Ch. 11

I grabbed uselessly at the handle of the door as the car went careening around a corner. Viviana was behind the wheel and she was driving as though Raiza was trying to kill her, which was currently not the case.

"Who let Viviana drive?" I muttered as we blew through a stop light.

I was stuffed in the back seat of a SUV along with Andrea and Matthias, while Raiza was calmly sitting in the front seat as if we weren't currently in a car going forty miles over the speed limit.

"Stuff it, pup. Complain after you learn how to drive," Viviana cackled evilly as she rounded curve.

"It really isn't that bad," Matthias said from the other side of Andrea.

"No one asked you," I muttered from my end of the car. I knew it was childish but I couldn't help but dislike the guy. It was not my fault he came off as extremely smarmy, and who liked smarmy people?

"Kye," Andrea said in the tone she always used to scold me.

I sighed and leaned further back in my seat. The ride wasn't even half over and I wanted nothing more than to escape the vehicle.  Being stuck in a tin can with my crush, my Alpha, my slightly insane friend/crush's mother, and my crush's fiancee was not on my bucket list of things to do. The fact we were rushing into a potentially dangerous situation that would lead to a homicidal rage by an unsubstantial bit of floating ectoplasm did nothing to improve my mood.

"Finally!" I gasp as I pulled myself out of the car I had just spent the last thirty minutes trapped in. The drive from the compound to the Manor usually took closer to fifty minutes but luckily for me Viviana was driving. It was not lucky however for anyone else who happened to be out. Viviana had to be one of the worst drivers on the planet, she took normal driving behaviors as mere guidelines. Such as driving on the right side of the rode.

"Suck it up, I am not that bad of a driver," Viviana stated as she climbed out of the SUV.

I rolled my eyes and decided to ignore the overgrown child for a minute. My attention was diverted from the others as I took in the Manor. It had not been that long since I had been living here part time but it somehow felt like forever.

"The sun is not yet completely set so the majority of the vampires will  still be dead to the world in their own rooms. The older, more powerful, vampires like Azarias should be awake," I explained to the others.

"And you know this how?" Matthias asked looking at me suspiciously.

"I lived here," I told him. I got to enjoy the flabbergasted look on Matthias' face for a moment before I began striding across the lawn towards the front door. Instead of knocking, which would have been polite, I just opened the front door.

I was use to living here and having free reign more or less to do as I pleased. The others were not as comfortable as I was in the Coven's territory.

On the other side of the door one of the human servants were waiting, Marisa, she didn't even bat an eye at my entrance or my company. Instead she smiled charmingly at my company.

"Mistress, welcome home," Marisa said curtsying. "Can I be of service?"

"I need to speak with Azarias."

"Master, woke not long ago. I can take you-"

"That is all Marisa," The crisp voice of Tess said as she appeared before us in the middle of the hall. Tess was in her normal attire of black leathers and her hair was tied back, her eyes were focused more on the people behind me than anything else, and her stance was tense, meaning she was ready for a fight.

Marisa nodded at Tess and disappeared down a hallway, off to some other aspect of her job. Likely checking on the younger vampires to make sure none of them needed blood immediately. Vampires always woke up hungry, but it took time to learn to control that instinctual need to feed immediately.

"Mistress, it is good to see you home. You do know wolves are not welcome in our halls, correct?"

"Tess, now is not the time for a pissing match. Their here because we might have a possible identity for the poltergeist. We need to speak with Azarias."

Tess looked ready to argue with me, but before she had the chance Azarias was next to her. His icy blue eyes alive and burning as they met mine. His charcoal hair swept back from his quick run here, blood still caught in the corner of his mouth.

"Kye, it is good to see you again," Azarias said coming towards me.

"Right, can we get to the point of this visit? Why is the Beta even talking?" Matthias grumbled from behind me somewhere.

The two vampires in the hallway hissed in displeasure at Matthias and I couldn't contain my smirk as the confidence melted off him just a bit. My smirk died when he moved closer to Andrea, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Shall we adjourn to my study?" Azarias asked.

"Thank you," Raiza answered her silvers eyes studying Azarias with barely concealed pain. The coming conversation would not be a pleasant one but it would hit Azarias and Raiza the most.

Azarias held out his arm for me and I slipped my hand into the crook of his arm. A habit I had gotten use to in my stay here. Together we lead the way through the halls of the coven Manor, to Azarias' study.

We passes only a few vampires and human servants in the halls. Every single one either lowered their head, bowed, or curtsied as we passed with a respectful 'Master' and 'Mistress' greeting. I had spent much of my time in the Manor locked away from everyone, but no matter how childish I had acted when I encountered any of the coven members they had always treated me with respect.

Respect that did not seem to extend to my pack, as looks full of contempt or disgust were tossed at the others who trailed after us.

"So why are they still calling me Mistress?" I asked Azarias as we walked.

"I have yet to renounce you as my intended. I have come to terms with your choice of not wanting this, but I wanted to speak with you before I just revoked your status here. Who knows maybe your trip changed your mind, and you might have decided to pick me, Luce Mia."

"Do you really believe that?" I asked my eyebrow arched. Azarias smiled at me his blue eyes alight and he seemed to be reveling in my presence. If when he was at his sanest, like now, he still was insane deep down. I knew he liked it when I challenged him, when I fought back and argued.  It was what drew him to me like a moth to flame. I knew the best thing I could do was do the opposite of what he wanted but he drew out my sarcastic and scathing side.

I hated him since I learned he killed my mother. I still hated him, for his past actions and for forcing my hand like he had all those months ago. Spending so much time with him had made me come to stand him. I would never like him, but I don't think I would wish him dead anymore either. He had been broken in many ways, even worse than I had been. We were similar enough I could be civil with him, comfortable around him.

The soft rumbling in Andrea's chest did hurt things either. She despised me being close with Azarias and that in and of itself had been enough motivation to be around him. Especially when Matthias was around her, like now.

My spirits dropped slightly. We had a very messed up relationship.

Tess opened the door to Azarias' study and we all filled in. I collapsed in Azarias' office chair leaving him standing near his book shelf. The others found spots to sit near the desk but they all kept shooting me glances, over my relaxed behavior.

No matter how friendly wolves might be with someone, it normally put them on edge to be on someone else's territory. The sad thing was, the Manor still felt like my extended territory.

"Now, what cane I do for you today?" Azarias asked scanning the faces in the room. "Here to finally allow a full mating between me and Kye?"

"No!" Andrea said her fingers leaving shred marks on the arm of her chair as she shot up, glowering at Azarias.

"Mating? That is what is going on here? The Beta and the vampire are together?" Matthias asked.

"Ha!" Viviana laughed her head thrown back in full delight. "Please, obsession does not equal mating!"

"Yes, and you would know all about mating wouldn't you, Epsilon? You are known as such a devoted mate after all," Azarias said with a smirk.

I was up out of my chair and met Viviana before she could reach Azarias. Her anger knocked Tess, Matthias, and Andrea over. I couldn't see Azarias but I knew he would be smirking after getting such a reaction.

"Viviana calm down, please!" I whimpered out as she struggled within my grasp. Dealing with Alphas just had to always be difficult.

"You can rip him apart later, right now we have more important things to deal with. Do you want Andrea to almost get stabbed again?" I asked.

The anger didn't leave but Viviana was able to bottle it and she sat back down in her chair, pulling me with her. She wrapped her arms around me and held me securely in place. Pressing her nose against my neck and breathing in my scent, in an effort to keep calm. Of course neither Azarias or Andrea understood that and both where on edge, with her actions.

"Enough!" Raiza barked out. "None of you are children, I expect you to act like it. There is a very real threat against my pack and your coven Azarias. Now is not the time to be fighting each other."

"Oh, very well ruin all my fun," Azarias said settling in on the edge of his desk, smirk gone. "Why did you come?"

"We need a picture. Matthais here can see spirits and he is able to identify the poltergeist. He already ruled out Kye's mother and...we could only think of one more person."

"Sadira."

Azarias didn't seem overly surprised, in fact he came to the conclusion faster than I had, or anyone else. It was if he had been expecting it almost. What no one had been expecting was for the book case next to Azarias to fall the moment he said Sadira's name.

"She's back!" Matthias cried as the bookcase fell.

Azarias was able to move out of the way and the bookcase splintered across the desk. Books and wood flying everywhere. The attack didn't stop there, the wood splinters, and books did not hit the ground like they should have, they continued to fly through the air.

"Start the exorcism!" I yelled jumping off Viviana's lap and heading for Andrea. Who knew how deadly a poltergeist would get once they had been identified.

"How?" Matthias screeched dodging a large leather bound book.

"Matthias hasn't confirmed it is Sadira, yet!" Raiza called.

"The attack has!" I shouted back pulling Andrea away from the window just as it shattered, glass flying everywhere. I covered Andrea and the glass rained over the bot of us. Once it stopped I dragged her back across the room and grabbed the bag we had brought with the items for the exorcism.

I was searching through the bag looking for the lavender and sage, herbs that could calm spirits. When I heard a blood chilling shout. I looked up just in time to see Azarias appearing in front of me, and a piece of the wooden bookcase piercing him through the stomach. Blood splattered over me and Azarias fell, his eyes going dark.

For one moment everything in the room seemed to freeze exactly where it was. The glass, wood, and books in the air remained frozen. The others in the room looking on in shock as Azarias body hit the floor.

"Luce.....Mi....." Azarias chocked out, blood welling up in his mouth.

The sound of his voice woke me from my shock and I pulled the lavender and sage from the bag along with a lighter. The smoke began filling the air instantly. It moved unnaturally towards the center of the room, coiling and searching. When it reached the center of the room, it began condensing, where there was once empty air a body began to form from the smoke.

"Sadria," Raiza cried when the smokey form solidified.

A woman only a few years older than Andrea stood in the center of the room her dark hair and silver eyes, matching Raiza's and Andrea's exactly. The smoke swirling around her appeared like chains holding her in place.

"Hello sister," the image greeted, in a tone filled with anguish.

I couldn't really say I was surprised that it was Sadria who was the poltergeist, but I couldn't understand her motivation. Anyone who had harmed her personally was long dead, and the Coven never harmed her. Than again poltergeist did not think logically, they had a purpose for existing and went about that purpose single mindedly.

"Why? Why are you attacking know after all these years? Why hurt Azarias and his coven, he never did anything to hurt you!" Raiza demanded. This was the hardest for her, she actually knew and had a connection with the poltergeist. I could almost taste my Alpha's anger and guilt. I didn't know the motivation behind the emotions but I definitely could sense the emotions.

The smokey apparition in the middle of the room gazed listlessly back at Raiza. The image seemed so real, yet lacked the same spark, anyone alive carried. It was not actually Sadria, but what was left if her essence here on Earth.

My attention was split between Raiza questioning her sister and Tess, who was next to Azarias, trying to save him. She was holding pressure on his wound keeping him from bleeding out. I knew that wouldn't be enough to save him.

The scene reminded me horribly of the night my mother died, she had been bleeding out in the same manner, as Azarias had sucked her dry. In a way it was poetic, for him to meet his end this way.watching him lie there, I knew I should feel something, anything but how I was truly feeling. I felt sad.

There was a part of me that still hated Azarias, but at the same time I had come to forgive him to an extant. I couldn't just sit by and let him die, not if I could help him.

I moved closer to him, making sure not to put out the herbs still burning in my hand. Once I was close enough I ripped a wound across my wrist and held my bleeding arm to Azarias' mouth. There was no immediate response, but I let my blood continue to trickle into him.

"He did nothing to me in the past. I could not let him make the same decision as father, in the present."

"He isn't anything like father had been!" Raiza argued. "What have we done that has earned your vengeance, sister?"

"You both keep true mates apart, how could I not try and stop you. After all the pain my love and I suffered through. How could I allow you to do that to another pair?"

"True mates? One must be Kye that much is obvious if Azarias is involved but who is her mate? Sadria how can I know to kept to people together, I don't even know who Kye would choose....Corrigan? Ember? The human girl Gwynn? We are not omnipotent Sadria, we do not know everything."

"Are you really that blind sister, you cannot see what is right in front of you?" Sadria asked with a sneer.

"Just tell us who already, you god damn harpy!" Viviana asked annoyed.

"Andrea."

I had been listening to the conversation with half an ear when I head Andrea's name. My head snapped up and my eye's meet Andrea's silver. They were burning with a swirl of emotion and I felt my wolf respond inside me. I have had a crush on Andrea for a long time, never once did I think we were actually true mates. It was almost as if dreams actually could come true. The same thoughts seemed to be running trough Andrea's mind and she started towards me.

That moment would have been perfect, if that hadn't been the moment Azarias regained consciousness, and latched onto my arm with all the strength he had left. His teeth buried themselves into my arm, his hands clutched my arm to his mouth as he drank.

I could feel my blood flowing out of me faster as he drank mouthful after mouthful of my blood. I must have made some sound of distress at the sudden actions because everyone's attention turned to me. Azarias lost interest with my arm and tossed it away, only for him to grab hold of me and pulled me closer. His teeth burying themselves in my neck in the next instant.

"Kye!" Andrea shouted running towards me only to be held back by Raiza. "A vampire in a feeding frenzy is dangerous. He's injured and he needs blood to heal, you try and take Kye away, he'll attack without thought."

"We can't let him kill her!" Andrea shouted back.

I had already begun to become dizzy when Azarias had been drinking from my wrist, but now I was quickly loosing consciousness. Sounds became duller, and the color in the world seemed to slowly bleach away. The only thing that was not dulled was the very unpleasant feeling of having blood forcibly drawn from your body, I could feel it being sucked out of my veins, the flow and the speed so unnatural. It was not a good feeling at all. Somewhere I heard a door bang open and footsteps. I felt the suction in my neck cut off, but the fading did not stop.

The last thing I saw was concerned silver eyes.