Did she just stab herself? With a throwing knife?

Michael couldn't believe his eyes and stared at Selene. She was still holding the knife in her hand and visibly breathing heavily from the impact. The medic inside him told him to go and check her, but he was nailed to the ground. He had never been this furious in his life and if he didn't love her so damn much, he would have smacked her. Michael took a minute to regroup his thoughts and continued as planned.

'I will yell at you later.' Michael promised her. 'Right now, we need to get back to the safe house and play our parts.'

He stepped forward and swooped her up in his arms. Selene did an excellent job at pretending to be unconscious, she even moaned a little when he opened the door of the safe house. Michael followed the plan and pushed back all the memories that were threatening to consume him. As soon as he was finished, he silently sighed and touched Selene's cheek.

'Please stay alive.' Michael said for the cameras but added something only meant for her ears. 'I love you.'

He stopped himself from kissing her, went to the control room and opened a communication link with the coven.

'Danny, are you seeing this?' Michael said with added panic in his voice. 'Danny come in!'

'Danny here. What happened?'

'We were ambushed. Selene is wounded. We're coming back now, make sure David's there.'

Michael shot from his chair and heard Danny talk as he ran out the room. He moved through the room, gathering their stuff to throw in the car.He carefully moved Selene's arm before he picked her up and put her in the backseat.

The garage doors opened automatically as he pulled up in front of them. Michael was quiet for a couple of minutes as he drove toward the coven, but he couldn't bear the silence anymore.

'Are you ok?' He finally asked.

'Yes. How long until we reach the coven?'

'About half an hour, but I can shorten it if you want.' Michael replied. 'Is that knife still in the same place?'

'You secured it very tightly, do not worry. Just drive like you did last time and tell me when to stop moving again.'

Michael could hear Selene was in her mission mode and there was no way of just chatting with her like that. Michael hit the gas and ignored all traffic rules as he had before to get this over with. He signaled Selene to stop moving after ten minutes to ensure the cameras at the gate wouldn't pick it up. He hit the buttons for both gates at once and drove past them as fast as possible. Michael stopped the car right in front of the stairs and dashed out. With a bit too much theatrics, Michael stormed in and started panting.

'Get David and Connar in here.' He started.

'NOW!' He yelled when nobody moved.

A few vampires dashed from the room to search for Connar and David. He took another look through the coven and saw worry on all faces. Just as expected. Michael turned around and left the people wondering what was wrong. On his way back to the car, he discretely removed the syringe from his coat. He opened the car door and injected Selene with Black Dusk before he picked her up.

'Don't leave me, my love.' He breathlessly whispered as her heart almost stopped beating.

David opened the doors to let Michael enter with Selene in his arms.

'What happened?' David said with added worry to his voice.

Michael walked past him into the room. Connar and Varga had also arrived according to plan..

'We were ambushed. They knew where we were.' Michael panted. 'Selene was stabbed. It prevented her from healing. She's… She's…'

Michael didn't have to fake his despair. He tapped into his memories from last time and let them all flow back to him. He sank to his knees with Selene still in his arms, hugging her tightly.

'Give her to me.' Connar said.

'Connar take Selene.' David commanded when Michael wasn't able to move. 'Varga, go with Connar.'

Michael deviated from the plan, but he couldn't care. All the feelings he had stuffed aside the past few weeks came back to him, hitting him hard. He let Connar take Selene, his hands never felt so empty. The memories wouldn't let him go.

At some point Eve had arrived and David had to stop her from chasing after Connar. David had taken full control and he was guiding both Eve and Michael to his office. Michel sat down with his head in his hands.

'Michael?' David tried. 'Did something go wrong?'

Michael held up his hand to David. He needed a minute to collect his thoughts to prevent a breakdown. The tightening in his chest eased a bit and his mind slowly cleared up. He looked up to see the worried looks of Eve and David.

'I'm ok.' Michael said. 'Almost everything went according to plan.'

'Almost?' David asked. 'Before you explain, Eve, do you mind stepping out?'

'No.' Michael answered before Eve could. 'Selene and I have decided to include Eve in coven business. This is one of them.'

'Ok.' David said reluctantly. 'What didn't go according to plan?'

'We were almost finished preparing in the woods. I only needed to attach the knife, when Selene decided to stab herself with a throwing knife.' Michael exclaimed.

David and Eve shared the same look of disbelief. Eve kept her mouth shut, but Michael could see fury burning in her eyes. Selene will be having two yelling hybrids when she comes out of this.

'Who the hell put her up to this?' David said angrily. 'I will kill Varga!'

'Don't, it was her idea.' Michael sighed.

'What did you do?' Eve asked in a formal voice.

'I promised to yell at her later.' Michael admitted. 'I took a liter of blood from her and with the Black Dusk coming, I didn't know if it would heal properly if I took it out. So I secured the blade.'

'Is something wrong with Selene?' David asked.

'She probably misses the fighting and the adrenaline rush. Overnight, she went from risking her life on a daily basis to being an elder and sitting in on council meetings.' Michael said. 'You need to inform Connar it's a blade instead of just a handle. They cannot press on the wound while holding her down.'

'I will inform him now.' David said.

He walked out of the office and closed the door. Michael sensed he could have sent a guard but wanted to give Michael and Eve some privacy. He looked at his daughter and saw strength in her eyes. Michael knew she could handle more than he or Selene thought.

'You didn't act breaking down in the grand hall, did you?' She asked with a steady voice. 'Should I be worried?'

'Your mother makes life very hard for herself and the people around her.' Michael stated. 'The whole scene took me back to weeks ago when she was really injured. The memories overwhelmed me. I will talk to her when this is finished.'

'Talk or yell?'

'Probably both.' Michael laughed half a laugh.

They both heard David arrive and waited for him to enter the room again.

'Connar has been updated.' David said. 'The two of you did a great job convincing the coven. Standard protocol was followed, and the coven is now under lockdown. As soon as Varga is finished in the infirmary, he will inform the recruits about the situation. Until then, they are locked in the training area.'

'Connar told me to say Selene is OK. She woke up as expected and they can easily manage the headache, but they might need your help in half an hour.' David said to Michael. 'Will you be able to?'

'I'm ok.' Michael answered. 'Or I will be.'

'Eve?' David asked.

'I might punch her one day.'

Michael looked up and couldn't help laughing. Everyone had been saying she was going to be a second Selene, but at the moment she sounded exactly like him.

'You might have to wait in line.' David said with a smile on his face.

David wanted to go over the plan again until it was time to go to the infirmary. They all put their game faces on in case they came across some stray people. The infirmary was quiet except for the ten guards standing outside. All of them stepped aside when they saw David marching towards the door.

As they closed the door behind them, Eve hesitated. He too was anxious to see what was happening as both hadn't been there the first time and had no idea what to expect. Michael put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly.

'You can wait in my office if you want.' Michael comforted her.

'This is also part of coven business, right? Let's go.' Eve said and straightened up.

It was a good thing they arrived when they did. Michael heard a crash and saw Varga flying into a wall. He ran over to the bed and grabbed Selene's arm. Michael was just in time to prevent her from reaching her head. Even Michael had to use quite some force to restrain Selene. A few seconds later, Selene went limp, and Michael let go of her arm. He turned around to Varga. He sat against the wall, panting.

'Any injuries?' Michael asked.

'You might need to set my arm. Something snapped.' Varga replied.

Michael took a look at his arm and by eye he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. He started palpating from Vargas' shoulder down and soon found a fracture in his humerus. With a quick motion, Michael set the break.

'That should do it.'

'Thanks.'

'What happened?' Michael asked.

'We have no idea. She is a lot stronger than last time.' Varga said. 'Somehow she got a hold on me and threw me against the wall.'

'How much blood did you let her drink?' Connar asked.

'As much as she could hold down. About twice the amount she would normally take.'

'That probably explains it. Good to know for next time.' Connar stated.

Michael raised his eyebrow at Connar's comment. He wouldn't allow another time, someone else could do it.

Michael and Varga took turns holding Selene down. Eve sat in the corner with a pale face. Michael was used to closing himself off from his patients in the infirmary and carrying out his job, but Eve tensed up every time Selene moved. He had offered her to go to his office multiple times, but she was determined to take her new responsibilities seriously.

'Take her out of here.' Michael whispered to Varga after the third time.

Varga followed orders and took her to his office. Michael saw he even closed the blinds after he sat her down.

'You and Selene might want to talk to her about this after we're done.' Varga said.

'Way ahead of you.' Michael sighed.

But he didn't have long to think about it. Selene moved again and they had to grab her arm. Her strength seemed to be increasing.

'She's getting stronger. What does that mean?' Michael asked Connar.

'That means she's almost out of it. Maybe one or two more rounds to go. Two of you good?'

Michael and Varga nodded. Michael sat down in a chair. He too had fed more than usual but holding Selene down drained a lot of his energy. He was glad he would only have to do it a couple more times. Selene stirred again and Michael got up. Connar held up his hand for them to wait. She moaned a bit, her eyes were fluttering.

'Selene is conscious again, give her a few minutes to fully wake.' Connar said. 'Michael, relax your muscles and breathe.'

Michael let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He relaxed and looked at Selene. There was a change in her movements. She wasn't as fast as the last half hour and her breathing was more even. Varga sat back in a chair and rested his head against the wall. Connar gave him a bag, which he drained immediately. Selene opened her eyes and looked at Michael.

'Hi there.' Michael said gently.

'Auch!'

Selene groaned and placed her hand on her eyes. Connar and Varga had already turned off the light in half of the infirmary but her headache made her sensitive to the remaining light.

'How are you?' Michael whispered as he placed a hand on her cheek.

Selene removed her hand from her eyes and slowly opened them. She looked straight at him and smiled.

'Like my head… has been hit… by a truck.' Selene said slowly.

'Rest, my love. I need to talk to Eve.' Michael kissed her forehead.

He walked into his office and found Eve on a chair with her head in her hands. He touched her shoulder and she shot up, her eyes red from crying. Eve tried to hide it by turning away, but Michael wouldn't let her. He took her wrist and pulled her into a hug.

'Eve, you didn't have to do this to yourself.' Michael said lovingly.

'I should be able to handle this.' Eve exclaimed. 'You and mom can!'

Michael let go of his daughter, gently putting her back in the chair. He sat opposite to her and put his hand on her knee.

'Eve, listen to me, family is not coven business. I should have shielded you from this.' Michael sighed. 'Besides, you cannot expect to do this overnight. Your mother is a born fighter and learned to rule a coven by watching others before her. She has watched injustice by the previous elders for over half a millennia before she was ready to rule this coven. And still, your mother hates to do this and she was against you learning the ropes.'

Eve looked up. Michael saw that his last statement came as a surprise to Eve.

'She… She was against me learning coven business?' Eve asked. 'I thought she wanted me too.'

'We want you to do something you love, not something that is expected of you.' Michael said. 'I am sorry Eve, you are caught up in politics.'

'I prefer fighting.' Eve brightened up slightly.

'We know honey, we do too.' Michael said. 'For now, forget about the council and the coven. Let's go to your mother. She just woke up.'

Eve followed Michael into the infirmary with hesitation. But the moment she saw her mother, Eve moved toward her and got onto the bed next to her. Michael couldn't help but smile at the scene before him.

Michael sat next to Varga and noticed Connar had already removed the knife from Selene's side. He was glad Eve didn't have to witness it. Next to him, Varga was still supporting his head against the wall and had his eyes closed.

'Go and rest Varga.' Michael said gently.

'I need to go to the recruits first.' Varga answered with his eyes still closed. 'Give me a minute.'

Not much happened in the time Selene was asleep. Michael had to promise Varga not to tell her she threw him across the room before he left for the training area. Connar came by a few times to check Selene. Eve got restless from waiting until David came by.

'How is she?'

'Asleep. How is the coven?'

'Restless.' David spoke. 'They are anxious to know what happened and if Selene will make it. You made quite the entrance.'

'Glad to hear I could help.' Selene said groggily. 'Hi sweetheart.'

Eve lightened up when Selene pulled her into a hug.

'How are you feeling?' David asked.

'A bit of a headache, but fine.' Selene answered. 'Did Varga get the recruit?'

'I haven't been there yet. You were my first stop.'

'Can I go with you David?' Eve asked. 'I'd like to get out of here and do something, even coven business will do.'

'I would love to Eve, but the coven is still under the impression you are waiting anxiously for your mother to survive. We cannot risk them seeing you at the training area. I'm sorry.' David added when he saw her face. 'When Varga catches the person responsible, you are welcome to spend the day with me. I have to go now, let the guards know if you need anything.'

And with that, David left the infirmary. Michael looked at Selene with the sudden urge to hold her. He kept himself from running towards the bed because of his daughter. Instead, he just looked at the two women in his life. Eve had become an independent woman over the five years since he first arrived at the coven. He and Selene were not able to see her grow up as a baby, but they sure did a great job getting her the life she had deserved once they were together.

'I will ask Connar for more of those medic journals and read them in your office.' Eve said as if she could read his mind.

'You know about those journals?' Michael asked.

'I found them one day and asked Connar if I could borrow a few. They are quite interesting. Varga thought so as well, that's where he got the idea of the Black Dusk.'

'I am not sure how to respond to that.' Selene admitted.

'And with that, I am going.' Eve smiled. 'Love you.'

Michael watched her leave, not knowing what to say either.

'Did she just admit to pushing Varga towards Black dusk?' Michael asked.

'It would seem so. Our little girl has grown to be a young woman.' Selene mused. 'What else has she been hiding?'

'Who knows. A boyfriend perhaps?'

Michael laughed when he looked at Selene. That was not an answer she was hoping for. Selene waved for Michael to come over as she moved to the side of the bed. He laid beside her, and she rested her head on his chest.

'I am sorry I put you through hell again.'

'We will talk about that later.' Michael said. 'I loved our time together.'

'I did too. After all this is over, why don't we just run away.'

'What about the coven?'

'Lena will take over my reign in two years, after that, we will be free to go wherever we want for twenty years. David can handle the rest.' Selene said. 'Let's be the family we never could be.'

'What about Eve?' Michael said carefully.

'She is free to choose for herself, but I hope she will join us.' Selene answered.

'You're in pain. You should rest.' Michael said when he saw strain on her face.

'It's just a headache, I will live.'

Michael put his arm around her shoulders and pushed her head gently to his chest. He kept stroking her hair until Selene's breathing got even.