Cat And Mouse *Invited Only* [Vladen]

Mel did the only thing she thought humanely possible. She gave her life to Vlad in one movement, bringing her tummy to his lips and feeding the blood to him. By drinking Mel's blood, Vlad would take on her life, her strength and her fight, enabling him to heal his own woulnds, thus live.
Mel didn't think while she did this, not about dying, nor the twins. All she could think about was Vlad.
Would he live? Could Mel - Little old Mel - really save him?

Vladen unconcious mind is adrift. Lost in thought's of what he has just done..He had killed Mel's father..would she ever be able to look at him again, would she ever be able to kiss him..to hold him?

There thought's were raging through Vladen unconcious mind. He barely registered Mel's weight land on him, or her soft touch as she searches for sign's of life. Vladen's body is covered in cut's, bruises and one rather vicious cut from the ball of his shoulder to his nipple almost. His mouth is covered in blood, it now dry is mar's his face and chest.

Vladen breathing is slow and shallow, and extremely irregular.

It was a while before Mel woke, and cried out in pain as she tried to move. Searching her stomach for the source of the pain, Mel found stitches. Hot pain seared through her flesh as she touched each one.
Cringing and laying back flat, Mel slowly felt each of her bruises come to life and throb through her limbs. And then the memories flooded back to her. Her dad... Vladen...
"VLADEN!!!!!!!" Mel jumped ignoring the pain as the stiches split and the wound opened up, and ran into the lounge, flopping over his limp body and searching for signs of life.

As soon as Vladen heard Mel's voice, he let the body of the dead shadow fiend drop. Was it Mel's dad he had just killed?

He could taste blood in his mouth. Walking over to Mel and touching her forehead. Vladen send's her back into her unconcious body, her mind now being her's and her's alone. With an effort of will Vladen snap's himself back into his own mind. He was Were-Vladen in his physical form and he was covered in bump's. bruises, scrapes, cut's and gashes. Turning back into his human form Vladen carries the unconcious Mel to the bathroom.

sliding with her into the bath, Vladen tend's to her wound's with a first aid kit rescued from the bathroom cabinet. Glad she is unconcious Vladen stitches the gash in her stomach closed with neat and small stitches while whispering with each stitch "Im sorry..Im sorry..".

Once Mel's wound's are clean and she is clean and he has washed the tear's from her face. Vladen carries Mel into the bedroom and lay's her down on his makeshift bed. Covering her in blanket's and laying his favourite hoodie over her. Vladen makes his way back to the living room and collapses onto the sofa.

I killed Mel's dad..was the last thought in his mind, before darkness takes him too.

Mel was crawling away, only just consious, trying not to listen to the tortured cries of the man she once looked up to.
Tear streaked down her delicate face, ruining it's beauty with tragedy and drama that didn't belong there. Everything was spinning, tipping upside down, going black...
Mel only whispered one word to her father as she slipped into unconcsiousness.
"Sorry..."

Vladen kisses her softly and lingeringly, Striding deeper into her mind. He comes across the image of a man, tall and shrouded in Shadow. In an instant..forgetting all but Mel and his Love for her. Vladen transform's with a cry and a flash of light to Were-Vladen, striding toward's the image as gashes, cut's and bruises appear on his skin and in his fur. Vladen takes it about the throat and begin's to beat it savegly, while drawing tortured grunt's and scream's from the figure.

Roaring like an animal, as the voice of a man cries out in pain. Vladen takes at shadowed figure of the man. Knowing it to be Mel's father. Vladen marshall's all his thought's,and forces his Were-self to speak in a deep and rumbling growl.

"Mel..Mine..I love..her..Check..mate.."

Vladen growl's as he sink's his teeth into the throat of the shadowed figure, knowing with certainty he is saving Mel. Vladen takes this shadow fiend's life without hesitation.

Mel was fighting her Father, not only mentally but physically, too. Bruises slowly appeared on her arms and legs and he desperately tried to drag her deeper into the darkness. Caught in the spar with her Father, and now trapped, Mel cried out as a gash opened her flesh on her stomach, drenching the shirt she had been wearing in blood instantly. Sobbing and still fighting, though weakening, Mel did the only thing she could think of.
"Vlad!!! Vlad you have to enter my mind further! Follow my voice! My Father!" Mel didn't know if he could hear her or not, but soon knew it was time to get her lover's help. His strength out-matched hers with a huge intensity and she was sure he would be able to fight her Father off. Wouldn't he?

Suddenly Vladen is there beside Mel, is her mind as much as physically. His smile warm, welcoming and full of love for her. His eye's seem to only be for her as they shine with intensity. His scent blanket's her and cut's her off from the darkness as his love and the need and want to protect her shine through their bond.

Vladen's image in Mel's mind is his concious mind. He had forced it from his body to save her and now it had found her mind. Taking her into his arm's Vladen's lip's seek out her's as he wrap's himself around her in the most protective embrace she will have ever felt. Mumrering against her lip's Vladen say's " I love you Melanie Midnight Fisher..If he takes you..he has to take me too.."

Mel frowned, the nightmare coming back to her in a rush. Through death she had left everything she loved behind, and now it faced her like a wall of guilt.
Still crying and trembling, Mel forced the spasms to stop, failing in an attempt to open her eyes. She wanted to be free, but she couldn't seem to break the bonds that held her on the edge of life. Her mouth was dry and her breath was coming in a raspy gasps, barely heard over Vlad's breathing.
She cried out as pain surged through her heart, like venom being injected in, and she heard her Father's voice once more, the threatening, skillful tone he always took with his victims now clear as he spoke to her.
"You cursed creature, will die tonight, and nothing is going to save you. Not even your pet monster will save you, Melanie Fisher. You are bound by the bonds of your family and we still have control of you. Ah Melanie, it's such a shame you couldn't play by OUR rules.." His voice was like silk; it held no pity nor hatred, just a skillful killer's voice. The voice of a murderer just about to kill his first victim.

Vladen strives to reach the image of Mel he had seen in her mind. "Listen to me Mel..I had the same dream..Twin's a boy and a girl..With my eye's and your beautiful skin and hair..Strong and healthy. Fight for them Mel..fight for Me!" Vladen deep and rich voice ring's out through her mind, as he fight's his way through the black fog in her mind, like a shining beacon of light.

"Think of them Mel..Think of our children..think of them growing up..Listen to me..Your father cannot take you..you are mine..and i am your's!" Vladen near's Mel through the fog in her mind until he can almost reach her. With a surge of energy his mind image is there beside her. His touch warm and welcoming, his scent strong of the tallest and deepest forest pine, and the deepest and coolest earth.

Mel saw Vlad on the very fringes of her mind; saw the pleading in his eyes. Suddenly she was fighting for her life again, her undying love for him giving her the strength to live once more.
And, although Vladen's arms. The spasms were less aggressive now, although they still racked her body at regular intervals, as if an electrical current were running right through her.
Mel's breathing was so weak you could neither feel, sense, nor hear the breaths coming from her now dry lips, but Mel was alive. And in that moment, for perhaps the first in a while, she was glad she had cheated death.

Vladen could feel Mel becoming limp. A strangled cry eruppting from his throat at he presses his forehead to her's..breaking his promise to his mother. Vladen appear's in Mel's mind, stood there manifested before her in the clothes he had been wearing in the room with her. "Mel..Come to me..Please..dont let it end like this..or..or..I will have to join you..Dont leave..I refuse to let you leave! " Vladen's image in Mel's mind moves toward's her and takes her into his arm's. "Mel..I've got you..and i refuse to let you go.."

Vladen knew he was at risk, he knew he could die..but in that moment..in that split heartbeat..His only though was Mel..and his love shining out for her like a beacon from the tallest and brightest lighthouse. "I love you Melanie Midnight Fisher."

Mel could feel the darkness covering her like a blanket; smothering her will to live. Soon she would be dead, and she knew it. It was almost a relief, and if it wasn't for Vladen, Mel would be welcoming death with open arms.
She could feel her heart beginning to burn, her eyes watering as if acid had been poured into them. The pain she experienced was like no other pain she had either felt nor known of on this planet.
Giving up like a wounded animal, with barely a squeek, Mel let death slowly begin to take her, sucking what was left of her fight from her heart and slowly but surely taking her very life and soul.
Soon, Mel would just be a shell, but somehow, she couldn't work out what was holding her here any longer. Confusion filled her mind as she heard panicked breathing, but she did not dwell on it. She was flying, and soon she would be painless.

Vladen subconiously made a decision, raising his palm to his lip's he bites savegly into it. Releasing his own blood as it run's down his wrist. Hoping his scent will draw her back, Vladen tries one last gambit, as his panic rises. Leaning forward's he clamp's his mouth to her's in a blistering kiss. Hoping it will draw her back from this new fever.

Vladen tries to fight down his panic, feeling what she is feeling through the bond. His own breathing laboured and his enitre body shaking. He had one last gambit, though he sworn to his mother he would never do it. This was Mel..his love..for her..if this did not work..He would enter her mind.

Mel couldn't breathe, couldn't see and all she could hear of the of Vladen's voice was the comforting tone; she couldn't make out the words he spoke.
Mel was panicking, she knew that, but she couldn't breathe nor react to whatever was making her this way.
Help me... Light above help me... I can't breathe, Vlad. Where are you?! Tears streamed from her eyes as the spasms took hold of her body, racking it with colossal rocks and lunges in Vlad's arms.

Gripping her tightly against his chest, with his arm's wrapped around her as she spasm's and fit's in his arm's, Vlad inwardly fight's down panic. Calming himself like his training had taught him, Vladen speak's to Mel softly and gently.

" Shhh..Shhhh..Light of my life..I know it hurt's..Listen to me, im here..i've got you and be damned while i breath if anything is going to happen to you..listen to my heart beat my love..im here.."

Mel's eyes rolled as Vlad caught her just in time, just as her legs had buckled. Now Mel knew it wasn't just the shock that was causing this, and there was something really drastically wrong.
Not knowing what to do, or say, Mel grabbed for Vlad in a desperate bid to have him near her, her sight slowly blackening as she passed out in his arms.
The pain cursed through her brain and body, sending spasms down her arms and legs.
It hurts... Oh Vlad it hurts...

Vladen has started to get a headache..feeling this wasnt right, he walk's a little shakily through the kitchen door toward's Mel. "Mel..what's wrong my love?" Vladen ask's as he see's her gasping for Air. Crossing the room in an instant and scooping her effortlessly into his arm's.

He knew something was desperatly wrong, and knew she would need him close.

Mel smiled weakly, still trying to battle with the incandescant pounding in her head. It was getting louder and she knew that soon Vlad would hear it and rush to her side. Stumbling out to the opening, she sought out some fresh air, breathing it in with huge breaths.
Headaches weren't common for Mel; she rarely suffered from migrains, but the shock of Vlad's news had set her off badly, and Mel was struggling to think coherantly.

" You know something Melanie Midnight Fisher..I love you..Im here to catch you when you fall, dry your tear's, protect you and comfort you!"

Vladen's deep and rich voice boom's out from the kitchen. He had been thinking of a way to explain it. Now..Understand what it was he meant to himself, Vladen found through their shared bond, that he was able to explain it to Mel.

Mel sighed and let Vlad's words sink in. It was a huge shock. A huge step from her old life. Could she really make it without falling down?
Mel sighed again, putting her head in her hands, hoping the dull ache would recede before Vlad had a chance to notice and worry about her. The ammount of information wasn't the problem. It was the shock and the ammount that Mel had to get her head round. She loved Vlad, there was no doubt about it, but she couldn't be sure whether she could trust that Shienara would keep her Father away. She would always be lookng over her shoulder, knowing they would have to face him some day.
Could Mel really live like that for God knows how long?

Vladen knew when Mel thanked him she had meant it with all her heart. This touched Vladen and made him smile broadly. Staying where he was, Vladen decided Mel needed some space to adjust to everything he had told her. Slipping silently from the room and into the kitchen. Vlad fishes a can of coke from the box on the side, opening it and giving Mel some time to herself.

He knew she had truely loved the dresses and the necklace, and she had strong feeling's over the ring. Vladen lean's back against the counter and smiles gently. She would love Sheinara, and love his family..He knew she would and he also knew she would be safe there.

Mel nodded slowly and slipped her hand into Vlad's as if trying only to comfort herself and school her breathing back to normal.
Sighing, Mel sat down in the wreck of the sofa and eyed the ring on her finger. It was quite huge on her delicate hand, but she liked the way it looked, and she knew it would be safe with her. Having been somewhat comforted by Vlad's certainty, Mel sought out the confidence to look at the dresses again, trying to envisage herself in each one of them. She particularly liked the red one, and the one with blue and purple in it.
She smiled and got up to look at them closer. The seems and such were done well; unlikely to come undone or break if they are caught. Touching the edges and fabric again, she smiled and thanked Vlad, meaning it with all her heart.

"Oh Mel..there is no need to be so nervous..Scarlet..or Rather.."Queen Scarlet" is one of my closest relatives, We grew up together..She will likely be formal while other's are there but as soona s they are gone, Will likely throw her arm's around you and hug you tightly..Besides..She know''s all about you" Vladen smiles at Mel, kissing her forehead softly while trying to relax her through an embrace.

Scarlet had heard of Mel through Vladen's email's and likely new as much about her as Vladen did. Vladen's love and certainty would flood through their bond. He was not in the least bit scared only nervous in part that Mel would like Scarlet.

"Mel..i trust you with my love...life..and soul.." Vladen murmer's close to her lip's.

Mel didn't know what to say. For once, she was proparly lost for words and couldn't seem to choke the words out that she wished to speak.
She shook her head, not able to close her eyes and blink, and took the ring from Vladn as if it could break any moment. She sighed at it's beauty and slipped it on, letting it settle on her ring finger of her left hand.
"I shall guard it with my life... I swear on it.." Mel whispered, too gobsmacked to say anything more.
It was a sudden jolt when Vlad's last words hit home, and sank into Mel's mind, too. Queen? Presented to the Queen? Her mouth dropped open again as she gaped at Vladen, fear, hesitation and anxiety clear through both her eyes and the couple's bond.
Did Vlad really turst her so?