The end in sight.

[Dane]

"With pleasure." Dane smirked at Lucia's command and walked away. Though in truth he would have preferred if the girl had simply executed the two lycans. Oh well, he technically was no longer in control and in the long run this would suffice. As long as Alena was in his possession his greatest threat was removed. Now he only had to focus on all the other tiny ones. In time they would fall, one by one by his hand if he needed to. Though he would not let it come to that. As he descended down to the basement there was commotion behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see the lycan boy slip away from his captors. "PROTECT THE QUEEN!" He could hear Marcus' voice shout over the commotion. His intervention was not necessary. The lycan was severely outnumbered. Maybe they'd killed her pet, maybe not, at this juncture he no longer mattered. The true prize was being carried in his arms. Taking his time Dane descended down the steps. Alena would need clothes, Lucia had made note of her discomfort towards her mother's nudity.

The basement was little more than a long corridor with cells by the side. It was empty now, save for the prisoners. All the vampires had gone upstairs to bear witness to this glorious day. By the stairs there were shelves with bundles of clothes, he grabbed a pair. Alena's cell was at the very end of the hallway, he'd prepped it ahead of time, equipping it with silver chains. Most of the cells in the prison weren't equipped to hold lycans. It did not come as a surprise to learn there wasn't much silver in a lycan den. He gingerly walked down the hallway, glancing into the cells as he passed. They were empty save for a few young lycans they'd captured in the invasion. And of course there was Laura, who still wearing her red dress was sleeping slumped in the corner of her cell.

Within Alena's cell Dane held the lycan in his arms, admiring his prize. The moment was almost surreal. The very being who held his life in her hands, unconscious in his. He'd thought she would kill him, and not at any moment he could tear out her bleeding hear like he'd done to her lover. It was so tempting, but there was still more work to be done. Sitting her against the wall, he crouched and carefully pulled the loose fitting white shirt over her head and arms, it alone was large enough to cover anything important. Then he pulled a pair of sweatpants over his legs, he could not help but notice, even in her bloodied state there was beauty to The Lycan Queen. Her legs were long and shapely, she was curvier than her daughter; though Lucia was still just a girl. He did not dwell on the thought too long.

Dane returned to the foyer in time to witness Lucia drive her silver sword into the young lycan. He watched, unsatisfied as the lycan was set free to go on his merry way. What a pity, though it did not matter too much. He knew personally the boy's strength, he could not threaten Dane in anyway. Hell, maybe one day he'd get to kill Lucia's pet. The thought tickled him slight. He pictured himself snapping the boy's neck in front of Lucia; the girl's face wrought with horror. The gathered vampires were mumbling among themselves, truly curious as to why they let the lycan go. The vampire approached Lucia and fell to a knee. "Kneel before the Queen!" He shouted in an authoritative voice. It hushed the crowd, and like Dane they all displayed their fealty.

[Lucia Drusa Severa]

Lucia watched, pulling back her sword, reassured in some amount that Pablo had shifted down and taken her offer. She really did not want to cause him serious harm; although he may argue that she already had. Noting that the young Lycan avoided looking at her as he left, the Hybrid was at least reassured that the Vampires had, in fact, listened to her and let the young man leave without further injury. Her biggest worry no, was that Pablo would meet his fate at the explosives Dane had planted around the neighborhood. The girl was filled with regret, watching carefully as the Werewolf left. Maybe she had done wrong by him, but for a moment, Lucia believe, she had a friend. Now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts, however.

When she turned back to the crowd, Dane had returned. The girl watched him take a knee for her and order the others to do so as well. Lucia would have felt nervous if she hadn't fantasized about this moment for years upon years. Something about this made the girl feel invulnerable, and it dawned on her that the events of this day were entirely unprecedented. Never before had a King willingly laid down his throne for another. There had never been a ruling Queen in the Vampires' ranks; as much as Chastity might have wanted the title, she never had the honor. For likely the first time in many of these Vampires' lives, the war was on the verge of ending. Now, whether this all was testament to the Vampires not liking change, or to her father's stubborn and iron rule, or both, Lucia knew not.

She looked down at Dane, and then around to the rest of the Vampires who fell gracefully to their knees in a coordinated wave. Would her father be proud of her now?

Taking a corner of her blouse, Lucia carefully wiped Raven's silver blade clean of Pablo's blood. As she finished, the Hybrid addressed the crowd once more, taking Dane's words, "This day, yes, is the dawn of a new age. You have helped usher in this new era, and your fealty will not go unrewarded. With the Lycan Queen in our hands, we will force the Werewolves into submission, effectively ending this war that has slain so many of our own kind. With the Wolves no longer a problem, we can turn our attention to more important matters: the Humans. Now rise. Rise and rest, for you who have witnessed this ascension will need your strength to help make the world Ours." While the Vampires stood once more, Lucia paused, wondering what she should add. She almost howled for the need to hear the voices echo back her cry; but that was wrong.

She couldn't think of anything that sounded right, and the moment began to stretch on just a touch too long, so she finished with, "You are all dismissed."

[Dane]

Dane rose to his feet and moved to stand besides Lucia. There he patiently waited for the crowd of vampires to disperse. Most were quick to do so, it was still midday and their bodies were adjusted to sleeping at this time. Some were less quick, providing words of praise and personally swearing their loyalty to the new Queen as they passed. In time the room was nearly empty, save for Lucia, Dane, and a handful of servants that remained to clean up the carnage the lycan left behind. The floor was soaked in blood and littered with dismembered limbs.

"You did well today, Lucia. I'm proud of you." Dane said with a toothy smile. He grabbed her shoulder reassuringly. Those were the words she probably expected from him or may have event wanted to hear. In truth her actions were just enough, maybe even lackluster considering she allowed the young lycan to leave. It was a sign of weakness, and he was certain that many of the vampires present noticed. She was lucky the current crop of vampires were young and for the most part unambitious. In his day Lucia would not have last the night as Queen, Viktor barely managed that and his power far surpassed hers. Perhaps it was simply his presence that dissuaded them. He had voiced his support for the new Queen quite clearly, and there was not a single one among them that could threaten him. He was the eldest vampire alive, at least that he knew of. There was of course Viktor, but his fall from grace had been so shameful he hadn't dare show his face in years. It was still a strange thought to think himself the elder after years of living in the shadows of those far more powerful than him. Carefully avoiding confrontation with his superiors till they all in time dwindled one by one. They were gone now, and he still remained. The thought made him feel more powerful, and with Alena his prisoner that feeling nearly doubled. Who among the lycans could rise up to challenge him, who would even dare when their pack mother had failed to defeat him?

"I take it you may wish to see Alena?" Dane said. "Your pet did quite a number on her. Though it appears that she will heal. I - " He yawned, covering his mouth as he did so, like any true gentleman. "Excuse me, my dear. It seems like my dreams are calling to me." True exhaustion was overcoming him for the first time in years. Almost certainly a result of the time he spent in the sun. While weary he did not leave for bed. If Lucia was to visit Alena he'd like to hear what was said, though he suspected the lycan queen would not awaken. He planned to supervise all their meetings if possible.

[Lucia Drusa Severa]

Lucia beamed magnanimously to those individuals who approached to speak with her on a more personal level before retreating to bed for the remainder of the day. She honestly hadn't expected to receive such intimate promises of fealty from any of the Vampires here; yet as some of them came up, she seemed to remember a few faces from her father's rule. No one of particular note, but the simple fact of recognizing them made the girl feel a little more at ease.

Turning to face Dane as he spoke to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, the Hybrid smiled softly. His words meant more than she let on. As the Vampire yawned, Lucia too, began to feel the pull of exhaustion that much more. The Hybrid wasn't in the habit of staying up during the daytime hours and her body was feeling the fatigue. "I do wish to see her, although I don't plan on lingering long. Sleep is beckoning me as well."

Allowing Dane to lead her to the basement, Lucia took each step deliberately, sword in hand. "Who will be manning the watches for our prisoner? You know these Vampires better than I; her guard must be capable." Saying the words, Lucia almost laughed cynically. Detaining the Queen of Werewolves was no easy feat, the girl imagined; at least under normal circumstances. However, with the condition Alena was currently in, the duty would be a bit more manageable. Still, the Hybrid wondered whether or not any Vampire could be trusted with the job.

If the warehouse from the outside was a disappointing sight, the basement was worse. Plain was perhaps the nicest way to put it. As Dane and Lucia walked down the hallway, some of the Lycan prisoners began to stir. Lucia did not bother to look into any of the cells, instead keeping her sight on the end of the hall where she knew her mother was being held. Those few Lycans being imprisoned, however, wandered to the bars of their cages, watching as the two supernatural beings passed. They looked from Dane to Lucia, and the silence between them felt tangible. Finally, one of the Werewolves spoke up, "What unholy matrimony spawned you, girl?"

Ignoring the prisoner's inquiry, the Hybrid continued to the last cell. The smell of Alena's blood hung heavy in the air, growing more potent the closer Lucia got. The girl expected to find her mother in the same state as when she'd arrived, but was pleasantly surprised to see that Dane had seen fit to clothe the Werewolf Queen. The shirt that once was white, had been dyed red as it tried to soak up the large amount of blood coming from Alena's wounds, and clung to her body. Inspecting the condition of the bars and walls, Lucia determined the cell would do for now; not that there were many other options at the moment. The silver chains decorating Alena's wrists and ankles seemed to be doing their job well, as the skin touching the chains looked quite angry. "I appreciate that you thought to dress her. Thank you, Dane." The girl did not look at her lover, but kept her gaze on Alena. The Werewolf Queen did not stir, but Lucia watched for a few moments as her mother's chest rose and fell in pained breaths.

After a couple minutes saying nothing, Lucia tightened her grip on the sword she was carrying, and turned to walk back down the hallway.

"Abomination."

As she passed the Lycan prisoners, the girl stopped in front of one of the cells, looking in at the Werewolf who'd addressed her earlier.

"What the Hell are you?" He sniffed, looking disgusted yet curious at Lucia.

Reaching through the bars of the cell, the Hybrid grabbed a tuft of the Lycan's hair quick, pulling his face into the bars, much closer than the Werewolf might have liked. "I am your Queen now, and you will learn to respect and obey." Bringing the man's head back, she smashed his face into the bars once more and let go, letting him recoil.


On the third floor, back in the bedroom that had been saved for Lucia and Dane, the girl placed her father's sword reverently back into its casket. Pulling off her clothes, the girl joined the Vampire in bed, curling up close to him. Sleep gnawed fervently at her, but something Dane had said earlier had her wondering; so before closing her eyes for the day, Lucia asked, "Do you dream, Dane?"

[Dane]

"I believe the guard should remain unchanged." Dane said glancing back at her. Her inquiry was one he'd given much thought to. There was nobody he trusted to oversee Alena. He would not put it past one of the elder vampires to free Alena in exchange for Lucia's throne, and he could imagine The Lycan Queen manipulating a younger vampire into freeing her through whatever means. It was not by coincidence that Alena escaped their capture time after time again. Although much of that was, he assumed as much Raven's doing as it was Alena's. At least the current crop of guards knew how to take orders. "We should empty the cells of the other prisoners, and position the guards by the entrance, isolating Alena. They should never interact with her. That task though beneath us will fall to the two of us. I trust nobody else for the matter."

Dane remained quiet by Lucia's side as she thanked him for dressing Alena. He was worried with the thoughts running through Lucia's side. What stirred within her at the sight of her bloodied mother? They lingered longer than he would he liked. Come the evening he would try to probe her mind. Now was not the time to begin feeling guilt or regret. His concern eased once Lucia turned sharply to walk away, he once again walked with her.

He paid no heed to the lycan's words and entirely attended to keep moving. Lucia did not, in fact it seemed the lycan prisoner had struck a chord with within the new Queen. He would have preferred if Lucia ignored the lycan altogether. They had spoken of not paying heed to the words of rabble, this lycan wasn't even that. He was their prisoner, he was filth. Her punishment was also a little lacking. Another concern though of a different matter. The beast should have been bleeding on the floor with Lucia's pet in the cell over to bear witness. If she wished to rule over the lycans she would needed to be absolutely ruthless. This was though a discussion for another team. "Lucia, my Queen, next time just say the word and I will see it so he can never speak again." He said as they walked away.

Lucia's words stirred Dane back to full consciousness. Sleep rarely came easy or quickly for Dane, and on a day in which it did her disturbance was more of a bother than she would ever know. He opened an eye and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him. "Lucia, I have not dreamt since I was human."

[Alena Wulf]

"My Queen, I don't feel this journey is wise with the current state of things." Annia rode with an escort of four, while two other Lycans scouted ahead as wolves. Darius rode directly to her right, looking ahead while he addressed his Mistress. "Sightings have been more frequent, and with the child almost here..."

The Mother of Lycanthropy placed an idle hand on her swollen stomach, "The journey is necessary. I would be with Markos as his child is born." There were other reasons too, of course. She was going stir crazy, staying in one spot for so long. Pregnant or not, Annia needed to move on from Rome. Though Rome was her beloved birth country, she found all too much lately that it was reminding her of Him, and it hurt.

They'd been traveling for over three weeks now; their destination was so close, yet it would be another good day and a half of riding before they reached the camp where the King's brother, Markos, had set up a small Den. A thick layer of snow blanketed the area, covering the treetops and falling readily to the ground below as the troop of Werewolves made a slow, but steady canter through the forest. Although the sun had set many hours ago, and would not yet rise for many hours to come, the half moon shown bright, bouncing its light off the snow, providing an otherworldly light to the woods.

Mistress! One of the scouts called out to Annia's mind and her black stallion reared up as two large wolves came sprinting into view. Holding fast to the reigns, she knew. He was here; he'd found her after all. They'd taken such care, spreading rumors of a false destination and covering their tracks and scent as best they could. Mistress, we've spotted someth- The thought went unfinished, and there was a sudden and disturbing absence now in the Wolf Queen's head.

A large, dark shadow swooped in from above, latching onto one of the large, gray wolves. Blood spurted and Annia's vision went red. In the span of two seconds, Annia's escorts maneuvered their horses around her, hopping off and transforming. Four huge wolf-beasts stood guarding their Queen, snarling, claws aching to sink into flesh.

Breath caught in her throat, and her grip tightened on the reigns, her knuckles turning white. Her Love had come for her; but this would not be a happy reunion.

The shadow materialized into the dark form of a tall man, grinning from ear to ear, two pointed fangs gleaming out into the night. Long, dark brown hair fell over the man's shoulders; red eyes looked out from a handsome, clean-shaven face. "My Darling," his voice was smooth and low; he was talking just to Annia, ignoring the beasts who stood between. "What a lovely surprise stumbling upon you this eve. And you're with child. A cause for celebration." In one fluid movement, Raven wound up and swung an arm, swiping at the nearest Lycanthrope. The attack gashed through the beast's neck, severing his head. The momentum of the strike sent the Werewolf spinning as he turned back into his Human form; his head sailing passed Annia.

The Vampyre King did not stop there, appearing in a flash beside the next Lycan, grabbing his throat, lifting the beast in all his weight up off the ground.

"Raven, no!" Annia barely got the words out before the Vampyre thrust his arm through the chest of the Werewolf in his grasp. The Werewolf howled out and shifted back down to his Human form, dying while still lifted off the ground.

The remaining three Werewolves hesitated, waiting for order from their Queen.

"If it's me you want, take me." Annia shifted in her saddle and carefully let herself down, off the horse. "End this slaughter."

"Oh, my Sweet," Raven smiled devilishly, throwing the man in his hand aside. "I'll get to you. I'm not done with my fun just yet."

The Lycans guarding Annia snarled and lept forward at Raven, attacking him with a hateful fury. As soon as the Werewolves attacked, Annia's steed and the other horses fled in horror, no longer calmed by its Mistress' touch.

All at once, Annia's defenders attacked the Vampyre Raven; and all at once they fell as Raven's speed and strength overcame them. After all was done, six men lay scattered over the snow covered ground, blood pouring from their unmoving corpses.

Alone, now, stood Annia and Raven. The night wind shuddered eerily through the trees around them, and Annia felt cold for the first time that night. One hand moved unconsciously to her stomach, "Raven," wisps of fog floated in front of her as she breathed. "I am so sorry for having hurt you, my love. Please..." she stepped forward slightly. The look on Raven's blood stained face brought dread through her body, and she stopped.

"Annia," he spoke, using her birth name, "You are not sorry. Not yet."

Annia turned to run, but Raven was there in an instant, tearing the velvet corset and skirts from her body, leaving her nude in the night. Her body shown stark against the darkness of the trees, revealing the full progress of her pregnancy. It was clear the child was due within the week.

Grabbing Annia by the hair, Raven dragged her off, passed the bodies of her dead kinsmen. She stumbled in the snow, falling to her knees as the Vampyre continued to pull her along at his super-human speed. Reaching for his hand, Annia tried to pull herself up, but succeeded only in scraping up her knees, back and elbows.

Finally the Vampyre stopped, letting go of the Werewolf, "If you continue to struggle, my dear, you'll only makes things worse." He held out a hand graciously to help Annia up.

She took his hand with both of hers and was lifted easily to her feet. Before she could do anything else, Raven cupped the back of her neck, holding her tight, and began marching her, again, through the woods.

Annia protested, but could not loosen the Vampyre King's grip on her.

When he finally stopped and let, Annia turned to him viciously, hitting him hard on the chest with both hands. "You bastard!" She hit him with all her might, "How could you!? How could you kill them like that?"

Raven took the brunt of her assault, waiting until she calmed down. Taking her wrists in his hands, he pushed her back against a tree, "Easily." The Vampyre King leaned in, kissing Alena passionately, and she couldn't help but give in and kiss her lover back. As their lips were locked, Raven reached into his breast pocket, procuring a skinny silver chain.

Her eyes still closed as Raven pulled away, Annia whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too," and with that, the Vampyre took one of her wrists, bending it behind her and around the tree. Reaching for her other arm, he bound her wrists behind her tight with the silver chain.

Annia gasped and tried to pull away as the chain touched and burned into her, searing her flesh, "What have you done?" The question came out in a horrified whisper, and her pale blues eyes searched Raven frantically.

Raven ignored her, and placed a gentle, deadly hand on her ripe stomach, "Tell me: whose is it? Is it Mikael's?" His red eyes watched her as she stood before him, completely exposed, trying to be defiant. "No, something tells me it isn't his. Is it Szandor's? I know how playful you two can be." After a moment of silence, Raven retracted his hand, "Well, it matters not, I suppose." Leaning forward, the Vampyre brought a bloodied hand up, running it through the Werewolf's dark hair; he placed a cold kiss upon her forehead, and turned, walking away into the forest.

Watching in terror as Raven's dark figure moved between the trees and out of her view, Annia cried out to him, "RAVEN! Don't leave me here! Come back." For some time after the Vampyre disappeared from her view, Annia hoped, she believed he would turn back for her. The cold bit angrily at her body, and she could feel fresh blood dripping down her wrists from the silver chain. All the Werewolf could do was slump painfully against the tree. Don't leave me... But he was no longer there.

[Alena Wulf]

My Queen?

Alena...

Queen Alena? Three minds, unfamiliar yet just like all the rest, pressed at the Lycan Mother's thoughts. Her first reaction was to block them out, and she did. Yet they were persistent, urgent; as if something were wrong. At their constant behest, Alena let the voices in and heard them. They seemed to insist that something be done. They were scared, she realized.

I am here, little ones. The thought was barely strong enough to send to the Pups she felt nearby, but they seemed to receive her message. Something -was- wrong, Alena knew soon enough.

At some point in the day, the Werewolf Queen had gone from being propped up against the wall, to lying on the cold floor, curled up painfully. It felt like there was a fire blazing on her back, and as she curled tighter, clenching her muscles, she could feel dry blood and deep wounds pulling tight across her back and spine. It hurt to breath. The pain that racked her body felt bad enough that Alena almost couldn't remember a time when she hadn't felt this hurt. Almost as demanding as the searing silver wounds in her back, something in her chest felt heavy; like she'd had it All, only to watch it get stripped from her. She'd lost everything.

Something else seemed unusual. It was clear she'd been shackled in silver restraints, but her body felt like it was being held back another way. Although light, something sticky clung to her skin, making her movements not feel like her own. She was wearing something?

Opening her bleary eyes, fluorescent lights blinded the Wolf Mother. It all felt so much more intense. None of this was right. All Alena could remember was that she'd left Rome to be with Markos, but... no, that wasn't right either. That felt like it had happened lifetimes ago, and yet almost as if it had been yesterday.

As her eyes slowly focused, the Mother of Lycanthropy could see vertical bars, just out of her reach. A shock of white pain filled her head for what felt like an eternity, and the voices were replaced with a high pitched shriek. For that time, white was all she could see. When the pain cleared, the taste of something familiar lingered in the back of her mouth. It felt like Pablo, and was more than just an aftertaste; traces of him seemed to be still in this cell with her, though he felt more distant now than the Lycan Lord ever had before. She tried reaching out to him mentally, but the link felt too far; so weak.

My Queen, what happened?

Again, the voices of three Lycans nearby called out to her. Alena could hear someone slamming against the cage and the sound of impact blared hatefully in the Lycan Queen's head. Objects close by seemed to fade in and out, and it took everything she had to keep herself conscious. Long, slow breaths, savoring the intense pain that seemed to pierce through her bones. It hurt to have her teeth tough, but this was good. She was still alive. The fight hadn't been lost yet.

Clenching her fists, Alena tensed subtly to see if movement was feasible. The amount of pain that hit her was almost enough to paralyze her, yet it was nothing she couldn't overcome, she believed. Forcing herself up onto hands and knees, the Mother of Lycanthropy had to hold her breath to keep from crying out. Putting weight on her arms and shoulders added strain to her back, making the whole experience feel like a fresh slice of Hell. She wasn't sure how long she could keep herself up. Maneuvering her legs underneath her, Alena managed to sit herself up. However, the intensity of leaning her back against the wall was too much to bare, so the Werewolf ended up slouching over herself. That idea proved to be little better, but the thought of moving again was laughable in her current state.

Dark hair fell over her face, and Alena brought her arms up, cradling her head. Name and rank. Again, the message came through thin and distant; she was having trouble concentrating on her surroundings.

The shaking of the cage down the hall seemed to stop, and one of the Werewolves answered her query. Mistress, I am Geir. In the cells beside me are Thomas and Kjell.

As this message came to Alena's awareness, the pain in her head seemed to ease. The Pups nearby seemed to calm if only slightly. It was enough. Their persistent reaching out had been the source of much tension in her brain.

I am the Alpha now; our leader was killed when the Den here was sacked... You're in Oslo, my Queen.

The Queen of Werewolves rocked forward slowly; she had figured that much, but hearing a confirmation was helpful. All at once, memories came back of the car ride from Stockholm. Pablo. Pulling at her hair, Alena groaned mentally; she should have quarantined him until she was sure he was alright. Even if nothing else had happened, being held captive and tortured for any length of time was a damaging process to anyone's mind. He'd always been strong; he'd proved that on his first transformation and in his years of service afterward. Goddamnit.

Soft laughter escaped, and Alena shuddered as the pain escalated once more.

My Queen, there is also a Vampyre imprisoned down here with us.

A Vampyre? Now that was intriguing. Unfortunately, Alena's mind circled around that fact as consciousness left her once again, and she drifted into an uneasy darkness.

[Lucia Drusa Severa]

Rest came quickly to the Hybrid. No sooner had Dane wrapped his arm around her and answered her question, and the girl was out. The stress of being up and about during daylight hours was still too much for being so young in years. As the quiet trance that everyone called sleep came over her and darkness set in, Lucia nuzzled closer to Dane for another dreamless day.

After the sun had finally set, and the room was covered in true darkness, the girl woke. There had never really been any occasion of grogginess upon waking; she had always just risen as the stars came up. Her eyes opened, and much to the girl's delight, she found Dane's arm still holding her tight. Each new night she woke beside the Vampire was slowly starting to feel real, and less like what she imagined a dream to be like. Part of her wanted to linger in bed a while longer, but thinking on her newly bestowed title, Lucia felt she should get up and start her night.

Reluctantly, the girl pulled herself away from Dane's body. Though lacking in any physical warmth, the mere presence of the Vampire lying beside her seemed to fill a void in the Hybrid that she wasn't even aware existed until recently. Sitting up in bed, Lucia looked down at Dane, hair falling over her shoulders, "Good evening." She smiled softly, wondering how long he'd been waiting for her to wake up.

Despite the violent fallout with Pablo during the day, Lucia's spirits remained relatively high after feeding rather liberally the night before. The Hybrid shifted to the end of the bed, letting her bare feet touch the cement floor. Remembering Dane's answer to her question, Lucia turned back to look at him. "The idea of seeing things in your mind as if they were some nonsensical play while you sleep seems so strange to me." The girl had never dreamed, although she seemed to recall certain memories from her childhood that could not have possibly occurred. "Do you miss dreaming?" The question was perhaps silly, but she found herself wanting to hear Dane speak of himself.

[Dane]

His eyes shot open. Sleep for once had come easy, and it lasted longer than usual. It was nearly dark outside when he'd awoken. Usually that came well before dusk. That was to be credited to the sun, it drained him of more strength than he realized, and his body required the time to recuperate. Already though he was feeling rejuvenated. In his sleep he'd remained motionless, like Lucia who had stayed entangled in his arms. There was something to be said about that, it was pleasant to awaken beside the hybrid, her soft body held against his. It was enough to stir his desires, they were always strongest after waking, but he quickly quelled them. Temptation was a weakness at this juncture, and Lucia was now a Queen. For the time being he needed to treat her like she was more than just a sack of flesh. Which she was, lately Lucia had played her role to perfection. Because of it, Alena was now his prisoner, and hopefully without rule the lycans were beginning to crumble through infighting. He had the hybrid to thank, and in way she made him happy. Though satisfied was probably the better word for what he felt. This would have all been much harder without Lucia. For now he'd return the favor and treat her well. He wished to visit his newly acquired prisoner, but Dane was certain Lucia would be happy to have him awaken beside her.

Dane smiled toothily once Lucia stirred awake. "Good evening, dear." She did not linger long, that was good he felt an urge to begin the night. He reached an arm out to caress the small of her back as she shifted. The vampire should have expected her to ask some inane question upon awaking. Why was she still going on with this dream business? "Lucia, it almost sounds like you're asking me I miss being human." Dane sat up, moving to sit besides Lucia on the edge of the bed. He leaned against her and kissed the side of her head. His memories of being human had long been fleeting. What hope did he have of remembering his dreams? That was difficult even as a human. "Lucia, one dreams of what they do not have. Power, health, happiness. I was given that, and so much more in return for a few visions in my sleep. Lucia, we do not dream because there is nothing left for us to dream of."

[Lucia Drusa Severa]

Closing her eyes, Lucia smiled as Dane reached out to caress her. His touch was always welcome and as the Vampire leaned in close to plant a kiss on her temple, the girl beamed. She hadn't felt this good since before her father was killed. If anyone had told her even just a year ago that this was where she'd end up, the Hybrid would have laughed in their face. To think that she was the Queen of Vampires, and would soon rule the Werewolves as well; that she would have a home among her father's people and have someone like Dane who treated her with understanding and respect and clearly wanted her; she couldn't have imagined it.

Turning to face the Vampire, Lucia considered his words. It seemed to make sense to her, although the girl wondered if there was more to it than that. "I believe you're right." Brushing her lips against his, the Hybrid smiled bashfully for a second. This still felt so new to her; she didn't know what the boundaries were, or if there were any. Yes, they'd been quite intimate, and he would reach out to touch her, yet she worried she would come across as too clingy, so she curbed the physical attention she doled out to Dane.

Running a hand through her long hair, Lucia stood up from the bed, glancing sidelong at Dane with a coy smirk; she really enjoyed the subtle looks he gave her. Moving to the wardrobe, the girl chose something for the night. Pulling a yellow dress over her head, the girl's mind wandered to the prisoners being contained downstairs. Dane had mentioned clearly the cells to isolate her mother, and by that Lucia guessed he wanted the others killed, since there appeared to be a distinct lack of holding cells in this warehouse. She had no problem getting rid of Laura; but Lucia had hoped to keep one of the Lycans as a blood-bag. Adjusting the dress over her slight curves, the girl tied the drawstring tight around her waist. With only the slightest hesitation, the Hybrid turned to the Vampire to confess a secret. "I must admit, Dane, that Werewolf blood fulfills something primal within me. I agree that we should isolate my mother. Yet I had hoped to keep one of the beasts as a snack. I would appreciate if accommodations could be made to keep the loud one. Perhaps an unused room could be fortified to hold the Lycan? I will gladly do away with the others." She smiled devilishly at Dane.

Taking her time, Lucia gathered her hair, fixing it into a long braid. As Dane rose and prepared for the evening, the girl approached him, running her fingers through the Vampire's hair, combing it to the side the way he seemed to prefer it. One hand lingered by his cheek for the briefest moment before she withdrew it.