War of the Chosen

by Elizabeth Dunlap

  Did she? Could someone still love after so long, and after such a betrayal? My father had made the same mistakes as me, and I didn’t want to admit how alike we were in that respect. Still, I wanted to know.

  “Can you forgive what he did?” I motioned to Anastasia and then to myself.

  “As unorthodox as his methods were, they were born from love, and I can’t fault him for that. Lucas was trying to help her. What made me angry was that they only made things worse.”

  “Because of me.”

  She nodded. “Yes. But we all love you. Please know that.” It felt strange for someone to love me automatically. They didn’t even know me, and I didn’t know them.

  The door swung open like someone had kicked it. I sprang up ready to attack and protect, but it was only Knight holding a white box that smelled like food.

  “Good morning, ladies. Lisbeth. It’s time we talked.”

  CHAPTER 14

  My blood ran cold. “Talked about what?”

  “Don’t be coy. You’re adorable when you’re coy. Stop it.” He plunked the box onto the kitchen counter and took his coat off slowly, watching me. I flinched when he flung the coat, Clara’s eyes watched him saunter over to me, her interest peaked entirely.

  “We,” Knight motioned between us, “are talking. Now.”

  I gulped. “About?”

  “The constitution. What do you think? Us. Whatever we have going on right here. I need answers.” He stepped closer, his warm breath falling onto my face, and he took my hand. “Lisbeth of the house of Bathory, I love you.”

  Oh sweet lord of the vampires.

  Against all of my wants, I pulled my hand away from him. “You shouldn’t.”

  “Why in the hell not? You kissed me, you kissed me like you meant it. Like I was the only person in the world you ever wanted to kiss.”

  Because you are.

  I blinked to keep the tears at bay. “I kissed you so I could have something to remember.”

  “Something to remember when?” he asked in confusion.

  The tears started falling unbidden down my cheeks. “When you leave. When you’re gone forever, off having your own life with a wife and children.”

  “When have I ever given the impression that I wanted that?” He took my face in his hands and made me look up into his eyes. “I want you.”

  I still found the strength to protest with my knees turning to jelly. “No, you can’t want me. You deserve someone who is faithful, and that’s not me.”

  “Fine. You cheated on me.” He turned, grabbed Clara from her chair, and kissed her passionately. The sight of it made me angry and sad all at once. How could he kiss someone else like that? Like he meant it? The kiss lasted far too long for my comfort, but he eventually let her go and turned back to me. “There. Now we’re even.”

  “You…” I pointed a finger at him. “You just kissed my aunt.”

  His face went slack with fear. “Was it too much?”

  “Not too much for me,” Clara commented, wiping a finger over her lips with a smile. “Glad Lucas wasn’t here to see that.”

  Knight came back to me and took my face in his hands again. “Tell me you don’t love me. Tell me you don’t want to be with me.” I couldn’t say that. It wouldn’t be true.

  Lucas came to mind, so I quoted my father.

  “Can he forgive if he loves?”

  “You’re so stupid.” Knight drew me against him and kissed me with a fevered passion. He pulled away, planting small kisses around my face. “Tell me you love me, and I’ll forgive you.” He captured my lips again so I couldn’t answer. When he released me, I looked up into his eyes.

  “I love you, Knight. I’ve never needed anyone like I need you. When I thought you were dead, I didn’t want to live in a world without you. I’ve lived for so long not knowing what love felt like, and when I lost it, I lost everything.”

  “You’re never losing me again,” Knight vowed, and he kissed me slowly, deeply, like he needed the taste of my lips to breathe. My salty tears continued falling and mixed in with the taste of him.

  If there were any words to describe how I felt at that moment, I wouldn’t say happy, or relieved, not even bittersweet.

  I felt whole again.

  The only thing that could’ve pulled me away from Knight’s lips was the chance to be held in his arms, and rest my head against his neck. I whispered over and over that I loved him, my mantra for life. He was finally back in my arms, for good this time. It was more than I could ever, and had ever, hoped for.

  When we finally surfaced for air, Clara was munching on what Knight had brought in the white box, and was sharing it with Anastasia.

  Custard-filled croissants.

  The last time he’d brought me my favorite food, I was coming down from my blood binge and it was very painful and agonizing. He’d been right there, making me laugh in-between throwing up and feeling like death.

  “How did you find those?” I asked him in wonderment, and grabbed two. Knight cutely thought one was for him. I ate both of them and grinned with custard on my mouth. He kissed it away.

  “Oh,” Clara said with her mouth full. “Lisbeth, don’t you need to feed? I can grab someone, we’ll just erase their memory, it’s not a big deal.” Her nonchalance of treating humans like that was horrifying, but I tried to muster up some forgiveness for her ignorance.

  “No, I’m okay. We try to not do that these days. We’re all about consent.” My words were a little harsh, but Clara still smiled back at me in understanding. Knight had a croissant in his mouth and gave me a thumbs up to drink from him. He grabbed another before I reached in and sunk my teeth into his neck.

  His blood tasted different this time. Better than it ever had, if that was possible. It was better than the custard-filled croissants. Blasphemy, but oh so true.

  In a blood fog of ecstasy, I heard a chair fall over and Clara shouting at someone. Knight’s arms came around me to twist so I was behind him. I unlatched from his throat just in time to see Anastasia coming at us. Faster than lightning, I moved in front of Knight and hissed at my mother, showing my claws and fangs to show her how strong I was. She hesitated, now that there was something between her and her target. Make no mistake, I knew she wasn’t after me. She’d woken up when she smelled Knight’s blood. But why? Why his blood?

  Anastasia hissed at me, pleading and whining, disappointed she was denied what she wanted. Her mouth opened around her fangs and she grunted a few times. It took her some time until she managed to speak.

  “Nicolas,” she finally said, her throat scratchy and strained. How long had it been since she’d spoken?

  “Who dat?” Knight whispered. My hand was on his side to keep him safer, so I lifted it to smack him.

  “Nicolas was her lover, the werewolf,” Clara explained. She had run to the kitchen in the hurry and was holding a large knife in her hand.

  “Nicolas,” Anastasia said again with a whine. Her eyes darted from Knight’s face to mine. “I smell him. You.” She pointed a claw at Knight. I hissed a little as a warning. “You smell like Nicolas.”

  “I’m not him,” Knight explained, shaking his head.

  Anastasia was disappointed. She looked around, confused, like she didn’t know where she was. She sniffed the air a few times, and whatever she smelled led her to me. I hissed when she stepped closer to me. Her hand came up slowly, testing my reactions, until she placed it on my cheek.

  “You’re not a baby,” she said, her confusion deepening. “You smell like my baby.”

  With extreme caution, I put my hand up to her cheek too. Her skin was soft and warm. “I’m here, mother. Erzsebet is here.”

  She smiled a gentle smile, and stroked my cheek. Then her face changed. She frowned and shoved me hard into Knight’s chest. “You’re not my baby. My baby...” She wailed and sank to the floor. “Where is my baby?” Her shrieks tore at me. She rocked back and forth on the floor. “Nicolas, come back to me. I need my baby. Bring
her back. Why did you take her from me?”

  Clara dropped the knife and came running. She smoothed Anastasia’s hair and cooed to her in Romanian. Anastasia folded herself into her twin’s arms and sobbed brokenly.

  My mother was broken. I couldn’t fix her.

  “I’m sorry, Clara. I tried. I’m so sorry.” Clara looked up from her sister and reached out to me, but I turned and I left the house, and I didn’t stop until I couldn’t smell them anymore.

  CHAPTER 15

  My feet ran, never stopping. I couldn’t stop, I didn’t want to stop. If I stopped I would remember that woman back in Clara’s arms, and how I couldn’t fix her. My mother would always be an empty shell. She’d never feel love for me.

  Run. Keep running.

  Run, girl. Run.

  And I did. Over fields, and across the plains, I ran as fast as I could. At that speed, I sensed everything around me, all the animals and smells, and even a few humans hiking without a care in the world. Eventually, even at my top speed, I felt something enter my radar.

  It was Knight.

  His breathing was normal like this was a light stroll, and he grinned knowing I could see him behind me. I slowed down just enough so he could catch up. He passed me with a laugh, so I followed my mate through the forest. Having him by my side, running as fast as I could, I felt happier than I had in a very long time. The weight of all that we had going on, and all that was going to happen, it all fell away.

  Neither of us could feel the effects of the run, so it was really a matter of when we decided to stop, and I didn’t want to stop. I bobbed and weaved around Knight, catapulting off trees and showing off my perfect balance. He grabbed at me and we tumbled into a pile of leaves.

  We were laughing, kissing, and so close to giving into our desires, when Knight stopped. I started asking what was wrong, but he put his finger up for me to be quiet. The wind changed directions, and I smelled what Knight had sensed.

  Lycans.

  I’d been so busy paying attention to Knight that I hadn’t seen them nearby. There was a pack, a dangerously large one, and our smell enraged them.

  Knight took my hand and said, “Run.”

  We ran again, back towards the village, this time in a rush. I pushed my senses out to track where the pack was. They were gaining on us. A lone vampire and a werewolf that couldn’t transform without the full moon. We were no match for a Lycan pack.

  We gained some ground, and I thought we might lose them, until I tripped over something and went down. My leg seared in pain and I smelled my blood running. Knight stopped, picked me up, and kept going. With our decreased speed, the pack was quickly gaining ground. They were going to overtake us.

  Knight stopped when it was too late to keep going. He backed me up to a tree and got between me and the wolves.

  “I love you, Lis,” he whispered.

  I took his hand. “I love you.”

  The wolves descended. The pack numbered in the dozens. I smelled the Alpha approaching through the ranks, and peeked out from Knight’s neck. Half were in human form, the other half in wolf. The Alpha, in human form, stood tall at the head. He had long blonde hair in braids and his face was sharp angles and cheek bones.

  He started speaking in Romanian, and stopped. He tried a few other languages, some I knew, and some I didn’t, but I chose to not respond. When he got to English, he was frustrated.

  “Ah, there we are. English.” His accent was thick and choppy. “A werewolf and a vampire loose in our lands. It’s a good day to be me.”

  “I didn’t know of any packs in this area,” Knight said skeptically.

  The Alpha laughed like Knight was cute. “Ignorance. We are the oldest Lycan pack in the world. For four hundred years we have lived in a land free from the terrors of blood drinkers, and your filthy kind. Disgusting werewolf.” He spat on the ground. I fumed behind Knight, but he wouldn’t let me escape, pressing me so far into the tree I was going to start sprouting leaves. “Kill them,” the Alpha ordered. The wolves howled in response. I smelled something coming. Something was coming from the village. Two people running fast, together as a unit.

  No way.

  Anastasia and Lucas burst out of the trees, claws and fangs out, and hissed at the Lycans that were closing in on us. I shoved Knight out of the way to join them. I stood with my parents and hissed like a puppy barking for its mother’s approval. Knight took his place at my side, growling appropriately.

  Three vampires and a werewolf against a pack? Our odds weren’t the best, but they’d improved. Now that she was awake, Anastasia had a power coming from her that I’d never felt before. I’d say she had been blood binging, but she had none of the physical side effects, like the flushed skin and bloodshot eyes. Then again, from Clara’s description of her powers, she was naturally this strong. What kind of terrifying power would she have if she actually blood binged? Shudder.

  Anastasia held her hand out to the Lycans. “Leave.” She strained to make her order powerful enough for an entire pack to obey.

  “Mother, no,” I told her. She looked confused, but she dropped her arm. “Is this land your territory? Is it marked?” I addressed the Alpha.

  He turned his nose up at me. “No. And it will never be, not with the stench of vampire here.”

  My leg was still slightly bleeding. I swiped my hand over the cut and held it out to the Alpha. “I claim this area for vampires.” I pressed my bloodied hand to the ground. “This is now a vampire border. You cannot cross, or your life is forfeit.” I straightened and motioned to my parents. “Do it. Put your blood on the earth.”

  They both bit into their wrists and added blood to the new border I’d just created. We all stepped back, safe inside our land. The Lycans couldn’t touch us now.

  The Alpha was very disappointed. “Invoking the old laws. Clever. Annoying. Fine. We withdraw. Make no mistake, you cross into my territory again, and your life is mine.”

  “Agreed.”

  He nodded to Knight. “What about that one?”

  “He’s under my protection,” I told the Lycan. I had a bit of blood left on my hand, and I pressed it onto Knight’s arm. The Alpha swung his finger in a circle and whistled before turning around. The pack followed him, a few choosing to spit in our direction or give us the finger before they left.

  “Wow,” Knight said. “My girlfriend is so awesome. How do you avoid being killed by Lycans?” He waved his hand around and said in high pitched voice, “Oh I just created a brand new vampire border, no biggie.” He giggled sheepishly.

  “Is that supposed to be me?”

  “Yes. But you’re a thousand times more adorable. Also, that was the single most awesome thing I’ve ever seen. Fist bump.” I bumped his fist appreciatively.

  “Erzsebet,” Anastasia said, turning my attention to her. She came up cautiously and put her hand on my cheek. “I heard you by the fire. Cameron, and Kitty, and Knight. I heard you. It was like I was at the bottom of a well, and I didn’t even realize that’s where I was. Every word you spoke was a step out to freedom. I couldn’t break through the top, until I realized that you smelled like my baby. My Erzsebet.”

  “I go by Lisbeth,” I reminded her gently.

  “Right,” she said with a smile. Her face faded, and I worried she would disappear again, but she was back before I could move. “We need to mark the rest of the borders. It will take some time, and a lot of blood.”

  “How much blood?” Knight asked.

  “Quite a bit,” Lucas answered. “It’s supposed to be done by an entire vampire Order. Dozens of vampires. And we are but three.”

  Anastasia dropped her hand. “We will need to feed.”

  Knight stepped forward. “You can drink from me.” Anastasia nodded in approval.

  “Umm, how about no?”

  “Lisbeth, the werewolf is the best choice. His body will keep him alive, we won’t drain him.” Her voice was authoritative. She was not used to being told no.

  Hi, mom
. I’m the one who says no.

  “He’s not an h’orderve at a garden party, mother. He’s my mate. Lover. Boyfriend. Whatever. No.”

  She scowled at me. “Lisbeth, you are not in charge here.”

  “Oh and you are? Miss, I’m going to pretend nothing matters and be comatose for four hundred years while my daughter grows up thinking I didn’t love her? Not to mention Clara giving up her life for you, you selfish little-”

  “Hey, yeah, let’s.. just…” Knight grabbed me and pulled me away before I could do anything irrational, like slap my mother across the face.

  “I’ll mark the border. By myself. And if you ever suggest feeding from my mate again, I will leave you to the Lycans, mom.” I stormed off.

  Uuuuugh. I was four hundred years old and acting like a moody teenager. This was awful. Straight up awful. Maybe I’d get a tattoo and start listening to emo music, just to keep the trend going.

  “You know what I think is romantic?” Knight said, coming up behind me. “Once you claim a mate, vampires become territorial, like that person is a fancy car they have to make sure no one else drives.”

  “You know what I think is romantic? You not lecturing me.”

  Knight clicked his tongue. “Moody. I forgive you. I love you. But seriously. You acting like that over me? Super hot. I’m totally into it.”

  Every so often, I sliced into my arm and let my blood drop onto the ground. The entire area didn’t need to be covered, as long as there wasn’t a gap of more than ten feet between blood spots. The blood would soak into the ground and leave a scent that any vampire or Lycan could smell, and it would endure for at least a decade, assuming they stayed here that long. They probably wouldn’t, so doing this was useless.

  Lucas came up to us, most likely realizing what I just had. “You don’t need to do that, Lisbeth. We needed to leave either way, I convinced Ana to do it now. We should help Clara pack.”

  He led us back to the cottage where we found Clara and Anastasia packing up some of their things. Anastasia didn’t react to us as she continued stuffing her bag with trinkets. Our bags were mostly still packed, and I took mine when Knight offered it.