Lily
It was sublime-the earth had come alive. As a human, selected sounds had fallen to her ears, but those scarce and diminutive, traveling thinly through the air, had passed undetected. And now with her hearing at its utmost keen, everything, even the manner in which the afternoon sun hissed against the roughened pavement resounded against her ears. She could hear the many heartbeats within the proximity of the house. She could hear children, faint and somewhat muffled, playing at the end of a cul-de-sac from the street over.
She could smell pollen mingled with sap from the trees and the pungent odor of car exhaust, all of which carried to her through the wall. The smell of food sailed her senses, and she was reminded of a favored, sticky sandwich that once sated, only now, churned her stomach.
At the thought of food, her insides jerked, her jawline twitched and then something incredibly sharp pricked the insides of her mouth and with that, a hunger unlike anything she'd felt arose like a feral beast with a thirst insatiable. She groaned and tossed in a pile of blankets.
And then she felt it, no, more like smelled it. A particular tang struck the air, tingled beneath her nose, something comparable to leather tinged with salty sweat.
By the time she realized they were no longer alone, it occurred so abruptly that Lily hadn't the time to comprehend its happening. Varian released a growl so low, barely tangible as he leaped from her side, fangs bared, landing soundly on the floor. The door erupted and shook against the opposing wall as it produced a man of sizeable proportions leveling a mean trigger of something nasty directly on Varian's chest.
A shot rang out; cutting the space that separated their attacker and Varian. Lily's eyes widened as Varian's body shook with the bullet, the force of it slamming him backward.
She cried out and bolted from the bed, moving to where Varian lay unmoving, blood almost black oozing from a hole in his chest.
"Varian!"
An arm fell on her shoulder and she rounded on their attacker, fangs bared, eyes red, the full intent to kill filtering all else unto nothing.
The face brandished before her was none other than the man who'd been rummaging her apartment and he began pulling her toward the door.
She heard another beastly growl and turned her head, her heart jolting with the sight of Varian on his feet, his wound closing as he barreled toward them.
The man raised his gun this time aiming for the window. A few shots fired, chipping away at the boards until sunlight burst like rivulets through the dark, creating a burning line that divided her from Varian.
"Take me, Ravensport!" Varian hissed, "Your vendetta is with me!"
Ravensport smirked, "We'll see about that."
He reacted, bringing his weapon about and slamming it against her forehead. The suddenness of it rendered her momentarily stunned and she was swept off her feet and flung like a sac over his shoulder.
She heard a hiss as Varian lunged forward only to rear back as sunlight struck him sorely in the face. "I'll see to it that you die for that."
She was cast into a bundle of tarp by two other men waiting in the lower level of the house. She scrambled within the coarse material as she was carried from the house and thrown into the back of a car. Having dealt with back seats before and not particularly liking the outcome of it, she began struggling anew, making attempts to kick at her attackers.
"Carry on as you are and you'll fry within the sun." the hunter's voice carried to her from the front seat.
She settled within the tarp, "I'd much rather be barbequed than poked and prodded like a science project."
"Whatever McDermott has planned for you I do not care. My concern is Petri."
Silence fell and the car drove on. Lily settled into the tarp, feeling the sun like heaviness that wouldn't lift. She focused on the humans within the car, one of which being the hunter. Something about the man unnerved her deeply. It was troubling, so much so, she couldn't pin-point it. When the car finally came to a stop, she felt the sun vanish, replaced with the relief of shadow. The tarp was wrenched from her face and she blinked unknowingly into the faces around her.
Pulled from the car, she realized they'd parked within a facility with a three level garage. Her eyes searched the remnants of the lot only to find it poorly vacant.
The hunter grasped her arm and drew her towards a door.
"How do you know Varian?" she demanded.
He was silent a moment and she hadn't expected him to answer, but he surprised her and did so anyway, "Your father isn't the only man to have discovered vampires. I've been hunting your vampire for a long time."
Her eyes widened, "What is your business with him?"
He stopped abruptly when they entered a hall, turning to peer coldly down at her. "Your vampire took something from me and I plan to exact my vengeance. I will see to it that your father gets what he wants. With you now turned, your father will not need Petri any longer. He'll have all he needs with you. Petri is mine and I'll see to killing him before anyone else has a chance."
"What has he done?" as she peered up at this man, she felt his emotion, buried beneath the hard exterior that was the hunter.
His eyes roamed her face and than he grinned, contorting his features rather nasty-like. "I should kill you, just as he killed mine, but your father paid me good to deliver you."
Her eyes narrowed, "It would seem he's charitable when it comes to delivery."
He proceeded onward, dragging her down a rather florescent and marble hallway. They stepped onto an elevator and the hand around her arm remained merciless. Once it came to a stop, they continued down another similar hallway before stopping by a set of double doors.
When they stepped through, the room was lit with many florescent beams causing Lily to blink against its brightness and when her eyes adjusted they leveled impassively on her father.
"Lilith." His voice contained disappointment and almost a hint of shock, "What have you done to yourself."
She grinned a half smirk that didn't reach her eyes, "I thought you'd be pleased, father." She said this lastly with disgusted emphasis. "I'm entirely lab rat material."
He shook his head, "I didn't want this for you."
She arched a brow at him, "No? That's surprising, coming from a man who strapped his own flesh and blood to a cold table-killed his wife. You turned me into a hybrid, you meant this entirely."
His face hardened but instead he addressed Ravensport, "Throw her in the containment cell."
She was shoved toward another door and tossed into a well-lit room with padding. Her heart stopped for a beat as realization of what unfolded dawned on her.
Varian...
The door slammed behind her, the lock sliding in place and all seemed to stop. She waited anxiously, fearfully.
When the sun sets, I'm coming for you.
Her chest swelled with relief as his voice filled her thoughts.
Hurry. My room is tasteless.
It was amazing, the connection, the bond that joined them, for even with her slight humor she felt his smile.
I'm very tired.
Lily, you haven't fed. His voice grew severe. You are just recently turned; my blood will only sustain you for long. You cannot understand the peril you are in.
She sank down onto the floor, pressing her back into the padded wall. Her eyes grew heavy but with the heavy lighting, it was difficult to give way to sleep.
I will wait for you.
Varian
As soon as the sun set, Varian released a mental call that shook the entire house. Talon was the first to appear, his blonde head disheveled and eyes slightly reddened.
He held up a hand as he entered the living room, "I'm with you, V, but I gotta' feed first. If I don't, I'm no use to you."
Gritting his jaw, Varian nodded grudgingly and Talon vanished from the room.
He felt Lily's weakened state like a hole in the chest, which he knew all too literal. Rubbing that spot which had healed perfectly but felt very much sore, he recalled the events of earlier. Ravensport was a force to be reckoned with. He packed a lot of heat and experience that dated ages back.
His vendetta was rightfully so. He'd taken something from him that was irreversible and naturally Ravensport would do the same.
"I have no intention of retrieving your damsel in distress." Marguerite sneered as she strolled into the room.
Varian's eyes narrowed coldly, "It doesn't interest you any that this was Ravensport's doing?"
She froze her back stiffening as she turned to rest a hand against the wall. Varian watched her closely as she closed her eyes, inhaling a breath that flowed from head to toe.
Blanch entered the room, her pale face brandishing wide, blue eyes. "What's happened?"
"Lily's been taken." His eyes never strayed from Marguerite's shaken face.
"What can I do to help?"
"This isn't your fight, Blanch. I do not wish to involve you."
Blanch came to stand beside him, "Varian, she is your mate. You will need my help, as well as others."
Only than did he look at her, "We cannot involve the counsel."
"I do not mean the counsel."
He frowned-
"She means me."
He pivoted to find a smug wolf standing in his doorway.
His expression hardened as he turned back to Blanch, "You dally with a dog?"
Blanch lay a hand gently on his forearm, "Lucan wants only to help."
"You're on first name basis now?" Varian hissed.
She scowled deeply up at him, "Do not play the big-brother roll with me, Varian."
Talon appeared suddenly in the center of the room, his eyes darkening on Lucan with distaste, "What's he doing here?"
Lucan leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms against his burly chest as he smirked all complacent-like.
"Our concern right now is getting Lily back. Are we doing this or not?"
Talon and Varian exchanged glances before coming to a silent agreement. Varian turned to Marguerite, "Well?"
She turned toward him, her eyes like shards of ice. "I want no part of this." And she vanished.
Varian growled deeply within his chest.
"Let her go, V. It's personal and you know it."
"What about me?" all eyes turned toward the woman who entered the room.
Talon shook his head, "Oh no, Green Eyes, you stay here."
Ruby cast daggers at him and did a rather un-lady like snort, "I wasn't addressing you, imbecile."
Talon resisted a grin.
"You're too unstable." Varian said, "I can't afford any mishaps."
Her green eyes flashed defiantly, "If not for you and your gang of fangs, Lily and I wouldn't be in this mess. I intend to retrieve my friend with or without your consent. I have a set a fangs, I might as well put them to use."
Varian grinned, "Very well."
Lily
She wasn't sure how long she'd been locked in her box of padding. She was beginning to wan from all the florescent lighting and the hunger was growing more perilous than ever. Her stomach ached and churned and her fangs were like a full set of aching teeth.
She moaned as she turned her head to shield her eyes from the beams.
She could faintly hear muffled voices outside her cell. Her father no doubt, speaking of some heinous act to inflict upon her.
She was startled when the lock of her cell slid back and the door opened producing the very object of her thoughts.
He had always been statuesque and proud. His peppered hair appeared more pronounced beneath the lighting. She noticed he wore a lab coat.
"I have something for you." His face remained impassive and his thoughts unclear. He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers.
Lily came alert to some shuffling outside her door and than rather unceremoniously like, a body was shoved into her cell landing roughly with a disgruntled groan.
Ward moved toward the door and said beneath his breath, "I thought you'd be hungry."
The door shut followed by the lock.
Lily's eyes fixated on the man. She felt her hunger resonating, growing like an ember. The man rolled onto his back and with that Lily released a startled gasp.
"Jackson."
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