Author's note: Not too much to say, just wanted to give a heads up that chapters on this might slow down for a little while, as I have now turned eighteen and will have a lot of stuff to get done, as well as a trip to my nana's next week. Hopefully I'll get one more chapter done before the trip. Anyway, hope everyone enjoys, and please review, the reviews have really meant a lot to me.

A/N2: Please, please, don't ask for more of Company of Wolves in reviews for this. I will try to update it soon. Also, I would like to say that Company of Wolves will NOT be Lucian/Selene, and if it comes off that way, I am sorry, but it won't be that way. I loathe the ship.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters mentioned or seen in Underworld the movie, script, novelization, or comic books. They all belong to Danny McBride, Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, and Sony etc. Please do not sue me. Savvy?

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN: INABILITY

MOON PHASE - WANING GIBBOUS

"Well, at least this one has more of a point to it," Soren stated softly as he and Sonja entered the large room in which the latest gathering was being held. He and Sonja had been talking about how many ridiculous parties the vampire nobles had been throwing as of late, but he was right.

This one was legitimate really. A child had been born the previous eve, and now the nobles had gathered to celebrate the birth of a new vampire child. While it was not uncommon for their kind to have children, it was not something that happened regularly. When it did, it was a good enough reason to celebrate.

Though for Sonja, life itself could be something to celebrate. She remembered how fragile it truly was, flashes of a burnt, beheaded corpse flood her mind for a brief moment.

"Milady?" Soren asked her softly, stopped and reaching out to steady her as she wavered. "What is wrong?"

Sonja breathed in deeply, her eyes closed as she forced painful memories away to a place in the back of her mind where she tried to keep them locked away. After a few seconds, she smiled wanly and opened her eyes. "It is nothing, Soren. Just, sometimes unpleasant memories can haunt me at the most inappropriate moment," she explained to him.

An understanding nod came from the Death Dealer, and he quickly led her over to the throne at one of the walls. This was where the Elder, and if he or she had one, his family sat, and Sonja had almost always preferred to just sit and watch, not participate in the vain talk and chatter.

Sonja sat down, relieved. She smiled at Soren gratefully. "Thank you."

"Of course, Milady," he replied. He moved to stand at her side, but Sonja shook her head.

"You should join them, you might actually enjoy yourself for once," she told him, smirking ever so slightly, one would hardly notice. "I should be fine, I just need to clear my head. Go on, join," she told him, waving towards the crowd. Then, her smirk growing the tiniest bit, she added, "And that is an order."

Soren smiled and shook his head. "Then I suppose if I want to escape a few lashings I had best go and join the crowd. Call for me if you need, Milady," he told her as he walked away. Within minutes he was lost amidst the crowd, just another body filling the room.

Alone at last, Sonja sighed and fell back against her throne. She glanced over at the large, more intricate throne beside her. She wondered what it would be like when her father returned. She had barely had any time with him before he left, searching the world.

Trying to make the pain ease in his own way. He had promised Sonja he would return, but he had needed to leave for a while. He had needed to get out of the confining walls that had haunted her mother. He could not take the emptiness they brought.

She knew exactly how he felt. But she still could not fight away the bitterness at the memory of his refusal to take him with her. He had claimed she was too young to leave the grounds yet, and that she was needed here at home. The he needed her to stay.

In the end, he had asked her to stay, and she could not refuse his request.

Though now, if he knew of Lucian, he might would regret that choice.

Despite herself, Sonja smiled as she thought of her mate. She would see him again tonight. Perhaps he would be back in her chambers when she returned, waiting for her as he had been four nights ago. The thought made her feel something close to warm. Desire flooded through her, but she regained her control and remembered her place.

It would not be a good thing for others to know she was aroused and ready to return to her chambers. Especially for a lycan.

Sonja knew she had to stay for at least a half hour, but as soon as that amount of time had passed, she was leaving. She wanted to be with her mate again. She would be happy enough just to lie in his arms again, content with his body sleeping beneath hers.

***

Lucian silently strode through the halls of the dark castle, only a few scattered torches lit. Still, it was more than enough light, especially tonight. His senses still heightened from the moon, he quickly found his way to Sonja's balcony. But then, he suspected that if he were stripped of every sense, he could still find his way to her chambers.

He quickly leapt up, his legs easily propelling him up to the railing, only a small push needed to carry his weight over. Landing softly, he entered her bedchamber, her smell lingering in the air, filling his senses. He knew she would be at the gathering, but he had to come.

It had been too long sense he had been here, in his mate's rooms, touching her things. These rooms, things, this bed and sheets, they were just as much a part of his life as his own room, his own bed, his own belongings, the few he owned, were.

Slowly walking over to her vanity table, he looked down at her trinkets, jewelry, hair comb, elegant bottles of perfumes she hardly ever wore. He saw beautiful necklaces, pendants she never put on anymore.

Because of her mother's pendant, he remembered. She never took it off, and he could hardly blame her for that. It was a lovely pendant anyway, the green gem in the middle matching his beloved's eyes perfectly.

Lucian could recall countless times fingering the beautiful trinket, his fingertips grazing her skin as he did. He remembered it pressed against his own chest as he held to him tightly. He smiled softly. Now that little piece of metal and gem had become more important to him as anything he owned himself.

He did not want her to take it off almost. He wondered what it would be like if she did. Strange, and would take some getting used to, most certainly.

Moving over to her bed, Lucian removed his boots, sitting on the edge for a moment before letting himself fall back onto the soft sheets.

"Sonja."

***

After what seemed likes days had passed, Sonja finally felt she had made her appearance and made it long enough to satisfy the Council and the nobles that thought she should attend the gatherings. Rising from her seat, she located Soren and briskly strode over to him, leaning up to whisper in his ear.

"I shall be returning to my chambers now. Stay here, enjoy yourself as best you can," she told him. Smiling kindly at him, she moved away. "Now, stay here. I can make it to my chambers alone. I prefer the silence tonight."

Reluctantly, Soren finally nodded. "As you wish, Milady," he replied. He watched her go, his eyes never leaving her until she disappeared out the doors of the large room.

Sonja kept herself from running, barely, as she made her way through the seemingly endless corridors of her home. She smiled to herself, her mind already back in her chambers. She picked up her pace a little more, still not quite running yet.

"What is the hurry, Milady?"

Freezing in her tracks, Sonja looked down a hallway at her side to meet Anmy's eyes. She felt her heart stop for a moment, her blood running colder than ever. She knew that look on his face, had seen it before, and not always on him.

It was vile and insidious, a leering, brazen gaze. Filled with hatred just as much as empty lust.

"I should have known you would approach me," she stated softly. "I should have known you would take the opportunity to threaten me again while all others are gone, caught up in their gathering."

Anmy nodded, stepping towards her. "But you were a fool, and you left Soren behind. There is not a soul around who could help you now, only you and I." He smiled, a wide, serpentine grin that sent an unpleasant jolt up her spine. "But, I am only here to reason with you, make you see that you and I do not have to be such bitter enemies any more."

Sonja scoffed. "Oh, yes we do. You and I will never agree on anything, and I know what it is you really want. You cannot stand my presence, you would rather have me keep silent and look pretty than to care about my people and our safety."

"You do not know how to rule," he hissed back. "You are merely a little princess trying to please you beloved father, or your own bleeding heart."

"You tread on dangerous ground, Anmy," she replied calmly.

Anmy cocked an eyebrow. "Do I?"

Suddenly he was against her, pressing her back to the wall, hands gripping her shoulders roughly. "I can show you treading dangerous ground, Princess. I can show you real danger right now," he whispered into her ear. "Pap is not here, and neither is his appointed nursemaid."

"Do you really believe you can get away with this?" Sonja asked him, her voice still calm. The only sign of her ire was the pale blue color of her irises, glowing in the hallway's darkness. "Do you think that I will keep silent, or that the others will believe your word over mine?"

Anmy glared at her. "I want you to know that after tonight, I will no longer show any hostility towards you. Or your precious dogs. I will be restrained and polite," he told her, pressing himself against her. His hands kept her from struggling, but she had no intention of moving yet. "I will wash my hands clean and fool everyone into thinking I have changed my ways."

"Everyone but those with minds," Sonja replied and swiftly brought her knee up, ramming it into her groin. She waited until her moved his arms away, then slammed her right palm into his throat, smashing his windpipe.

The Death Dealer gasped and choked, but Sonja was already running, rushing back to the safety of her chambers and Lucian's embrace.

***

Lucian rose from the bed the instant he heard the door open, standing to face Sonja as she leaned her back against the now closed door. His entire body stiffened when he saw she was breathing heavily, as though she had been running, and her eyes were blue.

The stench of sweat and silver mixed with iron and dried blood hung on her body as he neared her, her clothes and skin covered with the foul mixtures of smells.

Death Dealer.

"Sonja," he said, voice emotionless, "what happened?" He watched her as she met his gaze for a moment before looking away, shaking her head.

"It was nothing, just leave it alone, please," she pleaded, but the wolf was on edge, his body trembling as the beast inside seethed with rage. "Please, Lucian, just drop it, let it pass, you can do nothing about it," she told him, seeing his balled fists and silver eyes flashing.

Lucian growled softly. "Let it pass? Leave it be? Someone attacked you, didn't they, didn't they?" he asked.

Sonja shook her head, walking past him. "No, Lucian, please. Believe me when I tell you I am fine. No harm done, nothing happened."

"Nothing happened?! Then why are you trembling, shaken as if in fear or pain, or even both?" Lucian demanded. "What did he do to you? Who was he? You reek of Death Dealer, more than ever before. He was on you, was he not?" Lucian stared at her expectantly, but Sonja remained silent, her eyes green again. Frustrated with her refusal to tell him, he grabbed her, pulling her up to him. "Tell me, Sonja, tell me now or by the moon above us I will go and kill every Death Dealer find before you race kills me."

Sonja shook her head, panic in her beautiful, frightened eyes. "No, Lucian, please. It was Anmy, he came to me after I left the gathering this eve," she finally admitted. "But please, Lucian, you cannot go after him."

Lucian growled. "I can, and I will."

"No!"

"Sonja, you are my mate," he told her, voice softer. "You are my love, and he attacked you, he forced," suddenly he stopped, as stared at Sonja, eyes terrified. "He did not, you were not," Lucian paused, swallowing. "Sonja, did he?"

She shook her head. "No, no, I doubt even he could be that stupid," she assured him.

Lucian nodded. "Still, he forced himself against you," he stated firmly.

"Lucian, do you not understand?! If you go after him, we are dead! They will know, and they will kill us both and possibly your family! You cannot throw it all away just because of Anmy, you cannot!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arms and almost shaking him.

But Lucian's rage would not die down. "What do you expect me to do, Sonja? After what he did? What did he do exactly? Did he pin you to the wall, like this?" Lucian demanded, his hands pushing her against her own wall, holding her forearms tightly. He saw something flicker in her eyes, something that made him realize what he was doing and he backed away, ashamed.

Sorrow.

"Sonja, please forgive me, please," he begged, keeping his distance from her. "I, I cannot believe I did that," he said, staring down at his own hands. "I only want to protect you, but now I have done nothing but make this worse for you."

"Lucian, look at me," Sonja ordered softly. "You have done nothing wrong. I know how badly you want to rip Anmy apart, I feel the desire myself. But we cannot, and we must let it go," she told him. "Please, do not worry, I am fine. Just let it go, do not let it tear at you anymore."

Trembling now himself, Lucian nodded. He came up to her, eyes ashamed still. "Forgive me, please," he begged again.

"There is nothing to forgive, my love," Sonja replied.

"No, for this," he then said, and abruptly he punched her wall, a few chunks of stone falling to the floor and dust swirling around his hand. He remained still, his only movement coming from his heavy breathing as he stared at the now bleeding hand still slammed into the stone.

"Lucian!" Sonja exclaimed, pulling his hand away. "You are bleeding," she added softly. "I seriously do not think I should forgive you for that, you nearly broke your hand," she scolded, but the smell of blood was now rising, its tangy, sweet scent making her fangs elongate.

Lucian saw her eyes turn blue again for a moment, then close as she breathed in, her body swaying slightly. He watched as she licked her lips before regaining some composure. He was almost disappointed for some reason.

"I should find something to bandage your hand with," she said absently, her eyes falling to his bloody knuckle and droplets of blood running down his fingers. "I," she started, transfixed by the red liquid. "I need to bind it quickly."

"No," Lucian told her, his own eyes silver and wanting. He raised his hand, giving it to her. "You can if you want," he told her.

Sonja shook her head, but it was a sluggish move. She opened her mouth, possibly to protest, then shut it again as she held his hand in both of hers, gently pulling it up to her mouth, pressing her lips against the cut skin. She flicked her tongue out, licking at the blood as it dripped form his knuckles.

Lucian shuddered at the sensation, his eyes transfixed as she licked again, then finally sucked on one of his knuckles, her tongue darting out to lick up the blood that had trickled down his fingers. He shivered, a hand reaching out to the wall, steadying himself as Sonja drank his blood greedily, her eyes closed in ecstasy.

Her hands gripped his wrist, her mouth moving to his other knuckles, lapping up the blood, sucking at the wounds hungrily, her breathing heavier now. She had never fed from her lover, they both were afraid of what damages could be done, but now she was drinking from his open wounds, his blood intoxicating and deliciously warm. She felt her head grow light and dizzy, body swaying.

His blood and her arousal filled the air with lustful scents, making both of them lightheaded, hungry, wanting.

Sonja stopped, pulling herself away from his hand as she looked up at him, her normally pale, pink lips stained crimson.

Unable to resist, Lucian felt himself lean over, capturing her lips with his, his tongue meeting hers, stroking her lips, tasting his own blood. He groaned, wrapping both arms around her as her arousal went to his head, the taste of blood in his mouth.

"Please," Sonja begged him, her voice a whisper. She pressed herself up against him, her hands coming up to cup his face as she kissed him feverishly. "Please," she asked of him again, unable to voice what it was she wanted, but he knew.

He wanted it too.

His own movements as frantic as hers, he pushed at her dress, moving the sleeves off her shoulders, pushing the garment down until it fell to the floor with a soft rustle. She shivered, bare before him, her own hands busying themselves with his clothes. Lucian helped her, quickly removing his shirt as she shoved down his trousers. He stepped back, out of the clothing, then reached over and pulled her to him.

Sonja gasped when he did, her bare, frozen form pressed tightly against his burning hot body, his skin on fire as he kissed her. She returned his passion, clinging to him fiercely, her hands running down his back, over his buttocks and then up his thighs and abdomen.

Lucian groaned audibly, lifting his head in pleasure at her touch, and Sonja kissed his exposed neck. His fingers entangled in her hair, holding her head to him, cradling the back of her neck gently. He wanted to make her quiver and moan and scream his name, mark his again as his own and cover her in his scent.

Picking her up in his arms, he carried her over to the bed, laying her down and swiftly pouncing, covering her body with his as lips met again, devouring. Hands wandered, exploring, groping, clawing as they both gave in to the primal urges inside them, Sonja again licking at his now healing wounds, tasting the last bit of blood from him.

Lucian nuzzled her head as she did this, growling softly, almost a purr, the vibration of it hitting her neck and she whimpered softly, a sound that drove him wild, made him hard, and caused his blood to blaze in his body. He nipped at her skin, his fingers pawing at her back as he rolled over, holding her down on top of him.

Gasping softly, Sonja felt Lucian push her hips down his body, holding her body off of his as he rocked his hips up, entering her in one quick thrust. She cried out, closing her eyes as he held her waist tightly, his own groan reaching her ears.

"Sonja," Lucian groaned out in a strained voice, his eyes closed tightly and he gripped her as though she were his very life.

She leaned down, kissing him softly. "I am here, my love," she whispered. "Let it go."

Lucian opened his eyes, meeting hers. He nodded, kissing her quickly before thrusting his hips up again, hands still holding her steady. They quickly found their familiar rhythm, bodies rocking, hips grinding against each other.

Sonja moaned and arched her back as Lucian's hands stroked her sides, stomach, kneaded her breasts, his head coming up every so often to kiss her skin, bite at her nipples, tongue tasting her sweat. She threw her head back when she felt him stiffen and then shake beneath her, insider her. She felt him burn and she cried out loudly as her own release flooded every sense, every nerve in fire, every muscle quiver under her skin.

Lucian groaned, feeling her tighten, tremors running through her body as he pulled her down to him. He could feel his body begin to clam down, still burning, still riding the high, the rapture sating the wolf as his seed filled her, careless of the possibility it could mean.

"I love you," he whispered, nuzzling her ear. "I love you so much, Sonja," he continued. He stroked her hair, his fear and rage from earlier subsiding at last.

Sonja smiled against his skin. "I know, my love. I know." A soft sigh, fingers running through his hair, brushing it off his face. "I love you as well, Lucian." She nuzzled his chest and closed her eyes. Her breathing pattern began to change, and Lucian felt her fall asleep on top of him.

Lucian stared down at her. He pulled her sheets over their entangled bodies, careful not to wake her. His gaze wandered over to her balcony and he could see the pale moon through the sheer curtains. With a sigh, Lucian finally closed his eyes. The wolf was already sleeping under his skin, but he could still feel the embers of his slowly dying rage.

One day. One day he would find this Anmy, and he would see to it the Death Dealer could never hurt Sonja ever again. He would find a way somehow.

***

Soren walked through the crowd, heading for the doors. He was tired of the endless chatter, no point to this gathering that held any importance to him. He maneuvered and eased through, finally spotting the exit. He was about to walk over when a younger vampire practically flung herself over him. He stared at her impatiently, vaguely recognizing her.

She had been a servant up until a year ago, and ever since then, she had been eagerly throwing herself in many powerful noble males' beds. Anya, that was her name.

"Good evening, Soren," she purred, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair. Her brazen movements made him want to fling her against the wall almost, but he resisted the urge.

"Good night, Anya," he replied and pried her off his arm. He walked away without looking back, though he was certain the look of disappointment and anger was quite priceless. He shook his head as he left the room.

He strode through the corridors, ignoring the vampire couples, or threesomes, he passed in the hallway. He wanted to get back to the Death Dealers' headquarters and spar, exercise, do something to keep him occupied.

He wondered what Sonja was doing. He immediately shook his head, forcing himself to think about something he hated.

Speak of the devil.

As he entered the main room of the Dealers' chambers, he saw Anmy sharpening his daggers. The other Death Dealer looked up, scowling, and Soren could have sworn he saw a faint bruise on the male's neck.

"I thought you were at the gathering, drinking to your heart's content," he hissed.

Soren rolled his eyes. "Anmy, if you want to get into a fight, go find some noble drinking from one of the serving wenches and pry him off her. I am certain he would be happy to accommodate you," the lead Dealer shot back. "But I am in no mood for your temper, or your grating voice. Or your stench," he added almost as an afterthought.

Much to his surprise, Anmy simply glowered at him for a moment before returning to his dagger.