A Vampire's Life Book 7

Hello!
Hello and thanks for clicking on my little tale!

I guess it's pretty obvious that this is number seven in the series, if you are new
to this series then you might want to check out the others. You don't need to if
you don't want to, they don't have much bearing on this book. The only thing I
would suggest is that if you want to understand the darkness that engulfs Lucian's
life, you might want to check out the first book.

For those of you who have read the series from the very start, welcome back! This
is the last book in the series and without trying to give too much away, it will
give closure to some characters. Of course, there is one more book that sits
outside of this series. Like Finn's story in 'Protecting the Wolf Prince' it is a
spin off of this series. This mystery character and his or her story is a complete
spoiler for this tale so it won't be out until this is completed.�

So as always, show the love with the stars, follow me if you want to know when I
update and don't be a stranger, drop me a line!

xMishx

Chapter 1

Darkness surrounded Lucian's life, he knew death curled its icy grip around his
past and haunted his future. Shadows watched him creeping their way slowly to him
as he sat in the parlour, alone. The painting of his past stared down at him from
its high perch over the mantle. Heat from the fire warmed the room but it did
little to abate the shadows. Lucian knew they would always follow him. Reminding
him of his past, his families past. It was wrong to stay in this house but he could
not leave it. He felt tied to it, unable to move on. This was his family home, the
maternal ancestral home. But the past reminded him to never forget, to always
remember that his line was cursed. Cursed to walk these hallowed halls remembering
those who had been slain, those who had been lost.

Lucian flicked another picture into the fire, watching as the image of one happy
couple burned. Its edges curled in as the fire crushed the photo, slowly taking
another image of her away from him. Long brown hair curled around her shoulders and
over her chest as she happily hugged him in the photo. He had lost her because of
his own fault. So wrapped up in the need to satisfy his urges that he forgot what
she valued the most. Love, happiness, truthfulness, monogamy. She had believed his
lies for so long but in one fateful night, she found the truth.

She was supposed to be in the werewolf realm with her father for some kind of
business for their kingdom. Lucian had thought at the time it was an opportune
moment, to have some fun while she was gone. He was drunk, he was high, he had fed
from a woman that was part of his harem who was also high, making it worse. She
didn't know about the harem, Lucian knew he was treading on thin ice having them
around but somewhere in the depths of his mind, he knew he didn't really care. It
was harsh and cruel and he didn't know why he was like that, but that's the way he
was.

When she found him all hell broke loose. She ripped into the room and dragged one
of the women off the bed by her hair in an effort to get to him. Her eyes were
ablaze with fury as she pulled the next one out from under him, sending white
powder everywhere. He remembered scrambling off the bed, thinking he was a dead
man. The look in her eyes told him she wanted him dead. As he struggled to pull his
pants on she told him that they were done, there were no more chances. She turned
and fled the room, taking any form of reconciliation with her. Lucian knew he had
well and truly broken her. Ariella hated him and he deserved her hate. He knew he
deserved a whole lot more.

Lucian tossed the last remnants of his life with Ariella into the fire, it was the
wedding invitation. Time had passed and the soft cream card had turned yellow, the
beautiful script font had bled into the surrounding paper. She had moved on with
someone else, she had found her mate and had a family now. The glass of whiskey in
his other hand was upended, there was no more in the bottle. With anger and
sadness, Lucian crushed the crystal in his hand. Pieces of the crystal dropped to
the rug below, blood dripped with them. He opened his hand to see the fragments
shimmer in the light of the fire, blood pouring out of the wounds. Pain was nothing
any more, this was nothing. His uncut hand washed over the other, the shards fell
to the ground, the blood dried up and the wounds healed. This was an ability of the
first born child of the ruler of the realm, he was a psychical healer. Now his hand
was normal again, there was no evidence except for the glittering bloody shards at
his feet.

He sat back into the chair and looked up at the painting that haunted him and his
family. It was once a loving picture of a man, a woman and their infant child. Now
it was a haunting memory of how one act can destroy a family. How one person can
take away so much with so little regard for anyone other than themselves. Now it
served as a reminder to Lucian to trust no one. Not even his own family. The
shadows drew closer as his thoughts became more morbid, more chilling. He had to
get away, he had to forget. Lucian knew there was only one way to forget the horror
of his past. No amount of alcohol or drugs could ever do the job right. There was
only one thing that satisfied him now. He stood from his chair and determinedly
walked into the corridor, grabbed his hooded jacket and readied himself to flee
into the night. The inky darkness would hide him from the guards that patrolled the
land and protected him. They were a pain, always getting in the way when he tried
to feed.

'Your highness, readying for dinner at your parents, shall I notify the guards to
accompany you?'

Lucian could feel the colour drop from his face as Theodore spoke, he had
completely forgotten about dinner.

'Yes.' he turned with a feigned smile 'Off to dinner.'

Theodore nodded with a bow and turned to attend to his duty. Lucian sighed, his
plans for a night on the town, feeding and maybe finding a special friend were now
shot to pieces. Now he had to have dinner with his parents and his siblings.

**********************

Dinner was uncomfortable for all, Lucian sat at the table with his leg shaking
under it, pushing the food around the plate. His siblings said nothing, his parents
watched without a word. His mother, Alina, waited until her other children were
done with their meals and dismissed them from the table. She rounded the table and
firmly placed her hand on Lucian's shoulder after he had tried to escape with them.

'Dale, shut the doors behind you darling.'

'Yes mother.' he whispered.

Dale gave his older brother a sympathetic smile, knowing he was in for it, big
time. Alina left his side as Dale shut the door, moving with elegance as she passed
Alex at the head of the table. When she reached the door, she flicked the tiny lock
with one slow movement. Lucian gulped as he watched the tiny catch slowly flick
over. Alina moved slowly, running her hand over her husband's shoulders, stopping
on the other side. His hand warmly grasped hers, a sign of unity in their mission.

'You dare come to this house high?'

'And drunk.' Alex added.

'I'm not.' Lucian hissed.

'Do not lie Lucian, we are not the fools you take us for. We will cut your
allowance if necessary, we will make you return to our house, we will put you in a
rehab program if you continue. Do we need to do these things Lucian?'

'No.' he snapped.

'You need to deal with your demons, if you do not they will drag you down and take
you from us. You need to stop.'

Lucian stared at the table, his leg still shaking under the table.

'You need to move on with your life. Accept that you wronged her and so many others
and move forward. If you need to seek her forgiveness, then do so. But you need to
find peace Lucian.' his father implored 'Learn from our mistakes son, become a man
that can be good to a woman.'

Alex looked up at his wife, she smiled softly at him. Theirs had been a very hard
path, they knew they had not only wronged themselves with their infidelity, but
they had wronged Lucian too. Now they could see why he was the way he was. For many
years he had known of his parent's misbehaviour. His mother and her werewolf lover,
Finn, they had been together for years. And his father and his many women, the list
had been long. If they could have turned back time, they would have, for Lucian's
sake most of all. It held no detriment to their lives, they had now found their own
monogamous love and were completely faithful to each other. But their beginning had
showed their son that there was fun to be had in having more than one lover.

'Fine.' he sighed.

'You will stop the drugs and the drinking?'

'Yes.' he groaned.

'And the countless women?'

'Yes!' he snapped again.

'Maybe some anger management as well.' Alina bit back.

She moved from her husband's side to her son, taking him firmly by the jaw so that
he looked her directly in the eye.

'Do not come here and be so rude to your family. Do not come here with your vices.'
she hissed lowly 'You are not so old that I cannot put you over my knee and smack
the living hell out of you. Understand?'

'Yes mother.'
Her hand released its firm grip and gently ran over his jaw.

'You could offer someone so much Lucian, do not waste your life.'

Lucian had finally been freed from his lecture, unsure if he was actually going to
keep his promises. Now he was stuck with one annoying brat pleading him to take her
somewhere. Lucian's deep dark eyes bored down into hers, her brown curls nestled
around her sweet, innocent looking face. She knew how to annoy him, not that it was
hard. His temper was something that was his worst asset. Marinya looked up at her
brother, a full head taller than her. He looked like their dead grandfather, a
little like their parents too. His hair was deep brown, almost black in certain
lights, tall with an athletic build. He had the eyes of the first born of the realm
leader, a deep blue rings surrounded the watery blue irises. Their paternal
grandmother always said Lucian was the spitting image of their dead maternal
grandfather, the former king of their realm.

Marinya on the other hand was much like their mother. Long beautiful hair, thin
frame and skin to die for. But for all their beauty, they were flawed. The Eliade
side of the line, their mother's family was one that had dark skeletons. It was a
past that they feared would come back, treachery was in their blood.

'Please Lucian.' she fluttered her pretty blue eyes at him. 'I don't want to go by
myself.'

Lucian huffed at her, the youngest of his siblings was barely an adult yet still
annoying. He had hoped that her turning eighteen would change her more annoying
traits. This was supposed to be family dinner, not annoying sister night. As always
he had been reluctant to come but refusal wasn't an option, his mother would have
found him and dragged him by his ear. And after the lecture of the century from his
parents, Lucian was in no mood for anyone's nonsense.

'Go with Estha, I've got better things to do that go to a stupid rock concert.'

'It's not rock.' she muttered under her breath annoyed at her wooden brother. 'And
Estha can't go, she has some family shit on.'

'Marinya.' their father growled, having quietly slipped into the room upon hearing
the conversation.

'Take her to the concert Lucian.'

He groaned as he flicked his hand through his hair, wanting to pull at it in

frustration.

'You're acting as if it's going to be the death of you.' Marinya scoffed.

'Don't joke about that young lady.' Alex reprimanded her softly.

'Well?' she quickly changed the subject.

'Fine.' he hissed. 'I'm going home.'

'Friday night Lucian, be here at six, don't be late.'

'Yeah, yeah.' he flicked his hand dismissively.

Lucian stood by the door to mid-jump, forming his key with a big sigh. Where his
zest for life had gone, he had no clue. All he wanted to do was crawl into a ball
and forget about everything. Inner turmoil, debauchery, opulence and greed, this
was his life. He was growing to hate it.

'Going home so soon darling?'

His gaze turned from the red flames flicking in his hand to the beauty beside him,
his mother. Her long brown hair floated down her body, her eyes bright and blue and
the fangs sat perfectly on her blood red lips. Even though she had threatened to
put him over her knee and smack him as if he was a kid again, he still loved her.
He could never be angry at her.

'Yes mother, Marinya has what she wants, I have been persuaded to take her to
whatever the hell it is...' he frowned at the thought with a relenting sigh. 'So
yeah.'

Alina gave her son a sympathetic smile as she gently rubbed his arm.

'How did you get past it?'

'The cheating?'

'Everything, not just dad's misbehaviour. How did you get past what Gavril did to
your parents, what he did to you?'

'Anger and hate will eat at your soul. You will never be able to forget but you can
forgive. He may not deserve it but you do. You need to forgive in order to move
forward. Yes, he murdered my parents, yes he abducted me but I cannot live with
anger. So I forgave him, not so much as to speak the words, but in my mind I have
moved on.'

Lucian could see the sadness in her eyes, he was doubting that she had in fact
moved on.

'As for your father, well what we had in the beginning worked for a while and when
it didn't we changed how we were. What we have now is perfect. We have wronged you
Lucian, you grew up thinking it was ok to have more than one woman in your life.
You need to get out, stop hanging around the house with those women, find someone
worthwhile.'

He nodded solemnly and kissed her on the cheek.

'I'll see you Friday when I come to pick up the brat.'

Lucian stepped into mid jump, the in between realms area for all dark beings, a
safe haven for their own kind from the humans that had once roamed the earth
freely. Now it was all about shopping and eateries, socialising with friends and
travelling to the other two realms. Lucian closed the gate between his parent's
place and mid jump, waiting for the door to reset. His mind contemplated going
straight back to his own place but the darkness was closing in. Even in the
brightly lit corridor of mid jump, Lucian felt the shadows drawing closer. His mind
whispered to him that inner peace was so close, a few steps and he would find what
he needed. He gripped at his forehead with anguish, trying to send the whispers
away. The door clicked with the reset and Lucian looked around, seeing a few people
watching. He quickly pressed the code for his gate and escaped the gossiping crowd.

****************************

Later that night Lucian sat in his lounge, watching the women that consisted of his
harem enjoy themselves with the delights of the flesh, drinking and in vain trying
to tempt Lucian to them. They failed. Lucian was losing his lust for them, finding
it hollow. After six hundred odd years of meaningless sex and feeding from strange
women, he found his life shallow and pointless. He had no zest, his days lingered
from one to the next and he wondered if all vampires found eternal life like this.
Surely not, his parents were happy and in love, he has seen other vampires happy.
Was his mother right? Did his happiness lie in the arms of a life mate? If so,
where was she?

His thoughts were yet again cast back to a time where he had found happiness in the
arms of another, Ariella Mordecai. Lucian knew she wasn't his life mate, he knew
the second he fed from her, her blood was of normal taste. Those that were made for
another, a life mate was sweet, the sweetest tasting blood a vampire could find.
And she wasn't. Lucian let out a low growl at the thought of him, the man that
Ariella had married. He had what he knew Lucian would never have, parental
approval. Lucian knew that Lucas did not approve of his daughter seeing him. It
resonated loud and clear. It didn't matter that Lucian was the first born son of
the ruler of the realm, it didn't matter that if his mother were to die, he would
be king. Lucas openly tried to discourage their relationship. All because Lucas
knew Lucian was a player. He knew what Lucian got up to in his spare time.

And there it was in front of him, in all their naked glory. The women that caused
his pain and suffering. Angrily he got up and threw his glass of scotch against the
wall and stormed out of the room, leaving a bevy of women gaping.
Chapter 2

Friday evening Marinya paced the entry floor angrily, her father Alex trying to
contact his eldest son.

'No answer.' he dumped the phone onto the receiver.

'Fine.' she hissed as stomped out of the room. 'I'll go and get him and god help
him.'

Alex would have liked to tell his youngest to go easy on her big brother but she
was too far away and Marinya was a temperamental creature. Much like her mother he
thought with amusement. In fact, she was the spitting image of Alina and was like
her in so many ways.

Marinya stomped through mid-jump to the gates and entered the code for her
brother's gate. When she eventually found him, he was asleep on his bed. She
thought it was odd that none of the tarts were hanging around. She was about to
poke him in the eye and ask him where they all went when he groaned and rolled
over. Marinya wanted to make some joke about how ridiculous he was for having satin
sheets but she didn't know that he'd probably return with something that she didn't
want to hear. No, the less she knew about her brother's bedroom antics, the better.

'What do you want?'

'It's Friday and its six-thirty. You're late arsehole.'

'Go away.'

'You promised Lucian, get up.'

She strolled into his robe, noting that the boxer shorts he was wearing wasn't very
suitable. Marinya looked at the robe in dismay, even though Lucian had staff to
attend to his every desire, his robe was a disaster. Clothes had been flung to the
floor crumpled, socks that she didn't dare touch, shoes dumped in a pile in the
corner. Either his staff weren't doing their job or they weren't allowed to. She
pursed her lips with a scowl. It was likely he was telling them they weren't to
touch anything in his room.

'I never promised.' he grumped at her from the bedroom.

'You agreed and mum said if you don't go she's going to change the laws so that she
can skip you as heir and go straight to Nic.'

Marinya peered out the robe, Lucian now sitting up, his hair a complete write off,
poking up and scruffy. She thought that if that's how he looked in the morning it
was no surprise he hadn't had a permanent relationship in a very long time.

'And you know what that means, right?'

Lucian spied one eye at her, still hung over from the two-day binge.

'It means that your allowance gets cut considerably. I do believe that you would
drop to the bottom of the list dear brother...' she smiled wickedly at him. 'Even
below me.'

She picked up a pair of jeans with two fingers, hoping to keep them as far away
from her as possible, tossing them at him.

'So either you get dressed and take me or I will go home and tell mum and dad about
the mound of white powder on your coffee table. Get dressed, we're late.'

He groaned again as he struggled to pull the jeans on.

'Why don't you just make Nicoleta take you?'

'Oh puh-lease. As if I want to take the drama queen with me. You know she'll
complain that it's too loud and there are too many people there. Even though she
wouldn't be paying for a ticket, she will still complain about the cost. Did you
know she accused the ticket box of price gouging when I tried to get the tickets?'

Lucian shrugged feeling the soft veil of the drug haze rising. He knew Marinya was
complaining but heard little of it.

'Stupid cow got me banned, couldn't even buy the damned tickets.'

'How are you getting in then?'

'Sneak in of course.'

She smugly wandered into the robe, searching out a shirt for him. Lucian heard a
dark chuckle from his robe.

'Oh please say it isn't true.'

Marinya appeared at the doorway with a black t shirt. She held up the shirt, Lucian
cringed knowing why she was laughing.

'Please tell me that this isn't yours.'

'It was Ariella's, she left it here.'

'So you kept a band shirt of her mother.' she laughed again. 'I didn't know you
were a Scarlett fan. Huh, this must be old, it has Marconi not Mordecai.'
'No she kept it as a stage name. Put it back before someone sees you.'

'Who?' she tossed it at him. 'Like maybe an entire auditorium of Pink Slime fans?'

'No, find another.'

'No time, put it on.'

Marinya dumped his black boots at his feet, impatiently tapping her foot, waiting
for him.

***********************

The auditorium was packed full of humans, the smell of their blood heavy in the
air, mixed with sweat. Marinya could feel the hunger building in her, she knew that
she would have to find a quiet spot to feed. The warm up act had already begun, the
music belted out across the vast area.

'I want backstage later.'

'Do you have a pass?'

'No, I have a loving older brother who can mind trick me in.' she smugly smiled.

'What, like you just made me mind trick us in without tickets?'

She fluttered her eyelashes at him with a coy smile. His shoulders dropped as he
relented, sighing as he rolled his eyes.

'I'll be at the bar, come get me when you want access.'

Lucian stumbled his way to the male toilets, the place stank and the vanity had
water all over it. He turned back to the corridor, seeing no one around. The light
for the female toilets was lit brightly, like a beacon of hope. He moved to the
door, pushing it open. It was empty and smelled far better. The vanity was dry and
clean. Lucian was so engrossed in cutting his lines that he didn't hear the door
open, he didn't hear the woman slip into the room.

'Do you always do drugs in the women's toilets?' she purred.

Lucian looked up at the woman who was leaning on the wall beside the door. His
mouth nearly dropped to the ground as he stared at her. She was in the tightest
fitting dress he had ever seen and it showed off all of her curves.

'Are you sharing mister quiet?'

She sauntered over to him taking the tube from him. When she was done she grinned
at him and moved into the toilet cubicle, waiting for him to join her.

After Pink Slime's first encore, Marinya decided it was time to have that quick
feed and find her brother. She chuckled when she found him, sitting in the food
court, feet resting on another seat with a paper over his sleeping face. Quietly
and carefully she slipped it off his face and folded the paper, then proceeded to
whack him with it. He snorted awake and then grumbled at her. She flicked her head
to the door a few meters down the path, surrounded by big burly fellows. As they
approached Lucian slipped into their minds, telling them that they were welcome and
that they should find each of them an all access pass. It wasn't any surprise that
a few seconds later, two access all areas passes were produced and passed over. The
doors were open with a polite nod from the men. Marinya giggled with an excited
clap as they wandered down the darkened corridor. The music was louder here, they
stopped to watch from the side stage momentarily. Lucian was completely
disinterested, finding his neck was now sore from the terrible sleeping position.

Marinya eagerly jostled in her spot, excited that she was so close to the band.

'Lucian, I want to meet them.'

'God, you need to learn this shit for yourself.'

'You know mind tricks take time, just help me, pleeease.'

Lucian took pity on the youngest of his siblings and agreed to make sure that she
got to meet the members. With great joy she grabbed his wrist and dragged him
through the backstage area, finding a good spot to wait. The passes allowed them to
move freely through the backstage area without Lucian needing to enter any minds
again. They waited in the main area with the other fans, waiting for the concert to
end. Ten minutes later the first of the band members entered the area, Lucian
slipped in and suggested he come over and say hello to Marinya. He could see his
sister nearly pass out from what she thought was the most gorgeous guy in the room.
She fanned herself, her cheeks flushed as he approached, the jade green eyes
staring at her, the flaxen blonde hair a mess of sweat and hair product.

'Brendan the singer.' she whispered with a huge grin.

'Hey.' he nodded at her.

'Hi.' she gushed.

Then two more walked in, with a sigh Lucian entered their minds and made them come
over too. Marinya was in her element, three handsome young men, vying for her
attention.

'One more to go.' she whispered to him with a wink.

Lucian rolled his eyes and patiently waited for the last of the group to enter. He
was looking for a male, assuming it was an all-male group when Marinya nudged him.

'Danika.'

Lucian turned to the woman who just entered, strolling among the crowd like she was
one of them.

'The guitarist, Brendan's sister.'

'Oh.'

He tried to enter her mind but found it blocked which was odd for a human. The
raven haired beauty was a mystery to him. Her jade green eyes locked with his and a
wry smile crossed her pink lips. She continued in her path through the crowd and
Lucian found his ribs being nudged again, this time a little more brutality.

'Lucian.' she hissed.

'I can't get in.'

'What?' she frowned 'It's the drugs you fool. You are going to ruin my night all
because of your stupid addiction. Nic's right, you are a useless coke head.'
'I got into the others, didn't I?' Lucian snapped back.

Lucian was shocked, he had never come across a human mind he couldn't enter. Lucian
didn't know what it meant but he was sure it had nothing to do with the drugs.

'I guess you're just going to have to do it the old fashion way.'

'Go into Brendan and suggest he introduce me.'

'Fine.' he sighed.

Seconds after slipping in, Brendan did as he was told and took them to his sister.

'Danika, this here's my new friends.' he grinned as he wrapped his arm around her
shoulder.

She greeted Marinya with a pleasant tone and curled a smile into her pursed lips at
Lucian, saying nothing. It took him by surprise, this was a woman that didn't want
his attention and it drove him crazy. He tried to slip in again, and again he found
it blocked. Clearly she knew how to block vampires and somehow must have known what
he was. It was the only explanation that he could arrive at. Someone had taught her
about vampires, how to identify them, how to block them from her mind. It was a
handy trick for humans, to avoid becoming a meal. Of course it made life difficult
for vampires that chose to feed from the humans that were allowed to roam the
earth. They weren't allowed to feed from the humans that were freed. The freed
humans were deemed protected. There was an alternative, a group of humans that were
classed as unknown or city slickers. If a vampire happened upon them, then it was
fair game. The unknowns had the option to make themselves known and become
protected but chose not to and in doing so made themselves vulnerable to attack.
Another option was the rogues that roamed the earth, though they were in very small
numbers these days. There was always the farmed option that was still available
however, but for those that craved the hunt and the intimacy of live feeding they
were limited in their options now.

His mother had changed how things worked when he was younger, the humans trashed
the earth and nearly killed it. They handed over control to the vampires and hoped
that they would repair it, in their long lives they had the ability to get it done
without fuss. Unbeknownst to the humans, the vampires had a secret plan to put the
humans into a camp to rebuild the dying population. It seemed a horrid notion to
many, a camp for humans, but it wasn't as bad as what everyone thought. One would
associate it with the idea of a death camp from a war but it wasn't, this place was
a verdant paradise and the humans flourished. After a couple of hundred years when
the human race was sufficient in numbers, the more well behaved humans were allowed
to roam the earth, under the careful watch of the vampires. They would be damned
for all eternity if the humans thought for a second that they would allow the earth
to almost die again.

His mind flickered with visions of the earth when it was at its worst, an arid
waste land and how the vampires were able to return it to a reasonable state. It
wasn't what it once was, that was still a long way off, but now it was much better.
The vision disintegrated when the woman shifted her body slightly, turning to talk
to someone on her other side. Now she was ignoring him. Lucian couldn't handle it,
a woman ignoring him. He tried to slip in again and much to his utter frustration
he found it was still blocked. Out of the corner of her eye she looked at him, she
gave a knowing grin and returned to her conversation. Damn it he thought. Instantly
Lucian knew she was toying with him. He felt a heaviness in his mind, recognising
the feeling he instantly threw the wall up.

'Are you practising on me?' he angrily whispered in his sister's ear.

'What on earth are you talking about? You know I can't do that shit yet.'

Lucian scowled as his eyes roamed the room, looking for the vampire. There wasn't
anyone that he knew, and Lucian knew a lot of vamps. There were no tell-tale signs
either. Bright and clear eyes, perfect skin, a well formed body and of course the
trade mark fangs. Of course they didn't hang out like a saber-tooth tiger, they
were only slightly more pronounced than a normal human canine tooth. The smell of
blood made them descend and taper to a perfect point.

'So you're a Scarlett fan?' the drummer asked him.

Lucian looked down at his shirt and cringed. Damn Marinya for making me wear this
shirt.

'Not really.' he said dryly.

'Then why are you wearing it?' he chuckled.

'My ex left it at my place. It's her mother.'

'What?' he frowned confused. 'It is her mothers or it is her mother?'

'Is her mother.'

'Oh.'

Lucian could hear the clogs turning in his brain, it was so loud it was almost
deafening. He was trying to process it all.

'Which one? She has a few.'

'Ariella.'

'Ariella?' he frowned as he continued to process the information.

'Yes.'

This caught the attention of the woman who ended her conversation and subtly turned
to listen.

'Cuz Ariella's been married for...'

'Five hundred years.' the woman said quietly.

'Yes.' Lucian grunted.

'So she's got a lover boy.' he laughed.

'No.'

Lucian wished he could leave this particular conversation. He didn't want to relive
his old painful memories, again.

'So... you dated Ariella before she was married?'

'Yes.'

He could see their eyes widen as it hit them.

'Five hundred years ago?'

'Closer to six but I don't like to keep count.'

They all gasped and took half a step back, all except one, the woman. This made it
certain in Lucian's mind that she knew what he was. Lucian felt like groaning, he
knew that fear still struck the humans when they thought about the vampires.

'We aren't hungry.' he said rather unimpressed.

Then they turned to Marinya who let out a pained laugh as she slid closer to
Lucian.

'Brother I think I'm tired.'

'Very well then.'

Lucian turned on his heels and strolled out of the room, hearing Marinya's half-
hearted goodbye.

Chapter 3

The harem was gone, Lucian was bored and no longer wanted them. His days now
consisted of roaming the cavernous castle that was the Eliade family home. His
grandparents lived here before they were murdered and his infant mother was
kidnapped. It was a sad story of treachery, his grandfather's brother sought the
crown and it ended with their death, his mother missing for the first eighteen
years of her life. It was so bad for her that she couldn't live in the castle, the
memories of never knowing her birth parents hurt her greatly and she opted to live
elsewhere. When Lucian turned one hundred he moved to the castle, deciding that he
could no longer handle being around the ever growing brood of siblings. He thought
his parents were like rabbits, breeding constantly. Of course that was a vampire
trait, a high sex drive. Some would see it as a curse, some would see it as a
blessing. At the moment, Lucian saw it as a curse. Lucian sat in his favourite
lounge, a black velvet wing back, seated right beside the white marble fire place.
Over it sat the picture of his grandparents and his infant mother, the day of her
christening, five days before their untimely death. He would like to hide the
picture in the attic, but he knew it could not be removed from the wall. It hid a
secret door to a room filled with very old and very important scrolls. No one was
to know of it and therefore the picture remained. The clearing of a throat broke
his melancholy thoughts. The butler, Theodore stood at the threshold. Like many of
the staff that served in this house, they worried for their master. They knew it
wasn't their place to do so, but they had been known to secretly wash his drugs
down the drain, many bottles of alcohol would disappear as well. But like always,
their efforts were in vain, more would appear. It was like a vicious circle of
abuse and they did all they could to try and stop it. Theodore stood at the door,
wondering which Lucian he would get. High and happy, drunk and morose or sober and
angry.

'Sire, your mother is here to see you.'

Lucian turned to Theodore, bright eyed and seemingly sober. Theodore was pleased
that his master had managed to find clean clothes to wear. Knowing the staff were
banned from his bedroom, Theodore knew it was a task for the maids to ensure he had
clean clothes. Of course being banned from the room didn't stop them from going in
there when he wasn't around. They searched out items of clothing to wash and put in
his draws, pretending they were always there. To add to the illusion of it, they
left some items behind, always hoping he wouldn't notice they had disobeyed his
request. They couldn't handle not cleaning, they didn't want their master getting
around in dirty clothes just because he was trying to hide his addiction from them.
The maids also cleaned his room with a certain subtly that their master wouldn't
notice. They also went searching for the vices that they knew their master hid in
that room, disposing of whatever they found. Lucian had managed to find clean
clothes in his robe, a simple shirt and jeans. His face was plain and gave Theodore
hope that a brighter future might be on the horizon.

'Of course, uh in the parlour, maybe?'

'Certainly.' he bowed and left the room.

With great relief Theodore scuttled through the house. Lucian was sober which he
knew was a requirement of his mother for when she visited and as a bonus, he was in
a reasonable mood.

Lucian knew not to bring his mother into the room with that picture. It upset her.
She too would like it in the attic. As he crossed the entry toward the parlour, his
mother entered from the rear of the castle, walking toward him with a smile.

'Hello darling.'

She kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

'Mother, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?'

Alina smiled at him again, her eyes flickered with uncertainty.

'Because I know how you dislike this place.'

He pushed open the door and waited for her to pass. Lucian wasn't overly fond of
this room, mostly because he had spent a lot of time with Ariella in here. The room
was cooler than the lounge, the fire place was half the size as the marble one in
the lounge and didn't heat the room as well as the other one did. But still, it was
a pleasant room to be in, the furniture was more modern in this room and it had a
grand piano. Lucian had looked upon it many times when he had dated Ariella and
thought that he should make her teach him how to play it. But he didn't and now it
sat there idle.

'Yes.' she said softly as she sat on the oversized cream lounge, flicking her dress
out. 'I came to speak with you about a conversation I had with a human and a
subsequent agreement that has been made.'

'Oh?'

'Well this particular human is a director, music videos and such.' she waved her
hand rather dismissively. 'He has a new music video that he has to shoot and the
band wants a gothic castle.'

'Right.' Lucian knew where his mother was going, instantly he felt anxiety.

'It's a whole medieval, gothic type video.' she crinkled her face. 'I don't know
really, so they'll be here for a few days.'

'Here? Why not your castle?'

'Not the right look apparently, they want this one.'

'Fine, whatever.' he huffed.

'So uh, also they might be here overnight too.'

'What?' Lucian hissed. 'You want me to entertain them overnight too? They do
realise this is a house full of vampires right?'

Alina laughed.

'One vampire and his small group of staff does not equate to a house full.'

'It's enough, mother, especially when they are hungry.'

'Well the nearest hotel was too far away and they were wanting to do night time
shoots as well, so they politely asked and I agreed. And I am sure that with your
new found sobriety you will find their company most welcoming.'

'Somehow I doubt that.' he muttered.

'Well you will just have to deal with it Lucian. You are on thin ice at the moment
and you would do well to remember that. I still own this house, I still put money
into your bank account. If you want to continue your destructive lifestyle, then
maybe you should move out and get a job.'

Lucian groaned rather loudly as he looked up at the ceiling.

'So when are they going to be imposing on me?'

Before his mother could answer the buzzer went off for the gate. His head snapped
to his mother's as he whispered no. She gave him an apologetic smile.

'Sorry, they wanted it done rather quickly. A window of opportunity has arisen for
them and they want to take it.'

'Fine...' Lucian saw Theodore scurrying past. 'Theodore.'

The man paused at the door.

'Sire?'

'Make sure the guards check them thoroughly, including every single item they bring
in.'

'Of course.' he bowed and continued on his way.

'Because it could be a trap.' he looked at his mother with a frown.

'Oh don't be ridiculous Lucian.'

**********************************

Lucian held a quick meeting with his staff while the guards checked everyone and
everything. He didn't want an incident so the staff were to ensure that they were
well fed at all times and to ensure that the fridge was well stocked with bagged
blood. It would only be for a few days he reassured them as best he could, not that
he believed it, he didn't know what to believe. The staff were understandably
uneasy. But to their credit, they set about readying rooms for the guests and
stocking the cupboards with sufficient food.

He was in the midst of talking to the head of the security guards when his mother
floated into the room, a small hoard of humans following her. Lucian wanted to
shake his head with dismay, she was giving them a tour.

'Lucian darling, this is Bill the director.'

Bill was reasonably well dressed considering his grey hair was the complete
opposite, it was greasy and unkempt, just touching the collar of his shirt. His
eyes looked tired, time had worn its mark into his skin and made him look older
than what he was. Lucian politely nodded at the man and then his gaze snapped to
the raven haired woman to his side. Shit. He thought as he looked on at Danika, her
brother behind her.

'Hey it's the vamp from the concert.' Brendan chuckled as they wandered over.

His mother and the director continued through to the dining room, leaving the band
behind.

'Man, your wife is totally hot.'

Lucian felt the anger swell quickly, his eyes darkening.

'That's not my wife, that's my mother.' he hissed.

'Oh... awkward.' he quietly half sung it.

'So that chick that was with you?' one of the other members asked.

'My youngest sister.' he frowned at him. 'Barely eighteen, do I make myself clear?'

'Oh yeah sure.'

One of the maids appeared making her way around the exterior of the group. The band
members looked at the sudden appearance of the woman, her long willowy body framed
in business like black dress. Her hair was soft, a pale brown pulled back into a
loose bun. Even though they knew they were walking into a house full of vampires,
they were still uneasy at the prospect of being here. This woman was just one of an
unknown amount of them to worry about. She seemed human, she had a lot more colour
to her skin than the man in front of them but once she opened her mouth and the
fangs appeared, they knew she wasn't human.

'The rooms are prepared your highness.'

'Thank you Elena.'

She curtsied as was required and quickly left the room. The chuckles of the bass
player echoed through the room.

'Your highness?' he snorted as he laughed.

'Do you have a problem with the way that my staff address me... Spencer, was it?'

Spencer rolled his eyes in a very dramatic fashion. He hated how the vampires had a
certain arrogance about them, thinking they were better than the humans. And as for
having the staff call him like he was some royal person, he thought it was just
wrong. It was like treating them as if they were dirt.
'You're acting like you're some high and mighty royal.'

'That would be because I am some high and mighty royal.'

Lucian turned on his heels and left the room, he knew if he stayed there one of
them would be on the floor, drained of their blood. Or maybe a snapped neck. He
hadn't decided but knew that neither would be wise.

Danika scoffed at Spencer, poking him in the arm.

'Onya Spence, why don't ya just piss a vamp off, don't you like living?'

'How was I supposed to know?'

'Well one look at the place would say enough to maybe wait and find out, yeah?'

'Yes.' he rolled his eyes again, hoping that next time he decided to put his foot
in it, he would survive.

*******************************

Lucian reluctantly joined the guests for dinner. His fascination for human food had
died off about two hundred years ago and now only ate when ultimately necessary.
But his mother insisted that he play host and behaved himself. Lucian would have
liked to make them sleep on the lawn in tents but all he got from his mother was a
frown. He thought he was being generous, he would prefer the tents on the gravel
driveway rather than killing the grass. Lucian sat at the head of the table looking
down it with dismay. Bill was to his left and Brendan to his right. Danika was
beside her brother, Baz opposite. But right down the very end was Spencer, it was
like a contest of who could narrow their eyes at each other for the longest.

They all sat down to a very pleasant meal, Lucian thought that his staff had
outdone themselves considering that no one under this roof ate human food. The
noise coming from the male members of the group was deafening for Lucian, all he
could hear was the monotonous sounds of their talking. They laughed too loud, they
spoke words that could make a sailor blush and they had terrible eating habits.
Bill was quiet, eating his meal and saying nothing and then there was the other
little mouse at the table. Lucian tried not to look at her too much but couldn't
help it, she was fascinating. He still couldn't get into her mind, she had one very
strong wall in there. Lucian resolved that whoever taught her had done a damned
fine job at it. He picked up his glass filled with a thick red liquid. There were
several screwed up faces when Theodore put it out for Lucian, his reply to them was
that he could forego the glass of blood if any of them were offering their necks.
They all promptly shut up which was just the way Lucian liked it. As he sat quietly
drinking his vital sustenance, his eyes washed over Danika. Her hair looked so
soft, something rattled through his mind that he wanted to touch it, to see if it
was as soft as it looked. The black had a blue tinge to it, shining under the light
from the chandelier. Lucian had never seen such a colour before, thinking it was
odd but for some reason, he knew it suited her. Her eyes looked up and met with
his, instantly she blushed and darted her eyes back down at her plate.

************************

Dinner was far more painful than the meal with his family, at least he could talk
to them if he wanted to. These humans were too boisterous for him, he had nothing
in common with them. Bill had suggested that filming would take about a week but he
held concerns about the weather for the external shoots. He needed a clear night to
get good images of the castle, if the moon was out then he would be a happy man.
Lucian wondered if Bill was expecting him to offer a big scary moon with the snap
of his fingers. No, there was no ordering the moon around nor the weather. If it
rained Lucian knew he would have his loud guests for a lot longer. He prayed that
the weather behaved itself.

Lucian's only consolation was his scotch in his favourite chair by the fire,
surrounded by his sad memories. His head ached from the lingering hangover and the
humans that were way too loud for his liking. So when he decided to retire to the
lounge for the evening, he hoped for a moments peace and quiet. His luck however
would not allow that to happen, on his favourite chair was one green eyed woman,
picking away at her guitar.

'You're in my chair in my lounge, out.'

She looked at him, almost like she was challenging him. Her lips pursed together
with a sly smile as she flicked her legs off the chair and leaned down to get a
cord off the floor. Lucian was faced with an amazing view of her cleavage and
instantly his mind was shot, he now found himself wanting intimacy again. But not
with any woman, it had to be her. She plugged the cord into the guitar and into a
little amplifier by the chair and flicked the switch. As she nestled herself back
into the lounge, she began to play on the guitar again. Loudly. It was almost
deafening for Lucian. Anger flickered through Lucian as she ignored him, she was
doing her utmost to push his buttons. A low growl emanated from him as he turned on
his heels and stalked out of the room, upending his scotch and throwing the glass
against a wall. Danika just shook her head. She wondered what did that poor glass
ever did to him to deserve that. Her pity for the glass turned into a chuckle,
finding that it was easy to bait Lucian. She knew this would be a fun couple of
days.

Chapter 4

In the morning Lucian woke from his drunken slumber, his usual grumpy morning
persona in full swing as he took himself down to the kitchen looking for a bag of
blood. His hair was a mess as always and in his morning haze he forgot that he was
only wearing his black jeans. Everyone that was sitting around the breakfast table
watched quietly as he strolled in and helped himself to a bag. When he shut the
door he saw them, all of them. They had been here for several days, Lucian had no
idea how many but it was enough to be a constant headache for him. It drove him
crazy but Danika was in his chair every single night, waiting for him to throw
another tantrum and storm out of the room. He hated how she was enjoying riling him
up. Worse yet, she wore clothes that were far too revealing, leaving him a mess of
pure lust.

Five humans sat at the table watching him, the smell of milk and coffee heavy in
the air. He squinted at the coffee mugs in their hands, the mugs that Ariella had
bought, the mugs that he was positive he had thrown in the bin. Anger filled him,
things disappeared on him, things reappeared on him. Things were moved on him,
things changed when he wasn't around. It was like this place was cursed or rather
he was cursed. This place taunted him, doing things when he was off his head to
make him think he was going insane. Lucian thought that maybe he didn't throw the
mugs away, maybe he was going to but never actually did it. Either way, it was a
vicious reminder of the awful way he had treated Ariella. If these humans weren't
here, he would have not seen those mugs again. They would have stayed in the
cupboard gathering dust.

'You're still here?' he grunted as he walked out of the room.

When he was gone, Brendan laughed low. He had watched Danika out of the corner of
his eye, her mouth opened slightly, her breath hitched. She might have been trying
to hide it but her brother could see right through her. She had spent the whole
time watching him, never looking away.

'Danika...' he rubbed the edge of his mouth. 'Wipe the drool hon.'

'As if.' she hissed.

She didn't want to admit that Lucian was insanely gorgeous and his body was so
damned fine that she thought that it was a real possibility that she might be
drooling. It was hard enough maintaining the barricade in her mind, but having him
strut around half naked was making life difficult. Danika knew that Lucian had
tried to enter her mind several times and there was no way in hell that she wanted
him in there helping himself to her private memories. Or her fantasies, especially
the ones that involved him.

She knew everything that there was to know about vampires, having taken the course
in her education. Vampire history, family lineage, notable vampires. That's how she
knew of him and his history. It was her final assignment that she got a high grade
for, she could owe her top marks to him, moreover, his family. She had researched
the entire matriarch side of his family, the Eliade's. She knew of his
grandparents, their death, his mother, her kidnapping, his efforts in the great war
between the humans and the vampires, his relationship with Ariella Mordecai and
subsequent ending of said relationship. And then there was the harem that she had
heard whispers of. This of course, did not make it into the assignment. It was pure
gossip, but it was from a reliable source so Danika took it as the truth. She knew
Lucian was a total man slut and there was no way that she was having anything to do
with that kind of person. Danika didn't need a broken heart. But what she found odd
was that there was no one here other than the staff. If he had a harem, then they
were well hidden. She didn't even hear anything during the night and being a light
sleeper, Danika heard everything.

Lucian was trying to rest on the chaise in the lounge, at least, he had hoped for
rest. All he could hear was whispering, it was driving him insane. The director was
discussing his vision for the clip, trying to persuade the band members into
something. Only catching snippets of words here and there, he couldn't make the
entire conversation out. There was a soft rapping on the door, he could hear the
rustle of material.

'Your highness.'

'Elena.'

'My apologies, but the director wishes to speak with you.'

'Of course he does.' Lucian groaned.

Rising from the lounge, his head swirled from the hangover, now he wished he hadn't
consumed the entire bottle of scotch. Or the rum.

'Lucian...' Bill greeted him a little too enthusiastically. 'We have been
discussing the clip and want to run some things past you.'

He couldn't believe it but he actually agreed to listen. He resolved that he must

still be drunk.

'We were wanting the maids to be in the clip, as maids of course, dressing the main
character.'
'Oh.' he said eyes wide.

Now he was listening.

'Of course, their current attire doesn't match with the theme of the clip. We want
to at least try to keep with the age of the building.'

'So what you are asking is that if we have clothes that are what? A thousand years
old? Two thousand years old? I didn't know material lasted that long.' He tried to
hide his disdain but failed.

'Uh, well I suppose we could get some wardrobe happening on it. Might not be true
to the era but...'

'Come on.' he groaned as he turned to the stairs.

Several flights of stairs later they were in the attic. It was a cavernous room
that held a lot of old furniture in it. No one ever ventured up here, the memories
of his grandparents were held in these few pieces. Bill was making a lot of
appreciative gasps as he walked through the pieces of furniture, Lucian was by a
window looking out on the garden. It was a long way down but he could make one
distinctive figure out. Danika was walking through the formal garden, her hand
running over the neatly trimmed hedges. She wandered along the gravel path,
reaching a stone garden bench. For a while she was sitting in the centre, doing
something on her phone, then she turned and laid down as she spoke to someone on
it. Lucian was left a little dumbfounded, the skirt fell down her legs as she
propped one onto the bench and the other crossing over it. He thought it was lucky
she was facing away from him, otherwise he would have seen a whole lot more than he
should have.

Bill's gasps were drawing closer, Lucian turned to see he had found the tall robes
in the centre of the room. He wandered over and began searching, wanting to get out
of the attic. Wanting to get away from the memories. Lucian searched through the
robes and found two black dresses with the white frilled aprons.

'Is this sufficient?'

'Perfect.' Bill had a grin on his face a mile wide.

He eyed the robes, the tall dark wood gold mines. Most of the things in the attic
were covered in white sheets, everything except the robes, four in total and a two
dressers at the end of the room.

'Is there anything else in here perchance?'

'These belonged to my grandparents Bill, my dead grandparents.'

'Ok Lucian I get where you are coming from, they are sentimental pieces. We will
take care of them.'

Reluctantly Lucian moved along to the next robe and found it full of his
grandfather's clothes.

'Hey there was another thing that I wanted to ask you.'

He gauged his reaction carefully, knowing that Lucian was easily annoyed. He'd
known him for less than a week and he had gotten to see that particular character
trait a lot.
'We, uh... I had a vision of a male in the clip as well.'

Bill flicked his fingers through the male clothes, waiting for Lucian to outright
refuse.

'It's a vampire type clip, we had fake fangs but in comparison to the ones you guys
have, they just look ridiculous.'

'So you want me to be in it?'

'Yes. I would really appreciate it, it would mean a lot to me, you know, not having
to find a male character, crappy looking fangs. At least with you there's realism.'

'Fine.'

For a few seconds Bill wondered if he had imagined Lucian's response. He couldn't
believe that he had agreed so quickly and so easily.

'Excellent, will this fit you?'

Lucian looked on at the black suit, the fine brocade jacket, the black cotton
shirt. Bill chuckled as he picked up a walking stick, the handle an intricate
pattern weaved into the silver, the family crest sat at the end.

'How cool is this?'

Lucian opened the other side of the door and pulled out a black tie that had the
family crest embroidered in black, a subtle ode to the lineage. He moved along to
the next robe and found it full of his grandmother's things.

'What is the size of your character, will these fit?'

'Yeah, I'm sure Danika could get them on.'

Lucian's eyes flew up to Bill.

'Danika?' he whispered surprised.

'Yep.' he pulled out a black dress, passing them to his assistant who waited
patiently in the wings.

'Is there any way that you naturally appear more pale?'

'When I deprive myself of blood, yes, I will look pale. But you don't want that.'

'What if we had a bag ready?'

'Dangerous.' he warned.

'But...'

'No. Trust me, deprive a vampire and you will regret it.'

Lucian ushered them out of the attic, no longer wishing to remain in there. Bill
was being far too pushy when it came to the blood and wanted the subject dropped
fast. Lucian didn't want them to panic if he were to explain what would happen if
he were deprived of blood. Frenzy. One frenzied blood lust driven by the lingering
alcohol in his body. None of them would survive and if he didn't come to his senses
in time, he could take out the staff as well.

Then there was the other issue with the room, the items within the room held a lot
of memories. It was bad enough that he had to put on his grandfather's suit, that
Danika would be wearing something of his grandmothers. But the walls were
whispering to him, telling him that there had to be something still hidden up here.
If he were to search all of his hiding spots that he might find white relief.
Lucian shook it off, trying to ignore the walls.

Finally, free of Bill and his incessant chatting about his vision, Lucian wandered
through a room at the back of the castle. It was a disused informal lounge and it
came precariously close to the garden near Danika. The hedges could be seen sitting
at the height of the window, weaving a patterned path. Lucian could see one red
army boot flicking in the air as it rested on the other legs knee. She was still
laying on the garden bench a few rows away, hidden by the hedges. His fingers
touched the glass of the window feeling the coldness seep into his body. No one had
ever captured his attention like this one, no one had ever made him willingly seek
them out. But he had, Lucian had slipped away from Bill and sought out a quiet
refuge to watch her. Danika was infuriating but cheeky, she caused an upheaval of
emotions in him and it shocked him. To have one person stir him up, it was like
nothing he had ever experienced. Every other woman that had darkened these
corridors were the same, no one had sparked his interest like she had. Lucian
watched from the shadows as she sat up and walked back into the castle. She had
been smiling the whole way in. He had seen her smile and thought that she radiated
incredible beauty but sadly he knew nothing about her inner beauty, she was yet to
actually speak to him. He was just as bad, fearful of her reaction, of what she
might say if he actually tried to engage her in a conversation rather than just
snapping at her about being in his chair. He thought that she might continue to
ignore him or worse yet, laugh at him.

Lucian quickly slipped back out to the corridors, seeing her pass through. There
was only one way forward otherwise he knew he had to forget about her. He had to
talk to her.

Chapter 5

Lucian lingered in the corridor, listening to the sounds of someone playing the
piano in the parlour. The humans were fussing around the room and the corridor,
trying to ready for the filming to commence. Bill was already in a state of
disarray, complaining that they were behind schedule and that everything was a
nightmare. Lucian looked at him almost agreeing, everything was a nightmare. His
castle had been invaded by equipment and humans and because it technically was his
mother's castle, he had no choice in them being here. But as his eyes looked into
the room, to the beauty at the piano, Lucian thought that he didn't really mind. If
there was ever a ray of hope in this chaos, it was her. He stepped into the room
under the guise that he was inspecting the room. Most of the furniture had been
cleared out to create space for the filming, the only piece that remained was the
piano. The sweet sounds faltered, Lucian looked at her. Her eyes were wide as she
stared at him, her hands retracted from the keys.

'You don't need to stop.'

He could see her eyes dart to the door, he knew it was now or never. She was about
to bolt. Slowly he moved to her, watching as the fear grew.

'Do you play the piano for your music?'

Danika shook her head. Lucian had no idea why she was freaking out like this.

'You play beautifully.'

She smiled softly and even in the poorly lit room, he could see her cheeks tinge
with the slightest shade of pink.

'Does your brother play as well?'

Danika shook her head.

'I don't know how to play. This was my grandmothers, she would sit there and play
for ages whilst my grandfather would sit and listen.'

Danika looked down at the stool, her fingers running over the wood. Her eyes rose
to his, she could see the pain even though the facade was held very well.

'Of course I wouldn't know. Theodore told me. He was their servant too and of
course the maids as well. They do a great job in maintaining this house, don't
they?'

Danika nodded wordlessly.

'They said my grandmother was quite accomplished, that her fingers would glide
across the keys creating the most wonderful music.'

Lucian ran his fingers over the edge of the lid as he thought about the very quiet
woman sitting there.

'No one in my family plays the piano. I doubt that anyone would have played it
since my grandmother last sat there.'

Danika could feel the colour draining from her face, waiting for him to snap. She
knew that baiting him was fun but when it came to his dead grandparents, she didn't
know how he would react. Danika waited for him to yell at her, telling her she
shouldn't touch the precious piano. She watched as he walked the length of the
grand piano, running his fingers along its edge.

'Elena spoke of how magical it sounded, she said there was nothing better than
walking these corridors to the lyrical sounds of my grandmother's performances.'

Lucian had reached the far end of it, noting that even though she was very quiet,
she was still listening.

'I think they would like to hear the music again, to remember them.' he smiled at
her softly, a little curl in the corner of his mouth 'The music she used to play is
in the storage under the seat.'

He didn't think he could drop a hint any larger but as she sat there staring at
him, he thought that maybe he needed to come right out and say it. You have
permission to play the piano, in fact, I'm begging you.

'Is anyone home?' his smile deepened.

Her cheeks flushed with a deeper pink as her eyes looked down to the piano.

'Do you know how to speak?'

She opened her mouth to say something, Bill walked in ordering his staff around.

'There you two are, come on, time to get ready.'

Lucian wanted to groan, maybe have words with Bill and his poor timing. He had
almost gotten her to speak, the words were on the tip of her tongue and then he
interrupted her. Bastard he thought.

***********************************

Lucian watched as the maids in their new outfits giggled, waiting for the director
and his assistants to finish organising the room. He was dressed too, in his
grandfather's suit, his hair done. The way they had flicked his hair back over his
head made it look like it was a deep, dark brown rather than the black that it
usually looked like. And he looked slightly paler with the aid of make-up. Lucian
groaned at first but when Bill told him there was no choice, the only other
alternative had already been squashed as an idea. He looked at himself in the
mirror, the suit a perfect fit, tailored to his shape, his hair neatly styled out
of his eyes. The doors opened and Bill ushered them in for the first scene. Bill
moved Lucian into the corner of the darkened room, in front of a camera, a man
sitting behind it. In front of the fireplace was a low pedestal, the maids were
guided to it. Lucian was hesitant to have them in the lounge; he was worried for
the painting. It was the only one they had of his mother and her parents, there
were no others of the three of them. But Bill said that this was the only scene in
this room, the band scene would be in the parlour. Danika was brought in, her hair
flowed over her shoulders and down her back. Normally she had it up off her
shoulders, Lucian hadn't realised how long it was. She was wrapped in a dressing
gown, under its hem was the flowing lace of a petticoat. Her back was to him when
she came in, so she didn't know he was there. The assistant shut the door and
waited by the lights.

'Ok people, we are aiming for dark and sinister, maybe a bit of sexy thrown in,
yeah?'

He wandered over to Lucian and propped him the way that he wanted, legs parted
slightly, two hands placed on the cane, watching Danika on the pedestal. She had
now turned and in the partial light she made out his feint image.

'Music, lights.'

'Music?' Lucian questioned.

'For effect, so everyone understands what I am aiming for.'

He nestled into his chair and the lights went off, the room completely dark.

'Action.' he yelled.

The music went on and the lights flicked on and off to the thumping of the drums.
In the light Lucian could see that her dressing gown had been removed and now she
stood in just a full length petticoat. Her waist was tightened dramatically,
accentuating her generous cleavage. His eyes widened at her fine form, the heavy
beat thumping through his body. Thump, thump-thump. Over and over again, it beat
hard through him, the lights flicked with the beat revealing the maids pulling the
dress up from the ground. In the light he could see a camera moving around the
three of them, circling them. He knew he was gaping at her and closed his mouth,
hoping that no one would see it. Her eyes caught his in the light, she could see
him watching her. The light flicked on and off making it hard for Danika to see him
properly but she saw enough to know she liked what she saw. He was so damned hot it
was unbelievable. The maids did up the lacing on the back of the dress, fluffing
the skirt so it sat properly. When they were done, Bill called cut and the lights
went on.

'Don't move. Just going to check it.'

Bill watched on his little screen.

'Ok gaping cod, how about the mouth shut this time, yeah?'

He flicked his hand and huffed.

'Ok, dress down, let's go again. Lucian, no catching flies ok?'

Lucian squinted at him. Then his eyes caught hers, just as the maids pulled the
dress down. Her skin flushed pink, a slight tinge of red. A tiny smirk curled into
his mouth, Lucian was now seemingly happy that she found just a little
embarrassment. It was enough to distract her from over thinking the gaping cod and
catching flies' comments. Off went the room lights, the flicking light started and
then the music. This time his mouth was shut and this time, Lucian gave Bill the
performance that he wanted, a stiff, archaic vampire.

The whole day was spent in the room, Lucian hadn't moved very far from his spot in
the corner being watched by the one camera. Danika on the other hand was doing a
whole lot more. The next scene to be shot was her sitting on a chair, putting her
shoes on. Knee high boots, pencil thin heels, it made him want to drop to his knees
and beg her to let him have her. Just one moment in between those boots would be
pure heaven. He wasn't how true to the times those boots were but they were
certainly good enough to be pointed at the ceiling in his bedroom. When he heard
the maids giggle he knew they were in his mind which made him cringe. Up went the
barriers and he hoped that he would be more mindful of it in future. Then the maids
set about doing her hair, swirling it up and pinning it down. It was hard to make
out exactly what they were doing, the lights were still being flicked on and off
with the beat of the music.

By the afternoon, Lucian was tired and sick of standing in the corner of the room.
His eyes were sore from the lights flicking, his head was thumping from the music
being played over and over again. Relief was found when Bill called the scene
quits, happy with what had been done so far.

'Now, moving to the next scene, quickly now people the light is fading.'

Everyone began to scramble trying to ready the next scene and Lucian inwardly
groaned, knowing his day was dragging on and on. At least now, the lights were no
longer going to be flickered but when he heard what he had to do, it made his heart
sink.

'Ok, the maids are to leave the room, Lucian you slowly walk over to Danika and
then hold your hand out to her.'

Bill gestured the movement.

'Help her up from the chair. Then you guide her out of the room. Slowly. Danika I
want a concerned face, curious but a little frightened. Lucian I want a super sexy
smirk happening on you. Lower those eyes and exude sex appeal. I want girls passing
out, heart palpitations, the works.'

Bill stood by the door and yelled action. The maids left the room as dutifully as
they could. Lucian sauntered over, eyes hooded and his super come fuck me smile. It
was the one that he used when he lured new girls into his harem and it always
worked. With the cane in one hand, the other went out to Danika, waiting for her to
take it. Her eyes fluttered with shock, a bit of uneasiness, a bit of arousal. His
breath hitched as her warm soft hand took his, it felt like his body went into a
flurry of sensations. Danika rose from her seat, letting him slowly lead her out of
the room. Then Lucian did something that Bill wasn't expecting. He lifted her hand
to his lips, placing the softest chaste kiss on her knuckles. His eyes never left
hers as he pressed them onto her soft skin. The smell of her sweet perfume caught
him, dragging him into a lust filled aroma of flowers. He wanted to follow the
scent, trailing up her arm and to her neck. Exploring other places, she may have
sprayed the intoxicating fragrance. Bill caught the look between the two, he prayed
that the cameras did too. When they reached the doors, everyone had moved backwards
to allow the cameras to shoot without them being in the shot. Bill was
flabbergasted as he called cut. He looked at his assistant, wondering what the hell
he had just seen. It was perfect. There would be no need for a second shoot unless
something went wrong with the cameras. He secretly hoped that nothing untoward had
happened, he suspected that he would not get the same reaction again.�
Chapter 6

By the early evening Bill had called it quits for the day, wanting to review the
footage. Lucian tried to navigate the pieces of equipment, cords and misplaced
furniture. It was only the first week of filming and already he was at odds with
everything. The place was a complete disaster and his life was now chaos. After
having words with Bill about the state of his house he decided to retire to the
lounge for some peace and quiet. Assured that the lounge had been returned to its
proper state, Lucian relished five minutes alone. But just like the previous
night's there was a raven haired beauty in his favourite seat. There was no way he
was going to take another night of her trying to piss him off and after the earlier
efforts by the piano, he figured pursuing her was a lost cause. He had tried to
engage her in conversation, hoping to create a pleasant rapport with her but all
she did was sit there and looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language. He
knew that she could speak and could hear things, he had heard her talking to her
brother. Lucian thought that she was either extremely shy around new people or she
was just downright rude. Either way he wasn't in the mood for it now, his body
ached from one very long day. His knees and legs were tired from standing in a dark
room, his eyes were sore from the lights flashing, his ears were still ringing from
the music being far too loud and his head was thumping from the remaining hangover
that had been lengthened because of the music. No, Lucian was definitely not in the
mood for Danika's nonsense.

He stalked over and took the guitar out of her hands, picked her up by the arms and
placed her on the other side of the doors, closing them on her. Lucian flicked the
lock and took his bottle of scotch and glass and found his favourite seat. Peace
and quiet and the joyous memories of one very shocked Danika. Lucian chuckled as he
sipped the soothing scotch. She didn't know what to do. She naturally assumed that
he would get angry again and throw his scotch against the wall but not tonight. He
looked at the guitar and grinned, deciding on a bit of adventure to liven his days
he took the guitar and wandered over to the fire place. The painting swung out on a
hinge, Lucian stood on a foot stool and gently placed the guitar in the cavity
behind the hidden door. Now it was her turn to be pissed. He closed the hidden door
quietly and placed the picture back into place. When he polished off the bottle of
scotch, he decided to retire to his room for the rest of the evening. Danika wasn't
in the entry when Lucian exited the room, but she wasn't far away. After he had
stumbled up the stairs she went to collect her guitar, noting it was missing. Her
head snapped to the open door, a deep scowl on her face as she stalked out of the
room and up the stairs.

Lucian was headed toward the large daybed on the patio attached to his bedroom,
readying to watch the world pass by. Things were slowly getting better now; the
earth was repairing itself with the help of the vampires. There was a fair number
of humans that were free to walk the earth, they helped with the restoration
efforts knowing it was for the greater good. A long willowy figure appeared in the
corner of Lucian's eye, he turned to see one fuming Danika. Her hands were on her
hips as her deep green eyes bored into him.

'Where is it?' she hissed when she found him.

At first Lucian didn't know what she was talking about, having forgotten about his
little stunt. Then he smugly smiled.

'Where is what? Be more specific.'

'My guitar arsehole, what did you do to it?'

'What happened to the first question?'

'What?' she squinted with confusion.

'You should probably go off and collect your thoughts, come back when you've got
your questions ordered properly and stop changing questions. You're just being
confusing.'

He waived his hand dismissively as he ignored her. Lucian opened his new bottle of
alcohol and wandered out to the balcony to watch the last of the sunset. Danika
scowled even harder, she didn't like being ignored and he had done something to her
prized possession. Her eyes darted down to the table nestled in front of the
lounge. There was no obvious mound but there was a fine powdery texture to the
table. She casually walked closer seeing more powder on the rug below the table.
She inwardly sighed, knowing exactly what she was dealing with. Danika already knew
that alcohol and drugs weren't the same for a vampire as it was for a human. Too
much of either of them and a human was an addict or dead. For a vampire it was a
stark difference. In order to get drunk they had to consume a hell of a lot of
alcohol. The drugs were a little more effective, they could get their buzz quicker
but still it took a lot. She had never heard anyone speak of a vampire dying from
either of these vices and addiction was rare. This was one of the major subjects
she had studied, the science of a vampire's body. No breakdown of organs due to
abuse, no permanent addictions, no health issues or death. It was like one happy
and high world for them with no side effects. Of course, after seeing him walking
around like death warmed up, she knew it wasn't completely true. Clearly Lucian
suffered to some extent.

Danika didn't like the thought that he was an addict or even the vampire's version
of an addict. Considering he was getting into a bottle of alcohol by himself, it
wasn't a good sign. Women, drugs and booze, it was the life of those that could
afford it and clearly he could. Danika didn't want to get all preachy on him about
the dangers of his vices but she couldn't help but worry. She liked him, even if he
did steal her guitar. More concerning was that he was a vampire, he was drunk and
possibly high. Not a good combination, worse if you are a human that gets too
close. Her mind snapped back to her guitar, a gift from her beloved grandmother.
Lucian sat in a large outdoor lounge, watching the pale orange hues being thrown
across the land. She stood at the edge of the room, her hands on her hips again,
her glorious green eyes flared and angry. He thought she looked even more gorgeous
when she was angry.

'Where is my guitar?'

'See you can structure a sentence properly, well done.' he chuckled taking a swig
straight from the bottle.

'It wasn't in the room, what did you do with it?'

'There you go again, changing questions.'

She growled and grabbed him by the shirt pushing him down onto the seat of the
lounge, the bottle of alcohol hitting the floor, smashing glass and scotch
everywhere. Danika repeatedly thumped him against the lounge as she sat astride
him.

'Where is my fucking guitar arsehole?'

'Oh baby, I didn't know you felt like this.' he bit his bottom lip as he squeezed
the top of her legs.

He was trying to stifle his laugh but couldn't hold it in, he was too drunk. Danika
watched as he sat up, a breaths distance from her, the fangs appeared. They looked
like they got longer, definitely more pronounced. She tried to slide off his lap
but he held her, resting his hands firmly on her backside.

'I'm not scared of you.' she whispered, staring into his eyes.

A wicked grin curled into his lips as he grabbed her arms, his mouth opening to
allow the fangs to descend. Her eyes widened as she sucked in a deep breath. She
would have struggled in his grip but she knew his grip was firm and a vampire was a
hundred times more powerful than a human. That was the very first lesson she was
taught. Don't struggle, use your words. She tried to quickly flick through her
mind, finding something to distract him.

'Uh, did you enjoy filming today?'

His head tilted to one side as he frowned slightly. The fangs retracted and Danika
could feel his grip lessen.

'I stood in the corner of a room for hours, what do you think?'

Before she could continue her distraction he turned her onto the lounge and moved
over her, pinning her to the soft cushions. He found his way in between her legs,
nestling onto her small frame. Lucian could feel her heart beat hard and fast, her
breathing rapid as she watched him lower to her ear.

'What about you?' he whispered in her ear 'Did you enjoy filming today?'

Danika was conflicted, there was the fear that he was drunk and a vampire and she
was a meal to him. Then there was total lust, she wanted nothing more than to get
naked and have him over and over again. She gasped as he moved over her neck, she
knew he was smelling her blood. Lucian could feel the lust building within him, her
scent was intoxicating, more than any alcohol. She smelled divine to him and he
wanted to taste her. He wet his lips, the taste buds alive with a burning need, the
lust swirling through his head.

'Lucian, please.' she whispered her plea.

He lifted his head, she gasped at him when she looked into his eyes, black with
burning lust. Danika thought she was a goner. She had gotten far too close to a
vampire, a drunk vampire that was hungry.

'Please don't kill me.'

'I would never do that.'

Lucian saw the fear in her eyes. She might have said she wasn't scared of him but
he knew it was a lie. The drunken haze lifted and his lust simmered into nothing as
the darkness in his eyes receded. He focused in on the little line of liquid that
had emerged from the corner of her eyes, he pulled back, sitting onto his legs.
Taking her hands, he lifted her to a sitting position and wiped away the tears.

'You shouldn't be around me when I'm like this, it's not safe.'

She nodded quietly.

'Sorry.' he murmured. 'I didn't mean to scare you.'

Danika shrugged a shoulder with her head hung low. He took her by the chin and
lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes were brighter than usual; the jade green
was luminous in the afternoon sun. A pale orange sheen cast over her pale skin.
Lucian leaned down and placed the softest of kisses on those perfect pink lips.
Danika closed her eyes with the moment, her heart fluttering with excitement. The
kiss lasted only briefly but it was enough to leave her wanting more, when she
opened her eyes she was alone. She looked around and wondered where he was or if he
was ever there. Was it all a dream? The broken glass and scotch all over the floor
told her that it wasn't a dream. It was real. Her fingers found her lips, still
cool from his kiss. A vampire kiss, she grinned, it was nothing like a human kiss.

Lucian didn't know exactly why he didn't stick around. Maybe it was because he had
been drinking and didn't trust himself. Maybe it was because she was still scared
and he didn't want to take her in such a state. Either way, when he changed shape
and sat on the bar of the balustrade, watching Danika and her reaction to the kiss,
it made him feel amazing. There he was, a bug on the rail watching a beautiful
woman look for the man who just kissed her. This form was something that the humans
didn't know about. There were a few different types of dark beings and the vampires
were the only ones that were known to the humans. His father was half shape
shifter, which made him one too. Lucian could change to any living creature he
chose and bugs were easy, no one would take any notice of a bug flying around the
room. When her fingers touched her lips and she softly smiled, it warmed him to
know that he elicited that reaction. It was the confirmation that he needed, to
know that she felt the same. The elation that was flowing through him died when she
got up and left the room, Lucian knew he would have to go cold turkey on everything
that was bad in his life if he wanted something with Danika, he couldn't risk being
this way around her.

Chapter 7

Night had crept up on Lucian, darkness crept across the room as he sat in the
corner against the walls. He tried to mould his body into the corner, trying to get
as far away from the sinister thoughts that had taken shape, slowly etching their
way closer to him. Inky dark shadows slithered along the wood floors, over the rug
and touched at his toes. The wind whispered taunting words to him, telling him that
inner peace was just a line away. He could have just one, it whispered, one would
make no difference. The darkness edged over his toes even though he curled them
under, pulling his feet closer to his body. He tried to shrink further into the
wall, trying to escape the dark but nothing would work. Pain gnawed at his body,
his head thumped over and over again like a tribal drum that boomed through his
mind. His arms were wrapped around his legs trying to get away from the shadow
demon that was reaching out for him. The moon's gaze from the window above him was
of no help, it was supposed to abate the shadows but it did nothing. Perched high
in the sky the moon was large and full and worse yet, quiet. The shadows curled up
the walls around him, slowly shrinking his space of light. Drums echoed through him
as his eyes darted from wall to wall, watching them close in, taking his light
away. Lucian closed his eyes trying to find some light filled paradise, where he
could forget the nightmare that had become real. Where he could soak in the light
and forget his problems. But there was no paradise to be found, the coldness of the
shadow had soaked through his body making him shiver frantically. When the shadows
had consumed the light and Lucian was sitting in total darkness, the booming drums
stopped.

He opened his eyes to a new source of light, the moons gaze shined through the
patio doors to the table nearby. It looked like it was covered in diamonds,
shimmering in the light. Lucian rubbed his eyes, unable to believe it. The drums
had stopped; the shadows had consumed the room but there was one ray of light. Then
the shadow monster spoke. One, just one Lucian. Open the draw, you know you have
enough for tonight. One won't hurt, just one little ray of light to send us away.
Lucian gulped as he stared at the draw in the coffee table, all that he needed was
in that draw. He let out a low whimper, not wanting to let the monster win, shaking
his head. One little ray of hope my lovely, it will dispel all of your fears, all
of your demons. We will slip away into the night and leave you be. Just one little
ray of light.

********************

Danika laid in bed, thinking about that kiss. How sweet it was, how perfect was the
moment, even if she was scared. She knew she should be scared, he was drunk and
very likely high. As she laid in bed staring at the ceiling she knew that he was
only a few steps from her. Their rooms shared a wall. She was so close yet so far.
Danika knew a lot about him, his family and his past but she wanted to know more,
she wanted to know the real him. Even though she knew he was drunk, she thought
that maybe with the time that had passed, he had sobered enough to be around and
have a conversation. She hoped. Danika climbed out of the bed and crept along the
hall, the few steps to his bedroom. Quietly she knocked as she opened the door,
calling out to him in a soft voice. The room was dark, the moonlight shone bright
through the open doors to the patio. He wasn't in his bed and there were no sounds
coming from his bathroom. She was about to turn away when she saw the coffee table,
powder everywhere. Danika frowned knowing it wasn't like that when she was here a
few hours ago. She didn't want to deal with an addict, her last boyfriend was one
and he wasn't easy to live with. He stole from her constantly to pay for his habit,
he almost got her killed because his dealer turned up looking for his money. Danika
knew that would never happen with someone like Lucian who clearly had a lot of
money but she knew it wasn't worth the risk. As she began to close the door,
something caught her eye. A foot. It twitched. Danika gasped and quickly entered
the room, closing the door behind her. There he was, passed out in between the
table and the lounge.

'Lucian.' she whispered frantically.

She shook him until he groaned at her.

'Wake up you idiot!'

Danika had no clue what to do, she had never dealt with this. Seth had never passed
out on her. For some reason he always did it when she wasn't around or he went to a
friend's place. She tried to lift him up, his body was too heavy for her. His body
thumped back to the rug with another groan. Inspiration struck her as she grabbed
his ankles and dragged him into the bathroom.
'God you're heavy, where are you hiding all this weight?'

She pulled him all the way into the large open shower, propping him up into the
corner. Grabbing the shower head, she turned it on as cold as she could and
directed it right at his face. He spluttered and coughed as his eyes shot open,
looking at her. Lucian couldn't believe what he was seeing. His last memory was of
the ceiling as he fell to the rug, now he was faced with one angry woman. She was
in tiny shorts and a singlet top, both purple in colour. Her curves were stunning.

'Sober yet?'

Lucian noted the severe tone in her voice, it was cold and short. Any chance he had
with her, he had just blown. Another one bites the dust he thought morosely, this
one didn't get very far. Ruefully he nodded, though he had his doubts. His mind was
still hazy, the edges of his eyesight were a little fuzzy. He watched as she
returned the shower head to its place, letting it pour over him. The sight of her
stretching up was enthralling, the shirt lifted ever so slightly, but it was enough
to give just a peek of skin. Water rained down on him as he sat there, Danika moved
to the other side of the shower, sitting on the tiled bench. Her legs crossed into
each other as she made herself comfortable, waiting for time to pass.

Danika watched as he closed his eyes. She wasn't sure if sleep was beginning to
take hold or if he was passing out again. Calling out to him made his head bolt up,
but it would roll and drop. As she got off her perch and turned off the water, she
thought it was likely that he was tired. She knelt between his legs, trying to wake
him. His head lifted and looked at her like he had a moment of clarity, his
shrivelled fingers touched the skin of her cheek.

'You are so beautiful.'

Danika smiled at him.

'How about you say that when you're sober? Are you tired, do you want to go to bed
now?'

Lucian nodded as he struggled to remove his shirt. It was wet and clinging to his
body, difficult for anyone at the best of times.

'Here, let me.'

She started with the cuffs of his shirt, undoing the buttons.

'These are helpful, you know. You won't get far with these still done up.'

Lucian could see the smirk on her face, she was being cheeky and hiding it as being
a caring person. He didn't care if she mocked him, at least she wasn't yelling at
him. Better yet, she was talking to him. Danika pulled the shirt from his body,
tossing it to one side with a great slop sound. She looked at his pants, wondering
what lay below.

'Are you... you know.' she gestured to him.

He nodded as he pulled at the waistband, trying to find the button.

'Stop it, for Christ's sake. Like a bloody overgrown baby.'

Danika held her breath as she pulled the zip down, praying that he was wearing
something underneath. He nodded but she didn't know whether that meant he was
wearing something or he wasn't wearing something. When she was faced with black
satin she breathed a sigh of relief.

He was dry, he was able to stand. Of course getting him to the bed was difficult,
Danika had to prop him up in order to get him to walk. She sat him at the end of
the bed, realising she should have pulled the linen back before bringing him out.
As she pulled the top cover back she raised an eyebrow at the satin sheets,
thinking they had gone out of style about seven hundred years ago. At least, that's
what Brendan said her mind laughed, Of course, he'd know.

'Ok, time to get under the sheets.' Danika sighed as she lifted him up.

His body was heavy, even though there was hardly anything of him, he was like a
dead weight. He flopped down to the bed again, sitting on the edge as she tried to
get him to lay down.

'Sleep on your side, that way you won't choke if you vomit.'

Lucian nodded as he looked at her hand. It was by her side, touching the edge of
her pants and the skin below. Patiently she was waiting for him to lift his feet
and lay down but he didn't. His hand reached out for hers, feeling the softness of
her skin, her calloused fingers.

'Stay.' he pleaded 'Keep me company.'

'You need sleep Lucian; you need to get off the drugs.'

'Darkness haunts me.'

'You're scared of the dark? Turn on a light.'

He shook his head.

'Not the darkness of the night. No light bulb will solve my problems.'

'How do you know if me staying will help you?'

'I don't.'

He let go of her hand and laid on the bed, expecting her to leave. But there were
no sounds of doors opening and closing, there was no padding of her feet across the
floor. The only sounds were the lights in the bathroom being turned off and Danika
huffing softly. He could feel the bed depress behind him, the linen being moved
around.

'Please don't drain me thanks. Unlike you, I like life.'

Danika could feel him moving in the bed, feeling him move closer. Her back was to
him; she couldn't see what he was doing.

'Thank you, not just for this but for before.'

Danika turned her body slightly and looked up at him, his eyes were bright in the
light of the moon as he looked down at her.

'I'd say any time but I'd rather you stopped doing drugs. Can you do that? If I
asked you to stop, would you?'

Lucian wanted to say yes, but he remembered his thoughts earlier that he was going
to go cold turkey just to be with her. It had lasted all of about an hour.

'Your lack of response isn't encouraging Lucian.'

Danika rolled back over to face the door to the bathroom but Lucian hadn't moved.

'I need help.' he whispered.

'Damn straight you do.' she snapped at him 'Go to sleep Lucian.'

He laid down but still very close to Danika. She was like a talisman to ward off
the darkness.

Chapter 8

Danika woke to one very warm body pressed against her back. His hand was on her
stomach under her shirt. She wondered if it had ventured anywhere else while she
was asleep. Lucian was still asleep, his soft breathing against her shoulder was
oddly comforting to her. She knew that vampires didn't really sleep but seeing as
he had a very rough night, it was likely that he was asleep. Her mind began to
wander, thinking about what it would be like if his hand did move. She could feel
the heat rise in her cheeks, imagining him toying with her, teasing her. Tearing
her clothes off and ravishing her, hours and hours of exploration. She squirmed,
feeling all sorts of tense feelings. Her body tingled with the thoughts,
desperation was setting in. She wanted him and now she had made it worse by
thinking about him. Lucian moved, snuggling into her more. His hand had moved
slightly, reaching the edge of her ribs and now there was something else. Her
cheeks flushed as she felt him pressed against her thigh. Now she was in serious
pain. Now she wanted to roll him over and wake him up. She couldn't take this any
longer, she had to escape. Awkwardly she squirmed out from his grip, refusing to
look below the sheets. Even though she really wanted to check him out.

Danika paced the floors, she had retrieved her dressing gown to try and give
herself a dose of reality. She had moved past the drug thing; she wasn't going to
get involved with him so if he continued it was none of her business. No, she
preferred to dwell on her missing guitar. The whole reason she had tried to engage
him in a conversation last night. She was going to wait for him to wake up, then
she was going to tear strips off him. Danika made the mistake of looking at Lucian
while he was asleep. He was so serene, so perfect, it made her flip on her anger
again. Strands of hair fell over his forehead and into his closed eyes, a feint
trace of stubble appearing on his jaw. Instantly Danika flushed, thinking very
carnal thoughts about rough stubble and tender inner thigh skin. The sheets sat
over his waist, covering his lower half but the view of the upper half was amazing
in her opinion. He was lean, well-toned and had what she thought was the right
amount of hair sitting on his sternum. Not too much, not too little, just right.
She wanted to trail her fingers through the little forest, ideally when he was
kissing her. Danika almost felt cheated, having spent the night in his bed and all
she had gotten was one soft little kiss and that was well and truly a long time
before bed. But her sensibility reminded her that he was not in the right frame of
mind last night and any misbehaving between the two of them would have been
completely unwise.

Danika could hear Bill complaining about the weather, it was looking rather
abysmal. There were cracks in the grey clouds where the sun would shine through,
giving a brief moment of hope. He was wanting to get external shots of the castle
and the possibility of a downpour was making for one angry man. Danika couldn't
understand his logic though she knew nothing of the world of films. She would have
thought a gloomy day would be the perfect back drop for the creepy vampire castle.
Throw in a bit of scary trees and glowing owl eyes and she thought that it would be
awesome. There was even a creepy section of the yard that they could do the filming
in. She had seen it on the tour but the queen had walked straight past it, not even
taking a side ward glance at it. Danika hadn't seen anyone venture down there, all
she could see was a long brick wall with a broken gate, beyond the wall was a whole
heap of scary looking trees. She was itching to investigate. But of course, she
knew that would be just rude and she didn't want to offend their gracious host.
Even if he wasn't really gracious or overly accommodating. Danika thought that he
was barely tolerant of them.

The soft morning light slowly etched its way into the room as Danika leaned on the
frame of the door to the patio area. Lucian's room was a shocker and Danika had
seen some pretty bad places in her time. It wasn't cluttered or overly dirty, it
was just different. For all the amazing furniture in the room that looked like it
cost a small fortune, it looked the opposite of what she thought a prince's bedroom
should look like. He had the large lounges in front of the fireplace with the
coffee table at the centre. A large rug sat in between the lounges, it looked like
it had never been cleaned. She thought that the cream rug was probably once white.
Behind it sat the bed, one very large and over the top hand carved wood bed. Danika
thought it was very pretty but didn't think it was Lucian's style. Sure she hardly
knew him but it just didn't seem right to her. It seemed too old for him.

The mantle of the fireplace had a thin layer of dust on it, like it had been
several days between cleans. She wandered across the room to his robe and frowned,
the words had escaped her. This wasn't a prince's bedroom, this was like a teenage
boy's room, one where any parental involvement was banned. The rest of the castle
was pristine, not a trace of dust could be found, the floors were perfectly
polished or cleaned. Even the fire places were in really good order. But Lucian's
room was a world away by comparison. Danika could see it clear as day, the staff
were not allowed in this room. She thought that until the door opened just a crack,
one of the maids peeked through.

'He's asleep.'

Danika wandered over to her and pulled the door open a little more.

'Of course, we uh... sneak in and remove his dirty clothes. I can return later when
he is occupied elsewhere.'

She grabbed the maids hand before she could shut the door.

'You care for your employer?'

'Of course miss, but we have rules. Please do not tell him that we clean his room.'

'Would he punish you?'

'No but he would dwell on it in a negative way.' her eyes darted to the coffee
table, looking back up at Danika sadly 'We do what we can to avoid conflict that
results in..'

'Substance abuse?'

The maid nodded.

'I will not tell him. There are wet clothes in his shower, I found him last night
passed out and I put him in there to wake him up.'
'And you stayed to care for him?'

'He fears darkness but not the night.' she frowned 'I don't understand.'

'We all fear the darkness here miss, we all fear those that walk this land without
feet.'

Danika frowned harder as the maid scurried into the bathroom. She quickly followed
her, unsure of her words.

'Without feet?' Danika whispered.

The maid turned to her with the wet clothes in her hands.

'Do you fear the unknown miss?'

'Danika and what unknown?'

'Bad things happened in this place, terrible people once walked these corridors,
good people died needlessly. If you do not know what fear is, you will know it in
this place.'

'Why stay here? What is so bad? Does it have something to do with his
grandparents?'

'There is evil here. Something terrible stalks the land, do you not hear it of a
night time?'

Danika shook her head. The maid wrung the clothes out over the tile watching the
water slip into the blackened drain hole.

'He needs light, he needs goodness. I pray that you can give him these things
because there is no one else that can. No one else has ever cared enough.'

'But you care, right? The other maid and the butler, you all care.'

Danika gripped her arm, trying to implore her, beg her, something.

'Surely I am not the only one?'

'No miss, you aren't. Yes, we care, as does his family but this is more than what
any of us can offer him. What he needs is another soul that will stand by him no
matter what. When he falls to his vices, he needs to be picked up again. To be
shown that it is not acceptable. The previous have just accepted whatever he
wanted, adding fuel to the fire with their own vices. He needs someone clean, with
no vices, someone that will not accept this poor behaviour.'

She watched as the maid hurried out of the room, leaving her in the cold bathroom
to ponder her words. Danika had done exactly what she had said. Last night she had
picked him up and shown him that his behaviour was unacceptable. She wasn't exactly
sure if she was the kind of clean person that the maid was referring to but she was
pretty close. She didn't do drugs, she didn't smoke. She drank socially and was
past her partying ways. Danika wandered out to the bedroom and leaned on the wall
watching Lucian sleep. She had always been a one-person woman; she could never
understand the concept of cheating or having multiple lovers. It just didn't make
any sense to her. Lucian was hard work; Danika knew that anything with him would be
a struggle but there was something that made her think that he might just be worth
it.
Lucian woke sprawled out on his back on his bed. He had no clue how he got there,
but at least he was in his bed. There was very little memory of last night, he
could remember succumbing to the white devil again, he remembered the conversation
with Danika on the patio but that was it. Fleeting snippets flew in and out.
Something about a shower, he thought that he felt like he had been dragged
somewhere. He remembered feeling warm all night, feeling safe. The memories that
were flashing through were rousing his interest, he wondered what he did last
night. It felt like his hips were pinned under a weight, upon opening his eyes, he
saw Danika sitting there watching him. It was a pleasant surprise for the morning,
and Lucian was grateful that someone else hadn't gotten up before him, which was
surprising. He had already opened one eye open to look at her, now the other
followed, the view was worth it. She was wearing a robe but it was barely closed,
underneath was a tight purple tank top and matching boy shorts. Her body was fine
and that cleavage was unbearable.

'Where's my guitar?'

'And good morning to you too.'

She gripped the hairs on his trail and pulled on them.

'Where is my guitar?' she grunted. 'Answer me or I'll go lower.'

'Promises, promises.' Lucian chuckled. 'Are you going to be alright with the pants
or would you like me to remove them for you?'

She yanked the hairs out which made him croak with the minor discomfort. Lucian
grabbed her arms and rolled her onto the bed.

'Well, well, here we are again.' he purred in her ear. 'You must like it if you
keep finding yourself here.'

He pushed himself against her which made her moan quietly, his arousal digging into
her. His hands slid up her leg to her backside, squeezing the flesh as he lingered
around her neck. The hand moved up her body, the robe now fully parted, his hand
now trailed over the shirt. His goal was only a few centimetres away, she was full
and firm and no pain in the arse bra to deal with. As his hand made its way higher,
he placed little kisses across her chest, his hand pulled one strap down her arm,
pulling the material down. Before he could take her in hand he heard his name being
called in his mind.

'Shit.' he pulled away from her body. 'My parents are here.'

Danika was left a little bereft as he got up from the bed, taking the sheet with
him. He casually strolled into the robe as if they weren't seconds away from
removing their clothes and ending the serious tension that had been building
between them. As she watched him move, she thought that there would be nothing
better than an entire morning with him and no one else.
Chapter 9

Lucian found his parents in the parlour, watching as the director's staff busied
themselves to move to the next location in the house. He noted that his parlour was
still a mess but chose not to say anything, knowing that Bill would keep his word.
Everything would be the way it was by the time they left.

'Darling.' Alina sweetly kissed her son. 'How are you?'

'Better.'

'Very good. We just came to see how things were going.'

'Twice in a week, how accommodating of you.'

She ignored his comment with a smile, her gaze was to the young woman that entered
quietly into the room. Alina couldn't help but noticed how the two had caught each
other's gaze. It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

'Bill tells us that you've become an actor for him.'

'Begrudgingly, I can assure you.'

Danika sat in the director's chair reading a magazine. In all her days of studying
vampires at college, she never thought that she stood a chance of seeing the
vampire queen in person. But she had seen her twice now, she had rolled around on
the bed with her son, dragged his sorry arse into the shower to sober him up and
deforested a patch of land on his stomach. Not that she cared about what or who he
was. To her he was a lost person, swallowed up by a sea of nightmarish conditions.
The talk of evil things and shadows had her spooked, she wondered what it was that
walked this land that had these people all worked up. Vampires that were scared of
things, Danika wanted to snort with laughter, it seemed so ludicrous. But still,
they seemed happy. His parents were talking to him, his mother had a smile on her
face. Danika thought that it was crazy, just a few steps away from her was the
queen. It was repeated over and over again during her education that the queen was
heavily protected and rarely ventured into areas that were frequented by the
humans. The statement made Danika wonder where it was that she did venture. Surely
she would slowly go insane if she only walked around the house and yard. Was there
somewhere else that she frequented? Danika couldn't help but watch Lucian interact
with his parents who looked almost the same age as him. Being a vampire obviously
had its benefits. It was the first time that she had seen his father, being that
there was very little literature on him. She noted that he was just as good looking
as Lucian however they had their differences. Danika thought that Lucian looked
more like his grandfather than his father. One could mistake the man in the
painting for the man that stood before her. She knew he was named for his
grandfather too.

'Well we are looking forward to seeing it.'

Lucian huffed as he folded his arms, hoping to seem rather disinterested in the
whole thing.

'We stopped by to let you know there's a council meeting tonight.'

'I already know that, I received the notification.'

'Of course.' she smiled softly then cleared her throat. 'They actually want to come
here to see this.'

'No.' Lucian shook his head. 'I can't have her here.'

'Lucian, you are overreacting again. Ariella has moved on as should you.'

He wiped his face with frustration. His life was moving from one kind of hell to
another.

'Fine.' he groaned and then moved to the door calling for Theodore.
'Sire.'

'Prepare the boardroom for a council meeting tonight please.'

'The boardroom won't be enough darling.'

'Mother?'

He looked at her wondering why the boardroom wouldn't be large enough.

'Who else is coming?'

'Well most of the kingdoms are now reformed and the kings are returning to their
countries.'

'When were the kingdoms reformed? Why didn't you tell me?'

'It is of no consequence. The four rims still exist and each of them governed by
the four of the prophecy. It was always intended that the countries retained their
royal families and it doesn't harm the roles or duties of you or I, or the rim
leaders.'

Danika tried to pretend she wasn't listening. The politics of vampiric rule was a
subject she missed out on in her studies due to her career starting. It was
something that she always regretted, she wanted to do the subject and had often
thought of doing distance education on the subject while she was on tour. But here
she was so close to the ruler of the realm and her son, surely there wasn't a
better teacher than the people themselves. In her mind she decided that instead of
annoying him tonight by sitting in his chair, she would bug him for information.

Lucian groaned at the thought of that many vampires around a few humans. It was
almost like leading them to their slaughter. He knew he would have to ensure there
was enough bagged blood for all members of the council.

'Fine, Theodore, set up the ball room for the council meeting, ensure the blood
stock is plentiful.'

'Very good sire.' he bowed and scurried away.

'Oh, Finn and Lorcc�n will be coming too.'

'And?'

'And Eris and Phabel.'

'They don't know about them.' he grunted quietly.

'It's called pretending Lucian, I'm sure you can handle it.'

Lucian inwardly groaned at the thought of bringing shape shifters and werewolves in
around the humans. It was dangerous and he didn't want them discovered. They liked
being a secret, they didn't want humans knowing about them. His mother might have
said to pretend but Lucian knew that the two beings had features that made them
look different, it was so obvious. The wolves tell was their eyes, tiny slits for
pupils when they were in the light, their fangs were bigger than the vamps and a
little more pronounced too. The shifters were more human-like than the wolves,
although their skin was slightly luminous, when they changed forms they shimmered a
silvery shade throughout their bodies. Their fangs were closer to the vamps but
they were not reliant on blood like the vamps, they did not go into blood lust.
They chose to feed off the humans but did not need to. This was a smart move for
the shifters, knowing that they were getting a realm of their own that was not
going to be inhabited by humans, they saw it as a wise move to refrain from a
solely human diet.

'Eight pm darling, make sure you are ready.'

She sauntered out of the room, his father gave him a slap on the shoulder and a
grin and then followed Alina out of the room.

When Lucian followed them out of the room, Danika got curious, following them out
through the entry to the kitchen. From the windows she watched as the queen held
her hand out at a large rock to one side of the court yard. Bright red flames
swirled on her hand and the rock opened, making a door. Danika gasped, her eyes
wide at the sight. Alina and Alex stepped through the rock and when the door shut
and returned to a normal rock Lucian turned on his heels and wandered off through
the garden. Her curiosity had peaked; she had never seen such a trick. She quickly
made her way to the rock and ran her hands over it, trying to find a crack or a
line, maybe a key hole, something.

'You have to be a vampire.' a deep voice said from behind.

She had thought that Lucian was wandering through the gardens, but he had only gone
around the corner, knowing that she was watching. Danika spun around, her back hard
against the rock, Lucian's tall frame darkening her. He pulled her from the rock
and formed his key, the door cracking open. Lucian didn't know why he was revealing
so much to her but he could see honest curiosity in her eyes, there was no malice.
The door cracked with red lines, the door opening. Danika stepped closer but was
stopped by Lucian.

'Humans will burn up on entry.'

'Why?'

'This is a safe haven for my kind, this was created when we were openly hunted by
the humans.'

A person passed the door, Danika gasped at his eyes, tiny slits for pupils. The
door slammed shut and she looked at Lucian, his lips pursed together as he tried
not to frown. Unimpressed she mindlessly thought of his mood.

'Tell me of the politics.'

'Pardon?' Lucian thought he hadn't heard her properly, surely she wasn't asking
what he thought she was asking.

'I studied vampires in college, I missed out on the politics because of touring and
I regret it.'

Her gaze cast downwards, she felt her cheeks flush with heat.

'Right.' he huffed as he thought about it. 'Well my mother is ruler of the realm or
earth as you know it.'

Lucian turned on his heels and began to walk through the garden, he hadn't done it
such a long time but he knew he found it calming. The rain hadn't set in yet, even
though it was looming high over them, it held off for just a moment. Danika quickly
followed, keeping by his side as they wandered through the highly manicured area.
'Then there are the four rims, do you know of them?'

'It was covered briefly, they didn't know a lot about them, just that the earth had
been split into quarters.'

'Yes, it was a prophecy that had been foretold long before my mother was born. The
prophet told of four women that would bring an end to a war with the humans. Of
course it wasn't the only war that we've had, your kind are rather persistent.'

Danika gave him a wry smile and fluttered her eyes at him. Lucian grinned thinking
that it was kind of cute.

'So, this is the northern rim, my mother leads it with the assistance of my father,
all of the husbands help with the overseeing of the repair work. It is a hard job
and takes a lot of hours' work.'

'Running any government is hard work and your mother has two jobs and raising
children.'

'Three jobs actually. She also rules her own kingdom, the land that surrounds this
castle.'

'Oh.' Danika was shocked, she certainly had a lot on her plate.

'My mother was an only baby when she was named as the ruler of Rostonin. The
council was put in as caretaker until she turned eighteen.'

'How far does it stretch?'

'You didn't cover kingdoms in your class?'

Danika shook her head sadly. Another missed class. Lucian looked at the land around
and got his bearings.

'The mountain there is a border point.' he pointed to a mountain in the very far
distance. 'I have maps somewhere if you are truly interested.'

Danika turned to the mountain a tiny speck in the distance. It was a shade of blue
with white peaks, clouds lingering around it.

'So, the southern rim was taken by Lilly, the western by Miranda and the eastern
by...'

'Scarlett.'

'Yes.'

'Will she be coming to the meeting tonight?'

'Yes.'

Lucian could see the excitement rising in her face, her eyes alive with
anticipation.

'You're a fan of her music?'

Danika nodded avidly.

'You owe me for last night.' she said rather cheekily.

'Last night?' he frowned 'You mean the guitar?'

'Well, yes there is that but I meant saving your drug addled arse from possible
death.'

'Vampires don't die from any complications associated with drug use.'

'Oh thanks for saving me Danika, I am really grateful that you took the time to
care for me rather than ignoring me and going back to bed.'

Lucian raised an eyebrow at her. He wanted to sigh very loudly but refrained from
doing so.

'Fine, thank you.'

Danika rolled her eyes, she didn't know why she was bothering with the arrogant,
self-centred, gorgeous bastard. He leaned in with a smug grin.

'Why were you in my room?'

'I wanted to ask you things. I told you already, I'm interested in this world.'

She watched as he stood upright, still very amused.

'Do you remember what you said to me last night Lucian?'

He shook his head, wondering what he had said.

'Oh.' she said sadly.

Lucian could see the dejected look on her face, clearly he had something that she
wanted to hear from him. Now he really did want to know what happened last night.
Maybe he had said something that had brought him back into the realm of actually
standing a chance with her. He had to do something, appeal to what she likes.
Lucian knew what she wanted. She wanted to meet Scarlett. She wanted to know about
the vampire world.

'Fine, you can attend the meeting.'

She jumped excitedly, clapping her hands with happiness.

'You are not to divulge anything you hear; do you understand?'

Danika quietened down and nodded in response.

'Because if they catch you telling anyone of what you hear, it will mean death.'

'Oh.' she said dryly.

'And you can't be wearing that.'

Lucian gestured up and down her body, to the tiny tartan skirt covered in chains
and skulls, the black shirt and the army boots. As much as he liked the shirt with
its cartoon punk girl and the guitar strapped around her, he thought it wasn't a
wise choice for a grand council meeting.

'What's wrong with this?' she frowned.

'In normal society, nothing. For a grand council meeting with vampires that are
thousands of years old, everything. And as such, you and I shall raid my
grandmothers closet again and find something more appropriate or you won't be
going.' he frowned 'No, something new might be better.'

Lucian led her back into the house, departing her company to find the maids. She
told him that all of her clothes were pretty much the same as what she was wearing
so he had to find something for her to wear. It was bad enough that he would raise
a few eyebrows because he had allowed her to attend but having her stand out wasn't
wise. Terrance would be freaking out at the humans being so close to the meeting
but to have one sitting and listening to one for the entirety of it, soaking
everything in, Lucian thought that Terrance would definitely have a meltdown. He
found the maids in the study, a grand room that held thousands of books. It spanned
several floors with balconies that wrapped around each of the floors. Bill was in
the centre of the room, filming Spencer sitting on a chair playing his bass. The
maids were watching with complete fascination. When they saw him they quietly
approached, not wanting to disturb Bill.

'Your highness?'

'Danika will be attending the meeting tonight, I require you to find a suitable
dress and assist her to get ready for it in accordance with the requirements.'

'Of course, would you like something from the attic or a new purchase?'

'I think new would be wise, if you could find something for her in mid jump I would
appreciate it. Do you need to stock the pantry for them again?'

'No your highness, the catering has filled the pantry for them.'

'Good. Now for the dress, I think the expenses card should cover it. Please ensure
she is dressed appropriately, I don't need Terrance bitching at me about chains or
skulls.' Lucian frowned 'Army boots or ripped stockings.'

The two women giggled as they curtsied and scurried away.

Lucian wandered the corridors, hearing the soft strains of someone playing the
piano. It made him smile as he drew closer to the room, to hear the place alive
again. As he approached the doors he held back, hearing her talking to someone.
Lucian leaned on the wall and listened as she started playing another song. He had
no clue what it was or who it was by, his world always moved in one direction,
always one hazy mess of life. Music held no interest to him in recent years, it had
been lost with many other things. But listening to her playing one sweet song, it
made him want to listen to music again. To hear a lifetime of this, he understood
what the maids meant by their words about his grandmother's performances. Danika
stopped playing to a soft applaud and a sweet laugh.

'Thank you Miss Randall, that was a lovely piece.' Theodore said.

'Danika and it's my pleasure. Are you sure you won't ask him for the night off?
He's in a good mood, surely he won't mind.'

'It's quite alright...Danika. The council meeting is on tonight and I could not
ask. Even if his highness said it was fine, I would not feel right about it.'

Lucian frowned wondering why Danika was trying to get him to have the night off. He
heard Danika huff, imagining her scowling at him with a shake of her head. He
smiled softly at the thought.
'Alright then, but you should ask for tomorrow off. How often do you turn one
thousand?'

Theodore laughed and Lucian gaped wide eyed. It was Theodore's birthday.

'Only once.'

Lucian scrambled through the house, hoping to find the maids before they left for
mid-jump. They were at the gates, about to step through.

'Ladies.' he gasped.

They waited until he got his breath back, composing himself he straightened his
body and took a deep breath.

'It has come to my attention that it is Theodore's thousandth birthday. I would

think that something to commemorate the event should happen...' he winced 'Be
given.'

Lucian sighed, this wasn't his thing. He was lucky to remember his own birthday.

'Help me.'

Elena and Rosa looked at each other, wondering where their old master had gone and
who this new person was. This person actually cared that it was a staff member's
birthday, he actually cared enough to want to do something for them.

'Well he doesn't really want for anything.' Elena said quietly.

'Like any of us, when he wants something he gets it for himself.' Rosa agreed.

'You know...' Elena hummed 'He did mention his room is a bit... you know, weather-
y.'

'What?' Lucian frowned.

'There are parts of the castle that are in disrepair your highness, his room is one
of them. The windows don't shut properly, there are tiles missing from the roof and
he thinks there is several families of pigeons living in the cavity.'

'Probably rodents too.' Rosa muttered.

'How come it's like this? Did no one think to repair these issues?'

'We have passed the concerns onto your mother's staff but we are at the bottom of a
very long list and given your mother's...' Elena looked at Rosa.

'Hatred of this place.' Rosa whispered.

'Yes.' Elena nodded 'You can understand why she has no interest in repairing it.'

Lucian nodded knowing his mother's words of forgiveness to a horrid man was just
words and held no truth. He knew she would burn this place to the ground if it
meant that she could forget what he did.

'Right, go and fetch the dress and other things for Danika and book a holiday for
him somewhere. While he's gone we can get stuck into his room.'
Chapter 10
After the maids stepped through the rock face, Lucian moved quickly back into the
house and to the study. He realised that the room was still being occupied by the
film crew and had to find somewhere else to begin organising things. The first
phone call was to his mother's staff. After one rather long winded conversation
with Evie about how her mother had seen many of the requests that had come through
and all of them were put at the bottom of the pile. By his mother and no one else.
Evie told him that he was never going to get his mother to approve of anything
because she hated the house and that if it wasn't for Terrance's opinionated and
dominating stance on it, she would have sold it a very long time ago. Lucian
thought about everything that Evie told him, everything that he already knew. There
was no way that his mother wanted anything to do with the place. She wasn't allowed
to get rid of it and was stuck with it. Lucian was the only one that would be the
saviour of this place. He leaned on the wall beside the phone in the kitchen,
looking across the old and tired room. It hadn't had any renovations done to it,
the bare essentials were done to keep it habitable for Lucian and his staff. He
took a deep breath and searched for a builder on his phone. It was another one of
the little annoyances of this place. There was no wiring for internet, he knew he
was lucky to have the phone connected. Sure it had electricity but like everything
in this place, it was a mess of patch work, bits of wires and cables. The last time
something technological was done to this place was when his grandfather had the
phone lines put in this place, which was just before his mother was born. Lucian
knew that the whole place needed to be stripped to the bones and rebuilt for the
new era.

Theodore had just walked into the kitchen as Lucian ended the call with a builder.
The fellow was going to stop by within the hour and Lucian knew that he had to get
Theodore out of the house if he wanted it to be a surprise. He was struggling to
find reason to get rid of him, there was nothing that he could think of that they
needed. Elena and Rosa stepped through the rock face, carrying an assortment of
things. Theodore rushed out to help them, Lucian watched whilst still contemplating
possible excuses. Rosa and Theodore took the bags and boxes through the kitchen.
Rosa had given him a knowing nod, she would take her time, ensuring he was
occupied. Elena held back, watching as they ascended the stairs.

'Elena I have a builder coming soon, I would like for it to be a surprise, is there
something that he needs to get from mid-jump because I am lost for a reason.'

'Well I suppose we could go back and get more blood. If you ask him, I know he will
do it but you could always say that you fear that what we have won't be enough.'

'Good idea. Would you go with him and ensure that you do not return too soon?'

'Of course.' she grinned.

Rosa and Theodore returned ten minutes later, Lucian had been nervously pacing the
kitchen floor.

'Theodore, I have asked Elena to increase the blood stock, would you kindly assist
her with the purchases?'

'Of course your highness but I have already...'

'I know and I think that it would be more than sufficient but I fret for our
guests. My mother will not be impressed if I have misjudged the appetites of the
council and put the humans in danger.'

'As you wish sire.'

He bowed and followed Elena out of the castle. Lucian sighed as he watched them
pass through the gate.

'He thinks that I think he doesn't do his job right.'

'Once he knows what is going on, he will be fine your highness, he will
understand.'

When the builder arrived Lucian showed him through the house, the long list that
Rosa had quickly scrawled out for him of the immediate repairs. By the time they
had gone through the list, she had another list of the non-urgent repairs that was
just as long as the previous one. Lucian couldn't help but be a little concerned,
wondering if the castle was about to collapse on them. Then came the estimate of
costs, Lucian thought that he would definitely have to give up the vices, if only
to pay for the repairs. As they stood outside the section of the castle that was
the staff quarters, Lucian took a very large sigh and then gave the builder the go
ahead. Theodore would be given his holiday present tonight, he would be booted
through the gate tomorrow to go on his holiday and hopefully not see the builders
that would pass through at almost the same time. First on the list was the staff
quarters so that it would be ready for his return. The builder even suggested a few
changes for the internal parts of their rooms, making it more comfortable for them.

Lucian was eager to get the man through the gate before Theodore returned,
otherwise the whole thing would be over with. He didn't know why, but for some
reason the concept of it being a surprise had taken over and consumed him, he had
to make this work, he wanted this to work. Theodore did so much and he never asked
for anything. It was obvious to Lucian now that he could actually see reality and
not the drug induced haze of the past few years. As he closed the gate behind the
builder, Lucian saw Danika at the door to the kitchen, leaning on the frame. She
had a grin on her face, almost like she knew what he was up to. She was the reason
that things had changed around here. Because of her, he had a reason to give up the
drugs and alcohol. Because of her, he knew it was Theodore's birthday and because
of that he now knew of the state of disrepair of this castle. It was thousands of
years old and it deserved to be repaired. If it served as a memory of his beloved
grandparents, then it was worth it.

'What are you up to old man?'

'Old?' he scoffed. 'I'm only six hundred and twenty.'

'Old.' she sweetly sung it.

'How old are you, smarty pants?'

'Twenty-one.'

'Baby.' he laughed.

She narrowed her eyes at him with a grin.

'So come on, what are you really up to?'

'A surprise, so you need to keep your mouth shut, ok?'

'Sure.' she smirked, turning back to the house 'Though I might need some bribing.'

'What kind of bribing?' he chased after her.

'I want my guitar back.'

Lucian stood at the base of the steps watching Danika step up them and into the
house. It was like his life was played out in slow motion. Watching the red army
boots take each step slowly. His gaze drifted up her legs to the tartan skirt, the
chain jingled with each movement. Her shirt had lifted slightly and the tiniest
peek of skin showed out from underneath. As his gaze rose higher, he could see she
had stopped, her head turned taking her long hair with the movement. It was silky
smooth, long strands of a blue black colour. He still couldn't get over the colour,
thinking it was amazing. But nothing could out do her eyes, glorious green.

'I mean it Lucian; my grandmother gave it to me the day before she died. If you
don't give it back, I'll find the biggest knife in this place and cut off...' she
grinned as she twirled her finger at his waist 'Captain pinkie.'

Danika turned back into the house, ignoring the look of shock mixed with a grin.

The rock face behind him cracked with the sounds of two vampires returning with
another load of blood bags. Theodore was pushing a fridge trolley laden with
Styrofoam boxes stacked high. Elena was carrying several bags, weighing her down.
Lucian rushed to her, removing the bags.

'Thank you your highness.' she sighed.

'Of course, not a problem.'

'Will this be sufficient, sire?'

'Yes, thank you Theodore. If mother is unhappy with this then I think I shall tell
her to take a hike, what do you think?'

He grinned but noted they feigned their laugh, unsure if it was a joke or if he was
serious.

'It was a joke, lighten up. You don't really think I'd tell the old girl to take a
hike, do you?'

They both shook their heads. Lucian chuckled and took the bags into the house,
leaving the awkward conversation outside.

*************************

'Does he eat cake?' Lucian whispered.

'Sire, he hasn't eaten human food in a hundred years.' Elena returned the whisper.

'But when he did?'

'Yes I suppose he ate carrot cake.'

'Make a carrot cake.'

Elena looked upon her master with a little shock.

'You want me to make him a cake, for his birthday, knowing he will be in here
helping with the human's dinner.'

'I will ask him to ready the ballroom and ensure the drinks are ready at the bar,
please Elena.'
'Alright.'

'Are you making a cake?'

Lucian's body tensed to the sound of one sweet female voice, humorously pulling his
secret plans apart. He turned to see one very smug woman leaning on the pantry
door.

'What kind of cake?'

'Carrot.' Elena groaned. 'I don't even know if there is a recipe book here
anymore.'

'Get one of the internet. I'll help.'

She poked Lucian in the ribs as she passed him.

'That's two you owe me, captain pinkie head.'

His eyes narrowed at the woman, she was a vixen but completely adorable. Her body
swayed as she walked, almost like she knew he would be watching her. His lips
pressed hard against each other as his eyes narrowed further. He knew she would
have him on his knees at her feet before the week was out. Begging for a moment.

********************

Theodore thought his master's behaviour was perplexing, but it was true to his
nature, always perplexing. But he just couldn't get past the fact that he was here,
helping them. Rosa said nothing as she helped them pack the fridge with the blood
bags, then setting out all of the glasses, ensuring they were perfectly cleaned.
The tables were set out in a long u shape, chairs placed neatly into position.
Theodore thought that maybe Lucian wanted to impress the council, to not have them
come here and see what a shambles the place was. This place was the castle that
their fallen leader lived in, this was the grand residence of their former king.
Danika appeared at the doorway, looking wide eyed at the room.

'Wow.' she gasped 'This is huge.'

She walked out to the main section of the ball room, up the centre of the u shape.
Her head tilted back to the massive chandelier above her, glistening with the
lights. There were two smaller ones each end of the room with one larger one in the
centre. They looked like giant bowls, strands of crystals forming the shape.
Strings of more crystals swept up to the top of the chandelier, little lights
sitting around the top of circle at the bottom. The walls were a rich cream colour
with gilded trims. Everywhere she looked there was golden busts and filigree
patterned posts. The ceiling curved with paintings, the cream surrounded the
paintings and again the trims were gilded. She had never seen something so
stunning.

'This used to be frequently used when my grandparents were alive. Before they ruled
their parents lived here, they had so many functions, inviting so many people to
come here and enjoy themselves.'

'Have you had friends here too?'

'Not in this room.' his eyes looked over the gold trims 'I don't think that my
friends of old would treat this room with the care it deserves.'

'Then they are not true friends Lucian. If you cannot trust them to be alone in a
room like this then you should not bring them here.'

'They will never return; I can assure you of that.'

'Oh my god.' Bill gasped as he took a tentative step into the room. 'Why was I not
told of this room? This is unbelievable.'

He grinned like a mad man.

'I have just had a wave of inspiration. Lucian, can we use this room tomorrow?'

'Are you going to damage anything?'

'Absolutely not.'

'Then of course you can.'

'Great, can you dance?'

Lucian frowned. 'I assume you mean ball room dancing in keeping with the room?'

'Yeah.' his grin deepened.

'Yes Bill, I can.'

'Great. Tomorrow morning you need to teach little miss and by afternoon we can
start filming.'

He turned on his heels, laughing.

'Freaking amazing.' he yelled as he left the ball room.

Lucian turned back to Danika, wanting to laugh at the shocked face she was pulling.

'You don't dance?'

'No.' she sputtered.

'Aww.' he playfully pouted, pulling her into a dance hold.

'Nothing like this?'

His hand was on the small of her back, holding her firm to his body. The other hand
held hers, warily she put her other hand on his shoulder. Danika shook her head,
keeping her gaze down.

'What about this?'

He spun her slightly, turning one step. Her heart thumped hard, Lucian could feel
it hammering through his body, echoing through him. But still, she wouldn't look at
him. For all her cheekiness, she was the complete opposite when he got too close.
One little mouse that was timid and very quiet.

'Cake...' she whispered 'I came to tell you the cake is done.'

'So you don't want to dance with me then?'

Lucian could feel the resistance, like she was pulling away from him.
'I will teach you, by this time tomorrow you will be able to fool the camera or my
name isn't captain pinkie head.'

Danika laughed and looked up at him, seeing one very big grin.

***************************

Theodore was sitting in the parlour, thinking that he was about to get some kind of
reprimanding. Lucian had requested to see him which was unheard of. Normally he
would find who he needed to speak with and that was it. There was no request to be
seen in particular rooms, there was no being asked to wait in rooms. The first
thing that told him that something was amiss was the smell, a cake had been baked,
the scent lingered through the corridors. It started to get stronger as he sat on
the lounge twiddling his thumbs, waiting patiently. Elena walked in first, a large
cake platter in her hands with one huge cake. Rosa was behind her with a pile of
plates and cutlery. Elena put the cake platter on the table in front of Theodore,
grinning at him as she stood upright.

'Would you like us to sing happy birthday to you?'

Theodore looked up at his master, then turned to the humans that walked into the
room.

'Uh, no. I'll be alright, thanks.'

'Ok so I guess it's the cake then. Oh, and this I suppose.'

He held out the little envelope that was crammed tight with several things.

'Happy birthday old man.' Lucian grinned 'Take a well-deserved break, starting
tomorrow.'

Theodore opened the envelope that was stuffed with money and a folded piece of
paper.

'Tremanth?' he gasped 'This is for two... I uh...'

'You think I am blinded to what goes on in my own house?'

Lucian looked up at Elena who suddenly looked away.

'But sire this is not fair to Rosa or any of the other staff.'

'I can assure you that when it is her birthday she will be booted out somewhere for
a week. As for the rest of them, don't worry they'll get something I suppose. Now,
no complaining it's a birthday present.'

'But Elena, sire please, it's not right.'

'Fine, it's a belated birthday present for Elena too, happy now?'

Theodore was still hesitant and Lucian looked at Elena, frowning so that she
understood what he wanted. Elena sat beside him, resting her hand on his forearm.

'Please accept his gift, he wants to thank you for your valued service to him and
to his family. He offers this to the both of us so that you may have company on
your holiday. Rosa and I have spoken about this; she does not care about it. Can
you not accept a gift given in gratitude?'
Theodore nodded as he folded the paper back into the envelope.

'Great, because I am starving.' Baz muttered 'Hurry up and cut the damned cake.'

***********************

'It's got carrot in it.' Lucian whispered with a frown.

Danika looked at him, squinting one eye.

'It's a carrot cake. Carrot Lucian, what did you expect to find in it?'

He picked the string of orange out and sniffed it.

'It's a vegetable isn't it? I thought it was just a name.'

'Why don't you just eat it and shut up?'

'Fine.' he sighed.

He pressed the cake fork through the cake, hitting a lump. Poking the fork at the
brown lump he squinted at it and turned to Danika.

'What's this thing?'

'Walnut.'

'There isn't any garlic in this, is there? You know we can't have it, right?'

'Oh yeah.' she grinned 'I knew that when I sprayed the cake tin with garlic spray.'

'Garlic spray?' he mumbled with the cake in his mouth 'Is there such a thing?'

'I made it especially for you, chopped up a whole heap of garlic, pulverized it in
the blender, made it into a spray. I even put some of the pulp in the cake.'

Lucian was about to spit the cake onto the plate, wondering if he would make it to
the kitchen to rinse his mouth out before he started throwing up everywhere.

'You cannot be serious.' she laughed 'You would really think I would put garlic in
a birthday cake for a vampire. That's just nasty Lucian.'

She shook her head with a grin.

'You are just plain nasty.'

'Me?' he gasped 'You're the one leading me on!'

Danika poked her tongue at him, Lucian smiled back at her, completely mesmerised by
her cheekiness.

Chapter 11

The maids helped Danika into her dress, a tight strapless black bodice, the skirt
floor length layers of black ruffles. She stood in front of the mirror as the two
women moved around her, lowly arguing about the lacing at the back. Danika thought
it was far too loose and feared falling out and that was the last thing that she
wanted, her oversized chest falling out in front of the entire grand council. She
knew it was a rare offer for a human to be included in a council meeting.

'Tighter.' Lucian murmured as he entered the room.

'Yes your highness.'

Danika gasped as the straps went tighter and it nearly left her breathless. When
the maids finished, she had time to look at herself without them fussing around
her. They had done an amazing job with her hair, sweeping it up off her neck, to a
messy bun. She turned to Lucian who had his back to her, doing something at the
dresser. He turned and dismissed the maids, Danika gaped as she looked at him, he
looked better than he ever had. He wore a red double breasted vest over a black
long sleeve cotton shirt, his pants black matching the shirt. The vest was tight to
his frame, hugging his fine form.

'Twenty-four hours now.'

She caught the look in his eyes, she knew what he meant.

'You are doing it, really?'

'Yes. Cold turkey.' he sighed as he moved closer 'But I know it's not going to be
easy. I have very bad demons.'

'Have you removed temptation?'

'Yes, down the drain.'

'I am proud of you.' she grinned, toying with the buttons on his vest. 'You can do
it; I know you can.'

'You have such faith in someone you hardly know. I tried yesterday but failed, how
do you know I won't fail again?'

'Because I will be here to hold your hand. I will be here to help you.'

'And when you leave, what then? You are here for such a short time.'

'I believe in you Lucian, why can't you? Maybe you need an incentive of some sort.
Name something you want.'

Lucian looked at her as he bit his bottom lip, thinking that there was only one
thing that he wanted.

'There are many things I could ask this world for, many things I want. But there is
nothing I deserve.'

He sighed as he took the box from the dresser and removed the intricate piece of
jewellery. Danika watched as he held out a lace choker, beads and stones hanging
from the edges of his fingers. Lucian moved behind her and placed it gently around
her neck, the black lace tight against her soft skin. Little diamond drops hung
down to the bottom of the loops, a chain linked up to every second drop. The very
centre drop was reserved for the most beautiful green stone set around a fine gold
weave edge.

'Tourmaline.' he murmured as he pressed it into position against the dip in her

neck. 'Reminded me of your eyes. Take care with it, it is older than I am.'
Her fingers traced over the jewels feeling their burden already.

'Lucian you should put it back from where it came, it is far too precious for this
clumsy person.'

'Nonsense. I only said it so that you understood it wasn't a bit of junk jewellery.
I am sure you will be more than careful with it.'

She closed her eyes, feeling the cool of his words on her neck, his fingers
followed a path down her neck along her shoulders. Lucian knew what feelings were
coursing through her, they were moving through him too. He had never wanted a woman
like this, anything prior was a mere play toy and sadly that included Ariella as
well. This was a woman that didn't care he was royalty, who liked to push his
buttons and was genuinely interested in his world. His hands left her body as he
searched his pocket for the earrings. Danika turned to him, her back against the
mirror on the wall. She was in need of his attention, she craved his touch. Lucian
moved closer and slipped the earrings on, when they were both firmly in place his
hand ran along the edge of her jaw.

'You are a good man Lucian, you can beat the demons and win. Your staff would do
anything for you, if you just ask for their help. Find an incentive or a goal, find
something that will make you want to be a better person.'

His head lowered as his fingers slipped from her jaw, already they missed the
softness of her skin.

'I have barely been here a few days and already I can see improvements. Everywhere
I look I see things changing. Not just you but your staff, they look happier. They
actually have a smile on their faces, when I arrived everyone looked so glum, it
was depressing. You are so generous, you could have said happy birthday to Theodore
and nothing more but you didn't, did you?'

His eyes rose to hers, a soft smile crept across her face.

'You let us use areas of the house that I know you wouldn't let anyone else in, we
use your grandparent's clothes, you've been inundated by a small horde of what I
know you used to think was a pest.'

Lucian grinned slightly.

'There is good in here.' she pressed her hand over his heart 'You just need to
destroy the demon and let the light win. What do you want? Find that incentive,
find something that gives you reason.'

As the grin dropped away he shrugged. Danika's breathing became ragged and
desperate. Give him reason her mind whispered.

'You don't think that you deserve an incentive?' she whispered with a dirty grin.
'How about a reward then?'

She grabbed his vest and pulled him to her, their lips barely touching as they
stared into each other's eyes. His eyes caught her tongue slick her lips, parting
her mouth in anticipation. He could no longer hold himself back and kissed her
hard. Her hand found the back of his neck, rustling through his soft black hair.
The other hand found its way to his lower back, feeling the muscles move as he
pushed her hard into the wall. She pressed his back, urging him to her body as the
kiss got deeper, more heated. The passion was broken when the clock sounded, it's
chimes indicating that it was seven thirty. As Lucian pulled from the kiss he
gently tugged on her bottom lip, a sly smile on his face.

'I like your rewards.'

**********************

They stood in the courtyard, the evening was warm an occasional refreshing wind
would flow through. The rock face cracked with green lines and Danika wondered why
there was a colour change.

'What's with the green?'

'Oh... uh... it changes from time to time, no reason.'

His hesitation made Danika think there was more than he was letting on. Out walked
three men, two rather young, the other looking a little older. They all wore
military suits with green sashes over their chests. Then a woman followed with a
hoard of children varying in ages.

'I didn't know council meetings were child friendly.' Danika murmured.

'They're not.'

'Don't stress.' the young man grinned. 'They just stopped in for a quick hello and
then they are going home.'

The children swarmed around Lucian, trying to climb all over him. Danika tried to
count them, estimating that there was at least a dozen of them. The older children
stood to the side of their mother, watching quietly.

'I'm Finn, my father Lorcc�n.' he grinned that cute smile again. 'This is my wife
Aaliyah and these little lovely ones are our children.'

She remembered what she was told, curtsy. Even though she was human it was still
expected of her. As she did it her eyes were cast to the woman beside Finn, her
eyes red. All of them except one adult child had red eyes and they all had tiny
slits for pupils, she knew they were not vampires. She wasn't stupid, she could see
it clear as day. These people in front of her were another type of being. Finn
chuckled, her eyes flicked back to him, he was staring at her with a big cheesy
grin.

'She's a smart one Lucian.'

Lucian grinned, trying not to be too obvious but he was only fooling himself. The
werewolves before him had the two of them figured out in a second.

'Lucian, is there space for Elijah to remain? He wishes to start his career earlier
than expected.'

'Of course.'

Danika looked to the young man beside Finn who was watching her quietly. His eyes
were similar to Lucian's with the dark ring around the stunning blue eyes. The
pupil was narrowed to a long slit, his mouth curled with the smallest of grins.
Lucian tensed up, knowing of wolves and their abilities around pretty young women.
He looked at Elijah wanting to tell him to back off but he had to remember his
pleasantries. Lucian wasn't about to be relaxed around this werewolf. After all it
was his father, that Finn had pursued his mother when she was a young woman. He
looked at Elijah who grinned at him the same way his father did, it was the kind of
grin that told him he was going to give him hell. Now all Lucian had to do was find
a moment to warn her, to ensure he didn't lose her to a wolf like his father had
all those years ago. He didn't need that kind of torment in his life.

Finn took his wife's hand and beckoned the children that were causing havoc on and
around Lucian to the door. All of them ran around, fighting, pushing and shoving,
all except the one that managed to climb his way to Lucian's shoulders. With his
hands he pushed off his shoulders and howled and then jumped over his shoulders.
Danika gasped, she knew what she was facing. Werewolves. What she thought was a
nightmarish fairy tale was right before her. They looked human, they dressed like
humans, she thought she could be fooled into believing they were human. Never in
her wildest imagination did she think that it was possible to look upon a folklore.
Her eyes were cast to Lucian who looked like he had been hit by a gale forced wind.
Well, a dozen gale force winds actually. She chuckled as looked at him, he squinted
a smirk and readjusted his hair and clothes.

'Naughty wo...' he paused.

'Wolves?' she coyly smiled.

'We value anonymity Danika.' Lorcc�n looked at her with a stern face.

'How do you know my name?'

'Because we can break into even the best of barriers.' Finn said a little too smug.

'And we can see that you have no intentions to reveal the dark beings, however you
must understand that we will take appropriate measures if we think that you may
reveal what you know.'

Lorcc�n was a stern figure, she knew he meant business.

'Danika.' Lucian interrupted her thoughts. 'This is King Lorcc�n, his son Finn and
his son Elijah.'

'And they are werewolves.'

All three looked at each other and then murmured agreement.

'So how many types are there?'

'Four.'

It came out of Lucian's mouth before he knew he had said it. Finn raised his
eyebrows at him, it was unlike Lucian to be so loose with information.

'Four huh? So vamps and wolves...'

The door cracked with a gold glow and two men stepped through. Both of them had a
certain similarity to Lucian. Danika looked upon the youngest and couldn't believe
her eyes. She knew him.

'Eris and Phabel.'

'And by the gold I can assume they are...' her eyebrows went high as she waited.

Lucian huffed.

'Shape shifters.'
'I see, and the fourth?'

'Persistent.' Finn chuckled.

'Witches.'

'Aww cool. Are they going to be here tonight?'

'No, they avoid most forms of contact because of their past and now live in another
realm.'

'Their past?'

'Long before the humans tried to destroy the earth, they were discovered. It was
around the fourteen hundreds they were first hunted mostly through...' he waved his
hand as he tried to think of what the humans called their countries.

'Europe.' Finn interrupted.

'Yes.' Lucian groaned. 'Human names... anyway those that could, fled to the
Americas which was a mistake. They should have stayed in Europe; it was much safer
by comparison. By the sixteen hundreds they were caught up in the witch hunt,
predominately in..'

'Salem, Massachusetts.' Finn interrupted again.

Lucian hummed agreement and frowned with his thoughts.

'The humans told all sorts of lies about them, the literature is filled with false
accounts, they've fudged the dates and figures. They claimed death figures but it
was far worse than what they told. They near on wiped them out as a species,
fearful of the lore rather than learning about them. Those that were smart fled
from the Americas, heading north and crossing back into Europe. Once the shifter
realm was completed they moved there.'

'So the lore is wrong?'

'They don't do half the things they are accused of. Such as the anti-religious
tones of their accusations. Witches are very religious and are quite often found
within the local religious groups of whatever community they are in as a way of
assimilating into their surroundings. They are one with the elements and the land
and most witches will only cast spells in order to aid escape if they are caught.'

By this stage Eris and Phabel had joined the group and were listening to Danika's
education on the world of dark beings. Danika looked at Phabel, both of them knew
what the other was thinking.

'Danika, this is King Eris and his son Phabel.'

'I know.' she whispered a little shocked.

She had never thought that the man who taught her vampire history was a dark being.

'How do you know?' Lucian frowned.

'She is a former student of mine.' Phabel interjected 'A rather brilliant student
who wouldn't heed my words and remain to continue her education. Chose fame
instead.'
Danika grinned cheekily at him, to her relief he shook his head and smiled.

'Oh right.' Lucian mumbled.

As the door cracked open again and distracted everyone, Lucian took his moment. He
grabbed Phabel, pulling him aside.

'Keep junior occupied.'

'Right-o.' he grinned.

Turning back to Danika he took her by the elbow and pulled her out of the group.

'A word please.'

'Uh, sure.'

Lucian pulled her back into the house, closing the door behind them.

'What's wrong? Did I do something?'

'No, you are fine. This is about certain young wolves.'

His fingers trailed over her bare shoulder and down her arm. Danika grinned and
pulled him closer.

'You aren't jealous are you?'

'Me? No.' he scoffed.

'Liar.' she grinned 'You needn't fear anything; he can try all he likes he won't
get very far.'

'But that's the thing that you don't understand. They are very powerful creatures
Danika; they can lure like no other. My mother is a testament to that fact. Finn
had an amazing power over her, he had her captivated and she loved him instantly.
She was with my father when she fell under his spell, she said they can do things.'
Lucian paled, remembering the awkward conversation he had with his mother about
werewolves 'They can create feelings of lust without a single touch. In their minds
they can give you unbridled pleasure just by thinking it.'

'You know...' she put her fingers on his lips to shut him up 'All you are doing is
making me want to get to know him. Pleasure without touch, what girl wouldn't want
that? Imagine what he could do when he does touch.' she grinned at him 'Just shut
up and listen to me. Not interested in him. Ok?'

Lucian nodded as her fingers slipped away. Then he kissed her, ensuring Elijah saw
it. Ensuring he understood. Lucian would be damned for all eternity if he was going
to lose a woman to a werewolf like his father had.

Chapter 12

The door opened again and Danika mindlessly wondered if keeping it open might be
wiser. Alina and Alex walked in, followed closely by another woman.
'Evangeline, my mother's assistant and daughter of Josie, one of the heads of
council.'

'Hello darling.' Alina kissed his cheek sweetly.

She looked upon the young woman standing beside her son and smiled softly, loud and
clear she thought with amusement. Alina turned and continued into the ball room,
followed by everyone except Danika and Lucian.

'Heads of council?'

'Yes, my mother and three others. When my grandparents were murdered and my mother
went missing the council was formed to take over until she was brought back.'

'Sorry?' she frowned 'You said missing, you've said that she was kidnapped, that's
what we were taught, now you're saying brought back. Which is it?'

'Oh.' he chuckled. 'Well it was a ruse to protect her. She was an infant and they
knew her uncle wanted her dead so they hid her with humans.'

'Who hid her?'

Right on cue the door opened and two women walked through, followed by their
partners.

'Phoenix vampires. Miranda and Josie.' he frowned. 'Well actually, now they are
just Phoenix, we don't refer to them as vampires anymore.'

Lucian knew what her question was, waiting to be sprung from those sweet pink lips.

'Miranda was the first, originally as a vampire. Then when Josie came along
possessing all four elements of the dark beings, it was seen as ideal for Miranda
to alter her abilities and title as well. So they are the first of their kind and
all of their offspring's are the same. There is no half breeding of their kind,
they are always full Phoenix.'

'What do you mean half breeding?'

'Well with the four types if they breed outside of their own group, their offspring
will inhabit both qualities.'

'Oh.' she paused as she took it in.

The four people stopped momentarily to greet them and then continued into the ball
room.

'Do you know anyone like that?'

Lucian held his breath as he looked at her, she waited for a response, his face was
unreadable. He did know someone that was half breed.

'My father is half vampire, half shape shifter. Eris is my father's uncle.'

'You're related to Phabel.'

'Yes.'

Danika chuckled. 'That's so cool. He's such a crank. I might just go back to
university to give him a hard time now.'
'Phabel, a crank?' Lucian grinned and pointed to the doors of the ball room 'That
man in there, you think he's a crank?'

'Yep. Maybe you should sit in on one of his classes. What's he normally like if
he's not the crank I think he is?'

'Party animal.'

Danika snorted with laughter.

'Oh that is so not possible.'

'It's true.'

'So does that mean that you're a shape shifter too?'

'Yes.'

'Aww cool, show me.'

'Jeez, now is not the time.'

'Pleeease.' she pouted playfully and fluttered her eyes.

'Fine.'

Lucian grabbed her hand and dragged her into the kitchen.

'What would you like?'

'Nothing scary.' she crinkled her nose at the thought. 'Or slimy, nothing over four
legs thanks.'

'So no spiders then?'

He grinned as he sauntered over her, pressing her into the kitchen bench, kissing
her up the neck.

'No.' she gasped, her eyes closed.

Her hand ran over the soft fibres of his vest to the gold buttons. Then it was
gone. She opened her eyes, her hand still stretched out to where he had been, in
his place was nothing. A bird landed on her arm, it was the most colourful bird she
had ever seen. Its head was red, over the wings it was yellow and blue, the
underside was red. It had large, mean looking beak.

'Oh my god.' she giggled.

The bird squawked at her, making her jump with fright. It flew off and landed
somewhere on the other side of the kitchen bench. Danika ran around to the other
side, worried that he might be hurt. She stopped in her tracks, shocked at what she
saw. A cat sat perfectly still, looking up at her. The dark grey cat was beautiful,
his markings dark grey almost black, his eyes a vivid green. She squatted to the
pretty kitty and scratched under his chin. He purred loudly, enjoying the
attention.

'What next kitty cat?'

He sat and looked at her, almost like he was waiting.

'Ok then.' she stood up and turned to go back to the kitchen.

She thought maybe he didn't like to be watched in the transformation, turning back
to speak to him, she was stunned as she saw what she thought was the most stunning
butterfly she had ever seen. The blue and black wings looked like the softest
velvet and she wanted to touch his wings. He sat on her fingertips, the wings going
up and down slowly. She could barely feel it on her skin, he was so light.

'Lucian.' she whispered with tears.

As she closed her eyes, she wiped her wet eyes, feeling coolness on her lips.
Danika opened her eyes and saw Lucian standing there, staring at her, waiting for
permission. His hand found the back of her neck at the base of her head and pulled
her in, kissing her forcefully, passionately.

Lucian could hear the door crack open again, this time it was his grandparents.

'Come, meet my father's parents.'

Danika noted a level of excitement in his tone as he pulled her out of the room to
the court yard.

'Hello Lucian.' his grandmother hugged him warmly.

'I wasn't expecting you to come to the meeting grandmother.'

'Your mother suggested that I should join this particular meeting, something about
new developments.' Althea smiled 'And besides, why wouldn't I want to come and see
my grandson and his...'

'Oh, sorry. Grandmother, this is Danika she's with the band.'

The woman smiled at her with a pleasant hello as his grandfather approached, a
little slower, he was talking to a blonde woman. The woman continued through to the
ball room, leaving his grandfather to continue to the group.

'My grandparents Althea and Alexandru Senior.'

Danika curtsied yet again. She thought maybe she should spend the night like this,
it certainly felt like she had been.

'A pleasure, I'm sure.' she grinned at Danika. 'We will see you inside.'

Alexandru held his arm out for his wife and they wandered into the ball room. As
many of the vampires passed through the rock face, Danika could understand why she
was made to dress like this, they all dressed like this. It was a formal affair and
it was obvious there was a code of dress. Gowns for the women and suits for the men
and so long as it was reasonably respectable it would be accepted. It didn't matter
that cleavage was hanging out, which was good because hers was pushed up and made
her look so much bigger than she already was.

Lucian's worst nightmare stepped through the door, the Mordecai's.

'Danika.' he whispered as he turned to her. 'You know of Ariella right?'

'Of course, I did study notable families and they covered the Mordecai's.'
'Did they cover everything?'

'You mean your relationship with her and how it ended?'

'Yeah.'

Danika's eyes went from Lucian's sad face to who she thought was Lucas Mordecai
standing at the rock face.

'What I did was wrong and she suffered for it, I know that now, but...'

'Is this the demons and darkness you spoke of?'

'Part of it.'

'Look, everyone has a past, she has dealt with her demons and from what I
understood from the class, she has moved on. You however are different. It appeared
to me that you had not. In fact, after last night I'd say it was a very accurate
statement. You need to move on, you need to forgive and forget. Otherwise you are
going to go around in circles for the rest of your life.'

'How much are they covering in these classes?' he paled.

'Oh I did the professors course, maybe you should speak to him about what he
covers.' she grinned 'Love and relations of the vampire world. They covered you
like you were your own issue of a tabloid magazine.'

'Is that right.' he said rather unimpressed.

'Oh, don't be like that, they never covered the endless women, they just talked
about your relationship with Ariella.'

'Endless women?' he gaped at the thought that she knew.

'Yes, I heard about the harem. Yet to see them though.'

'I don't have one anymore. I grew bored of it.'

'Well that's good then, we don't have to have that discussion.'

Lucian was about to say something when they approached.

'Your highness.' Lucas bowed slightly, as the two women that appeared from behind
him, they both curtsied.

She had seen photos of Ariella, but her beauty in real life was nothing like them,
they did her no justice. Danika could also see the way that she looked from her to
Lucian, then back again. She softly smiled at her.

'This is Danika, the guitarist for the band.'

She curtsied yet again.

'Danika, this is King Lucas, Queen Scarlett and their daughter Ariella.'

Danika was in raptures, her idol was standing in front of her and she could barely
contain herself. The three men behind her, watching from the kitchen doors, could
not. It was like a blur of male as they appeared by her side, almost frothing at
the mouth. Lucian shook his head.
'Scarlett, some of your biggest fans, Brendan, Spencer and Baz, the other members
of the group.'

'It is just the biggest honour.' Spencer said.

Scarlett grinned and Lucian turned to them.

'Ok, you've met her, time to go.'

They all whined and seemed rather reluctant to go.

'Maybe another day, yeah?' Scarlett offered.

'That would be so awesome. Maybe we could jam.' Brendan's eyes were alive with
delight.

'We could.'

'Oh my god.' Baz gushed.

'Ok, off you go.' Lucian suggested again.

This time they did go, Danika murmured an apology for their overbearing behaviour
and the fact that they were now at the kitchen window watching. Scarlett laughed as
she dismissed it as an issue. She liked her fans, it was the one thing that
Scarlett loved about fame, her adoring fans.

Once the last of the vampires had arrived, they were all seated around the long
tables. Lucian rattled off the names as he went around the table, Danika was
surprised that he could remember every single vampire. There was his mother, as
Queen of the realm she sat in the centre of the head of the table, to her left was
Josie and her daughter Evangeline, to Alina's right was Miranda and her husband
Terrance. She knew who he was, he was the guy that ran the council in Alina's
absence. At the top of each side sat Eris and Phabel, on the other side was Lorcc�n
and Finn. Then it went down the line, not in any specific order of importance as
each of those that followed were of equal importance. There would be the King or
Queen, which ever was the blood line to the kingdom, then their first born child.
Of course, there were a few notable differences. Two of those were Scarlett and
Lilly, who was automatically included in all meetings because of the prophecy. Then
there were two others that as a rule would not be there, but they were different.
The man, Jonah, was the first born of Terrance and Miranda and his wife Ivy who was
the first born of Lilly and Patrick. Neither were the next in line but these two
were the directors of the farm. They were an exception because the farm was
essential for the rebuilding of the human population and it was viewed that
everyone involved should be included.

The farm was the place that had been the human breeding camp. It was still
operational as the humans as a species were just about to come off the endangered
list. But now, after six hundred odd years of operation, it had evolved into a
different business. Now it was a blood bank too. Humans that were allowed to roam
the earth would freely give their blood to be bagged and in return they would earn
money. It wasn't a lot of money, but if you gave blood with a degree of regularity
it could keep you comfortable. And as an added bonus, you earned what the humans
called vampy points. It meant that you were in the good books with the vampires,
they appreciated humans freely giving to them and made a frequent donor system.
Danika had quite a substantial amount of vampy points on her card, she was yet to
make a claim on it.
******************************

The first two thirds of the meeting were about the rebuilding of the rims, where
each of them were at in terms of the regeneration of the plants, how the animals
were going now that they were back here. Danika had read in the texts that most of
the animals had been taken somewhere secretly. None of the humans had any idea
where they were or what happened to them. They were already few and far between by
the records at that time. Now she knew the truth, Alina had ordered their
collection and had them taken to the werewolf realm. There they flourished in
numbers, under the careful watch of a dedicated team and when the time was right
and the planet was healthier, she had them returned. Danika knew this was a smart
woman, she cared for her world and wanted nothing more than for it to be alive,
healthy and verdant. Then the meeting took a sinister turn as Terrance took over in
speaking. He spoke of a few humans that were turning rogue and sought council
approval to have them dealt with. When a unanimous vote was passed Terrance looked
at her and Danika knew what that look was for. It was a look of if you tell anyone,
you will be added to the list. She nodded once to him, indicating that she
understood his look. His face softened as he turned and continued with the meeting.

The final third of the meeting was reserved for talking to Bill about his plans for
the video, he also spoke of his vision for the ball room scene. He asked for their
help in completing the scene, trying to tell them the glorious vision he had. To
his delight, they all agreed that they would help him complete the ball room scene,
one lavish affair that would be conducted tomorrow night. The smile could not be
wiped from his face; he was impressed that they were so accommodating to his needs.
With one happy face he quickly scampered away, returning with the assistant. After
a few minutes of fussing, they set up a large screen. Much to Lucian's horror Bill
showed the few snippets of video that had already been shot. Alina watched with
amusement, her son squirming uncomfortably in his chair. But she could see from
what was already done that it would be a great video clip. He was handsome and the
outfit they had put him in, the way that it had been shot, it made him all the more
handsome. And then there was the beauty that sat behind him, quietly soaking the
council meeting. She could see there was something there, a mother always knows.
There was chemistry, even from the few scenes that were shot, she could see that
something was going on. It warmed Alina's heart to think that her son might have
finally grown up, finished with his womanising ways. And what a mate he had managed
to find, interested in vampires and their politics. It was strange for a human to
be so interested. Alina had an idea that she would speak with the heads of the
council about in private. Something that was highly unusual but given the way that
this young woman was, the fact that something clearly was going on, she decided to
at least open a discussion on it. Later.

After the council meeting had finished for the evening and everyone had left except
the heads of council, Lucian decided to take Danika back into the main house. She
looked tired and he knew that they would have to be up early to do more filming.

'Lucian, when you are free, could you come back please?'

'Certainly mother.'

He led her to her room and beckoned the maids to help her out of the dress. Lucian
took her hand and chastely kissed it murmuring that he would see her tomorrow.
Danika just stood their stunned, her heart fluttering at him being such a
gentleman. No man had ever shown such decorum or restraint and she knew that Lucian
wanted her. Then she remembered his talk of darkness and demons.

'Are you sure you will be fine alone?'

'I have to learn some time, don't I? One day soon you will return to your life and
where will I be then?'

Danika frowned at the thought of her life, something she hadn't thought of in
recent days. She had been caught up in the whirlwind of shooting the video, the
debacle last night. Lucian looked at her, feeling the pain of it already.

'You don't want my help?'

'Of course I do but I need to make sure I can do this when you are not here. I
don't want to fail.'

'Ok.' she whispered a little sad 'I will be here if you do need me.'

Chapter 13

In the ball room Alina was in deep discussion with Terrance, Miranda and Josie
about her idea. It was a simple idea but she needed approval from all of them in
order to make it pass as law. All of them agreed, on a few provisos, seeing how
much Lucian had changed just by the presence of this woman. They held hope that he
would meet their requirements. The staff had removed most of the tables, leaving
just the main table that the heads had sat at during the meeting. Lucian re-entered
the ball room, finding the four of them waiting for him.

'Lucian, please sit.' his mother said warmly.

'Tell us of what is going on between you and the girl.' Terrance was always firm
with his words, never mucking about.

'Not much.' he shrugged 'Just kisses at the moment.'

'But the future?' Miranda prompted.

'I don't know; I mean I do see a future with her but I don't know what she wants.'

'Have you not read her mind?' Josie's turn now.

'I can't get in. I think Finn and Lorcc�n were able to though. I think she has had
someone teach her really well.'

He frowned knowing exactly who had taught her. Lucian thought that words needed to
be spoken to a certain family member about what he was teaching the humans.

'Yes.' Terrance hummed. 'She has shown great interest in our world, do you see this
as a promising sign?'

'I do.'

'Did I hear her talk of studies?'

'Yes, she did a vampiric course during her studies, studying Phabel's work. She
knew a fair number of things already but not the politics.'

'Do you think that she is interested in vampiric politics?'

'Yes, I do think she is. Can I ask where you lot are going with this?'
'Lucian, you know my many tasks are rather taxing on me, I know I have too much on
my plate. Previously I have just accepted it as my duties and carried on as best I
could but the change in your persona has given me hope that you might be ready for
more than just... this.' she gestured to the grand ball room.

'We have discussed it and agreed to the idea and now we wish to speak with you
about it and talk of the conditions if you accept.'

'Ok.'

'I suggested that you take over as ruler of Rostonin. You would become king of this
land. What do you think?'

'I don't know actually, what are the conditions?'

'Well for one, there is no returning to the days of old, no more harem, no more
cheating on your girlfriend. The next is the narcotics and the drinking. That needs
to stop without question. The next relates to that girl, have you fed from her?'

'No.'

'So you don't know if she's your mate?'

'Does she need to be?'

'No not really. It would just be more intense for you, that's all. If you aren't
interested in finding your true life mate, then so be it. So, the girl?'

'It's a bit soon to be making a call on that one, isn't it?'

'You tell us son. In your mind you've already married her.'

Lucian cringed, knowing his mother had been in his mind and he didn't even know.
She was so quiet and careful; he would never know unless she told him.

'How about this...' Terrance interjected 'In the time that she is here, begin the
courting process, bed her if you want, feed from her to check and then at the end
of her stay decide what you want. It isn't necessary for you to be married to
ascend to the throne but the philandering has to stop.'

'They never stopped.' he pointed to his mother, knowing of the way that it had been
in the early days of his parents' marriage.

'What we are referring to is the cheating, what happened with Ariella cannot happen
again. We are lucky that they are good people and didn't want to cause a fuss. You
know that they could have made the entire debacle of your relationship with her
very public. We will not sit by and let this happen again Lucian. What happened
with your father, Finn and I was an agreement and as expected, it ran its course
and became old and stale. What I have with your father now is our perfect love and
I want nothing more than a life with him and no one else. If you and your love make
such an agreement, then so be it. So long that it is private and there is no issue
of it being made public. What you agree to means nothing to anyone but yourselves.
But just so you know, it hurt. When Finn decided to end it, I was heartbroken. Do
you want that?'

'No.'

Lucian huffed as he flicked his hand through his hair.

'So, just one woman, no drugs, no excessive drinking, is that it?'

'Yes, of course as ruler you would still be bound to the laws of our people just
like everyone else, there is no exception to you just because you are the son of
the ruler.'

'I wouldn't expect it.'

'Excellent. We will meet again on Friday, heads of council only I think.' Miranda
waited for agreement.

'Of course.' Alina agreed.

'Seeing as she is still human we will meet here. Oh, Lucian one final addition to
that, if you chose Danika, she will have to turn.'

'And her career?'

'Well, her role as queen would have a few duties but nothing too heavy, that would
be your role. So I suppose for a few years it would be ok. Then again, creating
some children would be ideal too, so that would need to be kept in mind.'

Lucian frowned at Terrance, he hadn't thought of children. He didn't know if he was

in the right place in his mind to be considering them just yet.

'If you decide that she is the one, when you approach her about it, you should
mention these things to her. If she hesitates, remind her of Scarlett, she has
managed to juggle her duties as queen and continue her career, raising children.
It's not impossible, it just requires a great deal of time management.'

'If she agrees, then we will need to meet with her and speak to her directly, ok?'
Alina smiled at her son.

Lucian nodded wondering how he would speak with Danika about this.

**************************

Lucian knocked on her door quietly, wondering if she was asleep already. Seconds
later the door opened, a frantic Danika looked up at him.

'Are you ok?'

'I'm fine.' he grinned 'I thought you might want to get a head start on those dance
lessons.'

'Uh, ok. Do I need shoes or something?'

'We might start with bare feet tonight and progress to shoes tomorrow.'

Danika wrapped the dressing gown around her body and quickly followed after him.
The house was eerily quiet when everyone had retired for the night, she could
understand why they were a little freaked out by the place. Light from the moon
shone bright through the windows that sat behind the alcove. It framed the light in
an arch shape over the wood floor, stretching for quite some distance.

'Lights on or off?'

'Either is fine.'
'Off then. I think a basic waltz should be sufficient. Watch the steps.'

She watched as he moved in a very basic pattern and then waited for her to mimic
it. He watched as she started off ok and then got it wrong.

'Again.' he showed her.

As he watched her he wondered if bringing in help would be beneficial. Though there

was only one person that he knew could dance well enough to teach. Lucian didn't
want Ariella anywhere near the place again, knowing she would be returning tomorrow
night was bad enough. He decided that he would persevere and he would have Danika
dancing perfectly by tomorrow afternoon. Lucian moved behind her, taking her by the
hips, guiding her through the movements.

'Do you see the pattern?' he whispered in a husky tone.

Danika nodded as she closed her eyes, feeling unease wash through her, his
proximity was killing her. He made it worse when he moved to the front of her.
Lucian took her hand and pulled her to his body, he could feel the anxiety ripple
through her. Here she was again, in his arms. Only this time they were alone, in
the poorly lit room. Lucian was still wearing the same clothes from the meeting,
still looking gorgeous. Slowly he prompted her to move her foot, taking that first
tentative step.

By the time they had danced for an hour, the moon had moved higher. Its silvery
shine had left their dance space and now they were engulfed in darkness. Very
little light shone through the room but it didn't bother Lucian, he had his
talisman in his arms. Although, she was looking rather tired. He relented on her,
knowing that they would have a full day of practising this again and then filming
it in the afternoon.

***********************

By morning Lucian was tired, having spent the majority of the night staring at the
ceiling above his bed. He hadn't searched out any of his vices, he was far too
distracted with the thoughts of that conversation. At some point in the night he
had heard his door open and close, the padding of her feet over the wood floors.
Danika couldn't keep herself away, she had some kind of magnetic pull to him,
drawing her in and keeping her attention. They had talked for hours, every single
thing that haunted Lucian, he told her. Everything about his past was laid out for
her, nothing was kept from her. Except for the conversation with the council, he
didn't know what he wanted to do in regards to that. He had no clue as to how he
could talk to her about it. They had kissed a few times but that was it. He wanted
more but he didn't want to rush it, fearing she would freak out about his fangs.

As part of their conversation, she told him of her past, her own inner demons that
caused her hell. Hers were nothing by comparison but it was enough for her to tell
him. When she yawned he dragged her down to the bed and pulled her to his body. She
slept in his arms for hours, to Lucian it was the best few hours that he had ever
experienced. Nestled hard against his side, her arm laid over his bare chest, her
fingers toyed with the edge of the hair by his neck. He could feel her soft breath
warming his skin, her whole body warmed him. His fingers trailed over her back
feeling the soft material of her tank top, moving to her hair. It was like silk,
beautiful long strands of black ribbons. As he laid on the bed with Danika in his
arms, he returned to staring at the ceiling. His mind was filled with questions and
thoughts flowing through, it never stopping for a moments peace. He didn't know how
to approach the whole situation. Lucian liked the thought of ascending to the
throne earlier than expected, he liked the thought that his mother trusted him
enough to give over the kingdom. And that the heads of council agreed too, that was
promising. He worried what his siblings would say or rather, what they might do.
Would they be like Gavril and kill him just to get the crown? He didn't think that
they would but he figured his grandfather probably thought the same of his younger
brother.

Lucian could feel his body tighten with anxiety over the situation. It wasn't just
the thoughts of jealous siblings; it was the vices that he had to get rid of. The
things that they had suggested to be changed weren't exactly easy but it wasn't as
if he couldn't do it. He had already thought of giving the alcohol and drugs away,
not trusting his hazy mind around Danika. And as for the endless women, they had
already departed, his lust for meaningless sex had passed and now all he wanted was
her. One beautiful green eyed, raven haired woman. But how would he approach her?

Danika had stirred just before dawn; Lucian's constant fidgeting was keeping her
from a deep sleep. He gently suggested to her that for a few hours she return to
her own bed, assuring her he would be fine. Sleepily she nodded and trudged back to
her own bed. Lucian laid back onto the bed, continuing to stare at the ceiling for
hours, thinking about Danika. How to win her affection. How to get her past the
view that he was a womanising drugged out bastard.

Chapter 14

Lucian and Danika were in the ball room as Rosa made breakfast for the humans. He
thought it was strange but Baz was helping her but said nothing knowing she
probably needed the help. Theodore and Elena were packed for their little holiday
and pushed through the door with barely any time to spare. Works had already begun,
the sounds of one rather large building crew working on the staff quarters was
rather distracting for Danika. Every time someone dropped a tool or walked past the
glass doors, she was distracted. They took a momentary break for breakfast and
Lucian looked at his phone, trying to resist the urge. He didn't want to make the
call, he feared what she would say. Wondering if she would laugh or yell at him.
She might have been civil last night but that was because there was a meeting going
on and decorum was expected. Lucian sighed and stood from the dining table,
pressing the number in the phone book. He walked toward the front of the house,
watching through the open doors. The place was an even bigger nightmare now. The
film crew and the builders and all of their things, it was all he could see. His
front yard was a mess of trailers, trucks, one large bus, people everywhere. The
phone rang and rang, eventually she answered.

'Lucian.'

'Hey Ariella, I uh, wanted to ask you something.'

Danika rose from her seat, watching through the entry as Lucian stood at the doors
talking to someone on his phone. She didn't want to be presumptuous or to not trust
him but she had heard her name. Danika held back, not wanting to listen to the
conversation but close enough that he would see her when he turned. She watched his
movements, they were rather disjointed looking like he was having one very awkward
conversation. He turned as he slipped the phone into his pocket and saw her leaning
on the wall at the end of the corridor.

'Hey.' he smiled as he walked closer to her.

'Hi.'

'I called in the reinforcements. Dress quickly, they will be arriving soon.'
Lucian watched as she walked up the stairs, a soft smile played over his face but
it was interrupted by the sound of a soft pattering of a heart. He turned to see
Brendan behind him.

'You like her?'

'Very much so.'

'Are you going to expect her to become...' his finger waggled at Lucian.

'There is no expectations nor any demands but if she wants a life with me, then it
is necessary. A vampire could not live a life with a human easily.'

Brendan nodded wordlessly, thinking about his sister becoming a vampire. It didn't
thrill him but he knew that it had its perks. An eternity as pretty as she was
right now and death wasn't much of an issue.

'Alright.' he sighed 'Just don't hurt her. Also, it's her birthday in a month. She
won't tell you though, she isn't a fan of getting older.'

'Ok, thanks for telling me.'

Brendan nodded again and wandered off, leaving Lucian to his thoughts about Danika
and her impending birthday.

******************************

Rosa helped her dress for the day, Bill had declared that he would be doing some
preliminary shots of the room while she was having her dance lessons. It was
suggested that she be dressed appropriately as he may use some of the images if
they turned out ok. So now Danika was in the bone crushing dress again, her hair
was up in a mass of curls that swept upwards. She didn't wear the boots this time,
opting for bare feet for the morning. By the afternoon she would have to wear
something though and the thought made her cringe. Lucian was at the bottom of the
stairs talking to Ariella and her father when Danika and Rosa descended. Rosa
curtsied and quickly scurried away, leaving a group of people that were feeling
very uncomfortable.

'Uh, thanks for this.' Danika feigned a smile.

'Not a problem.' Ariella smiled at her 'We are all for positive views on vampires
and we have no doubt that this will be very positive. Shall we?'

The four of them walked into the parlour, Lucian shutting the doors behind them.
Ariella sat at the piano as Lucian pushed the furniture away, creating a dance
space. She had expected to be dancing with Lucian but when he moved to lean on the
piano, she became a little nervous. Her attention turned to Lucas who was standing
in front of her with a slight smirk. He was fractionally taller than Lucian, thick
brown hair and striking blue eyes. As he took her into the dance hold, she could
feel his coldness pervade her skin. His hands were like ice. The grin deepened and
showed off one sharp little fang. Ariella started playing, her fingers gliding over
the keys with little effort.

'Relax. If I could teach my stubborn wife to dance, then you will not be an issue.'

The quietness of the room allowed for concentration, over and over again they
moved. Dancing to the repetitive strains of Ariella on the piano. It was broken by
Bill opening the door to announce the ball room was ready for their practice
dancing. As the entered the ball room, the assistant put the choker on Danika. It
was because of a scene that was yet to be filmed. One where moments after leaving
the parlour, the vampire gifts the fair maiden a pretty necklace and then escorts
her to the dance. It was intended to be done today but Bill changed the plans when
the council agreed to return tonight for the fake dance. He had to ensure Danika
knew how to dance. What shocked her was the boys were in the room as well, looking
rather decked out in their outfits. Lucas sat at the piano, waiting for Danika and
Lucian to move into position.

'Ok boys, who's up first?' Ariella grinned at them.

She flashed the fangs at them, watching as their eyes widened. Baz and Spencer
pushed Brendan out, stating the front man should have the honour.

'Why?' Danika whispered to Lucian.

'Apparently Bill is intending on having them dance tonight as well.'

Danika laughed as she watched her brother dancing with Ariella. There were a few
displeasing grunts as he stepped on her foot several times.

As the afternoon wore on, each of them had their lessons. Danika and Lucian
continued to dance, moving across the floor with ease. Lessons with Lucas had
worked and now she felt comfortable. The noise of the workers blended into the
background noise as they swirled around the floor, completely wrapped up in each
other.

***************************

Night had fallen and the guests had arrived. Catering had taken over preparing food
for everyone while Bill ensured that everything was set up the way he wanted it.
Lucian was grateful that he had asked Elena and Theodore to get more blood. It was
an excuse to get him out of the place but now it was serving a purpose, feeding the
guests for a second night. As the two stars were prepared for being directly on
camera again, everyone was being ushered into the room and Bill guided them on what
he would like to happen. The boys were hounding Scarlett, asking when they were
going to have this jam session she had suggested. Baz had even thrown in the
suggestion of doing a song together for release. Scarlett raised an eyebrow at him
but grinned, stating that it was a mighty fine idea. Danika walked into the ball
room, seeing the scaffolding set up in one corner with a man perched behind the
camera. She wondered if Lucian knew that was going to be there.

'Bill, tell me you aren't going to damage this room.'

'It's fine Danika, we are being super careful.'

He turned slightly to see Lucian enter the room.

'Ok, so lead her in, maybe pass the cane to... great, no butler. Who was the smart
one, getting rid of the help?' he sighed and turned to the assistant 'Get someone
in a tux pronto please.'

Bill turned back to the two stars.

'Alright then, hand the cane over, lead her to the dance floor. In the centre
please and I want those looks of lust and caution, scared and aroused.'

'Jeez talk about a conflict of emotions.' Danika muttered.

Bill walked off ordering the boys into position with their partners. Rosa settled
at the piano in her outfit and began to play. The room came alive with the vampires
dancing, the rustling of dresses, the light steps of the feet echoing through the
room. Danika could feel her heart swell at the sight, it was amazing. She felt like
she had been transported back in time, to an era where this was normal life. They
moved in unison, even the boys seemed to flow through the dance steps with ease. A
broad grin crossed her face as her eyes lit up, she wanted to get in there, to
dance with them.

'This is amazing; why don't you do this more often?'

Danika looked up at Lucian, his eyes showed the sadness, the pain of the past.

'There has never been anything to celebrate.'

Bill wandered over and interrupted the increasingly awkward moment. Danika didn't
know what to say to Lucian.

'Ok, you two ready?'

Danika nodded avidly, hoping the enthusiasm might lift Lucian's mood.

'Alright.' he frowned with a crazy grin 'Back at the doors, camera will walk in
front of you. Nervous please Danika, try and hide the enthusiasm.'

Lucian led her to the dance floor, watching how she feigned the timid mouse when
really she was about to explode with delight. The cameraman stayed with them in the
circle, watching as they began to dance. Catching the looks between them. Danika
looked up into his eyes and smiled softly, finding it hard to pretend to be scared.

'Don't force it, just enjoy this. Stuff what Bill wants.'

She frowned.

'All you are giving is a laboured performance, he won't want that. It looks fake.
Let your true emotions out and make the camera believe you want to be here.'

They stopped dancing as he leaned into her ear to whisper.

'Do you want to be here?'

'Absolutely.' her voice was breathy and seemingly rather desperate.

'Glad to hear it.' he grinned as they started to dance again.

It seemed like hours that they danced, Danika's feet hurt but she didn't care. All
she could do was look at him with the same stupid grin on her face. Neither of them
noticed as the cameraman moved around them or when he left for the overhead shots.
They didn't notice as they moved around the exterior of the group or any of those
that passed them. They were too engrossed in their own little world to notice
anything other than themselves. The lights had been dropped, creating one very
romantic mood. The mood of the room had shifted; a sultry haze had lowered around
the guests. Giggling and soft murmurs of affection could be heard, bodies pressing
together tightly, hands pressed firmly. Lucian could feel the heat, the intense
euphoric sensations tingling up his spine. They stopped dancing as the group around
them continued. As he looked into her eyes he knew that no one else existed, no one
was more important. She let go of his grip and lifted her hand to his shoulder,
pulling him into a very heated kiss.
**********************

Bill called for a break, allowing everyone to rest and refresh. Danika had the
sudden urge to answer the call of nature, scurrying out of the room to find the
bathroom. It was just outside the entrance to the ball room, in the little powder
room that Danika realised she wasn't alone. As she washed her hands she stared at
the door, feeling an unknown presence. Sure, there were lots of beings in this
place now that the council had returned but this was different. She wondered what
might be on the other side of the door, fearing this evil that had the vampires in
a spin. Her heart beat just a little faster as she reached for the door knob.
Praying that she was imagining things, she took a deep breath and turned the
handle. Carefully she opened the door to the well-lit corridor, seeing nothing. She
pushed the door open further and stepped out, almost running into one very firm
chest. A chest that was wrapped in a military suit and a green sash.

'Sorry.' she gasped and then looked up.

'No apologies necessary.' he grinned.

Danika stared into the dark blue eyes, Elijah leaned on the wall with a smug grin.

'It's a bit hot in there, isn't it?'

'Uh, yeah.'

She watched as he flicked the loose strand of hair out his eyes and behind his ear.
His father and grandfather had blonde hair, short back and sides but Elijah was a
stark contrast. He had brown hair like his mother, a very definite wave ran through
it but there was no curl. Just an unruly mop of wavy brown hair.

'I like the heat.' he grinned 'So much better than the cold. There are so many
possibilities for different activities in hot weather. It's quite endless, wouldn't
you agree?'

'Yeah.'

'Are you planning on becoming a vampire?'

'Oh I uh, hadn't really thought about it.'

'You could visit our world if you did, it's beautiful. You really should visit. But
if you don't want to be a vampire, there are... alternatives.'

Danika pressed against the door frame as he moved closer, his gaze never leaving
her eyes. His movements were slow and calculated, moving with ease across the few
steps. Now he was far too close for her liking.

'You could choose from one of the other dark beings.'

His voice was heavy, smooth and laced with intent. Danika could feel the
temperature rise around her, a simmering in the pit of her stomach. Elijah grinned,
his pupil dilating as her body tingled. Her body became incredibly sensitive,
feeling the heat between her legs increase.

'Stop it.' she gasped as she closed her eyes 'I know what you are doing.'

'Do you just?' he grinned 'Alright then, have it your way.'

As she opened her eyes, he took a step closer and leaned in, the softness of his
jaw rubbed against hers as he whispered.

'Sure you won't change your mind?'

'Go away.'

Elijah stepped back with a mighty grin, satisfied with the turn of events.

'Well done.' he winked at her 'You just earned approval.'

'What?' she snapped at him.

'A certain pain in the arse wanted to ensure that you were right for the future and
congrats, you passed. And by the way, you're not my type.'

He turned to step away from her but she grabbed his jacket, pulling him back.

'Who?'

'Terrance of course. Ensuring that all runs smoothly for Lucian's future. One day
he will be king, my dear. Whilst he might have had a sordid past that no one can
change, there are some that would see that the future is one that has no dirty
secrets. You know...' he shrugged with a grin 'Queens running off with werewolf
lovers. I think he seeks to ensure that history does not repeat itself.'

'So I had to undertake a test to see if I would become adulterous?' she narrowed
her eyes at him.

'Ensuring that the woman who might one day be queen is a well behaved woman.'

'Who said that it's going to be me?'

Elijah shrugged again.

'I am just the person tasked with this job. My time here is done, if you have
issues then you should take them up with Terrance.'

Danika watched as he walked away, never looking back. She leaned back on the wall
with a low groan, thinking it was all cloak and dagger.

'I wouldn't bother with Terrance.' A female voice echoed through the corridor.

Danika gasped and looked around at the empty room, then a figure appeared, leaning
on the opposite wall. She couldn't get over the fact that the woman had just
appeared out of nowhere. More secrets, more cloak and dagger. Danika frowned,
trying to remember the names.

'Evangeline.'

'Evie.' she grinned 'And like I said, give him a miss. He's a stubborn one, like
Elijah said, pain in the arse.'

Evie lifted her body off the wall and sauntered over to her, moving far too close
to Danika.

'If you're planning on having a crack like him, not interested. Girls aren't my
thing.'

'Good to know.' she grinned 'They aren't my thing either, but still the demands of
the second in charge aren't to be ignored.'

'Jeepers will this man ever trust me?'

'Open that mind of yours and maybe he might.'

'Ok, one, it's my mind, my private place. Not open for inspection or invasion. Two,
the werewolves already broke in yesterday, why don't you go and ask them what
information they helped themselves to.'

'What's going on?'

Danika and Evie turned to Lucian who was frowning.

'Why don't you ask your precious council?' Danika fumed, storming past him.

'What have you done?' his eyes narrowed at Evie.

'What has been asked of me.'

'My mother or Terrance?'

'You should know the answer to that one Lucian, you know your mother would trust
your judgment.'

'But what about you? You don't, do you? You're here doing Terrance's dirty work.'

'Take it up with him Lucian, he is just ensuring that the future queen will be a
worthy woman.'

Lucian growled and stormed his way through the corridor, trying to track Danika.
She was sitting on the edge of the water fountain that dominated the centre of the
formal garden. Her hand running through the cold water, trying to find a relaxing
place in her mind. She heard the frantic steps of Lucian as he walked to her,
crunching the gravel under his shoes.

'It's ok.' she sighed 'I understand his intentions.'

'Doesn't make it right.'

Lucian sat on the edge of the fountain in front of her, watching as she flicked the
water from her hand.

'He wants to ensure that I don't take the path that your mother did.'

'She was a bit of a nightmare for him.' Lucian grinned.

'On a positive note, I passed.' she laughed.

'Evie probably put in a half arsed effort any way. She's always been on my mother's
side when it comes to Terrance and his orders.'

'Oh, it wasn't just Evie that I had to contend with.'

Lucian frowned at her as she looked up at him with a wry smile.

'Elijah and he tried that thing that you were telling me about.'

'I'll kill him.' he growled about to get off the edge.

'Sit down.' she tugged his arm back. 'I told him to stop it and he obeyed my
request. Also, I'm not his type so you needn't be jealous.'

'You really don't care?'

Danika shook her head.

'Although, you might want to learn whatever it is that the werewolves can do, even
in those few seconds.' she smacked her lips with lustful thoughts 'Very nice.' she
purred.

Chapter 15

Morning had risen and Lucian had spent another night staring at the ceiling. The
night of dancing with her had consumed him, thoughts of winning her over were still
building. He was getting there, dancing with her all night had made for some
seriously tense moments. She was tired from a very long night and he left her to
sleep alone, promising that if any demons happened to show, he would call for her.
Something struck him as he laid on the bed, her guitar was still hidden in the
cavity above the fire place. He quickly moved out of his room, trying to pass her
room with as little noise as possible. When he made it past her door, he ran down
the hall to the stairs and into the lounge. The main door was locked, Lucian
quickly pulled the painting back and opened the door. One guitar in hand,
everything back in place and out of the room in under a minute.

Lucian stood at her door, wondering if he should knock first. What if she was
dressing? As much as he craved to see all of her, he knew it would be rude to just
barge in. He knocked quietly and opened the door a crack, calling to her lowly.
When he didn't get a response he opened the door a little more, he couldn't hear
the shower going so he prayed that she was still asleep. He moved so that he could
look around the room, there she was, still in bed. Her long black hair was splayed
out over the pillow, the sheet low over her body. Lucian thanked the stars that she
was at least on her side, facing away from him. He quietly crept to the lounge and
put the guitar on it and then crept along the soft carpet to the door. His body
tensed when he heard the sheets ruffle with movement.

'Lucian?'

'Oh hey. I um...' he turned hoping that she had covered herself.

His body relaxed when he saw that she held the sheet over her body. She was
temptation and as much as she had her usual singlet bed shirt, it was far too tight
for him. It clung to her curves and was cut low, to Lucian it was a wonderful sight
but he had to behave himself. He wanted her to be at ease with him before the
ventured down that path, and he knew she was not completely at ease with him.

'I brought your uh...' he gestured to the lounge but couldn't help but stare at
her.

Danika saw her guitar on the lounge and smiled.

'Thanks.'

Lucian could feel the lust building and he hadn't fed since last night. This was
dangerous territory and he knew that he couldn't be near her without feeding first.
'I'll leave you to it.'

Regretfully he left the room and moved quickly to the kitchen before blood lust
took hold of him. Danika pulled her dressing gown on quickly and searched Lucian
out. She found him in the kitchen with his fangs in a bag of blood, several empty
packets on the bench around him.

'Hungry?'

He nodded as he drained the bag.

'Is that why you left in a hurry?'

Lucian nodded again.

'Have you had sufficient now?'

Again he nodded, the bag almost empty.

'Would you do something for me?'

Danika pulled her hair from one side of her neck, baring the skin to the light.

'Bite me.'

Lucian's eyes widened at her request. He pulled the empty bag from his fangs and
stared at her.

'I've never been bitten; I was wondering what it felt like.'

Danika shrugged at her explanation, she didn't know why she was doing it. She had
heard people say it hurt, others said it was a real turn on, a dark perverse
pleasure for some. Lucian moved to her slowly, hoping not to scare her.

'Don't tense up, it will only make it hurt.'

She nodded as he wrapped his arms around her waist, her hands on his bare chest.
Lucian hoped that he could make this as pleasurable for her as possible and started
with a kiss, deep and needful. One hand made its way up her back, firmly caressing
her through the dressing gown. When he reached her neck, he took her by the base of
the head, the soft hair caressing his fingertips. She closed her eyes as he kissed
along her jaw, slowly making his way to her neck. Her body was pressed to his as he
passionately kissed her jaw and neck, she let out a low moan, unable to contain the
pleasure that had begun to course through her. Lucian inhaled the smell of her
blood, a heady scent of sweet liquid sustenance. His fangs lowered and pressed
against her delicate skin, she moaned again as he slowly sunk them in. Waves of
pleasure rolled through her body as he slowly took her in. The hand that was on her
lower back moved to her backside, pushing him against his ever growing need. As he
pulled her leg around his waist, she lifted the other one. Lucian pressed her
against the kitchen bench, nestling in between her legs. As he pressed himself
against her she moaned again, the waves rolling continuously and out of nowhere a
peak of ecstasy rocketed through her, shooting through her body.

'Oh god.' she moaned loudly as the waves crashed through her, causing her to
orgasm.

Lucian could feel her body shudder with the erotic feelings that had just made her
climax rather loudly. He withdrew his fangs, not only was he happy with the way
that it had went but he found out something that he was desperate to know, how she
tasted. It was perfect, her blood was sweet, it left him wanting more. Lucian had
his confirmation, in his arms was his life mate, his soul, his love.

Her body went limp in his arms and Lucian panicked, thinking he had taken too much.
He had been mindful to drink slow, to not take too much while she built the
sensations, but now he was worried.

'Danika?' he gently shook her body.

She fluttered her eyelashes as her body roused, a grin slowly forming across her
pretty pink lips.

'Wow.' she whispered 'I'll take one every day thanks.'

Lucian chuckled, he knew that for some live feeding was arousing.

'Ah, there are my stars.'

Bill entered the room and then stopped, looking at Danika in Lucian's arms and two
little puncture marks on her neck. He would have been worried except the look on
Danika's face wasn't fear. In fact, Bill thought that if he had entered the room a
few minutes later, he would have a whole different scene in front of him.

'We are going to begin the next scene, you two need to get dressed quickly.'

********************************

Danika gasped as Rosa tightened the dress around her torso, the bone crushing
corset had returned. She still felt light headed from the amazing orgasm. Danika
grinned at the thought, if him sinking his fangs in was that much fun, imagine what
being in bed with him would be like. Her cheeks flushed with thoughts of his body,
she closed her eyes as Rosa tightened the lacing on her back. When she was done and
her hair was complete, they went down stairs to find Bill. Lucian was waiting with
him, back to his handsome outfit. She liked the look of that suit on him, it made
him look rather dashing, very sexy. His eyes locked with hers as she descended down
the stairs, he thought she looked radiant. She seemed to be glowing and she had a
very defined smile plastered across her face. It made Lucian smile.

'Ok, so we are going to use those marks to our advantage.' he said to Danika as he
moved her to the wall near the lounge doors.

'Lucian will pretend to feed from that...' he gestured to the marks, now beginning
to heal. 'And then he'll put the choker on to hide them.'

Bill moved Lucian closer, positioning him to the best angle.

'When you're ready Lucian.' he nestled into his chair, watching the scene unfold.

He knew it would be best to give little direction to these two, he knew that these
two would make this work without his help.

'Maybe if you could make them bleed again too.' he mentioned as he stared at his
little screen.

Danika liked the thought of another mind blowing orgasm but then realised that
there was a whole room full of people watching, including her brother who had just
walked in.
'Lucian, I don't want them watching if it's like before.'

'It's alright, I'll just draw blood, ok?'

'Ok.' she grinned.

Still feeling light head from earlier on Danika begged for the doors or windows to
be opened, fanning herself because she was so flushed. Lucian thought it was odd,
he hadn't seen a feeding orgasm to linger so long. Bill called action and Lucian
tried to hide his amusement as he pressed Danika gently into the wall, taking to
her neck again to re-open the wound. It wasn't much, he barely drank at all, this
was for effect - to have blood dribble down her neck. He could hear her heart beat
faster and faster, her breathing ragged and heavy. Her body loosened as her head
rolled with pure ecstasy. Lucian felt it and thought it odd, he entered her mind
and found the barriers were down. He knew something was wrong, in her mind he found
that she hadn't eaten breakfast, her blood was low because he had fed from her and
that the corset was making breathing difficult. Instantly he pulled out of her mind
and turned her, facing her to the wall.

'Lucian?' Bill worried.

'Get the nurse for her quick.'

He began to panic as she groaned, the lacing was taking too long to undo. Lucian
knew he had no choice. It didn't matter that this was his grandmother's dress, it
had to come off, fast. With one loud rip the corset was pulled from her frame,
relieving the pressure. He held it to her chest to keep her covered and lifted her
up into his arms. Now she was passed out. A woman burst through the front door, a
heavy leather bag in one hand.

'On the lounge.'

Lucian took Danika into the lounge, laying her gently down as the woman began to
check her over. He decided to wait outside, Brendan pacing nervously, Bill was in
the kitchen cursing at someone and then there was Rosa. Lucian could see that she
was blaming herself for it.

'A series of mistakes, not your fault.'

She was about to say something when he stopped her.

'No more on the subject please, now if you don't mind, I am sure that Danika would
like a change of clothes.'

'Of course your highness.'

Lucian decided to get some fresh air, knowing that he wasn't welcome in the room
where the nurse was fussing over Danika. She was awake but still rather dazed.
Lucian also thought that it could be some time before Bill would want to start
filming again. He wandered out the front doors and along the path that ran
alongside the castle. The breeze was cool as he stepped into the shade of an old
tree, one that by some miracle had survived the drought that had begun to encroach
on the nearby land. Lucian found himself looking at the swing that hung from a
sturdy branch, gently moving in the breeze. It was a swing that his grandfather had
made, upon hearing that his wife was finally pregnant he set about making things
for their child. It didn't matter that it would be years before the child could
play on the swings or in the cubby house or any of it, his grandfather was as happy
as a pig in mud. Of course neither of them got the pleasure of watching his mother
play on these things. Over the years the rope had begun to disintegrate and when he
was a child, his mother requested the gardener to replace the rope. She also asked
him to make sure that the branch would hold and ensure that the rope did not wear
against the branch. It was now a sturdy swing that he had spent much time on. That
was until his mother couldn't bare living in the place anymore.

Lucian tugged on the rope to make sure it was still safe and then sat on it. His
shoes kicked up the dust as he slowly dragged the swing back and forth, his gaze
cast down. For some time, he watched the ants scurry around, going about their
duties, carrying things to their nest.

'Well, that there is a mighty big swing.'

Lucian looked up from the ground, Danika standing before him. She had changed into
her usual clothes, a short skirt and tight top.

'Why are you up and walking around?'

'Ssh! The nurse doesn't know.' she giggled.

He scowled at her blatant disregard for her wellbeing.

'I came to say thanks for trashing your grandmother's dress to save me.'

Lucian shrugged as if it meant nothing.

'Better than having you passed out.'

'Aww you're so sweet.'

She climbed onto his lap, putting her legs onto the other side of the swing. As
they kissed Lucian's hands found her legs, moving up under the tiny skirt. His
fingers danced across her soft skin, occasionally playing with the edge of her
panties. He definitely liked her change of clothes, much better than the far too
long skirts.

'I think this makes us equal, does it not?' Lucian said smugly.

'Says you.' Danika scoffed.

'Three days now.'

'You are doing well.' she grinned 'Reward time?'

Danika pulled him closer, feeling flushed as the palms of his hands flattened over
her backside. Skin on skin as he pressed her harder against him. As he kissed over
her neck he could smell her blood, it was heightened at the puncture wounds. He
craved to taste her again, to taste the sweetness of the woman that was his mate.
But he couldn't, she was still unwell even though she was walking around. Then
there was the other fear, the fear that he would create an addiction to her blood,
replacing his other addictions. Lucian knew he had to fight his demons, beat them
and then he could taste her again. Baby steps.

'As tempting as you are I think you are too unwell to be doing that again so soon.
Another day?'

'You are no fun.'

'I think you might find that I am fun, that is why you tried to drown me in the
shower.'
Danika playfully scowled at his cheeky grin.

'Being that Lucian is not fun, I want this Lucian.' she pointed her finger into his
sternum 'This Lucian is fun, not the other one. The other one couldn't remember
what he said to me, where is the fun in that?'

'What did I say to you?'

'Lots of things.'

Lucian sighed sadly as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him hard.

'You want me?' he mumbled against the fabric of her shirt.

Danika grinned trying not to giggle like an idiot.

'Yes but it's conditional.'

She pulled him out and held him below the ears, looking down into those brilliant
blue eyes.

'No drugs, no women except me, social drinking only. Can you give me those things?'

'Without a doubt.' he whispered.

Danika leaned down and kissed him softly, barely scraping her lips over his. His
hands pressed into the soft flesh as he tightened his grip on her. As their kiss
escalated her hands travelled down his firm chest, reaching the waistband of his
pants. She popped the button to his pants, readying to slide her hand down.

'There you are!' the nurse called out from the edge of the path.

Danika stared into his eyes, one playful grin washed over his face as they stopped
kissing.

'Busted.' Lucian smirked as Danika groaned.

'Come on young lady back to bed.' she called out.

'Keep me company?'

'Sure but you realise she won't leave us be.'

'I know.' she groaned and rolled her eyes.

She stood from the swing and took his hands, lifting him up. Danika couldn't help
but smile back at the happy man in front of her, wondering when the perfect world
was going to crumble. She thought it was inevitable, her luck would run out.
Something was going to get in the way of their happy ever after. Something always
did.

Chapter 16

The nurse was unimpressed at Lucian hanging around but relented when he assured her
that if Danika grew tired, he would leave her be. They spent the afternoon laying
on top of the bed, talking about everything vampire related. Lucian revelled in her
soaking it all up, full of questions, thriving on information. It made him hold
hope that she could easily slip into the role of queen if she accepted this life.
But would she accept it? She said she wanted him, surely she would know what would
be expected of her if this was to become permanent? Vampires certainly fascinated
her, she liked the feed this morning, would she turn for him?

The only time Lucian would allow her off the bed would be to use the bathroom.
Danika found it a little frustrating but then soon realised he was just being
caring. She liked the thought of him being like this, making sure she was ok,
fussing over her. It was a good distraction for him, to keep his mind positive. And
then there was the maid, constantly interrupting them with food or drinks for her.
Lucian told Rosa to stop fussing, repeatedly telling her that it wasn't her fault
but still she carried on like a mother hen.

When night fell, Rosa returned with dinner for Danika and after a while, Lucian
left her in peace seeing that she was tired. She seemed a little disappointed but
Lucian was hungry too and knew it was imperative that he feed. In an effort to
break old habits, Lucian retired to his bedroom earlier than usual, opting to avoid
resting in the lounge after dinner. The coffee table that was his place of choice
had been removed, in its place was a wood table that had grooves and knots. Very
unsuitable for anything negative. Lucian thought it was perfect for helping him
move forward. The rug was gone too; he didn't want to look at it anymore. He knew
that a good cleaning would remove any traces of his former life but he didn't want
the memory associated with it. He looked at his room, remembering how many had
passed through this room. Suddenly he felt ashamed, he had let Danika sleep in a
bed that had far too many women on it. In that moment he had decided that
everything was going to change, right at that moment. Lucian sought out William the
gardener, telling him he needed assistance. Everything in his room was to go except
the new wood coffee table. William looked at him, wondering if his master had gone
mad but he did as he had asked anyway. Lucian dragged in a bed from one of the
guest rooms along with a new bedside and another lounge. Even the linen was
changed, now he had cotton sheets. Lucian had watched the maids make beds, he
thought he could do it. He thought it wasn't that hard until after ten minutes of
fighting with the fitted sheet that wouldn't fit, he relented and called for Rosa
to help him.

The ruckus that he was causing had roused Danika from her light sleep. It didn't
help that she could hear a woman's voice in Lucian's room. She didn't want to think
negatively of him, she wanted to believe he would be true to his word that he would
remain faithful to her. But still, she could hear giggles from a woman and went to
investigate. The door was open, which she saw as a positive sign as she slipped
into the room. Danika was completely stunned. The whole room had changed and Lucian
was making the bed with one of the maids. She wasn't helping him, she was standing
aside giving him instructions and laughing when things went wrong. Neither of them
saw Danika standing there, she was so quiet on her feet that they didn't hear her
either. She couldn't help but grin as she watched him do something so menial as
making a bed. He was trying his damnedest to get things perfectly straight, Danika
thought he was being far too particular about it. Lucian stood from the bed when it
was finally done with his arms out wide and a ta-da for his accomplishment. The
maid giggled and gave him a frantic applaud. Danika held her breath as the maid
moved closer to him, she thought she was about to witness something she didn't want
to. Instead the maid bent over and collected the old linen and asked Lucian if
there was anything else he required before she retired for the evening. He shook
his head with a happy sigh, thanked her and asked her to dispose of the bed sheets,
that he never wanted to see them again. Danika watched as the maid turned and saw
her, gasping in shock and then politely greeted her. Lucian turned and smiled at
her, they waited for the maid to leave before speaking.
'Moving forward.' he gestured to the new furniture 'They have come from somewhere
around the house and they don't really suit but it will do for the time being.'

'You didn't want the other things?'

'They were my past, a horrible past and I do not want them to burden me with the
memories associated with them. Drugs...' he gestured to the coffee table
'Alcohol...' his hand flicked out to the patio that was now empty and then to the
bed 'Women.' he said sadly. 'It was wrong of me to let you sleep in that bed. It
had been dirtied by my past and I wasn't prepared to have you tainted by it any
longer.'

Lucian took her hand and kissed her palm.

'Now, you.... why are you out of bed?'

'I heard all these noises and wondered what on earth you were doing at such a late
hour.' she grinned hoping to ignore the fact that she didn't trust him.

'Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you but I was in such a good frame of mind I wanted
to get it done.'

'Then I do not mind. If it helps you move forward, then it is fine by me.'

Lucian leaned down and kissed her softly.

'Back to bed or the nurse will start yelling at me.'

Danika pouted and returned to her bed.

*********************************

Lucian laid in bed, fresh from his cool shower, staring at the ceiling. His mind
still wrangled with thoughts, wondering how he would convince Danika to turn and
join him by his side forever. The thoughts were broken when he heard the door open
and close, the padding of feet across the wooden floor. Lucian sat up on the bed,
before him was Danika. The moonlight that shone through the window hit her satin
robe that was tightly knotted around her beautiful curves.

'Danika, why aren't you in bed?'

She said nothing, moving to the edge of the bed, undoing the knot. The satin
slipped over her shoulders and fell to the ground, Lucian gaped at the naked body
in front of him. The moon now lit her body, soft and creamy he thought she looked
like heaven. She pushed him to the bed and climbed over his body, kissing his jaw
and neck, moving slowly down to his chest. By the time she had made it to his
stomach, Lucian was ready for her. Her hands moved to his pants, pulling them down
so that she could free him. He groaned as she took him, no hesitation at all as she
wrapped her warm fingers around him, her tongue swirling with his pleasure. His
breathing became heated as she took him deep, the intensity of it was too much for
him and he didn't want to finish in her mouth. Lucian stopped her and pulled her up
to the bed, laying her by his side. His fingers caressed her skin as he kissed her,
how he had longed to touch her and now he had, she was firm, her skin soft. Feather
light kisses were placed on her neck as he made his way to her, in dire need to
kiss her. She moaned when he licked over her hardened nipple, scraping his teeth
then swirling his tongue around her. His attention was then turned to her other
breast so as not to play favourites. He lavished his mouth over her, causing her to
arch into him. His hand was forcefully caressing the other breast as her breathing
got harder and faster, then she let go. She was very responsive to his touch and it
thrilled him.

Determined to see it again, he kissed down her body, finding a path to her hips. He
pushed her legs apart and didn't wait for her to finish the previous orgasm. Her
body shuddered as it found the end of the last one, only to have another start.
Danika liked how he buried himself into her, that magic tongue creating pure heaven
and hell as he pleasured her and tormented her. His tongue was a tease. He wasn't
going to relent on her until she came apart at the seams. Lucian moved his hands to
her breasts, taking her hands with him, urging her to take them. Her eyes were
closed as she moaned lowly again and again, muttering incomprehensible words,
caressing her breasts. Lucian definitely liked the sight of her touching herself.
He slipped his fingers into her, finding her so wet and ready for him. Her moaning
got louder as he kissed her and caressed her inner wall, slipping the fingers back
and forth. As her back arched off the bed, she moaned his name and then held her
breath before the almighty wave hit her, calling out to him again as her head
became a flurry of heated scatterings. Her body flopped back down to the bed now
thoroughly sated.

Lucian was most impressed, that looked like it was amazing, the grin on her face
confirmed it. He kissed up her sensitive body, watching it shiver under his kiss.
As he laid down beside her, he quietly chuckled at her looking rather sleepily at
him. He would have ordered her back to bed but before he knew it she had him pushed
down to the mattress and had climbed on to him.

'Wait.' he whispered, moving her off his body.

He moved to the edge of the bed and opened the draw of the bedside, taking a condom
out. Moving back onto the bed, he rested against the headboard, Danika snatched the
packet from him and set about doing it. She knew he would find her touch unbearable
and liked teasing him. Danika positioned herself on him, lowering onto him slowly,
enjoying him being inside of her. His eyes were closed for a moment as he savoured
the feeling, deep within her. She gripped the head board as she began to move, his
hands over her backside gripping her tight. When his eyes opened they found hers,
the green luminous in the moon light, her skin pale and delicate. He kissed her
neck, her jaw, finding the path to her mouth. Her sweet kiss was all that he needed
and she gave without any hesitation. Danika's grip on the head board tightened as
the sensations built in her again. Lucian's hand had made its way to her neck,
pulling her into a deep kiss. She mewled from within the kiss, desperate for more
but had to break for air. Her head rolled back as her body arced back, Lucian
running circles around her nipples as she moved on him. She couldn't take it
anymore and finally let go, the sensations crashing through her over and over
again. It surged forward with intensity making her moan louder than ever before,
her hands found his shoulders, kneading them a little too roughly. As her nails dug
into his skin, watching her nearly fall to pieces on him, he too found his release,
unable to hold it back any longer.

Lucian rolled the very tired Danika off his body and onto the bed beside him, she
nestled down into the bed as Lucian moved closer.

'Going to go to sleep now?'

She nodded wordlessly with one very large grin on her face, to which Lucian
chuckled. He removed the condom, tossing it to the bin and pulled the sheets over
them. Once he had settled she rolled over to him, snuggling into his body, resting
on his chest. Lucian was a little surprised and draped his arm over her bare
shoulder, feeling her soft skin under his fingertips. She slept peacefully in his
arms as Lucian laid on his back, staring at the ceiling.
Chapter 17
'Oh that is so gross Lucian.'

His eyes sprung open to the sound of his youngest sister, standing at the foot of
his bed. Then he saw the rest of them.

'No one invited you in here.' he rubbed his tired eyes.

Danika was still in his arms which he found surprising. She was so calm and
contented with him that she found deep sleep, never moving from his embrace.

'At least the sheet is still covering them.' Nicoleta muttered rather dryly.

'Do we really need to be in here?'

By this stage the voices had roused Danika, she gasped at all of the people
standing there looking at them. All of them had those stunning blue eyes, some had
black hair, some had brown. All of them were beautiful in their own way.

'You guys are so rude, really, can I not have some privacy in my own bedroom?'
Lucian groaned.

'No. We came to check her out.'

Lucian huffed at Grigore and sat up in the bed, leaning on the head board.

'Danika, my siblings... in their correct order of birth...' he huffed as he

gestured to them. 'Nicoleta, Grigore, the twins Mary and Camille, Stefania and the
triplets, Dale, Eugen and of course you know Marinya.'

'Wow you certainly have a lot of siblings.'

'Yes and hopefully they will stop breeding soon, they are going to run out of
names.'

Danika grinned as she frowned. 'How so?'

'Oh, we are all named for our grandparents. It's just lucky that mum has two sets
of parents or some of us would be named hey you.' Dale chuckled.

'Ok Dale, his crap humour and the rest of you, out.'

They all filed out having thoroughly embarrassed Lucian, they thought their work
was done for the day.

'Sorry.' he murmured as he pulled her to his body for a hug.

'It's alright, I know the joy of siblings.'

'How many do you have?'

'Brendan and an older sister Louise.'

'She didn't want to be in the band?'

Danika snorted with laughter.

'Louise doesn't have a single musical bone in her body. She was a nurse for a while
but then when we started the band she offered to help us, to watch over us. Mum and
dad were worried about people using us, ripping us off, so when she offered they
were over the moon. They didn't stress about us going on tour, they knew that she
would look after us.'

'Is she here?'

'Yeah.' she scoffed as she looked at Lucian's perplexed face. 'Ok so I guess she
doesn't look like us then, she would be the nurse that attended to me yesterday.'

'Oh.' he said dryly 'And what did she say about the way that you were sitting on my
lap yesterday?'

'She didn't, but it would probably be the same thing she would say if she found out
I didn't spend the night in my own bed.' Danika shrugged. 'She doesn't really care
about that sort of thing, just so long as we are safe she's ok with it.'

Lucian remembered the nurse, now seeing the similarity between her and Brendan, the
flaxen blonde hair, the jade green eyes. But Danika was different with her jet
black hair.

'Do you colour your hair?'

'Oh god is it showing already?' she pulled at her hair trying to see.

'No I was just thinking of the similarities between your siblings and noted that
you had a different hair colour.'

'Yeah. Something different I s'pose.'

Lucian nodded quietly as he pressed his lips together.

**************************

Lucian would have liked to spend the morning in bed, in between her legs, but he
knew better. He was hungry and Danika needed to have breakfast. Neither wanted a
repeat performance of yesterday. A whole day of shooting was lost, or at least
that's what they thought. Bill had actually set about doing some band scenes in the
parlour, filming the boys as they played their instruments in varying locations.
All that was left for that particular scene was Danika's solo shoot and the band as
a whole. That was Bill's intention for the morning, in the afternoon they would do
a second try of the scene they were trying to do yesterday and then hopefully, if
the night was clear, he wanted to do the night shoot.

Lucian had found a new zest for his life, he didn't know if it was giving up the
vices or if it was Danika but either way he felt good. He no longer wanted to pass
out of the lounge, his hunger for food was returning and he found his mood was
generally pleasant. The grump that was Lucian was gone and in his place was one
very happy soul. Whilst the morning filming was going on, Lucian found himself in
the garden, wandering around the paths, taking his time to admire its beauty. The
gravel crunched under his shoes as he languidly made his way to the gate. The
plants on this path were a little less maintained. The gardener was superstitious
of what laid beyond the brick wall and the iron gate. Treachery.

'I love the smell of this plant.'

Lucian spun around at the sound of the soft feminine voice behind him.

'Do you know what it is?'

'Lavender. How did I not hear you?'

'Soft on my feet. Your mother didn't show us this path the other day.'

'That's because my family doesn't like what lies down this path.'

'But you were going that way.'

'I do from time to time, to remind myself to be mindful of others, of myself. No

one wants history to repeat itself.'

Danika knew this was delicate territory, the pain in his face said it all.

'If you are brave to venture forward, I will show you beyond the gate and regale
you with why the staff will not venture past the fountain.'

She looked at the grand fountain behind her, a ghoulish beast sat astride of the
pillar, it's tongue poked out at no one.

'Sure.'

Lucian held out his hand for her to take, Danika quickly caught up to him and took
his hand.

'You know the story of my grandparent's death, my mother's disappearance. What do

you know of the time prior to that?'

'Very little.'

'That is because it has been requested that it not be covered by the education
system. It pains my family to think that there could be such bad blood running
through our veins.'

He let go of her hand to open the gate and then took it again, helping her over the
broken bricks.

'My grandfather ascended to the throne of the realm much earlier than expected. His
father had decided to abdicate to spend time with his wife. As the next in line my
grandfather was the first choice for the new king. He saw a great leader in my
grandfather, he had a beautiful wife that was very active in the vampiric community
and they were soon blessed a daughter. My great grandfather knew everything would
be fine with his first born taking over as ruler, the people already loved him.'

The garden path was very unkempt, the trees hung over the path, and it got a whole
lot scarier. This place had a dark creepy forest vibe to it.

'So my grandparents took to the throne of the realm, the kings and queens of the
various kingdoms adored their new king. He was valiant and caring, he adored his
wife and child and everything seemed perfect.'

At the end of the path was a long brick wall, another gate sat at the end of the
path.

'This is where the tour stops, I don't ever venture past here. This could be
described as the home of my demons.'

Lucian ran his thumb over her knuckles as he tried to reign in the emotions.
'After my grandparents were murdered and my mother was placed into hiding everyone
searched for my great grandparents, assuming that they would return to the throne.
No one could find them. It was like they had disappeared of the face of the earth.
They even looked in the wolf realm, thinking they might have fled in fear.'

'Did they know that the uncle did it?'

'Miranda and Josie were the ones that put my mother into the care of the humans,
they were there when he went to the house where the kidnappers had her. They
couldn't prove it but they were pretty sure that he was involved. Really, who goes
to a random house and then flees like he's seen a ghost?'

Lucian chuckled.

'Well a dead vampire and a dead werewolf. Don't mess with Josie, she is one mean
woman when she wants to be.'

Danika grinned remembering Josie from the council meeting. She looked so sweet and
innocent, but knew that appearances can be deceptive.

'They obviously found out that the uncle was involved, he turned up at my parent's
secret wedding trying to stop it, if he had, he would have ascended to the throne.
But of course there was protection there, again in the form of that one mean woman,
Josie.'

Lucian kicked a few stones as he collected his thoughts.

'So when everything was sorted and they came here, they finally had a chance to
search the castle. Prior to this no one was allowed in, the uncle had ordered the
guards to clamp down on the security, to not allow anyone in. He had claimed it was
to protect the castle for the missing princess but the reality was he was hiding a
dark secret.'

Lucian gestured to the wall and the gate in a grand sweeping fashion.

'Behold, the final resting place of my great grandparents, forced into coffins,
alive.'

Danika gasped as she looked at it, her eyes wide brimming with tears.

'The uncle saw it as a fitting death, a punishment for not considering him for the
throne. It didn't matter that ascension is based on order of birth, all he saw was
that he wasn't good enough in his father's eyes. That and the fact that he didn't
want the crown to revert to his father.'

He sadly sighed.

'If they had been found within the first couple of weeks, they could have survived.
Maybe a month if they were lucky. That is why no one comes down here, those that
have, have said that they can hear their cries for help, begging to be freed, then
the sounds of their agonizing death. They claim that their ghosts walk this path,
trying to return to the castle to save their son, his wife and their
granddaughter.'

'You are not like him.' she whispered to him as she wiped the tear. 'The uncle was
one bad egg among dozens of good ones.'

'His blood flows through my veins, he is my blood, my kin, of course I am like

him.'
'No you are not. Would you kill your father or your mother out of spite? Would you
kill your siblings, kidnap an innocent baby to get to the throne?'

'No.'

'Then you are not like him. Sure his blood flows through your veins, but so does
your grandfather and your great grandfather, two great men who died at the hands of
an ungrateful spoiled brat. The blood of your grandparents, your great
grandparents, that also flows through you, four noble people that would have given
anything to stop this awful act.'

She lifted his chin, making him look at her.

'You know I'm right.'

He solemnly nodded.

'I know that no one likes this place, I know that they are scared of it, but your
great grandparents would not mean them harm and I think you should repair and
restore this area as a shrine to their undying love.'

Lucian couldn't understand her words.

'Not even death could stop them from trying to save your grandparents or your
mother. I think that if you embrace this area and make it a loving tribute to them,
they might see it.'

'See it?'

'Yes, if it is true what you say, that they walk this area trying to get back to
the castle, don't you think they might rest easier if they knew that everything was
right again, that your mother is safe. I think they are haunted souls that are
desperately trying to make things right, they walk this path night after night but
cannot find rest. Maybe they need to know that they can rest now.'

Lucian hugged her hard. Her words were crazy but they were right. It was obvious
now that he thought about it, they were lost souls and could not find rest until
things were set right in their mind. And because no one ever ventured here, they
knew nothing of what happened. Now he was desperate to give his great grandparents
peace.

'Where are your grandparents buried?'

Lucian pulled her out from the hug and looked at her.

'There's a mausoleum in a graveyard, they are in there.'

'Do you think they might find peace too if they were returned here, make this into
a mausoleum for your family, then they can rest with your great grandparents.'

Lucian wiped the tears, knowing that their souls probably roamed the cemetery too.

'This place is a family home and you should have your family with you. You should
talk to your mother about bringing them back.'

Danika took his hand to lead him back down the path.

'She should find peace with this area too, it might be a horrid past, but it is her
past. No one can ever escape their past, no matter how much they try to run.'

Lucian stopped in the path, pulling her into his arms.

'What did I do to deserve you? You are amazing.' he kissed her on the corner of her
lips making her smile. 'You are so accepting of this world.' he kissed the other
side. 'You do not fear this path, yet there are so many that tremble at the thought
of it.'

'A ghost cannot hurt you and this is just a path, sure the grounds are unkempt and
in need of attention but it isn't that bad. It would actually make for a great
scene in the clip.'

She cringed as the words blurted from her mouth.

'Sorry, forget I said that.'

Lucian smiled softly, taking her hand and kissing the palm.

'I will consider the first third of the path as acceptable past that I wouldn't
want anyone venturing to it. Not because I find it sacred, I ask it for my mother's
sake. To have this for the world to see, for her to see it and be reminded of it
every time the video was played, I know it would cause pain.'

'Of course.'

'There is another path that I ask you to consider taking.'

'Oh?'

He took a deep breath; this was the most difficult thing he had ever done.

'I would like you to consider a life with me, by my side forever.'

Danika was stunned, she hadn't thought that was what he meant, she thought there
was another garden path they were going to walk down.

'I understand if you would need time to consider it, I know you have your career
and your music and I do not wish to take those things from you. If you are unsure
of these things when considering this, maybe you should refer to Scarlett and how
she has managed to maintain her music career and have a family.'

Lucian laced his fingers into Danika's and pulled her back down the path.

'It isn't the easiest of decisions, it would mean that you would have to join me in
all things.'

'As in?'

'As in becoming a vampire.'

'Oh.' she said quietly.

They reached the gate to the main gardens, stopping at the fallen brickwork.

'I will give you my world, my love, everything that is mine will be yours too.'

'Why me? Why not some chick that's already a vamp?'

'Because you are amazing, beautiful, you have so much interest in my world, in the
politics of my world, you soak the information and then look for more. You don't
care that there is more than one type of being, you embraced them openly. And look
at before, you made me see the good in my family, for so long I thought it was all
bad. You have seen me at my worst and yet you are still here. You want me to feel
better, to get rid of the negative things in my life. I have demons, bad ones yet
you put my mind to rest. I feared my past, my family's past, but you made me see
the light, the goodness. I owe that to you, I know if you hadn't said those things,
I would still be haunted by the memory of what Gavril did. That night at the
concert, you knew what I was, didn't you?'

Danika nodded.

'And yet you weren't scared, you didn't care, in fact I do remember you blatantly
ignoring me, which drove me crazy.'

She giggled, happy that her efforts had worked.

'And all those nights when you were sitting in my chair, you were toying with me
but all I wanted to do was kiss you. You drive me crazy and I love it.'

Her eyes widened.

'You don't have to decide straight away, the heads of council will be returning on
Friday to discuss my future, so you have until then to decide.'

'Your future?'

'Yes, they are eager to see my future move into a more positive phase.'

'Does that include me?'

'It doesn't have to if you don't want me in your life.'

'But?'

'But I would like it to include you.'

They started down the garden path toward the fountain.

'When you said Friday, did you mean next Friday or today?'

Lucian stopped and looked at her rather shocked.

'Is today Friday?'

'Yes.'

'Shit.'

He ran his hands through his hair as he paced back and forth, the gravel crunching
under his shoes.

'Sorry, I can't make you decide on such short notice.'

Lucian had momentarily stopped pacing then returned to it.

'I will put them off for a while, how long would you like?'
Danika stopped him in his path.

'How about I speak with them when they arrive, when will that be?'

'Council meetings are usually at eight pm.'

'Very well then, if you can stand to give me until then I would appreciate it.'

'Of course.'

'There you are!' Bill called out from a path in the near distance. 'Come on, we are
going to try that scene again.'

'Bill, come here, we want to show you something.'

He quickly walked over, to see the area that they had thought would be ideal for
the night shoot.

'Wow.' he gasped. 'This is fantastic.'

'You are permitted up to the tree.' Lucian gestured to the dead, scary looking
tree. 'Beyond that I ask you do not venture.'

'Of course. This is amazing, it is going to look so scary tonight. Wow, just wow.'

He looked around.

'Can I get the team in here, set up a fog machine maybe? Is there anything
sentimental?'

'Probably not, but who would know what lies below the overgrown gardens, if they
take care and test the ground before they step they should be fine. As for
sentimental, so long as they stay in this area they will be fine.'

'Ok, uh, maybe they could start after the shoot, then you can stay with them to
keep an eye on them.'

'Of course.'

Lucian smiled as he watched Bill make his way through the gate and back through the
formal garden, telling the world how freaking great it was.

Chapter 18

The early afternoon was spent re-shooting the scene from yesterday, Bill was in a
damned fine mood, the night scene place had been found and he anticipated it would
look fantastic. His actors were doing their usual exuding way too much chemistry.
He found himself fanning his flushed face, wondering if he should put an explicit
scene warning at the front of the clip. Danika was fed this time and the repaired
corset was tied a little looser this time. Of course, the bite mark had healed and
Lucian was forced to put a new set on her delicate skin. Not that he minded, he
enjoyed feeding from Danika, her blood was so sweet and addictive, he craved her.
And her response. He would give her until after the meeting as she requested but he
desperately wanted to know. Again she was driving him crazy. In between shots, she
was writing something in a little book. Never showing anyone, never speaking about
it. It was a list of things she wanted to know, pros and cons of this path that had
been offered to her. She had to be analytical about it, she had to be sure that she
was making the right decision. Although as she wrote down the pros and cons, she
knew that she had already made her decision. She just didn't know how it would be
taken.

Whilst Danika was speaking with the heads of council that had arrive much earlier
than expected, Lucian watched over the workers as they set up the scene. Not that
there were any dramas, he just had to make sure they respected his wishes in
regards to how far they ventured up the path. Of course, none of them wanted to go
any further, to them it was far too creepy. The sun had begun to set and the crew
took a few shots of the varying views, knowing that Bill would love them. The sun
formed a creepy glow, the shadows of the trees cast over the brick wall. The castle
looked ominous in the light and sent a few shivers up their spines. They tested the
fog machine to ensure it worked, none of them wanting it to fail when the sun had
finally set. Lucian was standing at the gate, his eyes caught a glimpse of Rosa
standing near the fountain.

'Take a break, ok guys?'

They all nodded and followed him through to the main garden.

'Thank you, your highness, I can't...'

'I know Rosa, it's ok.'

'Your mother and the council wishes for you to join them.'

'Of course.'

He watched a very relieved Rosa head back to the house. Lucian knew it was
important that the path be fixed, his staff fearing it was too much for him. Lucian
entered the boardroom, his mother sitting at the head of the table, at the other
end of it was Danika, in between them was Terrance and Miranda on one side, and
Josie on the other.

'Lucian, please sit.'

He sat quietly beside Josie and waited for the inevitable decision. Lucian was
worried that they wouldn't grant permission or that they would find some fault with
her.

'We have had a pleasant discussion with Danika and she has had many questions that
we have been able to answer to her satisfaction. Now as for the requirements, we
believe that you have already changed your ways prior to our previous discussion,
why did you not tell us?'

'What difference would it make? You wanted certain things changed, there were some
things that had already finished and there were some things that were still being
changed. Technically, I was only half way there.'

'And what of the unknown?' Miranda gave him a cheeky smirk.

'You tell me.'

'We know what we need to know, except for one thing. Only you can tell us that.'

'It is confirmed.'

'Excellent.' Terrance clasped his hands together.

He reached below the table and dumped a rather large stack of papers onto the table
in front of Alina.

'Sign away.'

'Mother, have you spoken to everyone about this?'

Alina gave her son a wry smile and signed on the various pages.

'I have and everyone is more than happy and in fact see it as a positive phase in
your life.'

It was something that he had feared with his taking the throne, his siblings
resenting him, the dark past that has haunted his family caused him to have
negative thoughts about his siblings. He feared one of them trying to kill him to
take the throne. His thoughts always haunted him about it and was relieved to know
that they didn't think that way. Terrance gestured for Lucian to come around and
sign the documents. Danika watched on with quiet confusion, unsure of what was
going on.

'All done, take care of it son, make me proud.'

'I will mother.'

'Right, it will be made official by next week, a proclamation will be sent out to
the kingdoms and the official ceremony will take place...' Terrance frowned as he
turned to Miranda. 'When do you think it would fit in darling?'

'Probably this time next week, we should allow time for the invitations to be sent,
I am sure there are many who would like to attend.'

'Ok then, we will get onto it when we return to mid-jump, in the meantime, we will
leave you two in peace.'

Terrance collected the paperwork and everyone left them alone to discuss their
future.

'What was that about?'

'My future. What's that?'

'Oh. I uh, made a list.'

'Really?' Lucian sat back down in his seat near her, grinning at the thought of a
list.

'Go on.'

'Ok, don't get upset ok, I had to approach this logically.'

'Of course, I would expect that from you.'

'You would?'

'Oddly enough, yes. Proceed.' he flicked his fingers at the list.

'Ok, cons, the taste of blood, eww.'

'Can I respond to these?'

'Uh, yeah ok.'

'Good, the blood will taste amazing to you, once you have turned. Next.'

'Ok.' she breathed, now a little unsure of her list. 'Um, do you turn into a bat or
something?'

'Not as a vampire, no. As a shape shifter, yes.'

'I have an additional question to this one that's not on the list.'

'Ok.'

'If I drink your blood, does that make me half-half like you?'

'Oh, that is a great question and I have no idea. But how about for argument's sake
we assume yes, does that make any difference to your decision?'

'Uh no. It actually makes it kind of cooler.' she gushed just a little.

'Then why was turning into a bat on your con list?'

'Oh, uh... I don't know actually. Hmm. You are right, that should be on the pro
list or maybe the fact that vamps can't it should be on the con list.'

'A point well made, proceed with the next one.'

'They told us of some things about vampires but I kind of got the impression that
there was a certain element of secrecy. So uh, can you go into a church?

'Yes.'

'Crosses?'

'Not my thing, but that's a personal choice. Keep going.'

'Running water?'

'Again, no issue.'

'Ok. Holy water?'

'Same as the church and the crosses, perfectly fine.'

'Stakes?'

'Yes, well that is a bit of an issue. However, yours truly can help you in respect
to that.'

'How so?'

'The first born of the leader of the realm is a healer of vampires. Just like Finn
is a healer for the wolves and Phabel is a healer for the shifters.'

'Witches?'

'Don't have a realm yet but can cast a spell to sort out their own problems.'
'So do you have vamps knocking on your door wanting you to fix them?'

'Most wounds will heal themselves naturally. It is only if they are impaled with a
stake or something rather dire happens, then they will be brought here. Otherwise,
no.'

'So, will I be dead?'

'Do I look dead?' he smirked at her 'No, we are still a living being.'

'But your heart doesn't beat.'

'Actually it does. A vampire heart can beat several ways, mine beats a low hum,
very feint you would never hear it.'

'Oh.'

'If you were put a stethoscope to my chest you still would not hear it.'

'Right.' she paused as she realised she was at the end of her con list.

As she looked at the list, she remembered something she had wanted to put at the
top of her list, her family.

'My family.'

'Can turn if council approval is granted. They have to be sponsored by a vampire

and generally it's one human per vampire for so many years. It's pretty rare but it
can happen. The vampire has to ensure that the human is compliant with the laws of
our kind and of the human world as well. There is a tax that the vampire has to pay
that is a contribution to the human's life and administration costs for the
approval. Most of the time when a human is turned into a vampire, it's in this kind
of situation, for love. That way the contribution the vampire makes is of no
consequence because the human would be living with them anyway. The human is
required to be educated in our history so that they understand the need for
friendly relations with the humans. They also require the human to be gainfully
employed or like you, leeching off the vampire.' he grinned.

'I am gainfully employed, thank you very much.' she folded her arms 'And I don't
need your stinking money.'

Lucian laughed.

'I am only teasing. Sponsorship lasts for a hundred years. The vampire is
responsible for the human for all that time, ensuring they are a well behaved
citizen and valued member of the community. This is why it is rare, punishment for
a turned human that misbehaves isn't very nice.'

'But if the human is well behaved, then there is no issue, right?'

'Of course not. So if your family wants to join you in this world, you need to find
vampires that will sponsor them. I would not be able to do it, if you chose to join
me, I would be sponsoring you.'

Danika nodded as she thought about her family. It was only Louise, Brendan and
their mother in this world now. They had lost their father a year ago and the pain
of death was still raw. She didn't want to lose the rest of her family.
'What if they don't want it?'

'Then sadly you will watch them grow old and die while you stay young and
beautiful.'

Danika could feel her heart clench tight as she thought about it.

'My suggestion to you would be that you try to convince them to turn, we could try
to find someone to sponsor them, it shouldn't be too hard. If they are that
important to you, then tell them that. That is what my mother did when she was
faced with the notion of her adoptive parents dying. She had an open, honest
conversation with them and told them that she didn't want a life without them, she
begged them to join us.'

'And did they?'

'They did. The thought that their only child would have to bury them, to never see
all of their grandchildren, it made them sad and so they decided that it was in
their best interest to join us.' Lucian grinned 'And do you know what made it all
the more better for them?'

'No, what?'

'Prior to their turning they were unable to conceive a child, that is why they
chose to adopt. However, upon their turning, everything that was wrong with their
bodies changed for the better. Now my mother has siblings, something that she had
long wanted and never thought that she would get.'

'Wow.' she gasped.

'Does anyone have medical issues in your family?'

Danika nodded.

'We aren't farm bred, we are from a long line of those that had been trusted to
roam the earth freely right from the very beginning.'

'Really?' Lucian was rather shocked.

There were only a few hundred people that were allowed to walk the earth, the rest
of them were put into the farm. He thought that her family lineage must be of some
worth, to be given this when the vampires thought the humans didn't deserve freedom
was truly an honour. But the fact that she nodded to medical issues within her
family proved the farms point about genetic selection. The farm had managed to wipe
out many mortal killing diseases. Now the human race was a strong and healthy
species.

'Danika, I do not want you to hold hope that this will save your family, they would
have to agree to turn and surprisingly humans can be stubborn regarding this
subject. I can tell you that the issues will go when your family member turns, it
is the truth, but they have to agree to become a vampire.'

He gestured to the list.

'It is something to keep in mind for later on, now off the morbid subject and move
onto the pro list.'

'Ok.' her cheeks flushed as she looked at it, grateful his mother wasn't around to
listen to it.
'Uh, last night, wow.'

Lucian chuckled.

'I'll take those kind of compliments any day of the week, next.'

'Yesterday in the kitchen, wow again.'

'I'm beginning to like this list, continue.'

'Uh, ok, this one is a bit of in between the two lists.' she sighed 'I do like
being here, with you. I mean, I know it's only been a short while but I feel ok
about it. It doesn't seem hard, it seems easy. You're asking for a lifetime and
it's a lifetime that we have to get to know each other better. I just worry if we
end up disliking each other after like a hundred years. I broke up with a guy after
a year and it hurt like hell, can you imagine what it would feel like after a
hundred years?'

Lucian nodded.

'I know you are uneasy about it but there isn't a lot that I can say to reassure
you. I know people that have been together for thousands of years and it is still
hot and heavy for them, their love is still as if they are in their first year.
Vampires are very loving creatures, they are sex mad and when they find their mate
they find their eternal happiness.' he cleared his throat as he looked at her 'Ok
so this isn't a common known thing. This is one of those secrets that vampires like
to keep to themselves. We have what is known as mated love. It means that when a
vampire feeds on another they are able to tell if that person is their mate just by
the taste of their blood. It is so sweet, very tasty to them. When they love each
other anything previous pales by comparison. It is perfect love.'

'And I'm sweet, right?'

'There isn't nobody sweeter than you.' he grinned.

'So you're saying that we are made for each other?'

'If you don't want to be here then you do not have to be. Just because your blood
is sweet to me doesn't mean that you are forced to be with me. But be honest with
yourself, what do you think you would feel if you walked away?'

Danika frowned as she searched her feelings.

'Heartbroken.'

'And if you stayed?'

'Beyond happy.'

'When you saw me that night of the concert, what did you think?'

'To be honest, I actually knew who you were because of the studies I'd done.' she
bit her lip feeling her cheeks flush 'Kinda had a bit of a crush maybe. But when we
came here, I saw the real you and I was a bit worried, thinking you were a bit of a
lost cause.'

'But I've redeemed myself, haven't I? Still crush worthy?' he grinned.

'Oh yeah, absolutely.'

'And you persisted with me, would you have done that with anyone else?'

'Family yes, though I probably would have sent them to a rehab clinic if an
intervention didn't work. Outside of family I don't know. I've never been in this
situation before. Well except for Seth.' she crinkled her face 'But he was out on
his arse long before he ever managed to overdose on me.'

'So the boyfriend that was an addict got booted?'

'Well we both kind of got booted, didn't pay the rent.' she shrugged 'I went home
to my parents and he went to a friend's place.'

'But you didn't try and help him.'

'He didn't want help.'

'Neither did I.'

Danika looked up at him, realising where he was leading her. A knock at the door
interrupted them.

'Your highness, I am sorry for interrupting you, but the director requests that you
hurry the night is starting to descend and he wishes for some sunset shots.'

'Of course, thank you Rosa.'

Lucian took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

'Think about it some more, sleep on it if you want.'

Chapter 19

Alina stood at the fountain as Lucian and Danika approached. She had been watching
the film crew walking back and forth, setting up things, doing things. All of it
beyond the gate. That gate. She could feel the tingling crawling up her spine as
the fear increased, watching them move without care. Alina couldn't understand why
they weren't scared.

'Mother?'

She turned to him, the fear on her face.

'Are you going in there, now?'

'Yes. Danika and I had a very interesting conversation earlier on about this area
and I did want to talk to you about it. But maybe not now, Bill is waiting.'

Danika had already started down the path, not showing fear, proving to Alina that
she should conquer hear fears like her son and step down the path. Lucian held out
his hand to his mother, hoping she would take it. Her hand trembled as she took his
hand, taking a step she felt her legs shake.

'Do not fear mother, those that might walk this path will not harm you.'

They approached the gate, Alina waited by the fallen brickwork, watching as Bill
directed Lucian and Danika into their positions. She gasped as they went as far as
the tree, Danika resting on it as Lucian kissed her, his hand on her waist, the
other on the tree above her head, neither of them had any fear. The night had
fallen and there was a low lying mist that was caused by the fog machine. The trees
hung over the path, wiry and without leaves. A soft cold wind whipped past them,
leaves trailed along the path toward the darkness. The air dropped, the wind left
and everything became silent as Alina looked up the path. It was pure black, the
trees seemed to have a silver tone to them. Movements were slow, she could see
Lucian moving his hand to caress Danika's cheek. It was like a movie being played
out in slow motion as the back of his hand ran along her jaw. Alina could hear a
heartbeat; the usual pattern was gone. Now the humans heart beat was slow, a thump
every few seconds. Her world had slowed as she watched everything around her, she
could feel the anxiety building. The trees seemed to lean over the path and then
stretch back, slowly thrashing around. A bat flew overhead, as Alina looked up to
it she could see each and every movement of its wings, slowly going up and down.
The sound of a frog echoed around her, the slow and deep call seemed to drag out.
Then everything came crashing back, the humans heart beats began to thump at the
correct beat, the repetitive croaking of the frog filled the night air and the
sound of the soft wind passed by her.

In the distance Alina thought she saw someone, someone was on the path watching.
The figure was darkened by the black of the path but still it had a presence that
she could just make out. It scared the hell out her but she wanted to know who it
was. She walked through the rubble and down the path past the cameras and Bill. His
calling cut startled Lucian and Danika who saw Alina approaching, almost looking
like she was in a trance. She was curious to the shadowed figure, wondering if it
was a guard who had taken an odd short cut or if it was an intruder. Either way,
Alina couldn't help but follow the path. Her feet seemed to have a mind of their
own, taking her through the path that she normally feared to tread. She didn't dare
come through her of a day time and now, in the dark of the night, she was doing
more than she feared. She was walking toward an area that was highly dangerous.

'Mother?'

'There's someone down there.' she whispered.

Then she continued past the tree. Lucian and Danika followed her, not wanting to
leave her alone. He couldn't help but worry for her, she was acting peculiar and
curiosity had taken over her fear. Something that could lead to serious trouble.
Lucian could see the figure and became worried that it might be a rogue, he feared
for his mother's life.

'I think we should turn back Alina.' Danika said.

'Alina?' the willowy figure spoke, it sounded like an angel singing.

'Who are you?' she said as she approached.

'I am Lucian Grigore Eliade, are you my daughter?'

Alina fell, caught by her son as she sobbed. Another figure appeared beside him,
this one was a woman.

'Darling child, do not cry for us.'

Lucian looked at the woman, recognising her from the painting. She was just as
beautiful as the painting showed, looking much like his mother. Her hair was pulled
up in a sweeping bun. Just like in the painting, she was wearing a deep green ball
gown. His grandfather was in a suit with the gold sash. Lucian remembered that the
night they died they were on their way to a birthday party, a lavish affair for
Josie's husband. He wondered if these were the clothes they were wearing the night
they were cruelly taken from this world. Lucian turned to his mother in his arms,
she was shaking, tears sliding down her cheeks as she looked up at the ghostly
images of her parents.

'Mother please, this should be a positive moment for you.'

'Mother?' the woman said.

Lucian looked at his grandmother as she turned to the man beside her.

'He looks like you darling. Are you our grandson?'

He helped his mother to her feet and rested her arm around his waist as she tried
to compose herself.

'I am Lucian Alexandru Winston Eliade Leonte, your first born grandchild.'

The woman gasped with delight, the man stood tall and proud. Nicoleta moved closer
to them, her wispy figure reached out to Alina. The touch of her hand to Alina's
jaw puffed into smoky lines. To Alina it felt like a cold wind that was soft like
cotton wool.

'We are so happy that you are safe darling, and look at you a mother, queen and
ruler. You make us so proud.'

'What happened to Gavril?'

'That would be my doing, hopefully he is roasting in hell.'

They all turned to see Miranda and Josie standing behind them.

'Miranda.' the woman covered her mouth with happiness. 'And Josephine, you found my
baby, you saved our child. We owe you an eternity of gratitude.'

She nodded quietly as two more figures appeared.

'Father.' Lucian turned to the figures. 'Mother, this is Alina and her son Lucian.'

The elder figures bowed quietly and then there was sounds of whispers, angelic and
soft, almost like the wind was speaking.

'Lucian and his love spoke of this land earlier, we could hear your conversation as
we rested in our tomb.'

Alina looked up at her son, wondering what they had discussed.

'We would like very much for this to be altered, we do not like the thought that
people fear to venture here. We do not wish to harm anyone and now that we have
found peace we can find happiness here in this garden.'

'You've found peace?' Alina wipes her tears.

'Yes, to know that you are safe, that Gavril is dead, that is all that we ever
wanted.' her father spoke. 'We would very much like to have our bodies here, if you
don't mind transporting them. To rest beside my parents would be a very nice
afterlife.'

'We have to be near our bodies, we cannot leave them, if you bring them here then
you could visit more often. We cannot take form and touch you, but we can give you
words of comfort, advice for the realm if you need it.'

'How is that you are here if you can't leave your bodies?'

'We have been granted this one visit to persuade you to move us, after tonight we
cannot leave the graveyard where our bodies were placed.'

'We would like to catch up on what we have missed out on, how many children do you
have darling?'

'Nine.'

Nicoleta chuckled.

'And you married Althea and Alexandru's son.'

'I did.'

'We would like to see Alex and meet your children, you should bring them tomorrow,
in the morning. We have until ten pm tomorrow night unless of course if you bring
the bodies during the day, then we can stay forever.'

Alina stood from her son's body, wiping the tears.

'Right, so be it. Your coffins will be brought here tomorrow. I will find someone
to bring you and if I can't then I'll drag them here myself.'

Nicoleta laughed. 'Oh darling, she is so much like you it's not funny.'

**************************

Lucian watched his mother, Miranda and Josie sit outside the gates to what was the
tomb of his great grandparents, talking to the four of them for ages. He and Danika
had returned to the filming; Bill was eager to get it done. The film crew were
rather scared by the area which made Lucian laugh, if only they knew what lay a few
steps up the path they would go screaming for the hills. All except the woman in
front of him, she showed no fear. He owed his mother's new found happiness to her.
Danika had brought out the good of this land, their conversation stirred his great
grandparents from their sleep. Now his grandparents and his great grandparents
could rest peacefully, an afterlife they deserved. Lucian was rather distracted
with his thoughts much to the frustration of Bill, ordering several takes of the
one scene.

'Lucian.' Danika whispered as she pulled his jacket. 'Where's your head at?'

'With the people up the path.'

'You have an eternity with them, for now you need to focus on this.'

He looked down at her, the moonlight was lustrous across her pale skin. He ran his
fingers over her skin, her lips red from their kisses, inflamed from his touch.

'Tell me you will be mine forever. Make me a happy man.'

Danika grinned as his hand gently caressed under her ear.

'Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to spend eternity with you.'

Lucian kissed her hard as he took her by the back of her neck, sliding down to the
base of her shoulder. Their kiss was heated and passionate, Bill watched on with
shock, it was the most intense kiss that he had seen from these two. He wondered if
he should order the cameras to be switched off, thinking that it might get x rated.
But it didn't, in fact it took a rather peculiar twist, out of nowhere Lucian
dropped to one knee. Bill was gobsmacked, sitting their completely stunned. He
wondered if it was for the camera or was this for real?

Danika couldn't believe it when he did it, it was so sudden and unexpected. But
that's how marriage proposal is supposed to be, a surprise. She thought that she
should have known better, she did just agree to spend eternity with him, what else
would he do? This was just the natural course of events. So it was no surprise that
she agreed without hesitation. If Bill had thought he was doing any more filming
tonight, he was very much mistaken. Once Danika had nodded with a big teary grin
Lucian stood and picked her up, putting her over his shoulder. He then trudged down
the path and through the gate, moving swiftly to the castle, in particular to his
bedroom.

Chapter 20

Lucian woke to the sound of a feint humming, a soft feminine voice that he thought
sounded familiar.

'Good morning grandson.'

Lucian bolted upright, knocking Danika from his body. She groaned and rolled over,
muttering something about her head hurting now.

'Grandmother...'

Nicoleta slowly walked over, looking at the beautiful woman asleep in her
grandson's bed.

'Dress and meet me in the attic... alone.' she whispered.

Her image faded and Lucian frantically dressed and raced out of the room to the
attic. Nicoleta slowly wafted beside Lucian as they moved through the attic area
moving toward the tall cupboard.

'You know of my history Lucian?'

He nodded.

'I am a cursed princess.' Nicoleta said sadly 'My family and my people fell to a
monster and with time my husband and I did too. The only blessing in this tragedy
is that your mother survived. When I was a young woman and that terrible tragedy
happened to my people, I didn't think I could ever survive it. In the moments after
the slaughter of my people, Miranda hurried me to pack as many of my prized
possessions as I could. I did not know why she was in such a state but I did as she
requested. She had the staff help me as quickly as they could and we left Atlantis.
I was grateful for her help but I do wish that she had told me what was going on. I
don't wish to dwell on the past and I understand the reasoning but it doesn't sit
well with the soul to know of how many perished that terrible day. It was in their
best interest, I know that. There was no amount of help that would ever save them,
human or vampire there was no forgetting what happened.'

'How did you or your staff cope?'

'I had your grandfather.' Nicoleta grinned 'He has been the soothing guide in my
healing, if it wasn't for him I would have surely gone the path of my people. Even
in those few moments as I was rushed out of that town, they had started to go mad.
The staff were able to occupy themselves with tending to my needs and of course
once I was taken in by Lucian's parents, they came to serve his family. I think you
might know them.' She smiled again.

Lucian struggled to think of which one of his staff members it could be.

'Rosa was my handmaiden, William was the coachman. Fine servants and even after our
death they were loyal to us. They searched for your great grandparents when Gavril
wasn't around. They were the ones that moved these things up here, they are the
reason that this was not detected.'

He moved quickly to the cupboard as his grandmother squatted down to the lower part
of it.

'There is a movable panel, jiggle this until you hear a pop.'

Lucian did as he was told and when the panel went pop. The whole piece pulled out,
revealing a hidden draw. It was full of jewellery, stunning pieces that looked very
expensive.

'These were mine; I fear that many of your grandfather's family pieces have been
lost or sold. It was unlike me to be so distrusting of other family members but I
was. If only I could have seen them for their true worth.' Nicoleta pursed her lips
at the thought of them 'They lived in this castle pretending to be one happy family
but there was something that I just could not shake. I should have listened to my
instinct; I should have trusted myself. Now our family has paid the ultimate price
for his actions but it is in the past and we cannot change it. All of these pieces
except for one item were my most treasured, they held sentimental value to me. They
are from my family and they have travelled a great distance and I am grateful that
I was distrusting otherwise they may not be here for you. I have spoken to your
mother about it and she is more than happy for you to have everything here, however
I would suggest to you that you divide it between your siblings so as not to cause
fuss. There is one piece that I thought you might be interested in though.'

She gestured to a little box in the back corner. Lucian picked it out and opened
the box to a very old looking diamond ring. He thought it was stunning, a rectangle
diamond surrounded by perfect round cut diamonds, the gold band had more of the
same round diamonds trailing down it. It looked so delicate.

'This is the only piece that was not from my life in Atlantis. This was a gift from
your grandfather to me when we found out we were pregnant with your mother. She is
the light of our life and we have wallowed in our sorrow for such a long time, we
never thought that we would see her again. Your mother never visited us. If she had
we could have told her that everything was ok, we would have known that she was ok.
But when you and your love ventured down the path and spoke, your great
grandparents knew that there was hope. We begged Godfrey for one moment to convince
your mother to move our bodies here and he gave it to us. Your mother has a strong
exterior, a facade that in recent months has been slowly breaking. Godfrey knew
that her suffering needed to be dealt with swiftly and granted us this one
opportunity. We are grateful that your love has encouraged you and your mother to
the path. If she hadn't, if you had continued along the path in your quiet,
solitary walks, no one would have known that you were there. You never spoke.'

Nicoleta smiled softly at the tears that welled in her grandson's eyes. She tried
to wipe them away but couldn't, her form turning to air. As she huffed, she gave
him an apologetic smile and returned her attention to the ring.

'This is for you to give to your love, we know of your intention to marry her and
we would like nothing more than for her to have this piece, not just as a
declaration of your love, but as a thank you for returning us to our home, to our
family.'

'Thank you grandmother, it is beautiful.'

'A beautiful ring for a beautiful woman, your grandfather said that to me when he
gave it to me, and I think it applies to its new owner.'

Nicoleta grinned.

'She is quite a catch darling, and from what I understand very interested in our
ways, she will make a great queen.'

'But what of her king?'

'He will do his family and his people proud, as all Eliade's have.'

Nicoleta stood from the ground as Lucian replaced the draw, slipping the box into
his pocket.

'I hear movement downstairs, I think the humans are awake. I will see you later.'

She disappeared into the air as someone walked up the stairs. Lucian stood up and
saw Danika making her way to the top of the stairs. She looked happy to see him but
there was something wrong. The smile on her face was forced, her eyes told a
different story. She was worried.

'Hey, uh... we have to talk.'

Danika looked a little concerned as Lucian walked over.

'What's up?'

'Bill's happy with what's been done, he said we're ready to leave. We have to go
back onto the tour.'

Lucian's entire world just fell to pieces, she was leaving. Danika could see it in
his face, he wasn't taking it well at all. She feared this negative news could send
his new found sobriety into a downward spiral. Danika didn't know what to do, the
tour had been booked for a year now. All of the tickets had been sold and then
there was all of the promotional interviews that had been booked. Her life was
booked solid for a very long time. This past few days had been bliss but it was
just a momentary gap in their very long schedule.

'How long?'

'Until we leave or till the tour is over?'

'Both.'

'The staff are packing up now, so probably within a couple of hours, the tour has
another year.'

She took his hand, hoping to find the right words. She didn't want to go but she
had to.
'Come with me.'

'I can't.' Lucian shook his head sadly. 'The document I signed, it was to take over
as ruler of Rostonin. That's what Terrance was talking about, the ceremony, that is
when they are going to crown me as king. I have to stay here or it will be seen as
abandoning my kingdom and I will forfeit all of my rights and cause a massive
upheaval. My mother will be in trouble for being so careless with her kingdom by
signing it over to someone that takes off for a year.'

'So that's it then? Your job's more important, you won't leave it?'

Her tone was cold as she felt the anger swell.

'You won't leave yours, will you?'

Danika struggled with her emotions, anger at him, frustration at the situation,
fear of losing him, sadness for the inability to change it. All of her emotions
that were tied to his sobriety were forgotten in the heat of the moment, all she
could see was her own pain. But it was anger that dominated her emotions, taking
over and causing her to lose it.

'Fine, your highness.' she hissed. 'Enjoy your kingdom.'

She stalked down to her room and packed her bag, failing at holding in her sadness.

********************

Tears freely rolled down her cheeks as she haphazardly stuffed the clothes into her
bag. He didn't even bother to follow her. She wondered what he was doing, if he was
ever going to try and stop her from leaving. All of her fears about things turning
bad were coming to the surface. It had only been a few days and already her world
was torn apart. The love that she felt for him was far greater than she had ever
imagined she could have for another person but none of it mattered anymore. He
didn't try and stop her. He didn't chase after her. He didn't even try and find a
reason to make her stay. She knew that she had lost her temper far too quickly and
that she could try and search him out so that they could find some kind of middle
ground but she couldn't. The fact that he had let her walk away spoke a thousand
words to her. He didn't care. He cared more about his precious kingdom and that's
all he could see. There would be no suggestions of things that they could do to
fill the year apart from each other. She knew he would never suggest it. Danika
could see that Lucian's world was all about him. She laughed despite the tears,
thinking about the way that he had been. It was always about him, what he wanted,
who he wanted. His life was filled with the need for something. The narcotics had
been replaced by the kingdom. He needed his kingdom and not her. As she zipped the
bag shut, she thought he could have his kingdom. Just like he didn't need her, she
didn't need him either.

Lucian could bear the thought of going downstairs, he would have given anything to
follow her, a week ago, he would have without a second thought, but now he had
duties. He was bound to his new life now and to this kingdom, going away for a year
would be seen as the throne being abandoned and it left him and his mother open to
all sorts of problems. Lucian watched from the tiny window in the attic as the
staff packed the trucks, the bus being loaded with the band's bags. He went around
the attic in circles, trying to avoid looking out the window but he always ended at
the same spot. Watching them move quickly, packing things, a few of the trucks
left. The last to leave was the bus, it sat on the driveway with the sun glinting
off the roof. One by one the band got into the bus. The last to get on was Brendan
and Danika, he could see the look on Brendan's face, it looked like he was ready to
kill someone. Someone named Lucian. He couldn't see Danika's face but by the way
her shoulders were rounded, he could see she was upset. It felt like Lucian's heart
was being ripped out, he couldn't stand to watch it any longer, leaving the window
to find solace with an old friend.

Chapter 21

The days had passed and nothing had changed, including the clothes that Lucian was
wearing. His old friend had caused some serious problems, relapsing into his
benders would cause his mother and the heads of council to have words with him.
They had been rather specific in regards to the heavy binges that had consumed much
of Lucian's adult years.

It was mid-morning on the seventh day after the bands departure, Theodore heard the
gate open and hurried out to greet the guest. His spirits were lifted slightly when
Phabel walked out although he didn't know what part of the castle his master was in
and didn't know what to tell him if he were to ask.

'Good afternoon your highness.' Theodore bowed.

'Good afternoon Theodore, is Lucian around?'

'He is but I am sorry, I do not know where he is.'

Phabel looked at his concerned expression. The last time he was here Phabel knew
that Lucian had turned a corner in his life just by the looks on the faces of his
staff. But the look on Theodore's face was the look of his staff from the days of
old. Something was amiss.

'Ok, what's going on?'

'Miss Randall has returned to her tour. I was on holidays at the time and Rosa had
advised me of the events in my absence. They had a fight because his highness has
taken over as king.'

'Yes I heard that.'

Theodore nodded rather sadly.

'Well she wanted him to go with her as she would be gone for a year.'

'And Lucian can't leave.'

'Exactly your highness. Prior to her departure all narcotics and alcohol had been
cleaned out of the castle but we keep finding empty bottles around the place.'

'Drugs?'

'Not that we can find.'

'Well that's something I suppose.' he muttered.

'We know he is here somewhere, we search for him but he manages to escape us. If it
is intentional or not, we don't know. We also don't know if he is feeding. The
blood stock remains the same and we fear that he might be rather deprived.'
'Is he live feeding?'

'It is possible however the town is quite some distance.'

Phabel sighed as he thought about the nightmare that was Lucian.

'Please your highness, I do not wish to ask things of you but we worry for our
master. We cannot find him.'

'It's alright Theodore, I will search for him.'

Lucian's problems with alcohol were the least of his problems, Phabel had some
rather disturbing news and needed to find Lucian quickly. Phabel turned into a
tracking dog and searched him out, finding him in one of the towers, completely
drunk.

'Phabel my man, how's it hangin?'

'Great.' he muttered. 'Time to sober up, I need coherent Lucian urgently.'

'Nah, drunk Lucian is much more fun. I know you like him, you like to party with
drunk Lucian.'

'Not today buddy, time to sober up, this is important.'

'She lied Phabe.' his head rolled as he watched the empty bottle roll from his hand
'Did she ever love me?'

'I don't know.'

Phabel sat down beside him and leaned on the brick wall.

'Did you know she's blonde? Another lie.'

'Does it really matter what colour her hair colour is?'

'No. She lied, she doesn't love me. Maybe she's payback for all of them.' his head
rolled again 'Maybe Ariella paid her.'

'Somehow I doubt it Lucian, I think Ariella's got enough on her plate.'

Phabel sighed lowly as Lucian slurred out that she'd lied over and over again.

'What did she lie about Lucian? I seriously doubt that she would lie about her love
for you.'

'She doesn't love me, she picked her career over me.'

'So did you.' he snapped at him 'How do you think she feels right about now? Do you
think that she might be skipping through a field of flowers shouting out her
happiness?'

'But I can't do this without her, look at me. I can't even keep my promise. The
shadows are back.'

'Ok Lucian, I'm sorry, I really want to be the sympathetic ear but I can't do that
for you today. You need to stop this shit and man up. Yes, she picked her career
over your relationship but so did you. What would she say to you if she saw you
like this? The Danika I know would kick your sorry arse into next week, telling you
what a fool you are being. Now it's time to snap out of it, we've got a big
problem. Larcon has escaped his bonds.'

'Who is Larcon?'

'What?' Phabel scoffed 'Lucian, he's your mother's cousin. Larcon is Gavril's son,
he was bound to the shifter realm by Terrance. Somehow he has escaped and we know
that he has left the shifter realm.'

Lucian sobered instantly, knowing this wasn't good. If he had escaped his bonds it
meant, he was after something and the sudden change of management for Rostonin
might have something to do with it.

'How do you not know who he is?'

Lucian shrugged as he frowned.

'Bad blood, you know what mother is like. Anything to do with them is like swearing
at her. I think she would slap me to the ground if I dared to mention Gavril's
name. Is Larcon in Elm'nyth?'

'We don't know but we can assume yes.'

'Do you think he would know of tomorrow, today...' Lucian frowned 'What day is it?'

'The ceremony is tomorrow and yes; it is highly likely that he knows about it.
You're part shifter, to us it's a total boon. Dad's declared tomorrow a public
holiday to honour your crowning ceremony.'

'You think he might try something tomorrow?'

'Highly likely. He is his father.'

Lucian struggled to his feet, scampering down the stairs, in hot pursuit by Phabel.

'Where are you going?'

'To the garden.'

'Of course, that makes perfect sense.' Phabel muttered as he followed Lucian
through the paths.

It made no sense to Phabel until they reached a derelict garden. He would have said
something more, but he was pretty sure Lucian wasn't listening. When he reached a
stone wall with a gate, Lucian sat down. Phabel didn't know if he was of sound mind
or if he was still drunk.

'Grandfather.'

'Ok Lucian...' Phabel paused as a ghost came through the brick wall.

'Your highness.' he dropped with a bow.

'Hello Phabel, good to see you again.'

The elder Lucian turned to his grandson.

'What is bothering you grandson?'

'Phabel has advised me that Larcon has broken bonds and left the shifter realm.
They believe he might be here, I fear he is after the throne, the ceremony is
tomorrow.'

'It certainly seems plausible. He always was like his father and his mother was no
better either.'

He paused with his thoughts for a moment and then resumed speaking.

'I think it best to not discuss our options in the open, is there somewhere safe to
speak without fear of being listened to?'

'Mid jump, the council meeting room, but you can't leave, can you?'

'I will speak with Godfrey about the situation, in the meantime organise with your
mother for an urgent meeting.'

*********************************

'Lucian, you need to change, shower or something. Jeez.'

Phabel turned his nose up at him, Lucian took a whiff and screwed his face up.

'Yeah ok. In a sec.'

Lucian rushed off to the head guard, informing him of the news. They both agreed to
a sweep of the grounds and permanent watch put on the castle, the staff and Lucian.
A guard stood outside the bathroom door as Lucian readied for the meeting. As he
dressed he realised that there wasn't anything safer about mid jump than here. If
Larcon disappeared, they would never know he was in the room. In fact, he could be
in any room. Going to mid-jump was pointless and he quickly set about having
everyone meet at the castle. Half an hour later the heads of council had arrived,
his grandparents, great grandparents and Phabel were in the boardroom. Eris had
arrived too, most unimpressed that Larcon had escaped his bonds and fled his realm.

'He was under constant surveillance.' Eris muttered. 'I have ordered a secret
investigation; I fear dirty guards.'

'Yes, that is a very distinct possibility. When was the last time he was seen by a
trustworthy source?'

Terrance paced the floor, stopping by the fire place as he waited for Eris to
respond.

'That would be by a close associate, one that I would trust my life with, he saw
him in the town centre.'

Eris frowned and rubbed his brow.

'Speaking with a witch. Damn it. Not a dirty guard then. Why did that not occur to
me?'

'Do not fret about it Eris, you cannot help who he associates with, the witch
should have known better. Bonds are placed for a reason.'

Lucian could hear Theodore moving to the door, a minor conversation and then the
door shutting. He rose from his seat to see what was going on.

'Theodore?'
'Sire, there has been a delivery for you.'

In his hands was a small cardboard box, square in shape, white in colour.

'Thank you Theodore.'

Lucian looked at the tiny parcel, on it was written for the urgent attention of
Lucian Eliade Leonte. He opened the box, finding a tiny media disc.

'What's that son?'

'An urgent delivery... a disc.'

'Are you going to play it or are you worried of what it might contain?'

'Should I be worried?'

'Well its timing is rather dubious.' Terrance mused. 'Put it in, if your bare arse
appears on the screen, we will look away, we promise.'

'Gee thanks.'

Lucian put the disc into the player and took a deep breath, now worried. The screen
flickered with the image of a man and then settled, playing the image. He was a
young man with thick brown hair, his skin pale with two big blue eyes that looked
directly into the camera. A sly smile slicked across his face as he adjusted the
picture. The light around him was dark making it difficult to see everything. It
appeared to be in what looked like a tiny warehouse, dark and wet. A few candles
flickered in a low breeze.

'Hey, hey old friend.'

Lucian frowned at the man on the screen who seemed to know him, but he didn't know
who he was.

'Shit.' Eris scowled. 'That's Larcon.'

Everyone gasped as they watched.

'I have something of yours.' his words were dark and sinister sounding.

The camera turned to a sight that made the blood drain from Lucian's face. Danika
was tied to a chair, struggling under her restraints, her mouth taped shut.

'So, I'm thinking we could do a trade, you have something that I want, I have
something you want.'

A knife played in his fingers, the blade catching the limited light. He moved
behind Danika and held the knife to her skin on her neck.

'So pretty, do you think she will like the afterlife?'

Larcon chuckled darkly as he moved back to the camera.

'I want the crown Lucian. You have until three o'clock, if I do not hear from you,
I will have my answer. If you are prepared to do the trade, call the number on the
box.'
Lucian grabbed the box, finding the number on one of the sides.

'We do not give in to the demands of criminals Lucian.' Terrance watched as he

searched for his phone.

'He has her, I don't care what he asks for, I have to save her, she's my mate.'

'Yes a mate that chose her career over you. Are you willing to give up your kingdom
for her?'

'I am, I realise that now, I should never have let her walk away. I have spent the
past week drunk because I did and now she is in trouble, I have to help her.'

'You cannot allow him to take the throne, we cannot permit it.'

'Then take the throne back from me, I can't give it if I don't have it.'

'We cannot just go passing it back and forth like a plate of food. This is an
entire vampiric kingdom you are talking about, lives depend on the decisions that
are made and I for one will not let him anywhere near this throne.' Terrance was
pissed as he pointed to Larcon on the paused screen.

'Fine, if you won't help me, I will do it on my own.'

Lucian stormed out of the meeting room, quickly followed by Phabel. The sunlight
was nearly blinding for Lucian, having spent the past week hiding in various parts
of the castle, he hadn't seen much of the sun. He was halfway down the gravel
driveway when Phabel caught up with him.

'Seriously Lucian you aren't going to take him on by yourself, are you?'

'I've taken on thousands of humans, rogues and the occasional vamp gone bad in my
life Phabel, one more won't make any difference.'

'Well, I'm coming with you then.'

'Me too.'

The two men turned to see Josie standing behind them.

'I do like a good fight.' she purred as she sauntered closer 'And of course it
always helps to have someone like a phoenix on your side. I can track him with my
inner wolf, I can fight him with my spells. I am your hidden secret.'

'How true, he wouldn't know of the second phoenix, would he?'

'It's possible he won't. We don't speak of her, you know us shifters, we like
secrets.'

Josie sniffed the box, the passed it to Phabel. Once they had caught a scent on the
wind, they set out to find them. Lucian thought that he would be tracking half way
across the country side. But strangely enough when they got to the end of the
driveway, the scent took a path to the left, alongside the property. The wall was
high and Lucian had never been on this side of the exterior of the castle grounds.
By the look of the land, it appeared that the gardener hadn't either. Then it
struck him as to where they were, they were near the overgrown garden. Among the
dense bushes was a bicycle, one that was barely visible. Lucian was about to
dismiss it as the local kids leaving their things lying around but noticed it had
rocks in between the tread. Little tiny gravel stones, exactly the same as what lay
on his driveway.

'The delivery guy?' Phabel whispered.

Lucian nodded as they all changed form. Lucian preferred his bugs, he thought that
no one ever noticed a bug. Phabel turned into a bird and flew up to the tree to see
what was on the other side of the brick wall and Josie slithered her snake form
through the bushes, looking for anything else of use. Phabel tweeted from the
branch, getting the bug and snake's attention. Lucian flew up and rested on the
brickwork, seeing a few bricks missing. There was enough for someone to fit through
if they wanted. Lucian flew down and entered into the tomb, finding the very heart
sinking scene. Larcon and Danika. She was still tied to the chair and still alive,
Larcon was dressed as the delivery guy. It was dark in the room, candles flickered
around creating creepy shadows that danced on the walls. Lucian saw the two snakes
slither into the room, Larcon never seeing a thing. Knowing that Phabel and Josie
were hidden, Lucian took form and stood tall in the poor light.

'Well, hello there.' Larcon chuckled. 'So good to finally meet you dear cousin.'

'You and I are not cousins. You are not related to me, at all.'

'Oh, how wrong you are. But it makes no difference anyway, what is your decision?
The crown or your love?'

Lucian cast his eyes to Danika, she was scared, he could see it in her eyes.

'My love.'

She cried as she tried to beg him from under the tape, shaking her head, trying to
free herself from the ropes. Larcon pulled a piece of paper from his jacket and
slapped it onto the stone wall.

'Aww, how sweet. Love truly is blind. Sign away.'

Lucian looked at the form in the flickering light. He could see so many mistakes on
the form but said nothing, the wall was up in his mind so he knew that Larcon would
never find out. He signed the form and passed it back.

'It's been a pleasure doing business with you, however, I do have something else
for you. Of course you know of my father's death, such tragic circumstances really.
To be murdered by a kings guard in order to protect your mother, someone who should
never have been placed on the throne. That was my father's place, not hers.'

'You're delusional.'

'Maybe, at any rate, now I have something that is a mild form of atonement for not
getting the crown, it's not the world, but Rostonin will do, for now.'

He chuckled as he stepped backwards, closer to Danika.

'But as revenge for my father's death, I have a much greater plan. Welcome to hell,
Lucian.'

In a blur of movement, Larcon pulled a knife from his pocket and slammed it into
Danika's stomach. The hit was so hard, the chair fell back to the ground, the knife
still sitting in her stomach, blood pouring out. Lucian rushed to her as Larcon
turned to leave.

Something took over Lucian, even though the tears that were flowing fast and freely
and the blood that was pooling around his knees, he knew what to do. He ripped off
the tape from her mouth, apologising. Not that it would have mattered, the pain in
her stomach was far worse. He pulled the knife from her stomach and tore open a
vein, putting it to her mouth, then he took one of Danika's wrists. Lucian knew
timing was important for an emergency turn. Danika didn't struggle, she knew what
he was doing, she knew he was trying to save her life. She could feel the burning
through her body as her life began to fade. Tears rolled past her temples as she
looked up at Lucian. He had given up his kingdom for her and now it was for
nothing. She was dying and he couldn't save her.

'I'm sorry.' she whispered.

Her voice was watery, she coughed and could feel the warmth of the blood, the
coppery taste in her mouth. Darkness surrounded them slowly sucking the light from
the room. The pain was ripping through her body; it was too much for her to handle.
She watched as the last remnants of the world around her slipped away, taking her
lost love from her.

Lucian ran his fingers over her face, her skin was cold. Her eyes closed, pushing
the last of the tears from her eyes. Blood was everywhere, she had lost far too
much blood for her body to handle, she had also coughed up the blood he had tried
to give her. His fingers trailed down the delicate skin of her neck to her sternum,
hoping to hear that thump. Lucian waited. He held her in his arms, the cold, limp
body of his love. He waited as his hand pressed harder against her chest. Tears
fell freely as he prayed for a beat.

Something he begged.

Anything he pleaded.

Chapter 22

Larcon's laugh echoed through the tomb, his plan had gone off without a hitch.
Better yet, he had finally gotten the retribution for his beloved father's murder.
Eye for an eye he inwardly chuckled as he stepped through the rubble and moist
dirt. He could hear the gargles from the woman as she lay in Lucian's arms slowly
dying. It was perfect for Larcon; she had been so easily lured into his trap. Of
course, he hadn't expected to take a hostage, she was merely a moment of
opportunity. She had been standing on the other side of the road, looking morosely
at the castle. He slipped into her mind and found all that he needed. With a little
suggestion of how to repair things with Lucian, she was like putty in his hands.
Her strangled words of her sorrow heightened his good mood, adding to the absurdity
that was these two. Larcon had seen the memory of the fight in her mind, he had
seen how easily things could have been altered, if they had just spoken to each
other. He grinned, hearing the last beats of her heart, knowing that there was
nothing his dear cousin could do to save her.

A figure appeared in front of him, one that he was all too familiar with. He was
sick of the sight of the spies that constantly watched him and his mother.
Everywhere he turned he would see a member of the shifter royal family, one of
their advisers or a guard.

'What a surprise you're here.'

'Oh, I'm all about surprises Larcon, in fact, I have one for you.'
Phabel's head nodded to behind him, Larcon turned to see another figure in the
room, a woman.

'Who are you?'

Josie didn't respond, instead she swirled a ball of blue, frosty cold in her hands.
She spun them out when they had reached their casting point, hitting Larcon and
freezing him instantly. He was trapped in a thick layer of ice up to his shoulders.

'Me? I'm your worst nightmare.'

***************************

Terrance laughed as he read the note. It was crumpled and a little damp, it had
rough marks from where Lucian had pressed it against the stone to sign it.

'Larcon, really?' he playfully pouted. 'If you are going to create a legal
document, don't you think you should use the spell checker?'

He tore the piece of paper up in front of him, Larcon scowled at him.

'And even if we ignored the poor spelling and grammar, it would still be
ineffective.'

'How?' he hissed.

'You referred to Lucian as king. He is not king until he is officially crowned and
therefore any documents signed as king Lucian would be invalid and would never hold
up in any council meeting.'

Terrance tossed the pieces of torn paper into the fire and resumed his amused
pacing of the room.

'You know Larcon, if you were so interested in taking the throne you should have
studied vampire law, if you had then you would have known how to draw up a correct
document.' Terrance gave an entertained sigh.

Two kings guard stood at each side of Larcon, another by the window, the fire
place, both sides of the door. Terrance was not going to take any chances now that
the ice had thawed.

'Now I do remember telling you and your mother that if you ever broke your bonds I
would take away your title and earnings and dump you in the wolf realm.'

He laughed as he looked at his watch, the little moon was rising, indicating that
it was coming up to full moon.

'And what perfect timing.' he grinned at Larcon. 'Full moon tomorrow night.'

The guards prepared his bonds, readying him for transporting to Askara'velmanti.

'But the question is, do I allow you time to put your running shoes on?'

'You wouldn't.' he gasped.

'I gave you warning Larcon. I told you exactly what would happen if you broke bonds
and defied me. What would be thought of me if I allowed you to go back to Loach
Issralk even after you disobeyed me?'
'This is not for you to decide Terrance; you are not the grand master anymore.'

'While that may be true, in this particular instance Alina has granted me
permission to deliver your punishment, she wants nothing to do with you.'

The door opened and Josie walked in, ready with her new formula, a specially
created spell. This was formulated just for Larcon. Josie had been in deep
discussion with the maker, Godfrey. The formula would ensure that Larcon could
never leave Askara'velmanti, no matter what witch he came across. There would be
nothing that could break this bond. The only consolation that could be given to
Larcon was that also contained within the spell was an anti-wolf serum. It would
keep him safe during full moon.

Josie didn't know what he was worried about, she liked her full moons. For a wolf
it was about mating with your love, a night of endless activity. Josie and her
husband Ethan always looked forward to the full moons, the heightened lust, it was
amazing. And it's not as if Larcon couldn't survive mating with a werewolf. But of
course, everyone sees the wolf and instantly fear them. Larcon was bound and the
spell had been cast. The kings guard had an hour to get him to Askara'velmanti
before the spell would take on its punishment. If Larcon was outside of the wolf
realm after an hours' time, he would burn up and be no more. Of course, Terrance
wasn't a terrible vampire and allowed Larcon's mother to transfer what money they
did have to the new realm and join him. That would be the extent of good will that
he would allow.

As the kings guard transported Larcon through the castle to the rock face in the
garden four ghostly figures appeared, watching quietly. Larcon recognised them,
their sad faces. His grandfather stepped out, Grigore's voice was quiet and
reserved.

'Your father has done a grave injustice to this family and has torn a very deep
wound into its living members. And us...' He gestured to the three behind him. 'Our
haunted souls are doomed to roam this earth, never to find peace again.' Grigore
didn't want to tell Larcon that it was their choice to be here, they wanted to be
here now that they found their peace. 'If your father had been honest with his
thoughts and feelings and spoken to me, I could have made allowances for him. I
could have given him so much, if only he had said something. Instead he chose to
murder his brother and wife, to kidnap his niece, to trap your grandmother and
myself in that tomb. Do you know what it is like to starve to death Larcon?'

He shook his head, he could feel the sadness building fast, he knew what his father
did was wrong.

'Do you know what it's like to not know what happened to your family? For nearly
seven hundred years we have been haunted, night after night roaming that garden
trying to get back to find out.'

Grigore stood taller, more upright.

'Your only consolation grandson, is that I have requested you to be unharmed. I do

this out of love, you don't deserve it but nonetheless you are still my grandson.
If Lucian had his way you would be burning in a pyre in the middle of the yard. In
your future you should become a model citizen of Askara'velmanti. I trust that you
will do this Larcon, remember that this family has close ties with the king and you
will be watched. Grandson this is good bye forever, you cannot leave
Askara'velmanti and we cannot leave this castle.'

Larcon nodded solemnly as a tear slipped out, now realising that he deserved so
little yet they gave so much.
*************************

Lucian watched from the kitchen window as the guards tugged Larcon through the rock
face, his attention turned to the four ghosts, his great grandfather gave him a nod
and then they disappeared. He had heard everything his great grandfather had said
to Larcon but didn't agree with the allowances he had been granted. Larcon stabbed
Danika, leaving her to bleed out on the dirt. He had also seen the bite marks on
her, knowing that he had fed from his beloved. Live feeding was still allowed but
it was becoming unfashionable and many were leaning towards the bags as their
preferred source of sustenance. But the fact that he had done it angered Lucian, he
knew she would never have let him do it willingly. She was the mate of a vampire
and Larcon had taken from her by force, something that didn't sit well in the
vampire world. It was taboo to feed from another vampire's mate. Lucian knew that
the shifters would be glad to get rid of him, Phabel had mentioned that he was
becoming rogue and was live feeding on shifters. They both knew that the werewolves
wouldn't take his crap, he would be hunted at full moon like one of the animals if
he disobeyed their rules.

Lucian could feel the weight of the morning bearing down on him, seeing Danika pale
and cold left him feeling worse than ever. Her limp body in his arms was an awful
feeling but it paled in comparison to her coughing up his blood. Blood poured out
of her mouth, running lines down her fair skin, dripping to the ground below.
Lucian looked at his hands, stained with her blood. His palms were coated with red,
no amount of scrubbing them in the kitchen sink could have ever taken it away.
Lucian thought he could scrub them raw and he would still feel her blood burning
against his skin. Tears had slipped from her eyes as she stared up at him, glassy
green eyes that begged for forgiveness. He would have gladly given it, so long as
she gave forgiveness to him too. But the time for forgiveness was long gone. Lucian
picked up the bag of blood, the cold plastic squished under his finger. He wanted
to throw it against the wall, he wanted to smash everything in the place for what
Larcon had done to Danika. The strangled sounds of her dying had torn through him,
something that would haunt him for a very long time. A tear slipped out as he
thought of her, the memory of those moments was killing him. His heart vibrated a
little harder than usual, the pain in his chest was unbearable. Lucian was always
one to love the smell and taste of blood but today had turned it around on him. He
couldn't stand the sight of it and he was still covered in her blood. It smelled
tainted, the smell of Larcon was heavy around him. He could also smell the fetid
stench of the tomb. It was a hidden part of the tomb where Larcon had hidden her,
something that had upset his grandparents no end. The whole nightmare could have
been avoided, if they had known.

'Your highness?'

Lucian looked up from the blood bag in his hand, Elena was standing by the entry to
the kitchen. He could see the mornings events had taken its toll on everyone.
Danika had a spark that had livened this old castle, the memories of the once happy
family were returned when she was here. And after the past week and what had
transpired this morning, the staff thought that they were never going to have a
happy master again. Lucian took a deep breath and smiled softly at Elena.

'Yes Elena.'

'She is stirring.'

'Very good, thank you.'

Lucian tossed the bag of blood onto the tray and picked it up. He had put a few
things on there for her, unsure of what Danika might need.
'Can you draw a bath for her, I am sure she will want to freshen up. And some
clothes too.'

'Certainly.'

Danika had been resting in her room, the room that she had spent the week in when
she was here last. She hadn't noticed it at the time, but it was obvious to her now
that he wanted her close. Everything about the room was grand, the whole room was
toned with cream furniture, its embellishments in gold, snippets of pink on the
soft furnishings. It was ornate and feminine. Danika wondered if this room had
originally been made for the queen when she was a child, it looked like it was
definitely made for a girl.

Her body was sore, her head was hazy and scattered. She struggled to sit up against
the head board, she had never known such pain, especially in her stomach. Her
clothes were still covered in blood and dirt; she stank of damp from that horrid
tomb. Gingerly she lifted the shirt back and saw that her blood stained skin was
bare. Her eyebrows lifted with surprise, no mark, no wound, nothing. Then she grew
curious, her finger touching her canine tooth, still the same. The door creaked
open, Lucian struggling with a tray of things. As the door closed and he turned to
see her sitting up in the bed he paused, unsure of what to do or say. It had been a
week, a week of pain, suffering and a lot of alcohol. He saw her finger still at
her tooth and thought she might be curious.

'It will take time.'

She nodded, her throat dry and sore.

'I didn't know what you might want, so I brought uh... lots.'

The glasses tinkled as he set the tray down on the bedside. Danika looked at him,
he was covered in dried blood and dirt. His shirt should be white, the shoulders
and top half of the sleeves were white but the rest of it was red. He looked pale,
far worse than she had ever seen him. Even when she dragged him into the shower he
looked better than this. Her mind taunted her that she did this to him, that she
caused this nightmare and that if he rejected her then she deserved it.

Lucian offered the water first and of course Danika drank it all, downing it
without stopping.

'Are you hungry?'

Danika shrugged unsure of what she wanted, she had no idea of what her body would
want now. Lucian thought that it might be a good time to give her a lesson in
feeding while they waited for the maid to draw the bath. He picked up the bag of
blood and showed it to her.

'You just need to sink your fangs into it.'

She held it to her mouth but the fangs didn't descend. Lucian watched her as he sat
down on the edge of the bed. He had hoped that this task would be an easy one, he
had never done this before.

'Maybe it's because there's no smell.' he paused and then held his wrist to her
nose. 'Smell anything?'

She nodded, Lucian saw her eyes darken but the fangs still didn't descend. He took
his wrist and sank a fang in, drawing blood and then returned it to her nose.
Instantly her eyes went black and to his relief the fangs appeared. He would have
liked her to drink the bag but instead she bit him. Lucian watched on, feeling
strange emotions, sensations building in him. He thought that watching Danika feed
was a wonderful sight and a little bit of a turn on.

'Ok, that's enough, drink the bag if you're still hungry.'

Reluctantly she withdrew, she liked the taste of Lucian and when she sank her fangs
into the bag, she noted a great deal of difference between the two. Mated love her
mind whispered to her which made her want to cry. Elena appeared at the doorway of
the bathroom, announcing the bath was ready for Danika and that clothes were
waiting for her in the room. Lucian nodded and rose from the bed as she left.

'Are you alright to walk?'

Danika nodded, her voice yet to return to her. She swung her legs off the bed to
the soft rug under her feet. As she stood her legs gave way and Lucian caught her,
lifting her into his arms.

'Maybe not then.'

She rested her weary head on his shoulder as he took her to the bathroom, she liked
being in his arms again. It warmed her to think that he had chosen her over his
kingdom, he did what she couldn't do, chose love over career. She realised she was
wrong about him, he did pick her. He gave up his kingdom for her, what she thought
he couldn't do.

Lucian refused to leave her alone, she was still unstable. He undressed her and put
her into the bath, washing her and ensuring her safety. She was still sleepy and he
didn't want her slipping under the water. It would not do any harm but he couldn't
let it happen. When he looked down at her as he ran the cloth over her back, he
thought that he could be sober for her. He wanted to be sober for her. If he had
been passed out earlier, he could have lost her. Lucian was grateful that he had
decided to get drunk rather than seek out another hit. He knew they were both bad
but at least he had been able to sober quickly from the alcohol. The drugs were far
different in his system, that would have taken hours. Her eyes looked up at him,
she was sad but there was the tiniest bit of happiness in there. There was no doubt
any more, he would never repeat the past week again, he would never use again. She
was worth it.

Lucian never thought that he would be like this, so caring for another. If someone
had told him a few months ago that he would have done the things that he had done
today, he would have called them a liar. To give up a kingdom for love, to turn her
to save her life unsure if she wanted him, to bathe her and feed her, to care for
her, this was a new Lucian. No other person had ever got this kind of treatment,
not even Ariella. Not that she would have wanted it, she was too strong and
stubborn to allow someone to treat her like a wounded soul. Danika rested her tired
head on her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs, her sore body wanted nothing
more than to crawl back into bed. When Lucian was satisfied that she was clean he
dried and dressed her, returning to her room they found that the maids had changed
the bed sheets.

Danika looked up at him as he gently placed her into the bed, he was being so
caring and yet she didn't think that she deserved it, she walked away from him.

'Do you want to sleep again?'

She nodded and as he pulled the sheets over her, she took his wrist, hoping that he
would stay with her. It pained her to move, but still, she did it. Pushing her body
to the other side of the bed, she urged him under the sheets beside her.

'Are you sure?'

Danika nodded and laid onto her side, facing away from him. Lucian closed the door
and slipped his shoes off, tossing the bloodied clothes into the hamper. He nestled
in behind her under the sheets, feeling the warmth of her body that he missed. It
was an act of love, eternal gratitude and pure happiness. As Lucian laid his arm
over her waist he whispered his undying love for her. Danika pressed her lips
together with quiet elation, rolling over into his embrace, she returned his
sentiment, telling him that she loved him too.
Chapter 23

When the tour manager found that Danika had disappeared, they went looking for her.
Of course they started with Lucian's castle. Louise had called the castle and
Alina, who just happened to be at the castle because of Larcon's appearance,
answered the phone. Alina had tried in vain to be delicate around the subject of
what had happened but the whole conversation turned into a mess. How could she
explain it easily? She tried to speak in a clear tone that was calm as she
explained that her cousin, a deranged man who wanted the impossible had abducted
Danika, held her to ransom and then tried to kill her. After a few minutes of one
sister freaking out, a flood of tears and sobs, Alina managed to get in that she
was fine. Being a nurse, Louise knew that fine and stab wound to the stomach didn't
sit in the same sentence together too well. With a few more gentle words, Alina
explained that Lucian did his best to save her, being that he had the ability to
heal all sorts of wounds for vampires just by the power of his mind. She waited as
the words sunk in, Louise was thinking about the statement. Danika had a stab
wound, if she was human there was nothing Lucian could do for her. If she was a
vampire, he could repair the wound, so he turned her. By the time that Alina had
tried her best to avert her fears and issues, Louise had resolved that everyone was
going to turn around at that very moment and return to the castle. They were only a
few hours' drive from the place and it wasn't a major detour from their itinerary.
It seemed the obvious choice seeing as she was going to be laid up for at least
another day and they couldn't go anywhere without her. They weren't impressed that
she was unwell, her turn taking a little longer because of the stab wound.

While Danika was resting, Lucian discussed the options with the band members and
Louise, taking a tour of the bus that they travelled in. Lucian was shocked when he
saw inside the mode of transportation and not just the exterior. He was not
impressed that his love was travelling in such a pitiful, untrustworthy
contraption. After a lengthy conversation with his mother and Terrance about the
options available, a solution was found. Terrance was his usual stuffy self, pacing
the boardroom floors behind Alina as he spoke about what should have happened when
Danika found out she had to leave. Sensible adults talk about their issues, not
yell and throw tantrums. Intelligent adults seek a solution to their issues and if
they cannot find anything suitable, they ask for help. And most of all, the future
king of Rostonin should be a wise man who knows about a myriad of things. Things
ranging from vampires and their methods of transportation, rock faces and clever
time management through to varying types of rock faces and the minimum thickness of
the stone required for opening a gate. Terrance had stared at Lucian, waiting for
him to put the pieces together. Waiting for him to see the solution that should
have been so obvious, if he had stopped to think about it. Of course Lucian was
drawing a blank. His mother sat opposite him with a wry smile on her face, her
hands sitting on the table with her fingers laced into each other, watching her son
struggle to figure it out. She's a vampire. How do vampires travel with ease? What
could you put inside the bus? Lucian gasped as his eyes widened, figuring it out.
Minutes later he was on the phone, ordering exactly what she needed. One custom
built bus that had one special addition to it.
Danika just shook her head when she saw the new bus that he had ordered but then
she smiled when she saw the extra addition. A door but not just any door, it was a
rock wall. She questioned the weight of it on the poor suspension and Lucian told
her it was a light weight rock and that the bus had been custom fitted to cope. It
was only a thin sliver of rock, the bare minimum that was needed to be usable. This
now allowed Danika to travel through to mid-jump where ever she was and within
minutes she could be by his side. The boys liked their new bus, it had all the mod
cons and there was no cramped bus rides any more. They were fascinated with the
rock and watched with gaping mouths as she opened it and departed through it.
Danika thought it was only a matter of time before they would ask to be turned, she
had been practising her new trick of mind reading on her band mates. It was in
their minds, the fascination, the cool tricks, the fact that she ages so very
slowly and death is near on impossible. They thought that being a vampire was
awesome.

Most days were of the same routine, Lucian would rise from his light sleep and see
is his love resting peacefully. She knew instantly when he was watching her, a grin
would curl into those perfect pink lips. He would take her hand and kiss the ring
that he had given her, Danika loved her good morning kiss. Rarely did he wake and
she wasn't in his arms, always holding onto him as if her life depended on it. Or
maybe his life depended on it. Either way, he didn't mind, it was a wonderful
feeling. To him there was nothing better than rolling into her body, moulding their
shapes together and laying in the tranquillity of the morning. They would have
their morning breakfast together before Danika parted for mid-jump, to move onto
the bus in whatever town it was in. Lucian spent his mornings walking through the
new garden, overseeing the building works. Everything was happening at a fast rate
now, the castle was in a much better shape and the list of urgent works was almost
complete. Even the non-essential list was being knocked over fast. Lucian didn't
mind that his home was swarming with builders on a daily basis, he could see the
improvements each and every day. By the time they departed through the gate of an
afternoon, he would walk around and look at what they had done. Many times, he
would have his grandparents and great grandparents with him, walking around and
inspecting the repairs. The garden had an overhaul too. The staff no longer feared
treading the path and now he sought an Eden for his family. It was being prepared
for the future, Lucian had a grand plan for the area, one that would be of great
use in coming months.

After his morning stroll, Lucian would set about doing his new found duties, being
king. He would have liked to have been married first, so that when he was crowned
as king, Danika would be by his side as his wife. But of course Terrance wasn't
prepared to wait for the year to pass and it had to be done. His only consolation
on the subject was that at least she was at the ceremony. She watched alongside his
family, chatting and engaging with them. And what shocked Lucian the most was that
Terrance broke with tradition, the service wasn't in a church as what was usually
done, this was done in the ball room. It didn't make any sense to Lucian until he
walked in and saw his grandparents and his great grandparents sitting among his
family, their billowing figures floating over their seats. It was perfect and he
felt like hugging Terrance for it. Not that he would, that would be a bit much.

To add to his inner peace, Lucian spoke with Ariella. It had started off rather
awkward but by the end of it, both of them had decided that Lucian was an idiot and
had deserved many things. But that was in the past and they both wanted it left
there. He apologised, knowing it should have been said a very long time ago but
they both knew that Lucian had truly feel sorry first before it could ever be said.
She forgave him for his lies and the cheating and wished him well, not just for his
future and his new kingdom but for his love. Ariella told him that she had always
wished for him to find his mate, knowing how good the love is. She too knew the
pain of waiting for them to turn up in their life, but in the end they both agreed
that it was worth the wait. Lucian looked over at Danika who was having a rather
pleasant conversation with Ariella's husband. Lucian had always detested Zane,
thinking that if he wasn't around he might have stood another chance with Ariella.
But he knew that this was for the best, Ariella wasn't the woman for him.

In the evenings if he didn't have a council meeting on, Lucian would join Danika at
her concert, quite frequently he would have Marinya with him. She loved the fact
that she would soon have Danika as a sister in law. Suddenly Lucian wasn't the ogre
that she had always seen him as, now he was the best brother on the planet. Lucian
noted with much discomfort that Spencer was hanging around, a lot. In particular,
around his sister. There wasn't much he could do, she was an adult and her life was
hers to decide. That didn't stop Lucian from having words with Spencer about
behaving himself and treating her right. After all, Lucian knew all about the world
of not treating women right and he didn't want that for his little sister.

********************

Lucian sat at his desk staring out the window, trying to ignore the mountain of
paperwork in front of him. He wondered if he needed help, it was common for a king
to have a personal assistant or a secretary. Gone were the days of Jonah being
around to help him, and he needed a brilliant mind like his too. Lucian pursed his
lips at the thought of an assistant, if Jonah hadn't volunteered for being the
director of the farm he could have easily convinced him to come here and be the
assistant he clearly needed. The alternative was to hire someone but that made
Lucian feel very uncomfortable. He knew that Danika trusted him when it came to
other women but he wondered if that trust was wise. Lucian didn't want temptation
near him every day. Sure he had mated love with Danika but he wasn't prepared to
risk losing her again. He saw his grandparents floating past the window. Lucian
couldn't help but smile, it was an odd concept to share a house with four ghosts
but he loved it. The staff had become more at ease now that they knew what was out
there and that none of them were going to harm them. Now the four ghosts freely
roamed the yard and the castle. No longer were they restricted to the mausoleum or
in his great grandparent's case, the scary garden. Lucian jumped to his feet,
taking great strides to the window. As he opened it, they looked to him with
smiles.

'Good morning grandson.'

'Good morning, can I bother you with a question?'

'Of course.'

Lucian waited as they floated through the wall, taking a seat in front of his desk.
He grinned as he walked past them, they acted as though they were still alive,
sitting on seats even though they didn't need to.

'I think I need help.' he gestured to the paperwork 'I know that I can consult all
of you in regards to many things but there are some things that I uh...'

'Need a physical presence?' Nicoleta grinned at him.

'Yes.' Lucian let out a pained laugh 'I would have ordinarily employed an assistant
but I fear the temptation of a woman in my company for too long.'

Nicoleta looked at her husband and then back to the younger Lucian.

'Darling you and Danika have mated love, you will be able to fight temptation no
matter how great it is.'
'But I do not want her to worry about it, I do not want to stress her with thoughts
of my fidelity. Mated love is a new concept for her, she doesn't fully understand
it. My past will always haunt me, she would look back and think that one woman
could not fulfil my need but she does.'

'Lucian, you should tell her that.'

'Darling.' Nicoleta chided him 'Understand how she may perceive things. Our
grandson speaks of his past where it has contained many women, am I right?'

Lucian nodded woefully.

'So even if she does understand the concept of mated love she may still worry for
him. She may not see herself worthy or even able to keep hold of him. I understand
this pain Lucian, I worried for the many women that looked at you.'

'But you had no reason to my love, I was only ever interested in one woman.'

'I know that darling but that doesn't mean that my mind wouldn't have niggling
thoughts. What I am trying to help you to understand is that Danika may think the
same as I once did. She may have those niggling thoughts too. It only takes one
flutter of the eyes from a pretty woman and those thoughts start to creep in.'

Lucian agreed with his grandmother. Just one little thought could send his happy
world into a spiral.

'So what to do.' Nicoleta hummed as she thought about it 'She studied at
university, is that correct?'

'Yes.' he frowned 'Well, kind of. She got half way through a law degree which has
to include vampire law.'

Nicoleta turned to the elder Lucian with a smile, he laughed and shook his head.

'Grandson, this is our suggestion. Tell your bride to be of your need and your
concerns. Have an open and honest conversation about anything that needs to be
covered in relation to your need for an assistant. Ensure that she understands that
it is imperative that you have one. Then suggest to her that you either employ
someone who is qualified for the position or she return to university, complete her
education and become the assistant you need. Let her decide who will fill this
role.'

Lucian's eyes lit up, it was a brilliant idea.

**************************************

Lucian had been pacing back and forth past the rock face, waiting for his love to
come home. He was eager to have the conversation about the assistant with her,
wanting to know her thoughts on the subject. Lucian would love to have her by his
side every day but he wouldn't force it on her. If she wanted to continue her music
career and was happy for him to have an assistant, then he would accept it. He
sighed as he looked at his watch, she was taking longer than he expected. There
wasn't a concert on tonight, it was just a few interviews and then she would be
back at a reasonable hour. At least that's what he thought. When the door cracked
open and she walked through, the look on her face was one of horror.

'Lucian, why aren't you ready?'

'Ready for what?'

'Oh my god, seriously? The awards ceremony is tonight.'

She let the rock door slap shut and pushed him into the castle, much to his
protests he was going to the ceremony.

Danika flicked through his clothes, finding an outfit that was reasonably suited to
what she was wearing. Lucian looked at it with a raised eyebrow but said nothing.
Tonight was about his beloved not him. He flicked on his black jeans and sat on the
edge of the bed to put his boots on. Danika was still deciding between two shirts.
Lucian narrowed his eyes at one of the shirts, it was that shirt.

'Could it not be that one please?' Lucian muttered. 'Anything but that.'

'I like Scarlett's music.'

'That's great, really it is but remember that there are some things that are best
left to rest and I fear wearing that shirt may make people ask questions. Do you
want them snooping into my past?'

'Lucian, your past is out there already, there is no snooping. Put this one on
then.'

She tossed the black shirt with a skull on it and waited for him to put it on. He
stood and lifted the shirt over his body, Danika couldn't help but watch as his
body moved and contorted. The muscles twisted as he pulled the shirt down, making
his hair scruffy. Lucian looked at Danika, she was leaning on the wall biting her
bottom lip, looking at him as if she wanted to forget the ceremony and rip his
clothes off. He chuckled as he sauntered over, pressing her into the wall.

'Something wrong my lovely?'

Danika gulped at his words, his voice was smooth and sultry, echoing a soft whisper
through her mind of pure lust.

'Maybe we could stay here.'

'We could.' Lucian grinned with humour in his voice 'But then we would miss out on
the ceremony and we can't have that, can we?'

Lucian stepped away from her body and took her hand, dragging his disgruntled and
bereft fianc�e out of the bedroom and to the rock face.

'I want to discuss something with you.'

Lucian tapped the bus gate into the computer in mid jump.

'Oh?'

'I need an assistant; I am struggling with... everything.' he sighed.

'I know.' she said softly.

'My grandparents have suggested one of two options and to let you decide so as not
to be forceful upon you or create jealousy.'

Danika raised her eyebrows at him, wondering what might cause jealousy. The door to
the bus swung open to the sounds of the boys playing a video game. They stepped
through and let the door shut, making their way to the front of the bus away from
the noise. Lucian could see they were drawing closer to the hotel where they boys
would be staying. They sat on the seats as the city flicked past them slowly, the
bus catching nearly every red light.

'They suggested that you decide if I hire an assistant or if you become that
assistant.'

Danika looked at him and said nothing, unsure of how to respond.

'I don't want you to get jealous if I hire an assistant, we have mated love and it
means that our fidelity is really strong.'

She nodded quietly as he toyed with her fingers, playing with the engagement ring.

'Then there is the alternative, become that assistant. You are more than capable, I
know it. Even from what Phabel has said of your studies, I know that I could rely
on you to be good at this role. You were studying vamp law; you love our world.'
Lucian sighed 'I don't want to take your music away from you so that is why I am
asking for you to make this decision.'

'Alright.'

Lucian looked at her, the delicate eyebrows were pressed inwards as she frowned,
her eyes looked down at her lap.

'You want to get the old pro's and con's list happening again?' Lucian smiled at
her.

Danika laughed and nodded her head.

'How about you give me a decision at the end of the tour?'

'Sure. I can do that.'

Lucian chuckled as he pulled her into his embrace, wrapping his arms around her.

'Are you going to win tonight my love?'

'Absolutely.'

Chapter 24

The wedding was still several months away but Danika couldn't help but feel a
certain unease, like something was going on that she just couldn't understand. She
had heard Lucian whispering to the staff, when she would enter the room they would
scurry away like little mice. Danika was always concerned for Lucian's state of
mind, fearing the return of the shadows. She worried for him, comparing his
sobriety to being on the edge of a cliff. One wrong move and he would plunge into
the depths of abuse again. But the presence of the staff was welcoming, she knew
that they would be there for him when she wasn't around. With that thought in mind,
she disregarded their odd behaviour as inconsequential. It was likely that it was
wedding related and Lucian wanted it to be a surprise. So she refrained from asking
too many questions, rather playing the cheeky woman he fell in love with and
casually snooped for information. There was none to be had, Lucian had wised up to
her antics and shut off all conversations about anything that he was tasked with in
relation to the wedding.
Danika woke in the warm embrace of her love, his arms wrapped around her tight,
pressing her against his body. His fingers trailed down her exposed back, gently
caressing the line of her spine. As it moved back up he kissed the top of her head.

'Time to get up my lovely.'

'I'd rather stay here for the rest of the day.'

'Me too, however we can't.' he grinned. 'Get up and dress. I have a surprise for
you.'

'For me?' Danika playfully fluttered her eyes.

Lucian nodded as he pressed his lips together, trying to hide the smile. He took
her hands and lifted her from the bed. His eyes couldn't help but wash over her
naked body, her curves were divine. She had a beautiful hour glass shape in perfect
proportion. His eyes stopped at the curve of her hip, the sweet slope that he loved
to hold tight when she loved him. He sat on the bed as the carnal thoughts of her
swamped his mind, the memories of watching her on top of him. Over and over again
taking command and leading the passion. She moved in front of him, the dressing
gown opened to the naked body below. His hand touched her stomach trailing to her
hips, all of the carnal thoughts washed away. He kissed her stomach, wondering when
it would hold life. Wondering when it would be the right time to make this body
bloom with their love. His eyes rose to hers as his lips pressed to the soft skin.

'In time, my love. There is no need to hasten it, when the time is right we will be
blessed.'

Lucian nodded as he wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her stomach.
Danika ran her fingers through his hair, the other hand held his shoulder. She knew
what he wanted, or what he thought he wanted. But for the time being, she wanted
something far more important. Time. Time for Lucian to heal, time for him to be
free from the burden of his past. And most important was the time to pass in
regards to his sobriety.

When they had dressed, Lucian led her to the master bedroom, a room that she hadn't
seen since that awful day. Lucian had spent his nights sleeping in the room beside
it, the room that had been Danika's when the filming was being done. She knew that
something was going on, he had stated that he didn't like the replacement furniture
and wanted something that suited the two of them. He opened the doors and pulled
her through, showing her the bare room. Everything was gone. The walls were
stripped bare; the curtains were gone. Just one shell of a room.

'This is for you to decide. Weave your magic and create a love nest for us.' he
grinned. 'Whatever you want.'

'So if I wanted to install pink carpet?'

Lucian raised an eyebrow but smiled.

'If that is what you want, then so be it.'

'Uh-huh.' she grinned 'Alright, one love nest with pink carpet coming up. What
colour do you want the walls? I was thinking green.'

'With pink carpet?'

'Yeah.' she widened her eyes to look a little crazy. 'And purple striped curtains.
I reckon I could find some bed linen that would go great, maybe a burnt orange.
Ooh! With gold scatter cushions.'

Lucian picked her up to a round of giggles, pressing her into the wall.

'You are pushing your luck.'

Danika tried not to giggle as they kissed but failed.

'There is another surprise for you.'

'Two in one day, I am a lucky girl.'

Lucian let her down from the wall and took her hand again, leading her back to the
corridor. Danika frowned at the bedroom door, she had remembered shutting it and
now it was open. She pushed open the door to see Elena and Rosa waiting for her. In
Elena's arms was a long dress, a deep aubergine material that looked like a mass of
taffeta. Rosa had several bags in her hands and sitting on the bed was a square
velvet box.

'I will leave you in the very capable hands of Elena and Rosa. They will bring you
to me when you are done.'

He took Danika's hand and kissed her palm.

'You think that you can hide things from me.' he grinned at her stunned face 'Not
today my love.'

Danika was speechless, wondering who had told him. She didn't exactly care,
figuring it was his business to know if they were getting married but still, she
hated this day.

'Just another day older.' she muttered after he left. 'Alright, let's get this over
with.'

Lucian had to be quick, he had to get ready and then ensure that all the
preparations were in order. Theodore was waiting for him outside the ball room.

'Sire, everything is ready. Your clothes are waiting for you in my room, is that
alright?'

'Of course Theodore, thank you.'

He quickly moved toward the servant's quarters, momentarily stopping to look at the
new area. The builder had done an amazing job, creating a homely space for them.
Theodore's room had been extended to accommodate Elena, allowing them to rest
together. Rosa and William's rooms had an overhaul and their common area was very
modern and functional. There was a new extension for the guards, a common room that
was attached to a new state of the art control room. Cameras now littered the
grounds, the guards could watch everything from the comfort of the room. Lucian
continued through to Theodore's room, finding the tuxedo waiting for him.

When he returned to Theodore, he was relieved to see that Danika wasn't waiting
yet. Theodore held out the two soft bags with a smile and then waited by the doors
to the ball room. After ten minutes of nervous pacing by Lucian, Danika walked
through the corridors, stunned at what she saw. He was dressed in a full tuxedo,
his hair neatly styled, looking incredible. Even Theodore was wearing a tuxedo.
Lucian smiled as she approached, the dress looked stunning on her. A full skirt
that puckered up in sections with little gems holding it in place. The bodice was
tight to her frame with more little gems scattered across the bust, raining down
the bodice. Her hair was swept up into a mass of curls and nestled at the very top
was the tiara.

'Theodore, would you give us a moment?'

'Certainly sire.'

He waited until Theodore and the maids were a few steps away, they went as far as
the staircase, waiting for the master to beckon for their return.

'You look divine.' he kissed her cheek softly 'You know that you are the light of
my life.'

Lucian took her hand, his thumb running over the engagement ring.

'You sent the shadows away, giving my life reason when I thought that there was
nothing. You make me want to be a better man, a reason to strive for a better life.
When the sun rises of a morning, I have a smile on my face because you are there,
beside me. When I close my eyes of a night, I rest easy in the dark because I know
that you will never let go. My world is yours, I owe you everything.'

Gently he wiped the tears from under her eyes, trying to avoid making a mess of her
make-up.

'Happy birthday.'

Danika wrapped her arms around him, trying not to cry. She hated getting older but
if her birthdays were going to be this sweet, she wouldn't mind any more. When she
let go, Lucian held out a soft bag for her. She took it and pulled out the
contents, a black filigree mask. Lucian took it from her and put it on her. It was
soft and moulded to her face with ease. When he was done tying the ribbon, he
slipped his own on and gestured for Theodore and the maids. Danika looked at him,
he had his own black mask on, she quickly turned to Elena and Rosa, they had masks
on as well. Theodore and Rosa opened the doors to the ball room and Danika stared
in shock. The room was filled with people. Men in tuxedos, women in colourful ball
gowns. All of them had masks on, varying in types and colours. Lucian took her hand
and led her into the room as the music started. A small quartet sat in the corner
of the room, playing for them as the room came alive. Everyone started dancing,
swirling around the room as if it was choreographed to perfection.

'A reason to celebrate.' Lucian smiled at her 'Now I have reason. Now I want to
celebrate.'

He looked at her, she was still stunned.

'My fair lady.' he bowed to her 'May I have the pleasure of the first dance?'

'Uh... ok.'

Lucian laughed and took her hand, leading her to the dance floor.

As they danced, Danika tried to make out who was here. She could see her brother,
Baz and Spencer. She didn't know if Lucian had seen it, but Spencer was dancing
with Marinya. Louise was dancing with someone Danika didn't recognise. He swung her
around and Danika caught sight of the brilliant blue eyes below the mask. Danika
quietly gasped as they continued to dance, watching her sister smiling like a loon.

Lucian moved her around the floor with ease, Danika didn't realise it but he had
been secretly preparing her for this event. Under the ruse of learning to dance for
their wedding, Lucian had insisted on at least an hour each day practising
different dances. Every single night after dinner, one of the maids would sit at
the piano and play as Lucian taught Danika how to dance. Night after night in this
very grand room, he would give her lessons. There had been a few occasions where
his grandparents and great grandparents had joined them. Many times they had
forgotten to keep their feet on the ground and ended up swirling around the room in
the air. It had Danika thoroughly awestruck, watching them as they floated around
the room, looking incredibly happy.

The music stopped and everyone slowed around them. Lucian looked down at Danika,
softly kissing her lips as they stood in the centre of the crowd.

'Are you happy my love?'

'Very.' she gushed 'You sure do know how to show this girl a good time.'

'I live to see you smile and if it means throwing you a birthday party, then I will
do it every year.'

*************************

'Damned infernal dresses.' Lucian muttered 'It's any wonder that anyone was able to
procreate when these were fashionable.'

Danika giggled as she leaned on the foot board of the bed, waiting for Lucian to
make his way through the lacing on her back.

'Maybe they just lifted the skirts and had them against the walls.'

Danika sauntered over to the wall, watching Lucian as he undressed, slowly walking
to her. Everything was dropped where he was standing, watching her with
anticipation. He stood before her in just his pants, her hand trailed over his firm
chest.

'I would prefer you to be out of this but for now...' he chuckled lifting the skirt
of her dress 'It will do.'

She gasped as he pushed her to the wall, pulling her legs around his waist. As they
kissed his fingers continued to undo the lacing on her back, he preferred to feel
her delicate skin pressed against his. Danika laced her fingers through the soft
hair on his head, tilting it to one side so that she could bite him. He groaned
roughly as she sunk them deep, feeling her extract the blood was an unbearably
amazing feeling. Lucian could feel he was about halfway down her back, his fingers
were frantically fumbling the strings through the eyelets. He could hear her gasp
as she pulled out, leaning back to the wall as the blood started to trickle from
the corner of her mouth. The bodice of the dress had loosened, freeing her just
enough to heighten his lust. His senses inflamed with the smell of his blood, he
drew in a deep breath, inhaling the scent. It fanned the flames of his blood lust,
spurning on his need. He pulled the bodice down more and sank his fangs into the
side of her breast. Danika let out a breathy whimper as her body heaved with the
sensations. His hands moved under the mountain of dress between the two of them and
unzipped his pants. With a little taste of her blood his lust was accelerated, he
pulled his fangs out as his fingers continued to move material. Moving aside,
moving apart. Blood trailed down her neck as he caressed his fingers under her
pants, taking a tentative touch. She gasped, leaning her head back onto the wall,
elongating her neck. The temptation was too great for Lucian as he pushed into her,
he bit her neck.
Danika groaned as she felt the full force of him, slowly drinking her blood as he
took her against the wall. His movements were hard and fast, like he hadn't been
with her in ages. When he had another little taste of her sweet blood, he licked
the punctures, suckling at the weeping wounds. Lucian pulled out of her and let her
feet down, turning her around to continue freeing her from the material cage.
Danika had one euphoric grin on her face as she leaned on the wall, waiting for the
frenzy to start again. She loved it when he was like this, it was hot and heavy and
always amazing. With a few muttered curse words about over the top dresses and
ridiculous lacing, the dress fell to the floor at her feet. She giggled as he
pressed his chest to her back, wrapping his arms around her. His lips pressed
against her shoulder as one hand trailed up her stomach. He pulled her against his
body away from the wall, caressing her as he clamped down on her again. Slowly he
dragged the blood from her, waiting patiently as she succumbed to the glorious
feelings coursing through her. His other hand trailed up her body, barely touching
her skin. Danika shivered at his touch, moaning when he took her in hand. She could
feel his warm breath on her body, his fangs penetrating deep into her skin as he
toyed with her. Teasing her. Both hands were forceful but still gentle as he
massaged the flesh. Lucian could hear her breathing become more frantic, getting
closer by the second. He withdrew his fangs and licked the wounds again, sending
her over. Her moan was disjointed and a little breathy as the feelings flushed
through her.

The warmth of his body left hers as he stepped away from, as she turned she leaned
on the wall. Lucian had moved onto the bed to wait for her to join him. Danika
stepped out of the dress that had pooled at her feet, kicking off the almost
shredded panties and painful shoes. As she passed the bedside she gently returned
the tiara to the box and then crawled onto the bed at his knees. Feather light
kisses up his body caused him to sigh with pleasure, feeling the soft touch of her
lips against his torso. Her fangs scraped over the skin scratching the surface
enough to weep a little blood. She dragged her tongue over the scratches, her
sultry gaze never leaving Lucian's eyes. Lucian couldn't get over how well she had
taken on the life of a vampire, she fed without issue, she embraced the life that
was his world. And then there were moments like these, mated love was always better
but when she fed from him, he felt like he was awakened to a whole new world.

Two green eyes stared at him from his torso, so large and full of life, she coyly
smiled at him as she pressed her lips to his sternum making her way higher with
each sweet kiss. He tucked her fringe behind her ear, trailing his fingers over her
cheek. Danika moved higher at his insistence, kissing deep and needfully. He rolled
her onto her back, settling in between her legs, looking down into those beautiful
eyes. Resting one arm beside her head, he ran his fingers over her lips as they
stretched out to smile at him.

'I've never been the gambling type.' his voice was low and husky as he grinned 'But
I do believe I have won the lottery.'

Danika rolled her eyes as she laughed.

'Corn ball.'

'Too corny huh? How about, did you hurt yourself when you fell?'

'Because I'm an angel and I've fallen from heaven?'

'Yeah.' he grinned. 'Did I tell you I went to the doctor yesterday? He said I'm
lacking vitamin U.''

Danika couldn't help but grin, trying to stifle the laughter.

'Said you need some vitamin me.'

'Is that right?'

'Uh-huh. I can give you some vitamin me right now.'

'Interesting proposal, but I think I'm enjoying the corny pickup lines.'

'You'd rather terrible one liners instead of the naked man in between your legs?'

'One more.'

'Alright.' Lucian rolled his eyes.

Danika watched as he lowered to her leaning both arms beside her head. He kissed
her on the jaw moving slowly toward her lips as he pressed harder against her. She
moaned as she gasped, as he did it again she wished he would end the torment and
love her.

'For a moment I thought that I had died and gone to heaven.'

Lucian kissed her on the corner of her mouth as she wrapped her arms around him
'But now I see that I am very much alive.'

His lips scraped over hers as he kissed the other corner, pushing himself deep into
her. Danika gasped again, her eyebrows pressed together feeling the glorious
sensation of her love as he filled her.

'And heaven has been brought to me.'

Chapter 25

As the tour continued, Danika poured over magazines trying to find the right dress.
She didn't want to be a fluff ball, she didn't want some over the top piece, she
wanted plain and simple. To her surprise she had quite a few helpers, showing her
where to find the best dress maker in all of mid jump. Her help came in the form of
Lucian's sisters and his mother. Their reasoning was simple, she was marrying the
heir to the realm, the king of Rostonin and everyone would be watching. Danika had
never thought of it like that, to her she was marrying Lucian and everything else
was forgotten. She stood in the dressmaker as the women cooed over the pictures.
Danika would have liked Louise maybe even Brendan to be there with her. But unless
they turned, neither could pass into mid jump and there was no way that Alina would
allow anyone other than this dressmaker to make her dress. This woman was the ant's
pants of the wedding dress world and it was no surprise that the dressmaker had
material and lace waiting for the woman that would marry Lucian. So out was the
plain and simple and in was the lace dress with a train. Danika might have
complained if she cared, but she didn't. She'd be happy to marry him wearing
whatever was in her wardrobe, she didn't care either way. This dressmaker made her
life easy, all she had to do was say yes to the style of dress she wanted and that
was it. She had to admit, it was a beautiful dress, the lace sat high on her chest
dropping over her back to a v shape, exposing her skin. The material underneath was
a sweetheart neckline that the lace hugged against her thin frame.

Seeing as she didn't have a lot of time, Danika allowed a consultant to organise
things. The woman was being watched by the very concerned Alina and Terrance. Both
of them wanted the wedding to be perfect and were concerned with the choice of the
location for the ceremony. This was Lucian's decision, he wouldn't have it anywhere
else so they had to accept the decision, although they wondered if all of the
guests would fit. Danika gaped at the list of invitees, she had a dozen family
members, a few people associated with her career, a couple of friends. She thought
that it would add to fifty at the very most. Lucian however had a list as long as
her arm. Kings and queens of all of the kingdoms, there was the family on his
father's side that was from the shifter realm, they outnumbered her list on them
alone. Then there were the friends from the wolf realm, the friends from this
realm, she couldn't think of a church or reception venue large enough to cover this
many people. Once the list of invitees had been completed, Lucian knew his plan for
the wedding venue was in serious jeopardy, there was no way that all of these
people would fit into the area. It was in a conversation that he had with his
mother that they discussed his idea and the problems that he was now facing. He
desperately wanted this location and she could see the importance to him and
offered him a solution. Lucian thought his mother was brilliant, the solution was
perfect and he wondered why he had never seen it.

The tour bus returned to the castle the day before the wedding and Danika gaped at
the utter bedlam that was her new home. If Lucian had been out of sorts with them
when they were shooting the video clip, then this must have been his own personal
hell. There were people everywhere. Catering was beginning to be set up, delivery
people were bringing in chairs and tables, boxes of god only knows what. The
wedding coordinator greeted her as she stepped off the bus and caught her up on
everything since their last meeting. Apparently the florist had personally visited
the site to ensure the flower colours were correct and Danika thought that it was
very odd. The cake had been delivered and was sitting in the cool room, the
photographer had been to scope out some choice spots for pictures. Theodore bustled
down the stairs to take her bags. He looked the happiest she had ever seen him. It
was a good sign; Lucian was having a good day. His sobriety had been one very long
and hard road; he had remained clean but there had been times where he had almost
gone back to his ways. She knew he had it in him to be strong but she knew that the
only reason he stayed sober was because of her. He was winning the battle but she
knew it was hard for him. Her love would guide him and help him, she knew that she
had to remain positive, for his sake.

'Good afternoon your highness.'

'Hello Theodore, I'm Danika not your highness.'

He looked uncomfortable to her, clearly it wasn't in his abilities to call her by

her name. He was an old school vampire and she knew that he would much prefer to be
formal.

'After the service tomorrow I will permit such formalities until then it's Danika.'

'Of course.' he bowed and took her bag to her room.

Danika shook her head with a grin, there would be no way that he could cope with
the next twenty-four hours, she knew it would slip out without him knowing.

'You're such a meanie.'

She gasped with a grin, that deep sexy voice was unmistakable. Turning to him she
leaped into his waiting arms for one very overdue hug. After all, she hadn't seen
him since this morning. It had been a long day, the band had interviews in the
morning and then travelling to the castle. While they were on the road they had
done interviews over the phone which Danika thought was worse than being in front
of the camera. It was done, the tour was over, she was marrying one very handsome
man very soon and everything was perfect in her life. But like always she was
waiting for the perfection to crumble. She knew what it was, she was considering
leaving the band. Brendan would have a meltdown about it, Spencer and Baz would be
annoyed but Lucian's offer to become his assistant was far too tempting. The role
was something that she could enjoy, she loved the world of vampires and the thought
of going back to university to finish her education was thrilling. She craved the
structure that it gave and that she would get from the routine of her new role. Her
usual approach to new things had been considered in her very logical way, her pro
list outnumbered the con list and the only thing stopping her was actually taking
that first step. But now that the tour was over, that first step was right in front
of her. She would get the wedding out of the way and then she would make the
decision that she had already made.

Lucian took her hand and pulled her to the stairs, a mighty grin slapped across his
face. She had never seen him so happy.

'I have something to show you.'

Lucian led her through the house and to the garden, past the fountain and down the
path. Through the glass windows of the ball room, she could see the tables being
placed and set up, the decorations being hung. She thought it looked romantic, the
coordinator had outdone herself.

As Danika walked down the path with Lucian she noted that in her absence a lot had
been done. She knew he had been doing repairs to the castle but the amount of work
that had been done was more than she knew. Of a morning she would head straight for
the gate, not having the time to look around the yard or the castle. When she
returned of a night it was dark and she would be tired and in need of rest. So it
was no surprise that she hadn't seen much of any of the work that had been done.
The builder was making his way through the list, getting things done quickly and
efficiently. Danika wasn't one for venturing into unknown areas, especially if it
wasn't safe. A lot of the areas had to be propped up until the works were completed
and deemed safe to go into. The nail gun was going off in quick succession, Danika
knew he would be eager to get certain things done before the wedding.

'I've decided.'

Lucian stopped and turned to her, waiting for her answer. He had let her decide
this one without bothering her about it, unlike her response to getting married.
Lucian wanted to be sure that she made this choice without any influence.

'I haven't told the boys yet but I am leaving.'

'Are you sure about that?'

'My heart isn't in it; in fact, I don't think it ever was. I was only ever a
temporary addition until they found their perfect person and besides, I think I'd
rather be around for Louise now.'

Lucian nodded solemnly and turned back to the path. He didn't know what to think.
He was ecstatic that she was going to be around a lot more but sad that she was
giving away her music career. There was no doubt that she would have thought about
this for a very long time, he knew that she wouldn't take this lightly but it
didn't make it any easier on him. She had been dismissive of it and he didn't know
if that was an excuse to justify the decision or if it was the truth. All he could
do was accept it and move forward.

They turned at the fountain to the path that held those memories, the path where
his grandparents and great grandparents rested. Lucian had asked her not to go down
the path as he wanted it to be a surprise, a gift for his love that repaired a deep
wound in his family. The path to the gate was trimmed and neat, the brick work had
been repaired and the gate moved freely, no longer did they need two hands to open
it. Her eyes opened with wonder, the land around had been cleared, in its place was
grass. The trees were now sparse but healthy, the leaves had returned. And from the
gate the tomb could be seen, Danika saw a strange sight.

'Lucian, what's all that?'

He pulled her up the path toward the now larger area.

'This is where we are going to marry tomorrow, I had the wall removed to create
more space.'

She looked at the new area, just as he said the brick wall only went half way up
the path, as it got closer to the house it took a turn and now sat flush with an
exterior wall of the castle.

'Now all of the guests will be able to fit in here.'

'You want the wedding in here, not in a church?'

'I want it here because this is where you healed my family, my mother. This is
where I knew that I loved you.'

Lucian saw the strained look on her face.

'Do you not want it here?'

'No it's fine, really, I love the idea of it, I just thought it would bring bad
memories because of that.'

She gestured to the gates of the tomb.

'I have spoken with my mother and she is fine, she loves the idea of it being here.
To us, this place no longer holds pain, it holds hope. Hope for a better future.'

'This place is beautiful. The gardener has done an amazing job.'

Her fingers gently touched the flowers along the edge of the wall. Lucian pulled
her hand to the castle edge. His hand rubbed the cold stone work.

'When everything settles down, I want to put large glass doors here, so that we can
sit and look out on our garden.'

'Sure.'

'I have good news.'

'Oh?'

'I have time off from my duties, mother is going to take over for two weeks as
caretaker of the kingdom.'

Lucian gently pushed her to the wall. She grinned as he kissed her neck, nuzzling
into her soft skin.

'So we can have our honeymoon after all.'

Danika's grin turned to a full blown smile. It was a very heated argument that they
had a few months ago about Lucian's workload and his inability to take time off for
a honeymoon. It was an argument that lead to Lucian disappearing for several hours
and Danika freaking out when she realised he was gone. She had found him here,
talking to his grandfather. Her concerns for his health were abated, he had sought
his grandfather's opinion on the subject.

'Where are we going?'

'Ketarna Beach.'

'In the shifter realm?'

He nodded as he made his way up to her chin with little kisses.

'Did you get the suite we looked at?'

'Uh-huh.'

'Oh baby you are amazing.'

He chuckled as they kissed softly quickly turning into a rather heated kiss. It had
been a week, Danika had put a no sex ban on him, ensuring their wedding night would
be the best night. Passionate and needy, the want for each other was driving them
crazy.

'When are we leaving?'

'Morning after.'

'Tomorrow night here?'

'A hotel in mid jump.'

Lucian had made his way in between her legs, pressing himself into her as they
kissed passionately. Her hand slid into his hair, she had missed his touch so much
over the past week, even sleeping in bed beside him was difficult. She mewled in
his kiss, her eyebrows creased as she frowned, knowing that they had to stop.
Otherwise they wouldn't be able to.

'Lucian.' she breathed as he finally let go and kissed down her neck. 'We have to
stop.'

'I don't want to.' he whispered into her neck.

'Baby, please, not here.'

Lucian knew she was right, this wasn't the place to be doing that. His grandparents
might see and that wouldn't be very nice for them. He pressed his forehead to hers
and looked at her, she at him. His fingers caressed her jaw as he grinned softly,
knowing he had found his heaven.

'I have something I want to show you, seeing as we are showing off things that we
have done.' she smiled, taking his hand.

Lucian and Danika stood at the door to the master bedroom. There was one little
note stuck to it that read keep out Lucian. He had obeyed her request and hadn't
ventured into the room since giving her free reign over it. He wondered if he was
going to see pink carpet and green walls like she teased him with. Of course, he
knew she was joking. She had made him mark out different things in magazines so
that she could get an idea of what he liked. Danika didn't want it to be all about
what she wanted, this was supposed to be their room, not hers. With one big breath,
she took the door handle in hand and swung the door open. Lucian took a tentative
step in, seeing one very romantic room. The walls were dark, in the daylight it
appeared reasonable but he knew that come night time when the lights were on, it
would be one sultry room. He squinted at the colour, it was a dark green.

'It's green.' he laughed.

'Well, kind of green.' she shrugged 'More like a brown green I suppose.'

'Where's the pink carpet?'

'I thought the polished floorboards were nicer.'

The light fitting had been replaced with a small chandelier, there was a new lounge
that sat in front of the fire place. This time there was just the one, a white
fabric love seat which he knew was just right. He could imagine laying on it with
Danika in his arms, listening to the crackle of the fire on a cold winter night. On
the mantle were several pictures, one of the two of them from her birthday. The two
of them were wrapped up in each other, looking very happy.

He turned to see Danika sitting on the bed, she was surrounded by large white
pillows, nestled atop a plain white bed cover. It was perfectly plain for the
upholstered bed head that sat behind the pillows. Lucian grinned as he walked over
and closed the door, turning the lock. He turned and sauntered over to the foot of
the bed, kicked off his shoes and crawled up the length.

'Not until tomorrow night.' Danika purred with pure lust in her voice.

'Tease.'

Lucian settled in between her legs at her knees and undid the buttons of his shirt,
trailing his fingers down his chest.

'You don't want this?'

Danika bit her bottom lip, watching as he removed his shirt. His body seemed more
toned now, she wondered if he was keeping himself occupied by working out. She
watched as his fingers slid down his body to the button of his pants.

'What about this?' he popped the button and slid the zip down.

She shook her head much to Lucian's annoyance. He grabbed her legs and pulled her
down the bed, her backside was now at his knees.

'Much better.' he flashed a devilish smirk at her. 'Now I can do this.'

His hands pushed her legs apart, sliding along the inner thigh he pushed her skirt
higher. She was expecting him to misbehave but his hand kept moving higher. When he
reached her hip he nestled against her body, pressing himself into her. It made her
gasp, feeling the glorious sensations of having her love in between her legs.

'I am not going to, just so we're clear. You said tomorrow night and I will obey
your request.' Lucian grinned darkly as he squeezed the flesh on Danika's hip 'But
that doesn't mean I'm not going to tease you.'

Danika laughed as he pressed harder, trying to tease her. It was working, she was
desperate to have him. Her hand moved over his body, pressing hard against the skin
of his abdomen as they kissed. When she reached his pants he took her hand and
moved it to his shoulder. She giggled as they kissed, wondering if she had made the
right decision. The next twenty-four hours was going to be hell.
Chapter 26

Danika woke to the sounds of the birds chirping, singing sweetly as they flew
around the castle. It was almost like a magical fairy tale as she rose from the bed
and rubbed her sleepy eyes. Of course it wasn't a fairy tale, if it was, she would
have had her love in the bed beside her. It was the first night apart from each
other since her return to the castle and his life and she missed him incredibly.
Lucian had gone to stay at his parents, not wishing to risk seeing each other.
Danika didn't care for old superstitions, she wanted to snuggle into his body, to
wake beside him and spend the entire day with him. But Lucian wasn't having any
part of it. After dinner last night he had parted for his parent's place, leaving
Danika with a soft kiss on the lips and feeling rather bereft. She sighed rather
loudly and then went in search of something to eat. Her family and band members
were sitting at the table, looking happy yet sad. They had that conversation last
night. The one where she told them that as much as she loved being in the band, her
heart wasn't in it anymore. She had this life now, one where she was going to be a
queen and more importantly, Lucian's assistant. Danika knew how much he needed
help, even before he had mentioned it she could see the burden weighing him down.
She didn't want him to succumb to the evils of his past because he couldn't handle
his life. There was a strange mood in the air, one that was a little awkward. Her
family loved her and only wanted the best for her but they couldn't help but wonder
if she was making the right decision. They wondered if Lucian's influence over her
was growing too quickly. But none of them understood why she had made the choices
that she had, she couldn't tell them of the true darkness that was his past. She
knew that her mother wouldn't approve of him if she knew of the vices, but then
again, her mother didn't approve of Lucian because he was a vampire. But the past
drug use was a problem, her mother had been very open in discouraging her
relationship with Seth because of his abuse. It wouldn't matter that he was king or
that he had changed his ways, her mother would tell her that with time Lucian would
revert to his old habits.

Danika believed in him, she knew that he could do it if he believed in himself. But
that was the problem with Lucian, he had little faith in his abilities. She knew
that she had to be a constant in his life in order to help him succeed, she had to
be there when things turned bad to ensure that he stayed on the right path. Danika
knew there was no straight forward with running a kingdom, she envisaged many
issues in their years ahead. And that was why she knew it was imperative that she
be his assistant. She didn't want anyone else in the role, it wasn't out of
distrust or jealousy. Danika thought that no one would have the compassion needed
to be by his side, whether it was a male or a female assistant. That was her
reasoning, there was no one better suited than her.

She also knew that her mother wasn't overly impressed that she was a vampire now,
but she said nothing. It was like there was a wedge that had been driven between
her and her mother. Danika felt cheated by it, sure she would have turned for
Lucian but the fact that her turning had been done to save her life meant little to
her mother. She had said on numerous occasions during the conversation the previous
night that Lucian was forcing her to do things, that she was under his spell and
didn't really want to leave the band. It didn't matter what Danika countered her
statements with, her mother was singular minded in the belief that her daughter had
changed for the worse. Danika looked to her sister for help, Louise was just as bad
in their mother's opinion. Much to their mother's disgust, Louise was fraternising
with a dark being as well. Danika could see the pain in her sister's eyes, every
time her mother had said something about it, Louise had ended up in tears. She
didn't know what to do, her mother was so stubborn and negative. If she kept going
on, it would ruin the whole day. Danika was going to stand to walk away when
Brendan snapped. She didn't think he would ever retaliate against their mother, but
he did.
'Stop it.' he snarled under his breath 'You are wrong and if you don't shut up and
keep your opinions to yourself you will ruin Danika's day. This isn't about you
it's about her.'

Danika looked at Baz and Spencer who looked like they wanted to shrink away.

'Vampires will be the death of us.' she snapped back 'And as for you, I'm mortified
at the abomination that you cavort around with.'

Louise could feel her emotions crumble, her mother was everything and to have her
call her love an abomination was heartbreaking.

'Ok, that's it.' Brendan snapped as he stood from the chair. 'Get out. Theodore!'

'Master Randall?'

'Have the guards escort her out of this place. She is no longer allowed here.'

Theodore raised his eyebrow at Brendan, wondering why he was being so abrasive
toward his mother and ordering him when it wasn't technically his place to do so.
Louise was in tears and Baz and Spencer were looking at the door with desperation.
He looked to Danika, seeing the anguish on her face. She gave him a nod, Theodore
returned the nod and scurried away to the guard's room. Seconds later two guards
appeared, their mother sneered at them.

'Don't bother, I can walk just fine.'

Danika watched as her mother stomped through the entry. She took a deep breath and
turned to Theodore who had just appeared.

'Would you kindly order a cab for the old bat please.'

'Of course.' he bowed and left her to comfort her sobbing sister.

Her mother had always been of that opinion, she hated the fact that the humans had
bowed down to the vampires so long ago. She was too close to going rogue and Danika
knew what that meant. If she didn't change her opinion soon she knew there would be
a list somewhere with her mother's name on it. It was her father that had been from
the long line of trusted humans, her mother's line was from the farm and regularly
told everyone that her family had escaped. Of course Danika knew the truth, her
grandparents had been bought by a vampire family. When they had become pregnant
they applied for release and were granted it. Her grandparents were good people but
their daughter wasn't. Danika knew that her time on this earth was slowly ticking
away and there wasn't a single thing she could do about it. Her mother would never
change her opinion. Even during her education Danika had tried to enlighten her
mother to the world of vampires but she refused to hear it, stating that she was
wrong and that she shouldn't be studying them.

Danika sighed very loudly, pulling the chair closer to Louise and sat down, taking
her hand.

'She is wrong Lulu, your love is not an abomination, I think he is very sweet.'

Louise let out a pained laugh as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

'Now, dry those tears because if you don't stop then I might start and then all of
the damned photos will have us looking like a pair of blubbering idiots.'
It was mid-morning before Rosa entered her room and opened the curtains, softly
humming as she made her way around the room. Danika smiled as she listened to the
happy woman going about her duties, there was a new level of optimism in the castle
now. Rosa turned and saw Danika had entered the room, her heart filled with joy at
the thought of the day's events.

'Good morning.'

Danika laughed, it wasn't in Rosa's abilities to not call her by a royal title
either.

'Good morning Rosa.'

Rosa looked at Danika as she crossed the room, moving from the walk in robe.

'My lady, forgive me but we heard the altercation this morning.'

'It is alright Rosa, we co-habitat in this castle and when things like that happen
I wouldn't find it unreasonable that all would know about it.'

Rosa nodded as she let go of the curtain and pressed out her dress, trying to find
the right words to be rather delicate and not crossing the line with her.

'May I ask if you and your siblings are alright?'

'We are fine. Our mother's opinion on vampires is nothing new to us and as for my
brother kicking her out.' Danika shrugged 'It's fine. If she is going to be like
that then I do not want her here ruining this day. Lucian is in a very good mood
and I will not have her spoil our day or his sobriety. She will never accept him
and as for our children.' She sighed as she sat on the edge of the bed. 'I'd rather
not have her poisonous words around innocent children. It is for the best Rosa; I
know that you might not understand it but it's been a long time coming.'

'But you know of the rules of our world, right? You've studied enough to know that
her thoughts and opinions could land her in hot water.'

Danika nodded sadly.

'If she is smart then she will learn a lesson from today and keep her trap shut.'

Rosa pursed her lips at the thought, wondering what should be done about it. She
didn't want to say anything about it but letting a rogue roam around wasn't exactly
allowed. The only consolation that Rosa could find was that Danika's mother was all
talk. She had never acted out on any of her words, she had never even contemplated
violence towards the vampires. It was something that Rosa could use as an excuse
for allowing her to remain alive.

Danika looked up at Rosa, hearing whispers of words escape through her wall.

'You do realise that the shifter and wolf royal families will be here today,
right?'

Rosa nodded.

'I wouldn't think it was in my mother's nature to be violent but I will not have...
issues.' Danika stood from the bed and moved closer to Rosa 'Have the guards
increase security around the exterior walls, triple the staff if necessary.'

'His highness has already ordered extra security for today, my lady.'
'Yes but that was before the possibility of a threat. The old bat is full of hot
air but I do not want to worry today.'

'Of course.'

Rosa curtsied and scurried out of the room. Danika closed her eyes as she let out a
long winded sigh. Inner peace was somewhere, she had no clue where but she thought
if she stopped for a moment, she might just find it.

Louise was puffed when she finally found Danika, she was at the end of a corridor
leaning on a wall looking out the window.

'There you are.' she huffed 'Come on, time to get ready or you'll be late.'

'Isn't it customary for the bride to be a little late?'

'Not when it's in your bloody back yard. Hurry up, the maids are waiting.'

She left her view of the garden where she would soon be getting married. The
coordinator had decorated the area with white paper lanterns that were swinging in
the gentle breeze and Danika couldn't wait to get down there for a closer
inspection.

After much poking and prodding, Elena and Rosa had pulled Danika's hair up into an
up-style of curls, dotting little white flowers into the lustrous black hair. When
it was done, she stared at her reflection in the mirror feeling rather down. Louise
rubbed her back, knowing exactly what was going through her mind.

'Was it wrong to cast her out? With dad gone she's all we've got.'

'Neeke.' she soothed 'You know she won't change, why would you want her here
ruining your special day?'

Danika nodded and lowered her head, trying to push the sadness away.

'I miss dad.'

'So do I but we can't turn back time.' Louise laughed 'Could you imagine what he
would have said if he heard what mum said?'

She laughed, imagining her father's response.

'Probably exactly what Brendan said. He is a clone of dad.'

Louise rolled her eyes as she scoffed with laughter.

'Ok miss, you've got five minutes before the scheduled start time and you are still
sitting in a dressing gown.'

'And my underwear.' she grinned.

'Yes, well I could imagine that none of the guests want to see you in your
underwear.' Louise stopped and thought about it 'Well, there might be a few but I
don't think Lucian would be impressed.'

'Impressed?' she snorted with laughter 'He'd probably gouge their eyes out so they
couldn't see and then refuse to fix them as punishment for looking.'
'Who dares to be the one who upsets our merciless vampire king by gazing upon his
beloved in her unmentionables?' she sighed cheekily.

Danika stood at the edge of the paved area, looking at the stone path before her.
Louise was dressed in a deep blue dress that made her look gorgeous, her long
blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun. Brendan appeared beside her, looking
incredible in his suit. He had gone all out for this day, after Danika had asked
him to take their fathers place and lead her down the aisle, he insisted that he go
and find someone to make him a suit. She thought that he looked so much like their
father it was crazy. The staff quickly scurried past them, stopping to quickly bow
or curtsy. Danika smiled as she watched them continue onto the garden in their own
finery. It was something that her and Lucian had quietly discussed one night, the
fact that they had been in servitude to his family for a very long time. They had
been there for him, trying to help him without his knowledge, trying to stop his
vices as best they could. And that was why staff had been hired to serve the guests
at the reception and the household staff were invited to the wedding.

Brendan held out his elbow, waiting for Danika to take it. They took a slow walk
through the garden, past the fountain and turning the corner to the gate. Beyond
the gate she could see a carpet of white petals that had just been laid, some of
them flew into the breeze. As they drew closer the string quartet started to play,
Louise stepped through first but Brendan held back.

'I can't say that I'm happy that you've left the band Neeke but I understand your
reasons. However, I am happy that you and Lucian are getting married, we owe him so
much for saving you.'

Danika smiled at her brother, wondering when he had become so old.

'Thanks Bren.' she grinned 'Now get me down that aisle before I explode or pass
out... or something.'

Brendan stepped through the gate first, holding her hand as she lifted the soft
material of her dress, allowing her to step over the brickwork and onto the rose
petals. He smiled at his sister, glad that she had found someone to love her like
this. Lucian had done a fair amount in this garden, he had seen him this morning,
instructing the gardener and the coordinator. Danika didn't know that he had
slipped into the estate to ensure everything was to his liking. As she let the
material go and took Brendan's arm again, she looked over the garden. The lanterns
were still moving in the gentle breeze, the carpet of white petals stretched
through the garden on the path ahead. Fairy lights were wrapped around the trees,
hanging long lines between them. They didn't do much for lighting but they were
sweet and delicate. The guests were standing as she approached, turning with looks
of love and happiness.

'You wanna know a secret?' Brendan whispered.

'Sure.' she grinned.

'He's been here all morning. Did everything, even had a board walk over the petals
so that no one would crush them.'

Danika grinned, it was the little things that meant so much. Something that she
would have never thought about, but he had. Her grin continued as they got closer,
she could see Lucian and it was no surprise as to the man beside him. Phabel had
become a good influence on Lucian and Danika didn't need to worry for him when they
were together. Lucian smiled one crazy grin as Danika stopped before him, she
looked like an angel.
'You like?' he whispered.

'Very much so, it's beautiful.'

'A beautiful garden for my beautiful bride.'

Epilogue
'I swear he has done it intentionally.'

'Oh don't be ridiculous Lucian. It has nothing to do with the maker's wicked sense
of humour.'

'Mm-hmm.' he shook his head. 'Being punished for my misdeeds against womankind.'

Danika chuckled, thinking he probably deserved it. She watched as the little hand
curled around his finger, wrapping tight. Her pretty blue eyes stared up, yawning.
Seconds later she crinkled her face, as she tensed her face went red and an
almighty cry bellowed out.

'What a set of lungs.' Lucian grinned as he picked her up 'You want mamma I
suppose? Dad's not good enough anymore.'

'It didn't last very long.'

Danika sat back against the head board of their bed and took the little bundle from
Lucian, settling her in for a feed. The nurse had helped with the delivery, like
many vampires they had decided to have the birth at home. She was off somewhere
with Elena and Rosa, they had cleaned up the room and departed soon after. The
woman was going to give them a few minutes alone and then she would return to
ensure all was moving well. Lucian didn't understand what she meant by it but
figured it was some sort of medical nonsense that he wouldn't understand any way.

'You know you can feed her if you really want.'

'Mothers milk for the first six months Danika, you know what we were told.'

Lucian ran his fingers over the soft blonde hair of his daughter, only a few
minutes old and she had him completely enthralled. He would do anything for her,
much like her mother. Lucian watched as she greedily suckled the milk, closing her
eyes and slowly slipping into sleep.

It had been a long time before her arrival. Danika wanted to ensure that everything
was right in their world. Lucian had been sober for five years now, he didn't even
drink. Danika worried that he had gone to the extreme, avoiding alcohol everywhere
he could, including human food that contained alcohol. His friends of old were gone
by the ways, now all that remained were those who were good for him. Phabel was a
constant in his life now, his partying ways were done with as well. Everyone that
entered the castle was scrutinised by Danika, she didn't want any unsavoury
characters in Lucian's life. Danika had finished her education, only needing to do
half of what was necessary because she had already started it prior to joining the
band. She had taken on the role of being the kings personal assistant, the very
handsome king in her opinion. She liked to be by his side, helping him with his
duties. Of course she was a complete distraction for him. Short skirts and tight
tops, bending at filing cabinets and sitting on the edge of his desk. It was likely
that the babe in her arms was created on one of the many encounters on his desk.
'So my sweet little angel, have you thought of a name for yourself yet?'

The eyes opened and she looked up to the voice, Lucian liked how she looked at him
when he spoke to her, though he wondered how much she could see.

'What about Willow?' he whispered 'Mum and I were married under a willow tree.'

She continued to feed as Lucian ran his fingers over her head, through the fine
hair that was soft to the touch.

He laid back on the bed with a soft sigh, thinking about that day five years ago.
Today was their fifth year of marriage and on this very same day their little babe
entered their world. She truly was a gift; Lucian saw her as a reward for his
efforts to remain clean. Even though Danika had stated that she wanted him to be
completely sober for several years before they considered children, they weren't
being overly cautious. At first he was annoyed that their bodies weren't
cooperating with his agenda but as the years passed and they settled into their
routine, he became more at ease with it. The five years gave them time to get to
know each other better, giving Lucian time to learn and understand his duties as
king and for Danika to slip into her role as queen. He accepted that their family
would come to them when the time was right.

'I like that name.' Danika smiled softly.

Lucian snapped out of his wandering thoughts and looked at his two favourite girls.
The child was now feeding from the other side. Lucian helped his lovely wife adjust
herself back into her clothes. As much as he loved the sight of her now that her
body had altered to be a mother, he had noticed in recent days she had become very
self-aware. She used to be at ease with her body, it wouldn't bother her to lay on
the bed for hours with him, both completely naked. But now she was always covered,
wrapped in layers that hid her beautiful form. Lucian said nothing and kissed her
on the cheek, trailing kisses along her jaw to her neck. He sat up from her body,
she was smiling but there was a certain stiffness to her body.

'Willow it is then.'

When Willow was done feeding, Danika sat her up gently rubbing her back. She could
see Lucian watching with pure fascination and passed her over, settling her at his
shoulder.

'Rub her back until she burps, I might have a shower.'

'Sure.'

Lucian watched as the smile slowly dropped from her face. He rubbed Willow's back
as Danika wandered into the bathroom.

'What is wrong with your mother young lady?' Lucian whispered.

Willow responded with one very loud eruption followed by the smell of vomit.

'Well that's just great.' he muttered. 'Your mother might not think that I'm being
punished but I think you are taking great joy in this.'

Lucian got off the bed and placed Willow into the bassinet. She looked up at him,
Lucian was expecting her to smile at him, the unspoken expression of payback for
womankind. But Willow didn't smile, Lucian turned her onto her side and pushed the
bassinet into the bathroom. He set it to the side and removed his shirt, tossing it
into the wash basket. Danika was under the water, hot and steamy as she pressed her
forehead to the tiles. It ran long lines down her back, her arms were wrapped
around her waist. Lucian frowned at the sight, it looked like she was in pain.

'Danika?'

Her head lifted from the tiles to look at him, puffed and reddened eyes told him
everything he needed to know.

'You're in pain.'

'It's fine. It will pass with a few days.'

Lucian sighed as he removed his pants and tossed them into the wash basket. He
walked over to her as she pressed her forehead to the tiles again. His hand washed
over her lower back, not finding anything wrong with her, he turned her around.
Danika pressed her back to the tiles, watching as his hands went over her abdomen
moving toward the pelvis. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she could feel the pain
intensify. Lucian let out a shocked laugh, his eyes darted up to Danika's.

'What?' she sniffed.

Lucian took her hand and pressed it to the side of her stomach, waiting for the
moment when she would understand. It wasn't a surprise that neither of them knew,
Lucian refused to search her womb so that they would get a surprise of what gender
the child would be. As he pressed Danika's hand firmly against the skin, something
kicked inside of her. Danika let out a cry of happiness as she hugged Lucian, now
she could understand the pain. She was still in labour.

'I think you should get back on the bed my lovely and I need to dress before the
nurse returns and gets the shock of her life.'

Slowly Danika took her soggy and sore body out of the shower and wrapped herself in
a dressing gown. Lucian smiled as he dried off, not wanting to tell her that he had
inadvertently seen the gender of the second child. He quickly dressed, hearing the
nurse returning to the room. Her words about returning to ensure everything was
going well now made sense, she had obviously known there was more than one in
there. He wandered out of the bathroom, hearing Willow kicking up a fuss, the nurse
was trying to reason with Danika that the child would be fine for a few moments.
Lucian picked her up and tried to settle her, frowning at Danika until she got back
on the bed. He nestled the child against him, there was something about a newborn
that was amazing. She smelled like nothing he had ever smelled before, she was so
tiny and perfect. That was until she clamped her fangs into the vein on his neck.

'Ow...ow... they're like little razors, ow.'

The nurse stood upright and scowled at Lucian.

'Mothers milk.'

'She did this all on her own.'

The nurse huffed and returned to Danika who was cringing with the pain. Willow
slowly suckled at his neck until she had enough. Lucian had rubbed her back for the
entire time, waiting patiently for her to be done. When she retracted her fangs and
settled against him, he kissed her chubby cheek and set her back into the bassinet.
There was no throwing up this time, she fell asleep even though the room was filled
with the sounds of her mother who was in the midst of a painful labour. Lucian
rounded the bed, climbing over the sheets that the nurse had brought with her. It
wasn't something that either of them had thought about, all they could think about
was the thoughts of bringing their child into this world in their home. The sheet
made all sorts of funny sounds as he crawled over it, the underside was lined with
plastic ensuring there was no transference. He could see her colour had faded from
her face and raided the basket at the end of the bed. Danika tried to refuse the
bag of blood but received scowls from both Lucian and the nurse. With one big huff
she took the bag and replenished her blood stock. Twenty minutes had passed before
the next child had arrived. The nurse settled the child onto Danika's chest as she
cleaned up and then quickly scurried out of the room. Lucian ran his fingers over
the soft delicate skin and fair blonde hair.

'I told you I was being punished, two girls.' Lucian scoffed. 'And what about you
my little princess, what would you like your name to be?'

Danika shook her head as she placed the child to the bed, wrapping her into a
nappy.

'You expect a child that is a few minutes old to answer you?'

'I do.' he grinned.

'You're crazy. What about Eden for a name?'

'Oh that's a good one. Eden and Willow, both names that represent our perfect
place. The place where I knew I loved their mother. What do you think Eden, do you
like your name?'

The child cried rather loudly.

'Well then.' he scoffed 'Don't like it then, see if I care.'

Danika shook her head with a grin.

'You are crazy, have I ever told you that?'

'I think you might have mentioned it once or twice.'

Lucian looked over the body that sat on the bed beside him. She was in a pair of
skimpy underpants that sat below her stomach, everything else had been cast aside
for the second birth. He couldn't detract his eyes from her glorious form. She was
stunning before she became pregnant but Lucian thought that she was intoxicating
now. He could look at her naked body all day and never tire of it. His mind was
cast back to the women who had been his past, how he had adored their bodies but it
was never like this. They were a fleeting moment for pleasure, this was forever. He
could run his fingers over her body with his eyes shut and he would know where
every tattoo was, every mark, every dimple. With the previous there was no care for
their mood or their cycle, how their day had been or how it was going to be. But
with Danika he knew it all, he knew her body better than she did and was always her
pain relief. Previously he had thought of it as a pain, detracting from his sex
life but now he saw it as a way to bring their love closer and showing how much he
truly cared for her. When she was suffering he would always be there for her, with
his hands and his mind, he would give her everything she needed.

'This is perfect.' his hand rubbed her stomach again, trailing his fingers just
below the elastic of her underpants. 'So amazing, it can create and hold life,
sustain it for months while the child grows and then prepares you to give birth,
gives you the ability to feed the child from your own body. Truly amazing.'

Danika closed her eyes, feeling his warmth radiate through her body. His hand had
the touch that a sore body craved, his mind relieved the pain that was hammering
her body. She could feel the sensations sparking through her, repairing the damaged
skin, strengthening the muscles. Danika opened her eyes to see Lucian looking at
her from under the strands of hair that had fallen into his eyes. She knew that
look, it was the look of pure lust. There was no disbelief in his statement of what
he thought of her, the look in his eyes told her that he wanted her. His hand
pushed hard on the skin of her lower abdomen, pushing the pain from her body for a
few moments.

As Eden continued to cry, Danika wondered if she would have enough milk for the
child. She had let Willow take what she wanted, not realising that there was
another child to feed. Lucian settled in against Danika watching Eden feed, her
little hand waived in the air and settled against her mother's skin. He could still
see the doubt on Danika's face, he knew she disliked the shape of her body since
becoming pregnant. Already her body was starting to heal, slowly it would return to
its former shape but he worried that she would find it unappealing and delay having
another child.

'Like a bloody cow.' she muttered.

'You are perfect.' his voice was hot and husky as his hand moved up her stomach
'You might think that you aren't but I think that there is nothing sexier than a
woman giving sustenance to her child. You have a beautiful body and this...' he ran
his hand over the swell of her stomach again 'Is gorgeous and I for one cannot wait
until this happens again. I understand why my parents have so many now, this is
beautiful. This is life and I am glad that I can experience this with one very
stunning woman. Nothing would ever make me want for anything more than a life with
you and our children. One perfect life together.'
A word from the author

Hi!

Thanks for reading, voting and commenting on this tale and of course on the entire
series. I appreciate every single one of them and you, you guys are awesome.

I thought I would write a little bit about the AVL series and the fact that this is
the last one. The concept behind the series was the prophecy that spoke of the four
women and their first born child. The stories were of three of those women and how
the fourth was able to bring them together to fulfil the prophecy. The series was a
continued in books 5-7 as the prophecy mentioned the children as well. Of course
there was the minor interruption in book 4 with Josie, I did that because I felt
that she was an integral part of the series, explaining what really happened to
Alina. With the end of the prophecy came the end of this series and of course, this
book gives closure to those who truly needed it. The actual series is at an end but
there is always the option for more from their world. After all, the hidden scroll
attic in Castle Eliade has a lot of scrolls, who knows what is up there? I am a
glutton for punishment and my mind always ticks with thoughts of various things. So
when I say it's the end it's likely that it's not.

As you may or may not know, there are spin offs. If you haven't checked out Finn's
tale... why not? Jokes aside, it's there if you want to check it out, it's called
Protecting the Wolf Prince. The next spin off should be out soon, like always it's
still in development and needs work. It seems to be the same with each of these
books, I have something workable, I upload it and think, hmm, I need to change that
and create an unholy nightmare of a mess. So I am sure that the next one will be no
different. If you are curious as to who this person might be, there was one mighty
big hint in this book. Can you find it? Go on, have a crack at it!
I am always open to creating more stories. In my nights where I have worked on
Lucian's story I have had thoughts of another character. It was a character that
was never in my sights for developing a story but it looks like he or she might
just get one. This particular character was never in the original story that I
wrote for Lucian but as I began to upload the chapters and develop them more and
more, (see unholy nightmare reference above lol) this little being somehow managed
to work their way in. I make no promises but I'm getting there, it's only new and
is still very much in development stage. (That means I'm banging my head on the
keyboard waiting for the inspiration to start!)

If there were any characters that you loved so much that you want to see something
written for them, let me know. Again, I make no promises but you never know what
might come about from a suggestion. It had saddened me to start the upload for this
book, thinking that the time had passed so quickly for the previous ones. To think
it's the end (but not really the end) was a little depressing. So definitely hit me
up for a character! And don't forget to stop by my Pinterest page, lots of
inspiration for the characters, a little bit of craziness and maybe even some real
life.

Don't be a stranger, drop me a line, show me the love, you know how it works. And
once again, a big thank you to you all, you guys rock.

Cyber hugs

Miss Michelle

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