Title: The Fate of a Betrayer

Author: Henrika

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Lucian/Kraven

Summary: Kraven is caught by Lucian’s brethren after six months on the run.

Fandom: Underworld, post-movie

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters, and this story is not-for-profit. I only own the storyline.

Feedback: Yes, please!

A/N: Takes place after the movie, but with small alterations in the plot. Lucian is (of course) still alive, and supposedly, so is Viktor. Kraven is hunted by both sides for his betrayal. Also, this story contains graphic violence, rape, and torture! If that’s your dealio, you may proceed. If not, scram! :)

Part I

Kraven ran like mad, his frantic eyes desperately looking for an escape or a hiding place. The Lycans - at least three of them - had been chasing him around half the block, and his lead was shrinking by the second.

The disgraced Vampire sneaked into a narrow alley and pressed up against the brick-wall, holding his breath. He could almost not hear anything past his own ragged breathing and pounding heart, but he seemed to have lost his hunters for now.

Forcing himself to continue despite the throbbing in his head and chest, he ran along the wall with crouched shoulders, still searching for a place to hide. The Lycans could not be far away, and if they caught him… The mere thought made Kraven’s insides tighten. The only thing that scared him more was the idea of being caught by the Coven Vampires instead. Those who used to be his people. No more, though. Not after his betrayal.

Kraven found a broken window covered with plastic and didn’t hesitate a second. Hefting his body up, he crawled into the building and landed gracelessly on the dusty concrete floor. Weakened, meagre, and dirty, he was a mere shadow of the elegant, aristocratic Regent he used to be.

The Vampire struggled into a standing position and stood on trembling legs. His heart had calmed down somewhat, and the furious pounding in his ears had abated. Finally he dared to take a look at the place. Judging from the size and appearance, it seemed to be an old, abandoned warehouse. There were surely plenty of good hiding places, so if he just…

Kraven had no time to react when a hard, heavy weight suddenly landed atop him and brought him down to the floor. The Vampire cried out, struggling beneath his attacker, and with strength derived from pure panic, he almost managed to throw the Lycan off him. The other man would have none of it, though. With a sharp backhand blow to his temple, Kraven was dazed, and his efforts weakened at once.

With a firm hold on Kraven’s once-so-shiny black locks, the Lycan rose and jerked the Vampire up with him. Three more of Lucian’s brethren joined them, all with predatory grins on their faces.

“Looks like we’ve caught the traitor!” one of them said with a mixture of triumph and disgust.

“Indeed!” the one holding him replied, wrapping and arm around the Vampire’s throat. Kraven struggled against the cut-off air supply and tried to break the hold, but it was no use. “It’s very tempting just to kill him on the spot, but we’re taking this one back to Lucian!”

The Lycan released Kraven and threw him down on the floor. The following second, a hard boot slammed into his abdomen, and then another one. Coughing up a mixture of blood, phlegm, and stomach acids, the Vampire wondered if these brutes would beat him to death before they could take him to the den. He almost hoped so.

*~*~*

When Lucian heard the news about the captured Vampire, he immediately set out to see who it was. With some luck, the Blood would still be conscious and relatively in one piece. The Lycan leader could hardly blame his brethren, but mostly when they brought in a captured Vampire, they were unable to restrain themselves and beat, tortured, mutilated, and sometimes raped the wretched creature until it either died or was too mauled to be of any use in an interrogation.

Lucian and Raze had just recently returned to the lair from a mission, and according to sources, the Vampire had been brought in a good five hours ago. Lucian sighed. The Blood was probably nothing more than a bloody carcass by now. Still, he had to check.

When he opened the door to the interrogation room, he immediately realized that the Vampire was at least still alive. Besides the captive, there were six other Lycans in the room; four were watching the scene on the floor, and the remaining two were still busy with the Vampire. One was raping him, pounding into his pale, naked body with vicious, brutal stabs, and the other was holding his wrist and slicing tiny bits of skin off his fingertips with a razor blade.

Lucian wanted to look away but forced himself not to do it. He had seen worse in his days, supposedly, but he’d always reacted strongly to degrading torture such as this. And…

The Vampire was still screaming. Or crying, rather, as he no longer had enough strength to do the former. Lucian tensed; there was something very familiar about that voice… raw and distorted though it was, and he stalked closer to have a thorough look at the captive.

Kraven! The Lycan leader’s jaw dropped when he saw whom they’d caught. He could hardly trust his own eyes. Kraven… Was it truly the ex-Regent lying on the filthy floor of the Lycan den, being raped and tortured by a pack of vengeful Lycans?

The treacherous Vampire had shot Lucian in the back and broken their liaison; the Lycan leader had strong reasons to hate him. Still…

The two still working on Kraven looked up when they heard Lucian’s approach. The one with the razor grinned. “Lucian! Look who we caught! We agreed not to kill him before you returned so that you could decide his definitive fate!”

Then Kraven opened his eyes. One was swollen and discoloured, and he could not open it fully. Their gazes met. The Vampire’s held terror and fear but also pleading. Lucian could almost read the message in his eyes. //Lucian… please, please, make it stop…//

Lucian closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He shouldn’t feel sympathy for Kraven, he really shouldn’t. The treacherous backstabber deserved what was happening and more. Still, the image of the once-beautiful, broken Vampire tortured and violated stirred something within Lucian, and that something was not hate or triumph.

“Alright, that’s enough,” he said sternly through clenched teeth. “Out, everybody. I’ll take it from here.” He had to fight to keep the trembling from his voice, trying to sound as severe and authoritative as possible. Some of the Lycans immediately obeyed their Alpha’s orders and sauntered toward the door, but others were more hesitant, including the ones busy with Kraven. One could see that they were enjoying what they did and not ready to stop just yet.

“You heard me!” Lucian snapped even harsher this time. “This Vampire is mine!”

The one raping Kraven looked almost ready to object, but his respect for Lucian ran deep, and he withdrew without mouthing back, tucking his bloodied member into his pants and buttoning them. “Alright, he’s all yours…” he muttered, rising to his feet. However, before leaving, he spat at the Vampire’s curled up form. “Whore!”

Kraven felt it but showed no reaction. //First their come and then their spit…//

Lucian stared icily at the Lycan as he passed and waited for the door to slam shut. Once they were alone, Kraven started sobbing anew. “Lucian…” he whispered. “P-pleas-se don’t… h-hurt me, I c-can’t- t-take more…”

He knew that pleading with Lucian probably was futile, though. After what he’d done to the Lycan, Lucian probably wished him a slow and painful death. But what did he have to lose?

Lucian knelt by the prone Vampire, passing his gaze over Kraven’s naked, pitiful form. It was nearly impossible to even recognize the fallen Regent now. Kraven was frighteningly thin, and his face, abdomen, and chest were badly bruised, probably from the Lycans’ abuse. He had nasty, bleeding claw-marks on his back, shoulders, and hips, also fresh. The colour and extension of the bruising on his ribcage indicated a broken rib, maybe more. He was also bleeding from his rectum and his nose, probably broken as well. And his hands…

“Kraven, Kraven…” Lucian began with a sigh. //You knew what would happen if either side caught you after this…// “You’re asking me not to hurt you? That is quite a lot to ask, don’t you think, from a man you shot in the back?”

Six long months had passed since then, and Lucian wondered what Kraven had been doing during the time. Probably living on the street, feeding off animals and occasional homeless humans, as he hardly had access to cloned blood anymore. But judging from his meagre body, Kraven didn’t get to feed often at all. His once luscious locks were but a matted mess of tangled, dark curls, now also mixed with dirt and blood. How Kraven had fallen!

The Vampire knew that Lucian was right. Kraven was hardly entitled to ask anything from him. All he could do was pray that the Lycan had some mercy in him and would finish him quickly.

Lucian knew that he should kill the wretched betrayer without as much as a second thought. Kraven deserved no less, after all. But despite everything, the Lycan leader could not hate the creature lying broken before him. The truth was that he’d always had a soft spot for the beautiful, raven-haired Vampire. That was what made him spare Kraven’s life almost 600 years ago before the deal was sealed, and it would make Lucian spare him now.

Placing a gentle hand on Kraven’s head, Lucian could feel the tremble passing through the Vampire, as Kraven expected the hand to be abusive, not kind. “You have gotten yourself into quite a mess, Kraven,” the Lycan spoke truthfully without a trace of scorn in his voice. “Both sides want revenge on you, and it was only a matter of time before either the Vampires or my people would catch you.” He made a brief pause before continuing, choosing his words carefully. “Still, Kraven, you were lucky. Viktor would not have shown you the mercy I’m going to.”

Kraven tensed at the words. God, he hurt! Everywhere! Lucian spoke of… mercy? Did it mean that the Lycan leader would not kill him?

“Lucian…” he whimpered. “W-will you not k-kill me…?”

“No, Kraven, I am not the animal your kind has always taken me for,” Lucian replied. “You are no longer a part of the Coven; killing you would solve nothing. Besides… I don’t want you to die.”

The Vampire could almost not believe it. Lucian wanted him to live? But… why? “Are you not angry with me… anymore?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far. But as far as I am concerned, you have expiated your punishment.” He looked the badly abused Vampire over again. “Quite enough, if you ask me.”

He worked his arm in under Kraven’s shoulders and lifted the Vampire’s upper body. Even the gentle movement caused Kraven pain, and he pressed his bloodied, mutilated hand to his aching ribs. “Lucian…” he sobbed, burying his bruised face in the Lycan’s shirt. What if he was disfigured for life? He, who’d always been so particular about his appearance. “What will you do… with me…?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Lucian replied truthfully. “But we can start by tending to your injuries.”

Lifting the Vampire into his arms, he stood up and started walking toward the door. Lucian was slightly surprised at how light Kraven was. The past few months had surely been rough on him.

The walk back to the Lycan’s chambers passed in a haze. Kraven closed his swollen, bloodshot eyes and rested his aching head against Lucian’s shoulder, feeling himself slipping into unconsciousness. He’d lost a lot of blood, and it was taking its toll on him.

It was the pain that brought him back. The vicious claw-marks on his back were set ablaze when Lucian lowered him onto a bed, and he couldn’t hold back a cry of agony. The Lycan’s cool hand rested briefly on his forehead before Lucian stood up, still silent, and disappeared into an adjacent room. Kraven closed his eyes again, and his lips moved soundlessly without forming words. He wasn’t sure how much more he could endure.

A few minutes later, Lucian returned with a set of bandages, a bowl of cold water, and a soft, clean cloth.

“Kraven, I will clean your wounds now,” he told the Vampire, and Kraven replied with a weak groan, which could be interpreted as an affirmative reply.

The Lycan dipped the cloth in the basin and began by cleaning the cut in Kraven’s forehead. The Vampire grimaced; it stung, but after a while the pain faded off and was replaced by a soothing sensation. Lucian carefully slid the rag over his entire face, but when it bumped his nose, he cried out from the unexpected stab of pain.

“Kraven, your nose is broken,” Lucian stated with a sigh. “I will need to set it back in place. Hold tight. This is going to hurt.”

Kraven’s battered chest hitched when Lucian’s strong hand came down on his face and grabbed his aching nose with resolute strength. He cried out again when the Lycan wrenched his nose back into place with a single movement.

“There, it’s over.” Kraven wasn’t looking - his eyes were filled with tears and his vision was too blurry to be of any use - but he heard Lucian’s reassuring voice telling him to relax.

“Whe--where a-are we…?” the Vampire mumbled weakly. This was unknown territory for him, and that alone was enough to make him agitated.

“My chambers,” Lucian replied. “I could have taken you to the infirmary, but I chose not to, considering. I’m sure you understand.”

And Kraven did understand. More than well. He was grateful for Lucian’s discretion. Next he felt rough, callused fingers prodding his broken or cracked ribs. Biting his lip, he tried to force himself not to cry out this time.

“Hmmm… it’s as I feared…” Lucian murmured grimly. “You have two broken ribs, Kraven. I will bind them after I have cleaned your back-wounds.”

He could tell by Kraven’s laboured, shallow breathing that the Vampire was in great pain. It was impossible to tell which injury was the most painful, but his battered chest was probably quite high in the ranking list. “Alright, Kraven, I will turn you over onto your stomach now,” he spoke calmly. “Are you ready?”

This time he only received an almost imperceptible nod and could see the Vampire bracing himself for the pain by taking a deep breath. As gently as possible, Lucian rolled the injured man onto his belly. Kraven failed to suppress a few sobs that escaped his swollen lips, and Lucian himself had to fight to keep his head somewhat cold. Oh, how he wished he could have spared Kraven this suffering!

The nasty Lycan claw-marks ran from Kraven’s shoulders down to his buttocks. Dust and grit from the floor had stuck in the wounds, adding to the rather grotesque imagery. When Lucian touched the marks with the damp cloth, a violent tremor racked the Vampire’s thin frame, causing Kraven to grip the bed-sheets spasmodically.

I should have given him something for the pain, Lucian realized regretfully. He recalled having a bottle of morphine in his bathroom cupboard. Now was as good a time as any to use it. “Kraven, can you cope?” he asked with concern, not liking the way the Vampire’s bruised face twisted in agony, making him look like a theatre mask.

“Yes…” Kraven whispered. “Do what you must, Lucian…”

“Alright…”

Lucian continued, occasionally dipping the cloth in the basin, whose water was becoming pinkish with blood. He stubbornly ignored Kraven’s yelps of pain and the way his body trembled when the pain got too great to bear.

“You can say what you want, Kraven… but in a way, you were lucky…” the Lycan murmured, more to himself than to Kraven. “My people could have chosen to torture you with the irradiated fluid we use against your kind. And trust me, those injuries would have been a lot harder to treat. You are a Vampire, you heal fast. In a few days, these wounds will be no more…”

Kraven heard every word, and although Lucian was right about some things, he hardly felt “lucky”. He had been tortured, raped, and beaten and was barely even alive. It was not exactly Kraven’s concept of “luck”.

When the claw-marks had been cleaned, only one thing remained. Lucian sighed, knowing it was a sensitive subject and that Kraven might be reluctant. “I have to check your rear,” he told the Vampire. “You’re bleeding down there, and…”

To Kraven’s surprise, Lucian sounded almost apologetic. The Lycan had to know about the violations, as one of the brutes had been raping him when Lucian entered. “Go ahead…” he murmured, as the Lycan was obviously waiting for his permission. “It’s alright…”

Lucian carefully spread the Vampire’s legs and held his buttocks apart to assess the hurt down there. He grimaced at the sight. Kraven was pretty badly torn, and although the blood flow from his rectum had almost ceased, he would not be able to sit for some time ahead. “They… You were raped more than once, weren’t you…?” the Lycan asked ruefully. He knew that he wasn’t responsible for this; his pack often did it when they caught a Vampire. Still, he felt as if he should have done something more to save Kraven from this fate.

“Yes… a dozen times, at least…” came the Vampire’s muffled reply. “They took turns…”

Wetting the cloth, Lucian started dabbing Kraven’s torn, swollen anus as gently as he could. Kraven inhaled sharply, and his body tensed. Even the most gentle of touches down there hurt now.

“I’m so sorry, Kraven…” Lucian murmured while cleaning the Vampire’s cleft. “I have never condoned this form of torture, and if I’d been here when they brought you in, I would have prevented it, trust me.”

“It’s alright…” Kraven said. “I mean… This wasn’t the first time it happened. There have been others…”

“Oh… I see… I don’t know what to say…”

Kraven made a sound resembling a snort. “Viktor was one. He was… never gentle.”

Lucian felt his jaw drop. “Viktor used you… like that?”

“He did… for centuries,” Kraven sighed. “I… I tried to please him so hard, but despite all, he just…” The Vampire’s voice broke, and he had to swallow. Talking about this was difficult, but since he’d gotten started, there was no point holding back the rest. “…he always managed to hurt me, no matter how many times…”

“I’m sorry, Kraven…” Lucian murmured, almost rendered speechless. He’d begun stroking the small of Kraven’s back with his free hand.  “In all this time, you never told me…”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly something I wanted to advertise… I wanted… respect, and how could I get that if… if… people knew I was an Elder’s bed-toy…”

The Lycan simply listened without interrupting; he sensed that this was something that Kraven had to get out one way or another, or it would keep suffocating him.

“It only stopped after he found… *her*,” Kraven uttered softly. Lucian knew whom the Vampire was referring to. Selene. Viktor’s adopted daughter. “Not that he ever did such things with *her*, though… She was too precious to him.” There was bitterness in Kraven’s voice - mixed with grief. A part of him had felt left out when Selene became Viktor’s new charge and the Elder’s twisted interest in him faded. //First he used me, and then he swept me away like garbage…// He’d also envied Selene: Viktor’s attachment to the frail young woman seemed to be settled in the purest, gentlest part of his soul, while the darkest part of it had been turned to Kraven.

Sobs took over his voice again, and his bruised face ached even more when it twisted into an involuntary grimace.

“Shhhh…” Lucian’s soothing voice said, and the Lycan continued stroking the uninjured parts of his body. “It’s alright, now… They can’t hurt you anymore… Try to relax…”

Lucian was relieved to notice that Kraven’s genitals had been left relatively unharmed. His ball-sac was slightly bruised - probably from a kick to his groin - but that was all. //Luckily they didn’t use the razor on him down there…//

“Alright, now I only need to bind your ribs. Can you sit up?”

Kraven tried, but he couldn’t even raise himself from the bed. Lucian’s strong hands did it for him, and the stab of pain in his chest, caused by the sudden movement, made his eyes tear up again. He could barely raise his arms when Lucian wound the bandages around his ribcage, tying his broken ribs in place. Looking down at himself, Kraven noted how ugly his body had become. His ribs, hip- and pelvic bones were far too prominent, and his skin, once marble white, was more greyish nowadays. After this, he’d be in even worse shape, though.

//Viktor saw me as nothing more than a pretty face and an accommodating body… What would he see me as now?//

His raw, bloodied fingertips felt as if they were on fire. Only his left ring- and little finger had been spared the treatment. The pain of having the skin peeled off had made the rapes easier to withstand, but it was a horrendous form of torture. The Lycans had not done it for information but out of pure enjoyment.

“Let me see your hands…” Lucian asked, reaching out his own toward Kraven. The Vampire hesitantly placed his mutilated right hand in the Lycan’s, wondering what Lucian had in mind. Only time could heal such wounds, but he hoped that Lucian could help him get rid of the pain, somehow.

“My God…” the Lycan murmured, clearly appalled by what he saw. “Deeds like this sometimes make me ashamed of being what I am… Kraven, I wish I could do something about your hands, I really do… but all I can do is bandage them and hope you’re a fast healer.”

He guided the Vampire’s bleeding hands to the basin and made Kraven lower them into the water. They both watched as the already pinkish water turned into a darker nuance of red. The scalding pain was slightly eased by the cold water, but Kraven knew he couldn’t keep his hands immersed forever.

“Let me see what I can do…” Lucian said compassionately and gently urged Kraven to withdraw his limbs. One by one, the Lycan wound the left-over bandages around the Vampire’s fingers. “By the time we’re done, you’re going to look like a mummy,” he said as an attempt at humour, but as expected, Kraven didn’t laugh. When Lucian was done, he lowered Kraven back onto the bed and covered the wounded man with a simple, white sheet. The usual bedcovers were too heavy, and he didn’t want to burden Kraven’s already battered body more than necessary.  

The Vampire turned to his side and curled up in a foetal position. It was a question of self-preservation - this way he could at least shield the more vulnerable parts of his body from blows - and trying to cope with the pain. How he ached, despite Lucian’s gentle treatment of his injuries!

Lucian watched Kraven clench his teeth so hard that his jaw seemed close to breaking and listened to the Vampire’s ragged breathing. It was a strong indication that Kraven was in horrible pain. The Lycan came to think of the morphine again. //Perhaps I really should give him some now…//

Sitting on the bed’s edge, he stroked the Vampire’s tangled hair back and spoke in a low voice. “Kraven, what you really need is blood, but sadly, I can’t give you any right now. But I can give you something to alleviate the pain, if you want to.”

“Yes, please…” the tortured immortal sighed, and his taut body relaxed a little.

“I’ll be right back.”

Lucian went to his bathroom cupboard, taking out the small bottle of morphine along with a syringe. He wasn’t completely sure about the dosage required, but it shouldn’t take much to knock out Kraven in his weakened state.

The Vampire opened his swollen eyes when Lucian returned with the syringe in his hand. He’d never liked needles, and even now, the sight of one made him wary. The Lycan bent down over him, reaching for his arm, and Kraven couldn’t help twitching.

“It’s alright,” Lucian said reassuringly. “I’m just going to give you a shot of morphine. It will take away the pain.”

“I know what morphine is…” Kraven replied weakly. “I just… don’t like needles…”

“It’s a brief sting, nothing more,” Lucian promised. “Try to relax, I am not going to hurt you.”

He pulled out the Vampire’s thin, sinewy arm and stuck the needle into a vein at the bend of his elbow. Kraven’s muscles flexed, but he was too weak to resist and only a small whimper left his mouth.

“There.” Lucian withdrew the needle as soon as he had injected the substance. “You’ll feel better soon, trust me.”

Kraven closed his eyes and really hoped that Lucian was right. Every part of his body was throbbing vehemently with relentless pain, and even the smallest movement set his nerves ablaze. After a couple of minutes, however, the drug finally began to take effect. The worst of the pain slowly ebbed away, and only a dull ache remained in his head, chest, and rear. The Vampire was suddenly very sleepy, and the idea of drifting away was tempting.

The faint rustle of fabric brought him back from the abyss of sleep, and he slowly re-opened his eyes. To his surprise and shock, he could - though blurry eyes - see Lucian undressing. The Lycan was taking off his clothes! That could only mean one thing. Lucian was going to “test” Kraven himself; hell, it was probably the reason why he drugged him! The thought of what was about to happen filled the already broken Vampire’s heart with dread. Clutching the sheet with his bandaged hands, he pressed it to his chest desperately, as if that could stop Lucian from taking what he wanted.

“Lucian, please…” he said with a quiet sob. “Please don’t; I ache so much right now… Give me a few days, I promise I will try to satisfy you the best I can… Or… or… at least use something to ease the way… oil, or… ointment…”

“Kraven, Kraven… My poor Kraven…” the Lycan sighed ruefully when he realized what the Vampire feared. “You must really have a low opinion of me, if you believe that I would force myself upon you after something like this. No, Kraven: I am taking my clothes off simply because I don’t sleep clothed.”

Lucian hung his clothes on the back of an armchair and stalked closer to the bed, now naked. Kraven was still trembling with fear; obviously he didn’t trust Lucian’s words. The Lycan sighed mentally. The Vampire really had issues with trust.

Kraven twitched when he felt Lucian get into the bed next to him. Despite what the Lycan had said, he was anxious. If Lucian didn’t want to fuck him, then what?

“Kraven…” Lucian said pleadingly when noticing how terrified the Vampire was. “Why don’t you trust me? I am not going to hurt you, not in any way. Unlike my brethren, I would never touch you without your consent. I’ve only come here to sleep.”

Kraven refused to let his guard down. “You will sleep… here?” he asked hesitantly.

The Lycan gave small, ironic chuckle. “Well, this *is* my bed, after all. And I believe it’s big enough for the both of us.”

The Vampire, who had his back to Lucian, curled up even more, trying to make himself as small as possible. “You can put me on the floor…” he whispered. “I don’t mind…”

“Nonsense,” Lucian replied. “You’re staying right where you are. Kraven, please, don’t fear me. You can trust me, I promise.”

The Lycan had to confess that he desired the beautiful Vampire, but this was definitely not the time to make advances. He had to gain Kraven’s trust and show him that he wasn’t like the other Lycans. Reaching out one hand, Lucian lightly touched the Vampire’s hair. Knowing that even the innocent contact could frighten the other man, he was ready to pull back in case Kraven twitched or showed his discomfort some other way.

To Lucian’s surprise, Kraven seemed to accept the touch. His breathing evened, and the trembling gradually ceased. “Can I hold you?” Lucian asked after a while, almost expecting the Vampire to cringe at the suggestion.

“Alright…” Kraven breathed in reply, figuring that Lucian was sincere, after all. If the Lycan had wanted to rape him, he would have done it already.

Encouraged by the positive response, Lucian slowly inched closer to the Vampire. He had to be careful for many reasons; Kraven’s physical injuries were only one. Pulling Kraven into the curve of his body, the Lycan gently hugged the sore and wounded Vampire - hopefully - without burdening his injuries too much.

Kraven was already half-asleep when Lucian snuggled up behind him, but he still registered the other man’s presence. To his surprise, it didn’t alarm him at all. The Lycan was so gentle, so mindful of his pain, now dulled by the morphine.

With the reassuring weight of Lucian’s arm around his middle, Kraven drifted off to sleep.

Lucian was relieved that Kraven accepted the embrace so easily. Perhaps the Vampire finally trusted him? At least enough to have him close without trembling in fear? The Lycan dearly hoped that his body would not betray him. They were lying back to belly, so in case he got an erection, Kraven couldn’t avoid feeling it, and then…

Lucian suddenly realized that Kraven had fallen asleep.

Part II

Lucian returned to the bedchamber after his evening shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. Kraven had been asleep when he left, but now the Vampire was awake and up, sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a long, grey T-shirt. He lifted his head when he heard Lucian’s approach, and a tiny smile danced about his lips.

The Lycan went to sit next to him. “How are you feeling?” he asked the Vampire.

Twelve days had passed since the night Kraven was brought in to the Lycan den, and the Vampire’s wounds had nearly healed altogether. All that remained were a few scars on his back left by Lycan claws and a certain soreness in his chest. Lucian had tended to him to the best of his ability, and the nights spent in the Lycan’s chambers had brought the two former allies very close together. Lucian was certain that Kraven trusted him now, and it was something he put in very high esteem. Since he wanted the Vampire to live, he’d been forced to tell his Lycan brethren that he’d chosen to keep Kraven as his personal slave. Some had reacted with glee, others with disdain. Some had even made lewd comments, asking the Lycan leader if Lucian could imagine “sharing” his new whore with them once he grew bored with Kraven.

Lucian had put on his most impassive face and said that there was no chance of that happening. Ever. //The Vampire is mine, and no one else touches him//

“I’m alright…” Kraven murmured in reply to the Lycan’s question. For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt a blush spreading over his face. The closeness of Lucian’s still-damp, nearly naked body was suddenly distracting. Oh, he’d seen the Lycan naked many times during his time here, but there was something… seductive with his presence now. Kraven was well-aware of his own state of undress, and it wasn’t exactly helping.

Lucian put his arm around Kraven’s shoulders and rubbed the Vampire’s back reassuringly. “I’m glad to hear that,” he said truthfully. “I want you to know that… no matter what happened before this… I don’t hold any grudges against you. As far as I’m concerned, all is forgotten.”

“Thank you…” the Vampire whispered. “I… I also want to say that I don’t hold you responsible for what those Lycans did to me… I mean, I probably would have done the same had I been in their position. You saved me, and… I am grateful for that. You have been very kind to me, Lucian. I hope that I’ll be able to repay you, some day…”

“Don’t worry about that,” Lucian assured him. “Not everything has a prize, Kraven. It’s about time you learn that. Has it ever occurred to you that I might have done it because I care for you?”

The Vampire drew a sharp breath. “Lucian, you… you really mean you… care about me?” he asked.

The Lycan chuckled, a trifle embarrassed. “Kraven, you silly Vampire… I have cared for you ever since I first laid eyes on you, which was over six centuries ago. Why do you think I spared your life when you had come to slay me and torch my fortress?”

Kraven’s blush deepened until his face was a shade of crimson. “I… you… I mean… Lucian… I… I never knew… I always thought that you… loathed me…”

“I loathed many things about you,” Lucian agreed. “But I never loathed *you*, Kraven. Besides, you’re changed now. And…” He made a brief pause. “…I can’t say I dislike the change.”

Reaching out, Lucian brushed back a lock of hair that covered Kraven’s face. Now that he was able to wash it regularly, the Vampire’s hair had regained some of its usual volume and lustre. There was a hitch in Kraven’s breathing at the touch. “I…” he murmured, not sure how to proceed. “I’ve lost everything…”

“No, not everything,” Lucian said seriously. “You have lost what you thought mattered in your life, but in return, you have gained something else, something much more valuable.”

“What…?” Kraven asked confusedly.

Lucian simply smiled at him. “You’ll learn in due time. All I can tell you now is that I think no less of you because you have lost your position in the Vampire ranks. Tell me, Kraven: did you ever feel loved in the Coven?”

The Vampire silently shook his head. Viktor has used him, scorned him, and given him a fancy title, but there had never been any love in the Vampire Lord’s blue eyes, only degrading mockery. The other two Elders had treated him with impassive disinterest, Soren had remained loyal because his own interests tallied with Kraven’s, Selene detested him, and Erika had pursued him only for his status. No, there had been no love for him in the Coven. He could not deny that.

“Perhaps it’s time, then…” the Lycan whispered, leaning even closer to the Vampire. Even though Kraven’s injuries were healed, he had not even tried to make any advances - until now. The Vampire’s body clearly betrayed his own interest; Kraven was flushed, and his heart was beating like a hammer in his chest. Only this time, it was not due to fear.

“I want you to know something…” Lucian said, lips close to Kraven’s ear. “You are not a prisoner here. If you really want to leave, I will let you, but consider the options. Where will you go? The Death Dealers are looking for you, as well, and if you fall into their hands, I won’t be able to save you. You’re safe here… I can promise you that. My brethren won’t touch you, because I’ve told them that you’re mine, and they won’t go against their Alpha.”

“I’m… yours?” Kraven asked breathily, his voice trembling with excitement.

“Only if you want to.”

“I think I do…”

Those words were all it took. Lucian cupped the back of Kraven’s head and drew the Vampire close for a kiss. The full, chiselled lips opened tentatively, and the Lycan was able to slip his tongue inside and explore the warm, wet cavern of Kraven’s mouth. The tangy, metallic taste of blood lingered, as the Vampire had drunk from a plastic bag before going to bed.

Lucian’s hand tangled in the thick, raven locks, enjoying the feel of the silky material. Everything about Kraven was so beautiful! It was tempting simply to let his animal side take over and ravish the Vampire right there and then, but for Kraven’s sake, he had to go slow. What the other Lycans had done to him less than two weeks ago was probably still fresh in Kraven’s memory…

The Vampire responded to the stimulation and slipped his arms around Lucian, kneading his hardened, muscular, and partially furred body. Kraven was not afraid. He trusted the Lycan fully, knowing that Lucian would never hurt him or do anything without his consent.

Kraven shivered from excitement and anticipation when Lucian pulled down the collar of his T-shirt, baring his left shoulder. When he then felt the Lycan’s hot tongue moving sensually over his neck, he threw his head back, gasping for breath and fully yielding to the sensation.

“Kraven…” Lucian purred in his ear. “My senses tell me that you’re enjoying this…” Not only referring to what he could see, hear, and feel, the Lycan could also smell the Vampire’s arousal. Looking down, he could see an interesting bulge distorting the fabric of Kraven’s T-shirt just below the abdomen. Lucian had not seen the Vampire with an erection before, so he was very curious. Even when limp, Kraven had quite a generous endowment.

“What have we here…?” he asked in a seductive voice, cupping the hard-on. “It almost seems as if you’re interested…”

Kraven gasped when Lucian rubbed his cock through the fabric of the shirt. It had been long since anyone but himself had touched him in that fashion, and it felt… great. Although it would feel even better without the offending garment in the way.

The Lycan seemed to be reading his mind, because the next thing Lucian did was to grab the end of it and pull it over his head. Kraven had no objections to that. He craved the freedom only a naked body could offer and eagerly leant forward to untie Lucian’s towel.

When he felt Kraven’s slender, long-fingered hand slipping into his towel to touch what was beneath, Lucian nearly jumped. The contact was electrifying. Almost frantically, he pushed the Vampire’s hand away and got rid of the towel himself. If Kraven continued to touch him like that, he risked coming before they could even get started.

Once they were both naked, Lucian momentarily forgot about being gentle and pushed his would-be lover down on the bed, rolling atop him. Grinding the length of their bodies together, he once again captured Kraven’s lips in a passionate kiss. The Vampire didn’t seem to mind. He lay pacifically beneath the heavier man and parted his knees so that Lucian came to rest between them. Their throbbing arousals were rubbed against one another, causing them both to pant from need and frustration.

Lucian suddenly broke the kiss and pulled back a bit so that he was able to look into Kraven’s eyes. His own grey ones were clouded by lust and excitement, but there was also a different, more serious message. “Kraven…” the Lycan began, willing his voice to remain steady. “Are you sure you want this? If it’s too soon, I understand, and we can stop now.”

But Kraven shook his head. “It’s not too soon,” he replied. “I really want this… I want you… Please…”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to rush into something now that you will regret later.”

“I won’t regret anything, Lucian,” the Vampire said firmly. “I trust you. I know you won’t hurt me.”

“No, I won’t,” Lucian confirmed. He lovingly brushed back a few dark locks of hair from Kraven’s face. That beautiful, ageless, all but flawless face… How could anyone resist it? The Lycan bent down to kiss Kraven’s long, graceful neck, which the Vampire exposed to him in an act of trust. Lucian’s teeth had ripped the throats of many Vampires in their days, but now they were small and human and not meant to do any damage.

“Ahh…” Kraven gasped when Lucian’s tongue moved sensually over his pulse point. The contact was so stimulating that it felt as though his every nerve ending was on fire. The Lycan slowly moved lower, licking Kraven’s chest and taking his right nipple into his mouth. The nub quickly hardened between his lips, and Lucian applied gentle nibs and bites, very careful not to break skin.

Kneeling between Kraven’s legs, the Lycan could feel the Vampire’s rock-hard cock pressing up against his belly. “Hmmm… how should we proceed from here…?” he murmured teasingly and lowered himself fully over Kraven again, gazing into the other’s large, brown eyes.

“I… I… would…” the Vampire began but let the sentence trail off.

“Tell me…” Lucian softly urged.

“I want to feel you inside me…”

“And that you will,” the Lycan said solemnly, pressing a tender kiss to his lover’s silken lips. Everything about the Vampire was intoxicating, and Lucian could barely contain himself. “Wait…”

Pulling back, Lucian moved off Kraven and started searching for something in his bedside drawer. The Vampire actually shivered from cold when the warm weight that had been covering him disappeared. Closing his eyes, Kraven leaned back against the pillows, rubbing his upper arms and waiting for Lucian’s comforting presence to return. His hard, aching flesh lay heated against his belly, and he furtively moved his other hand down to stroke it. Long fingers slowly made their way through a small, neatly trimmed triangle of pubic hair and closed around the erect shaft. A faint moan left Kraven’s lips when he started pleasuring himself with his hand, but suddenly his wrist was in a firm grip, and he could hear Lucian’s voice.

“Uh-uh, Kraven…” the Lycan admonished. “No touching… you leave that to *me*…”

Kraven obeyed, withdrawing his hand with a reprimanded look on his face. Then his legs were once again spread wide, and a finger, slicked with something cool and slippery, gently rubbed over his entrance. His breath hitched, and the ring guarding his rear opening flexed instinctively. Lucian mistook the reaction for fear, murmuring, “It’s alright, my beloved… You don’t have to be afraid now…”

“Will you… use something?” Kraven asked, a trifle anxious. The idea of Lucian entering him without anything to ease the way was slightly daunting.

“But of course,” the Lycan replied, surprised that Kraven would even ask such a question. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”

“Viktor never…--” Kraven interrupted himself, unsure of how to continue. The memories of the abuse - sexual and other - he’d suffered at the hands of the Vampire Lord still plagued his mind.

“You’re saying that he took you without any kind of lubricant?”

“I’m tighter that way…”

“And you’re in pain that way,” Lucian said compassionately. “Mayhap it would be more pleasurable for *me*, but I want you to enjoy this, as well.”

Lucian slowly worked his digit into the Vampire’s tight channel, wanting to give Kraven time to object in case he’d changed his mind. No objection came, however, and the taut muscle began to soften, allowing the Lycan better access. He soon added a second finger and scissored them within the Vampire to make Kraven ready for their final union. Once he accidentally brushed Kraven’s prostate, causing his lover to arch off the bed as if electrocuted.

“It feels good, doesn’t it?” he smiled. “I’ll try to touch it repeatedly with my shaft once I go inside you.”

Once Lucian figured that Kraven had been thoroughly prepared and loosened to accept his girth, he coated his own cock with a generous amount of the gel he used as lubricant. Leaning over the Vampire just as before, he used one hand to guide his erection to Kraven’s entrance.

“Ready?” he panted before thrusting inside. “I want this only if you do.”

“Yes, I want it… Please…”

The Lycan needed no more encouragement. He started pushing into his new lover with great care, one centimetre at a time. A tremble passed through Kraven’s body when he was entered, and a brief memory of the horrible gang-rape not too long ago flashed through his mind. No. This was nothing like that. Lucian was nothing like them. He could ask Lucian to stop any time, and the Lycan would do it.

It seemed to take an eternity for Lucian to ease his way into Kraven’s body, but once he was fully sheathed in the tight passageway, he remained completely still and waited for the Vampire to relax and accept the intrusion.

Kraven’s normally pale face was flushed red, and his eyes beneath the closed eyelids were glowing sky-blue. “Kraven… look at me.”

The Vampire opened his eyes at once and stared into soft, grey orbs of his lover. Lucian’s were still a natural colour, as the Lycan had better control over his abilities to change. Still maintaining eye contact, Lucian pulled back a bit and thrust back in with a slow, drawn-out motion. The friction was delicious and made them both gasp from pleasure.

“Please…” Kraven whispered softly, wanting to feel all of Lucian.

“As you wish…” The Lycan started thrusting a bit faster, entering the Vampire’s depths with his full length and girth. Kraven clung to him, pulled him down even tighter against himself, and wrapped his long legs around his waist.

“Oh, God…”

Kraven wasn’t sure if he spoke the words, or if Lucian did. Either way, he was in heaven. All the initial pain and discomfort had faded and left only burning pleasure. Lucian touched places within him he didn’t even know he had, and not once did he feel frightened, trapped, or forced. Had it ever been like this before? Viktor? Odd as it was, Kraven could barely even remember his times in the Elder’s bed. It belonged to the past… and the past was forgotten and buried now.

Lucian could feel his orgasm approaching and wondered if Kraven was close, as well. Working a hand in between their sweaty bodies, he grabbed the Vampire’s cock and started jerking it with long, hard strokes. If they could come together, it would truly be ideal.

When the two pleasurable sensations were mixed, Kraven was unable to contain himself any longer and started thrashing wildly beneath Lucian and practically screamed out his pleasure. The Lycan responded and sped up his pace, thrusting into his lover, long and hard and deep, until his balls were practically slapping against Kraven’s smooth bottom.

They kissed then, not gently or lovingly this time, but roughly and passionately; fangs clashing against each other and tongues entwining. Kraven erupted first, his essence spurting from his shaft and staining their bellies and the Lycan’s fist. The Vampire’s climax triggered Lucian’s, who came harder than ever before, splashing Kraven’s insides with his hot fluid.

They fell back onto the bed in a pile of tangled limbs and simply panted, the Lycan still on top. While waiting for his strength to return, Lucian covered Kraven’s jaw-line with feather-light kisses and nibs, which made the Vampire moan contentedly against his shoulder.

Even though Lucian had gone soft, he remained embedded in his lover’s tight heat. Kraven didn’t seem to mind, and he was unwilling to break the connection. “I love you…” the Lycan murmured, kissing the junction where Kraven’s neck and shoulder met.

The three small words stirred an emotion within the Vampire, one he believed he would never experience. “No one has ever said that to me before…” he whispered.

“Then it’s about time you hear it,” Lucian replied solemnly. “I love you, Kraven. I’ve waited centuries for this moment.”

“You should have told me sooner…” Kraven said with a hint of sadness in his voice and reached up to run his fingers over Lucian’s bearded cheek.

“Oh, I know… But maybe you can imagine why I didn’t.”

“I’m sorry…”

“No need to be, Kraven. We’re here now, and we’re together. That’s all that matters.”

He claimed the Vampire’s lips again and felt Kraven’s arms snaking around his neck. Lucian moved ever so slightly, and that was when he became aware of the warm stickiness between their bodies. He broke the kiss, chuckling.

“I think we need a bath, my beloved… or a shower, at least.”

“Hmmm…” Kraven murmured sleepily. He was still drained from the intense joining of their bodies, and going back to sleep was much more tempting than the idea of getting cleaned.

Lucian could understand his lover; the Lycan was still exhausted himself, but if they went to sleep now, without cleaning their bodies, they would feel everything but fresh when they woke up. “I hate to do this, really, but I’m getting up now,” Lucian sighed and rolled off the Vampire, simultaneously pulling free from his grasp.

Kraven instantly missed the warmth of Lucian’s body atop his and snuggled in next to the Lycan, resting his head on the firm, muscular chest. Cuddling after sex was also something new to him; Viktor had never wanted him around after they were done, and in time, Kraven had grown equally cold and distant. With Lucian, however, it felt completely natural.

The Lycan kissed the top of the dark head that settled on his chest and decided to give Kraven some more time with him in the bed. The poor creature had probably never even been held by a bed partner and needed proof that Lucian’s affection was genuine.

“Kraven,” the Lycan began and hoped that his lover was listening. “Despite what I said earlier about you belonging to me, I want you to know that I see you as nothing less than my equal. In bed, as well as outside.”

Suddenly the drowsy Vampire was much more attentive. The Lycan’s words surprised him; despite the fact that Lucian obviously cared for him, he had not believed the other man to think of him as an equal. “What…?” 

“You heard me. Kraven, I don’t want you to regard yourself as my slave or believe that you’re in my bed to please *me*… You’re my lover. I want us to be equals… everywhere.”

It slowly became clear to Kraven what Lucian was trying to tell him. “Lucian, are you talking about sex?” he asked tentatively.

“Among other things,” the Lycan replied. “Our roles for this evening don’t have to be written in stone. If you want to, Kraven, we can trade places next time.”

The Vampire could hardly trust his own ears. Could this be true? Lucian would let him…? “You mean you will let me… take you?”

Lucian turned to regard him with a smile. “You sound surprised, my beloved.”

“I am,” Kraven admitted. “You do not seem like the type who would… submit.”

Lucian chuckled dryly. “Kraven, I’m a Lycan,” he said. “I was born into servitude, remember? I did nothing but submit for the first century of my life.”

“But still…”

“You should stop comparing me to him, Kraven.” It was not difficult for the Vampire to know whom Lucian was referring to. “Viktor never let you fuck him, did he?”

Kraven snorted softly at the statement. “No, he certainly didn’t…”

“I’m nothing like him. It’s about time you learn that.”

“Oh, I know, Lucian…” the Vampire sighed. The idea of the feral Lycan leader squirming beneath *him* was still quite odd, though. Odd… but not the least unappealing. “But aren’t you concerned about what your brethren will think?” he asked carefully. “I mean… As far as they know, I’m just your…” He tried to think of a word for it in good English.  “…catamite.”

“My sexual preferences aren’t anyone’s business but my own,” Lucian replied calmly. “They honour and respect me because I’m a wise and fair leader, and what I do in bed and with whom has nothing to do with that.”

Kraven’s mind was working hard to digest the meaning of Lucian’s words. He still couldn’t quite fathom that the Lycan leader would treat him as an equal.

“Kraven…” Lucian said seriously, placing his finger under the Vampire’s chin and tilting his head upwards. “Enough of this now. In time, you will understand. We really should head to the showers before your juices become permanently attached to my torso.”

The Lycan couldn’t help but chuckle when he noticed that Kraven’s semen was beginning to congeal in the hair on his chest and abdomen. No, he *really* didn’t want to go to sleep that way!

“Come on now, sleepy-head. It’s bath time,” Lucian said, nudging Kraven gently, but the only response he received was a small noise, sounding like a half-groan, half-snore. The Vampire was already asleep! Lucian had always marvelled at the other race’s ability to fall asleep so quickly. It was as though all Vampires had some internal, biological clock that made their bodies shut down when they had exerted themselves, which mostly happened around dawn.

Sighing, the Lycan carefully disengaged from the sleeping night creature and pulled the covers over Kraven, who was already snoring peacefully. He did not have the heart to wake him now, so Lucian simply left his new lover in the bed and figured he would have to shower alone, after all.

The End