Chapter 11- Unfinished business

Lucien stood by the window of his house, staring into the quietness of his mansion. The rain had stopped sometime during the night, leaving the ground wet. 

The mansion looked peaceful from where he stood but his mind wasn't.

It had been two days since his meeting with his father. Two days since Alaric reminded him that his future had already been decided for him.

The arranged marriage.

Lilith.

The responsibilities that came with being a Delacroix.

He sighed quietly and turned away from the window.

His thoughts drifted somewhere they shouldn't.

They shifted to the girl he saved at the old wickery bridge. 

He closed his eyes for a brief moment before shaking the thought away.

"No," he muttered to himself.

He had already made up his mind.

He would stay away. It was much safer for both of them.

He walked out of his room, heading down the stairs when a knock came from the door

Lucien already knew who it was.

"Come in."

Darius walked inside without waiting any longer. He looked around before settling his eyes on Lucien.

"I was beginning to think you had disappeared."

Lucien gave a faint smile.

"You'd know if I had."

"I probably would."

Darius folded his arms.

"I came because there's been a problem."

Lucien's expression changed immediately.

"What happened?"

"A young vampire attacked someone near the east side of Ravenscourt."

Lucien frowned.

"Dead?"

Darius shook his head.

"No. The human survived."

Lucien let out a quiet breath.

"But barely," Darius added.

Silence filled the room.

"Was it intentional?" Lucien finally asked.

"We're not sure. He's newly turned. Couldn't control himself."

Lucien picked up his coat from the chair beside him.

"Where is he now?"

"We found him before sunrise. The guards have him."

Lucien nodded once.

"Let's go."

The old warehouse sat just outside the city.

Two vampire guards stood at the entrance.

They stepped aside as Lucien and Darius walked in.

The young vampire looked frightened.

He couldn't have looked older than twenty.

His hands trembled.

"I didn't mean to," he said before anyone spoke.

Lucien remained calm.

"What happened?"

"I was hungry."

"That isn't an answer."

The young vampire lowered his head.

"I lost control."

Lucien studied him quietly.

"How long since you turned?"

"It's been three weeks."

Darius looked towards Lucien.

"He hasn't completed his training."

Lucien understood immediately.

Without proper training, young vampires were dangerous.

Not because they wanted to be.

Because they didn't yet know how to control what they had become and part of Lucien’s job was to make sure the vampire kingdom maintained boundaries with the humans so they wouldn't be exposed.

Lucien walked closer.

"You cannot hunt inside Ravenscourt."

"I know."

"You cannot feed without permission."

"I know."

"You nearly exposed all of us."

The young vampire closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Lucien believed him.

Fear.

Regret.

Shame.

They were all over his face.

Lucien looked at one of the guards.

"He'll continue his training under supervision."

The guard nodded.

"And keep him away from humans until he can control himself."

"Yes, sir."

Lucien turned and walked out.

Darius followed beside him.

"I knew you'd let him live," Darius said.

"He made a mistake."

"He almost killed someone."

Lucien stopped beside his car.

"Then we'll make sure he never makes that mistake again."

Darius smiled faintly.

"Sometimes I forget you're nothing like your father."

Lucien didn't answer.

He simply got into the driver's seat.

The drive back into Ravenscourt was quiet.

Rain clouds still covered the sky.

People walked along the sidewalks carrying umbrellas.

Everything looked ordinary and calm.

Lucien drove without thinking much about where he was going.

Until something caught his attention.

He slowed the car.

His eyes shifted toward the supermarket across the street.

There it was again.

That soft and familiar scent that was almost impossible to mistake.

Katerina.

He looked around carefully. People entered and left but none of them were her.

But the scent lingered.

Fresh enough that she couldn't have been gone for very long.

Darius noticed Lucien staring through the windshield.

"What is it?"

Lucien remained silent.

Darius looked towards the supermarket.

"You know someone there?"

Lucien started the engine again.

"No."

"You sure?"

Lucien pulled back onto the road.

"I'm sure."

But even as the supermarket disappeared in the rear-view mirror, the scent remained in his mind.

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

Avoiding her had seemed simple before but now he wasn't so sure anymore.

Fate just had a way of bringing them closer.

First the cafe, now her lingering scent from the supermarket.

He knew sooner than later their paths would cross again and a part of him anticipated that day.