Saviour and Saved

Prologue

It didn't take a genius to figure out Kraven was after Selene. I couldn't fault his taste, of course; the young female vampire was a walking wet dream with all that leather, and a perfect body to hug with it, and the icing on a cake was a face that could be either cute or beautiful and, when she was at her most lethal, she could be both at the same time. I knew this, even though she had never -- according to what I knew -- willingly used her charm on me. In spite of that little fact (a pity!), she had left me breathless countless times, breathless and yearning. And just as many times I had woken up, sweaty and aching with need, the image of her very face painted all across my vision, almost able to feel her fingers on my body, almost but not quite because she never was there for real. I always had to use my own fingers instead, pretending it was her, but it was like feeding on synthetic plasma compared to feeding on fresh human blood; simply not enough.

And what was I? Certainly not her lover, and I don't think I could call myself her friend either. I was Kraven's little plaything, a pet he kept on a leash, and I know Selene despised me for that. She took everything more seriously, even to a point where she seemed unwilling to enjoy life at all. She seemed to be frowning almost constantly, on guard constantly, matter-of-fact constantly; smile, it was a rare quest on those angelic features. I would have loved to make her smile. What would it take to make her smile? Getting close to her, comforting her, letting her pour her heart out and then cry, cry it all out? I knew she had a heavy burden to carry, even though I knew no details about her past, about her life before Viktor made her a vampire -- grief just was written all over her face, she couldn't really hide it behind that cold and effective mask of a Death Dealer, not from me at least. Yes, if smile was a rare quest on her face, tears appeared even less frequently. Would smiling first require crying? If so, I would have loved to see her through it, to make sure she makes it through. Unfortunately, she knew nothing of my feelings or my hopes, and she would never in a million years let me get close. She regarded me as Kraven's puppet, and she wanted nothing to do with Kraven, excluding the absolutely necessary. And I was too afraid to make a move myself -- a wise choice, to remain silent; Lord knows what would happen if Kraven or any of the Elders found out.

*

Chapter One

"Why are you helping me?" she asked in that beautiful voice of hers.

I sighed, trying to keep my face straight.

"I'm not," I replied, forcing a smile. "I'm helping me."

She took one last look of the gun I had thrown her, then turned around and jumped out of the window. I had activated the mansion's alarm system to secure her escape. I knew she would go running to her precious Michael, a thought that was tearing my heart apart. But I had plans for Michael, knowing how much Kraven, along with all our coven, hated the Lycan that had saved Selene's life. I also knew how Kraven felt about Selene, I knew he wouldn't hurt her for running to Michael, he'd rather hunt down the man so that Selene would have no one to run to. Except Kraven himself.

I was right. After she had left, I ran straight to Kraven, to tell him Selene had escaped to go to Michael.

"I want that Lycan's head on a plate," was Kraven's simple reply.

His squad nodded in agreement, and went their way. Now poor Michael had both Lycans and us vampires on his trail -- no human would be able to avoid both for long, not even with Selene watching their back. I smiled to myself, and then proceeded to do what I was the next step in my plan. A bold move perhaps, but seeing Selene's eyes when she regarded Michael had finally broken my heart to pieces that I just had to recollect. I wanted her to look at me that way. She didn't even recognize that her feelings were more than just curiosity, she had yet no idea of the depth of her attraction to this newborn Lycan. It wouldn't be long now, though, and I would do anything to claim her heart first, before Michael would. So maybe a love between two female vampires was unthinkable; but even more so was a love between a vampire and a Lycan. By winning Selene over, I would not only save myself; I would save Selene just as well, or even more so.

It appeared I read Selene's mind all too well; she had taken Michael to exactly where I had suspected she would. And apparently Lycans had read her mind as well, for they were rampaging the building when I got at the said location. For all I cared the Lycans could just as well take Michael and have their way with him, if Kraven's squad was too slow or otherwise disabled, I only had interest in finding Selene. I saw Michael falling out of the window, and a police car -- undoubtedly with disguised Lycans inside -- picked him up while Selene was still busy upstairs, slaughtering the werewolves that were running wild at her. When the ruckus had settled a bit, all of the Lycans were either dead or at the brink of it, she glanced over her shoulder to see that Michael had disappeared from the window and the alley beneath. This was my chance.

Before Selene had time to turn away from the window, I stepped inside, through the window in front of her, grabbing her by the wrist. In less than a second her gun was pressed against my temple. I knew she had no bullets left, that was the only reason she had stopped firing at the Lycans in the first place, and she knew this too; pointing a gun at a surprising attacker was more a reflex than rational thinking or planning her next move.

"Take it easy, Selene, it's me," I said, making eye contact to assure that she heard me and understood.

She just glared at me for a second, her breath still heavy from the physical work and excitement, the adrenaline of the deceased fight still pumping in her veins. Her eyes were light blue, her pupils small, making her look like a crazy person or a drug addict -- or, an alarmed vampire. Slowly, as she lowered the gun from my face, the colour of her eyes shifted to its normal green and brown hue, revealing the eyes that I could stare into endlessly. Eyes like I had never seen on anyone else except her. Her breathing also became steadier, and after a moment of just looking at me she crudely asked, "Where's Michael?"

I willed hurt not to show on my face.

"I have no clue. I only just arrived," I lied. "So he was here? With you?"

Again, her eyes held mine for a brief, breath-taking moment, as if she were trying to decide whether or not to believe me. Then, she abruptly swung her hand free from my grasp, and continuing the same movement to forcefully slap me on the cheek. My head jerked to the side, but I was more surprised than hurt. My hand instinctively rose to my cheek as I turned back to look at her, tears of hurt and anger glistering in my eyes.

"What was that for?" I demanded, quietly, yet sternly.

Selene just looked at me, with an expression like she was ready to spit me straight to my face.

"Do you despise me that much?" I asked, this time more sadly.

For a while, her expression changed from vengeful to surprised. Then, the glare returned, the familiar fire I always saw in her eyes when she was angry with me. Which was always when she didn't ignore me or act with carefully emphasized neutrality.

"Is my disapproval news to you?" she asked. "You are Kraven's little puppet, a pet he keeps on a leash to run all his errands, including spying on me and making sure I act accordingly to be his future queen -- and in spite of that, you also serve as his little whore, to pleasure him the way his so-called 'queen' never will! Do you expect people to like you because of that? Did you expect my respect, even the smallest splinters of it?"

Tears were now running freely down my cheeks as her words tore my already shattered heart. I had had my share of bullets, crushed bones and daylight, but none of the torture I had ever gone through was a match for this. She was tearing me apart and she had no idea.

"That's not true!" I bursted out, teary-eyed, sounding just as desperate and pitiful I would never have wanted to. Not in front of her. But she was holding my heart and crushing it with her cruel words, I could not help looking like that.

"Oh yeah?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "Everybody knows it's true, every word of it, Erika."

"Selene..." I sobbed. I had to collect myself. I shook my head, searching for words, and as they came, I slowly began to speak. "I know what everyone thinks, and yes, Kraven uses me to run his errands. He pushes me around, and I obey his orders -- do you really think I have a choice? I never was Viktor's favourite like you have been ever since your arrival. Defying Kraven's orders would send me to explain my case to Viktor, and repeatedly doing so would only earn me a fate in exile. A fate that I could never bear, Selene, being forever separated from the coven. And especially..."

I trailed off, not daring to look at her. Tears were still flowing, this was certainly not how I had planned to pull this off. She remained silent, gave no sound or sign of approval, but did not protest either, and what was more important, she didn't go away. Finally, I looked up at her, my face wet from all that crying, and touched her shoulder that was tightly covered in black, shiny leather. Moving with most delicate manner, traced patterns on that smooth surface, looking at my hand, then lifted my eyes to meet hers as my fingers found her neck, finally some bare skin.

Her eyes were intense now, not cold or distant at all. She was focusing on me, on every word and every touch, with all her interest. My fingers continued tracing patterns, this time on her skin, and I locked my eyes with hers, bringing my face closer to hers. Close enough to feel her breath on my lips.

"Selene, I could never bear to be away from you... because I love you."

There. I had said it. My heart wanted to race itself away from my chest, my breathing was shallow and fear was gripping my guts, driving me close to insanity as the silence followed my bold words. She held my gaze.

"Erika..." she then began, and I braced myself to accept the knife she was about to stab me with. Any pain, any torture, as long as it came from her, I would willingly take and never fight back. Love is the most lethal weakness one can have.

But, unlike I had expected, as she spoke my name no words followed. She leaned in to close the distance between our bodies, to press her slender leather-clad body against mine, and her hands cupped my face. For a fleeting second, I saw a flame of pure lust in her eyes, and then her lips were on mine claiming them as hers. Her tongue soon followed, half forcing itself into my mouth, but I was only too happy to grant her access. Somewhere along the way I had closed my eyes, and as she filled my mouth with her tongue, a burning passion, I forgot there ever was a word around us two. Her kiss electrified me, sending shivers down my spine, making me moan softly into her mouth and rub my body against hers. I realized I needed her -- desperately, and right now -- and that she needed exactly the same with equal urgency, with no time to waste on useless politeness, with pure lust and no thoughts for tomorrow.

But, this was not the place. Reluctantly, but sternly as I must, I broke the kiss. For a while I stared into her eyes again, then managed a husky breath, "Not here."

She swallowed hard, still looking at me, and gave a small nod in agreement.

"Come," I said, taking her hand and turning to jump from the window.

She followed me, all the way to my secret hiding place just out of the city, a nice warm sheath where no one would find us. As soon as I had closed the door behind us, she was all over me again; her hands on my body, moving on it like I had imagined and dreamt of so many nights, her lips on mine, her leg pushing between my legs, and I eagerly met it, sliding down against her thigh, and then back up to meet her lips again in a fiery, passionate kiss.

It was a night I will never forget. The memory of that night actually carried me through all that lay ahead of me, all the pain, sorrow and torture, the war and loneliness, everything that life had in stock for me. It was Selene who saved me, not vice versa and not equally so. Selene's touch healed me the way I never believed was possible. And despite all that happened afterwards, I still am thankful for her for saving me.

The End