Fear me, Love me

Chasing after Time

The witches held hands, fingers tightly entwined to stop from shaking. Rain drizzled down from the gloomy sky – droplets catching on their shivering upturned faces. Chaga heard them muttering as he passed – pleading, breathless spells to keep the protection wards up. He hurried on, ducking though a doorway of plastic sheeting and entering the infirmary. Looking around he saw Aleksey and Crystal in close conference the other side of the room. Weaving between beds and stretchers he made his way over to the two doctors.

"Is it true?" Crystal asked in a hushed whisper. Chaga nodded, his expression grim.

"The wards will fail." Crystal's hand went to her throat, her trembling fingers worrying at the skin. "An army has the city surrounded. The moment our shields are down..." Aleksey cleared his throat struggling to keep his composure.

"We'll be slaughtered." Chaga gripped Aleksey's forearm.

"There's a way out."

"How?" Crystal demanded.

"One of the underground exits isn't being covered by demons. Somehow they don't know about it."

"We can use it to escape?"

"The Sanguinem Guard will stay behind. Buy us time to get away." He focused on Crystal not able to look Aleksey in the eye.

"We'll need help moving the sick and injured." She scanned the room – thinking over what supplies they needed to take and what they could afford to leave.

"Where's my brother?" Aleksey asked, his voice rough.

"I'm sorry doctor. There's no time for goodbyes."

"On jest moim bratem dziecka -"

"Doctor," Crystal interrupted him, "you're patients need you." Aleksey turned his back on her, his shoulders shaking. Crystal waited. Aleksey took a deep breath.

"My laboratory must be destroyed." His voice deep but steady. "The enemy can't get hold of my work."

"Understood." Chaga quickly left them.

The corridors were thronged with people and he shouldered his way against the current. The ground shook and people screamed as supplies fell from the trolleys. Chaga stumbled as he regained his footing, putting up his hand to protect a child's head. People called to one another frantically – asking what was happening. Chaga remained silent. He could guess. The protection ward was under attack. They didn't have long.

The vampires moved quickly, sweeping through the underground and donning the daylight armour Aleksey had recently designed for them. Lucjan lowered his visor and saw in his reflection a faceless solider in dark tank-like covering. He could hear the sounds of people running, the cries of children, names called out in panicked tenors – listening closely, concentrating all his senses, he heard the enemy. The rough bellowing of demons, the wet gibbering of imps – the heavy breathing of an army closing in all around them.

"I need help!" Crystal shouted over the din. Chloe stood on her tip toes, craning her neck over the sea of people.

"What can I do?" Crystal beckoned her over.

"I need help moving my patients." Shoving her way through the crowd Chloe made her way to the doctor's side. Ducking her head beneath the infirmary's plastic sheeting, she saw the multitude of sick and wounded. Returning to the packed corridor she grabbed hold of two men.

"With me," she commanded in a voice that brooked no argument.

Above ground Ryder stood surrounded by high ranking demons. His expression was unreadable as he stood tall – his long leather coat flapping majestically in the wind. Naethro bowed his head respectfully to Ryder as he left to take charge of the army's left wing. Wabyt had lost her bargaining chip over Ryder and yet he remained – loyalty proven. Now he was to lead the army in annihilating the last human resistance. Ryder's dark hair spilled over his face, shielding his stormy eyes.

Jordan stood tall and mighty in his daylight armour – the anguish in his face concealed from all.

"Are you ok?" Lucjan asked softly, drawing near his side. Jordan's jaw jerked up defiantly.

"I'm fine." His voice was husky. Lucjan saw how his maker clenched his hands into powerful fists.

"We're with you." He promised solemnly, "to the end." Jordan looked around slowly at his sanguinem guard and pulled up his visor.

"Out there we face oblivion," he spoke loudly, addressing them all. "But I promise you this," his bloody eyes blazed with feral wildness, "they will see us and they will fucking shit themselves!" The vampires cheered. "We will crush them beneath our feet! Today will be remembered as the day – the day demons wept for HELL because we will show them worse! THEY WILL FEAR US!" Emotion choked him as he looked upon the faces of his fledglings, "our friends will live and we will be truly immortal – IN THE NIGHTMARES OF DEMONS!" The vampires roared their approval.

Lewis skulked in the shadows a safe distance away from the upcoming fight. He ran his fingers through his dishevelled hair and groaned in frustration.

"Don't die," he'd said to Ryder before they'd parted. The warlock had snorted contemptuously. "I mean I – I know that the plan is to lose this fight but – but still-" he'd never felt so wretched - so confused. Ryder had made to move passed him, "Just don't look like that," Lewis had cried out in frustration – taking Ryder by surprise, "Like you've already accepted your fate."

"I have accepted it."

"Fight – try – try to survive this!"

Slowly, agonisingly slowly Ryder had closed in on him. Lewis had felt Ryder's heart beat against his frozen chest as they stood nose to nose.

"I am a monster," Ryder's voice had been calm and deadly, "today the hero defeats the monster." His lips had quipped up in a mocking smile, "It's a happy ending." Lewis' eyes had slipped down to those lips. Suddenly he thrown himself at the warlock – his lips locking hungrily onto Ryder's. Ryder's eyes had widened in surprise as Lewis fisted Ryder's hair, holding him in place.

Bright, brilliant pain branding Lewis' chest had made him pull back, crying out in agony. Looking down he'd seen Ryder's hands upon his chest pulsating out their cruel magic.

"FEAR ME!" Ryder had thundered. "I AM A MONSTER! I CAN'T BE LOVED!" Lewis' face had contorted in agony, his back arching against the wall.

Tears slipped down Lewis' rough cheeks and he sank down to the ground. His hand went to his chest, to the pain that tore at his blackened heart. He was an alpha who'd abandoned his pack, a wolf who'd forsaken his mate – a man with no friend in the world. He was Lewis North – the traitorous and lonely hybrid.

Ryder stood at the head of a blood thirsty army and looked upon the purple dome. Before his eyes the shield collapsed. His breath caught in his chest as the magic that had withstood even him, cracked and shattered to pieces. For a moment there was silence. The sun came out from behind the clouds – bathing them in its warmth. The rays lit up Ryder and in that brief pause – the calm before the storm – he looked not like a monster but a saviour.

A/N:

Any thoughts so far? 

Who would you cast for Ryder or any of the other characters? 

Has any of it disappointed you a bit and you think should be changed/removed/ rewritten?

Any typos or grammar errors driving you insane?

Am I doing a good job? 

Please comment and let me know! =)