Tall, Dark & Heartless

Lucan forced himself to watch as the Master reached out and gripped the human's jaw and with a powerful yank, snapping the human's neck, killing him almost instantly. When the lifeless body slumped sideways the Master kicked him out of the way and with a heartfelt sigh walked over to where more than a dozen vampires held Lucan down on his knees.

"It looks like my dog is finally out of tricks," the Master mused as he stopped in front of him.

Lucan trembled with his own rage as he forced himself to remain kneeling. He would not dishonor his mother's memory by striking out against his Master, but the moment he earned his freedom he would kill the crazed vampire before him who'd relished in allowing each of his men to take turns torturing him.

They whipped him, stabbed him, threw holy water on his back to make sure that his back healed slowly, broke his hands and feet only to force blood down his throat so that he would heal and they could do it all over again only the next time around they made damn sure that they got more creative. His hands and feet were smashed with a sledgehammer, his back whipped with a whip dipped in holy water until he could barely hold back his screams, his throat slit, and he'd been stabbed over a hundred times, each stab carefully placed so that his heart was left undamaged, but this time they hadn't given him any blood to sustain him. This time they were preparing him for the agonizing death that the Master would deliver.

"It's like déjà vu, isn't it, dog?" the Master asked with a smile as he looked down at Lucan and he couldn't help but dart his eyes away. Even when he knew death was imminent he couldn't force himself to break the habit.

"I can't say that I regret saving you all those years ago since you've been quite useful to me, but I guess that usefulness has come to an end."

"My freedom?" Lucan asked, keeping his eyes locked on the floor as he ground his broken jaw until he thought it would snap again.

"Is it important to you?" the Master asked in a taunting voice.

He didn't answer. He would not beg for the freedom he earned. He'd served his Master well in this life and in the last and he would have it before he took his last breath.

"That's what I thought," the Master said, sounding amused as he turned to walk away. "Have fun, boys."

********

The Williams' mansion

"They're here," Ephraim said quietly as he cradled the sleeping baby boy in his arms.

Caine nodded once as he watched the long line of cars, vans and SUVs drive up the long driveway. "Hopefully they can fix Izzy's leg," he said just as softly as his heart sped up with fear.

Three days was a long time to wait for the sentence that he knew was coming. Facing eternity trapped at the bottom ocean was nothing compared to an eternity without Danni. He loved her more than anything and would happily take this punishment if it meant that she was going to be taken care of.

"I know you said that you wouldn't, but if you decided to-"

"I'm not going to run," Caine said, cutting the other Pyte off while he watched the cars turn off to park on the side of the driveway. "If I run, Danni will follow me and she's too sick to make it on her own right now. I don't know why the cancer won't die out, but maybe they can figure it out and give her the life that she deserves."

He moved to step away from the window and the man that he envied, a man who could freely hold his mate and cherish her whenever he pleased, only to pause. "While I'm gone will you-"

"I'll watch over her as if she were my own," Ephraim promised.

"I'm going to go say goodbye," he said, heading for the double parlor doors.

"Last time I looked she was still trying to beat the hell out of my son," Ephraim said on a light chuckle that made him smile.

Danni was a stubborn woman and he was probably going to miss that about her most. She hadn't take her loss to the Sentinel male well and for the last couple of days she'd been doing her damndest to kick Chris' ass, but so far there was no clear winner. Chris seemed to welcome their matches. He was stressed out over his mate's condition and when he wasn't fawning over her or taking care of his children he was looking to take his anger out on someone. He'd sparred with the Sentinel twice already and he had to admit that the man's fighting skills were very impressive.

"You going to let them take you in?" Kale asked, drawing his attention to the shifter who stood, leaning lazily back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched him.

"Are you going to collect the bounty?" he asked, knowing the man's reputation.

Kale shifted his attention to the front door. "If you're stupid enough to turn yourself in I will."

"Then I guess you'll be collecting a bounty soon enough," he said, heading down the hall towards the sounds of grunts and groans.

"Man up!" he heard Danni snap and couldn't help but smile as he remembered a time long ago when a six year old with dazzling violet eyes and messy pigtails demanded the same of him as she jumped on his back and attempted to take him down to the ground. He smiled then just as he smiled now.

"Puhlease, little girl," he heard Chris say as he rounded the corner and headed towards the large ballroom that had been turned into a makeshift gym over the last couple of days, "we both know that I'm holding back."

"You could have fooled me with that weak little slap you just pulled," Danni said, taunting the man and he wasn't too surprised when he heard her small little squeak and a startled gasp seconds later.

He stepped through the open double doors in time to see Chris effortlessly slam Danni on the matt. Even he had to admit that the man was good, but of course his Danni was just as good since he'd been the one to train her. She wasn't on the ground for more than three seconds before she turned the tables on Chris and took the large Sentinel down to the ground and had his arm yanked behind his back.

"Hey, sweetie!" she said excitedly when she spotted him. "Do you want to see me make a Sentinel cry?"

Chris rolled his eyes even as he made a silly face to his giggling daughter and sleeping son, who were lounging on a thick blanket in the corner that Chris had dubbed 'The baby training area' with a very somber little boy who hadn't so much as smiled in the past three days. When little Jessica kicked out a foot, the boy dutifully picked her up and sat her in his lap. For the past three days the boy hadn't been able to help Izzy enough. He helped with the kids, brought her chocolate, played video games with her and did a hundred other things for her that were probably irritating the hell out of her, but she never once complained.

Everyone knew that the boy was struggling with the guilt of what happened to Izzy and no matter how many times Izzy told him that it wasn't his fault, or anyone else's for that matter he just wouldn't listen. The blame rested solely with the bastard who walked out on two women who needed his help and he callously injured Izzy. For the past two days Caine had searched the area alongside Kale and Ephraim as they searched for the man, but so far they hadn't had any luck.

"Chris, I believe the doctors for Izzy are here," he said, forcing a light tone as he locked eyes with Danni. "I need to talk to you," he said, but they both knew that he was saying goodbye.