Alpha Ch. 08

"I need to know, before any else happens." Oana's voice caught in her throat and she froze.

Lucius' thumb stroked her soft skin and he felt her tremble in his lap. Her hands rested against his chest and her fingers toyed with the button of the shirt he wore. His hand that wasn't holding the glass slid up her back and spread across her shoulder blades. She was tiny in his grip and he pushed gently until she pressed herself against him.

"Did you like hurting me?" Oana forced herself to ask the question and her wild blue eyes locked onto his.

Lucius didn't want to answer. He didn't know what she would do when he did but staring into her eyes he couldn't bring himself to lie.

"Yes, I liked it."

Oana swallowed hard. She knew that would be his answer but it still sent a chill through her. She should be scared; he could tear her apart without a second thought but all she wanted to do was feel him against her.

"I knew it." She said before kissing him.

Lucius groaned and held her tighter. He pulled her harder against his chest and dropped the glass he still held to the floor. His arms wrapped around her curved waist as his hands clutched desperately at her.

"Oh." The word fell from Oana's lips.

Her eyes met his and a soft whimper escaped her. His bright green eyes were burning as he watched her closely. The only sound in the room was their harsh breathing, it ripped out of their chests in great heaves and both of them were shaking.

"It was never like this with Sorin." Oana forced the words out.

Lucius stroked her back softly, soothing her. "We can stop."

"Is it always like this with creatures like you?"

"No Fiara. It's never been like this before." Lucius was surprised by his answer.

He had been with plenty of women in his long life but he had never felt anything like how he felt with Oana. In the back of his mind he knew what this must mean but he forced the thought away. He didn't want to complicate things anymore than they already were, he just wanted to enjoy her.

Oana dug her fingers into his wild curling hair and kissed him again. His stubble scratched her cheeks but she didn't care, all she could think about was his soft lips and gentle touch. His hands remained where they were on her back and she mewled in frustration. She wanted more.

Quickly she unbuttoned the shirt she wore and grabbed his wrist in both her hands. Pulling, she guided his hand to her breast and he laughed softly against her lips. She was naked beneath the shirt, of course she was she had come with nothing, and he groaned at the feel of her soft skin in his hand.

"Goddam Fiara." Lucius pulled back and dropped his head against the sofa. His eyes drank her in and his cock grew hard against the fly of his trousers.

Oana heard the gasp as it passed her lips and looked down their bodies. His large hand covered her entire breast, the skin of his palm was rough with callouses and she moaned at the feel of it against her sensitive nipple. Arching her back she pushed harder against his hand and her hips moved without her thinking. The clenching in her stomach grew more desperate and she felt herself growing wet.

She was angry with herself. For years she had only known this man as one of the reasons her family was dead and in less than a week he had her mindlessly throwing herself at him. Lucius sensed the change in her and his hands moved to her slim waist. He held her loosely and watched her face carefully.

"Something on your mind?" He kept his tone light but still felt her tense in his grip.

"Daddy told me that you sent him after me and my family. You're telling me that was a lie. I don't know who to believe." She dropped her head.

Suddenly, she felt embarrassed by her exposed skin and folded her arms across her chest to hide her breasts from him. Quickly, he redid the buttons on her shirt so she was covered but didn't move her from his lap. Inside his mind a battle raged, he wanted to tell her everything but it was a secret he had kept for so long he didn't know if he could.

"Fuck it." He spoke aloud. Something about this girl stirred loose feelings he had thought were gone forever. If telling her about his time in the Order made her trust him then he would do it.

"I was taken by the Order for loving the wrong person. I spent three years in that place because the woman I thought I would spend the rest of my life with, gave me up to save her own skin. For three years I was tortured, beaten and fought in the Pits thinking that the world had forgotten about me. Two things got me through those years; Drago never gave up on me and the woman I thought was waiting for me."

He glanced up into Oana's eyes. She was watching him intently, looking for any sign that he was lying.

"The night we escaped we met your father. We fought our way to doors and he was the last Protector in our way. We would have killed him if we had to."

"Did you?" Oana's voice hitched as she asked the question. She thought she would never find out about her fathers last minutes on earth but here she was with the man who could tell her.

"No Fiara. He let us go. Your father was a good man, he knew that the things happening to us were wrong and he let us go. He asked us to keep you and the rest of your family safe in exchange. He knew what would happen to him but he still let us go. I owe your father my life."

"What happened after you escaped?" Oana fought back the tears.

"We searched for you but your family was well hidden. It only took a day to find you but by the time we got there it was too late. You were all gone." Lucius thought back to the scene that had greeted them when they reached the Van Helsing house. Blood spattered the walls, furniture was overturned and deep scratches were gouged into the wall. It was the aftermath of a desperate struggle to survive.

"Did you think about us, about that night at all after that?"

"Of course we did. We never wanted for innocent people to get hurt because of what we did. It tortured us for years." Lucius felt a weight lifting from his chest as he finally admitted his feelings.

"So what happens now?" Oana sounded close to tears and Lucius met her eyes. Bringing his hand up, he cupped her cheek and stroked her skin with his thumb.

"You tell us everything you know about Daddy so we can figure out what he is. We're not going to let him take anyone else. We were too late to save you but maybe we can stop him from getting to anyone else."

"What makes you think I will help you?" Oana forced her voice to remain steady.

"Because you know what it's like when Daddy takes control. You must have been scared, you were scared when he was gone."

"I was young," she laughed derisively, "I'm still fucking young."

"What happened? We can try and help." Lucius brought her face back to look at him and felt her relax slightly.

"It was quiet; we were all in the house. I was visiting with Sorin and Fane, we had finished eating and it was a normal night. We were waiting for my father to come home." Oana paused and swallowed hard. She hadn't thought about the night she was taken in years.

"It was so loud. The door exploded, we didn't have a chance to defend ourselves. They killed my mother first. My brothers and Sorin were all Protectors but they didn't have a chance to do anything. Fane was sleeping, in the back room. I ran through but they followed me." She paused again and Lucius saw the tears welling in her blue eyes.

"You don't have to tell me this part." His voice was soft, soothing and she closed her eyes sending the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I was the only one left. I don't know why he kept me alive but the next thing I knew I was somewhere I had never been before. After that my training started." Her voice trailed off and she looked down.

"You don't have to tell me." Lucius repeated but she shook her head vehemently.

"I do. I tried to fight him, for years I tried to fight but I couldn't. He controlled everything. He stopped me aging, he said he liked the way I was and he didn't want me to change. He has the power to stop me growing older."

"What is he?"

Oana shook her head. "I'm not sure, I have an idea but I've never seen another creature like him. I wouldn't know what I was looking for, but the Order would. Just like with LaBelle."

"How many children does he have?"

"He changed them every few years. I was the only one that stayed for any length of time. There was only five of us when he sent me here."

"Why did he send you here?" Lucius pressed.

"Why do you think? He wants the Fae and her Mate, they would be a wonderful addition to his collection. I was meant to observe and report back."

"And if you were caught?"

"I wasn't caught, I was sabotaged. Someone set off my homing alarm; but I guess we both know what happened when I was caught. I disappointed him, he tried to eliminate me from the family."

"All of that and you still want to go back to him?" Lucius sounded incredulous.

"He is all I've known for sixty years, what was I meant to do?"

"I'm sorry."

Oana seemed surprised. "For what Vanator?"

"For letting this happen. I wish we would have gotten to you before he did. Maybe things would have been different."

"Maybe, but we can't dwell on what might have been. We need to stop Daddy from taking anymore lives. I would like to help, if you'll let me?"

Lucius saw the determination in her face and couldn't help the smile that curved his lips. She had drawn herself up straight and her eyes burned. She had a purpose again.

"So you say someone sabotaged you?" He asked.

"Yes. I would not have been caught otherwise." Oana sounded indignant and Lucius laughed quietly.

"I have no doubt that things would have ended very badly for us."

"I'm very good at my job." She sounded teasing. The change in her tone sent a jolt of lust through him and he shifted beneath her.

"I'm sure. So who might have sabotaged you?" His hands rested on her bare thighs and his thumbs stroked her skin absentmindedly. It had been years since he had felt anything like this with a woman and he suddenly became aware of the emptiness in his chest.

Oana thought for a moment before her eyes hardened and her jaw clenched.

"Lara. She was always jealous of me. I was Daddy's favourite and she hated that. She could have set off my alarm easily."

"She would have let you get killed because she wanted to be favourite?"

Oana nodded. "She would have killed me herself if she could but I could kick her ass in five seconds and make it feel like it lasted five hours. She'd be begging me to stop."

"You would have made an amazing Protector."

"Damn right I would have."

"Wait you said Daddy wanted Eala and Drago. Why does he want Drago?"

"He wouldn't say exactly, just that he and LaBelle were meant to meet. He became obsessed with finding where you were."

"So that was your job?" Lucius felt anger beginning to well inside him. The protective nature of his personality surged forward and Oana felt the change in him.

"My job was to watch the Fae and LaBelle. My job was to bring her to Daddy and then when LaBelle came to look for her, I was to take him as well."

"Sounds so easy when you put it like that."

Oana pulled herself up and stared defiantly into his eyes. "I would have been able to. I've taken out creatures worse than you, why do you think Daddy kept me around for so long?"

"And you would have torn apart a family with no questions?" Lucius forced himself to remain calm as he spoke. He knew it wasn't her fault but he couldn't stop the anger growing hotter in his chest.

Oana pushed his shoulders and stood. Folding her arms, she cocked her head to the side and her eyebrows knitted together.

"Have you ever been completely controlled by someone else? Had no physical force on you but not be able to move because someone told you not to. Have you ever watched yourself kill someone and had no control over your hands? Have you ever been a prisoner in your own body and watched yourself do awful things, because unless you have you can't even begin to imagine what it was like with him."

She was shaking. Her teeth ground together and her hands began to twist agitatedly in front of her.

"Do you think I wanted to hurt people? They were innocent, they were scared. They were fucking children. I took children away from their parents because Daddy told me too. I couldn't even beg him not to make me do it, he stopped me speaking. The worst part is when it was over he left you with your guilt and you missed him. When he wasn't with me I begged him to come back. I might not have wanted to hurt people but I liked doing it. He turned me into a monster and now he's left me to remember how to be human."

Lucius stood and pulled her into his arms. She was tiny and he cradled her head in one huge hand while the other stroked her back. Oana buried her face into his chest and tried to stop the trembles that ran through her body.

"I'm sorry." Lucius looked down at the top of her head and tightened his arms around her. She was shivering violently and he held her tighter still.

"I never wanted to like it. I fought it for as long as I could then I just couldn't anymore. I never wanted to like it." Her words were muffled against his chest.

"It wasn't your fault and now you can help us stop him from taking anyone else."

"What if I can't?" She looked up at him with fear in her eyes.

"You're a Van Helsing, you can do anything."

She smiled. She couldn't help herself. Stretching onto her toes she slid her arms around his neck and dug her fingers into his hair. She could feel the muscles in his arms bunching as he held her tighter and lifted her so her feet left the floor.

Lucius growled softly and loosened his grip. She weighed next to nothing and he knew he could hurt her if he wasn't careful. The feeling was foreign to him and a stark contrast from a few days before when he had taken such joy in hurting her.

Gently, he let her slide down his body until her feet hit the floor and took a step backwards. Running his hands over his face he sighed heavily.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I don't think we should."

"Why?" She sounded hurt and another growl rumbled through his chest.

"Because it would be taking advantage. I want to help you and once this is over, if you still want me, I'll have you in a second. I think there is something here and I hope you do too but for now, I think we should keep a distance."

"You don't want me?" She looked to the floor, she felt hot and couldn't meet his eyes.

"Of course I fucking do, but I promised Drago and Eala that I would help you." He reached out and held her throat gently, tilting her head back so she looked at him. "Then after I've helped you I'll fuck you until you can't remember your own name."

Oana felt a hard shiver run through her entire body at his words. He was right, there was something there and she was confused by her feelings. Her body was wracked by a white hot lust but there was something deeper beneath it. Pushing it from her mind she nodded.

"Good girl. Now get out of here before I do something stupid."

Oana went to leave, but before she did she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled his face close to hers. Kissing him roughly she listened to his snarl before pushing him away and leaving him speechless.

Oana hurried up the stairs and into her room. Closing the door, she leaned against the wood and took a steadying breath. Her heart was beating uncontrollably and her hands were shaking.

"Hello child."

Her heart stopped. Dragging her eyes up she stared into Daddy's bright orange eyes. His mouth was curved in a smile and she felt her knees grow weak.

"You're not here." She shut her eyes tightly and shook her head.

"You don't seem pleased to see me Oana." She felt, rather than heard him move closer. The room was cold and she felt her skin erupt in goosebumps.

"You're not real. You can't do anything." Her hand searched blindly for the door handle but before she could find it he spoke again.

"Don't do that."

Instantly she froze. Her throat closed and she felt tears burning her eyes. Again, she felt him move closer and a tiny whimper reached her ears.

"Open your eyes."

She tried to fight it, but her eyes snapped open and she stared up into his face. His smile widened and despite herself, she felt calmer. His eyes searched her face slowly, taking in every inch then he spoke again.

"You cut your hair. Why?"

She was quiet and he tutted softly.

"Answer me child."

"I wanted to see if I could. I wanted to see if you were really gone." Her voice was trembling and she swallowed hard. She didn't want him to know the effect he was having on her.

"You sound happy at the prospect of me being gone. Did you not like your time with me?"

Oana pressed her lips together. She didn't want to answer; he would be angry. Her mind screamed at her to call for Lucius but she couldn't.

Daddy reached out and touched her cheek gently, his fingertips just brushing the skin. His skin was cold and his touch didn't feel the same as it had before. He wasn't really there; she knew he could project himself but it didn't matter. His control was there.

"Oana, answer me and truthfully. Did you like your time with me?"

She tried to lie. She didn't know what he would do if she told the truth. The lie danced on her lips but she couldn't do it. He would know.

"No I didn't." Her voice was tiny and she tried to look away. His gaze held hers but there was no emotion in his eyes.

"I am sorry to hear that. I loved my time with you child." Daddy pressed closer.

"You made me hurt people."

"You wanted to hurt people long before you met me. I just gave you the opportunity."

She couldn't find the words to argue. He was right.

"Have I ever told you why I kept you?" He watched as she shook her head. "Would you like to know the story?"

"Yes." She hated how weak she sounded.

"I kept you because you fought. Your mother, you brothers, your husband all tried to save themselves. They bargained, they tried to run, they all thought of themselves. Not you. When I saw you stood between my children and your son I knew I had to have you. You were everything I ever wanted."

He pressed closer, his body fitting against hers as perfectly as she remembered and she felt herself sinking into him.

"I loved you from that moment and I have loved you since. I knew I could only trust you to do this, that's why I set off your homing alarm."

"It was you?" Despite herself she felt a sting of betrayal.

"I needed someone inside. They have let you in. The Were downstairs, he cares for you."

"Don't hurt him."

"He will do anything he can to save you. He will bring the Fae and the Entari right to me."

"Please, don't make me do it." Oana's voice cracked and she felt the tears fall from her eyes.

"Don't worry my sweet girl. The hard part is over, you just have to let me in."

"Daddy please." She didn't know why she was begging. It was useless but she wanted to know she fought for as long as she could.

Oana pushed against his chest and shook her head.

"I'll never say yes."

Daddy laughed, a warm soothing sound that permeated Oana's brain filling her with memories. He took hold of her wrists and pressed them back against the door. Nudging her knees apart he stepped between her legs and stared down into her eyes.

"You'll always say yes child because I want you to."

"Please." Her last word was a soft plea and his smile widened.

"Don't worry. I'll make it so you don't remember a thing."

Leaning down he pressed his lips against hers. Immediately her body reacted to him and she parted her lips on a soft moan. Her eyes were closed and she moaned again as he moved his hand down to cover her breast.