“Fea– feathers,” Snowhawk gasped. A moment later, she wavered a bit, then fainted.
Janus quickly caught her before she fell off the bed. “Love, wake up,” he said quietly, gently stroking her face.
She was out for only a moment before she came to. “What–”
“Shh, don’t speak right now. We’ll learn why later,” Janus smiled. “They are very beautiful, though,” he said, gently stroking low on her back. She leaned against him and soon had drifted to sleep. “You put yourself through too much, love,” he whispered.
*********
Elsewhere in the city, Quillen paced in his room. Nytehawk had not been pleased about Snowhawk’s escape, nor was she pleased about the rumors she had heard about him raping and nearly killing Snowhawk. After almost a month, he finally managed to convince Nytehawk that the rumors held no truth.
He felt no remorse for what he had done. He planned on using any means necessary to take her back. After all, Snowhawk was his. She had given herself to him. They had a child. There were ways in which he knew her that the wolf could never hope to know. He grinned, knowing that somewhere in her, Snowhawk would forever hold a loyalty to him. That was such a wonderful thing. She was marked as his now. The scars added so much to her beauty. His grin grew as he thought of her small wrists in his hand. She was such a tiny thing, smaller than he remembered, and that made her all the more desirable. And to hear her cries of pain, he thought, his grin growing more devious. She would certainly be a joy to have around once more. And this time, he would make sure that damned wolf didn’t interfere. Janus had found him far to easily.
*********
Miles away from the city, on the far side of the forest and closer to the sea, a silvery haired vampire grinned in the comforts of his estate as he watched an image of his feathery winged interest sleep in a large viewing orb. “So peaceful,” he grinned. “Just as I remembered. And soon I will hold her again. That idiot Quillen aided me so greatly last time, though he’d never know it. Maybe he will again… or maybe it will be Adian this time,” Kione nearly purred as he touched the image of her on the orb. She moved in response. “Oh, excellent. That little bit of toxin I got into her still remains.” He again grinned as he touched her throat, leading to her leaning her head back. “Adian will never fully break her of this. She shall still remain vulnerable as she sleeps.” He ran his hand along her form, causing her to move as if she were trying to escape. “I’m sure I could find a use for that currently mortal wolf as well,” he chuckled, watching as Janus awoke, confused as to why his love was so restless. “This is almost too perfect.”He watched her for a moment longer, then jumped as the orb in front of him shattered. The soft chuckles of a female was heard directly after.
“Dammit, not you…” Kione growled as he turned around.
“Aww, Kione, don’t sound so upset,” the woman said, grinning.
“What do you want, Anya?”
She gave a childish giggle. “So you do remember my name after all these years.” She smirked and ran her hand through her short, dark blonde hair. “I figured you could use a bit of help.”
“You? Willingly giving me help?” Kione scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. “What’s the catch?”
“I want the wolves.”
“Both of them?”
“Yes.”
“Sorry. Adian has far too much potential.”
“Aww, I can train him.”
“No.”
“You never were any fun.”
“One wolf or no deal.”
“Fine. I like the older one more anyway.”
Kione shook his head. “Such a fickle thing.”
“My sex life is none of your business. I’ll screw who I want to screw.”
“That’s really more than I care to know.”
“Say, what are you gonna do about the rest of that Delphin’s family? That cousin of her’s is quite– appealing.”
“You can deal with the lot of them.”
Anya grinned. “You’re too kind, Kione.”
Kione rolled his eyes at her. “I take it you have a least an inkling of a plan.”
“Indeed, I do,” she purred.
“Then tell.”
“Our young wolf is more than marginally attracted to the Delphin with feline tendencies.”
“This I’ve known.”
“If we can get her into Adian’s grasp, then you’ll ultimately receive her. After all, if Adian were to be, say, manipulated into handing her to you, wouldn’t that be so much easier than taking her by force?”
“So you do have a brain in that sex-crazed head of yours.”
“Don’t start and don’t question the powers of seduction. Once she sees her love with another, she’ll run.”
“I don’t see Janus as the type to cheat, though.”
“No man can resist me. Even you know that.”
“I hadn’t fed and you sure as hell appeared human.”
Anya grinned. “You can’t deny it though.”
“No, I can’t. But you that isn’t the issue now. We have work to do.”
*********
Ten weeks later, the feline formed Snowhawk padded down one of the hallways of the estate. She noticed one of the room doors partially open. Being curious as usual, she walked to the door and stopped outside to listen. She heard Janus and an unfamiliar female inside, talking. Her curiosity growing, she peeked inside, and immediately wished she hadn’t. She felt like she had been hit by a truck when she saw Janus and the woman engaged in a passionate kiss. Her legs grew weak and she stumbled backwards across the hallway, hitting the stone wall on the opposite side somewhat forcefully. Her small frame crumpled to the floor and she sat there for a moment, numb, until she saw a shadow in the room moving to the door. She quickly composed herself enough to stand and run away.
She half ran, half stumbled down a flight of stairs. She slammed into a human formed Adian as she turned the corner at the bottom and was knocked onto her rear. “What’s wrong, Snowhawk?” he asked her.
She stood slowly, her head lowered. “N– Nothing.”
“Snowhawk–”
“Really, nothing,” she said, cutting him off and closing her eyes as she tried to blink back the tears forming. She began to move away, intent on running, but he caught a hold of her arm. “Adian!”
“That’s bullshit, Snowhawk, something is up. Now, what is it?”
“I was walking around upstairs and noticed one of the doors open a bit. I should have never looked in,” she softly cried as she sank to her knees.
Adian sighed, stooped over, and picked her up. “Let’s go somewhere else to talk. Someplace private.” She just sniffled, shifting to her human form, and drawing her arms up under her chin. Adian carried her to his room, then carefully set her on the bed. He sat down beside her and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Now, what did you see?”
“Some short blond haired chick, and Janus. They were–”
“What?”
“Kissing. Very passionately.” She drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and burying her face as the tears began again. “I should have known,” she whispered. “I can’t keep anything.”
The vampiric Lupino was somewhat confused. Janus wasn’t the type to cheat on her, especially someplace she would so readily find out. However, regardless of the circumstances, his brother had done the unforgivable by hurting her. “Snowhawk, look at me.” She shook her head, refusing. Adian sighed and gently took her cheek in his hand, carefully pulling her face up. He smiled and leaned down to her, then with out a word, he kissed her softly, but quite passionately. Snowhawk didn’t fight him. Her arms and legs uncurled as he pulled her a little deeper into the kiss. His free hand ran across her stomach as he pulled away a moment later. “There, now you’re even.”
She lowered her head, looking away. A few more tears fell from her eyes and she hid her face in her hands. “Why would he?! Why the hell can’t I hang onto anything?!”
“Snowhawk,” Adian began, pulling her into his arms and holding her, “there’s no excuse for what he’s done. But please, don’t give up on everything.”
“I don’t deserve this,” she quietly said, pushing herself away from him and beginning to stand.
“Where are you going?”
“Off to find Kione and let him turn me. I won’t hurt then.”
Adian grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “You most certainly are not. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does,” he said, the concern in his voice quite clear. “Especially when there’s someone in this room that would do anything to make you happy.”
“What?” she replied, blinking.
“You heard me, dear. I would do anything to make you happy,” he stated as he moved behind her and began to massage her shoulders.
“Adian…”
*********
To go back in time, a little after Snowhawk had seen Janus and the short haired blond female engaged in a kiss, Janus pushed the woman away from him, having heard a soft thud outside. He never made it to the door since the woman grabbed him before he reached it. She was surprisingly strong. She purred as she wrapped herself around him. “Don’t be so jumpy. There’s still so much I want to do to you.”
“And you won’t get the chance. Now, unhand me.”
“Not a chance in hell,” she grinned, then bit him high on his neck and released a toxin into him. “That was nothing vampiric, but you’re my toy now.”
“What?!”
“I like you, wolf. And besides, you wouldn’t have had that Delphin forever. Kione would have taken her from you eventually.”
“Let me go, woman. I have no interest in you.”
“You will soon enough,” she purred.
*********
Adian massaged Snowhawk’s shoulders and back until she was nearly asleep. “Hey, you can’t fall asleep yet,” he said tickling her side gently. She responded with a soft, half smile. Adian smiled at this and tickled her more. Within a few moments of her wriggling and trying to get away, she wound up laying on her back on the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest in an attempt to offer a little protection. Adian, laying beside her on his left side laughed quietly at her and slid his right arm across her stomach. They fell silent for a moment, looking at each other, then Adian leaned over to her and kissed her again. She uncurled her legs as he moved over her and leaned into the kiss, gently pushing her back into the bed. He moved over her and straddled her then his hands drifted down her sides and under her top. They moved back up, pulling her shirt with them, stopping at her breasts and gently massaging them.
Snowhawk pulled her head away, looking off. “I shouldn’t,” she whispered.
“You’re not,” he responded. “Please, just go with it.” The Delphin still looked unsure, and worried. Adian sighed, then gave her a gentle nuzzle. “You don’t think like me. Doing the same thing that’s been done to you isn’t your way of getting even. Deep in your heart, you don’t want to because of how you feel for him. It was truly wrong of me to go this far. I just want you happy. That is what you deserve.”
“Adi,” She sighed and returned the nuzzle. “Thank you.”
“Shall I return you to your room?”
“Doesn’t matter. I just don’t want to be alone.”
Adian nodded. “I understand,” he replied. “I’ll return you to your room. But I will stay with you.” She blushed and smiled softly. “So adorable,” he said as he picked her up and carried her off.
Once to her room and at her bed, he pulled the sheets down, then placed her on the bed and pulled the sheets up to her waist. He then lay down beside her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. Snowhawk soon drifted to sleep in his arms. Adian smiled and gently kissed the top of her head.
*********
Back upstairs, a very unclothed Janus lay on his back, restrained by the equally unclothed Anya’s mind control. She was straddling him, doing everything she knew to do to get him to show some interest in her. She finally growled and sat down on his stomach. “What’s wrong, wolf? Having some– personal problems?”
“You do absolutely nothing for me. I care for my bird too much.”
“Do you now? Well, I believe your brother is doing a fine job of ‘caring’ for her now.”
“He’s what?” Janus growled.
She pulled a small viewing orb from the air. “Look here.”
Janus saw the scene from a few moments earlier, of Adian kissing Snowhawk. “Well, he certainly wasted no time.”
“No, he didn’t,” she grinned, waving her hand and making the orb vanish. “I can make you forget about them.”
“Release me, woman. I have business to talk with Adian.”
“First of all, I do have a name. It’s Anya. Secondly, I can’t let you go, Janus.”
“For the last fucking time, woman. Let. Me. Go.”
“No.”
Janus growled and shifted forms. He knocked Anya aside and into the wall. “I warned you.”
“How did you–?!”
“Love is too strong to be held back forever.”
She slowly stood, wincing in pain. “Running to take your little slut away from someone that may just care for her more than you?”
“If Snowhawk is a slut because she truly loves more than one, then I wouldn’t take her any other way,” he growled. “How she loves my brother and me is something you couldn’t begin to understand. I know her too well.”
“Certainly didn’t seem any different.”
“Because of you, my bird has been hurt. You won’t succeed in making me blame her.”
“Then you don’t blame him either?”
“I never said that. Now. Leave. I don’t have time for you.”
Anya grinned. “I’ll get you yet, wolf.”
“Only in whatever perverted dreams you may have.”
“Dammit! Why does everyone assume that!?” Janus rolled his eyes at her and walked away. “Well, fuck,” she scowled, then vanished.
*********
A naked Anya reappeared in Kione’s study, directly in front of said vampire’s chair. “That damn wolf will be harder to get than I thought.”
Kione looked up from the neck of the young woman he’d been feeding on. He pulled away and dropped her limp, nearly lifeless form. “Must you interrupt me while I’m feeding?”
“You didn’t warn me he’d be that loyal to her.”
“And you didn’t expect it. And put some clothes on, woman.”
“Most everyone shows some interest. There was nothing!”
“Then it appears that you’ll have to find a new way of capturing him.”
She rolled her eyes, then pointed to the girl on the floor. “You gonna finish that?”
“By all means take it. I’ll find something else.”
Anya grinned, grabbed the girl, and vanished.
*********
Back at Janus’ estate, Adian held the sleeping Snowhawk. She slept facing him, her back to the door. The room was dark and very peaceful.
At least, it was until Janus burst into the room. “You have a hell of a lot of explaining to do, brother.”
“Do I now?”
“Yes.”
“Why should I be the one explaining. I wasn’t the one to hurt her.”
“Do you really think I was a willing participant?”
“Snowhawk,” Adian began, having noticed she’d awakened, gently lifting her chin up, “what did you see?”
“I– ” she started, then the tears returned to her eyes. She looked away, closing her eyes. A half moment later, she shifted to full feline form and wiggled away from Adian, jumped from the bed, and ran out of the room before either of the Lupino could catch her. They ran after her, but she was already quite far ahead.
*********
At some point earlier that night, an early, heavy, snow had begun to fall. The small lavender feline didn’t mind though. This would only hide her tracks, as it fell heavy and fast. For even thinking Janus would cheat on her proved, to her at least, that she didn’t deserve him. And she’d almost allowed Adian to take her. “Why?” she cried as the bounded through the ever deepening snow falling on the city streets. “I don’t deserve either of them.” She finally grew tired and fell into a snow drift forming on the side of the road.
A moment later, Kione appeared near her small form. He smiled softly and knelt next to her, then brushed the snow from her fur and picked her up. “Hello, dear.” He gently stroked her fur and turned to walk away, wrapping his dark cloak around the two of them and shielding her from the night air. “That certainly went well,” he grinned.
*********
Only a few more moments passed before Janus and Adian found where she had been. Kione’s footprints were already well covered and him hiding her in his cloak masked her scent. “Someone has picked her up,” Janus silently said.
“I think I may know who.”
“How so?”
“She was weakened, mentally. We’re both to blame, really. But there is an opportunistic hunter waiting for just such a time.”
“You’ve lost me.”
“Kione. I’d even go so far as the say he planned all this. Did that woman say her name?”
“Yes. Anya.”
“Should have known. She was apparently once very close to Kione, but is now an annoyance to him. I never met her myself.”
“Then why is she here?”
“Hell if I know exactly,” Adian sighed. “But she’s not really the problem. If Kione bites her, we’ll have twelve hours, at the most, depending on his intentions.”
“Then?”
“I really don’t think you’re that dense, Janus.”
“Where is he?”
“His home, most likely. Or on his way to it.” I don’t think he’ll try to turn her for a while. He’ll spend some time wearing her down further. That will offer us some time. However, you don’t need to go anywhere near either of them.”
“Why?”
“That little slut bit you. Whatever she used to control you–”
“You knew?”
“Of course. In any case, what ever she did to you most likely has a residual effect.” Janus said nothing in response, but the feeling of helplessness he had showed in his eyes. “You can’t protect her all the time, Janus. You’re mortal. You have to rest. And you’ll make mistakes. And so, I’ll give you a second chance. Especially considering you were being controlled. Now, you should go back and wait.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to talk with Kione,” the younger Lupino stated, then stalked away.
“I can’t believe I’m trusting him him of all people,” Janus said as he turned and walked back toward his estate. But he had to trust Adian. The younger Lupino was his only his only hope for getting her back.