"Only what I've heard from others," the vampire lord stated. "Vincent is maybe a couple hundred years old at best. He's ambitious, always wanting more power than what he has. He's also known to be cruel and retained little of his humanity."
"Great so a psychopathic vampire. Nothing new for us," Chris said with a goofy grin.
Etienne looked at him with a curious expression but said nothing as he turned back towards Nick. "He became a criminal when ran from his punishment for refusing to be discreet about his hunting and was recklessly killing the humans he feeds from."
"When did killing ever bother a vampire?" Lily jumped in and Etienne gave her a tight smile.
"Dear Petite Louve, don't confuse fiction with reality. I know Hollywood portrays us as ripping out the throats of our victims painting a room with blood. That would be like having a food fight when you're going through a depression. Blood is precious and shouldn't be wasted. We do our best to keep humans alive and in a healthy state. Having bodies piling up can never lead to good things," he explained. Lily, obviously begrudgingly, shrugged with admittance he had a point.
James tried to stifle a chuckle, earning the stink eye from her and he offered her a shrug in reply. "What do you know of him and Xavier Thompson?" James asked and the vampire lord frowned.
"Sadly nothing. I do not know how long the vampire was involved with the lycan doctor. Vincent's last known whereabouts was Italy nearly a hundred years ago," The vampire replied. James couldn't help but feel a little frustrated at the lack of information they had on this vamp.
"Maybe that's where Xavier learned all these tricks of deception," Chris suggested though his tone held no humor this time.
"I don't know but I know it was a vampire who gave him the idea of the hybrid," Lily replied. "I remember the day he changed me. He talked about them. Told me how they suggested he broaden his experiments."
"Alright, but none of this helps us know where he is," Nick jumped in.
"I have an idea about that," Dorin said, stepping forward. "If he has worked as closely with the lycan doctor as it seems then I think it's best we assume that Vincent would be using his other little discoveries as well. For example, the scent blocking goo stuff. I suggest we each take out our best trackers with James to see what we can find out there," he explained.
"Why me?" James asked, surprised that Dorin had singled him out.
"You're the only one I've ever heard of that's been able to get back what that stuff does and find a scent," he replied. "It's obvious your nose is far superior to everyone else's."
He knew it was silly but James couldn't help but feel a little bit of pride at the acknowledgment though at the time he'd been super motivated. He was trying to find Lily when he discovered the scent past the glop Xavier had used. He wasn't so such he would have the same results this time. "Alright. I'm game. When do you want to do this?"
"Don't go getting cocky James," Lily warned him with a smug smirk of her own.
"It's not cocky if it's justified. As Dorin said, I'm far superior," he replied.
Lily laughed but before she could say anything Dorin jumped in. "Alright, we don't need the whole flirting thing. I'd like to not get sick tonight," he said, disgust plain on his face but the others just seemed to be amused. Even the fancy vampire lord seemed to be on the verge of laughter. "I think tonight a few hours before dawn or tomorrow night would be the best as tonight Vincent is most likely to come after the girl."
"Alright, I'm okay with that," James said.
Nick gave a stern nod. "I'll check with my people and my brother's and see who the best tracker is," he replied.
"I will have Nicoletta, our tracker meet with you later James," Lord Etienne said then looked around them. "I'm assuming that Vincent won't attack within the next few hours. It's my guess he'll wait until three or four in the morning when the lycans begin to grow tired. It's a typical tactic of attack when dealing with non-vampires. I think it best to mix our forces."
"I agree," Nick said. "James was telling me a little of what happened to his pack when they went against the vampires unprepared. I won't allow my pack to lose any more of its people! So let's get started. I'd rather be prepared sooner rather than later." "She reminds me so much of your mother at that age," Bill said as he walked up to stand next to Lily on the edges of the parking lot. Lily glanced at him, prepared to tell him she didn't give a damn but paused at the raw emotion displayed over his face. He loved her mother and still did, obviously. "It's like being haunted by a ghost."
"Well she may look a lot like her but she doesn't act like her. At least not the version of Mom I knew," Lily replied. The mother she knew liked to drink, do drugs, and have orgy parties where some of the guests preferred little girls to women. Thanks to her adoptive family, no one ever laid a hand on her but Lily never felt safe or love around her mother.
"No. Mary never was soft spoken or overly kind. She liked being the queen bee too much. At the time I thought she was confident instead of narcissistic," he replied. "Think someday we'll be able to live with the guilt of what we've done?"
"We've done? Putting me into your little blame game now Billy Bob," Lily shot back and again her father just gave her that unimpressed Dad look of his.
"I know what happened here two years ago Lily. I know about that poor, idiotic lycan girl. I've seen the reports and the recordings. I saw how she kept pushing you when she had lost the spar. I saw how the instructor just let it happen and I saw how you tried to resist. In the end a werewolf can't let a challenge go unchecked," he told her. Lily's throat tightened as the memory came back to her.
It was the first time Lily had lost control. She didn't just kill the she-wolf, Lily tore her to pieces then she went on a rampage injuring several others. "I'm not a werewolf," Lily told him stubbornly, her voice rough from the overwhelming guilt.
"The beast is still a wolf, Lily," Bill told her. "She still has the same instincts, strengths, and weaknesses. Like I said no one blames you but you." Lily glanced over at him and felt an ache in her chest. He reminded her so much of the father she had loved as a child and longed for when he was gone. Tears began to blur her vision and she couldn't deny a part of her wanted him to hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright. Just like he used to.
Could he still be the same man? She started to wonder but before she could think more of it, a scream broke out through the night. It came from behind them. "That's Tristen," Lily said. Worry swam through her as they ran towards the hotel. Bonnie rushed out of the room. Her eyes wide and she stank of fear while screams kept coming from the room.
"She's asleep," Bonnie breathed in horror. "But she's... it's like she's being tortured!"
"It's the vampires," Bill said, his voice hard and serious. "If Vincent has fed off of her he has the ability to enter her mind and give her nightmares that feel as if they were the waking world."
"I thought maybe your friend, the witch, could help," Bonnie said, shifting her weight from foot to foot.
"Great idea Bonnie. They're with the alpha in the command center. Is anyone with her," Lily said, anger heating her blood. She was really, really was going to kill that vampire when she got her hands on him.
"My son, Zander," she replied then ran off towards the main part of the building. Lily scowled at the idea of that punk alone with her sister. She started towards the door when Bill stopped her.
"He can keep an eye on her for a few minutes. You're needed out here Lily. They need to see you," he said and she looked at him confused. They who? "Vincent is making his move. Tristen's nightmares are the first step and maybe a distraction. You can't help her right now but you can help us. Word of the hybrid has spread far and now you need to show them they are right to fear you."
"Fine," Lily snapped but she didn't like it. She took off her shoes, socks, and coat. She didn't want to ruin them in her hybrid shift. Letting her wolf and vampire up close to the surface, Lily changed her into the beastly hybrid form. The Hybrid lifted her head up into the air and sniffed but with all the vampires Etienne brought she couldn't distinguish from ally or enemy. She stomped towards the edge of the parking lot and let out a howl, one answer by James' beast. He too had shifted it seems.
That's when she saw the criminal vampires. A few seconds later, a siren broke out, announcing that they were here to everyone. She stayed in the forefront, making sure they all got a good look at her. While her dad and a few other lycans stayed her. The ten advancing in her direction paused, looking as if they were unsure. They didn't expect her to be here, she realized with a wolfish grin. "Come on little leeches, you came to play so let's play!"
After almost a minute of indecision one of the vampires spoke. "Go," he yelled and they charged towards her. Both her beast and vampire were eager to sink their claws and fangs into their prey. She leaped at the closest vampire and landed on him hard, dropping him to the ground violently. Her dad and the others rushed around her, engaging the other lycans. The Hybrid buried her claws into the vamp's chest, the sound of ripping flesh and snapping bone making her mouth water. His screams only made her smile.
This was easy prey, she thought as she wrapped her clawed hands around the bone and ripping out his chest. The Hybrid sniffed her bloodied hand and scowled. Vampiric blood and it smelled awful; like spoiled meat. Not a good meal. She sunk her claws into the vampire's neck and causing him to gurgle as blood filled his mouth and lungs. Twisting his head in a quick, rough twist, she removed it completely. A quick death. A good death, she thought before looking up for the next prey.
She wasn't sure how long the fight lasted before the vampires retreated. All Lily knew is when she shifted back to normal she was a bloody mess, none of it hers, and she was starving. The adrenaline of the fight had made her hunger spike. She was so hungry that the werewolves around her were starting to smell good. Not now, she told herself as she looked around the parking lot. Out of all the bodies, she didn't think any of them were theirs.