"RAWWW!"
A savage growl ripped through the frigid night air, echoing off the stone walls like a beast's final defiance. Silver bullets punched through the lycan's thick, matted fur, each one tearing into flesh with a wet, sickening thud, blood sprayed in dark crimson arcs that steamed in the cold.
**THUD!**
The massive creature collapsed to the ground, its body crumpling like a discarded puppet, eyes glazing over in death's unblinking stare.
Selene's breath came in controlled puffs, her sapphire eyes narrowed in grim focus. She cocked her pistol with a sharp, metallic click and slid in a fresh clip of ammunition, the rounds glinting ominously under the faint moonlight filtering through cracks in the crypt's ceiling.
Her journey to Tanis's lair had turned hostile from the start—this forsaken place was teeming with lycans, their guttural snarls and heavy footfalls a constant undercurrent in the shadows. She'd arrived mere minutes ago, only to be ensnared in what she knew was Tanis's trap, forcing her to dispatch three of the snarling beasts already. The very presence of lycans here screamed defection, a treacherous alliance that could unravel the coven's fragile order.
Yet Selene pressed on calmly, her leather trench coat whispering against the damp stone as she moved. She had led Tanis's exile herself centuries ago, etching every twist and turn of these crypts into her memory like scars on her soul.
She tread carefully. with lycans, there were always more lurking.
"Selene," a voice murmured from the shadows behind her, smooth and laced with faint amusement.
She whirled in an instant, her gun already leveled, finger hovering on the trigger with lethal precision.
There he stood, just a few paces away, crossbow in hand and aimed right back at her. His skin was as pale as fresh snow, blond hair swept back in elegant disarray. Up close, she saw the smear of blood on his lips, still glistening—evidence that she'd interrupted his meal, the metallic tang of it hanging in the air.
"Tanis," she replied, her voice a low, icy command.
Weapons locked on each other, they stood frozen in a tense standoff, neither willing to yield an inch. The air crackled with unspoken threats, centuries of history boiling beneath the surface.
A soft sigh escaped Tanis's lips after a long moment, and he lowered his crossbow with deliberate slowness, his expression a mask of weary resignation.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone casual but edged with curiosity.
Selene kept her gun trained on him, advancing step by measured step. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you where you stand," she demanded, her voice a threatening growl, raw with barely contained fury. If she hadn't been cautious, this night would have ended in her blood staining these stones.
"Why would you come all this way if you didn't need something from me?" Tanis replied flatly, his eyes steady despite the undercurrent of fear he refused to show. He wasn't about to beg for his life—not from her.
She studied him for a beat, her gaze piercing, then slowly lowered her weapon. "What makes you think I can't kill you after I get what I want?" she shot back as she brushed past him, her shoulder grazing his in a deliberate challenge.
A hidden passage yawned open ahead, its edges rough and shadowed. She ignored him and stepped inside without a backward glance.
Tanis followed silently, not deigning to answer. As they climbed the narrow, winding stairs, his voice echoed off the walls, heavy with resentment. "I no longer fear you, Selene. I no longer fear the coven. You left me here in these empty wastelands to die alone—all because I recorded truths Viktor wished to erase."
"I didn't come here to listen to your ravings," Selene snapped, her words sharp as a blade. "I need information. Lycans have been spotted in the city, and I'm afraid Lucien might be alive—contrary to what Kraven told us."
"And what makes you think I'd know anything?" Tanis countered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
They emerged into a well-lit chamber, the warm glow of antique lamps casting long shadows over opulent, time-worn furniture—plush velvet chairs faded with age, exotic tapestries depicting forgotten battles, and shelves lined with dusty tomes that whispered of forbidden knowledge.
"It seems you're not living as horribly as you claim," Selene commented dryly, her eyes scanning the room with a mix of disdain and surprise.
"Gifts from a few friends I've made," Tanis replied smoothly, a hint of smugness in his tone.
"Let me guess—they gave you the lycans?" she asked, disdain dripping from every syllable like venom.
Tanis remained silent, his lips pressing into a thin line.
"If word of your treachery reaches Viktor's ears, it shall be your end," Selene warned, her gaze flicking to a rack of showcased weapons. Ultraviolet ammunition rounds gleamed there, deadly and ironic—she'd stumbled upon the supplier of these vampire-killing tools. It made twisted sense; who better to exploit a vampire's weaknesses than one of their own?
"Viktor is still in slumber," Tanis mocked, pouring himself a drink from a crystal decanter, the deep red liquid swirling like fresh blood. "It appears I have another century to prepare my escape."
"And don't think Marcus will order my death through the council," he continued, his voice gaining a conspiratorial edge. "You may not know this, but he despises you all—Viktor most of all. The information on where his brother might be will be more than enough for him to spare me."
His words hit like a slap, making Selene frown deeply, her brow furrowing in confusion and unease. This was new territory; to her understanding, the three elders had their differences, but no outright hatred simmered among them. With Viktor awakened ahead of schedule by her own hand, could this spark more chaos for the coven? Or would the threat of encroaching lycans—and possibly Lucien—earn forgiveness?
"Oh, it seems I've begun raving again. Forgive my words," Tanis teased, his eyes twinkling with mock innocence as he glanced briefly at the female body sprawled on the ground. He'd been feeding on her when Selene arrived; she was merely unconscious, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.
"Tell me," Selene pressed, her voice insistent and laced with urgency, "why does Marcus despise his own coven? Why does he despise Viktor? He is the first of us all—why would Marcus hate him?"
"That is something I cannot say," Tanis said, settling comfortably into a chair with a casual grace that belied the tension. "I'm a liar, remember? You shouldn't believe anything I have to say—at least according to Viktor. You wouldn't want to go against his will, do you?" He left her to stew in her thoughts, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"Now tell me why you really came here," he prodded after a pause. "I know you have a passion for exterminating lycans, but I believe that's not enough to drive you to seek me—an exiled historian infamous for spouting fallacies—in these wastelands, even if Lucien is alive. That's not my forte; if it were, you'd be hunting lycans, not poor old Tanis."
"So he is alive?" Selene asked, her expression turning pensive, a shadow of doubt crossing her features.
"Oh yes," Tanis answered matter-of-factly, "who else has the audacity to gift lycans as bodyguards? He learned from the best when it came to that."
"He is alive, and you haven't reported it to the coven—instead, you've been trading with him?" Selene demanded, her hand twitching toward her gun, ready to fire at the slightest provocation.
Tanis merely rolled his eyes, reaching for a tissue on the stand to wipe the lingering bloodstains from his mouth with nonchalant precision. "Let me ask you a question: Would you report this to the coven if you were in my shoes? Exiled, alone... betrayed by the very lord you served, just because the truth bruised his vanity. Would you?"
Selene fell silent, the words striking a chord she hadn't expected. She understood it all too clearly, yet the thought of Viktor betraying her had never once crossed her mind. To her, Viktor was her savior, the closest thing to family in her eternal night.
Watching the conflict etch lines across her face—her eyes flickering with uncertainty—Tanis only smirked, a knowing glint in his gaze.
"I don't have all night," he said finally, his tone shifting to impatience. "Either shoot me or tell me why you truly came here."
A moment passed, and Selene and Tanis held each other's gaze, the air thick with unspoken challenges and fragile alliances.
"Very well," Selene conceded, sliding her gun back into her trench coat with a resigned sigh. "I came across an organization I've never heard of before. From my observations, they could be an old one—perhaps centuries-old, a supernatural entity. I was hoping you could help."
She didn't have much time, either; she had to return before Amelia and her council arrived at the coven.
"What is so interesting about such an organization that it's caused you to travel this far for my help?" Tanis inquired, leaning forward slightly, genuine intrigue sparking in his eyes. "Did they care to give you the name?"