Jessenia Clarck's Story

Jessenia sat horizontally across a plush chair, feet softly hitting the side of the chair in a steady rhythm. She began to humm a series of random notes. beginning to hit the chair in time to her song. This is what he life now consisded of, sitting around while she watched TV on her laptop, rarely leaving her home except to hunt. She turned her head towards the screen of her laptop as the woman reporter said something about how Lycans and Vampires were "Uncurable"

"Are we really that scary?" She pondered, her large eyes turning towards the ceiling. She closed the lid of the laptop infront of her. "No...we're just different" She felt herself sympathize with the Lycans for a moment, as they were in the same boat as the vampires, before a look of disgust flashed across her face. "Filthy vermin. They are nothing like us She though, eyes narrowing. She hadn't been a Vampire very long -5 Years to be exact- yet she already knew of the hatred between the Lycans and the Vampires.

Jessenia jumped as her cat Anastasia bounced onto her lap, snuggling into her arms.

"Jesus!" She yelped, throwing her hands up towards her face. It took her a moment to realize it was her cat. "Ana! Must you constantly scare Mommy?" She asked the small kitten, scratching it's ear, hoping to provoke a purr from the black cat. She was succesful, and the cat's purrs began to ring across the small apartment, filling it with a soft sound.

"Hey Ana, you remember when I found you? I was out hunting, and found you crying in a cardboard box on the side of the road. Kinda cliché, don't 'ya think?" Her cat mewed slightly, snuggling closer into her owners stomach. Jessenia smiled slightly, and continued petting the cats soft head.

Jessenia was still surpirsed the Apartment's owner hadn't come and complained about the noise she was constantly making. She had been hiding out in this apartment for a while, and was sneaking WIFI from her downstairs neighbor. She guessed he had no idea she was there. Jessenia had been on edge lately. After watch the news, she had been waiting for the Milita to barge into her apartment, rip her out into the sun, and burn her to a crisp. She sighed, and softly pulled the cat off her chest.

"At least I have you Ana." The muttered into the cat's soft fur as she placed him on the ground. The cat simply mewed, and walked away.

---

Jessenia had been roaming the streets for a while now, lingering in the shadows, unable to find a decent Human to feed off of. She sighed, and sat on the stone steps to a random apartment. It was already nightime, and she appriciated the cloak of darkness around her. She hadn't fed for days, and she was running on empty. She wasn't able to run as fast, jump as high, or sprint as long.

Jessenia digged into her pocket, and pulled out a cigarette and a small blue lighter. She chuckled slightly as she lit the cigarette, and breathed in the dark smoke. "I might be a Vampire, but my habits aren't any better than a Humans." She sighed once more, and watched as the smoke wafted away into the darkness, beginning the blend into the night sky. Jessenia jerked her head as her keen eyes picked up a small amount of movement on the other side of the road.

Grinning, Jessenia smashed out the cigarette, dashed across the road, and peered around the corner. A grin flashed across her face as she saw a pair of men, equally drunk, and equally oblivious to her exsistance. She was about the pounce in, when a small woman jumped down from the roof of the building next to hers. Her smile was wiped off her face, and she clambered the brick walls of the bar, and settled onto her haunches on the roof of the building. She now had a proper view of the woman, whom she guessed was a Vampire like her.

"It's a little late to be out, boys, don't you think?" The woman said, slowly walking towards the two men. Jessenia has to hold back a snicker. The men were completely oblivious to her true nature.

"It seems to me you're the one who's out a little to late." The taler man said, elbowing his friend. Jessenia threw a hand over her mouth, forcing back a laugh. These men were drunk! Jessenia watched as the woman said something to the two men, which caused the smiled to fall off their faces. Jessenia couldn't help it now. She was laughing loudly now, it's high sound ringing off the brick walls.

A sigh escaped Viktoria's lips, disappointment filling her now that her game was ruined. The humans had been taken off guard by Viktoria's bluntness, but now they were downright terrified by the laughter that seemed to be coming from nowhere. Of course her ears knew exactly where it was coming from. She had known another of her kind was near, but had chosen not to act on it. And it seemed the vampire had followed her. Now that the fun had been taken away from her game, she had no reason to hold back. She bared her fangs, hissing at the two gentlemen. They instantly began to tremble, and one opened his mouth to scream. She was on him before he made a sound, covering his mouth, glaring. "You make so much as a sound," she whispered next to his ear, "and you die a slow, painful death. Got it?" The man nodded, his eyes wide with fear.

As she looked past the man's head, she found that the other man was running away. She rolled her eyes, instantly annoyed. "Ugh, humans are so stupid..." She sprinted after the other man, still having a hold on his friend, and reached him in seconds, standing directly ahead of him. He skidded to a stop, slowly backing away, tears running down his face.

"Please," he begged, falling to the ground, "I won't say a word. Just let me go." Viktoria walked towards him, grabbing his collar and lifting him off the ground. He sobbed, but thankfully didn't scream. Her hands were a little full to stop him from doing so. She brought him down next to his friend, pushing them both against the wall. Their eyes found each other, but apparently their mouths couldn't form words.

"This coat is so inhibiting," she said, releasing them both to shrug it off and lay it down next to her. Her black leggings and black t-shirt felt much more comfortable. The same man who had run before bolted again. She turned to his friend, still pressed up against the wall. "Really? He still thinks he can out run me?" He didn't respond, just stood their shaking. She left him to intercept the other, once again lifting him off the ground. "You don't learn very quickly, do you?" She carried him back to his friend, who still hadn't moved, thankfully. She set him down, but didn't release him this time.

She hoped they were a little more sober now, and by this point was just ready to drink. She debated a moment between them, not knowing which one to take. She finally decided the spirited one was more her style. She closed her hand around the other's neck so he wouldn't move, and then bent her head down to the other's neck. He was struggling and squirming, but she had ten times his strength. She could smell the hot blood in his veins, could hear the beating of his heart. She licked her lips, then sank her fangs into his neck. The man took a deep breath in as she began to drink, sucking the life out of him. After a minute he began to sag in her grasp, not having the strength to even hold his posture.

She pulled away from his neck for a moment, staring at the two clean puncture wounds her fangs had left in his smooth skin. Without turning around, she spoke. "Well, are going to come down here? You can have this other one." She didn't need to yell, she knew the other vampire would hear her words as clearly as if she had spoken right beside the other's ear. She released her hold on the second human, and sank her fangs back into her prey to drain every last drop.

---

The nurse hadn't even been gone a minute, when a new person entered Landon's hospital room. The man was older, and Landon assumed he was the doctor. He approached the bed, and began slipping on a pair of gloves.

"Mr Zane, it looks like they've done a good job of patching you up. I'm just here to do a little post observation and assessment. Now, do you remember much about what happened?"

Landon sighed, deciding to play nice with this doctor for now. "Not really," he replied, slight acid in his voice. "I remember seeing the girl change in front of my eyes. I shot a few bullets at her, silver of course, but I missed her head and her heart. She collided with me. Then I blacked out. That's it. Then I woke up here." He watched the doctor approach, peel back his dressing, and inspect the wound a little closer. "Damnit!" he hissed as the doctor touched his wound.

Thankfully there wasn't more after that. "Look, I'm assuming I'm not infected, just a scratch from a claw as opposed to a bite. Otherwise I wouldn't have woken up at all. Otherwise I'd already be dead." He shifted a little, trying to find a comfortable position to lay in. It wasn't successful. He grimaced, the pain now constant since the doctor had messed with his wound. He'd need to get some pain medicine soon. Though something small, nothing that would cause him to pass out for hours on end. He didn't trust this place or these people enough for that.

"How long am I going to be kept here? I have a job to do, and I can't be out of work for very long. It's immensely important." He glared at the doctor, waiting for an answer.

---

Calvin was pacing back and forth in the 'common area' of his abandoned subway tunnel. There were various pieces of furniture scattered around the area, all a bit worn down, but still usable. Off the main tunnel were a majority of smaller areas that each of the lycans used for their private rooms. Various curtains or blankets covered their openings, sometimes even a large piece of cardboard. It wasn't the most luxurious space, but it was safe. And that was all that mattered for now. He had sent most of his pack members out for a job, leaving him here with only two others. They both rested in their own rooms, which meant the common room was unoccupied but for himself. Not being able to take it anymore, he pulled out his cell phone and hit the number 2 speed dial. After a few rings, the other line picked up.

"Wes, give me an update," he said bluntly. He listened to the response, nodded to himself, and hung up the phone. Hopefully his members would all return safely, with their newest addition, the human girl. They had a radio down in the tunnel, and though it wasn't a television, it still gave them the most important bits of news. He'd heard of the girl's father, some doctor who wanted to cure their kind. Except a cure wasn't possible, all the reports said so. Which meant deep down he was just like all the others, wanting them destroyed. While their method of kidnapping the girl wasn't the prettiest method, it would be effective, he was sure of it. If the doctor wouldn't cooperate with them, he would turn the girl into a lycan himself. Then he wouldn't be so quick to end their kind. The vampires, sure. He hoped the humans made their kind extinct.

Sadly, the war was having the opposite effect. Lycan numbers were dropping heavily, making their species almost extinct. His own pack was down to a little more than half a dozen, and the thought made him want to punch something. Or a human. Even two humans. He balled his fists in frustration, and resumed pacing to try to walk off some steam. When he had first taken over the pack, they'd had over double the numbers they had now. But slowly they'd fallen, a single member getting killed by vampires, or later being taken down by humans. They'd retreated deep into the subway tunnels, staying far away from human contact of any kind. He'd made the one exception tonight, to get the human girl.

His thoughts were interrupted when a quiet sort of howl caught his ears. Even in his human form, his senses were heightened. It was far down the tunnel, and he debated whether to go check it out or not. It could be vampires wanting to draw him out, or even humans who had finally found the location of his pack's hideout. In the end, he had to go. He had to protect his pack no matter what. Perhaps he could draw the enemies away from the other two who were here, and they'd never find the hideout. The other wolves could return safely. He sprinted down the tunnel, stripped, then transformed into his lycan form.

It looked as if his skin fell away, a large wolf form ripping his exterior apart. He fell to all fours, moving faster towards the strange sound. When he arrived, he didn't find an army of vampires or humans... but one single girl sitting against the wall. He stopped short, looking at her strangely. He approached cautiously, sniffing at her. He immediately smelled the silver, and jumped back. Underneath the strong smell, however, he could tell she was a lycan just like him. He didn't know whether to help her or not. Was this some sort of trap?

She seemed almost delirious, and he didn't even know if she recognized that he was there. Quickly he picked her up with one hand, put her over his shoulder, and began to run back on three legs towards his home. Once back, he laid her gently on the couch, then disappeared to put his clothes back on. He came back to her, kneeling down to her level. A silver bullet was lodged deep in her shoulder, and the silver was preventing it from healing, as well as the other wounds on her body. He left her side for one more moment, finding a knife. A fire burned on one side of the room, giving the cool underground tunnel some light and heat, and he walked over to it, sticking the knife into the fire.

Once it was sufficiently heated, he returned once more, and fell to his knees again. He didn't know if she could hear, but he spoke. "I've got to dig the bullet out. It's going to hurt." And then without hesitation he plunged the knife into her skin, digging for the bullet.

Jessenia watched as the Woman began to prepare to feed. The men began to scuttle around, pleading for her to leave them be. One began to run, but the woman was on him in an instant. As the woman began to feed from one of the men, Jessenia swore she felt her stomach growl, though she knew it was impossible.

"Well, are going to come down here? You can have this other one." The woman said, back turned towards Jessenia. Jessenia jumped at the offer, and hopped down from the roof of the small building. Feet reaching the hard ground in a matter of seconds, she whipped towards the man, and locked eyes with him. A smile was now on her face as she took long, slow steps towards the terrified man.

"N-No....Please..." He stuttered, eyes beginning to water. Jessenia stopped in her tracks, her smirk gone. "I'm...sorry?" She told the man, making the end sound like a question. She started forward again, and grabbed the man's chin, pulling him towards her. She hissed loudly, leaned, and bit down on the man's thin neck, pushing him against the wall.

The man's stuggling stopped almost immediately, and Jessenia began to feed. She drank freverously and finished quickly. She was now on her haunches, holding the limp man in her arms.

"Hey! Are you guys OK? You need me to call help? Is your friend hurt? My dad's a doctor, so I know a little..." A young girl called out from down the ally. Jessenia's head snapped up, blood running down her lips. She dropped the man the was holding, having drank her full, and stood upright, face contorting into a look of anger.

"Damnit!" She said under her breath, looking back at the Woman, whom appeared to be still drinking. The girl was still standing at the end of the ally, frozen in her place.

"A friends of yours?" She asked the woman, a growl developing in her throat. She was about to start torwards the girl, when she heard a rumbling in the distance. It seemed as though a van was coming their way. A sigh escaped her lips, as did a couple of profanities as she pinched her nose with her forfingers.

"Just my luck."

"Hey! Are you guys OK? You need me to call help? Is your friend hurt? My dad's a doctor, so I know a little..."

Of course something had to spoil VIktoria's meal. She didn't move, finishing her victim off until every last drop was gone from his body, then she tossed him aside like a limp rag doll. He lay crumpled on the ground in an awkward position, the color drained from his skin. "Damnit! A friends of yours?" Viktoria glanced at the vampire girl, not amused. "Like I'd be friends with a human. Get real." She sighed, wondering why things always had to be so complicated. They couldn't just feed and go on their way. Something had to come along and screw things up. Now this human had seen them, and she needed to die before she could speak a word to anyone else. "Look, just finish your meal. Drain every drop. We don't need another senseless vampire roaming the streets. I'll deal with the girl."

In the blink of an eye, she stood before the human. She was actually quite pretty. It was too bad she needed to die. She grabbed the human and dragged her farther into the alley, back to the girl vampire. "You don't speak a word," she told the human girl. She was about to bite into her neck when the sound of a vehicle hit her ears. She had no idea what vehicles would be out at this time of night, besides military vehicles. That wouldn't be pretty. Was this girl part of some sort of trap to lure the vampires out into the open? She backed up even more, tightening her grip on the human. "This could be a trap. Be ready to run like a bat out of hell."

A van appeared in her line of vision, just outside the entrance to the alley. She had no idea why the military was driving such a crappy vehicle. Her eyes narrowed, studying the man behind the wheel. It only took a second, but the smell hit her nostrils, and it was strong. "Ugh, dog," she whispered quietly. So it wasn't the military, but lycans instead. They must have wanted something to do with the human. There was no way the lycans would have known their location. It was too much of a coincidence. She grabbed the collar of the girl's coat and lifted her off the ground. "If you come any closer, the girl dies," she said with a raised voice aimed towards the van.

A million plans went through her mind, none ending too well. Although if they had the girl, they definitely had the advantage. Perhaps both her and the other vampire could get away scratch free. "Stay alert," she whispered, quiet enough that only the vampire could hear. She lifted the human higher, still talking to the van. "What's so important about her, huh? Why do you want her?" If she could keep them talking instead of attacking, she just might be able to form the perfect plan. She hoped so, anyway.

---

Landon relaxed slightly, more relieved than he thought at hearing he didn't have the disease. If he had become one of those creatures, he didn't know what he would do.

"Mr Zane our work with you is done, and we do not need to keep you here at all. Once I apply a new dressing to your wound I will be able to discharge you. However...if you resume your 'work' in your current condition, I should think it far more likely that if I see you again it will be through the bulletproof panel of a quarantine cell waiting for your tranformation. I say 'if' I see you again, because I don't often have reason to go down to the morgue."

He snorted, showing the doctor exactly what he thought of the man's words. This may have been a close call, but he would learn and it would never happen again. And who was this doctor, anyway? Chastising him like a little child. He didn't need any advice about how he should live his life. He needed his wound taken care of, any medications he'd have to take, and to get the hell out. Besides, this doctor was human. Shouldn't he be rewarding Landon for his service? He was keeping the streets safer for all of human kind.

The doctor began changing his dressing, and Landon hissed from the pain. "Damnit, could you be just a little more gentle?!" he yelled, clenching his teeth afterward. Once the doctor was done, he let out a long, slow breath, glad the pain had lessened somewhat. Some great doctor he had.

"So I would like an assurance that you will at least be spending a few days respite at home."

He narrowed his eyes, but responded anyway. "Fine, I'll take a few days off. Happy?" he said, tired of this doctor. He didn't have to tell the truth anyway. He could do whatever he pleased after he was out of this damned hospital. "Now can we just get the discharge papers?" he asked. "Please?" he added a little forcefully. He just wanted to return to his group, find out what their next plan of attack was, and go from there. He shifted more to his left side, trying to take the pressure off his wound. He really needed to take some aspirin.

---

“W-What’s your name? I’m Rae…”

"Calvin," he replied bluntly, caring more about his actions than her words. "Damn," Calvin growled, maneuvering the knife beneath her skin, "the bullet is really deep." He wanted to try to get it out with his fingers, but the silver would burn him extremely. "Why didn't I grab a pair of gloves?!" he muttered to himself, sticking the knife in further. He was definitely doing more damage than the bullet originally had. But it was necessary. If it didn't get taken out, the silver would continue to make her weaker, and eventually kill her once it spread throughout her bloodstream. As he moved it down a little further, he felt the knife hit something hard.

Suddenly, he stopped. He heard movement down the tunnel again. "Was there someone else with you? Following you?" he asked her, anger flaring behind his eyes. Then the smell hit his nostrils. It smelled like death and decay, like a corpse. A vampire had found its way down to their home. Anger consumed him, instantly wanting to run down and rip the creature into small pieces. He had to finish the task at hand, though, but quick. He moved the knife around the bullet, moving it down and beneath the object. Slowly and carefully, he lifted it up, not wanting it to fall back in and lodge even deeper. After a few minutes, he had the bullet successfully out as it balanced on the knife. He stood and walked away from the girl, dropping it in a nearby trash bag.

The knife fell from his hand and he returned to the girl. He removed the cloth from her leg, instead tying it around the shoulder wound. He stood up, looking down at her weak form. Even though she was weak, he knew she probably smelled the vampire as well. "Don't move. I'll take care of the threat." He left her on the couch and sprinted down the tunnel once more, in the same direction he'd picked up Rae. He would have transformed, but he wanted to be able to adequately threaten the disgusting creature. In a few minutes, she came into sight. He stopped immediately, wanting to stay as far away from her as possible.

She was tiny and petite, though Calvin knew that didn't matter with regard to vampires. They could be just as strong as lycans, though he liked to believe he was stronger than any vampire could be. He was happy to find that she was all alone, and it wasn't some kind of mass attack on their home. If it had been, their pack would have most certainly lost with only three members present. Though he had no idea what one single vampire was doing approaching a pack of lycans. Although vampires were stupid.

He growled, the sound clearly threatening, even from his human lips. "You are not welcome here." He spoke loudly and clearly, hoping to intimidate her. He didn't wait for any more words to be spoken. Immediately, he transformed to his lycan form, his human skin ripping apart to show the wolf-form inside. He stood on two legs, towering over the tiny vampire. He growled again, this time louder, and it echoed down the tunnel. He slowly approached her, ready to pounce at any second.

Jemima slowed her movements when it appeared at first that the vampires were not showing any interest in her, but she turned out to be mistaken and with supernatural speed the older looking of the two was upon her and had her in a vice-like grip, pulling her further into the darkness and out of view of the streets. Jemima shrieked, but knew that the chances of anyone being nearby to hear her were remote. Even if a patrol went past, they would be all strapped up in an armour personel carrier scanning the streets with electronic equipment, not their ears.

Her head swam from the adrenaline and her hands shook uncontrollably. How confidently she had just strolled away from work and made her way home as if there was nothing to worry about. It seemed like she was about to pay the price for her presumption. Tears pricked at her eyes as she struggled to come to terms with the fact that she was probably facing the moment of her death...it didn't appear that these vampires were out to 'infect' people for turning. She didn't respond at all to the vampire's threat for her to stay silent. What did it matter? Could she really make it any worse for herself...?

---

Wes floored the pedal and saw the alleyway coming up on the left. He started to relax a little. This was the easy bit. Just park out of view and wait for whoever got out to apprehend the girl and bring her to...what the hell? His jaw dropped at the scene which was suddenyl illuminated by the van's headlights. Two freshly drained corpses, two vampires and the doctor's daughter being held by one of them. Immediately Wes started banging on the back panel of the drivers compartment.

"Vampires!!" he yelled, "Shitting sodding vampires!"

Immediately the back door opened and three male lycans ran around to the front of the van and stood in a pensive position, sizing up the threat. When the vampire threatened to kill the girl all of them stopped, clearly betraying the fact that the human was their target.

Wes opened the driver door and stood half hanging out of the van, staring at the older vampire, cursing his bad luck that although they weren't launching into combat, there was now a delicate negotiation to be coordinated.

"We're not here to fight." Wes called out to them, "And every second we're out here we're risking our necks, you and us. Obviously you've already fed, so let the girl go. She's involved in something that's gonna be bad news for both our species if it goes ahead, but we need her alive. Don't be stupid about this. We're not asking for your help, or offering ours, but this is about something bigger than you know."

---

"Fine, I'll take a few days off. Happy?"

Quentin smirked a little and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not unhappy. If that's the best you can give me. In that case follow me and we'll get your belongings back and have you on your way."

He led Landon back towards the front of the hospital and ushered him into a room where there were a couple of forms that needed to be signed. Whilst that was happening, a male nurse stepped and and leaned in towards Quentin, whispering something in his ear.

"Dr, a vehicle just pulled up outside. We think it's Dr Romano."

Quentins face fell. "Oh god no, this I could do without. Try to stall them if you can."

He felt a rising frustration in his chest. What did Lauren want at the hospital at this time of night? Did she not have everything she needed in that wonderful little government compound the city had so kindly funded for her? Was she not so busy trying to eradicate two whole species that she needed to come and interfere with the work of doctors who were actually trying to help people?

"Look, just finish your meal. Drain every drop. We don't need another senseless vampire roaming the streets. I'll deal with the girl."

Jessenia nodded quickly, and kneeled, lifting the man's smooth neck to her mouth once more. The man was almost drained, but not quite. With a few more nips, she finished the man off. His face was now a pale, off-white colour, his eyes unseeing. Jessenia stood, quickly, whiping her mouth with her sleeve. The woman was still looking at the human, an amused look apon her face. Suddenly, the Woman grabbed the girl's arm, and pulled her back into the ally, stopping beside Jessenia.

"You don't speak a word," She said to the girl, leaning in towards the girl's neck. Jessenia and the Woman froze, both hearing a loud, mechanical sound. An old van pulled up towards the end of the narrow ally. Jessenia grinned slightly as she heard one of the men yell "Vampires!! Shitting sodding vampires!" Almost immediatly after this, though, the back door slammed open, revealing a trio of large men. Jessenia took a sniff of the air, causing a scowl to cross her face. 'Damn vermin." She though, taking a step forward, narrowing her eyes slightly in an attempt to look menicing.

"If you come any closer, the girl dies," The woman next to her said. Jessenia tore her eyes away from the van. She was met with the sight of the Woman holding a frightened girl in the air by the collar of her coat. Jessenia held back a snicker, turning back towards the van.

'Watch your back." The other Vampire said, quiet enough to where only Jessenia could hear.

"We're not here to fight." One of the Lycans called out. "And every second we're out here we're risking our necks, you and us. Obviously you've already fed, so let the girl go. She's involved in something that's gonna be bad news for both our species if it goes ahead, but we need her alive. Don't be stupid about this. We're not asking for your help, or offering ours, but this is about something bigger than you know." Jessenia raised a slim eyebrow, crossing her arms in a way that seemed as though she was annoyed, though she was more curious than annoyed.

"Do you have any idea of what they're talking about?" Jessenia said, speaking in a voice so low that only the other Vampire could hear her.

"Bad news?" Jessenia asked, mouth turning into a small frown. "Well, Lycan. Please, enlighten us on the 'bad news' you are speaking of, if we are unaware of it."

Thankfully, the human girl stayed quiet as she heard the rather hairy driver shout "Vampires!! Shitting sodding vampires!" She had to smirk a little at that. At least he sounded frightened of them. Not to mention when the three men hesitated as she threatened to kill the human. They had just betrayed their intentions, and her hunch had been correct. "We're not here to fight. And every second we're out here we're risking our necks, you and us. Obviously you've already fed, so let the girl go. She's involved in something that's gonna be bad news for both our species if it goes ahead, but we need her alive. Don't be stupid about this. We're not asking for your help, or offering ours, but this is about something bigger than you know." So this human was supposedly important, which she found hard to believe. All humans were annoying, and only served as food. How one could be important for their species' causes was beyond her. The human would be imperative in both her and the second vampire getting out alive.

They were outnumbered four to two, and those were the only lycans visible. More could be lurking about close, ready to appear at a moment's notice. She didn't sense any particularly close, thankfully. "Do you have any idea of what they're talking about?" her companion asked, so quiet only her ears picked it up. Without glancing sideways, she replied equally quietly. "No. If I did, I'd know how to get us out of this situation..." She listened to her companion ask a question, and she was grateful. Keeping them talking and not attacking was imperative. As everything came into perspective, their situation didn't seem as dire anymore. At least until two more lycans appeared on the scene.

A girl came around the corner first, looking confused about what was going on. A boy followed shortly after. "Shit," she whispered, eyes darting back and forth between their six enemies. Her chances of escaping unscathed had just plummeted. They still had the advantage with the human in their possession, though the odds were slowly starting to build against them. The human was the key to her and the second vampire getting away safely.

A plan began to form in her mind, though things had to happen the way she wanted them, or it wouldn't work. If the lycans decided to attack, everything was ruined. There was no way they could hope to defeat six. Everything relied on the importance of the human, and them wanting her alive and unharmed. If she wasn't as important as they said, and they were lying, she couldn't think of a way out.

"I have a plan," she whispered to her companion. "Follow my lead, and stay close."

However, first she wanted to hear the lycan's answer to their question. If they got away, this would be quite an interesting story to deliver to Silas. The more information she collected, the better. It might even make up for her running away. That and she was bringing back another perspective coven member, who seemed to be useful and intelligent. She was growing fond of her already. She turned her thoughts back to the lycans. "Answer my friend's question," she yelled at them, tightening her hold on the human slightly. "Why is she so important?"

---

"I'm not unhappy. If that's the best you can give me. In that case follow me and we'll get your belongings back and have you on your way."

It took Landon a few minutes to successfully get out of bed without hurting himself, but he managed it. He followed the doctor through the hospital towards the lobby, slightly hunched over to not stretch the wound more than it could handle. He ushered him into a room, handing him a few discharge forms that had to be completed. As he was writing, he noticed another figure step into the room to whisper something into the doctor's ear. The annoyance on the doctor's face was plain to see, and Landon smirked at that.

He focused on the papers once more, filling out the required information, reading about the medications they were sending him home with. Something to prevent infections, and something for pain. He relaxed slightly, happy to read that. The discomfort was bothering him more than he'd like to admit. He looked over the directions for taking care of the wound, and all the other useless information they provided him with.

Once he was sure everything had been filled out, he slowly stood, realizing the doctor had stepped just outside of the room. He walked to the doorway, papers in hand, and stopped to see a woman standing in front of the doctor. She looked familiar, he was sure he'd seen her face somewhere before, but he couldn't place it. There seemed to be some serious tension going on between the two of them. Maybe she was an ex-girlfriend who had dumped him and broke the doctor's heart. The thought brought a smile to Landon's face.

Stepping right between their little face off, Landon handed the doctor the pile of papers in his hand. "Everything's done. Anything else I need to know, or can I get the hell out of here?"

---

''I-I am sorry for disturbing you.'' She shrank down, whether from fear or the readiness to pounce, he couldn't say. He growled again, louder this time.

''I h-heard a howl and I-I thought that someone needed help, I-I won't hurt you... I promise.'' He snorted at her words. Like she could even hope to hurt him. Though confusion filled his brain. A vampire knowingly entering his pack's ground, pledging peace? It was never heard of, not even in the almost three hundred years he'd been alive.

"M-my name is Felope.." He snarled, not really caring what the vampire's name was. Although the fact that she hadn't attacked was a good sign. He refused to trust her words, however. he learned that lesson long ago. He was only a few feet from her, the stench becoming unbearable. The smell was heightened in his lycan form, and he was practically gagging, which sounded more like coughs coming from the wolf. After staring at her for minutes, he backed off a few steps, sensing no threat from her. That was before the second vampire came into view.

He jumped back, and let loose a roar down the tunnel towards his home, alerting his pack members to stand ready. He had almost bought the filthy vampire's sob story. Thankfully he hadn't let his guard down too much. Then the second vampire mentioned Silas' name, and he stopped in his tracks. Of course he knew that vampire's name. The old vampire, though not nearly as hold as himself, led a small coven on the edge of town. They'd never really had any problems with each other, not that he know of anyway, each keeping their distance from the other. The fact that he was sending a lone vampire to his lair was a sign of peace.

Growling, he slammed his fist into the wall of the tunnel, cracking it and causing dust to fall. He didn't want to trust this vampire, but he very well couldn't just kill the messenger. It could cause an all out war between his pack and Silas' coven, which would be stupid with the humans hunting their species. As much as he didn't like it, he had to hear this messenger out. He retreated, giving them a stare, holding a lycan hand out showing them not to follow. He ran back to their common room, finding Rae up next to the fire. He gave her a low growl, angry to see her off the couch. He entered his room, shifting back into human form, and putting on some clothes, aggravated he ripped his previous clothes in the rush.

Once dressed, he sprinted back to the vampires, thankfully finding them in the same place. "You will walk slowly in front of me so I can watch you. You try to use your powers or run away from me, I attack." They slowly made their way down the tunnel, the light of the fire growing larger with every step. When they reached the furniture, he sprinted ahead of them and held his hands up. He pointed to the two chairs farthest away from the rest. "You will sit there. No funny business." He remained standing, between the vampires and the injured Rae, not wanting her to get more injured than she already was. The other two lycans emerged from their rooms, in human form, to watch the two 'guests' carefully.

"Tell me what Silas wants... and be quick about it."

Wes took a long time to answer the vampire. He hadn't been prepared for this, and had no idea what he needed to say. Yes he knew the truthful answer; the girl's father was trying to create some sort of a serum that would eradicate the conditions which created someone a lycan or vampire. But if he was to just come out and say that, then the vampires might well take the girl for themselves and use her as ransom just like Calvin had planned to!

He was chewing his lip trying to figure out how to respond, when he became vaguely aware of more Lycans at the end of the alley. Were they the ones who'd got out of the van earlier? No, that made no sense, they'd be approaching from the opposite end of the alley. Which would have been ideal because then the vampires would have been surrounded. Either way, it meant that the vampires were now heavily outnumbered. Except that they still held one very important bargaining chip.

"The streets are crawling with military, and between you and us we make a pretty juicy target for them right about now. You think I have time to explain?? Her dad's involved in something that we don't want to succeed." Wes bluffed, before trying to adopt a more bold tone of voice and continuing, "Look at the situation. We could attack and kill you, but you know we can't afford any losses so how about you let us take the girl, and you do what you do best and disappear into the darkness?"

---

Quentin stood by as his patient filled in the necessary forms, but a commotion from out in reception alerted him to the fact that his attempted diversion had not held Dr Romano up for very long. He mumbled and excuse and stepped outside, and immediately spied his erstwhile colleague making her way into the complex. She could not have come alone, and she certainly seemed to be asserted her newly acquired authority.

"I hadn't thought to find you here."

Quentined cocked his head and looked at her coldly. "A doctor in a hospital treating patients?" he said dryly, "I can understand why that might seem such an anomoly to you."

"Gosh, it's been...what? Eight years, now? Do you mind if I take a look at some of the patients here? I promise I won't get in anyone's way."

"I highly doubt that." Quentin retorted, "Anyone who breathes in this building without performing an essential medical procedure is 'in the way'. So yes I mind greatly, but I suspect your concern for my opinion is little more than a hollow pleasantry."

He could feel his indignation rising, and knew full well that it was born largely out of the fact that Lauren had shown such promise in her early days, and could potentially have been a powerful ally for him in the current political climate. He could only assume that she was willing to be the government's pawn because she wished to be on the 'winning' side. Quentin had no illusions as to the fact that there were few supporters of his own outlook.

Mr Zane emerged from the waiting room and handed him the forms. Quentin hurried to take them and put them against his chest, but the way the militia-man handed the papers across meant that there was no way Lauren wouldn't have seen something on the forms to give away the fact that this man had been the victim of a Lycan attack. It was a small mercy than Zane did not seem to be infected, otherwise Lauren would most likely have made 'use' of him. Even so, there were any number of subjects in the quarantine block that would be of great interest to the government scientist if she gained access to them.

"Thank you Mr Zane," Quentin said hurriedly and inconspicuously, "that will be all."

Jessenia stood,clamly, waiting for the Lycan to speak. She could still hear the Human squriming in the other Vampire's arms, her squeeks breaking through the thick silence between the two groups. Jessenia did her best to stand her ground. Her and Viktoria were heavily outnumbered, and if they tried to fight, they wouldn't stand a chance. They did have the girl though, and that was a major perk. She attempted to keep a straight face, refusing to allow the Lycan's presence intimidate her.

"The streets are crawling with military, and between you and us we make a pretty juicy target for them right about now. You think I have time to explain?? Her dad's involved in something that we don't want to succeed." The Lycan's tone of voice changed dramaticly. He was obviously trying to intimidate her and Viktoria.

[b]"Look at the situation. We could attack and kill you, but you know we can't afford any losses. So how about you let us take the girl, and you do what you do best and disappear into the darkness?" Jessenia smirked slightly.

"Kill us? But...we have what you need. I suggest you keep your distance, lest you see the girl drained." She paused, pondering her next move.

"We will let her go...eventually. I just wish to know what you are talking about. We have plenty of time. Trust me, if the streets were crawling with military, I'm guessing we would have been caught by now. Now, would you please tell up what you are talking about? I would hate..." She paused, reaching over and poking the girl's cheek with a sharp fingernail. '...to see her be hurt."

"Alex, come on let's go, this is serious," Kara hissed to her companion. "I don't think we should get mixed up with these guys."
"No, wait," Alex held out a hand in front of her, eyes glued to the scene at hand. He licked his lips hungrily, itching for a fight. "I want to see how this ends..."
"No, not right now, come on!" she whispered hurriedly. Alexander shook his head, his shaggy hair shaking from side to side as he did so. Kara bit her lower lip and looked at the scene. From the looks of it, they were serious opponents, and while Alex was greatly gifted in fighting for his age, it wouldn't be a wise choice to fight them. That was just her intuition, of course.
Alex too knew that they weren't going to be easy opponents to defeat. He was hoping and somewhat exaggerating in thinking that an all-out brawl would arise. The male lycan's point of police crawling through the city only emphasized that. He stepped around Kara who attempted to drag him back and looked straight ahead at the scene. Kara was getting more frantic, though she hid it well given her usual dramatics. She was pulling on his arm and glancing from him back to the group.

"The streets are crawling with military, and between you and us we make a pretty juicy target for them right about now. You think I have time to explain?? Her dad's involved in something that we don't want to succeed. Look at the situation. We could attack and kill you, but you know we can't afford any losses so how about you let us take the girl, and you do what you do best and disappear into the darkness?"

So the dog wasn't going to be honest. Sadly, he did have a point. While the streets weren't exactly crawling with military, they would show up eventually, with this many of them out in the open. Someone living nearby could have already called in about a disturbance. The longer they stayed out, the more stupid they seemed to their opponents.

"Kill us? But...we have what you need. I suggest you keep your distance, lest you see the girl drained. We will let her go...eventually. I just wish to know what you are talking about. We have plenty of time. Trust me, if the streets were crawling with military, I'm guessing we would have been caught by now. Now, would you please tell up what you are talking about? I would hate... to see her be hurt."

Viktoria had to smirk at that. This other girl had spunk, and especially a sadistic sort of humor, which she appreciated greatly. Things needed to get moving slightly faster, however. And Viktoria was going to do just that. "Come on," she whispered to the vampire, "follow me." Still keeping a tight hold on the human, she quickly jumped onto the fire escape of the building to her right, and made her way to the roof. "Don't move a muscle!" she yelled to the lycans as she watched them stir.

She extended her arm, dangling the frail human over the side of the building. "I swear if you move, I'll toss her far enough where you can't reach her in time." Her patience was running thin, and she didn't particularly know that the lycans wouldn't attack, if provoked enough. While she would love to kick some dog ass, she didn't feel like going into a battle she knew she'd lose. "You've got one more chance, dog!" she yelled, narrowing her eyes. "Tell us who she is."

Viktoria watched the human, the girl's eyes wide with fear. Though she had more of a backbone than the vampire could have ever imagined. She wasn't pleading for her life, sobbing uncontrollably, or any of the other pathetic things she'd seen humans do when they found out her true nature. She took her eyes off the human to the pack of dogs that were staring right back at her. To prove her point, she let go of the human, letting her drop a few inches, before she grabbed the girl with her other hand. "Next time, I won't catch her," she threatened, giving the human a little shake.

The lycans remained silent, giving them no answers. "Damnit," she whispered. She had wanted to give Silas some valuable information, but a little information was better than none at all. They could follow up on it, Viktoria was sure she'd be able to research and find out exactly who this girl was. Her eyes looked to her right, finding her new vampire friend. "It's obvious they're not going to talk. I think we should just split. Follow me if you want to be in a clan. Otherwise, get out of here as fast as you can, and go home." She paused, looking down to the alley to make sure the lycans hadn't moved. "Ready?" she asked, preparing to sprint away. In the flash of an eye she sprinted to the other edge of the roof, then released her hold on the human. She watched the girl fall for a split second before turning around and taking off across the roof, leaping from one building to the next.

She wondered if the lycans had managed to catch the human in time. She pondered a few questions as she ran, heading towards her coven. Every few minutes, she looked behind her to make sure she wasn't followed, and looked down in the streets to make sure no one saw them. It took awhile, but she eventually made it home. She walked back through the front door, holding it open for the girl that had followed her home.

---

Landon watched the doctor quickly hide the papers from the woman's view. He raised an eyebrow, wondering what that was about. Why did it matter what his papers said, it wouldn't mean anything to this woman. "Thank you Mr Zane, that will be all." He shrugged, pushing his puzzlement away. He honestly didn't care what was going on between these two... all he really wanted was to go home and lie in his own bed. "Here's to hoping that I never see you again, doc," he said with a smile on his face.

He hunched over once more, leaving the pair of them to head for the parking lot. After only a few paces, a thought struck him. "How the hell am I going to get home?" he whispered to himself, stopping in his tracks. He couldn't even remember how he'd gotten here, but the doctor had said his friends had brought him in. Unfortunately, his friends seemed to be missing. Which left him without any means of transportation, except for walking. And in his current state, that would take forever. Or he'd probably rip open his stitches or something.

"Mr. Zane, is it? Might I speak to you outside? I may have a proposition for you, if you're the kind of man I think you are." The female voice behind him caught him off guard, but he turned around to see who had addressed him. He frowned a little, wondering what exactly this woman could want with him. He pondered the thought a moment, before shrugging. He really had nothing to lose. "Sure, I guess," was all he replied before turning once more and heading for the automated doors at the end of the lobby. It took him a few minutes, but he made it.

Once outside, Landon went to the right of the door, and leaned against the wall to take some pressure off his side. The woman had followed, and he studied her a little closer. She was actually quite pretty, and now that he studied her, he was absolutely certain his earlier hunch of seeing her before was correct. But he still couldn't place where she was from. His memory seemed to be failing him... he hoped it wasn't permanent. "Alright, we're outside. What exactly do you want?" he asked, folding his arms and glaring at her.

---

The vampire with the red hair made Calvin extremely angry. Her complete lack of any manners in his home wasn't acceptable to him. She comes to his pack alone, and has the stupidity to mouth off to him. He knew vampires weren't intelligent by any means, but this one had to be downright dull. He kept his anger inside, keeping his appearance cool and collected. He wanted the girl to believe her insults meant absolutely nothing to him. And though her words angered him, ultimately what she thought of him didn't matter.

"Look buddy. Silas just sent me here to ask you if you would cooperate with us, our coven. He wanted to know where you stood in this dispute between the three races."

So Silas wanted peace, it seemed. At first, the notion seemed absolutely crazy to him. Vampires and lycans were not capable of working together. They would tear each other to pieces before anything good was accomplished. But the more the thought lingered in his mind, the less crazy it seemed. If they both teamed up against the humans, they could actually win. There would of course have to be rules established, but he just might have to go for it. Temporarily, of course.

"So, are you in or out?" Calvin considered it more. While on the surface it made sense, deep down it was much more complicated than that. He was sure his pack wouldn't like having to work with the bloodsuckers, but it just might be necessary. No doubt Silas knew how hard his pack had been hit, which made this proposition even more appealing. A guarantee that some vampires wouldn't kill any more of his pack was extremely tempting.

"Shut your muzzles puppies." Her words brought Calvin out of his thoughts. He looked to his pack mates, their anger clearly visible. He'd had enough of this girl, and wanted her out. The other one had stayed silent, he was grateful for that. But he wanted her out as well. "Tell Silas I will agree to meet him on neutral ground outside the city tomorrow night. Midnight." He gave the girl directions to his desired destination. "Now get out of here. Both of you." He waved them away, tired of smelling them. After they left, their smell would probably linger longer than he'd like. Right now the tunnel smelled like a graveyard.

He finally glanced back at Rae, who had seated herself on the couch once more. He walked over to her, and settled himself next to her. "How are you feeling?" he asked, noticing the wound still looked pretty gruesome. "I should probably set you up with a room. Follow me," he said, standing.

Jessenia smirked, proud of her display. She had wanted to level the playing field, and that's just what she did. She had to admit though, if things didn't move a little faster, they would most likely be caught.

"Come on, follow me." The woman said, human still in tow. She watched as the Woman clambered up the fire escape, and up onto the roof of a building. Jessenia paused, looking over towards the Lycans, their faces set in stone. 'Nothing but stubborn vermin.' she though, clambering up the brick wall. When she got there, the other Vampire was dangeling the human over the edge of the roof, threatening to kill her. Jessenia smiled, knowing her and the Woman would get along well, their personalities were alike in many ways.

"I swear if you move, I'll toss her far enough where you can't reach her in time. You've got one more chance, dog! Tell us who she is." Jessenia watched as a few of the Lycans began to stir, but most stood their ground, staring at Jessenia's Vampire friend, and the girl she was dangleing dangerously over the edge. Suddenly, the girl was dropped into the air, only to be caught by the Woman's other hand. The human's sobs grew louder, the sound echoing in the large ally.

"Next time, I won't catch her," But once more, the Lycan's didn't stir. 'Damn. Nothing is going to make them talk. She was dissapointed, as this was obviously as much the Vampire's battle as it was the Lycan's.

"Damnit. It's obvious they're not going to talk. I think we should just split. Follow me if you want to be in a clan. Otherwise, get out of here as fast as you can, and go home. Ready?" The woman suddenly said, her grip on the girl loosening. Jessenia's mind was already made up. She would go with her newfound Friend, and join her clan.

"...Ready." She said, as her friend Dropped the human into the air, and began running in the opposite direction. Jessenia looked at the Lycan's for a split second, listening to the human's terrified screams as she fell.

"Bye!" She said, waggling her fingers at the Lycans', beginning to run towards the woman. She soon caught up to her, and they ran in silence for a few minutes. Eventually, they came across a building that Jessenia guessed is where she stayed. The Woman held the door open for her, and Jessenia caught it.

"Thanks...I'm Jessenia. You?"

"I wish that were so." Quentine replied with a certain degree of remorse. Had he not once harboured such a high opinion of Lauren, he might have found her easy to ignore, but the reality was her choices caused him a certain amount of pain. Not in themselves - they were the choices made my hundreds of other scientists - but because he wished that she in particular had not taken them.

His concerns about the papers had been well founded. Lauren had her finger right on the pulse, and immediately started to show an interest in Zane. He watched the two of them walk out and narrowed his lips. Perhaps this worked in his favour? At least she was leaving the hospital building for now. And if she wanted to take Zane for a little 'collaboration' or experiment, then what skin was that off Quentin's nose?

He approached reception once again, but then noticed the time. He'd been working longer than he realised, and should have clocked off over half an hour ago. Not that the waiting area was getting any quieter. It was looking like it would be another long night.

---

Jemima was frozen with terror, her breaths coming out as frightened squeaks, not helped by the fact that the vampire's grip was harder than any human would have found it easy to sustain. She felt like she might as well have been in the jaws of a carnivore...indeed perhaps that wasn't so far from the truth if the vampires had their way. Or the lycans for that matter. Was this simply a case of letting others determine what kind of fangs would end her life??

But it was becoming apparent that there was some sort of stalemate between the two gangs. And they were talking about her. No, wait, her dad? What was he involved in that they would want to take her for? He was trying to preach tolerance and non-violent methods towards the two species! Unless there was something she didn't know about...?

As the other vampire prodded her cheek she closed her eyes tight and fought back tears. No wasn't the right time to lose it. Whatever tension there was between the vampires and the lycans, it was the closest thing she had to a remote possibility of living beyond tonight.

And then she felt herself being hoisted up, and in a violent motion she was suddenly suspended a couple of storeys up, held precariously yet powerfully by the vampire. The lycans below all scampered forward slightly, looking up at them through gritted teeth. The lead one who had been speaking jumped from the van and took his place at the front of the group. Also from the other end of the alley, one more humanoid being appeared (he had been following her??) and from his behaviour she assumed he was a lycan too.

She practically held her breath as the vampire made her demands, until she lurched downwards a few inches at which she let out a reactionary shriek. Her legs dangled pathetically beneath her, and her clutch bag slipped off her arm and fell down onto the hard alley surface below.

---

Wes could feel his heart thrumming in his ears as he watched the human being dangled like a rag doll. He cared nothing for the girl's dignity of course, but if he had to go back to Calvin and report that their target had fallen to her death in an alley it would be even worse than if he had to report that she's been taken by vampires! Yet all the while he didn't know what else to say. He couldn't give away any more than he already had; he had to make it seem like any percieved advantage to the girl being taken alive was if she was taken alive by them.

He weighed up his option, realising suddenly that he couldn't even remember the name of the doctor that was supposed to be this girl's father. He took too long, and the vampire lost patience evidently and let go of the girl. Wes jolted, the girls' screams grating through his system, trying to anticipated where she would fall, but his foot landed straight on a wet surface and his legs swept away from underneath him, sending him tumbling down onto his backside. He rolled into an upright position, and watched the human fall as if in slow motion. Now we're screwed..., he thought to himself as she almost hit the pavement. But then from nowhere another figure lept into his field of view, and landed underneath the human, cushioning her fall.

---

Jemima felt the biggest impact of her life as she landed, pain shuddering through her body. It took her a moment to register, however, that she hadn't hit tarmac. She had been caught, and she was being restrained in somebody's arms. She squirmed a little and look up, seeing a nonthreatening human face...or at least so it seemed. She didn't recognise him as one of the lycans who had got out the van...was he militia? Or a lone hunter? If so, why were the lycans not moving in?

Her body still practically convulsing from shock, she nodded quickly at her rescuer and looked about her frantically. The phrase 'out of the pan and into the fire' had surely never rung so true...

---

Wes scrabbled to his feet and gaped at the lycan in front of him holding the human girl. He looked around at the others, but all of them shook their heads; nobody knew who this lycan was. And then another - a particularly attractive female - entered the alley, addressing the male as 'Alex'. Wes cleared his throat and approached sheepishly.

"Hey," he said, "uh...nice catch. What are you doing here?"

Another knock on the door caused Silas to glance up from his desk. "Yes?" It was Travis once more. "Viktoria's returned, as you said. But she isn't alone."

Silas stood immediately, though not ungracefully. "Lycans?" He desperately hoped the lycans would hold their aggression at bay, especially with the meeting he was trying to arrange on the horizon. The coven was well protected from their kind, as well as the humans, and any attack would be met with fierce and ruthless resistance, but now was a time for cooperation, not war. Travis assuaged his fears with a shake of his head, however.

"No, no lycans. Just a girl. She looks to be one of us. She was able to keep up with Viktoria, anyway."

That was no small feat, and it meant that Viktoria was either slowing down to let the girl stick with her, or she was quite fast. Interesting, and it already helped to explain something of Viktoria's sudden departure from the mansion. Of course, Silas didn't make a habit of letting worthless strays into the coven. If the girl was a vampire, and Viktoria intended to give her shelter here, she would have to prove her worth just as the others had.

"See to it that they come to me immediately. They shouldn't need any encouragement, though."

"Of course, Silas."

---

"I guess I'll see you around," Lauren said to Quentin, "another sleepless night for the both of us it seems."

She followed Mr. Zane out of the main entrance of the hospital, where the man used the opportunity to lean up against a wall. His glare had little effect on her attitude towards him. She seemed rather energetic and enthusiastic, even despite the late hour.

"My name is Lauren Romano, I'm a scientist. You may have heard my name or seen me on the news recently. The government's hired me to find more efficient ways to solve the vampire and lycan problems."

Ethan approached from across the street, but Lauren waved him off to indicate that she was busy, and so he simply maneuvered behind her. She didn't exactly approve of the rather threatening aura he was giving off. Or was it protectiveness? Lauren doubted it. She hadn't really been as nice to the guy as he deserved. There was no time for being nice anymore.

"Up to this point, Mr. Zane, I've been researching new kinds of weapons and ammunition, testing potential biological weapons that could be deployed in cities, but I've had little success. The current method of shooting silver and ultraviolet ammo has proved to be the most efficient. So I'm trying something new."

She inched a little closer to the man, and lowered her voice slightly.

"I'm aware of your affiliation with anti-supernatural militias, Mr. Zane, and it just so happens I could use individuals with your kind of initiative. But before I go any further, I need to know if you're in, and if you can keep this discreet. Between us. So, Mr. Zane, are you interested in seeing the vampires and lycans eradicated, or should I head back inside and speak to someone else?"

In truth, she had no proof that he was with a militia group, but he looked like a violent man to her, and he didn't appear too upset about having received a wound from a lycan. Which likely meant he had gone looking for them. It was all the evidence she needed.

"Thanks...I'm Jessenia. You?"

"Viktoria," she answered with a glance around the room. Things didn't seem to have changed since she'd left. "Welcome to your new home," she told the girl, gesturing to the house around her. She didn't even get a chance to sit down before she spied Travis descending the stairs. She felt slightly bad that she'd run off on him earlier, but she pushed the thought from her mind. "Hey Trav!" she said enthusiastically, grinning at him.

Travis didn't look amused, and he gestured up the stairs. "Silas wants to see you... again," he said, watching her. "And this time I'll watch you."

She smirked, and gestured to have Jessenia follow her. No doubt Silas would want to meet her. He'd have to decide if she was permanently allowed to be part of the coven, but if Viktoria had any say in it, the girl would stay. She followed Travis up the stairs, heading for Silas' office once more. This time, Travis stayed in the doorway when they arrived, not leaving. She smiled at him again before entering the room, Jessinia behind her.

She stopped in her tracks when she found Colby in the room. She rolled her eyes, not attempting to hide her frown. Didn't the girl EVER leave Silas alone? It was completely ridiculous. She stepped up to his desk, and motioned to the girl behind her. "This is Jessenia. I met her while I was... out." She turned to Jess, and motioned to Silas. "This is Silas, our coven leader." She pulled up a chair and sat down.

"I know you probably want to talk about Jessenia, but there's something more important to discuss. I ran into a pack of lycans."

---

"My name is Lauren Romano, I'm a scientist. You may have heard my name or seen me on the news recently. The government's hired me to find more efficient ways to solve the vampire and lycan problems. "Up to this point, Mr. Zane, I've been researching new kinds of weapons and ammunition, testing potential biological weapons that could be deployed in cities, but I've had little success. The current method of shooting silver and ultraviolet ammo has proved to be the most efficient. So I'm trying something new."

As soon as the woman said her name, it instantly clicked inside Landon's mind where he'd seen her before. She'd been all over the news recently, her more extreme methods of finding the cure being both praised and criticized. He happened to appreciate her work, knowing that finding the answer would require some dirty work. And she had the guts to do it. He watched a man approach her, but she waved him off. She even had her own guard, which spoke volumes about her status.

"I'm aware of your affiliation with anti-supernatural militias, Mr. Zane, and it just so happens I could use individuals with your kind of initiative. But before I go any further, I need to know if you're in, and if you can keep this discreet. Between us. So, Mr. Zane, are you interested in seeing the vampires and lycans eradicated, or should I head back inside and speak to someone else?"

His eyebrows raised when she mentioned his militia affiliation, but he smirked at her afterward. Just because he'd been attacked by a lycan didn't mean anything. Many people got attacked by lycans who were just walking down the street minding their own business. She was either bluffing, or had way more resources than he could have imagined. He thought about her words for a minute, though the thought greatly excited him. If he helped her find a cure for both vampires and lycans, his name could become as famous as hers. He would be a legend. More importantly, he would make the world a safer place for his daughter. She'd be able to grow up without being afraid.

"I'm in," he told her, grinning. "Although as you can see, I'm a little hung up at the moment." He gestured to his wound so he could be sure she knew what he meant. "I can't exactly go fighting another lycan soon."

---

“Thank you again, and I’m really sorry that I lead them down here… I should have known they would be around with how much I was bleeding.”

"Actually," Calvin replied, "only one was your fault. The other would have come anyway." He led her through a side tunnel, where all the lycans had set up their own rooms. They were only little alcoves covered with sheets or cardboard pieces, but it was better than nothing. He stopped in front of a purple sheet cover. "You an have this one. It used to belong to a member, but she's gone now. It's already furnished." He pulled back the sheet to reveal a lone mattress on the floor, and a small set of drawers for any personal belongings she might have.

“Do you ever share what’s on your mind? Ever admit when you’ve got just a little bit of fear? "It may not be my place to ask, but I do owe you everything."

He sighed, surprised that she would ask such a forward question. He stayed silent for a while, contemplating. Finally, he gave in and answered the girl. "No," he answered honestly, "it's not my place to share everything that goes through my mind. I'm here to protect the pack. If I'm afraid, they're afraid." He let the curtain fall back into place, and watched it sway back and forth before calming. His mind drifted to think of Hattie. He'd never been so honest with anyone, and now she was gone. He still couldn't believe it.

Sometimes he woke up expecting to still find her waiting for him. He was always disappointed when he left his room and found her not there. He pushed his sadness away, finding the feeling to be useless. He cleared his throat, his mind returning to the present. "I need to make a call," he said to Rae. "Feel free to do whatever you want."

Calvin left her next to the room, returning to the common area. He'd only just realized that he hadn't heard from Wes for an extended amount of time. So much had happened with Rae and the bloodsuckers that it had totally slipped his mind. Until now. He pulled his phone out and called Wes, waiting for him to pick up on the other line.

Silas examined the location Colby relayed to him on the map before him. It was a neutral location, but well concealed from prying eyes and the patrolling military. Calvin wasn't a fool. He'd chosen a good location for a meeting. But also perhaps a good location for an ambush. Silas had no intention of going alone, and he was quite certain Calvin would do the same. Before he could respond to Colby's request to come along, however, Viktoria swooped into the room, smiling.

Her momentum was quite halted upon seeing Colby before him, and Silas watched as she rolled her eyes, clearly disdainful of the girl. Silas leaned back in his black leather desk chair, crossing his arms. He'd have to deal with the tension between them at some point, although he wasn't quite sure what the source of it was. In the meantime, however, Viktoria informed him that they had more important things to discuss, namely a run-in with the lycans, and the new girl that followed behind her, Jessenia.

Silas rubbed his temples as he listened to Viktoria's report. So she had come across lycans. Perhaps she'd rescued the girl she brought along from them. There hadn't been any missing weapons from the armory, and all silver ammunition had been accounted for, so it didn't seem likely that she killed any of them, which was a relief, especially with this truce with the lycans he was working on.

"So did Colby," Silas said calmly, "only her run-in with the lycans was under my orders. We're establishing a truce with them, outside the city, tomorrow at midnight. And yes, Colby, you can come," he said, smiling slightly in spite of himself, hoping she'd stop with the puppy-dog eyes. It was awfully distracting.

"And welcome, Jessenia," Silas continued, giving the girl a nod, "I'm assuming Viktoria saw some potential in you. Should you wish to join us, you'll stay with us for a few days, and should you prove that you can pull your own weight, and contribute to the good of the coven, you'll be allowed to stay."

He wondered just how old she was. He'd seen vampires hundreds of years old stuck in the bodies of children before, but they had all belonged to covens already, or decided to never join one. That she was searching for a coven pointed to her being a younger vampire.

"Viktoria, we'll discuss your actions tonight later, and in private. For now, what happened with these lycans? You look unhurt. Do you know who they belonged to, or what they were after?"

---

Lauren had a feeling he'd say yes. He seemed like a driven man. But he had a point about the wounds. He wasn't exactly in top shape.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. You can take the time you need. We also have some...well, medications, back at my lab. Stuff you won't find at your average hospital. I'm sure they'd help you get back out there quicker than lying around at home."

Her guard looked eager to be off. It was near constant chaos around the hospital as people were rushed inside with the hopes of receiving treatment, and prayers that they hadn't been infected by their attackers. Lauren wrapped her jacket tighter about herself as a slight wind picked up.

"Now, on to the job. The government's told me countless times that there isn't a cure, that I should focus my efforts on ways to exterminate the vermin and such, but I'd still like to think I can find a better way. To do that, though, I'm going to need a live test subject or two. The government just executes anyone they capture, fearing their powers, and preferring genocide to experimentation. They certainly wouldn't approve of me doing this. I'd use the guards they assigned me, but I'd rather not leave myself vulnerable to attacks, and they're just getting paid to protect me, not hunt monsters for me."

She shifted her weight onto the other leg, brushing a strand of brown hair from her face.

"You can involve your militia men if you want, or go it alone, I don't care, so long as you deliver a captive to me without broadcasting it to the world. We have equipment you might be interested in. An armory of weapons. Automatic rifles, body armor, grenades, you name it. I've also been working on a special kind of ammunition that needs field testing, something that could potentially bring down a vampire or lycan without killing it. I can reward you with pretty much whatever you want. Money, weapons, protection, you name it."

Lauren realized that this was probably a lot to take in, but she liked the look in Zane's eyes, and she felt like she wasn't wasting her time here. She knew he'd get results.

"So, do we have a deal?"

Colby Halloway

Another vampire swung in through the window, followed by an unfamiliar vampire. Colby watched skeptically, and saw the first vampire, Viktoria, give Colby a dirty look. The simple eye roll was enough. But, it didn't faze Colby at all. In fact, the idea that she thought she could intimidate her made Colby laugh. The golden eyed girl's puppy-dog eyes were wiped off her face, and instead she smiled softly and looked at her feet laughing lightly at Viktoria's actions. To be honest, Colby had nothing against the brown haired woman. Except, ever since she met her, Colby had a strong distrust and disliking for her. The way that she assumed she could control everybody by threats or intimidation was the complete opposite of Colby's care-free, laid back personality.

The red haired vampire bounced lightly on her toes, listening to their conversation to see what was going on with the new vampire. So, her name was Jessenia? That was a cool name. Colby hummed quietly to herself, her cheerful nature taking back over. Her humming wasn't loud enough to distract the three others, but enough to keep Colby distracted. Then, she heard that Viktoria tried to... talk... to the lycans, and the idea made Colby giggle again. You see? She tried to 'talk' to the species that them vampires weren't buddy buddy with.... Once again in threat. Why did that not surprise her?

Keeping quiet still, Colby listened in until it sounded as if they were finished talking. Silas had agreed that Colby could come, and she flashed the coven leader a grateful glance with a dazzling, thankful smile. "Thanks!" she practically sang happily. Colby spun neatly on her heel to turn around so she could head out and gave each of them one last glance over her shoulder. A grateful glance to Silas but an irritated and hostile one towards the other vampire. Colby didn't judge Jessenia because she didn't know her, and gave the new vampire a warm, friendly, and welcoming smile and nodded before dashing down the stairs. But before she did that, she adjusted the cap on her head and blinked.

"I'm going to head out." she told them and then dismissed herself, heading down the stairs and out the door.

Colby was met with familiar, and rather peaceful land. Being outside was comforting to her, calmed her nerves. Colby took a deep breath with a grin, shut her eyes, and exhaled slowly, her beautiful golden eyes reopening. Her footsteps gave no sound, and she wandered away from the serenity of the woodland area. Considering Colby hadn't fed for a while, she had that pull towards the city. She hated hunting, delaying until it was necessary. She thought it was inhumane and just cruel. Since she hadn't asked to be a vampire, she didn't really adjust to the whole blood thing fully. With a reluctant sigh, she walked toward the, surprisingly still busy, city, the scent of blood pulsing through her keen, sharp senses.

Soon enough she reached the city, and walked past a large hospital, her eyes tracing the building carefully, as they did to every other building. The vampire was just glad the sun was down, and it was somewhere around 12 am or 1 am. Luckily she had on some jeans and a sweatshirt now, being able to change before she left, and had her baseball cap on still. Her straightened red hair fell and cascaded over her shoulders, the color complimenting her pretty pale complexion nicely. Her jeans were old and washed out skinny jeans, and on her feet were blue socks with Adidas slides. She had on a gray lacrosse sweatshirt and a a different Cookie Monster flat bill hat. She liked those hats, her brother always wore them and she always put them on.

Snapping out of thought, the young vampire sighed and walked casually down the sidewalk, still rather busy, buzzing with cars and people. Colby scanned the people carefully, trying to pick out somebody she could tell wouldn't be a huge loss. Maybe if somebody went down an alley, a robber or something. At the thought, she chuckled. What was the likeliness of that?

Jessenia followed the Woman into the large house. She was immediatly hit with the familar smell of candles, and the specific smell of Vampires.

"Viktoria. Welcome to your new home." The woman [/b]Viktoria[/b] said as she looked around the room. Jessenia was glancing around also, taking in the wooden floors and high walls. Her crimson eyes gleamed with excitment, something she rarely felt now that she was a Vampire. She had spent years and years alone, and it was nice to be around others of her kind. Of course, she had met others, but had never been able to be in a coven. Suddenly, a man walked down the thin stairs, an unamused expression apon his yet, yet Viktoria still greeted him warmly.

'Hi Travis! Ah, so that was his name. The man's expression didn't waver as he began to talk. "Silas wants to see you... again. And this time I'll watch you." Silas must be the coven leader... Jessenia though as Viktoria and Jessenia made their way up the stairs. They walked into an office, as another man sat at a desk infront of them. The boy, Travis, stood in the doorway, overlooking them. Viktoria smiled at him, before turning to Silas. Jessenia saw a small girl in the corner of the room, her hair a flaming red colour. Apparently, Viktoria saw her too, as she stopped quickly, and stared at her before carrying on towards the desk. Moving towards the desk, Viktoria motioned for Jessenia to sit. Jessenia pulled up a small wooden chair, sat, and pulled her knees up to her chin, hugging them lose to her. It was a constant habit of hers, and it is sad to say that she couldn't break it.

"This is Jessenia. I met her while I was... out." She looked at Jessenia, motioning towards Silas. "This is Silas, our coven leader." Jessenia waved slightly, a smile drifting across her lips.

"I know you probably want to talk about Jessenia, but there's something more important to discuss. I ran into a pack of lycans." Jessenia nodded, and looked over towards Silas, her face serious. Well...as serious as a 15 year olds face can look. To be honest, Jessenia wished she would mature, if only a little bit. She was almost 25, and wished her looks would reflect it.

"So did Colby, only her run-in with the lycans was under my orders. We're establishing a truce with them, outside the city, tomorrow at midnight. And yes, Colby, you can come," Was he talking about the Redheaded girl in the corner?

"And welcome, Jessenia. I'm assuming Viktoria saw some potential in you. Should you wish to join us, you'll stay with us for a few days, and should you prove that you can pull your own weight, and contribute to the good of the coven, you'll be allowed to stay." Jessenia nodded once more, pulling her knees from her chin, and straightening her back. She didn't feel comfortable, but that really wasn't important now.

"Fine with me." She agreed, not entirely sure how to react. She was happy, obviously. But also worried that she might messs up something. This was her first coven, and she hoped it would be her only Coven as well. Suddenly, Colby girl spoke up.

"I'm going to head out." She said, smiling broadly towards Jessenia. She returned the favor, smiling just as wide back to the girl. She seriously hoped that Viktoria and Colby didn't hate each other as much as it seemed they did.

Viktoria sat in her chair, listening to Silas speak. So there was going to be a truce between their coven and a pack of dogs. She could see the benefits, but she wasn't happy about it. Wouldn't that be ironic if the lycans she'd run into hours before were part of that pack? The likelihood of that was minimal, so she pushed the thought from her mind.

"Viktoria, we'll discuss your actions tonight later, and in private. For now, what happened with these lycans? You look unhurt. Do you know who they belonged to, or what they were after?"

His words made her frown. She didn't appreciate being scolded, even though he was actually her family. She chose not to respond to his threat, and instead spoke about the lycans. "I was feeding in an alleyway, Jessenia had followed me. Towards the end of our feeding, a human girl stepped into the alley, asking if we needed help. As soon as she had appeared, a van with 4 to 5 lycans pulled up after her."

She paused, gathering her thoughts. She stole a glance to Jessenia, who was staying quiet, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her eyes found Silas again, and she continued. "I quickly grabbed the girl, threatening her life. The lycans paused, which made it clear they were after her." She stood up, and began pacing back and forth, the thought of the lycans angering her once more. "Jess and I both tried to find out why they wanted her, but the dogs wouldn't talk. Eventually we decided not to chance being caught by humans, tossed the human off a building, and ran. I assume they saved her, and took her."

She stopped pacing and sat back down. Her eyes flew to Colby as she stood up, acting all sweet and innocent towards the other two, but she caught the hostile look the red head gave her. She returned the scowl back. After the girl was gone, she relaxed a little more. She always felt so uptight and uncomfortable around the red head. Something about her set Viktoria off. Besides the fact that Silas seemed to love her so much.

She had a feeling Colby wouldn't get in trouble for leaving the coven, even though she would. She waited to hear Silas' words.

---

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. You can take the time you need. We also have some...well, medications, back at my lab. Stuff you won't find at your average hospital. I'm sure they'd help you get back out there quicker than lying around at home."

Landon really liked the sound of that. Anything that would get him up and moving regularly faster, he was game for. He listened to her speech, and it was good enough. He honestly didn't care how the creatures were exterminated, as long as they were. He would almost prefer to kill them. It was more final, with no chance they could ever come back. Somehow vampires had come into this world. What was to stop it from happening again?

The challenge of bringing in a live subject thrilled him, however. It was something that wasn't easily done, and would take a lot of planning and coordination He would definitely want a small amount of his men with him. Only the ones he could trust. Plans were already forming in his mind, and he smirked at the thought. And then she spoke about weapons. That sold him. He would finally be able to have top of the line equipment, something that would hopefully prevent him from ending up in the hospital again.

And then she offered him anything he wanted. Of course, that was easy. He knew exactly what he would want from her, especially if he didn't make it through.

"We have a deal, on one condition," he said, his eyes staring into hers. "No matter the outcome of this... project, my daughter will be taken care of for life. Money, protection, whatever. If you can do that, I'm all yours."

He watched her, waiting. His eyes drifted to the man with her, her own personal guardsman. He seemed uncomfortable being outside of the hospital, and eager to leave. He smirked, and gestured towards the parking lot. "Shall we go?"

---

As the phone rang, Calvin's mind wandered. The new girl, Rae, came first. The way she talked to him and looked at him, it made him feel so many different ways. She calmed him, made him feel on edge, made him feel uncomfortable, and other things he couldn't place. She reminded him so much of Hattie. That was what made him wary. Hattie had been his everything, and now she was gone. Being extremely close to others made it that much harder when they were gone. He couldn't let himself become too close with her. Whether seeing her as a little sister... or something else entirely.

Finally, after a number of rings, he heard a voice answer on the other end of the line.

"Hi, hi boss. OK it didn't quite follow the script but we've got the girl, so all's well that end's well right? Oh and..." His voice lowered considerably. "...there were vampires in the area, we actually had to rescue the girl from them. And we've got two more lycans with us, say they're looking for a pack to join. Seems like they're genuinely on their own, I think they're telling the truth. What do you think?"

Calvin growled, angered by Wes' words. What was it with vampires today? He hadn't seen one in what seemed like ages, and now today his pack was running in to them everywhere. This wasn't good. The good news was that the human was their captive. Thankfully they hadn't managed to screw that up. The thought of others gave him mixed thoughts. His pack needed more members, but that they had come forward in this situation made him hesitate.

"Get back here immediately," he growled into the phone. "No stops, and you drive as fast as possible." He contemplated one moment, then spoke again. "The two others can come. But watch them closely. If they do anything out of the ordinary, don't hesitate to kick them out. We don't need anything jeopardizing this mission. I'll see you soon."

He closed the phone, placing it back in his pocket. He sat in a chair, running his hands through his hair. Sometimes he wondered why he had agreed to become the pack leader. But he always remembered that no one else could do the job as well as he could.

"Rae," he called out, his voice echoing in the empty tunnel. "We're going to have company."