from her and to help her escape. Elizabeta couldn't help but smile up at him. Lucian looked over and returned her smile.
They got off at a stop and Lucian took Elizabeta's hand to make sure she didn't get lost. He waited for the subway train to leave before looking around to make sure no one was watching. He jumped down on the tracks and helped Elizabeta down.
"Watch the third rail," he said as he led her down the tracks.
Elizabeta looked back to make sure a train wasn't coming.
"Isn't this dangerous?" she asked as they took the left branch of the tracks.
"Just a little bit," he said, "but we're almost there."
They made it towards a staircase and he started to lead her down it. Elizabeta heard the loud dripping of water as they made their way down countless flights of stairs.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked.
"The only place where you'll be safe," he answered, "The den of the lycans."
Elizabeta didn't like the idea of being surrounded by lycans, but she knew that they would obey Lucian. There was no way that they would disobey the alpha.
They finally reached the bottom of the stairs and began to dodge puddles of water. Elizabeta jumped and grabbed Lucian's arm when she heard the sound of snarling and cheering from the distance. She heard Lucian sigh and swear under his breath.
"These knuckleheads, I swear. Always fighting each other whenever I'm not looking."
She looked at him in confusion.
"They fight each other for sport?"
"I'm convinced they take bets on who will win to make some extra money."
The concept of fighting for money was foreign to her. She furrowed her eyebrows as she contemplated how that would even be remotely fun.
Lucian led Elizabeta into the lycan den and rolled his eyes at what he saw. Two transformed lycans were clawing at each other and snarling while the others cheered and took bets on who would win.
"Stay here," he said before he let go of her hand and angrily stormed over towards the fighting.
Elizabeta nervously crossed her arms over her chest and watched Lucian shove the two lycans apart. The cheering abruptly stopped and silence echoed through the chamber.
"You're like a pack of rabid dogs!" He shouted and she couldn't help but jump at hearing the anger in his voice, "Is this what you think is acceptable to do when I'm out?!"
No one dared to answer him and some of them averted their eyes to the floor, looking ashamed. Some of them stared at Elizabeta and she nervously looked away.
"You think that fighting each other is going to help us in our cause?! It only exhausts you and leaves us prone to attack!"
"We were bored," one lycan finally said.
Lucian turned on him and pinned him to the wall.
"Bored? Bored?! This is what you do when you're bored?!"
The lycan fell silent and looked down.
"I-I'm sorry, Lucian," he said, "We won't do it again."
Lucian dropped him to the ground and the lycan landed on his side. He quickly scrambled to his feet and scurried away like a rat to avoid more of Lucian's wrath. Lucian turned towards Elizabeta and beckoned for her to come forward. She hesitated and his eyes softened.
"Elizabeta, please," he said gently.
She hesitantly came forward and he gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
"This is Elizabeta," he said, "You all are to protect her with your life."
A few lycans murmured consent to his order while one sniffed the air.
"But she's a vampire!"
Lucian lunged at him and pinned him to the ground.
"If I tell you an order, you are expected to obey it without question," he snarled, "I am well aware that she is a vampire, but she is valuable to us and you are going to protect her with your life. Got it?"
"Y-yes, sir."
Lucian got off of the lycan and rose to his feet.
"You are to leave us alone," he said, "That means knock before entering."
The lycans nodded their heads and mumbled a few yes, sirs.
Elizabeta followed Lucian to his room. He pulled open a heavy metal door and beckoned for her to go inside.
"Don't be shy," he said.
She carefully stepped inside and jumped when he shut the door behind him with a loud rusty clang.
"This is where you'll be the safest. They don't dare come in here unless I ask them to. They may be knuckleheads, but they know better than to disturb me."
She nodded her head and folded her arms over her chest. Lucian put her bag on his bed and turned to look at her. He could see how uncomfortable and out of place she felt and took pity on her. She walked over towards the bed and sat on it. She still looked uncomfortable and Lucian got an idea. He walked over to his stereo and pressed play.
Elizabeta heard the familiar opening chords of Eisbrecher's "Verrückt" play and looked up in surprise at Lucian. He was standing before her with his hand held out.
"Would you honor me with a dance?"
She smiled and took his hand. He pulled her to her feet and rested his hand on her waist. They began to move together to the beat and Elizabeta felt herself unwind.
Lucian felt lucky to have the chance to dance with Elizabeta twice in one night. Elizabeta pressed her body against his and wrapped her arms around his neck. He rested his hands on her hips and looked into her eyes. Her eyes shone with desire and he found that his blood was singing for him to seduce her. He couldn't deny the attraction he had to her and something appeared to be pulling her to him as well.
"How can I ever repay you?" she asked him as they danced.
Lucian pulled her in closer and dipped her back in his arms. She laughed and he grinned at her.
"Would you be willing to stay with me for the night?"
She laughed again.
"I can't go anywhere else," she said.
"I meant something a little different."
Elizabeta blushed bright red and Lucian awkwardly raised her back up.
"Sorry if that was a little bold," he said, "I just haven't been around a woman in a long time."
She felt pity for him in that moment.
"You said that you loved a vampire once," she said, "What was her name?"
Lucian smiled sadly as he remembered his lost love.
"Sonja," he said, "She was the daughter of Viktor."
"And she was carrying your child?"
He nodded his head as the memories flooded him.
Elizabeta could see the pain in his eyes and felt even more pity for him. She had always wondered what would happen if a vampire and a lycan joined together. Would the mother even survive bringing the offspring to term?
Lucian could see the pity in Elizabeta's eyes.
"You remind me of Sonja," he said softly to her surprise, "She defied her father until the very end. He tied her to a pole and made me watch as the sun burned her to death."
Her heart broke for him. How could Viktor have done something so cruel? She could see that Lucian had truly loved Sonja and no woman deserved to be killed for bearing a child.
"They would have done the same to me if I had stayed," she said as the reality of her situation began to sink in.
"That's why I came to help you," Lucian explained, "I couldn't bear to have another woman die because of me."
Elizabeta touched his cheek gently and looked into his eyes.
"I thank you for saving me," she said, "I owe you my life. I ask you again, how can I ever repay you?"
Lucian grasped her hand that was on his cheek.
"Do you truly wish to never return to your coven?" he asked.
Elizabeta thought over her life as a vampire. Her entire life she had been lorded over by her controlling mother and was hounded by Kraven at every step. The only option for her future if she stayed in the coven was to marry Kraven and be his queen. Her mother would ensure that she would accept his proposal. If she married Kraven, she would have to obey him without question or else she would be on the receiving end of his wrath. She knew that she didn't have it in her to be meek, polite, and obedient for the rest of her life or until he died. Her only option was to stay with Lucian and the lycans. She would certainly miss Selene, but she also knew that Selene would want her to do what she felt was right.
"No," she finally said, "There is nothing there for me anymore."
Lucian rested his hand on the small of her back.
"I will have to mark you as mine to keep the other lycans away," he told her, "Are you alright with that?"
Elizabeta furrowed her brows.
"What exactly would that entail?" she asked.
Lucian glanced over at his bed briefly before looking back at her. She got the hint and blushed again.
"I would have to mark you as my mate to get them to leave you alone," he explained, "You would have power as my mate and the lycans will listen to you. Maybe you would be able to help me get these knuckleheads in line."
Elizabeta couldn't help but smile and he grinned at her. She looked up at him and considered his offer.
"Will we be equal?" she asked.
"Of course," he said without any hesitation, "I already consider you my equal."
That was enough to convince her that she could trust Lucian. She nodded her head.
"I accept," she said.
Lucian was slightly surprised that she accepted so quickly.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
She nodded her head and he pulled her in close. He kissed her deeply and she returned his kiss.
Lucian felt the desire he had for her earlier in the evening return tenfold. The feeling of Elizabeta running her hands on his back only increased his desire for her. He pulled her in closer and swept her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her towards his bed. He laid her down on it and straddled her hips as he continued to kiss her.
Kraven stormed down the hall towards the security enclosure. Someone had triggered the gate alarm by chucking a brick at it. It had been done from the inside too, which only puzzled everyone who was investigating. He needed to see the footage to see where the brick had come from and, more importantly, who had thrown it. He opened the door and pushed the security guard aside. He pulled up the outside cameras and began to look for any sign of activity on each one. He finally saw activity from camera twenty-eight. A brick hurtled towards the gate from around the area of Elizabeta's window. Kraven's jaw twitched in anger and the security guard noticed.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Have the dogs search the grounds," he ordered before rushing out the door.
Selene had to press against the wall as Kraven stormed down the hallway towards Elizabeta's room. She quietly followed him and didn't even make it halfway towards the room before she heard him.
"SHIT!"
There was a crash as he no doubt threw open the window and leaned out. Selene ran the rest of the distance and looked into the room. Elizabeta was nowhere to be found and the overwhelming smell of lycan assaulted her nostrils.
"She escaped!" Kraven snarled as he slammed the window shut.
Selene wasn't so sure about that. She suspected that Elizabeta had been kidnapped by a lycan, but she was confused as to what motive a lycan would have to kidnap her. Elizabeta wasn't an active Death Dealer and had never come into contact with lycans from what Selene knew.
"Get a squad together and search the city for her," Kraven ordered, "She has to be found before her mother arrives."
"Her mother is already here," Selene told him as he began to storm out of the room.
Kraven stopped dead in his tracks and swore once more.
"I will inform her about Elizabeta's disappearance," she said as she began to walk past him.
Kraven grabbed her by her arm and dragged her back.
"Don't you dare tell her anything," he hissed, "Find her before her mother even notices she's gone."
"She's already asked to see Elizabeta. She's aware that something is wrong."
"Elizabeta!" a voice called from the hallway.
Kraven swore again for the umpteenth time and ran a hand through his hair. Nothing was going the way he had planned. First Elizabeta runs off and then her mother shows up a full day ahead of schedule.
A tall, dark haired woman dressed in an elaborate red blouse and a tight black pencil skirt clacked her way into the room on her stiletto heels.
"Kraven," she said with a slight tremor to her voice, "where is my daughter?"
Selene looked at Kraven and then towards Elizabeta's mother. Kraven exhaled loudly and approached his fellow regent.
"Imperia, I didn't expect you to arrive so soon."
Imperia narrowed her green eyes at him.
"Nevermind that," she snapped, "Where is my daughter?"
Imperia rested her eyes on Selene when Kraven didn't answer.
"Selene," she began, "Where is Elizabeta?"
"We're not sure, madam," Selene answered.
Imperia whirled her gaze on Kraven and fury shone in her emerald eyes.
"You lost my daughter?!" she shrieked before she began to advance on him.
"She escaped on her own accord," he explained as he took a few steps back from the furious vampire mother, "There was a breach in security and she used that opportunity to escape the manor."
"And why would she want to escape?!" Imperia snapped, "She knows nothing of humans or lycans!"
"Apparently that's not the case," Selene interjected.
Imperia whirled her gaze on her and inclined her head.
"What do you mean, Selene?"
"There's a strong smell of lycan in this room," Selene explained, "I suspect that a lycan kidnapped her."
Imperia began to shake with rage and Kraven stared at Selene in surprise. The female regent grabbed Kraven by his jacket and hurled him into the wall. She then lifted him up by his neck and held him up high.
"You have the nerve to lose my daughter after asking me for permission to marry her," she hissed, "How would you be able to protect her if you can't even prevent her from being kidnapped by an inbred lycan?!"
She dropped him to the floor and he coughed as he held his neck.
"She couldn't have gotten far," he coughed, "The dogs are searching the grounds as we speak."
A Death Dealer entered the room and had a grave looking look on his face.
"Sir, the dogs couldn't find anything. Not even a scent to follow."
Imperia's body trembled with rage and she whirled on Kraven.
"If you still want to marry her, you had better find her before the awakening ceremony and pray that the Covenant hasn't been broken!"
The female regent stormed out of the room and down the hallway. Kraven whirled on Selene with fury shining in his dark eyes.
"Find her or you will be Elizabeta's replacement," he hissed.
Selene glared at him and shoved him aside.
"Like I would ever agree to something like that," she spat, "I will find my friend on my own accord and not because of your idle threat."
She stormed down the hallway and heard porcelain shatter and Kraven swearing loudly enough for the entire manor to hear.