Lemon Eyes

[Pablo]

The days and nights spent locked away had been difficult for the young lycan. He spent most of his days in perpetual irritation, his mood only fluctuating to anger or self-pity. The one escape seemed to come when Pablo the sunrose and sleep found him. Then there were his friends, still he hadn’t seemed them all, and only Addy seemed to lighten his mood. But even she hadn’t done as he asked and visited Lucia. Allegedly there was an attempt, Alena of course stopped them, but had they truly tried and persisted. Alena was stubborn and seemed intent on keeping Lucia isolated. The thought made his gut wrench. He was unsure if he hated anyone as much as the pack mother. No, that was unfair, there was Dane, but she was a clear second. If only they’d gone with Catherine, he could be with Lucia. It was only in his sleep, in his dreams that she felt near, and he complete.
Before bed a night ago Pablo had the terrible realization, Lucia was not being properly fed. The thought had made his gut wrench they were not giving her lycan blood. It was a cruel joke, allegedly the hybrids bite twisted their ‘victims’ mind. A lie from Alena to hurt Lucia. But, as he stared down at his dinner plate, barely cleared of food, at the mostly dull knife, and his empty glass of water, he had a moment of enlightenment. He smiled deliriously, and took the knife to hand, the glass between his knees, held his palm above the glass and cut it open, or at least as well as he could manage. Letting droplets of blood fall within. The knife was not sharp, nor silver, it took a considerable effort, and a number of times slicing his palm as it healed rather quickly. Eventually the droplets began to pile his blood pooled at the bottom of the glass, and he smiled widely. If Lucia’s bite was the problem, they could forgo that. He felt giddy. Likely Alena wouldn’t bring the glass to Lucia or allow someone to, but it would prove him correct. Alena was being cruel. Lucia turning him to a thrall was not true. The pack mother was only denying her daughter as punishment. When the dregs of sleep came, he set aside the glass and the bloody knife on his bed stand. Less sleep took him in the midst of work and spilled the evening’s efforts. As always, his final thoughts were of Lucia, the two of them entwined, his back to her chest, her arms wrapped around him.
He woke at what seemed to be the same time every night. The same shuffling of steps could be heard, and his gut wrenched remembering the circumstances. Locked away from Lucia. The thought made him taste bile in the back of his throat. One more night away from her but one more night till he could see her too. He just needed to remember that. His eyes fell upon the half full glass of blood, and his gut fluttered. A gift for Lucia. His life essence, god how he longed to feel her teeth in him. He reached out, an image of her teeth in his throat, their arms wrapped around one another, her chest pressed tight to his. He felt warm taking the glass and knife in hand and smiled.
When Alena walked in, his eyes flickered up to her. The cause to all his troubles, at least the present ones. He tried to be amicable and forced a smile. “Hello, Alena.” He said, his gaze delirious. His hand, and the sheets around him bloodied as he squeezed his palm pressing the knife tight to the open wound, making him bleed into the glass. “I have a gift for Lucia. If you would bring it to her.” He said, grabbing the glass in his bloody hand and setting it on the bed stand. “You said her bite was bad for me.” He spoke normally, but his expression made the very thought seem incredulous. “I found a way around that.” The lycan said grinning.

[Lucia Drusa Severa]

Yes, it was quite clear Alena was not her father; Lucia scowled inwardly. Given the choice, the hybrid would've rather her mother died if it meant Raven still lived. He would have let her see Pablo; hell, he wouldn't have separated them in the first place. And Dane never would have dared hurt her so if her father were still here. Something sickly turned in her stomach, and a sharp pain shot through her chest at the thought.

The hybrid kept her eyes set on the ground in front of her as the queen of lycanthropy led her through the den. Looking up and around only confirmed what she could still feel: the eyes of all they passed resting pointedly on her. Some showed fear and wariness; many, however, did little to hide anger and disgust. Certainly not the reception or reaction she'd received any time she'd walked the halls in her father's castle. How could her mother allow her subjects to treat her this way? She was the queen's daughter, not some lowly mutt.

Somewhere on the second floor, her mother addressed a large man, and told her to do as he said. Lucia gazed absently as the wolf queen left their side as quickly as she'd come, and offered a glance at the werewolf who'd been charged as her babysitter. She recognized him as the one that'd carried her out of the warehouse in Oslo; Reece. He did not smile, or ask how she'd been doing; but neither did his features suggest malice or disgust. It was something, she supposed; yet the girl found herself frowning. Was this lycan supposed to be Szandor's replacement? A sharp pang of guilt struck her, and the image of her late caretaker charging toward Dane flashed through her mind. She'd stood there on the staircase during Szandor's final moments, watching, doing nothing as Dane killed him. A heavy wave of sorrow filled her chest; it felt like it was pouring into her lungs, threatening to drown her. Yet as quickly as it came, it turned to anger.

Lucia bowed her head, squeezing her eyes shut tight, trying to push away the tears threatening to spill forth. She wanted to scream. How could she have known Dane had only wanted to manipulate her? When he'd come to the Roman den, it had almost felt like a dream. There was no way she would've denied his invitation to return to the coven with him; he was saving her from her lonliness; bringing her home, to a place where she was given the respect she deserved. He'd always been true to her father... If she'd refused his offer to return to London, would he have killed her right then and there? The thought would have unfathomable even a few days ago. Not so inconceivable now, though. Would any of this been prevented if she'd stayed in Rome? The hybrid found herself shaking slightly; this guilt felt like poison. She wanted to sink her claws into something, preferably flesh, and rend it apart; it was the only way she could think to manage.

"The windows and exterior walls have been repaired, but there are still many things to be done, Miss Lucia." Reece's deep voice pulled the hybrid's attention to him as he began showing her what she was expected to be doing tonight.

Nodding absently, Lucia cast her gaze down the hallway before moving silently to the patch of floor where carpet was waiting to be lain.

Pablo's presence entered her awareness seamlessly. A vivid image flashed before her eyes: her fangs sunk deep into the lycan's throat, holding him tight. She could practically smell him; her teeth ached desperately, and she almost felt warm. Almost. Groaning quietly, Lucia fell to her knees beside a roll of carpet. The girl tried to make it seem fluid, as if she'd intended to land so suddenly, but as she reached for one of the tools, the hybrid found herself gripping it tight enough she could feel the tool's integrity weaken. She'd been trying to push away the ever present thirst and hunger; but she needed Pablo, and it was more apparent now than it had been since she'd returned to Stockholm. With the exception of that first vial of blood her mother had supplied her with, her sustainance had left much to be desired. It felt impossible to ignore, now; but she didn't want to. She should be allowed to see Pablo. It wasn't fair; he was the only one that cared for her.

Looking up carefully, the girl chewed on the thought. If she found where he was staying, would she be able to break him out? It didn't seem unreasonable to think it possible. But the werewolf her mother had brought in to replace Szandor stood near; and he seemed in a fair bit better shape than she at the moment. Again, she felt a surge of anger, attempting to quell it as soon as it appeared, though the presence of her hunger and her fangs made it more difficult than she liked.

Reluctantly, Lucia began laying down the new carpet.

[Alena Wulf]

The scene before her as she entered the room was not exactly what Alena had been expecting, but it didn't phase the lycan queen. Pablo sat near the edge of the bed, his sheets, himself and part of the floor drenched in blood; his own, no less. He appeared to be attempting to collect it, although it seemed he'd succeeded in wasting a bit of it considering the state of his sheets. Lucia truly had taken much from the pup.

As he set the glass he'd been working to fill back on the nightstand, Alena's pale gaze returned to the pup, "That's very thoughtful of you." The wolf mother stepped closer to the side of the bed, reaching out to Renn mentally to fetch clean sheets.

It seemed his previous meal had gone primarily uneaten; who'd given him a knife? It didn't matter, she supposed; when Pablo had an idea in his head he could be almost as stubborn as she could be. Alena could just as easily picture him attempting to get the same results with a fork or his teeth. Observing the young man briefly, the queen of werewolves stepped directly in front of him. The technique she'd wanted to show Pablo and Adele would have to wait for another night; Pablo was clearly not ready.

Still, this visit could still be productive. "Pablo, this may be uncomfortable, but I need you to take me to London. Show me everything you remember about your time there." Extending a hand to lift the boy's chin, Alena made him meet her gaze. "I want to help you access what you were made to forget."

[Pablo]

It had been thoughtful. Lucia would be quite pleased to have a piece of him .A smile had almost crossed Pablo’s face at Alena’s near compliment. She did not seem upset he had thought of a loophole through his isolation from Lucia, but that meant nothing if she would not take the glass to the hybrid. And she hadn’t quite agreed to that. He watched as his queen approach. It was something he would not put past Alena. Pleasantries up front while undoing an evening’s effort by disposing of his blood. It was a shame he couldn’t look at her without feeling irritated. But how could he not, when she kept him barred from Lucia.
Show her about London? It was not the best experience of his life, but it was not the worse. This was, then he had Lucia. Pablo met Alena’s gaze as she lifted his chin. Once upon a time he had dreamt of this, or imagined it near enough, Alena coming into his room late at night. Now those feelings seemed so foreign. He gave her a look of bewilderment. Everything he’d forgotten? “Alena, take the glass to Lucia, please and I’ll tell you everything.” He gave a slight pause. Of course he couldn’t remember what he’d allegedly forgotten, but at least he should have known there was a lapse in his memory. “Alena I didn’t know I had umm missing memories.”

[Alena Wulf]

Alena smiled softly, almost regretfully when Pablo, again, asked her to bring Lucia his blood. "I won't." She withdrew her hand from the pup's chin, "This seperation has not been easy for her either. Bringing your gift to her, your blood, would be salt on the wound. It would serve only to remind her of what she cannot currently have: you; and what she should not indulge upon until she fully understands what she's capable of: werewolf blood."

Pausing for a moment, the wolf mother considered the young man before adding, "My daughter does truly care for you; she should have someone who truly feels the same for her. Not someone feigning interest for some darker purpose, or someone whose had their will tampered with. The former, well, there is nothing to be done about him. But at the least, we can help the latter."

The mother of lycanthropy thought she detected a frown when the young man admitted to being unaware of certain lapses in memory, but she offered a quiet smile to reassure the pup. "You said Lucia mentioned witches, Pablo; yet you do not know who they were or what exactly they did. There's something missing that you weren't meant to recall."

[Pablo]

His eyes narrowed and flash with anger. It was just as Pablo had suspected. “You’re cruel.” He would have slapped Alena’s hand away if she hadn’t moved it. “Sadist.” He added grabbing tightly to his sheets, anger stirring in his chest. It was decided, he had to get out. Slowly his strength had recovered, perhaps shifting was already a possibility. It would be fruitless to try now with Alena here. “What’s wrong with you? How long until her hunger gets the best of Lucia, and she feeds off someone else.” How many unsuspecting victims were walking about? A pup would be easy prey for her.

“Leave.” The lycan murmured, laying back down and rolling onto his side away from Alena. Who was she to deny his feelings to Lucia. They have been through so much together, maybe he couldn’t expect Alena to understand. Either way she seemed adamant on assuming the worst. “I don’t know what they did to you, but it’s not the same between us.”

Pablo glanced over his shoulder as Alena spoke once again. If she was trying to be diplomatic with him her effort was dismal. “Who said that Alena?” He remembered telling Adele and Okello. They had done something to him, to make him attack Alena. Did that lead to his lapse in memory. The lycan grit his teeth. Did she have his friends spying on him? How could they? “I’m tired Alena. You should leave. Now.” He rolled back away from her, quietly shaking in anger.

[Alena Wulf]

Alena didn't even bother trying to conceal the smile that formed when Pablo snapped at her in anger, calling her cruel and sadistic. He spoke as if he'd only just figured that out. She'd never tried hiding those traits, and yet, the werewolf queen felt, for the most part, she'd treated the boy fairly and with kindness since his first transformation. "What was it you said to me before stabbing me in the back?" Her voice was thoughtful, and her smile grew wider. "Ah, right. 'Nobody chooses to be a monster.'" There were no accusatory insinuations in her tone; in truth, the mother of lycanthropy found the notion amusing. Why she remembered that, of all things, she couldn't say.

Watching as Pablo rolled over in his bed, Alena stepped closer, resting a knee on the edge of the bed. "Worry not for sweet Lucia. She is getting some long-overdue attention from her mother, and a chance to bond with her brother." Kneeling above him, the lycan queen reached for the young man's shoulder, pulling him onto his back to look her in the eyes.

Alena smiled momentarily, amused, when Pablo insisted that his bond and feelings for Lucia was different than Alena's trysts with certain vampires. She nodded in agreement, "It's not the same, you're right. Vampire bites do not have the same influence as a hybrid's. Even Raven's bite did not do quite what a hybrid's can." She suspected Raven had been able to choose his moments, but that wasn't the point she was trying to make. Gazing down at the pup, her pale eyes stared through him, "They can feel quite nice, as I'm sure you've noticed; but all a leech gains from a bite, is blood. Hybrids," The queen of lycanthropy grabbed Pablo by the chin, turning his head to observe the pup's neck; her daughter's marks had faded, though her hold on the boy was still quite evident. "My son has taken entire villages before, biting human, werewolf, and vampire alike; claiming them all indiscriminately. Villages of thralls devouted to carrying out his will. The more a hybrid takes, Pablo, the deeper they drink, the stronger their hold becomes." She held the young man's head so he could not look away, and as she spoke, she sent him memories of centuries passed: Nero standing before a crowd of dozens, accepting offerings of blood and the bodies of slain enemies. He'd caused uprisings, regicide, and invasions among human cities without getting his own hands dirty; and had created a four century long rift between a few of his father's councilmen with the aid of his vampire thralls.

With a quiet sigh, Alena let go of the pup's head, withdrawing her memories simultaneously. The anger and frustration in Pablo's voice almost brought a smile to the wolf queen's lips; but she was growing tired too: tired of his selfish insubordination.

Alena was about to speak when a jolt of cold fire clenched tight inside her abdomen, sending a violent, although short-lived, spike of pain throughout her midsection. She visibly tensed, but licked her lips, silencing any cry that threatened to escape. A smile formed on her lips, like wanting to laugh at an old joke, and the queen of lycanthropy stepped back, off the bed.

"Pablo, you've been through a lot lately, and I'm sorry." She kept her gaze on his, letting the weight of her last words sink in.

[Pablo]

“Alena, I said I was tired.” Pablo grumbled angrily as Alena’s weight on the bed shifted the mattress slight. It was tempting to look over his shoulder to see what she was about, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. Alena gave him little choice, grabbing the lycan and forcing him to look her in the eye. The proximity to her should have been exciting, Alena kneeling above him, so close, so warm, but those feelings felt like a distant memory. He could no longer upon her and feel fondness; she was cruel and likely the attention she gave Lucia torturous, nor could he see her beauty, not the way he did when he looked upon Lucia, and even Catherine… or Addy. “Let go of me.” He growled low as she began to speak. The difference between vampire and hybrid bites, what did it matter, when only Alena knew the rules she could make them up as she pleased. He snarled as she grabbed his chin. Heat spiked within his chest. He could reach for the knife, but it would do naught for her. Kicking and fighting back, they’d put him in chains like the vampires did. She man handled him speaking of her son, like it mattered. Lucia had drank deep from Geir. His kinsman had hated Lucia, fought tooth and nail until the very ended. Why hadn’t he ended up as thrall? He opened his mouth to speak-
Memories that were not his own flooded his mind as Alena held his gaze. Images of violence and chaos, burning homes, murder, wanton slaughter, all lead by Alena’s son. Why did it matter? Alena and Raven had attacked villages, destroyed innocents, waged war often against each other. You didn’t need an army of thralls for that, who was to even say those serving Nero were enthralled, and not his loyal subjects. Why did she insist on turning him away from Lucia? “I don’t care.” He said solemnly. “Even if I am her thrall, what I feel for her was always there, before the bites. And she doesn’t want any of that.” No, she wanted to spend her time running, and playing through the forest, hunting for game, for each other. And spending the waning of the hours of the night together entangled or serenading him with beautiful melodies as she played from the piano. “Leave.” He said, laying back down and rolling away from Alena. For one he was gone the moment they freed him, with Lucia wherever she wished. It would be sad to leave his friends behind, but with Alena and her behavior he could not imagine staying. He closed his eyes, feigning sleep. Alena seemed to flinch, he felt the weight on the bed shift, before she stood, but he felt not a moment of concern. When she spoke again, he nearly turned his head back to hear. Yes, he had been through quite a bit, but if Alena truly cared she would let him see Lucia. He remained silent.

[Lucia Drusa Severa]

Rising to her feet, Lucia gazed down the hallway, shaking the ends of her dress to free the dust she'd found herself covered in. Patting herself off of what dust she could, she found that the bottom of her yellow dress had been dirtied quite thoroughly. The girl frowned hard, her brows furrowed as she turned her gaze from the freshly laid carpet, to the large man approaching her.

"You've done a beautiful job, my lady." The hint of a smile curled a corner of Reece's lips. "There are some things on the third floor to see to now." Motioning to the nearest staircase, the lycan followed behind as the girl reluctantly began to move.

Part of Lucia wanted to ask to be taken back to her room. If she couldn't properly feed, or even see Pablo, she might as well be kept stuck in her room. During the task of setting down carpet on the second floor, next to no other residents of the den had passed by; likely an order from her mother that everyone ignore her. The one other lycan that had approached to go down that hallway had stopped, shot the hybrid a look that could've killed, and then turned back the way she came without so much as a word.

Taking the stairs slowly, the girl found herself gritting her teeth. It felt like something important had been scooped out from her chest and ripped away violently. She'd come back here for Pablo, and now she couldn't even see him; she should have just stayed with Catherine. It would have been better than this.

Stepping onto the third floor, Lucia glanced around, sweeping her hair over a shoulder. There were a couple lycans up here helping with repairs, and within some of the rooms, she could hear quiet conversations. Closing her eyes momentarily, the girl tried to distract herself: there were still faint traces of blood in the carpet on this floor; werewolf blood. The scent was stronger further down the hallway where there appeared to have been a few walls broken through. Yet through all that, the girl caught the slightest whiff of something else; something just as tempting and far more welcoming. It was very faint, but it smelled like Pablo. It felt like her heart skipped a beat, and she gazed in the direction it smelled strongest. Was his room up here?

Licking her lips, it was all the hybrid could do not to simply sprint toward the scent to find his quarters. He might not be staying up here currently, thanks to her mother, but if Lucia couldn't be with her love, at least being around his things, his scent, it might ease some of her pain for a little. The thought excited her far more than she'd anticipated.

Turning to Reece, Lucia clasped her hands in front of her body, gazing up at the man with modesty before dropping her eyes to her bare feet, "May I please be excused to use the lady's room, Sir?"

Wasting no time after Reece's consent, the girl turned swiftly, heading down the hall and around a corner toward Pablo's scent. She wanted to break down every door until she found his room; but she stopped suddenly at one closed door in particular. This was it.

There was only the slightest moment of hesitation before Lucia opened the door, striding eagerly into the room without a care as to whether or not the door closed behind her. Without meaning to, the girl found herself smiling; her first smile since before learning of Dane's treachery. Yet that smile began to fade as she got her first look around Pablo's room. This was it, to be sure; his scent had nearly been engrained into the floorboards and walls. However, the young man's quarters were so bare. There was a bed and a dresser and a couple other simple pieces of furniture, but outwardly, there was little in the way of personal effects. If the room didn't bare his scent, this could have easily passed as anyone else's room, or even a spare guestroom.

Wandering toward the bed, the girl lied down, bringing the pillow in close to take in her beloved's scent. Something moist stung the corner of her eyes, and Lucia felt a tug within her chest. She should be with him right now, this wasn't fair. Yet lying here in his bed, somehow made the distance feel a little more bearable. How she would rather be hugging him, than his pillow; but if this was as good as she could get for now, she'd take it.

Looking up suddenly, a quiet smile found her lips once more. Maybe she would be able to bring something back with her; something with his scent, to sleep beside during the day. Jumping out of the bed, Lucia leapt toward the dresser, pulling open the first drawer. Slight color rose to her cheeks when she realized she'd found Pablo's underwear drawer. She was about to close it when something caught her eye, and the hybrid cocked her head to the side, pulling out a sturdy looking knife from among the boxers. "What in hell?"

[Alena Wulf]

"And she doesn't want any of that."

Alena smiled as Pablo continued to insist he was well and aware. "No, of course not." The hybrid didn't know what she wanted. It was only a few days ago that Lucia had wanted to keep her mother in chains, and slaughter her pack, all in the name of 'peace'.

Part of the lycan queen wanted to stay and make the pup listen; but she knew it would be a waste of breath. There was no reasoning with him for the moment. Gritting her teeth, Alena reached for the half full glass of blood and the utensils by the bedside, leaving the plates of food behind, "You should eat more."

Opening the door wide, Renn knelt on the other side of the door, his head down, arms up presenting clean sheets to the wolf queen. "Leave them on the chair."

Renn stood, entering the room the place the clean sheets for Pablo on the chair beside the bed. Careful not to stare at the pup who'd shot him and murdered Lucan, Renn turned back to the wolf mother, taking the glass and utensils from her as she offered them.

Alena closed the door to Pablo's room behind them, it locking automatically. "Dispose of that."

Renn nodded his understanding, and moved to step in front of Alena, scaling the stairs to hold the door open for her.

Stepping onto the main floor, a young, white wolf padded up to the werewolf queen, and Alena smiled softly. Yes, she could go for a run. Heading for the closest entrance, the lycan left the mansion, shedding her human skin as the wolf pup ran beside her, into the night.