Hard day's KNIGHT {AJ, openish}

[Quinn Merrick]

I wanna be there when you call
I wanna catch you when you fall
I wanna be the one you need
I wanna be the one you breathe

Today’s the day we’ll fade away, oh
Today’s the day we’ll fade away, oh
Today’s the day we’ll find our way grown
Today’s the day we’ll fade away

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The sun was strong; beating across his bare back in a wave of heat, and on any other day, he would have shrugged off the burn. But today, on the anniversary of the worst moment of his very long, very tiring existence?

He was allowed to wallow, dammit. And nobody was going to tell him otherwise.

The hammer made loud, clanking sounds as he brought it up against the bent propeller of his Cessna. The plane was too old to fly straight, and yet he was in loathe to trade it in for a new one…if he could find anything better in this God forsaken place. Sporting scars from close encounters with thunder storms and unhappy customers, the small red plane stood on its last legs; duck tape, wire and other cheap fixings being the only things able to hold it together. But the two of them had been through so much together; running from warlords in East Africa, dodging bullets in Korea, sailing through the harsh storms of Vietnam and Puerto Rico. One just couldn’t give up on a friend so easily, bent propeller, or no.

At least, that’s what he thought before he’d tried to make that meeting with O’Riley earlier that morning, and found that he could hardly start the engine; forget actually getting into the air. And while he courted Death daily, like some kind of weird, psychotic stalker, he didn’t actually want to meet it so suddenly.

If anything, he was to die in battle; staring up into the clear blue skies above his head. Not writhing in agony as oil-inspired flames ate up his body. Call it a personal preference.

Wiping his sweat soaked brow against his arm, he sighed. Battle…now there was a laughing stock. He remembered a time when honor, chivalry and trust had marked every day of his life; had ruled the world that he had so happily lived in. But now? In this sorry little place that the locals called ‘home’? Duty was a myth told daily to children before they went to sleep. Now, life was filled with distrust, chaos and blood.
‘Depressing’ didn’t even begin to cover things. But he would get used to it; he always did.

If not, there was always going out into the jungle and letting the wild animals- or, hell, even the locals- have at him. At least someone wouldn’t go hungry.

…Once again, could one say ‘depressing’?

A rough chuckle burst from a stubble-covered mouth at such dark thoughts, its owner shaking his head back and forth slowly as a bitter smile stole across his face. Mussed brown hair that sported traces of grey streaking its temples lay pasted against his head; adding to the irritatingly itchy feeling that was easily relieved as a scarred hand ran bitten nails across his scalp. Shirtless and sporting only a pair of dirt stained cargo pants and scuffed work boots, he blended in easily with the locals who used the semi-cleared runway for their own planes. Scars crisscrossed his back in angry waves, and an odd black snake-tongue of a tattoo wove its way around his arm, from shoulder blade to ribcage, and finally up over his chest to end under his jaw. Such a mark was enough to make any respectable wanna-be-face in the crowd gasp in outrage, but hell, he wasn’t exactly one for the rules. Not to mention that tats like his were to be expected in disaster laden New Orleans, his current home. Him, Quinton Merrick, leader of a band of runaway supernaturals and shifter extraordinaire.

Or was it prison? He just could never tell the two a part.




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[AJ Romanov]

Sick of playing all of these games
It's not about taking sides
When I looked in the mirror didn't deliver
It hurt enough to think that I could stop
Admit that I'm wrong
And then change my mind
Sorry boy, I've gotta be strong
And leave you behind
I can't waste time so give it a moment
I realize nothing's broken
No need to worry about everything I've done
Live every second like it was my last one
Don't look back, got a new direction
I loved you once, needed protection
You're still a part of everything I do
You're on my heart just like a tattoo

What had started out as a simple mission had turned into a fuck up beyond all imagination. This Anastasia knew as she left the darkening rooms of their hide out and stepped out into the setting daylight. Althought direct sunlight could still be deadly to her kind, the last rays that lingered on the horizon were no more than a nuisance as she was covered from head to toe in a black cloak, boots and gloves. Black Raybans' perched on her delicate nose and the material of her hood was pulled down so that nothing of the creamy skin below was revealed. All in all, she was the picture of someone who didn't want to be noticed. Waving her hand lightly, the young woman caught a cab and directed him to the airstrip outside of town.

As she settled against the old, musty seat that smelled of smoke and the rot of the city, a small sneer of disgust curled her lips. God, how she hated some of the more modern conveyances. The times of horse and carriage had been so much more to her taste even if it had had its limitations. At least she hadn't had to smell the sweat and grim of others.

The ride to the airport took very little time, thank the virgin, and soon AJ was able to breath a sigh of relief as she stepped from the confining space. If there was one thing she truly hated, it was being trapped in any amount of small space without control of when she got out and how. It was only necessarily that had demanded it since her own vehicle was still in France.

Paying the man quickly, the petite female strolled into the airport and straight through the security without anyone even glancing twice at her. Mortals were so easy to dupe and before she knew it, she was staring out at an air mat full of jets, planes and other various aircraft. By passing the larger planes completely, she turned towards a smaller strip further down the runaway and walked quickly towards it. For her purposes, a big craft would not be needed. Just something small and capable of seeing her and her brother safely home to their den. Something she would be able to hire immediately before Luka suspected that his new little birds had flown the coop.

Oh yes, she'd seen the signs of the vampires lust the night before. She'd seen the conflicting images that had flashed through the vile creatures brain and it had scared the crap out of her for the first time in centuries. Not for herself... but for Alek. Alek's mind was unstable at best and the pull of their creator might very well prove to be to much of a temptation. That and the blood lust that Luka symbolized.

She had to protect her brother at all cost. ALL COST.

The only way to do that was to remove him for the temptation and do it without hesitancy. It was her job. It was her duty. She had failed him twice before.... She would not fail him this time.

Or it would be the death of both of them.

That thought in mind, AJ hurried towards the strip hosting two small aircraft. One was an eleborate lear Jet while the other seemed a broken down wreak. Because she had to pass the older craft to get to the other, AJ started around it only to feel a familiar sensation take up residence in her spine. Frowning, she slowed her pace and gave the plane a cool look over but could fine no reason for the feeling.

Right up to the moment her gaze landed on a familiar broad back with a tatoo she'd spent hours tracing with her fingers... tongue... lips... a back with wide scars that she'd kissed and soothed a million times.... A back that was still topped with powerful shoulders that could toss her around like a leaf on the wind and crisp black hair that she could tell from here that still smelled like a wild west wind.

BLOODY HELL. It could NOT be Quinton Merrick. Not here... Not Now. If she were wise, she'd turn right back around and get the hell out of dodge before her luck went any worse. This was a complication she did NOT need.

Unfortunately, her feet seemed to move of their own accord and they drew her closer as her eyes drank him in like a thirsty man in the Sahara. Since he had not yet noticed her, AJ decided to allow herself this moment before she forced herself to walk away ... AGAIN.

God, he was still the sexiest man on the planet.

Damn him for the lying, merciless bastard he was.

[Quinn Merrick]

The damn propeller just would NOT straighten out, which meant that he’d need a brand new one. Damn. Like he had the funds to spare for that. Sure, his contacts in the underground circuit could probably find a spare blade for half the price a commercial business would charge, not to mention that years of saving had made him a little more than a millionaire. But, given the fact that his life revolved around a growing band of supernaturals, and he made sure that most of his funds went to their housing and college funds…well, one could truthfully call him broke. The blade would seriously deplete him, and he still needed a couple hundred to pay off the local do-gooders, just in case one of them got the idea to tag his plane.

Ah, the hardships of having a shipping business as a hobby. He was seriously good at the smuggling thing, which was a bit surprising…but hell, it took his mind off of other things, which was nice. Other things, like a particular pair of dark eyes that flashed like fire when aroused—

FUCK, he wasn’t going there.

Throwing down his wrench with a curse, he resisted the urge to kick something. Like, maybe that scuttling little alley rat hanging around his spare parts. Yelling incentives in the his native French and waving his arms, he made an interesting sight as he chased the greasy animal off.

Bah, he was sick of having to hide his side business from his people. What was it with all of these Old World types, thinking that, because he led them out of the Dark Ages, protected them, provided them with shelter and made sure that they all got along, he was their King, or something? He was just a fallen knight cursed with a long life and four furry legs! But no, EVERYTIME someone found out that he was doing something ‘below his station,’ they had a royal freak out session.

God, it wasn’t like he was born of that kind of blood. He had some aristocratic stock in him, sure, but it had been burned away a long time ago, when his brothers turned their backs on him.

Sliding a rag out of his back pocket, he wiped at the sweat that dripped down his neck. God, he hated this fucking place, and hell if he knew why he stayed. It was hot, dirty, had more corruption than your average Washington dinner party…and yet there he was, setting up base in New Orleans, waiting for some new clients to show up and provide him with the means to buy a new propeller for his bitch of a plane.

It really was like a woman. An ornery, bipolar woman.

…And there went those images again. WHY did it always come back to her? It was as if his mind were on some kind of masochistic loop. Her eyes, her face, her smile, her scent—

Quinn froze as a breeze brushed by him, body going instantly tense. Her scent…good God, either he was going completely insane, or he really was smelling that familiarly enticing scent. Anastasia Romanov, here? In the Americas? In New Orleans?

GODDAMMIT, SOMEONE UPSTAIRS HATED HIS ASS!

Slowly- he could actually hear the cartoon-like creaking in his head- he turned to face her, eyes flashing slightly like a cat’s in the fluorescent lights around them. His heart stopped, backed up and proceeded to faint as that familiar countenance burned itself into his retinas, and despite his ability to keep his emotions in check, he knew that a multitude were flying across his face; shock, anger…desire.

“Anastasia…” He murmured, accent thick with surprise. “Fancy meeting you here.”

[AJ Romanov]

How the hell'd we wind up like this
And why weren't we able
To see the signs that we missed
And try to turn the tables
I wish you'd unclench your fists
And unpack your suitcase
Lately there's been too much of this
But don't think it's too late
Nothing's wrong
Just as long as you know that someday I will
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it alright
But not right now


Shit.

Talk about caught in the act. Somehow, of all the reunion moments she'd played out a million times in her head.. Having him catch her ogling that tight ass of his had NOT been one of them. Nor had she planned on her bodies reaction to the mere thought that she was only feet away from the one and only man who'd ever been able to stir her to lust by just a look.

That settled it. God truly must hate her.

In an attempt to act like she hadn't just been fantasizing about all the things she'd used to do to that sweat soaked body, Anastasia Romanov, better known as AJ, arched a brow and flipped back the hood of her cloak. The disguise wasn't much use on him as he'd obviously had already identified her and the sun had just set so she didn't need the cover from what rays remained. Her shades her the only covering she kept and she was thankful for them as she moved forward.

"Quinn Merrick. I'd say its a pleasure but.... We both know I'm not that good of a liar." she said cooly.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" chanted her inner slut. "It is indeed a pleasure... It would be even more so if you'd get your sexy self over here so I could jump your bones."

"SHUT IT" she inwardly muttered.

With a nonchalant stride that she hoped gave the impression of complete detachment, the petite Russian beauty squared her shoulders and lifted her chin in a show of defiance.

"My My... How the mighty have fallen. Please tell me this is some toy and not what you've been forced to regress too."

Turning her attention to the aircraft he was working on, she ran a hand over the end of a wing and shuddered.The thing looked to be on its last legs and she wouldn't have been at all surprised to find duck tape holding it together by the looks of it.

"I always knew you like to live dangerously, Darling, but this is foolish even for you." she said with a forced smile. "Surely this isn't the way you spend all your time? Working on a decrepit old plane that would be better served in the junkyard than in the air? Or have you just become that suicidal?"

OK, so maybe her bitch side was coming out but she simply couldn't help it. It wouldn't do for him to realize that the thought of him up in the stupid thing made her crazy. No, it wouldn't do at all for him to realize that she had any feelings for him whatsoever besides a deep distain.

She was definitely coming back here later tonight though and dismantling this dangerous bitch.

[Quinn Merrick]

God above, it really was her. Gah, for once, he would have LOVED to be seeing things, or having some kind of waking dream. Why did she have to be real, now, out of all the damn times he could have seen her?! No, it couldn’t have been when he was well rested, or when he was near a flower shop. All those memories, those emotions he’d been so good at repressing, bubbled to the surface and threatened to choke him.

The feeling of her arms around his waist…the taste of her lips against his…the warmth of her body as it pressed against him at night. She’d staved off the loneliness with her very presence, her rapier wit keeping him on his toes, intrigued…

In love. His chest burned where a small gold ring lay idly against his sternum, and his fingers twitched as if with the urge to grasp it. He had only wanted to protect her from a man who was going to be her downfall, and in the end, he had lost her.

For once, his knightly code had been his undoing. He’d planned for this day for so long; had thought long and hard about the apology he would give her, and the promises he would keep. He would even apologize to that monster of a brother that she cared so much for; anything, if only to regain that semblance of peace that he’d had while being held in her arms.

But the words never came. Pride cometh before the Fall, did it? Well, hello, P-man…you fucking douchebag.

A humorless smile slid onto his face to match her own. “Still possessing an acidic tongue, I see,” He drawled in reply, looking back at his ‘decrepit’ plane. He wondered about the pros to giving her his back after their last parting, but he trusted that she didn’t hate him THAT much. “It’s good to know that some things never change. But as for your question…no, I don’t fly for my livelihood. The colony is living in New Orleans, for the moment. We have almost fifty members, now, and some of them need…special groceries.”

Aka, things that needed to be smuggled in from third world countries; things like wolfbane, exotic herbs, special tranqs and other imported goods that were necessary for keeping their secret. Given that he’d rather die than give into ‘his peoples’’ demands that he sit on his ass and play president, he’d made himself the chief smuggler of the group and ran out into the clouds whenever he could.

Shrugging, he hammered on the propeller for a few minutes, then slid his hand across the cool metal lovingly. Without looking at her, he spoke again, “And you, Tasia? What brings you to the New World? I recall you once calling it ‘a cesspool of unwanted monsters.’”

[AJ Romanov]

Would you mind if I hurt you?
Understand that I need to
Wish that I had other choices
than to harm the one I love
What have you done now?!
I know I'd better stop trying
You know that there's no denying
I won't show mercy on you now
I know, should stop believing
I know, there's no retrieving
It's over now, what have you done?

So. This was how they would play the game. Each stepping around the subject that would suck them in like quick sand. A subject that would bring an end to the polite chit chat and put them both firmly on opposite sides of the fence.

A subject that would bring back the hated memories.

Ha. As if they weren't already lingering over their shoulders like demonic spectrals intent on making the living as miserable as the damned dead. Well, at least.. things living as much as she could be due to her changed state. Man, wasn't that a study in contrasts?

Shaking her head a bit ruefully, AJ allowed her eyes to linger on his muscled back even as her logical side demanded a retreat. Everything in her screamed that he was Danger with a capital D and a complication she could not deal with at the moment. There was simly to much at stake for her to allow herself to be distracted.

No matter how bad she wanted to run to him like the little lost girl she'd been the first time they had met. No matter how her very soul cried out for the protection he'd once offered her with no thought for the cost it might mean to himself. No matter how much love still lived in her heart or how much she might thirst to drowned herself in the oasis that was his love.

Fuck. This certainly wasn't a bump in the road that she could have foreseen. This was a fucking mountain that she had no hope of climbing. Damn him and his sexy self. Why here? Why NOW? Why after all these years of silence did he suddenly have to appear on the one mission that meant everything to her?

Bloody hell. What was it that famous English dude had said? Walter Churchil, she believed said it all when he spoke his thoughts. "Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it." ?

AJ was definitely feeling him at the moment.

And then Quinn's words brought her back to the moment and she realized that her treacherous feet had taken her to the foot of his ladder. From her position, she could see the drops of sweat that beaded on his back and rolled his movements. It caused the tip of her own tongue to slip out and wet her suddenly dry lips with nervous temptation.

Damn. Time hadn't lessened the effect of his masculinity on her.

"Well, I suppose that we all have our parts to play in the major scheme of things." she said nonchalantly, giving a delicate shrug of her shoulders. "Better that than sitting on ones laurels and growing fat and lazy. Thats been the runation of a great many men. Good and bad alike."

Since full dark had fallen while they spoke, the petite Russian beauty unbuttoned her cloak and allowed it to slide off her shoulders. Folding it so that it rested negligently over an arm, she cocked a hip and tilted her face to the night air. The summer heat was nothing to her but the feel of the breeze on her face made her think of lost innocence and girlhood dreams.

Dreams that had been shattered along with everything else in her mortal life.

Stiffening at those thoughts, the young woman slid her sunglasses back on and turned back to the male.

"Well, as pleasant as this walk down memories lane has been, I should be about my business. Alek and I must find a plane to carry us home as soon as possible...."she practically barked out before turning away from the plane. "Take care of yourself, Merrick. "

[Quinn Merrick]

”Yes, I suppose that’s true, too,” He replied, just as nonchalantly. ”But after a few hundred years, one kind of wishes that all he has to do is sit and get fat. Playing the soldier gets old after a while.”

The rhythmic banging of his hammer against the bent propeller was what kept him grounded, as the vampire came closer to him. Thank all that was holy that he didn’t look over his shoulder, when he heard the telltale sounds of a hood being pushed back. He knew that if he did, if he even chanced a glance at her, he would be on his knees before her…or pushing her down onto the ground beneath him.

No woman had ever caught him as securely as Anastasia had. Her charm, her wit, her devotion; she was unlike any other woman he’d met in his very long life. What he’d tried to do was an attempt to protect her, and though she spurned the knightly efforts, he still desired her. Even though she chose a monster over him, a man who cared for her like no other, he still wanted her.

And he couldn’t have her. Never again, especially now that he was such a damn important figure with his little ragtag group of misfits. Her brother was a liability none of them needed…and that meant that so was Anastasia. He had to put the safety of his people over his lust for someone who hated him, didn’t he? Yes, he certainly did.

…Which was exactly why he was off his ladder and catching her around the arm before she could make it more than twenty steps away from him. Damn his stupid heart! Or was it another part of his body demanding an advance?

No, he wasn’t about to get cold cocked for advancing on her so quickly. With a wince, he released her arm and took a step back, giving her room. Crap, what the hell was he supposed to say? He couldn’t ask her to stick around, and given their past, she was probably leaving to stop herself from trying to kill him. His chest still burned from where she took a swipe at him, all those years ago, and his fingers twitched for a weapon.

Not that he’d ever use one on her. Shit, this wasn’t going to end well; he just knew it.

”I could fly you home,” Aha, eureka! ”This old heap might look scary, but she’s braved bullets and warlords and made it out. Let me take you both where you need to go.”

[AJ Romanov]

Sick of playing all of these games
It's not about taking sides
When I looked in the mirror didn't deliver
It hurt enough to think that I could stop
Admit that I'm wrong
And then change my mind
Sorry boy, I've gotta be strong
And leave you behind
I can't waste time so give it a moment
I realize nothing's broken
No need to worry about everything I've done
Live every second like it was my last one
Don't look back, got a new direction
I loved you once, needed protection
You're still a part of everything I do
You're on my heart just like a tattoo


God. Who ever said that vampires where a heartless bunch?

AJ was pretty damned certain that the thing in her chest that felt as if it had been knifed was the very thing the tales said they weren't suppose to have. Even after all these years, Quinn Merrick was still her only weakness it seemed. Well, besides Alek, that was. The only other chink in her mail that was the very reason she couldn't turn and bound right back into the dark shifters arms.

Sweet Mary, mother of god, how she sometimes hated the bond to her sibling as much as she loved it. Alek was her whole world but the burden of his illness was sometimes almost more than she could bear. She made certain that it never showed in her face while around him but there had been many a time when she had wept tears of blood for the life that had been forced upon them both. In her heart, she knew that the bloodlust weighted heavily upon him too and placed the blame for that squarely on her own shoulders.


If only she hadn't lead him upon that street that night.. If only she hadn't followed the "kind" man so trustingly like a lamb to slaughter.. If only she hadn't decided to take Alek with her that night to search for food.

But a world full of what if's still didn't change what was.

There was no use looking backwards and wishing for anything more than what she had. There was no magical time machine that would transport them back through the years to that moment and allow them a do over. There was only here and now and the moment at hand.

Suddenly, the touch of a hand upon her arm wheeled her around and her eyes flashed open to glint dangerously. Quinn had immediately backed up a fair space and it was a good thing he had or he might have been sliding across the concrete mat with a powerful shove.

If there was one thing AJ reacted badly to more than any other was being touched. She HATED to be touched and the only people she'd ever allowed that liberty too had been her brother and Quinn.

And Quinn was a wise man.

The words he spoke, however, surprised her. With a slender brow arching, AJ almost lost control and dropped her jaw. At the last moment, however, she managed to regain control and simply gave a mirthless laugh.

"Oh really? Have your feelings changed so much in the last 80 years, my love? What makes you think I would trust you to fly us safely? Especially in that rat trap? Do you think I have no forgotten the fact that you tried to kill my brother? Do you think I have forgotten that your honor code demands that you eliminate any threat to those you deem worthy?" she asked in a chiding voice even as her eyes glittered. "Милая моя (My Sweet) , I'm not so much a fool as all that. The temptation to destroy Alek would be to great for you to resist and too much for me to chance.... You might be compelled into an action that would doom us all more than we already are."

Then, relaxing her stiff posture for a second, the petite beauty moved close and laid her hand upon his cheek. Her eyes softened momentarily as she gazed up at him in a mixture of longing, regret and tenderness.

"Over the years I've come to understand your actions that night, tyomnii chelovek... But even while I can understand your duty and your intent.... It is not something I can forget. You took actions that were not needed and I will not ever endanger Alek like that again."

Then, stepping back, she let out a low sigh and let her hand drop.

"Especially not now.... not here..... The one thing Alek and I need is finally within our grasp and I will allow no one to interfere with it."

[Quinn Merrick]

Dammit, this was just so wrong on so many levels! The wolf inside of him was frothing at the mouth, for want of taking what it knew was his. But the man inside, the rational side of his being? It knew that what he’d tried to do in the past, under the pretence of protecting his woman or no, could not be so easily forgiven. He still believed that Alek should be taken care of, sure…but over the years, he’d done his best to try to see her side of things. How would he have reacted, if someone had come after his brother? His family?

…But God, even after this long, he just couldn’t believe she didn’t see the sense in what he’d been trying to do! Her brother had died the moment that monster had turned them both. The…thing that was walking around today, that child-like little man? It was nothing but a walking, talking pile of bloodlust, who was going to snap at some point, and draw unwanted attention to itself and its sister.

He just couldn’t have that. He respected AJ enough to have left her alone when she’d gathered her brother and fled his camp. He’d respected her and cared for her enough to move to another continent; to distance himself from the need to protect by any means necessary, because the end product would be painful for her. He’d tried to forget her, to move on, to convince his wolf that there were other women in the world, better suited to him.

It had never worked. For all these centuries, he’d kept an eye on her from afar; keeping tabs on where she went, what she was doing…who she associated with. He had never been one for jealousy; had never seen the point in it, but even rumor was enough to make him consider breaking his vows.

Now was no different. He could see the flash of pain in her eyes; the same knowledge that he had about the monster that was her brother. Why did she keep fighting it? Didn’t she understand that he could help her? That he could keep her safe?

With a savagery that made him wonder how far off he could put his next change, Quinn shoved those tumultuous thoughts to the back of his mind. He would not think of how he was still so easily driven by that sweet face, or how that endearment- sarcastic or not- made his heart skip a beat in his chest.

As she stepped back, he stepped forward, instinctively closing the distance between them. ”Your brother died the moment he was made by the monster you so hate,” He said softly, regret evident on his face, as it was on hers. ”Why you protect it…I don’t understand. Aren’t you allowed some semblance of happiness, Anastasia? When will you stop trying to be the protector, and accept my protection?”

He shook his head again, knowing her answer before she said it herself. When she declared that something important was going on, a frown pulled at his lips. Slowly, carefully, he reached out to brush his fingers along her arm. ”Why is now so important to you, vampire?”

[AJ Romanov]

No pain killers make it go away.
I tried them once before but it didn't work for me.
Theres no pain killers to make it go away.
If I tried to overdose it wouldn't bright no change anyways.

How could she explain any of the things that she was feeling to him? How could she explain that the one hope she had of freeing Alek was by killing the monster who held this terror over them? How could she tell Quinn that the nightmares had come back after leaving him and that she now went days without the rest that even a vampire needed for fear of them haunting her?

Most of all... How could she tell him that she was so very tired? So tired that she was ready for this hell to be over? That the only thing that kept her going most days was the desire to see Alek safe and happy?

No, there was nothing in this life that held her interest anymore now that the end was so near. She'd been truly dead since she'd walked away from the man who now stood in front of her.

But she really couldn't tell him that now could she?

And so it was with a sad smile that AJ gave a weary shrug of her shoulders and sighed. Her dark eyes were shadowed by the night as she met his gaze.

"My happiness means nothing as long as I find a way to save my brothers soul.... Its my fault he was turned into the monster that he is and I can never allow myself to forget that. If not for me, he would have been safe... I allowed myself to trust in the wrong person and it got us both killed and then turned into being that should never haunt the night.... I am no better than he, Quinn.... I kill on order by the Council and I enjoy it.... This was never how our lives were intended to be but soon.... Soon the true monster will PAY with his own torment for the hell he has consigned us to..... Then, I will rest in peace....."

Keeping her eyes away from his, she gazed past him and out into the night. She couldn't risk his understanding of the true meaning of her words so she simply didn't let him read the truth in her dark depths.

"There comes a point when justice must be served for all and I've sought this coming fight for almost a hundred years. Luka must be made to pay for the innocents hes tormented and slaughtered. He can not be allowed to harm more.... The Council has ordered his death and graciously allowed me the first chance to take his head. Once it is done...... I shall return to my homeland and be with my family once again..... Tis the way of things and the way things should be.... They deserve a proper burial and to be honor for the sacrifices they made in the name of our Mother country...."

[Quinn Merrick]

Quinn dropped his hand with a frustrated sound, as she proceeded to speak. Her life meant nothing, if it didn’t include her brother’s safety. Gods, but she was as thickheaded as ever! Why couldn’t she see that she didn’t have a brother to protect? She was just saddling herself with a very unnecessary burden.

One that could be easily taken care of, his inner wolf whispered. How hard would it be to find where she was staying, corner Alek while she was away, and take care of her problem as silently as he’d tried to do all those years before? She would be hurt at first, yes. She would be angry at him, and she would hate him. But after a while, after realizing that she was finally free…she would thank him.

And she would be his. Good God, but his wolf practically salivated at the thought…while the man felt himself lean toward her. All he’d ever wanted was her by his side, forever. Could it be, that it could finally come to pass? Just stalk her, learn her movements and find where she lived, and he could so easily take care of both of their problems…

But the thoughts were dashed from his mind at the look on her face. There was resignation in her eyes, which made his plan seem so foolproof, but there was also that hard edge of determination. If he killed her brother, she would hate him, he thought with a bitter growl. She would never love him…even if the source of her current affections were keeping them apart.

“You follow orders and kill those who deserve to be killed,” He growled, a harsh frown on his face. Before he could reach for her again, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his dirty jeans. “You don’t hunt and kill for the absolute pleasure of killing, so you have no means to compare yourself to your monster of a brother. You know for a fact that, if the leash were taken off, he would become as bad as the devil who turned you. And, for the record Anastasia, it was not your fault that the two of you were turned.”

A look of confusion flickered onto his face, and before he could stop himself, he took yet another step toward her. “True monster?” He repeated, brows creasing. “What the hell are you planning, woman? You’re looking to get yourself killed, aren’t you?”

[AJ Romanov]

Damn... Those words would have made her laugh if it wasn't so freaking tragic. God, she felt as if they were living out some sort of never ending Romeo and Juliet story. Caught between a rock and the proverbial hard place, AJ could only stare up at Quinn and let a wry smirk twist her lips.

"Baby, I'm already dead.. Haven't you heard? I've been a dead woman for a very .. VERY .. long time.... Its only a matter of time before I'm dust in the wind... After all, who wants to live forever right?"

Then, shifting her weight, she reached for her shades and pulled them down over her glimmering eyes even though it was full dark out. Quinn had the uncanny ability to read the truth in her eyes even when she was avoiding the real question with easy sidestepping. That, she couldn't allow.... Not tonight. Not when she was so close to the end game. To laying all the demons that haunted her to rest.

Not when he was so close to being free of her and haunting memory of the love they'd once shared. She may hate him for his actions but she loved him with all the passion in her heart too and he deserved so much more than this half existence. Maybe once she was gone.. He could move on and find that mate that would be worthy of the man he was.

Not that she'd tell him any of that. After all, he would only try to stop her and it would do neither of them any good. Some things just weren't destined to be and she wouldn't leave him with any more heartache than she already had.

"Take care of yourself, Quinn, OK? You've got a lot of people depending on you and they need you...." I need you rang out unspoken before she continued. "I've got to go but.... I wish you the best of everything... I hope you find that happiness you've always deserved."

Then, forcing a smile that she hoped hid the finality of what she knew could be her last goodbye, the vampire turned on her heel and started away.

Damn it all to hell... she'd left her heard behind and this time there would be no healing the whole it left inside her chest.

[Quinn Merrick]

Quinn's heart lurched at the show of emotion playing across the vampire's face. Guilt, remorse, longing...it was so strange to see them, given the cool tone of her voice. But he'd always been able to read her, hadn't he? Even when she was trying to hide, he could always figure out what she was thinking.

And damn, if he didn't hate it sometimes. He knew that she was thinking of her brother; of the painful bond that they had, and that his words had uncorvered the emotions she kept hidden from the little monster. Was it wrong to feel jealous? That is presence made her sneer and cnarl at him with that rapier wit, but when her brother was involved, her entire face read longing?

Yes, it was wrong, dammit. What a perfect time for his wolf to pop up and start in on the possessiveness.

Gah, but the look of surprise on her face made him clench his teeth in irritation. She really thought that little of him, didn't she? And the "my love"...fuck, he had to shift a bit where he stood. or a certain part of his anatomy would be embarassingly obvious. Even while she insulted him, taunted him and hurt his goddamn feelings, his wolf knew its mate.

Fuck the sarcasm; that little claiming would keep him possessive for MONTHS. But dammit, she was saying something else, now. What was she...

Quinn growled a curse under his breath, as his fists clenched at his sides. "You're still as stubborn and foolish as I remember," He said, voice a bit muffled by irritation. "Luka is a powerful adversary and you won't be able to take him on your own. I've heard stories, and have seen evidence of his brutality. I don't care how much you need him dead; if you go after him alone, you WILL die."

He swept his hand through his hair and gnashed his teeth in frustration. His eyes were beginning to glow in the darkness.
"And let's get one thing straight, Anastasia," He continued. " You are not a killer. You are an enforcer, and I know for a fact that those that the Council send you after deserve to die. So stop with that stupid bullshit."