Lucius

17

Lucius looks over the information that he was given then looks up at the person sitting on the other side of the desk. "How accurate is this?" His voice is cold and demands an answer to his question.

"As accurate as if he signed the confession himself." The man before him does his best to not sweat or show any signs of fear of the man.

"Shit!" Lucius says and is furious. He'd already talked to the council. He'd gained their promise that he and Faline would be left alone.

The bastard already took his family away from him because they were too strong for him, now he wants to take his mate. The council thought he was content on having his own territory. Something he let them think for all these years. It kept them out of his way. He'd silently been setting things up for decades. 

Now this threatens to derail everything. If that bastard comes near Faline, he'll kill him himself.

"Tell the council, and make sure that asswipe is there to hear it, that if anyone comes after Faline or me, that I will make sure that the very same person will be returned to whoever sent them the very same way my parents were killed." The vampire gulps. They all know how his family was killed. The idea that Lucius would do that isn't ludicrous, it's all too real. Dismemberment and then lit on fire. 

"Make sure that they understand that I will protect my mate," Lucius bores his eyes into the vampire in front of him, "by any means necessary. Do you understand?" Lucius doubts that he'll actually get the chance to kill any one that tries to kill Faline, because Faline will likely destroy anyone that tries to hurt her. But he wants their eyes and attention on him and not her. The less they know about her the better.

"I will, Lord Lucius. The council has asked that you take your seat among them as is your heritage." The vampire just hopes he gets out of there alive when Lucius turns his gaze on him.

"I will take my place when they punish the man that is responsible for my family's death and not keep him on the council. Until that moment there is nothing they can induce me with to get me to return. They harbor a snake and until that snake is dead there is nothing to talk about." 

The vampire understands the dismissal for what it is and hurriedly gathers his things together and leaves Lucius's office. He mutters to himself as he leaves, "Lord Darin is looking for death." The young vampire smiles. Between Darin and Lucius there is no doubt as to who would win. The only problem is Darin likes to hide in the shadows and strike like a coward. He loses his smile, he hopes that when Lucius goes after Darin that no others are hurt in the process, but he fears for the female, Faline, she is but a pawn in the game of the vampires.

Had the young vampire known Lucius's thoughts he would have been even more afraid. Not for Faline, no, but for his own life. He has no idea just how close and how strong that bond between the two were. Should anything happen to Faline, Lucius would destroy all the council and not just Darin.

Lucius looks over the information again and forms a plan. The only problem is, he's not used to having a mate and so he doesn't talk to her about it. The less people know the less chance it has of being found out.

Unfortunately for Lucius, Faline doesn't like the sudden withdrawal from her. His lack of talking to her makes her edgy. Her wolf, Star, knows that something is wrong but he won't tell them. It makes her irritable.

Lucius has stopped talking to Faline except to answer in monosyllabic words. He's also taken to sleeping in a different room.

Faline is beyond hurt. Not knowing what else to think, she thinks that he regrets the mate bond. There is nothing she can do about that except reject him. Star warns her that she doesn't think that she could survive the rejecting.

After trying to talk to Lucius too many times and being rejected, she can't take it anymore. She goes to her room, she moved back so that Lucius could have his room again. She starts packing, but doesn't use suitcases, she just takes a small back pack and a few changes of clothes. She knows a place that isn't claimed by any packs, but in which a wolf wouldn't be a strange sight.

Crying she takes a piece of paper:

Lucius

I can't undo the mate bonds to give you your freedom, but I can leave so that you don't have to see me here any longer. I'm sorry you were forced to accept something you didn't truly want. When my next heat comes and you aren't at my side, well then you'll be free. I should man up and just reject you, but the pain of rejection would kill Star and might not kill me. If I could be sure that it would then I'd give you your freedom.

You should have just let the eight year old wolfling die or killed her all those years ago. Then neither of us would be hurting. Me for you rejecting me or you for being forced to accept me.

No matter what happens, Lucius, I couldn't have had a better guardian. I love you too much to force you to be with someone you obviously wish you hadn't marked. Find your vampire mate and be happy.

Love,

Faline.

Faline gets undressed and changes to her wolf form. Star is whimpering but not fighting her. She too feels that Lucius doesn't want them.

She picks up the backpack and escapes out of the house. Lucius had a doggie door placed on the kitchen door so that Faline could come and go as Midnight Starlight whenever she wanted. She takes one last look around the kitchen then goes forward. Once outside she is careful to evade the guards.

They don't have orders to detain her, but if they don't know that she's left it's all for the better. Once she can slip between the wolf guards, Lucius won't trust others of his kind to do the job, she runs to the forest that is part of the estate.

As soon as she can she goes to the trees. She uses every trick she's ever learned from Lucius or the wolves to escape detection.

She makes the trail as confusing as possible and as invisible as she can. It won't fool Lucius completely and he'll figure it out eventually, if he wants to. Faline doubts that he will though, not with how distant he's become. Just the thought of him makes Star want to howl out her pain. Faline makes her hold it in until they are in the location that will be safe for them.

Now she just has to figure out how she is going to survive until her next heat, which won't be for several months. She will be able to survive as a wolf, no problem, but surviving without Lucius, that will be the problem. 

Now that she is safe she allows Star to howl their loss. The other wolves that share the area, normal wolves not werewolves, hide their head at her pain.