Dark Sun Ch. 02

Note to readers: Thank you so much for your reviews and theories on what will happen next it really helps with planning the next chapters. I really hate writing unfinished stories as most times the dreaded writers block grips me. Not to sound like I'm fishing for compliments but all comments are beneficial in making this story as interesting as its predecessor if not more so...anywho enough of my prattling and on with the story :D

p.s. [" "] means the characters are speaking in French

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Catherine stamped down the well of fear as the lights went out, startled chatter almost drowned out the portly mc who stood on a table, trying to regain order.

"Please everyone, calm down there is just the small matter of..." the man's voice was swiftly ended with the hammering of a machine gun.

The light from the shots brought limited illumination into the large building. There was a deafening silence before the screams erupted. Sean pulled her into his arms and began moving them to the entrance. From the glow of the city lights Catherine could make out the row of armed men blocking their exit.

Catherine could barely breathe as the surge of people threatened to push her towards the attackers. The few brave souls who dare break the formation were gunned down ruthlessly causing more chaos.

"Shit." Sean swore, the first use of profanity Catherine had ever heard from his lips.

Sean always believed that swearing was uncalled for so if he felt the need to do so, that certified that this was not a joke.

Blood reached the panicking group and Catherine could feel it seep through her opened toed shoes. Bile rose in her throat but she forced it down, not wanting to join the hysteria of the partygoers.

Suddenly someone grabbed her hand and though Catherine fought against their strong pull she was dragged away from Sean. She could see him whipping around looking for her but whoever had grabbed her had no intention of letting go.

Refusing to leave her fiancé, Catherine dug her heels into the hard wood floor, attempting to slow them down. This did nothing but anger her assailant who with a soft curse flung her ahead and pushed her by her shoulders.

Catherine was quickly shoved into the woman's toilet her eyes furiously trying to adjust to the darkness. By the time her unknown captor had pushed a chaise lounge against the door Catherine had huddled inside a cubicle locking the door behind her. She could hear heavy panting on the other side of the door and severe mumbling but he didn't try to force her out.

"Who the hell are you!" she shouted sitting the lowered toilet seat.

Her hands shook as she ran her fingers through her hair, and tucked her legs towards her chest. The man gave a soft chuckle, causing Catherine to cock her head at the sound.

"You have forgotten my touch already, ma cherie, I am hurt." Catherine flinched at the sound of humour in León's voice hating that she hadn't put up much of a fight.

Between him and the gun men she wasn't too sure who she'd rather be with.

"Take me back this instant." Catherine hissed rubbing the back of her hand against her throbbing eyes. She didn't want to be near him, she hated him for what he had done.

"I cannot do that Kitten, those men mean you harm and I cannot allow that." She heard León say.

Catherine cupped her face in her hands and sighed. She had forgotten just how stubborn León could be.

"Me harm, I have never been shot at before, I can only assume it's because of your presence that they are here." Catherine said, her eyes widening as the silence grew.

Fear made her slide of the toilet lid and open the cubicle door. A large mass sat opposite her and only the glow of blue orbs told her that León was sitting there.

"Perhaps." He whispered. Catherine choked, falling to the floor and crossing her legs into the lotus position.

"If this wasn't such a serious situation I would laugh." She muttered.

"Please don't let the masked gun men stop you, on second thoughts maybe now isn't the time to draw attention to ourselves." León said dryly.

Catherine shook her head not allowing him to charm her into forgetting what was happening on the other side of the door. If this was really because of León then that gave her even more of a reason to stay away from him.

"Even if they wanted to harm me..."

"That will not happen, despite what you have made yourself believe, you mean more to me than my own life." León said harshly, cutting Catherine off.

Catherine scrunched her lips as she fought the building anger. He could not keep throwing the L word in her face, it was not fair of him when he had been absent for so long.

"You hurt me, will you kill yourself?" she asked, breathless as she waited for his answer.

"If that would please you then I will." He replied, stunning Catherine into silence.

If there hadn't been a note of humour in his voice she may have believed him, instead she picked up her shoe and aimed for his head. León easily dodged her attack sending the shoe back at her, where it landed a few inches away from her body so that it did not hit her.

"You are such a bastard." She grumbled.

This exchange was wearing her out, they were just going around in circles and she was not going to change her feeling towards him. She would hate him forever.

...

León tried to get comfortable though the bullet in his shoulder was a constant reminder of how close he was to losing consciousness. He had managed to contact his pride members, but there was no telling how soon they would get here.

He hadn't thought Dawson would orchestrate such an attack putting innocent lives in danger, but someone must have tipped Dawson off. When he had been in England as an unknown, threats against him and pride were few and far between.

Returning to America had changed everything. He had been forced to enlist the help of other prides. It was their duty to serve him as he served them, but the Lavine were his pride. He hated asking the other alpha males to aid him, but now was not the time for him to be self-righteous.

Catherine had grown quiet and though he missed the sound of his voice, talking to her was exerting energy he didn't have. When she had asked whether he would kill himself for her, he had answered her truthfully.

The reason why he had answered with laughter was because he had already done just that. They were married and he had been forced to stay away from her, each day he lived a half life, his only consolation were the brief reports his men relayed back to him. He had her graduation picture framed in his office at home and a whole album dedicated to her. No, León had been dead since the night he had left her.

The sound of rushing footsteps forced León to lean towards the door and use his heightened hearing. The sniffling of a distressed woman confirmed his belief that the Hunters were now rounding up the humans. He heard gruff whispering but couldn't pick out the words as more hostages scurried past the toilet. León scrambled from his place on the floor pulling Catherine up with him.

"Up we go Kitten." He whispered into her, silently laughing as she squirmed in his arms.

She was not as immune to him as she liked to believe because the pungent scent of her arousal wrapped around his senses.

"Just let me go, if it's you they want then it's you the can have." Before León could cover her mouth, Catherine began screaming hysterically.

León jerked her around and shook her, the pain from his wound making him a little less amiable than usual. He could hear the approaching footsteps and the door knob began to rattle violently.

"I am going to say this once, oui? If you want me dead kill me yourself, but do not endanger others with your teenage hurts." He snarled.

Catherine quickly shut up and grew lax in his arms. León sighed then rubbed his head against hers, knowing that he had been harsh with his words. As he began to release her, Catherine drove he knee into his crotch her fist inadvertently colliding with his gunshot wound. Stumbling to the ground Leon tried to regain his composure.

He heard the shriek of the chaise being pushed by the opening door and the sound of splintering wood as ammunition tore through the wood. With Catherine's safety being paramount, León forced himself off the ground. If anyone was going to kill her it was him.

...

Catherine screamed as one of the gun men grabbed her by the wrist, wrenching her from the ground. His gloved hand chaffed her skin, and his breath stank of alcohol. The cold metal of the gun was shoved against her back and Catherine winced as it bruised her spine.

"We know you're in here demon." The man yelled, shoving Catherine back into the restroom.

Her eyes watered as his hold tightened, her bones creaking in protest. She could not see León anywhere, and the thought that he may have slipped out of the room flittered through her mind. Immense irritation over her current circumstances caused Catherine to renew her fight against him.

"Keep still you demon whore, I know that bastard

is still in here. There is no way he will leave you to die." The man said.

"He doesn't care about me you dumb fuck." Catherine snarled.

An even deeper snarl erupted from the darkness and all of a sudden Catherine was thrown into the corner. The machine gun tore holes in the plaster, shards of which rained harmlessly over her. Then there was nothing, save for her heavy pants.

"Don't do that again." León growled pulling Catherine to her feet.

Catherine thought to fight against him but she no longer had the energy to do so. León led the way through the door moving over the dead body with care. Catherine winced as her shoeless foot slipped on blood, but felt no guilt over his demise. He had been prepared to kill her so his death was of little consequence.

As they weaved through the darkened corridor the urge to flee from Leon was overwhelming, the only thing keeping her by his side was the skill in which he had dispatched her assailant.

"I know you have many question, many question yes." León murmured slowing their run to a crawl.

Catherine bit her lip trying to still her rampant thoughts. He was right, she did have many questions but she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear his explanations. The less she knew the easier it would be to walk away.

"All you need to know is that I am trying to keep you safe." He said.

"I was safe before I saw you again." Catherine reminded him.

León remained silent, making a noncommittal grunt. She could hear the occasional weeping of distressed people and guilt tore at her.

"Help will come for them." León said, as though he read her mind.

Catherine smiled begrudgingly, he knew her so well. Just not well enough to realise that her small acquiesce was temporary.

They continued through the twisting corridors until Catherine felt that they would never leave. Just as she was about to complain she saw the soft glow of a fire exit.

León pushed her up against the wall using his foot to open the door. Frosty wind blew against her bared shoulders but there was no sign of a guard.

"That was slightly anti-climatic." Catherine muttered.

León squeezed her arm gently before exiting out into the street. Three armoured SUV's were waiting for them. Catherine faltered wondering what would happen now.

This was the perfect opportunity for her to escape, however she didn't know who was sitting in the vehicles. For all she knew the people behind tinted windows would gun her down without a thought. Then the door to one car opened revealing the butch limo driver from before.

"Alonso." León said, relief evident in his voice.

Catherine squirmed from León's hold and to her surprise he released her. Catherine staggered away from him towards the street. No one appeared to notice her hurried departure. Though León was probably the reason for the attack, he had saved her. She turned just in time to see León pass out. Alonso caught him in time, stopping his head from smacking into the ground.

"Oh my god!" Catherine hissed rushing towards them.

Alonso lifted León into his arms pushing him into the back of the SUV, he then turned to her. Catherine jerked back at the blazing look of anger in his eyes.

"You will come, yes? León cannot continue like this." Alonso said.

Catherine bit her lip indecisively. León did not deserve sympathy from her yet she couldn't help the urge to be with him. He had been shot and the whole time he had concentrated on protecting her. Catherine looked into the dark confines noticing how much perspiration bathed his brow and the blood leaking onto his white pants.

The other cars opened and a dozen men and women rushed into the building, guns strapped to their hips. Catherine gave a small sigh of relief, realising that León was making good of his word. He was helping the others even though he was relatively safe.

"For now." She whispered, her brain rebelling with the thought of being in León's company any longer than she needed to.

She climbed into the seat her fingers pressing against León's pulse. He was burning up and his heart beat was oddly erratic. Alonso had rescued them, yet she did not know his relationship with León. Though she had wished his death numerous times over the years she had never thought it could become a reality.

Alonso gave Catherine a tight nod slamming the door behind her. Catherine shook, her hands once again resting upon León's skin. It had been such a long time since she had had contact with him and though it should repel her, Catherine continued to hold his hand. Apart from their shared history, León Dubois was a human being and at this moment when he was in need, she felt compelled to aid him.

"Where are we taking him?" Catherine asked as the large lit buildings, thinned.

Having lived in the city for five years she knew where the hospitals were. She caught Alonso's gaze in the mirror but the man remained tight lipped.

Catherine pushed aside her panic and opened the window, needing the cool air to fan her heated body. Sean would be wondering where she was but she realised that she had lost her bag during the attack. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Alonso if there was a car phone, but the man had not been forthcoming with his answers.

"We are reaching the Dubois estate now." Alonso said gruffly. Catherine's eyes widened as twin gates opened, revealing a weaving drive. A large mansion sat atop a hill. Ground lights illuminated the stone home, making it appear eerie and haunting. Catherine could make out groves of trees and hedges but the dark night did not yield much.

"I still think we should take him to a hospital." Catherine piped as the car came to a halt. Alonso frowned slightly, and then pulled a compact cellular from his breast pocket.

["We have the Artashir and his wife."] Alonso said in flawless French.

Catherine lowered her eyes not wanting to give away her knowledge of the language. It was the one thing that León did not know about her. Before he had left she had been learning French for years hoping to one day surprise him with what she knew. Catherine smiled slightly as she realised that she now had an advantage, this time around there would be nothing León could hide from her.

The house doors opened casting oblong glows of soft light that illuminated the stone steps. Two men hurried towards them as Alonso carried León out of the vehicle. Catherine stayed close to Alonso, since he was the only person she knew within the group.

["What happened?"] One of the men asked as they made their way back into the house.

Catherine barely had the chance to take in the grand surroundings as they continued up glossed wooden staircase.

["The Hunters have grown bold. I warned him about helping the other clans, but he did not listen. Now he has endangered the whole pride."] Alonso growled, impatiently kicking open a door.

Catherine zeroed out after that, the men practically ignored her and there were some words she could not make out. Instead she looked around the bedroom.

The walls were painted a deep red, gold wall sconce held small tea candles bathing the room in a soft glow. A large four-poster bed graced the room, with embroidered coverings. The walls were covered in pictures, some of them were of relatives she knew and others of people she did not know.

"Call Lana." Alonso ordered.

The two men departed quickly, their eyes downcast as they passed her. Catherine rolled her eyes over their somewhat docile behaviour. She hadn't completely recovered from their previous ordeal but her common sense was beginning to return. Exactly who was Alonso to be issuing orders and coming to León's rescue?

"How long have you been working for Mr. Dawson?" Catherine asked watching as Alonso began to undress León.

Though she had seen him topless a number of times, that did not make her any more prepared for when his chest was revealed to her. There were two things she noticed first. One, León was ripped, his pectorals were well defined and his biceps bulged with leashed strength. The second thing she noticed were the multitude of scars bisecting his flesh into faint lines. He had a number of gunshot wounds and on his waist there was a scar that looked like a bite mark.

Catherine backed away from the bed deciding that she really couldn't care less who Alonso was or what León was involved in. Feeling the cool metal of the door handle brush her fingertips, Catherine decided that she had overstayed her welcome.

"Five years." Alonso answered, startling Catherine from her thoughts.

"And how do you know Mr. Dubois?" she asked releasing the handle as curiosity winning over the need to flee.

"We are family." Replied Alonso.

He finished with undressing León, then stalked towards her. Catherine gulped, afraid of what he was planning. Alonso gently pulled her aside and opened the door. A petite dark haired woman entered the room, carrying a bowl of water and a towel.

"I didn't believe it." The woman whispered almost running to the bed. Catherine heard Alonso give a deep sigh as though tired of the girls' presence.

"Just leave the water Jana." Alonso said.

Catherine's ears perked at the familiar name, instantly knowing who the young woman was.

"Jana?" Catherine asked hesitantly.

Jana turned just realising that there was more than one person in the room. When her gaze settled on Catherine a deep hatred bloomed in her eyes. Catherine took a step back, hitting the wall in the process.

"What is she doing her Alonso?" Jana asked, her gaze never leaving Catherine's. Catherine didn't understand why Jana was so angry with her when it was her brother who had left her.

"She is his wife, he would want her here." Alonso explained.

"We aren't married." Catherine said trying to distil the tension in the room.

"León never signed the papers." Jana said.

"After five years the marriage became void."

"It does not matter, if León says you are married then you are married." Alonso explained.

Catherine rolled her eyes, deciding that León was not the only stubborn ass in the family. She had filed for divorce and when she had not heard from him, the courts had granted it in her favour.

"If she is here then everything he has done has been for nothing." Jana whispered before fleeing the room.

Catherine was confused by the woman's behaviour but before she could find out more a small sound came from the bed.

"Water." León croaked. Catherine reached the jug before Alonso and poured him a glass. When León realised who was offering him the refreshment he froze.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I couldn't just leave. I'm not like you." Catherine said unable to stop the small dig.