I heard voices but they were only echoes in my mind and for a brief moment I had thought that I was going crazy. Memories flashed before my eyes. Of Marcus and I, locked in the cells of that lab. Doctors doing their rounds and scientists not far, jotting down our results in charts that were unable to be seen. The moment Marcus was able to escape was they day began to loathe him for everything that he was. The friendship that we had formed was now gone and in its' very place was a sense of revenge. It was more of a need than a feeling. Marcus had abandoned me and that was enough to never want to see him alive. Fate on the other hand, had its' course and when he showed up at the castle that night, he saw the opportunity. The chance to exact that need.

I heard myself grunt at the thought and by the time I fully came to focus, he realized that there were more than two guards dragging his dead weight down into the dungeons and of course he was too weak to do anything. The guards spoke in low tones but even with his hearing and attention span at this very moment, he could barely hear them. Then i spoke weakly, “I knew Sarene had it in her but,” I breathed in as if I was out of breath. “but I had not realized she was ballsy to such a thing.”

One of the guards that was dragging me looked down and a a look of worry sparked across his face as if I was about to make my grand escape or something but in my state I was unable. The second guard that was holding my other arm said, “You don't need to worry about him escaping,” with his hand, he squeezed with his strength but I hardly felt a thing. “He is weak and can't escape. The spot Sarene chose will definitely hold him until she figures out what to do with him.”

“Execution will be the best option in my opinion.” replied the first guard. “Either way Larson,” he continued. “Let's hope she doesn't wait too long or else our cunning prisoner will find a way out.”

Larson only gave a light snort but didn't bother so say much else and once more a faint silence fell over the two men, leaving room for all the other noises that emanated from the dungeon. A strong smell came form close. I knew that smell all too well. It was death. Someone had already keeled over and died in of one of the cells that we were nearing. “Christ.” mumbled Larson. “Not another one.”

“It's what happens when we forget that there are people down here.” The guard without a name said. “If Sarene doesn't figure something out," he looked down at me again and grinned. “That will be you. Just think,” he waved a hand in front of him as if he was indicating to something that wasn't even there. “The days will melt into weeks and you won't be able to see freedom ever again. No food. No water or single drop of blood.”

I felt the rage inside of myself spark but in my condition, weak and unable to do a damn thing, I let it simmer. I believed that once this crap wore off, it'd be able to function normally and get out of the cell dungeons and continue my path to take over the throne but I doubt Sarene would of given up without a fight. “The more,” I said hoarsely. “You threaten me,” my voice came out raspy and raw as though the tranquilizer that Sarene had injected me with, took away the strength that I once had before. “The more likely you and your buddy,” I stopped as I attempted to spew the sentence that was already in my mind. “Will die at my hand.”

Larson laughed. “Our pal here thinks he is strong enough to take us on, Pan.” He and Pan had stopped near a cell which looked more concrete than the other ones that I have noticed before. The gray paneling and bars seemed like they were made of pure iron and inside the cell lay a cot and bucket. I weakly peered at it and realized that this particular cell was made for the worst enemies. Sarene had made sure to have some carpenters build it to ensure that no vampire such as myself get out. There was no windows which gave a hint that there wasn't going to be any escape. “You see here Gabe,” Larson said with a hint of victory in his tone. “You are never going to escape unless of the guards decides to me reckless with their rounds.”

Pan placed his hand an inch near the bars. “Have you forgotten?” he side glanced me as though he was waiting for a snark remark from me but I had none. Instead I stayed silent. “This is the type of material that is called our Kryptonite. You can't escape and if you tried then you would surely die.” With that Larson and Pan heaved my still dead weight into the cell, making me crash into the wall head first. I grunted and lay on the cold marble of the cell, breathing in and of of my nose. My vision went and everything else dimmed to darkness.

In it's void, the memories began to swim like fish and other critters that lurked. As much as I wanted to avoid them, they came and there wasn't a thing that I could do about it.

“There is a plausible chance that the queen contained him already.” Nora said as she perked herself into a boulder near the tiny lake that sat behind the cabin. The moon over head mirrored itself on the water and insects and bats did there night call as usual. I, on the other hand, was laying in the grass with a full stomach from tonight's earlier hunt but my thoughts also strayed to Marcus and the kiss that we had shared last night. His lips were gentle as they moved over mine and it it was a sense of love that I felt all throughout my body while his own was close enough that it made shivers run through me. I knew that there was a spark between us but I wasn't sure how far Marcus would of gone to express it. I sighed and sat up and realized that there was a faint growl nearby. I rolled my eyes and got to my feet but before I had a chance to react, something had hit me head on. I grunted and struggled to see what it was and before I knew it, sharp pain radiated all the way up my side. I screamed and everything went blank.

“Where is Emery?” I asked Blake as he walked through the door of the cabin. Blake turned back and saw that nobody else was walking through that door. He shrugged, making it clear that he and Nora had left her out there alone next to the small lake.

“She's out there still.” Nora replied. Her silver like hair hung loose over her shoulders tonight and she wore a light teal sweater and knee length shorts. “We thought she was behind us but seems not.”

Blake nudged her as though he knew something that she didn't. It's in that moment that I smelled it. Blood. It was close and without a second thought I pushed past the two of them and ran toward the water and with it a scream. It was high pitched which made my adrenaline surge and my eyes to glow. “You should of checked to make certain she would be alright,” I bit through the anger that had risen inside of me. “Before you decided to wonder in here.”

Nora's head turned down to the floor and Blake wrapped his arm around her shoulder to ease the tension. “We won't allow this happen again.” She said softly.

I didn't bother to say another word as I rushed out into the fresh night air and to Emery who was laying in the grass near the water. Her blood pooling around her. She laid still as though she were dead but I knew that she wasn't. Emery was a strong woman the moment that turned her. She fought to survive when she thought there was nothing else to live for. “Hang in there.” I said as I scooped her into my arms. “Blake! Get me some blood to help with her wounds.” I turned my head to see Blake dashing out the cabin door and into the woods for blood.

My attention was forced back to Emery as she stirred in my arms. Her voice was raspy and raw as blood spilled from the corner of her mouth. “Rogue.” If it wasn't for my hearing, I would of bent down to hear the pain that come out. “Did,” her voice went silent and her eyes had fallen closed. I drew in a breath and felt my anger surge. What the hell are they doing back? I couldn't stand the thought of another coming after the people that I am close with. It had to be something more to their random attacks. Someone behind them, giving orders to destroy us and that is something that I can't imagine happening.

I heard heavy footfalls and instantly knew that it was Blake. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as he handed me an IV of blood that was pure animal but it would start the healing process for Emery's wounds. “Emery,” my own voice sounded shaken and angered but it didn't stop me from pressing the bag to her lips to drink. I waited for her to open her eyes, which I instantly noticed that one was glowing red and the other was a purplish cyan color. It was strange because I haven't seen something like this before. . The sound of her fangs tearing at the bag caught me off guard and brought me back to what I could of possibly thought. “That's it.” I said as a grin formed at the corner of my lips. I stroked her blood soaked hair off of her forehead as I saw that her wounds were slowly closing. I turned to Blake. “We need to form a plan and find out how and why the Rogues are randomly attacking."

“A Rogue did this to her?” Nora piped in as she came with wet rags and a bowl of water to clean Emery up. “This isn't good. For her or any of us for that matter.”

“That's why we are going to find a way to get to Sarene and explain what is happening so she can send out her best men and stop this once and for all.” I said in a confidence that I hadn't felt before. “We need to go unnoticed from the Remus Pack so that they can't track us.”

“How are we going to do that? You know that they can smell us a mile away so going unnoticed is going to be difficult.” Nora said as she knelt beside me as Emery continued to drink from the IV bag. Even if we somehow did that they'd bring us back here anyway but we need to figure it out soon because being a victim and a damsel is not in my paygrade. After awhile I'll be embarrassed.

Emery's voice was clear and I had forgotten that she and I had shared this in common. Telepathy. It was a wonderful thing in situations like this. I smiled as the though of her being a damsel in distress and I would be the one to save her but the thought of her getting killed in the process left a dull ache within myself that I knew would never go away.

“We make a plan tonight and follow up tomorrow when the sun sets.” I heard Blake behind me as heard him leave with Nora behind him. “I'm sure that things will fall into place once we get out from beneath the Remus' noses.” Then I heard him mutter. “Dumb mutts” I couldn't help but grin. He wasn't wrong. They were mutts and pests for that matter.

“Let's get you inside before the sun rises any higher.” I said to Emery as I scooped her up into my arms. Her head falling onto my shoulder while her red hair curtained her face. The loss of blood had weakened her but it didn't stop her spirit. I liked that about her. Strong willed and wanting to fight anything that came her way. I brushed her hair behind her ear and placed a kiss on her forehead affectionately and went inside where all of us could rest for the day.