The end in sight.

[Dane]

Like Lucia Laura's eyes trailed Dane as he made his exit. Again she smiled out of politeness. The woman had no particular interest in their late King. Dead men have no influence or power. Her inquiry was only an attempt to diffuse the situation. That had worked out particularly well as Lucia seemed more than willing to gush on about her father. She supposed there was no harm in taking advantage of the situation and attempting to earn some favor with her future Queen. Grabbing a glass from the passing servant she sipped and listened intently.

She found little of what Lucia said to be interesting. Other children, her father's weaknesses, and the mention of a Lycan King that she hadn't known existed; none of it was of worth. If this Raven was so great; his presence awe inspiring in a way Dane could not compare then why was one alive and not the other. Of course that was a query she would keep to herself. While the girl spoke she smiled assuring Lucia she was indeed listening. "Your father does sound very much like our current King. Not a night ago Dane defeated the vile Lycan Queen in single combat. Though that may be silly of me to say. Certainly you must already know. The two of you seem very close." She smiled widely revealing her teeth, something that Lucia said had apparently made the woman very happy. "For a moment I thought you were to marry our King and rule by his side. It is very generous of him to relinquish the throne to you altogether. Even if it is your birthright. I cannot imagine many would willingly give up such power." She smirked and then added jokingly. "I for one would not." Laura paused for a moment. Watching the hybrid for a response. "Raven sounds like a fascinating man. His passing is a loss for all of us. Condolences, truly for what happened. How could the usurper defeat such a man? There must have been foul play at work."

Laura glanced towards the door as it opened as a pair of vampires walked through she quickly returned her gaze to Lucia. "Lucia, there is something else on my mind, if you don't mind me asking. In a few minutes you've told more of our late King than I've managed to gather on our current in my time here. I spoke with Ahmad, and others and they all had very little to say. Can you tell me of him?"

"My King." The six members of his council rose from their seats and bowed as Dane entered the lightly dimmed room. Nodding slightly at them they all took their seats. As per usual the greetings were kept short. The Vampire King took his seat at the end of the long oak table. "The report on last night's victory." One of his subjects said sliding a folder in front of The King. Dane glanced through its contents his expression remaining stern. The members of his council glanced at on another, each individual appearing tense. "Good, everything seems in order. Losses were kept at a minimal as expected. You all did well." His words seemed to ease the council a bit. "Now can anyone tell me of Alena's whereabouts." Marcus stood as he always did when speaking among the council. "No signs of her yet sir. Either she is still in Stockholm or she's taken it upon herself to be very discreet." That was not the Lycan Queen's nature as they all knew. "At this rate she won't be here till sunrise."

"That would leave a lot of work for the two of us then, wouldn't it old friend?" Nervously Marcus rubbed the back of his neck. "You said not to worry about the Queen." Dane smirked. "Don't, but a contingency plan is always a necessity. If she is to arrive then we'll need more gunmen hidden within the buildings. Double their numbers an hour before dawn." Marcus nodded and sat back down. "Now, are there any concerns that must be addressed?"

[Lucia Drusa Severa]

Casually observing Laura while she spoke, Lucia sipped from her glass. It seemed this Baby Bat could not quite comprehend the full extent of her father's command, but at least she was being fairly polite about it. Still, there was something about the way this woman acted that came off as slightly antagonistic, and the Hybrid didn't understand why. Was it just her, or did it seem like Laura didn't like the girl?

Frowning, Lucia tried to put the thought away. She composed herself as the Vampire mentioned the Lycan Queen. "Mmm," Lucia agreed, "I was present as Dane fought her off. We are quite close." Something about the way Laura smiled and spoke didn't sit too well with Lucia, enough that the casual reference to Alena Wulf didn't phase the girl. She suddenly didn't feel so chatty and greatly desired to be among more familiar company.

Widening her stance ever so slightly, Lucia put a soft smile on her face as the young Vampire inquired of Dane. The Vampire King -had- opened the invitation for Lucia to ask any questions of him (though she hadn't taken full advantage of that offer yet), but she wasn't sure how much information he wanted the common folk to know, or how much she, herself, wanted to share with this rabble. Despite the girl's usually-careful expression, Lucia looked flatly at the Vampire while determining her fate. It was so very hard not to lash out or even just blatantly threaten the woman. It was clear she just wanted to get closer to Dane, and that angered the Hybrid. Yet, she remembered Dane's words before he excused himself.

Lifting an eyebrow, Lucia inquired, "The only King you've known is Dane, yet you know nothing of him? Who was your Sire?" Lucia asked mostly to deflect the woman's question, but thought better of it. Waving a hand, she brushed off the question; she didn't care who the Vampire's Sire was. "There is a reason Ahmad and the others you interviewed had so little to say to you of the current King." The insult here could probably have been better veiled, but Lucia was doing her best to be nice while still getting her message across. "I will tell you that it is because of Dane's cunning and power that we are all here tonight celebrating. You should feel honored to be among the top echelon of Vampire society. That being said, the King chooses his company carefully; it might behoove you to appreciate this moment in time, as it may not happen again."

Her gaze lazily scanned the room before returning to Laura, "Unless you've another question, I should excuse myself."

[Dane]

"Some of us, but not I, my King are not so certain with the presence of our favored guest." Marcus chimed in. Across from him another member of the council spoke; a tall thin woman, with a narrow face and pointy noise. " Her blood is tainted, Dane. How do we know she can be trusted?"

"Our future Queen is spineless, Catherine. She is neither her mother or father. Lucia should be of no concern to any of you. I have the girl wrapped around my finger." Dane said smirking. His comment seemed to draw an equally wide grin from Marcus who one again felt like speaking. "The others were not there to see the way she looked at you. Is it true love?" The Vampire King nodded. "Quite." He looked among his advisers. For a moment there was only silence. "We need her 'tainted' blood. Without it the lycans will never agree to a treaty. Even with her we may be hard pressed to reach a middle ground. If anything that should be your only worry." Once again he between the group. "Now unless there is anything else that requires my attention you are dismissed." He lazily gestured towards the door. One by one they made their exits. Dane followed shortly, the tall lady vampire joining him by his side, Marcus by the other.

"Do you truly think the lycans will agree to peace?" The woman asked. "I don't intend to give the beast must of a choice. They will either face extinction or bend their knees to our will." Truly he was unsure. With their Queen removed from the picture the lycans would be unpredictable. Alena of course would fight to the death, but what of her successor. Certainly not all were willing to continue fighting her war.

Laura stiffened as she tried to maintain a pleasant smile. Once again she found herself being lectured by the teenage girl. It was needless to say embarrassing, and she felt her own anger begin to pent up inside. Lucia was lucky they were attending a formal event. That, and the girl's status as future Queen protected her. Otherwise she would not stand for such insolence. There was a time and a place for everything. Instead of succumbing to her anger she sipped from glass and waited for Lucia to finish. "No, no that is all. Well," She paused, and fought back a smirk forming on her lips. "I can't help but wonder why you could not say you know no more of him than me? It's clear you're not nearly as close as you think." Laura knew she was being bold, but could not help herself. If Lucia thought the vampire would stand by idly while she insulted her she was mistaken. Not waiting for a response she curtsied slight and turned away to take her leave.

A few moments later Dane rejoined the party alongside his council caught in a disagreement with Catherine who still stood by his side. Marcus standing nearby smirked, clearly amused with their conversation. "I'll hear no more of it." Dane said casually lifting an open palm to her face while he looked away. "You're beginning to test my patience."

[Lucia Drusa Severa]

Taking the last drink from her glass, Lucia turned the chalice in her hand, watching as the last drop swirled lazily around the contour of the bottom of the cup. She'd positioned herself as if she were ready to leave, and truthfully, the girl had every intention of excusing herself to a nearby balcony for some air. Laura's parting words, however, gave the Hybrid pause. Her grip on the wine glass tightened and a crack webbed around the chalice. Lucia let up before the glass shattered and casually moved that hand behind her back, before setting it down on a nearby stand.

Something strong and something strange seemed to grow inside her, crawling up from her chest The desire that surged through her felt more powerful than it ever had in her young life. She'd been feeding on blood all night, but it had been so long since her lust for flesh had been sated. Such a craving seemed to learn words, and the picture it painted in Lucia's mind was irresistible: catching up to the female Vampire, Lucia craned her head back, yanking hard on her hair and pulling the woman into her body. Sinking her fangs into the Vampire's neck, Lucia ripped out a large chunk of the woman's flesh while she protested. With her free hand, the girl dug her claws deep into the Vampire's side, catching on and breaking some of her ribs as she pulled her hand away. The Baby Bat's body went slack and Lucia guided it to the ground, plunging her teeth into the woman again and again, chewing on the choice pieces. She found her fingers instinctively wrap themselves through Laura's body, easily piercing her flesh in one spot, only to reemerge a few centimeters away, making it that much easier to rip shreds of the Vampire's meat apart. Laura was soon no more than a ripped dress, blood and a pile of unidentifiable organs on the floor. Standing, blood spattered everywhere, Lucia turned to the other Vampires in attendance, her crimson eyes flashing maliciously as they stared back in awe. She wanted more, -needed- more. Pouncing at the closest Vampire, Lucia began her slaughter to the sounds of terrified protests.

Her vision focused and the Hybrid realized she was following Laura, close on her heels, an arm outstretched, reaching for her wrist. She'd been salivating; Hell, she wanted nothing more than to fulfill that desire. Licking her lips, Lucia zoned in on the exposed part of Laura's neck. Bare feet padded softly on the floor as she closed the distance to the Vampire. The girl's hand brushed slightly against the skin of Laura's arm, and the Hybrid latched her fingers around the woman's forearm, stopping her in her tracks. The look on Lucia's face spoke of a deranged sort of hunger, and a crooked smile graced her lips, fangs growing large.

The sound of a door clicking shut somewhere in the near distance perked the girl's ear, and quickly after, Dane's voice could be heard. Lucia's posture straightened and she let go of Laura's wrist, but she'd already had the Vampiress' attention. Curtsying, Lucia put on a smile, though her fangs still ached to clamp around the woman's flesh, "Enjoy your evening, Laura."

Raising a hand to her forehead, Lucia turned away and tried to push away the voice inside telling her to just attack. It took a great amount of focus to get her fangs to retract and appear 'normal', and even more concentration for her head and muscles to stop throbbing. What was getting in to her lately?

[Dane]

Laura was smiling to herself, haughtily and pretentious holding her head up high as she walked away from Lucia. It was quite clear she was pleased with herself. Her words left Lucia silent, that would serve as a lesson to the girl. She would not be spoken down to like some lowlife. Maybe it wasn't the brightest idea to talk back to the apparent future Queen. Falling down the ranks of vampire society would be tragic. Of course there was still time to make amends, or even time to see Lucia not become Queen at all. These thoughts crossed her mind, right as Lucia reached to grab her arm. She turned slowly, the smile on her face instantly vanishing and contorting into a look of equal disgust and fear as she glanced upon Lucia. Her eyes flashed red for a moment. Lifting her free arm she was ready to strike the hybrid, but as the young girl let Laura's hand free and curtsied, Laura stepped away and moved her arms back to her side. This was not the place to make a scene. She wasn't a savage, like Lucia. The crazed look on her face, the hunger in her eyes. Did the girl really intend to feed on her? The look was unmistakable. If Lucia thought the vampire would make an easy meal she had another thing coming. Patting down her dress and regaining her composure she returned the curtsy. "As should you, my dear." She said before taking her leave.

There was only one being in the room who held any regard to Dane; that was Lucia. The rest were just bodies, meat to throw at the lycans. He immediately spotted the hybrid and watched from afar as she finally parted from the vampire, Laura's company. Were they now on better terms? From where he stood it seemed that there was still tension. "Marcus, make note of Lucia's previous company. I believe her name is Laura. I may need her presence in some time." He lowered his head before leaving his counselor's side. Though he did not approach Lucia. He continued to watch her as she ran her hand to her forehead. In a human that gesture would not have been a note. He could not entirely speak of Lycan habit, but he had never seen any of his vampires or even Lucia make such an action. Though perhaps it was not of concern. There was little that did not go unnoticed by Dane's ever watchful eye.

Dane approached her promptly. Flashing a smile at the subjects he passed, but ignoring them all together. "Has the night treated you well?" He said wrapping an arm around Lucia. "Have you and... Laura made amends?"

[Lucia Drusa Severa]

Clenching her fists, Lucia dug her nails into the palms of her hands, hoping that sensation, any other sensation would be enough to distract her from this persistent need for flesh. For the moment in time between speaking with Laura and Dane slipping his arm around her, Lucia heard only the blood screaming in her ear, begging for meat, threatening her sanity should she not comply. Yet listening to the voice was sheer madness in itself, given the company she was currently in. The presence of the other Vampires in the room seemed to disappear; their chatter all but gone.

As the Vampire King approached, wrapping his arm around her waist, Lucia almost started, forgetting momentarily where she was. "Dane." Of course it was Dane; who else would be greeting her with such familiarity? His touch was surprisingly comforting, but when Lucia looked up to meet his eyes, her own appeaered haggard and predatory. She'd shaken the urge to chase after Laura as much as she could, but the drive was still there. Trying to regain her composure, the Hybrid made as if she were simply swiping a strand of hair away from from her face, but the action didn't quite come across as convincing.

Leaning into Dane's body briefly, Lucia tried to smile. Her fangs remained more prominent than they should have been. "The night is... Well. Yes. Laura is... Safe." The girl licked her lips again, still salivating slightly. She looked down briefly, ashamed, "Is there time..? Would it be terribly rude if I were to excuse myself for a moment?" Her voice remained steady, though she spoke quietly. "I hunger for a delicacy not served here." She hoped Dane would understand and forgive her. She felt she was being incredibly inconvenient, but if she didn't feed now, she might lose it in present company, something she wished desperately to avoid. She wanted very much to please the Vampire King.

[Dane]

Dane smiled as he looked down at Lucia. She could not hide the deranged look in her eyes. It was familiar to him, all vampires bore it at some point in there lives. It was a sign of bloodlust, but there was plenty of blood here to sate her thirst. Yet it seemed to not be enough. He could see the hunger in her eyes building. Surly it was making demands of here, and soon she would succumb to it. The thought was almost humorous. To watch Lucia thrown into a fit of rage and attack the crowd, while they panicked and scattered like bugs. She would truly be able to indulge her hunger here. Unfortunately that wasn't an option at the time. She was his responsibility, and nobody would accept her as Queen if she could not control her thirst among her people.

"Good." He said in response to her gibberish. "Restraint is a sign of a great leader. There is always a time and place for punishment." Surly his words were falling on deaf ears, but perhaps if she focused on his voice she wouldn't snap. Dane saw the shame in her eyes once she glanced away. As she spoke again he nodded. It should have been obvious, both the wolf and the bat needed to be fed. "You're mother insist on taking her time and testing our patience. I fear she won't be here till sunrise." He slipped his arm around hers. "Come with me, I will see you well accommodated." He held her tightly and close as he quickly guided her away from the ball room. "Lucia you need not be ashamed." He whispered quietly into her ear as they walked through the crowd. "I have accepted you for who you are, all of you."

"Bring two humans to my room immediately." Dane said, snapping his fingers at a servant after they stepped out of the ballroom. "Yes, my king." The servant nodded and vanished down a set of stairs. Dane continued to guide Lucia. Leading her up the stair case. "Your will far surpasses mine at your age." He glanced at her, and smiled as charming as he could manage. " I left entire villages void of life, all because I failed to feed a night or two." Their room was on the third floor at the end of the hallway. He slipped his arm free from hers as he held the door open for Lucia. The Vampire King bowed as she stepped by him. The room was the most spacious in the den, though there was not much more worth of note. A pair of windows overlooked the warehouse district. In one corner of the room sat a an arm chair, in the other a bed; draped in silk sheets and unnecessarily large. Besides it a wardrobe full of their belongings. By the entrance there was another door, leading to a restroom.

[Lucia Drusa Severa]

Dane's voice, smooth and calm, was Lucia's focal point. Trying to flood her senses with other stimuli, the Hybrid drank in the Vampire's scent, relished his firm hold on her and tried to cling to every word spoken to her. The Vampire King, a picture of composure and chivalry, was the perfect model of what to aspire to.

Allowing Dane to lead her upstairs, Lucia's gaze paused purposefully on a few of the passing Vampires, licking her lips again. His whispered words of endearment, at any other time, would have melted the girl. She wondered, though, if he would still be so accepting if he witnessed her act on her hunger upon the Vampires present. Even most Werewolves wouldn't feed on any Vampire. The same could be said concerning Vampires feeding on Werewolves; no one in their right mind would do it. Yet Lucia had, and would likely continue, to cannibalize her parent races. Still, she smiled at Dane's words, trying to fend off the desire to maul just a little longer.

As Dane opened the door at the end of the hall for her, releasing his hold on her arm and complimenting her will, Lucia entered the room without question. She could feel the familiar sharp pangs above her shoulder blades increase drastically. Flexing her fingers, Lucia stood carefully in the center of the room, waiting for her meal to arrive. She would have laughed if it weren't taking everything she had to focus; she didn't feel very strong-willed at the moment. She knew the second the Humans entered the room, she would be upon them.

Maybe she should take off her dress while waiting; save the garment from the blood bath that would occur... The thought barely finished and Lucia's ears perked up, her nose picking up the unmistakeable musk of Humans approaching almost simultaneously. -Wait until the door is closed, Lucia. Grant yourself that much dignity at least.- The anticipation grew feverishly and the girl's breath hitched. All the blood she'd sated herself on the last few nights gave a slight color to her skin, and it felt like her heart was actually on the verge of beating.

The servant Dane addressed downstairs, and a helper, led the two Humans down the hall to the quarters that Lucia and Dane would be sharing. Both Humans appeared to be bound at the wrists, and while the male struggled freely against the Vampire holding him, the female seemed groggy and out of it, slung over the other Vampire's shoulder. The servant carrying the woman entered the room, dropping his burden carefully to the ground before retreating to let the other Human be pushed inside. Both Vampires bowed to Dane and quickly took their leave to attend to the masses downstairs.

With a restraint Lucia didn't know she had, the girl stood absolutely still as her meal was delivered to the room. She had to tap into all the willpower she had left not to simply attack the Humans on site, taking the servants with them. Why settle for two, when she could sink her teeth into four unwitting victims? Yet somehow she prevailed.

Turning to face first Lucia, and then Dane, the male Human wriggled violently against his bonds, sensing increased danger. The moment the Vampire King closed the door, stepping inside the spacious bedroom, Lucia jumped the man. There was little the Human could do besides protest, and truthfully, the Hybrid would have preferred him unbound, however beggars could not be choosers here. "Crazy bitch!" The man shouted, his words becoming moist and gargley as blood filled his throat. Plunging her fangs deep into the Human's neck, Lucia clamped her mouth shut and pulled, ripping away a large chunk of flesh. Blood sprayed the girl as it became clear an artery had been punctured and she dug her nails into the man's shoulder, yanking his head back hard by his hair to get another good bite at his collar. There was increasingly less resistance from the man as Lucia took chunk after chunk out of him, barely even chewing each morsel before savoring every piece of meat going down her throat.

The Hybrid hadn't even bothered to shift forms, so intent and base was her need. There she was, still in her Human skin, tearing apart a man in the middle of a room that used to belong to Lycans while the Vampire King watched by the door. This was something the girl had not foreseen. Although, many of the things that had happened recently had been a surprise to Lucia. Still, she had always preferred to feed in solitude before, not that there was much of a choice at the moment. It didn't matter, though; she trusted Dane completely.

The man's initial cries of agony jarred the female fully awake, and she curled up tight, watching in horror the scene before her. The woman began openly sobbing, "No... no, Phillip... God no!" and tried to scoot herself frantically away, not knowing Dane stood ever vigilant by the door.

At no point during Lucia's frenzy was there time to think of anything other than the glory of devouring such sweet flesh. She readily snapped the Human's bones, breaking his fingers with her teeth and chewing them down to a fine paste while rending the man's body limb from bloody limb. The girl was filled all at once with a dark satisfaction and a deep need for more. Finishing with the best pieces the Human could provide, Lucia looked across the room to the woman, grinning fiendishly as she propped herself up on hands and feet, ready for her second meal.

[Dane]

Dane whispered into the ears of a servant as he delivered Lucia her meal. "Of course, my King." He bowed, and took his leave alongside the other servant. As they left Dane stepped back into the room and locked the door behind him. A faint smile was on his lips as he glanced at Lucia. Curiosity had gotten the best of him. He would have left Lucia on her own to sate her desires, but her feeding habits intrigued him. Until not moments ago he believed she only needed blood to fuel her. At many times the girl seemed more vampire than werewolf, not that he ever forgot what she truly was. Perhaps it was her intentional. She appeared ashamed to need human flesh, but was it actually her lycan blood that ashamed the girl. Did she see herself as the abomination she truly was?

By the front door The Vampire King watched Lucia lunged on top of the man. At first, digging her teeth into her throat it looked like she was doing little more than drain him of his blood. Yet instead of drinking deep she tore out a chuck of flesh, his throat became a fountain of blood as she continued to feast on his flesh. He took a step back, a safe distance away from the blood as to not stain his suit. Lucia on the other hand did not have the same concern. She was drenched in her victims blood. Though that was nothing new for a vampire, this was not quite what he expected. There was something unnatural from the scene in front of him. It did not disturb him, little ever did, but watching the girl drenched in blood take chunks out of a grown man seemed out of place. It was far different than watching a lycan feed. That always appeared natural. Their bloody muzzles as the buried their heads into flesh, they were beast like their wolf counterparts.

Dane remained still and silent. His only movement came when the woman tried to crawl away from Lucia. He stepped on her hand, a crunching sound and her cries filling the room before he kicked across the face, sending her sprawling back to the hybrid. The sweet aroma of blood dominated the room. Though it did little to tempt Dane. Perhaps in another life time he would have joined Lucia in her frenzy, draining the humans of their blood as she feasted on their flesh. Someone would have to clean this mess, he thought. He could not imagine the thoughts that would be running through the unlucky servant. Lucia left the male little more than a pile of flesh, bone, and bloody rag. She was currently in the process of doing the same to the woman. As her blood inched towards him, he stepped around Lucia and her meal. Taking a seat in the arm chair and watching as she finished. "Is your hunger sated, my dear?"

[Lucia Drusa Severa]

Dane's kick sent the woman sprawling back toward Lucia. Landing hard on the bedroom floor, the Human cried out, blood flowing freely from her nose now, her eyes foggy with fresh tears. The Hybrid watched her prey cry for a moment, allowing dread to fully creep in to every part of the woman's body. Then, with an unnatural speed, the girl closed the distance to her meal, sinking her fingers into the woman's soft body, only to pull away chunks of flesh. Bringing one handful of meat up to her mouth, Lucia devoured the morsel. Rending the Human open with teeth and claws, she took savagely from the woman's body. She wasn't quite as chewy as her male partner, but the substance, the act, was enough to satisfy the Hybrid. For now, the Hunger, her craving, had been staved off.

In mere moments, the woman was little more than blood, teeth and hair. Standing slowly from her victim's remains, Lucia turned to face the Vampire King, who sat calmly in a chair, watching. She was drenched in the Human's blood from head to toe; it covered her face, hands and dress, and even matted her long hair to her body. The high that had filled the girl as she fed continued to make her fingers tingle and her head buzz. The feeling was similar to what she experienced while sating her Thirst, and made her feel more powerful. Grinning wide, white fangs shining out from behind a blood covered face, Lucia nodded slightly, "I'm feeling much better." There was just one last thing she wanted...

Slipping the straps of the dress down her shoulders, Lucia shimmied the garment down to her waist, letting it fall to her feet. She wanted to stride over to Dane and straddle his lap, but her thoughts had started making sense again, and she didn't want to stain the Vampire's suit on such an important night. Instead, she hoped to lure him into the shower with her just long enough. "I realize I've made quite the mess." Taking one step toward the bathroom, Lucia looked back at Dane from over her shoulder, "Won't you come help me clean up?"