Lily



Varian woke her just before dusk. She awoke languidly, feeling the weight of slumber like a pressing blanket incapable of lifting. She moaned groggily her eyes struggling against the heaviness of sleep.

"Wake, Lily," Varian commanded softly, shaking her with a firm hand.

Her eyes blinked open and immediately her senses tuned to the shifting of the sun as it hovered in the dawning twilight sky.

She pushed herself up in the bed and peered sleepily at Varian.

"Get dressed."

Pushing strands of tousled hair from her face, she leaned forward to grab the sweater she'd tossed in her sleep.

Pulling it on she asked, "What are we doing?"

Already dressed and highly alert, Varian stepped towards the door, listening, "We're leaving."

She paused in her attempt to pull her sweater all the way down as her eyes drew to where he stood rigidly, "What of Ruby? Jackson?" she asked, alarmed.

"They're coming." He said assuredly.

Her heart accelerating some, she threw the covers aside and stood. "Where will we go?" His eyes met hers and he smiled sweetly, "Romania."

She gasped lightly and when she opened her mouth to respond a subtle tapping came at their door.

Varian opened it cautiously to a pensive Talon on the other side, "The halls are empty and the hour is good. If you're going, go now. Ruby and Jackson wait at the end of the hall."

Varian nodded gravely and extended a hand to Lily. As they slipped from the room, Lily paused before Talon, "You're not coming?"

He smiled warmly, "I will meet you in Romania." He squeezed her hand reassuringly and released it.

Varian swept her close and they slipped through the hall to where Ruby and Jackson waited.

Lily gasped and halted, "What of my father?"

Varian whirled almost angrily, his expression agape, "You cannot be serious?"

She frowned at him, "Of course I am."

Ruby stepped forward, shaking her head, "Lily, no."

"Because of him you are in this mess." Jackson exclaimed.

"I would never forgive myself if I left him." She beseeched.

Varian grasped her arm gently, "He has done this to himself. We're leaving." He tugged her along and as they escaped into the dark she knew Ward McDermott was now a thing of the past.





Bucharest, Romania

3 weeks later



She felt a breeze and was immediately drawn to it, instinctively her hands moving to the roundedness of her belly.

Lily raised her face to the subtle caress that filtered in through the balcony doors of their hotel room, her thoughts shifting to the child she would soon bear.

The child was growing rapidly, so much so that it frightened her. She knew it was because of their vampirism.

Would she give birth to a human child or that of a vampire child?

Blanch was a vampire and for her baby to grow so quickly, within a matter of three weeks, surely it meant the latter?

She was jarred from her thoughts as a knock came at the door. She glanced at the bed where Varian slept deeply. He hadn't rested much or fed frequently. She knew he was exhausted, weakened from ensuring their safety.

Moving toward the door, she listened for movement on the other side. Ruby and Jackson were in the room next to them. Was it one of them?

Her hand circling the knob, she opened it cautiously to find a familiar looking face.

She smiled sweetly at the bell boy from Arkansas, "Hi Louis."

He beamed a smile, "Ma'am."

She recalled their conversation long ago over soda and his attempt at convincing her that vampires were very much real.

"I did as you asked." He said beneath his breath, glancing among the hall for any prying eyes as he handed her a bundle.

She took it immediately and peered at him intently, "Thank you, Lou."

He stepped closer, his expression turning dour, "Let me help you guys."

She shook her head adamantly, "No, I took a great risk already by involving you."

He squared his shoulders, straightening some, "I can do this. I've studied this."

"No, Lou, it's not like your books. This is very much real and something I'm not allowing you to get involved in. Go, please." She nudged him on.

He nodded grudgingly, "Alright, but please if you need more-" he motioned to the bundle, "-let me know."

She nodded and gently closed the door.

"You shouldn't have told him." Varian growled as he surfaced from the bed.

Her expression softened, "I know but he would have found out eventually." She undid the bundle to reveal two bags of blood. "He has access to the blood bank."

He grumbled something intangible beneath her breath and Lily smiled, "Grump."

He cast a glare, one that warmed her from within as she smiled sheepishly back at him.



Varian

Varian grinned at her lopsided smile and moved to her side, only to go solidly still as something in his peripheral forced his fangs to lengthen with an ominous growl.

"Varian." The gentle feminine voice that came from the balcony not only surprised him but further alerted him.

"Blanch." He growled, surveying the room with stark vastness.

"I am alone." She said to reassure him. "May I come in?"

Lily grasped his arm gently, "Yes, come in."

She wore a cloak, surely to shield her face from anyone who may have followed her.

"What are you doing here?" Varian demanded, straightening to better observe her.

She met their eyes, peering from one to the other and then to Lily's rounded belly, "I came to warn you."

"How did you know that we were here?" Lily asked warily.

For a moment she appeared unwilling to answer and then she stepped aside and Varian saw the man he hadn't noticed at first.

He resisted a growl, "I thought I smelled dog." His dark eyes swept to Blanch, "You said you were alone?"

Lucan stepped into the room, mirroring Varian's hardened resolve, "Your stink is easily traceable." He remarked with a trace of humor.

"Listen to me." Blanch commanded of their attention, "My father as well as the others are coming. They want Lily and the baby."

Varian tensed, "I will kill them first."

"And he knows it." Blanch said, "He's announced you of betrayal."

"Why did you come?" Lily asked peering intently at Blanch.

"I have no desire to follow my father. He is prone to sinister ways that I do not condone." She paused.

Taking note of her wary look, Varian commanded, "What are you not telling us?"

"My father and the scientist-"

Lily released a sharpened breath at the mention of Ward, "What about him?"

Those blue eyes turned wary, "They've come to an arrangement."

Varian stiffened, his jaw line tightening, "What arrangement?"

She peered worriedly between the two, "My father has given him penance in exchange for-" she fell silent, struggling with the words as her eyes fell to Lily's rounded belly.

Lily paled, "For what?" she managed in a feeble whisper, frightened as her hand settled protectively over her belly.

Blanch raised her chin, taking a breath, "They want to clone hybrids by using Lily and the child."

Lily's eyes widened, "No!"

"Like hell!" Varian spat, fangs lengthening.

Blanch stepped back in the face of Varian's wrath, "There is something else."

"What is it?" Varian snapped, seeing red.

"They've imprisoned Talon."

Lily pressed a hand against her mouth, "What?"

"They know he helped you and they will kill him."

"And there's more." Lucan said, stepping forward, "My pack has declared war."





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